After a few minutes, Erik arrived in front of a huge waterfall, at which point he climbed down from Tiberius's back. After looking around and marveling a bit at the colorful assortment of plants and trees of various colors, heights, and shapes, Erik closed his eyes and focused entirely on the surrounding Myst.
(The Myst seems to be acting a bit strange around the waterfall… But it's pretty subtle—I could easily miss it if I weren't paying attention.) Curious, Erik reflected to himself, then opened his eyes and looked at Tiberius.
"Are you sure this is the place, Tiberius?"
At the question, the impressive black wolf barked happily, almost as if confidently confirming it. Erik reached out and started to pet the wolf's head, then looked at Ebonique, who was flying beside him and was nearly a meter tall. In a calm tone, Erik asked.
"Ebonique, can you hide me like you did when I was flying?"
"…It's better if Tiberius does it." Ebonique responded with visible reluctance and uncertainty. "If I do it, I might alert the other party…"
"So there really is a spirit involved…" Seeing the state of his beloved spirit, Erik commented in a contemplative tone as he gazed deeply at the waterfall.
"Yes… Now I can feel it much more clearly."
Ebonique, her eyes releasing a faint purple glow, replied in a heavy tone. After all, she had materialized a part of her true body, and through it, she had confirmed her suspicions. That bastard collector had left his aura all over the place, so whatever was here must hold some level of importance for that piece of trash.
"Erik… Let's not go in. Let's look for other options." Filled with concern, Ebonique flew in front of Erik and spoke with a voice full of worry. Erik smiled reassuringly and extended his other hand to touch the dragon spirit's chin, then replied.
"Do you have any ideas?"
"… No." Ebonique answered regretfully but quickly looked into Erik's eyes, full of hope. "But you're very clever. If you put your mind to it, I'm absolutely sure you'll come up with something.
"You give me too much credit." Erik replied with an amused smile. Then, in a calm tone, he explained as he looked at the waterfall.
"I'm really not that impressive, and even if I were, the most basic requirement for coming up with any plan is to understand the current situation as well as possible. Otherwise, any idea would be nothing more than a fantasy."
"…But you could send those kids to scout." Ebonique commented in a rather cold voice. "You've done a lot for them. This is a good opportunity for them to prove their worth."
"Really? Tell me, what have I done for them?" Erik asked calmly as he turned to look at Ebonique.
"If it weren't for you, those kids would have died a long time ago! They owe you their lives!" Ebonique replied firmly, looking Erik straight in the eyes. The star-haired boy smiled and said.
"You underestimate them too much. I simply proposed a way to avoid a desperate fight and built a couple of cabins. But they're still geniuses in their own right. Even without me, they would have managed to survive in their own way, even if they had to take more risks and maybe make a few sacrifices. Besides, don't forget, we found the entrance thanks to Lirio, so I would've had some trouble without him too."
Seeing that Ebonique was about to reply, Erik sent her a bit of mana to calm her down and continued speaking.
"But putting all that aside, that basilisk isn't going to spare anyone once it wakes up. So, with or without them, I have to investigate and prepare accordingly. And since I'm the only alchemist and artificer in the group, I'm the most suited for that job. Besides, as you said before, I can get around much more easily being alone."
"…" Unable to find anything to argue back with, Ebonique remained silent, visibly uneasy and worried. Erik quickly added in a reassuring tone.
"Look at it this way—if Frank managed to make it out alive, so can I. And if you're worried that your presence might alert the other party, just wait for us here; I'll go with Tiberius."
"I'm coming too!" Ebonique replied in a firm tone that left no room for discussion, which made Erik smile. Shortly after, he said.
"Then let's go."
Immediately, Erik created an invisible Myst platform beneath himself and Tiberius, which he used to fly closer to the waterfall. Meanwhile, the worried Ebonique shrank down until she was only a few centimeters tall, then landed on Erik's head, blending in with his hair. Soon, Ebonique encapsulated all her mana within her body, reducing her presence until she was almost completely undetectable to Erik's senses.
At the same time, Erik extended his mana outward like a sphere—a technique known as Ethereal Projection—which soon allowed him to detect a hole behind the waterfall. Using a Myst barrier to shield himself from the water, Erik passed through the cascade, arriving at the cave Frank had found.
"Tiberius, hide me." Erik said calmly, placing his left hand on Tiberius's head.
After a silent howl, Tiberius channeled his mana, causing his figure to blur into the darkness. At the same time, a sort of black stain began to creep up Erik's hand as if it had a life of its own. Soon, Erik was completely covered in darkness, looking like a humanoid shadow, which gradually faded until it disappeared entirely.
Encapsulating his mana just as Ebonique had done, Erik moved forward through the dark tunnel with his hand on Tiberius, while he curiously observed the strange, circular tunnel that seemed to have been carefully carved out. Meanwhile, Ebonique, hidden in Erik's hair, stared ahead with clenched teeth, since the aura of the 'collector' only grew stronger and thicker with every step they took.
After a few minutes, Erik finally reached the end of the tunnel, where, thanks to his contract with Tiberius, he was able to see the colossal sleeping serpent. The basilisk had what looked like spines protruding from the back of its head and scales that gave off a subtle yellowish glow.
