Saga of the Two-World Emperor
Volume 1: A Spark in the Ashes
Chapter 17 – Passage to the Serpent's Heart
The next morning, the sun had barely crested the jagged peaks of the surrounding mountains when a small group gathered at the gaping maw of the Rust Serpent Mine.
Borin, the burly foreman, stood with his arms crossed, his scowl even deeper than the day before. Beside him lay a coiled pile of thick, sturdy rope, a collection of oil lamps, and a rolled-up, yellowed map of the mine. Behind him stood the two miners he had selected: Brock, a large man with a thick beard and steady hands, and his younger brother, Corin, who nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his eyes darting towards the dark mine entrance.
Garrick stood silently, a pillar of calm in his practical traveling gear. His hand rested on the pommel of his sword, a constant habit. His impassive gaze was fixed on Adrian, who was approaching with a steady, unhurried pace. Garrick's mind was a whirlwind of confusion. He simply could not comprehend what the frail young man was planning.
"Everything is ready, Second Young Master," Borin said gruffly. "I've brought you the two bravest, or perhaps most foolish, men I have. But I'll warn you again, if anything happens to them in there… I'm not responsible."
"Nothing will happen to them, as long as they follow my orders precisely," Adrian replied coolly. He bent down and picked up the mine map, unrolling it.
It was a crude, hand-drawn map, but it detailed the labyrinthine tunnels and shafts with surprising accuracy. His eyes traced the various paths before his finger landed on a spot in the deepest section, marked with a red cross.
"This area… it's the oldest and most abandoned section, correct?" he asked.
"Aye," Borin nodded. "That's the 'Serpent's Gut'. It's the deepest we ever dug. But there was a major cave-in ten years ago. Killed several men. No one's dared to go near it since."
"Good," Adrian rolled the map back up. "That's where we're going."
His words made the two miners turn pale. Corin looked like he was about to be sick, but they remained silent.
"Are you certain, Second Young Master?" Garrick spoke up for the first time, his voice a low rumble. "A place like that is too dangerous for you."
"Danger, or opportunity… it all depends on one's perspective," Adrian replied with a faint smile. "Don't worry, Sir Garrick. I know exactly what I'm doing."
He turned to the two miners.
"What are your names?"
"I'm Brock, my lord," the larger man answered. "And this is my brother, Corin."
"Very well, Brock, Corin," Adrian nodded. "Your task today is simple. You will carry the lamps, the ropes, and do exactly as I say. No digging, no risky maneuvers. When the job is done, you will be rewarded handsomely."
The word "reward" made their eyes light up with a flicker of greed. It was always a more reliable motivator than fear.
"Let's go," Adrian said as his final word, before turning and walking into the dark mouth of the cave first.
The moment he stepped inside, the first touch was the sudden drop in temperature, a stark contrast to the morning air outside. The smell of damp earth and wet stone filled his nostrils. The sound of water dripping from the cave ceiling echoed, "drip… drip…", in the darkness, creating an eerie atmosphere.
Garrick followed close behind, his hand never leaving his sword. Brock and Corin quickly lit the lamps and followed, their lights casting dancing shadows on the rough cave walls and the old wooden beams supporting the ceiling.
They ventured deeper and deeper, following the map in Adrian's hand. The initial tunnels were still wide and showed signs of recent use, but the further they went, the narrower and more treacherous the path became.
They passed through abandoned tunnels, the sight of rusted tools and piles of fallen rocks becoming more frequent. The atmosphere grew quieter, almost unnervingly so, until the only sounds were their own footsteps and the wind whistling through the rock crevices.
"M-My lord… I think we should go back," Corin, the younger brother, stammered, his voice trembling. "The old folks say… the deeper you go, the closer you get to the serpent's breath."
"Quiet, Corin!" Brock hissed at his brother. "Just do as the young master says."
Adrian said nothing. He continued walking with a calm demeanor, but in his mind, he was silently using the System to analyze everything around him.
[Scanning rock structure… Multiple micro-fractures detected in the limestone layer.]
[Analyzing air composition… Relative humidity is 35% higher than normal.]
*Everything is as expected…* he thought.
They reached a dead end, or so it seemed. There was only a small crevice, barely wide enough for one person to squeeze through.
"This is as far as we go, my lord," said Borin, who had followed them to this point. "Beyond this is the danger zone."
"I will proceed with my men," Adrian said. "You can wait here."
Borin nodded with visible relief.
Adrian squeezed through the narrow opening first, followed by Brock, Corin, and finally Garrick, who guarded the rear.
Once through the crevice, they emerged into a massive cavern, likely the site of the collapse from a decade ago. The ceiling was so high that the lamplight couldn't reach it. Strange, twisted stalactites and stalagmites filled the space, and the ground was littered with huge piles of fallen rock.
And that's when they heard it.
Rumble… rumble…
It was a low, deep sound that vibrated through the entire cavern. It was coming from the deepest, darkest part of the cave ahead.
"What… what was that!?" Corin cried out in alarm, his face pale.
"The serpent's roar…" Brock whispered, his own body trembling slightly.
Even Garrick drew his sword, his face tense and alert.
Only Adrian remained calm. He even smiled faintly.
"Finally… we meet, Earth Serpent."
He walked towards the source of the sound without fear, until he reached the edge of a massive "shaft" that plunged deep into the darkness below. It was a chasm with no visible bottom, and the sound was clearly coming from within it.
"Brock, the rope," Adrian commanded.
Brock expertly secured one end of a thick rope to a large, sturdy rock pillar nearby, then tossed the other end into the abyss.
"I'm going down to take a look," Adrian announced.
"You can't, my lord! It's too dangerous!" Garrick immediately protested. "My duty is to protect you!"
"And my duty… is to solve this problem," Adrian retorted, his eyes filled with determination. "If you wish to protect me, then hold the rope for me up here."
He didn't wait for any more objections. He grabbed one of the lamps and began to slowly rappel down into the darkness.
The deeper he went, the colder and damper the air became, and the "roaring" sound grew louder and clearer.
It wasn't the sound of a living creature. It was the sound of a powerful, rushing current of water.
Finally, his feet touched the wet ground below. He raised his lamp to look around.
The sight that met his eyes made him catch his breath.
Before him was a massive underground river, flowing with a ferocious current. It was so wide he couldn't see the other side, and the current was strong enough to sweep anything away in an instant.
This was the "Earth Serpent" that everyone feared.
He walked cautiously along the riverbank. The lamplight revealed the cave walls, which had been eroded by the water into deep grooves. He noticed a layer of dark red rock that had been abruptly cut off… the missing iron vein.
But then… his eyes caught something on the other side of the river… something that was shimmering in the darkness.
It wasn't the reflection of a normal mineral. It was a faint blue light, dancing slowly as if it were alive. It emanated from the cave wall on the opposite bank.
He summoned the system window in his mind.
"System, zoom in and analyze that light."
[Processing… Unable to identify energy type… Crystalline structure not found in database…]
[Warning: High-density energy detected. May be hazardous.]
Adrian narrowed his eyes, staring at the light. His heart began to beat faster… not with fear, but with sheer excitement.
*What in the world… is that?*
He decided to get a closer look. He moved along the riverbank, trying to find a better vantage point. But then… his foot slipped on a wet rock.
Slip!
His body lost its balance, and he began to fall backward… towards the raging current below!
(End of Chapter 17)