RNP Page 291
Page 291
"You've only explored less than a tenth of those places that are suspected of harboring clues to the origin of the abyss!"
The smile that had just appeared on his lips froze on his lips.
"Ultimately, these origins of yours are just too hard to find," Lak said, lowering his head in frustration.
"Normally, it doesn't emit a strong aura at all. Once it's mastered or hidden, you can't even sense it. Some of them can even dissolve in water and air. Their abilities are vague, broad, and difficult to identify... They're even harder to collect than the complete Lent cards in the encyclopedia!"
"Hmph, superficial!"
The will of the abyss argued fiercely: "If the origin of the abyss could be found so easily, would it still deserve the name of the abyss?!"
"You must understand that the essence of the Abyss is chaos and conflict. Every source has caused considerable trouble for the Lightborn and Darkborn! Those chaotic natural disasters that you call the Dark Ages were all the influence of the Abyss! Although I am the purest and greatest will of the Abyss, I do not have that much control over the scattered sources of the Abyss."
"Just like the twigs that grow on a tree, when they are integrated, they can be controlled by me. But once the branches are cut off, it takes time to reconnect them, let alone expect those broken branches to fly back on their own... After all, the major origins only gather together to unleash the power of the end when the world is nearing 'aging'."
"You must know," the voice of the Abyss's will gradually rose in intensity:
"For the Abyss, the most core parts are undoubtedly the 'Source of Power,' which symbolizes strength, and the 'Source of Ultimate Evil,' which symbolizes the end!"
Any one of these paths could easily plunge the world into utter destruction! No one could stop it, no matter how hard they tried—as for the other origins, they were merely icing on the cake.
"It's good enough to find even one source." Lak rolled his eyes. "What do you need a core source for?"
These clichés were already worn out for Lak.
But he calmed himself down, realizing he couldn't ask for too much; finding a trace of the origin was already incredibly lucky.
It's impossible for anyone to be luckier than him, to be involved with every source... then let that abyss be it.
But seeing that the exploration had only progressed to one-tenth of its target, Lak still felt a pang of heartache. He lowered his head and asked, unwilling to give up:
"Isn't there a simpler origin?"
"An existence that cannot be contained by anyone, possesses a strong aura that is constant 24/7, and whose power is simple and brutal..."
Chapter 420 The Origin of World Destruction, The Most Outstanding Generation!
Unexpectedly, after a brief moment of thought, "darkness" actually responded:
"So, there really is one!"
"I almost forgot about it if you hadn't mentioned it... There really is such a source, possessing extremely simple destructive power. If it's somewhere in the center of the continent, I should be able to sense it with a little searching."
However, since it's a consumable item that dissipates after a few uses, and I could easily get hurt if I'm not careful, I've never paid much attention to that source.
"Oh?" Lark seemed intrigued.
As a high mage, he has always been very interested in powers like the glass cannon: "What kind of origin is it?"
After thinking for a moment, "Darkness" gave its answer: "If I remember correctly."
"I call it... the origin of 'nuclear explosion'—"
……
A small path on the border of the kingdom.
The rumbling of the carriages echoed through the muddy swamp. The air on the path was damp after the rain, and the fog was thicker until rows of long cavalry and spacious carriages parted the airflow on both sides, vaguely revealing the outline of an ancient forest in the distance.
"Ah!" Jenny pulled her head back from the window of the lead carriage, her voice tinged with joy:
“We’re very close, Commander Erwin. Shana, once we cross this swamp, we’ll reach the outskirts of the Savage Forest.”
Inside the carriage, Erwin let out a long sigh of relief:
"We're almost there. It's been almost ten days and ten nights, but thankfully... there haven't been any major setbacks."
Turning his head, he looked at Jenny, the brave candidate who had come from the same training camp as Shana, and now an adventurer:
"This time, we'll have to trouble you a lot, Ms. Jenny. As a seasoned adventurer who has traveled through the Savage Forest, we're very grateful for your guidance, which has saved us a lot of time and trouble along the way."
