Deep in the mountains, an abandoned Gold Mine, long shunned due to terrifying legends, had remained remarkably well preserved after the recent earthquake.
The superstitious Mountain People might believe this "Haunted Gold Mine" was protected by mighty forces—hence their heightened reverence for it.
Those familiar with the truth would say it was merely one of the Underdark residents' secret passages to the surface, purposefully reinforced and thus unaffected.
But in reality, its preservation was simply a matter of luck.
Strictly speaking, throughout the Roof Ridge Plateau, only a handful of unfortunate places were destroyed. The overwhelming majority remained unscathed.
The aftershocks of Vajra and Shudde M'ell's clash devastated hundreds of kilometers of mountains and land, permanently altering Rubble District and the mountainous region northwest of it—a total area nearly ten thousand square kilometers, equivalent to forty Aconcagua.
However, compared to the Roof Ridge Plateau's enormous expanse—more than a million square kilometers—this region was quite small, less than one percent of the whole.
Beyond these ruined mountains to the northwest, the plateau rose even higher, dotted with further peaks, all still intact and untouched by the earthquake.
More than ninety percent of this plateau was utterly uninhabited, its altitude too harsh for humans. Only a few hardy plants and especially powerful monsters survived there. But these wilds formed the heart of the Roof Ridge Plateau.
The Haunted Gold Mine was located precisely in one such untouched area.
Today, however, some uninvited guests emerged from that mine.
A group of tall, gaunt figures cloaked and prowling, moving with furtive intent.
They circled the Gold Mine, scanning the area. Once certain it was deserted, the leader finally removed his hood.
Beneath it was deep blue skin, an octopus-shaped head, and the unmistakable elongated tentacles extending from what should have been mouth and chin—their tools for extracting and draining brains.
There was no doubt: these were Mind Flayers.
They examined their surroundings in utter silence, their communication entirely telepathic, mind-to-mind, thus avoiding all ambiguity.
At that moment, a flurry of mental dialogue surged invisibly among them:
"No sign of biological activity. The vibrations detected earlier were not targeted activity."
"Speculation: natural earthquake."
"Discovered a massive underground passage, connected to the Gold Mine's tunnels."
"Continue exploring. Determine what has happened on the surface during our absence."
The Underdark's tendrils were beginning to reach up into the surface world. The terrifying Mind Flayers were closing in, while the residents of Liberl Port remained entirely unaware…
...
The next morning.
Charles and his party awoke early. After a simple breakfast, the group formed ranks and continued deeper into the mountains.
With every step deeper into these wilds, the risk increased. They had to guard against not just marauding demons or Mountain People (who had recently destroyed Rockseeker's Outpost), but also other adventurers seeking fortune in these lawless hills.
Without the outpost or the Adventurers' Guild to provide oversight, this entire region had become a free-for-all.
Murder and looting, followed by dumping bodies in the wilds and blaming demons—none of it could ever be properly investigated.
On the way here, they had already encountered quite a few such bands. The predatory stares aimed at the nuns made their ill intent unmistakable.
But since Charles's party was large—thirty-some strong—none of these groups dared cross them. That alone saved a few lives.
Now, as they ventured ever deeper, the likelihood of running into hostile adventurer bands increased, making vigilance even more important.
For convenience's sake and to avoid unnecessary losses, only Theresa kept her thick black nun's habit; the other nuns wore chainmail instead, shield strapped to the left arm, presenting fully armed figures.
Nuns who had class-changed into Storm Domain Pastors wore blue chainmail, helmets adorned with a white unicorn horn, black dragon claws engraved onto their pauldrons—exactly as the blue dragons required. After all, they were effectively advertising for the Blue Dragon Bank, and this distinctive uniform helped with visibility.
Meanwhile, the Life Domain Pastors' chainmail was painted milky white, with medical crosses engraved on breastplate and shield—marking them as the most orthodox clergy of the Church of the Goddess of Life.
Such unique chainmail and shields could never simply be ordered from an armorer, nor made in such a short time.
In fact, all this equipment was forged in the monastery's own Blacksmith Shop, now upgraded.
In a world of magic, the importance of steel armor was a bit diminished, falling behind deadly spells and both divine and primal magic. Metal gear was less strictly regulated—even here in the free city of Liberl Port, which had the loosest restrictions around. Charles lacked a license to sell arms and armor, but as long as he didn't offer gear for sale, there was no issue.
After upgrading the monastery, Charles had leveled up the Blacksmith Shop as well. Though its skill level remained basic, chainmail was not high-tech—just labor-intensive.
Raw steel was purchased outside; the workshop itself refined and streamlined the crafting process, greatly improving efficiency. With so many hands at the monastery, work progressed quickly.
After several shifts of the nuns working round the clock, all fifteen sets of chainmail and shields were completed, adding a striking new sight to their party.
Whether it was the warriors, the armor, or the disciplined, uniformed line, it was a sight to behold.
In alert formation, they pressed steadily deeper into the mountains.
Anno, using an old map, led from the front. For her, this wasn't just about training troops—she had another goal: check on the status of every company outpost hidden in the mountains.
Yes, these mountains held far more than just Rockseeker's Outpost. Every major conglomerate, enterprise, and intelligence group—such as the Golden Dragon Bank, Dwarven Mining Consortium, and even clandestine intelligence networks—had outposts here.
Most were either hidden or for insiders only, unlike the widely inclusive and public Rockseeker's Outpost, whose loss left a void.
But with the destruction of Rockseeker's Outpost, Blackstaff Tower would now need to secure new outposts for supply lines, whether to encourage more adventurers or to launch its own demon-purging expeditions.
Building one anew was a headache, so partnering with the various existing enterprises and factions was preferable.
Anno's first destination: the Mountain Dwarf Mining Consortium's outpost.
Dwarves and humans have always been steadfast allies, especially in the face of common threats like demons. So unless something unexpected had happened, this mission should go smoothly…
As long as she could actually find this clan of tunnel-loving dwarves amid the devastation of the surrounding mountains.
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