Chapter 267
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Chapter 267
Something is working underground to create these holes. Collapses, really. Anton reiterated the situation. That means well have to dig it out, and we might as well start with this most recent point. Though it might also be prudent to check things out from the perspective of the tunnels in this area.
The Black Earth Clan knows the tunnels better than us, Elder Magro replied. I should get in contact with them, since theyre likely also concerned about whats happening here. Will you be safe here if I leave you?
I finally caught a sense of the beast. At least, it feels more like beast than cultivator. It should not be something we cant handle but no battle is truly safe. We could hold off on finding our way through but
Time might be important, Elder Magro nodded. Come on Guthini. Youll return with me, and Ill have you make another trip out here with backup. Since weve actually found a real lead, its best to be proactive about this.
With that, Elder Magro left. Left behind were Caeus, Priscia, Anton, Alva, Devon, and of course Fuzz. Fuzz almost began digging, but Anton stopped him.
I have no doubt you would make the fastest progress of all of us, but youre also likely to make things unstable. Perhaps you could start at the top and dig a slope to make it easier for us to get chunks out?
Fuzz nodded, happily clawing at the stone, pulling chunks of it away with every swipe of his paws. It wasnt quite the same as a normal wolf digging through loose soil, but it hardly seemed to slow him down. Anton and the rest, who all had hands, began chucking pieces out of the hole while they kept a careful watch on the stability below them. If it had collapsed once, it might do so again.
Soon enough Guthini returned with a handful of others, including an Essence Collection elder. The hole was just wide enough for everyone to work without disrupting each other, but they were getting to the point it was difficult to toss the larger chunks of rock out of the hole. Fuzz work had only gotten him a couple meters down the edge, as he had to cut a longer and wider furrow in the stone to keep it stable.
The members of the Iron Fist Sect had sturdy bodies, as one might expect from people who spent all their time in armor. Anton was only able to keep up with them by advantage of superior cultivation, and he was used to hard work. There was only so much they could do with their hands, however. After a few hours of digging, while they were certainly making progress, they sent disciples off to get proper tools. The biggest problem was still getting large quantities of stone out of the area, and some were too large to fit through the mouth of a storage bag. They could break them apart, but as they got deeper the stone became more dense and difficult, and thus tiring to break apart.
They worked tirelessly, but by the time the rays of dawn shone onto the upper parts of the hole, they were only perhaps a couple dozen meters deeper. They were well below the point the creature had dug up to to cause the collapse, but yet more rubble was buried deeper below them. They had no idea how far it might extend, and if they actually came upon something they didnt want to fight it fatigued. Thus, they finally took a moment to sleep shortly after dawn, returning to the Iron Fist Sect.
-----
When they later awoke, after a mere handful of hours asleep, they met up once more to return. Elder Magro was waiting for them, along with some members of the Black Stone Clan. This expedition was turning into a larger thing, and not quite what Anton and the others signed up for but they wanted to see things through to the end.
The Black Stone Clan had sent over two elders, a man and a woman, as well as a number of disciples. Greetings, the man inclined his head. I am Pero.
And I am Olimpia.This chapter was first shared on the Ñøv€lß1n platform.
The tunnel slightly leveled out as they approached, and more than that it was not as completely full of rubble. When they reached a point it was actually opened up for a significant distance, Anton sensed something as the heat washed over everyone. The same energy signature as before, but less muted now.
It was stronger than he had thought, though not worryingly so. It just fit in with the natural surroundings so hed been off with the magnitude of its power. If it had been just himself and a couple others he might be concerned, but at the moment they had six Essence Collection cultivators and dozens of Spirit Building disciples.
I sense it, Anton said. We should be cautious. Just because he wasnt worried didnt mean it was appropriate to be careless. There was a great beast ahead, an overlord if anything deserved to be called that. Its energy does not feel as strong as a Life Transformation cultivator, but it isnt too far from it. We can expect it to have an exceptionally powerful body as well.
