Chillingus suddenly spoke up.
Lance was startled, then instantly overjoyed.
He quickly turned around and asked, “Master Chillingus knows how to go down?”
“Naturally. Anahita and I came up from the lower levels ourselves.”
“The passage is located to the northeast of here. It is somewhat far, but by flight, it can be reached in only half a day.”
For a moment, Lance felt as if he were dreaming.
Knowing the location of the passage to the next floor meant that the time it would take for Lance to return to the surface would be greatly shortened.
Then what was there to wait for?
Lance immediately shared this good news with Astrid.
“Then let’s leave right now!”
“Ah? You two are leaving now? Why not stay a while longer? I can send a few youngsters from the tribe to check it out. It won’t be too late to leave once the situation is confirmed!”
The Grand Elder, upon learning that Lance and the Elf were preparing to set off immediately, hurried to dissuade them.
However, Lance’s attitude was very firm at this moment, insisting on leaving immediately no matter what was said.
Left with no choice, the Takin Grand Elder had to turn and run into the back hall, entering the true treasury of the village.
Even then, he was not finished. The Grand Elder fumbled around for a while longer.
A booming sound exploded within the enclosed space.
A concealed secret door appeared out of thin air.
The Grand Elder plunged inside and only reappeared after quite a long time. He then instructed others to prepare travel rations.
After a long wait, the Grand Elder finally appeared carrying two parcels.
“Please accept this, you two.”
As he spoke, the Grand Elder opened an exquisite small wooden box.
Lance and Astrid both froze slightly as they looked inside.
A ring?
Seeing their bewildered expressions, the Grand Elder explained, “This is the Seven Star Stone Ring, the most precious treasure of our tribe!”
“It has only one function, and that is to assist the wearer in knocking open the Gate of Elements!”
Hearing this, both Lance and Astrid were stunned, their eyes gleaming with sharp light.
This was a genuine treasure!
There were countless High Rank experts in the world, but very few could successfully step into the Elemental Tier.
If what the Takin Grand Elder said was true, then this treasure was priceless! If placed in an auction house in Sifral City, it would likely fetch an astronomical price!
But Lance and Astrid suddenly realized something and looked at the Takin Grand Elder with suspicion.
‘If it is truly that good, why would the Takins give it to me?’
Even the great empires of the surface could never have enough of such a wonderful item! How could they give it away so easily!
Being stared at like that made the Takin Grand Elder feel a bit awkward, and as expected, he spoke up to explain further.
“This item has one shortcoming… that is, it can only serve as an assistant. Therefore, it is useless for someone without the talent to knock open the Gate of Elements to wear it.”
The Takin Grand Elder pointed to the water-blue gemstone set into the ring and said, “Another point is that this gemstone contains a massive amount of the Water Element. If one wishes to use this item to knock open the Gate of Elements, they can only comprehend the Water Element.”
“And it is universally recognized that the Takin tribe has no talent for any natural elements besides Earth. Haha…”
Now Lance understood.
It meant this item could only help someone who already had the potential to knock open the Gate of Elements, and the unlocked power would be restricted to the Water Element.
From this perspective, the item was indeed somewhat niche.
Why would someone capable of knocking open the Gate of Elements use this item to limit themselves? What if they could comprehend a better element?
However, the item was still very valuable. After discussing it with Astrid, they decided that Lance would keep it.
After all, the young lady Elf felt that she had not made any substantial contribution to resolving the crisis of the Takin Village.
Lance had no objections and happily accepted the Takins’ gratitude.
Immediately after, the two set off, deciding to head toward the passage Chillingus had mentioned.
Because they left in a hurry, there was no one to see them off.
But Lance did not care at all. He had only known the Takins for a few days, and there was no particularly deep bond.
Right now, his mind was only filled with the thought of reaching the next floor as quickly as possible and finding the teleportation array to the surface.
He did not want to stay in this Underground Labyrinth for even one more day!
Lance sat astride the Fire Bull, while the Elf stood atop the Ice Bird.
They quickly crossed the high mountains to the east of the Takin Village, and the village behind them soon turned into a small dot, vanishing from Lance’s field of vision.
‘Finally leaving this place… I really should thank the Elf lady…’
‘If not for her help, I’m afraid I’d still be wandering around the 58th Floor…’
Lance turned his head to look at Astrid nearby, wanting to say something through their mental connection.
He found, however, that the Elf lady had a look of being lost in thought, staring blankly at the rushing clouds and mist as if she were deep in reflection.
Seeing this, Lance did not speak to disturb her, lest he interrupt the lady Elf’s thoughts.
……
In the western district of the maze city, Sifral City, beneath the quiet night, a tower emitting a faint white shimmer stood silently.
The design of three swords encircling a sun revealed the solemnity and majesty of this place.
On the highest floor of the tower, a woman dressed in pure white clerical robes sat seemingly at ease behind an office desk.
Her hands were folded between her long legs, and her eyes were closed as she quietly listened to her subordinate’s report regarding the recent news of Sifral City.
“Lady Saintess! The recent movements of the Evernight Church are nothing unusual. It doesn’t look like they are plotting anything major.”
“Should your subordinate go and investigate further?”
The handsome young man kneeling respectfully before the desk spoke with a hint of excitement in his voice.
He felt incredibly honored to be able to report the situation to the Saintess in person!
This was the Radiant Saintess personally appointed by His Holiness the Pope!
She was the true pride of their Radiant Sanctuary!
A top-tier powerhouse who had knocked open the Gate of Elements at such a young age!
With such talent, she was certain to reach the Saint Rank in the future!
Her coronation as the new Pope was only a matter of time!
“There is no need. You have done well. You may leave…”
A soft yet somewhat languid voice drifted from the young woman’s mouth.
Just hearing this voice made the handsome young man feel a surge of boundless joy in his chest, which he was forced to suppress.
Giving an affirmative response, he stood up.
Taking advantage of the moment he stood up, the young man’s eyes quickly swept over the Saintess.
Unfortunately, the Saintess’s curvaceous body was concealed by the pure white clerical robes, and he was unable to leave a deep impression in that brief instant.
Sensing his gaze, the Saintess’s brow furrowed slightly despite her closed eyes.
The young man did not dare to linger and hurried out of the top-floor office.
With a soft sigh, the auburn-haired Saintess opened her eyes, which were filled with weariness.
Turning her chair to look at the boundless shadows outside the window, the Saintess felt a bit of chest tightness.
She really disliked the environment of Sifral City. Affected by special laws, Sifral City was a true city of eternal night and secrets.
Under the protection of these special laws, darkness was the eternal theme here, and the effect of secrecy made all tracking magic fail.
Consequently, this place could be said to be the favorite haunt for wanted criminals, and villains.
If not for certain reasons, she would have preferred to wait a few more years in the Church until a Cardinal position opened up in another region.
But life was unpredictable, and she had no better options. She let out another long sigh.
The Saintess said, “Little Noren, help me pour a cup of tea.”
“Uh… okay!”
The tiny maid standing behind her snapped out of her daze and quickly responded, running off to pour tea for Her Highness the Saintess.
A moment later, the black-haired, red-eyed little maid returned with a cup of steaming tea, placing it gently in front of the Saintess.
Looking at the scalding tea, the Saintess shook her head but said nothing.
She still picked up the tea and took a light sip, only then letting out a long breath of relief.
The room fell silent once again, filled with a sense of peace, as if all other troubling matters had vanished.
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