"Therefore, the elves of that time carved the specific pathways of magic within the circuits onto stone sculptures for future generations to contemplate. But this method of teaching was still too difficult. Hence, the later system of modern incantational magic emerged."
"We forest elves know of a ruin where some ancient stone carvings have been passed down. I can have Bladiconde take you there. But I have one condition. Within that ruin lies a sacred artifact of our elves, which requires someone capable of incantationless magic to open. The specific method of opening it will be explained to you by Bladiconde when the time comes. You need to assist her in retrieving that artifact."
"May I ask what ruin it is specifically? Also, where is the ruin located? Besides the artifact and stone carvings, what other treasures are inside? And what magical beasts inhabit the ruin?"
I asked a series of questions in quick succession, enough to show that I had become a qualified Adventurer.
"The ruin is located on the seabed near the coast of the Bihiel Kingdom. We have methods to shield you from detection by the Merfolk and magic tools that will allow you to move underwater. The ruin should also contain some magic stones, magic crystals, and many valuable treasures left behind by the ancient elves. Apart from the final sacred artifact, you may take all the other treasures. The name of this ruin is now: The Sanctuary of Tearstains. It was once the homeland of our elven race, which sank beneath the sea during the Second Human-Demon Great War."
"May I consider it? Also, for this ruin expedition, am I only allowed to go with my teacher alone, or can I bring my party along?"
"You may bring as many people as you wish. But be aware, there is danger in going there. Please be prepared for the possibility of not returning."
"Alright, thank you for your answer. I will consider it carefully."
On the way back, I kept thinking. The ancient elves' research on the body's magic meridians should align with my own studies. Learning magic there is secondary; the most important knowledge would be studying the ancient elves' research on magic meridians through those stone carvings.
If I master this knowledge, it would be equivalent to grasping the ancient elves' tens of thousands of years of research and understanding of magic. This would lead to even greater improvement in my future magical abilities.
Returning to the inn, I discussed the matter with my teammates. Especially Clark and Niki—they joined my party because of the bet between me and Clark. Now, the two-year period was up. They could leave my party and return to their former teams.
After I finished explaining, Clark spoke up.
"Chixuan, what do you think about this? Based on your intuition, how risky is this matter?"
"Personally, I believe there is risk. After all, we need to go to the seabed. We might encounter Merfolk along the way, and there will likely be many sea monsters. However, since my teacher has already learned the magic inside, she must have been to the ruin before. Compared to a ruin no one has ever entered, one that someone has entered and returned from safely is much less dangerous."
"They said that apart from their sacred artifact, we can take anything else, right? In that case, I have no problem. In my previous team, I often went into labyrinths and ruins with other teammates. Going into a ruin with a powerful mage like you is much safer than with my former teammates. I have no further objections."
"What about the others? If you have any concerns, please speak up. I haven't been to this ruin either. According to the client, there is a risk to life. So, those who decide to go must be prepared."
Everyone shook their heads.
AI Model: gemini-3.0-flash
"Alright, I'll communicate this to the client. Regardless of whether the Elves' method is effective, we are heading to the seabed, after all. We must be prepared to clash with the Merfolk. Let's spend these next few days getting ready."
The next day, I told Bladiconde that we were willing to go on the expedition with her. We agreed to set out in a week.
One week later.
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