Anton was picking out all the details he could. It was, unsurprisingly, about as wide as the four meter diameter of the tunnel. A long body, and with rows of legs. From what he could sense it seemed more akin to a lizard than an insect, but it was difficult to tell at their current distance.
He explained what he could to the others, and pondered the situation. Even for something of that size and power, it didnt make sense that it could create the tunnels so quickly. And for them to find it in its lair, when it seemed to constantly be at work
His energy senses dipped into the lava which filled up a good portion of the chamber. He could hardly sense anything beyond the heat, but he knew there was something there. Many things, with a sense of life about them. Not the size of the overlord, but still perhaps a meter or more in any particular direction.
Back at the mouth of the tunnel, he saw the trail of rock, chunks of it in an obvious path to the magma. And around the large chamber, there were many openings at various angles. Some came more directly from above, and were empty. He couldnt quite pick out why things were done one exact way, but he began to get the picture. Among other things, he could just pick out a partial magma tube, where the magma must have once been able to flow out of the chamber they were in.
I think theres a mating pair, Anton said calmly. Thats how they managed certain collapses close together, though they must still have powerful burrowing abilities. I also sense some young in the magma, no less. These tunnels are to fill up the pool, though Im not entirely sure why it had to be done this way.
Extremely long tunnels where most of the rubble didnt even get to the end, when there were closer sources, seemed unnecessary. But maybe there was a reason for it he didnt understand.
Elder Magro looked ahead, clearly trying to feel what Anton did. Ill take your word for that. The question is, what do we do?
Id say- run! Anton reached out, gesturing towards a group of disciples that were milling about. He wave them towards him, and to their credit they reacted instantly. They probably didnt even sense the large creature burrowing through the rock next to them, but they moved forward out of its way just in time to get away mostly unscathed.
A monstrous lizard, the visible part of which had a dozen legs and a maw large enough to swallow a human, had burst through the wall, scattering rocks everywhere as it did so.
To the magma chamber! Elder Magro ordered, as well as the elders of the Black Earth Clan. There will be more room to maneuver there!
Anton absolutely agreed. He took a few quick shots at the creature, as he began to move, to allow the disciples behind him to start moving. Fighting the creature in confined quarters that it was accustomed to would be bad for them, especially if the other moved to cut them off. Which he thought he felt it moving to do. Elder Magro was the first into the chamber, just as the other creature was reaching the entrance. He didnt hesitate to charge straight for it, stretching his arms out so that it couldnt engulf him with its maw. The armored man collided with the creature and actually managed to push it back. A few meters, anyway, which was enough for several others to enter the chamber and begin a coordinated attack that drove it back even further.
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Chapter 267
Something is working underground to create these holes. Collapses, really. Anton reiterated the situation. That means well have to dig it out, and we might as well start with this most recent point. Though it might also be prudent to check things out from the perspective of the tunnels in this area.
The Black Earth Clan knows the tunnels better than us, Elder Magro replied. I should get in contact with them, since theyre likely also concerned about whats happening here. Will you be safe here if I leave you?
I finally caught a sense of the beast. At least, it feels more like beast than cultivator. It should not be something we cant handle but no battle is truly safe. We could hold off on finding our way through but
Time might be important, Elder Magro nodded. Come on Guthini. Youll return with me, and Ill have you make another trip out here with backup. Since weve actually found a real lead, its best to be proactive about this.
With that, Elder Magro left. Left behind were Caeus, Priscia, Anton, Alva, Devon, and of course Fuzz. Fuzz almost began digging, but Anton stopped him.
I have no doubt you would make the fastest progress of all of us, but youre also likely to make things unstable. Perhaps you could start at the top and dig a slope to make it easier for us to get chunks out?
Fuzz nodded, happily clawing at the stone, pulling chunks of it away with every swipe of his paws. It wasnt quite the same as a normal wolf digging through loose soil, but it hardly seemed to slow him down. Anton and the rest, who all had hands, began chucking pieces out of the hole while they kept a careful watch on the stability below them. If it had collapsed once, it might do so again.