"In addition, we also need to rely on your dwarven language, which you are more proficient in, as a medium of communication. To be honest, both Shana and I are just laymen."
"No, no, no..." Jenny waved her hand shyly and bashfully.
"I only accepted the commission from the Adventurers' Guild. My abilities are limited. I should feel honored to be able to accompany Captain Erwin and Shana on an important mission for the kingdom."
Turning her head, Jenny looked at Shana beside her, who was holding a long sword, and only then did she show a little of the excitement that comes with being her age:
"Shana, long time no see! You've become so amazing—I heard you even chased away the Fourth Demon Lord! You've become just as cool as Lord Mino!"
"Hmph, a mere fourth demon official, I can destroy him with a flick of my blade." Shana parted her fingers that were covering her eyes, revealing dim, broken red eyes, but her gaze was incredibly sharp:
"Even the most powerful and terrifying demon king would have no choice but to retreat under my divine blade!"
“Heroine Shana, you’ve come again…” Erwin assumed Shana was spouting nonsense again. Remembering Prince Ota’s instructions, he gave another warning with concern:
"Don't forget, Heroine Shana, you absolutely cannot make a move in front of outsiders during this operation. This is a diplomatic activity that prohibits the use of force. Your every action represents the kingdom, do you understand?"
"Don't worry, Commander Erwin."
Shana raised her chin and said confidently, "Strength is just the least significant of my strengths. Apart from that, I still have countless ways to win. No one can defeat me in the dueling arena!"
"So, we're not here to cause trouble this time... Oh well, never mind."
Erwin shook his head, sighed inwardly, and decided that after getting off the carriage, he would stay close to Shana and supervise her.
Turning his head, Erwin looked at Jenny again: "However, Ms. Jenny, your strength is not to be underestimated now... In just over half a year, you have become a Gold-level adventurer in the association, breaking the record of the past ten years. You can hear praise about yourself even in the capital."
“Oh, not at all, I’m still far from that level,” Jenny said. “I just spend more time on missions than others.”
"Even so, it is still a remarkable achievement." Erwin knew that an adventurer's level was not directly related to strength, but rather to the number and completion rate of tasks assigned by the association.
Jenny's ability to become a Gold-level adventurer in such a short time is enough to demonstrate her hard work. The difficult commissions she takes on are those that have troubled the kingdom and its people for a long time, rather than adventurers who simply pursue money and fame... Jenny is really becoming a righteous adventurer who punishes evil and promotes good, just as they said in the training camp.
Thinking about this, Erwin also felt a sense of pride.
Although he himself was only nominally the head coach of the Brave Candidate Training Camp.
But Jenny's class was exceptionally outstanding, with down-to-earth adventurers like Jenny, exceptionally talented warriors of light like Dane, and even a light-speed pope like Tonks who took off at lightning speed!
Now, he can pat his chest and say with immense pride: This is the best class he has ever taught!
"Don't underestimate yourself, Jenny."
Shana also offered timely encouragement from the side:
"You should know that your excellence is in no way inferior to mine—"
Erwin's arrogant expression froze instantly. He slowly turned his head, staring at Shana with a pained look on his face: "How dare you, a hero of calamity, say such a thing?"
Jenny is a noble adventurer in the kingdom, known as an "angel on earth" for her countless requests to help civilians and farmers, and for clearing out monsters from remote villages time and time again. What are you, a hero of disaster who brings trouble wherever you go, doing trying to cause trouble?!
He retracted his previous statement:
The class with Shana was clearly the worst he had ever led!
The sound of the carriage rolling on the soft ground gradually faded away, replaced by a series of bumpy, metallic clanging sounds, crisp and stimulating to the senses.
Erwin and the others poked their heads out of the window.
The muddy road finally came to an end, but what lay ahead was not a flat gravel road or dirt road, but a mining road made up of countless piles of compressed metal scrap, reflecting a cold light under the sun.
