A Way to Enter
The group engaged in a lengthy discussion late into the night, but they failed to reach any conclusions.
Afterward, they assigned a sentry for the night watch, and the individuals returned to their tent to rest and meditate.
Leylin lay on a simple bed adorned with the fur of a white wolf, a profound anger stirring in his heart.
To him, this previously undisclosed inheritance had now been revealed to the rest of the group, but he had yet to devise a plan to eliminate any obstacles that stood in his way. Furthermore, despite Aralis's scanning abilities, they were unable to pinpoint its exact location. Leylin knew it was here, but the path to reaching it remained elusive. This filled him with irritation, even forcing him to postpone his daily meditation.
[Perhaps, Doctor, you shouldn't place all your hopes on this ancient remnant. The South Coast is an expansive continent, and every few decades, an acolyte stumbles upon an inheritance, acquiring the resources to become an official Magus. There are still many opportunities for you out there.] Aralis tried to assuage her master.
But Leylin did not respond, and his silence spoke volumes. Leaving this mountain without securing his treasure would be an abject failure in his eyes. Failure was simply unacceptable.
Ever since extracting the secret location from the captured spirit body, Leylin had considered the great Magus Serholm's inheritance as his own. This obsession consumed him, and now Merlin and the others found themselves in a similar situation.
However, Leylin's expression suddenly turned cold, emanating an absolute tranquility reminiscent of a statue.
'The acolytes of Sage Gotham's Hut are all dead. This will undoubtedly attract attention from the enemy, prompting them to send powerful acolytes or even official Magi to investigate,' Leylin contemplated.
'Based on Sage Gotham's Hut's location, we have around ten days until the information reaches them,' he calculated.
'Eight days. If I haven't discovered any clues within that timeframe, I must leave.' Leylin resolved, determination shining in his eyes. He was not willing to gamble on the slim chance that Sage Gotham's Hut wouldn't dispatch elite members to hunt him and his companions. It made perfect sense for them to do so, considering Merlin was ostensibly responsible for killing their precious Lightning Viper Torash.
Compared to the great Magus Serholm's inheritance, Leylin valued his own safety above all else. Having made this decision, he felt as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Even his Spiritual Force seemed to undergo a cleansing, enabling him to enter a state of meditation.
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In the early morning, the shrill cry of a skylark resounded above their camp.
Leylin greeted Roth, "Good morning."
"Morning!" replied Roth, dark circles visible under his eyes. It appeared as though he hadn't slept a wink. His bloodshot eyes conveyed an expression of incredulity.
"I wonder... how can you be so... relaxed?" After enduring his inner turmoil, Roth finally inquired. "This is an official Magus' inheritance we're talking about—an opportunity to gain information and resources that could help us advance..."
"But we haven't found it yet, have we?" Leylin faced the rising sun, stretching his muscles contentedly.
"When something isn't yours, you shouldn't obsess over it too much. Otherwise, your heart will only suffer," Leylin offered his companion a wry smile.
"You truly are an unusual fellow," Roth muttered, running his hand over his forehead. "But then again, Magi and acolytes are all peculiar individuals, so I suppose you can be considered normal."
"I suppose so," Leylin nodded, thinking to himself that if these people were to discover that the remnants were left behind by the great Magus Serholm, the situation could worsen. However, he had no intention of divulging this piece of information.
The four members of the group left their tents and gathered to eat their breakfast, which consisted of roasted fowl. Afterward, they convened to discuss their next course of action.
"Alright! Today will be another day of solo exploration! Do your best to find the remnants!" Leylin declared. The previous discussion had dragged on without yielding any results, leaving him with no choice but to take charge.
Under the current circumstances, it was the most appropriate course of action.
Although it was possible for any acolyte to discover the entrance first, Leylin and the rest could track down that entrance through its energy waves once it was opened. At most, those who found the entrance would receive a larger portion of the reward.
"What are you doing?"
Seeing Leylin still standing atop the cliff, crouching down to observe a Beta Daisy, Merlin couldn't help but ask.
"As you can see, my dear Senior Merlin, I am admiring the flowers," Leylin replied with a faint smirk on his lips. He still referred to Merlin as his senior, claiming it was out of deep respect, but Merlin knew better than to believe that. It was plain mockery.
"At a time like this?! I didn't expect this attitude from you, Leylin! We're on the verge of a great discovery, and here you are, playing botanist?!" Merlin's eyes seemed to turn red figuratively as he moved to reprimand Leylin.
"Calm down. Don't let yourself get easily irritated," Leylin spoke gently, gesturing for his companion to stop his outburst.
"Yesterday, we searched for clues at the bottom of the cliff, but we failed to uncover this secret hidden among these flowers." Leylin revealed a self-satisfied expression, the one that annoyed Merlin the most.
"Secret? Are you saying you found it?" Merlin appeared both ecstatic and astonished.
"What? Leylin found it?!" Two shadows emerged beside Merlin and Leylin. It was the other acolytes who had stayed within close proximity.
"Indeed, I have," Leylin affirmed, his gaze fixed on his comrades.