Soon enough Guthini returned with a handful of others, including an Essence Collection elder. The hole was just wide enough for everyone to work without disrupting each other, but they were getting to the point it was difficult to toss the larger chunks of rock out of the hole. Fuzz work had only gotten him a couple meters down the edge, as he had to cut a longer and wider furrow in the stone to keep it stable.
The members of the Iron Fist Sect had sturdy bodies, as one might expect from people who spent all their time in armor. Anton was only able to keep up with them by advantage of superior cultivation, and he was used to hard work. There was only so much they could do with their hands, however. After a few hours of digging, while they were certainly making progress, they sent disciples off to get proper tools. The biggest problem was still getting large quantities of stone out of the area, and some were too large to fit through the mouth of a storage bag. They could break them apart, but as they got deeper the stone became more dense and difficult, and thus tiring to break apart.
They worked tirelessly, but by the time the rays of dawn shone onto the upper parts of the hole, they were only perhaps a couple dozen meters deeper. They were well below the point the creature had dug up to to cause the collapse, but yet more rubble was buried deeper below them. They had no idea how far it might extend, and if they actually came upon something they didnt want to fight it fatigued. Thus, they finally took a moment to sleep shortly after dawn, returning to the Iron Fist Sect.
-----
When they later awoke, after a mere handful of hours asleep, they met up once more to return. Elder Magro was waiting for them, along with some members of the Black Stone Clan. This expedition was turning into a larger thing, and not quite what Anton and the others signed up for but they wanted to see things through to the end.
The Black Stone Clan had sent over two elders, a man and a woman, as well as a number of disciples. Greetings, the man inclined his head. I am Pero.
And I am Olimpia.This chapter was first shared on the Ñøv€lß1n platform.
The tunnel slightly leveled out as they approached, and more than that it was not as completely full of rubble. When they reached a point it was actually opened up for a significant distance, Anton sensed something as the heat washed over everyone. The same energy signature as before, but less muted now.
It was stronger than he had thought, though not worryingly so. It just fit in with the natural surroundings so hed been off with the magnitude of its power. If it had been just himself and a couple others he might be concerned, but at the moment they had six Essence Collection cultivators and dozens of Spirit Building disciples.
I sense it, Anton said. We should be cautious. Just because he wasnt worried didnt mean it was appropriate to be careless. There was a great beast ahead, an overlord if anything deserved to be called that. Its energy does not feel as strong as a Life Transformation cultivator, but it isnt too far from it. We can expect it to have an exceptionally powerful body as well.
Anton was picking out all the details he could. It was, unsurprisingly, about as wide as the four meter diameter of the tunnel. A long body, and with rows of legs. From what he could sense it seemed more akin to a lizard than an insect, but it was difficult to tell at their current distance.
He explained what he could to the others, and pondered the situation. Even for something of that size and power, it didnt make sense that it could create the tunnels so quickly. And for them to find it in its lair, when it seemed to constantly be at work
His energy senses dipped into the lava which filled up a good portion of the chamber. He could hardly sense anything beyond the heat, but he knew there was something there. Many things, with a sense of life about them. Not the size of the overlord, but still perhaps a meter or more in any particular direction.
Back at the mouth of the tunnel, he saw the trail of rock, chunks of it in an obvious path to the magma. And around the large chamber, there were many openings at various angles. Some came more directly from above, and were empty. He couldnt quite pick out why things were done one exact way, but he began to get the picture. Among other things, he could just pick out a partial magma tube, where the magma must have once been able to flow out of the chamber they were in.
I think theres a mating pair, Anton said calmly. Thats how they managed certain collapses close together, though they must still have powerful burrowing abilities. I also sense some young in the magma, no less. These tunnels are to fill up the pool, though Im not entirely sure why it had to be done this way.