Although somewhat awed by the titanic creature, Erik kept his mana firmly under control and closed his eyes to focus completely on his Mystical Awareness and the surrounding Myst.
[… This thing isn't Sage-level…] After a few seconds, Erik commented with visible apprehension through his contract with Ebonique.
[It's on the verge of becoming 'Master-level.'] Ebonique replied in a serious tone. Erik could only nod and say.
[Let's check out the surroundings. It's better to leave the basilisk for last. An Arcane-Peak isn't something we can mess with carelessly.]
With visible caution, Erik began to circle the basilisk, walking close to the wall as he carefully examined the area, since there was something in Frank's story that intrigued him. The reason Lirio had discovered the basilisk was because Lirio had "smelled" mana crystals, and that scent pointed directly to the chamber where it was. Therefore, it was almost certain that there was something else in that place besides the basilisk.
After a while, Erik ended up on the opposite side of the basilisk, where he found three tunnels, all of them appearing natural but positioned side by side, which suggested an artificial origin. Closing his eyes, Erik scanned the Myst in all three tunnels. Soon, he discovered that the Myst in the left tunnel not only had a slightly greater amount, but it was also a bit "heavier" and harder to manipulate than in the others.
Curious, Erik headed toward the left tunnel. The tunnel didn't seem very different from the one where he had first appeared in the ruin—completely dark and cavernous, barely illuminated by a few stalactites glowing with a bluish light. But as Erik advanced, the sensation of "heaviness" in the surrounding Myst grew worse, though still far from what he had felt in that strange space he passed through when he first entered the ruin.
The tunnel didn't seem to have any trace of life either—to the point that, even when extending his Mystical Awareness to the limit, Erik was unable to detect anything alive nearby. The only thing registering on his "mental radar" was the colossal presence of the basilisk. That "presence," although much weaker than that of his masters, was still enormous compared to his own.
[Do you think the basilisk unconsciously killed everything around it?] While cautiously scanning his surroundings, Erik asked Ebonique through their contract. The dragoness replied in a restrained voice.
[I imagine so.]
[What is this place made of to still be standing after the basilisk wiped out everything in the area...?] Touching the wall with his right hand, Erik commented thoughtfully.
[…]
Seeing that Ebonique remained silent, Erik decided to drop the subject and continued advancing through the tunnel with caution. After about 20 minutes, Erik spotted in the distance what looked like a stone cabin. The strange cabin, although somewhat similar to the ones outside the garden, was also different at the same time—as if they had been built at different times.
The cabin had a roof that almost looked like a hat, with the chimney in the center, from which a thin trail of smoke was rising. Meanwhile, a soft yellow light shone from beneath the wooden door and windows, illuminating the outside and revealing a small stone fence that enclosed a tiny garden around it.
[Do you sense anything strange, Ebonique?]
Erik asked cautiously as he carefully studied the stone cabin. Ebonique poked her head out from Erik's hair a little and replied in a serious tone that made it clear how worried the dragoness was.
[No… But not being able to do anything in that place…]
[The spirit?] Erik asked solemnly, at the same time taking one of the machetes from his waist. Ebonique let out a small sigh and explained.
[It's not there, but its 'aura' is especially thick in that place, so it's likely it could detect me if I'm not careful.]
Hearing Ebonique, Erik let out a sigh of relief and released the handle of his machete, then commented in a calmer tone through their contract.
[Then wait for me a few minutes; I'll go take a look.]
[No! I'm going with you!] Ebonique instantly replied, almost authoritatively, as she clung to Erik's hair with her claws. The star-haired boy asked, a bit worried.
[Didn't you say they could detect you?]
[Only if I use mana,] Ebonique quickly replied seriously, gripping Erik's hair tightly. [I'm not letting you go into that place alone.]
[… Alright, then let's go together…]
After letting out a small sigh, Erik agreed and grabbed one of his machetes. With one hand on Tiberius and his machete in the other, Erik advanced step by step toward the cabin, extending his Mystical Awareness to the maximum.
Soon, Erik was just a few meters from the stone fence surrounding the cabin, but at that moment, he detected a change in his Mystical Awareness. Two "presences" suddenly appeared from beneath the ground.
[Back up!]
Surprised, Erik quickly grabbed Tiberius's fur tightly and gave him an order through their contract, then jumped back with the wolf. Soon, the "presences" on his "mental radar" began to take shape, soon revealing the figures of two "balls with legs"—something he had already encountered before.
[Golems!]
[Run!!]
Ebonique quickly exclaimed in a panic. After all, the fact that they appeared right now was a clear sign that Tiberius's concealment methods weren't effective against them. Plus, she couldn't use mana or she'd be detected, and if Erik got caught up in a fight with the golems, it would almost certainly alert the basilisk. The fight could not only provoke the basilisk into attacking unconsciously, but it could even accelerate its awakening—or wake it up on the spot.
With a serious expression, Erik mounted Tiberius, who began running toward the exit at full speed. Grabbing his second machete, Erik divided his focus between the two emerging golems and the colossal basilisk. When they were almost halfway through the tunnel, Erik ordered Tiberius to stop. Panicked, Ebonique urgently asked.