"Who among you possesses the skill of levitation? Fly up to the middle of the air and take a look!" Leylin commanded.
"I'll do it!" Bosain promptly produced a silver metal ball, pulsating with the energy of a magical artifact.
Bosain twirled the ball, causing it to liquefy and adhere to his back, transforming into a pair of magnificent and dazzling silver wings.
"An artifact capable of shape-shifting!" Roth exclaimed in admiration.
Leylin speculated that this artifact might qualify as a medium-grade magical item. Its power had been intentionally dampened, likely to allow an acolyte to wield it. Only ancient and prestigious families could afford such luxurious means.
With a grand flap of his translucent silver wings, Bosain lifted the dust off the ground and ascended into the sky.
"What do you see up there?" Merlin's voice echoed from below.
"The flowers... The arrangement of the Beta Daisies is quite peculiar," Bosain replied as a gust of wind carried him back to the ground, retracting his wings.
"This patch of Beta Daisies has been intentionally planted to form a symbol," Bosain explained to the others.
"What symbol?" Merlin and Roth inquired simultaneously.
"It's a Curagerian letter that means 'to jump,' isn't it?" Leylin asked, even though he already knew the answer. Aralis had already scanned the entire formation for him, eliminating the need to soar above.
"To jump? Does that mean we have to leap directly off the cliff?" Merlin conjectured. The acolytes weren't fools; their judgment had simply been clouded by their greed earlier.
"But didn't we jump once yesterday?" Roth scratched his head. "We found nothing but those damned rocks below."
"No, you climbed down, while we used the Floating Feather spell to descend," Leylin interjected.
"I see now. The relic is located in a hidden plane! To gain access, we must jump straight down from the cliff without employing any spells." Bosain added.
"Jump down? Are you out of your mind?" Merlin protested. "The cliff is so tall, and the bottom is strewn with sharp rocks. Without any defensive spells, even Roth would meet his demise!"
"So, we need some test subjects," Leylin said casually. "Go find some animals. Or better yet, some humans—preferably young ones, around our age."
"It's possible... but don't get your hopes up," Roth responded, extracting a bundle of basic potions from his bag before hurrying away.
"We should also search the surroundings. If we still can't find any, then we'll have to return to town," Merlin finally cracked a smile. They had finally obtained a clue.
Suppressing a chuckle, Leylin enjoyed the scenery while his so-called 'friends' dispersed in search of human guinea pigs. As for him, he patiently awaited the delivery of the tools he needed.
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An hour later, terrified screams echoed from the cliff, distorted by the powerful winds.
A black speck hurtled down from the cliff, gradually growing larger until a discernible human figure could be seen.
It was a hunter from the nearby town, dressed in hunting gear. His face contorted in fear as he let out a bone-chilling scream, plummeting freely from the cliff's edge.
The hunter crashed directly onto a razor-sharp rock blade, the impact violently severing his body in two.
The dismembered corpse fell to the ground, creating a gaping pit. Bones and flesh melded together, rendering the original form unrecognizable.
Adjacent to the gruesome pit was a smaller one, displaying a similar macabre scene, but this time the skull belonged to a deer-like creature.
"How is it? Did you find anything useful?" A voice, distorted by magic, inquired eagerly.
At the base of the cliff, Roth crossed his arms and carefully examined the scene. Standing beside him was Merlin, equally invested in the investigation. Before them lay a glowing semicircular object, emitting a vibrant green light. It was from this peculiar artifact that Bosain's voice emanated.
"Nothing significant. Just more meat paste, similar to the deer we encountered earlier," sneered Merlin. "It appears our plan has failed..."
On the cliff's summit, Leylin and Bosain exchanged disappointed glances. The voice on the other side of the green semicircle failed to bring any encouraging news.
"It seems there are additional conditions we must fulfill," Leylin sighed, recovering from his despondency first.
"Let us ponder this thoroughly; our supply of specimens is dwindling," Bosain remarked, a sardonic smile playing on his lips as he gestured toward the vacant ground nearby.
Several horrified Zither Moon Town civilians gazed helplessly at Leylin and Bosain from the empty ground. Their mouths were gagged, preventing them from uttering curses or pleading for mercy.
Since Leylin had proposed the idea of finding substitutes, their group had swiftly divided the tasks and carried them out. Among them, Bosain had been the most ruthless, resorting to kidnapping a few townsfolk and bringing them to this location. Leylin silently applauded his merciless approach, though it was only to be expected.
In the eyes of the elite magician families from which Bosain hailed, commoners were like wild grass—no matter how many were cut down, more would inevitably sprout in the future. Dying for their cause was seen as an honor. Additionally, using human subjects left less room for error compared to relying on deer.
"Courage represents the leap required. According to the map, 'respect' must also be factored in," Leylin pondered aloud, sharing his conjecture.
"But what does 'respect' entail?" Bosain inquired.
"I have a theory..." Leylin spoke in a low voice. "In ancient times, when humble villagers visited their elders, they would bring a Beta Daisy as a symbol of respect. This custom has endured through the ages, with many regions in the South Coast still maintaining such traditions," Leylin smiled, offering his explanation.