Extremely long tunnels where most of the rubble didnt even get to the end, when there were closer sources, seemed unnecessary. But maybe there was a reason for it he didnt understand.
Elder Magro looked ahead, clearly trying to feel what Anton did. Ill take your word for that. The question is, what do we do?
Id say- run! Anton reached out, gesturing towards a group of disciples that were milling about. He wave them towards him, and to their credit they reacted instantly. They probably didnt even sense the large creature burrowing through the rock next to them, but they moved forward out of its way just in time to get away mostly unscathed.
A monstrous lizard, the visible part of which had a dozen legs and a maw large enough to swallow a human, had burst through the wall, scattering rocks everywhere as it did so.
To the magma chamber! Elder Magro ordered, as well as the elders of the Black Earth Clan. There will be more room to maneuver there!
Anton absolutely agreed. He took a few quick shots at the creature, as he began to move, to allow the disciples behind him to start moving. Fighting the creature in confined quarters that it was accustomed to would be bad for them, especially if the other moved to cut them off. Which he thought he felt it moving to do. Elder Magro was the first into the chamber, just as the other creature was reaching the entrance. He didnt hesitate to charge straight for it, stretching his arms out so that it couldnt engulf him with its maw. The armored man collided with the creature and actually managed to push it back. A few meters, anyway, which was enough for several others to enter the chamber and begin a coordinated attack that drove it back even further.
Chapter 267Something is working underground to create these holes. Collapses, really. Anton reiterated the situation. That means well have to dig it out, and we might as well start with this most recent point. Though it might also be prudent to check things out from the perspective of the tunnels in this area.The Black Earth Clan knows the tunnels better than us, Elder Magro replied. I should get in contact with them, since theyre likely also concerned about whats happening here. Will you be safe here if I leave you?I finally caught a sense of the beast. At least, it feels more like beast than cultivator. It should not be something we cant handle but no battle is truly safe. We could hold off on finding our way through butTime might be important, Elder Magro nodded. Come on Guthini. Youll return with me, and Ill have you make another trip out here with backup. Since weve actually found a real lead, its best to be proactive about this.With that, Elder Magro left. Left behind were Caeus, Priscia, Anton, Alva, Devon, and of course Fuzz. Fuzz almost began digging, but Anton stopped him.I have no doubt you would make the fastest progress of all of us, but youre also likely to make things unstable. Perhaps you could start at the top and dig a slope to make it easier for us to get chunks out?Fuzz nodded, happily clawing at the stone, pulling chunks of it away with every swipe of his paws. It wasnt quite the same as a normal wolf digging through loose soil, but it hardly seemed to slow him down. Anton and the rest, who all had hands, began chucking pieces out of the hole while they kept a careful watch on the stability below them. If it had collapsed once, it might do so again.Soon enough Guthini returned with a handful of others, including an Essence Collection elder. The hole was just wide enough for everyone to work without disrupting each other, but they were getting to the point it was difficult to toss the larger chunks of rock out of the hole. Fuzz work had only gotten him a couple meters down the edge, as he had to cut a longer and wider furrow in the stone to keep it stable. The members of the Iron Fist Sect had sturdy bodies, as one might expect from people who spent all their time in armor. Anton was only able to keep up with them by advantage of superior cultivation, and he was used to hard work. There was only so much they could do with their hands, however. After a few hours of digging, while they were certainly making progress, they sent disciples off to get proper tools. The biggest problem was still getting large quantities of stone out of the area, and some were too large to fit through the mouth of a storage bag. They could break them apart, but as they got deeper the stone became more dense and difficult, and thus tiring to break apart.They worked tirelessly, but by the time the rays of dawn shone onto the upper parts of the hole, they were only perhaps a couple dozen meters deeper. They were well below the point the creature had dug up to to cause the collapse, but yet more rubble was buried deeper below them. They had no idea how far it might extend, and if they actually came upon something they didnt want to fight it fatigued. Thus, they finally took a moment to sleep shortly after dawn, returning to the Iron Fist Sect.