[What are you doing, Erik?!]
[I want to see if those Golems are going to follow me.] Erik responded in a calm and focused tone, which had a big impact on Ebonique. The dragoness fell silent for a few seconds, calming her recently rediscovered, agitated emotions, and then asked.
[Do you have a plan?]
[Not so much a plan. Let's just say I'm gathering information.] Erik replied in an even tone. [Tiberius has the ability to get me out of here with a shadow portal—something Frank proved unintentionally. So, since I have an escape route, I want to gather as much information as I can.]
[I see…] Ebonique answered, trying to muster her courage. For his part, Erik closed his eyes and focused entirely on his Mystical Awareness.
Although the Golems were "only" Revealed-Skilled, Erik was still cautious around them. After all, without Ebonique and his equipment, his combat power would be greatly reduced, and to make matters worse, those Golems were very likely made of Oricalite, just like the one he had encountered before. So not only were they extremely tough, but also highly resistant to spells.
Therefore, even if he could destroy one, it would be a tough fight that would force him to push himself to the limit, which would end up seriously damaging his mana circulatory system. Without potions, an injury like that could be fatal. But the real problem was that there were two, so if things came to a confrontation, his best option would be to run.
…
Fully focused, Erik was able to closely track the Golems' movements through the "mental radar" of his Mystical Awareness. After emerging from beneath the rocks, the Golems began to walk around the cabin with slow, unsteady steps, as if searching for something—gradually moving farther from the cabin and widening their search area.
[It seems like they don't have the ability to locate us. They discovered us, but not completely. They must have some sort of proximity alarm or something like that, but it's very imprecise. The question is, how does that 'alarm' work? If we can figure it out, we can get past it…] Observing the golems' clumsy movements, Erik commented in a thoughtful tone. Ebonique, now much more composed, added, just as thoughtfully.
[It can't be because of the mana, or the basilisk would have attacked us at the entrance.]
[That's true. But for now, let's wait a bit to see if they follow us…] Erik said, then focused once again on the golems' movements. Ebonique nodded and hid herself in Erik's hair again, wanting to blend in perfectly.
After a few minutes, the golems, having moved nearly 30 meters away from the cabin, stopped for a few moments before slowly returning to the cabin. Once they reached the cabin again, the golems dug a little and then buried themselves back into the stone, disappearing from sight.
Shortly after, the golems deactivated completely, vanishing from Erik's mental radar. Not wanting to make a foolish mistake, Erik remained silent for a few more minutes, watching for any new movement from the cabin, but everything returned to complete stillness. Erik's eyes lit up, and he quickly commented with renewed confidence.
[The alarm they have is really imprecise, and it seems like it can't reach very far from the cabin.]
[Do you want to go back?] Ebonique asked in a serious tone. Erik nodded and turned to look at Tiberius, then gave an order through their contract with the wolf.
[Yes, but this time let's move through the shadows.]
Almost automatically, Tiberius's shadow stretched out and merged with the surrounding darkness, at which point Erik began to slowly sink into the shadows. After a few seconds, Erik once again found himself in the dark space, so he quickly focused completely on his contract with the wolf to share his senses, and they began to move forward.
Not long after, Erik could once again see the cabin through Tiberius's "eyes," so he started to advance cautiously, moving only a few meters at a time. After several pauses, Erik finally made it right up to the stone fence surrounding the cabin—much closer than he had gotten before—but the golems remained inactive.
[It really wasn't because of the mana. It had to be something else.] Erik commented thoughtfully. Ebonique quickly replied in a serious tone,
[Hurry, Tiberius can't maintain this state for long.]
[I know.] Erik replied, and immediately gave the order to move forward, passing through the stone fence.
Moving cautiously, Erik soon reached the front of the cabin, where he took advantage of the small shadow cast by the door to peek inside. The inside of the cabin was much larger than it appeared from the outside and was illuminated by what looked like candles. The place was also filled with all kinds of shelves holding what seemed to be books, scrolls, and strange jade tablets.
Besides the books and tablets, there were what looked like some empty glass containers, a few wooden desks, and metal tables with drawers. But what caught Erik's attention the most was a huge mana crystal sitting atop what appeared to be a small instrument with a magnifying glass on one of the metal tables.
[So that's what Lirio smelled…] Erik commented in realization. Ebonique nodded and added, while looking at a shelf full of jade tablets that emitted a faint glow.
[It's possible. Also, I've seen those jade tablets before—I think they're used to record things.]
[Yes, I've read that they're used in the Lotus Union. Basically, they work by recording complex thoughts, and although they're very durable and immune to language barriers—since they're just thoughts—their cost isn't really worth it, so you rarely see them in the Arcane Order.] Erik commented calmly as he curiously studied the surroundings.
[I see… so there must be a lot of records there…] Ebonique said as she looked at the tablets. [But how do we get them out of here without being discovered?]
[That's a great question…] Erik replied thoughtfully, which made Ebonique start thinking of possible solutions.
***
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Basilisk:
Stone cabin: