Revered Magus Chapter 17 – Hidden Cave?

As Rio was doing motivational thoughts that could keep him going, Rio found what he was looking for about 10" feet above him. Rio slowly climbed the spot and finally saw the flow. Rio pulled it; however, it didn't budge. Rio pulled with a bit more strength, yet it said rooted.

"What the hell, I came all the way here, and now you want to play hard to get?" Rio said while using all his Shicidan strength. Yet nothing happened, it just stayed rooted.

"This piece of leave is taking me for a fool, just because you're a little wanted, you think you can be arrogant. Let this young master show you the reality of this world". Rio mumbled as he started digging the snow around the flow with his bare hands until he saw the root of the flower...at least that's what he was supposed to see however he didn't…Rio just saw the stem as it stopped into this metal-like solid.

'Metal? On a mountain?' Rio decided to dig around the flower, creating a circle with a wider diameter. Until he saw pure steel on the floor. 'Is this mountain made of metal? It can't be I saw earth and rocks at the bottom. Someone must have put this metal in place, but for what reason?' As Rio was thinking of probabilities of why someone would put something like that the metal trail stopped replacing with earth again.

'So, it's as I thought only this specific place is metal. Most likely something is underneath' Rio thought as he looked for a way to go underneath. "Is there perhaps an entrance? A mechanism" Rio mumbled… "mechanism…mechanism" as his eyes were laid back into the flower.

Rio walked towards the flower and pulled it, twisted it, tried to insert mana into it, and even slapped it. Nothing was working out of frustration, Rio punched it.

'Click'

The flower dinked into the flow and the metal ground opened up and swallowed me in. Rio swiftly landed on his feet, looking around and raising his guard immediately to see if they were any sudden attacks. However, it was too dark and it took a while for my eyes to adjust, so Rio was expecting an attack. However, the attack never arrived.

Rio's eyes adjusted and scanned around the place. 'Is this a cave?' He said using pure mana to mold it into a ball of light. And walked forward.

As Rio walked, flame torches lit up one by one, seemingly leading me to a path. Rio cautiously walked through the hall for about 2 minutes and led me to a giant metallic door with strange writing on it.

*ި◟⸝ᛍ וᛁ ◟╮⸜ᛁ ⸝⸜⸍ ╮⸜╵⸝⸌ וᛁ ⸍ˎˎ◟*

'System scan the runes and the door' Rio thought.

[Ding! Instructions received…Scanning…]

[Ding! Decrypting runes based on Artificing book]

[Processing…. ETC 10 minutes]

"Phew, I thought the system would be useless here, luckily joining the artificing class seemed to be a good choice. I am already benefiting from the lesson" Rio said with relief and studied the material of the door.

'System analyzes the material of the door

[Ding…instructions received…analyzing…Material Found]

[Ding! Material, Adamantine found in the door]

"Hmm, Adamantine, it seems whoever made this place doesn't want anyone breaking through here by force since this is one of the most expensive and strongest Anti-mana metal that has been found so far." As Rio studied the door, he heard a ding.

[Ding! Decrypting completed…The message being displayed]

[Break the rune and unseal the door]

"Break the rune and unseal the door? I haven't learned anything about breaking runes".

"System, any way possible way to break the rune embedded in this door," I asked hopefully

[Ding! Analyzing methods...]

[Optimizing…all possible methods]

[Method found; Method may harm the host body in the process…proceed?]

"What's the method?" Rio asked the system with a hint of cautiousness, even though whatever may be behind the door may be valuable it is not as valuable as his life.

[Method includes host holding onto the door for about 10 minutes and system using hosts mana to create a slight incision in the rune which would destabilize the rune and break apart…However, all of the mana from the host Dantian maybe use and may leave the host defenseless for 48 hours, and the chance of success is around 60%]

'The 48 hours may be bad as I don't know what could happen. I should survey the area and Crete a barricade that could protect me for 48 hours. Whatever is behind this door should be worth it for all this effort and risk that I'm putting forth.' Rio muttered expectantly

After surveying the area and making sure the door Rio entered is still shut tight, he went back to the door and build a mud wall 5 meters around the door. Rio put my hand on the door and said.

'System, use the method to remove the rune'.

[Ding! Utilizing the host's mana to stimulate and create an incision in the rune]

Rio felt the mana in his Dantian, swirling wildly and leaving my body at a fast rate every minute Rio felt more exhausted and when the 8-minute mark passed, Rio started seeing small white black sparks and feeling soreness in the lower part of Rio's body. (Guys should know this feeling) By the 9-minute mark. That soreness turned into immense pain and by the 10-minute mark, Rio couldn't even move. Rio saw the small black sparks that appeared often, disappear.

[Ding! Mana reserve of the host has been completely diminished…]

[Added effect: Paralysis…Duration:47 hours 59 minutes 55 seconds]

As Rio collapsed to the floor with my back laid on cold dirty floor all that went through his mind was "Did it fail? Damn I have always been unlucky when it comes to gambling"

'Pshhh'

The sound of supposedly the rune diminished as he saw the strange runic letters on the door disappear as if blending into the door.

"Hahahaha, it seems it was successful" Rio laughed joyously, "now I just need to wait these 48 hours, however, if I cultivate it would seem like an hour has passed."

After cultivating for 47 hours 55 minutes and 45 seconds, Rio stopped cultivating and check the system to see how long was left and checked his status while he was at it. Haven't checked it in a while

[Ding! Remaining time: 4 minutes 0 seconds]

[Ding!]

Name: Rio Casmir

EXP- 6040

Class: 1st rank mage apprentice

Subclass: 4th rank Shicidan Martial Artist

Strength: 20.0

Agility: 20.0

Endurance: 6.0

Mana: 9.0

After recovering Rio will put the 6 points he had into mana, Rio don't know if it would be wasted or not by putting the points now.

After 4 minutes was up, the status effect was removed and Rio started regaining my body, although sore, it was useable. Rio put 6 points into mana and felt his Dantian reinforcing itself, leaving him with 40 points. Maybe after he was done here, he should kill some people or beasts to get some EXP.

[Ding! Updating stats...]

[Ding!]

Name: Rio Casmir

EXP- 40

Class: 3rd rank mage apprentice

Subclass: 4th rank Shicidan Martial Artist

Strength: 20.0

Agility: 20.0

Endurance: 6.0

Mana: 15.0