-----When they later awoke, after a mere handful of hours asleep, they met up once more to return. Elder Magro was waiting for them, along with some members of the Black Stone Clan. This expedition was turning into a larger thing, and not quite what Anton and the others signed up for but they wanted to see things through to the end.The Black Stone Clan had sent over two elders, a man and a woman, as well as a number of disciples. Greetings, the man inclined his head. I am Pero.And I am Olimpia.This chapter was first shared on the Nvl1n platform.The tunnel slightly leveled out as they approached, and more than that it was not as completely full of rubble. When they reached a point it was actually opened up for a significant distance, Anton sensed something as the heat washed over everyone. The same energy signature as before, but less muted now.It was stronger than he had thought, though not worryingly so. It just fit in with the natural surroundings so hed been off with the magnitude of its power. If it had been just himself and a couple others he might be concerned, but at the moment they had six Essence Collection cultivators and dozens of Spirit Building disciples. I sense it, Anton said. We should be cautious. Just because he wasnt worried didnt mean it was appropriate to be careless. There was a great beast ahead, an overlord if anything deserved to be called that. Its energy does not feel as strong as a Life Transformation cultivator, but it isnt too far from it. We can expect it to have an exceptionally powerful body as well.Anton was picking out all the details he could. It was, unsurprisingly, about as wide as the four meter diameter of the tunnel. A long body, and with rows of legs. From what he could sense it seemed more akin to a lizard than an insect, but it was difficult to tell at their current distance.He explained what he could to the others, and pondered the situation. Even for something of that size and power, it didnt make sense that it could create the tunnels so quickly. And for them to find it in its lair, when it seemed to constantly be at workHis energy senses dipped into the lava which filled up a good portion of the chamber. He could hardly sense anything beyond the heat, but he knew there was something there. Many things, with a sense of life about them. Not the size of the overlord, but still perhaps a meter or more in any particular direction. Back at the mouth of the tunnel, he saw the trail of rock, chunks of it in an obvious path to the magma. And around the large chamber, there were many openings at various angles. Some came more directly from above, and were empty. He couldnt quite pick out why things were done one exact way, but he began to get the picture. Among other things, he could just pick out a partial magma tube, where the magma must have once been able to flow out of the chamber they were in. I think theres a mating pair, Anton said calmly. Thats how they managed certain collapses close together, though they must still have powerful burrowing abilities. I also sense some young in the magma, no less. These tunnels are to fill up the pool, though Im not entirely sure why it had to be done this way.Extremely long tunnels where most of the rubble didnt even get to the end, when there were closer sources, seemed unnecessary. But maybe there was a reason for it he didnt understand.Elder Magro looked ahead, clearly trying to feel what Anton did. Ill take your word for that. The question is, what do we do?Id say- run! Anton reached out, gesturing towards a group of disciples that were milling about. He wave them towards him, and to their credit they reacted instantly. They probably didnt even sense the large creature burrowing through the rock next to them, but they moved forward out of its way just in time to get away mostly unscathed. A monstrous lizard, the visible part of which had a dozen legs and a maw large enough to swallow a human, had burst through the wall, scattering rocks everywhere as it did so. To the magma chamber! Elder Magro ordered, as well as the elders of the Black Earth Clan. There will be more room to maneuver there!Anton absolutely agreed. He took a few quick shots at the creature, as he began to move, to allow the disciples behind him to start moving. Fighting the creature in confined quarters that it was accustomed to would be bad for them, especially if the other moved to cut them off. Which he thought he felt it moving to do. Elder Magro was the first into the chamber, just as the other creature was reaching the entrance. He didnt hesitate to charge straight for it, stretching his arms out so that it couldnt engulf him with its maw. The armored man collided with the creature and actually managed to push it back. A few meters, anyway, which was enough for several others to enter the chamber and begin a coordinated attack that drove it back even further.