Jenny leaned against the windowsill and said softly, "The dwarves' reputation resounds throughout the continent. They receive a massive amount of forging orders through the Roth Merchant Guild. The scraps they produce every day are enough to cover the expenses of a family in the capital for an entire year... The dwarves scatter these scraps on the edge of the Savage Forest. After being picked and sorted by some scavengers, the metal left behind covers the surrounding land. Over the years, the passage of caravans has created countless flat metal roads."
"They paved roads with scrap iron, exchanged silver for gold, and transformed fine steel into firearms. In their hands, the most durable minerals were forged into the longest eternity. The furnaces of generations never ceased to burn..."
Erwin stared in awe at the dense, lush forest before him, feeling as if each leaf was shrouded in a thick, metallic sheen.
"This is... the dwarves—"
Chapter 421 The Forest of Steel: Exquisite Craftsmanship!
"If that's the case, wouldn't we be able to find plenty of unwanted weapons just by wandering around the Savage Forest and complete the first mission in one go?"
Inside the carriage, gazing at the "treasure road" paved with countless scrap metal and broken weapons, Erwin swallowed hard.
No wonder he had such a pathetic idea.
Even the inferior quality of the longswords forged by the dwarves is far sharper and more durable than the fine steel longswords available on the market!
It is infused with the unique forging techniques of the dwarves and rare metals from the dungeons of the Savage Forest. It is no exaggeration to say that it is a physical enchantment. Even after being repaired by an ordinary craftsman, it is enough to make countless warriors and adventurers flock to it.
Of course, Erwin knew this was just a hypothetical scenario; if such a bargain were truly available, everyone else would have been scrambling to snag it.
Inside the carriage, Jenny explained, "What comes out of the dwarven territory are basically junk that are beyond repair. The truly unsatisfactory weapons are actually melted down and used as prototypes in the great furnace deep in the underground city. So... these things from the outskirts of the Savage Forest are not very useful even if you find them. Only some scavengers will use them to make a living."
"Moreover, in reality, weapons have become a very small part of the orders the dwarves have received in recent years. The products they actually forge and produce, which serve as their main source of income, are still..."
"Well, I know that."
Speaking of that thing.
Erwin perked up, a rare hint of excitement creeping into his otherwise serious expression:
"If you were to ask where the dwarves' most exquisite and masterful forging techniques are used... it would have to be in the official cards that have spread throughout the entire continent, are favored by all races, and are published and distributed by the Loth Merchant Guild—"
"Lun Te Brand!!!"
Erwin clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming with a reverent light:
"Don't underestimate those cards that embody the soul and beliefs of duelists. The ordinary Lent cards that flow into the streets and alleys are just products of printing magic."
But the cards in the hands of a professional Lent player are a different story… Every exquisite Lent card is meticulously crafted by the dwarves!
"It incorporates a variety of exquisite craftsmanship, including void projection, sound and light effects, and magical coatings, all condensed onto this tiny card!"
Judging from Erwin's rambling manner, he was clearly on the side of the "professional card players".
In fact, most of his income over the years has been spent on buying these exquisite Lent cards produced by the dwarves.
Even so, he only managed to assemble a "bronze-level" deck, possessing only the basic functions he mentioned.
With even more sophisticated craftsmanship, the produced Lent brand also commands astronomical prices. For example, a set of Lent brand with gold-grade forging technology that once circulated on the market sold for a staggering 8700 million!
Despite how the Fire Dragon Queen Ignis casually tossed the Lent card onto Calest like trash that day in the Dragon Hidden Mountains, Erwin immediately recognized it as a platinum-grade Lent card capable of blocking dragon breath and impervious to even dragon claws!
Any one of these cards could buy a villa in the royal capital's noble district! Only a dragon king with immense wealth and countless treasures could afford such a purchase.
"Indeed it is."
Jenny nodded and said, "So although the dwarves only occupy a small part of the Savage Forest, their development environment and consumption capacity are far superior... Many dwarves can possess considerable combat power simply by accumulating resources, even without years of training."
"The demons have always been wary of this. They once tried to launch an invasion against the dwarves on the edge of the continent, but faced with the complex terrain of the Savage Forest and the dungeons, as well as the great distance and human territory, they were repeatedly thwarted and eventually gave up."