Chapter 2560: Chapter 2561: Collapse
When Dox was being reprimanded by the Black Earl, Vay quietly turned over all the soil underground.
But the passage of the underground aqueduct did not emerge; all around were still earthen walls.
"It appears to have accumulated for too long, completely blocked up," Kaier said.
"No problem, as long as Vay is here, just keep gnawing... cough, keep digging up the dirt, sooner or later weâll dig up a path." The speaker was Dox, who had just climbed up from the ground, covered in dust.
However, Vay didnât listen to his old friendâs words but instead turned to Angel, wanting to hear Angelâs opinion first.
Angel did not speak immediately but stood in place, waiting for something.
A moment later, a small, ghostly blue flower emerged from Angelâs shadow. With the gentle blowing of the wind, the flower swayed lightly, and across the rhythm of its shaking, a stream of information that only Angel could decode came forth.
No one knew what that flower was, but seeing Angel fixated on the flower, seemingly engaged in some sort of spiritual communication, they dared not disturb him.
After a while, Angel spoke to Vay: "No need to keep digging; the underground aqueduct here has completely collapsed."
Angel had previously dispatched Earl Mi to investigate underground, hundreds of meters of aqueduct all blocked up; under these circumstances, there was no longer a need to excavate to find a path.
"Alright." Vay nodded and withdrew the magic power he had released.
Dox, on the other hand, looked puzzled: "Even if the underground aqueduct has collapsed, it doesnât matter, right? There are always places that havenât collapsed; we should first dig to a position that hasnât collapsed and then say more?"
When Dox finished speaking, the Black Earl snorted, seemingly mocking.
Angel calmly explained: "Do you know why this place is called The Garden Labyrinth?"
Dox scratched his head; regarding this, he hadnât really researched it.
"Many years ago, when the ruins here werenât too dilapidated, the ground was filled with luxurious but broken statues, white and gold fountain pools, and brilliant flowers of gem-like beauty, so the surface came to be called the âgarden.â
"But the underground aqueduct here was a vast three-dimensional maze, not only multi-layered but full of countless passages, so complicated that to traverse every spot took months."
"Due to the sharply contrasted styles of the surface and underground, this place came to be known as The Garden Labyrinth. The name persists to this day, though the garden no longer exists, and the maze has also collapsed..."
Angel sighed; time corrodes all things, and itâs unknown whether the destination has also been made incomplete by the passage of time?
Having heard Angelâs explanation, Dox came to understand. Since the underground aqueduct is a maze so huge and complex even Wizards would find it troublesome, even if a passage is cleared using the Power of Earth, it wonât matter much.
At this point, the stone slab on Vay opened its mouth: "Kid, is the target location really within the maze?"
Ignoring the Black Earlâs deliberate pose with the title, Angel nodded, "Yes."
The Black Earl was silent for a moment: "No wonder it hasnât been found all these years. The underground maze is so vast, never fully traversed by anyone; even if someone did complete it, if they donât find the corresponding door, itâs completely useless."
The underground mazeâs "doors" are plentiful, with rooms big and small; in a way, the underground maze is also a kind of subterranean city.
Thus, even if some "doors" canât be opened, those exhausted from exploring the maze would likely not be bothered to find a way to open them.
The Black Earl currently thinks the target location is some inconspicuous "door," but actually, the target is a wall, which is more misleading. The exploring Wizards, upon seeing a wall, would first think they took the wrong path and would go back to try again, without thinking that the wall might hide a "secret."
Dox: "What were the creators of The Garden Labyrinth thinking, turning the underground aqueduct into a maze? So, what should we do now?"
Dox complained a bit, looking at Angel with inquiry.
Angel: "I donât know why it was made into a maze, but I know there are many official institutions from back then within the maze, such as prisons."
Angelâs impression of Naraku Cityâs Hanging Jail Stairway is quite profound. Moreover, the entrance to the underground aqueduct Angel is currently seeking is all pinpointed using the Hanging Jail Stairway because the underground maze is too complex, and the only landmark building Angel can find is the Hanging Jail Stairway.
After pausing, Angel continued: "Since the underground aqueduct here is blocked, letâs switch to another."
Angel surveyed the surroundings, finally focusing on the southeast direction of the bell tower; he remembered there was a patch of open ground once a pool there, with an underground aqueduct inside, which wasnât far from the Hanging Jail Stairway.
Having determined the direction, everyone immediately set off.
They didnât use any vehicles, instead quickly moving across the ruins of buildings, shadows sweeping the skyline.
Soon, they neared the open ground; "nearly" because the ground was filled with vibrant blood-red flowers swaying on thorn bushes, exhaling a faint red mist.
From afar, that piece of ground was already completely shrouded by red mist.
"Is this Blood Bramble? Itâs actually bloomed, and so many flowers?" Dox looked in surprise at the scene before him.
Blood Bramble is a catch-all term for bloodthirsty vine-type plant magical creatures, generally aggressive and blood-eating. They rarely bloom unless thereâs an overabundance of energy.
So many blood-red flowers now on this open ground is something even Dox was seeing for the first time.
"Itâs likely that many have died by its hands. Underneath, who knows how many bones are piled up?" Dox sighed.
The Black Earl rarely spoke: "In recent millennia, ordinary people have increasingly come here to explore, but no matter what, this was once the Extraordinary City; encountering anything extraordinary, those ordinary people would be the first to suffer. Itâs normal for such a Blood Bramble to grow to this level."
Gazing at the distant spreading red mist, Vay asked softly: "Shall we still go over and investigate now then?"
"Why not investigate? This Blood Bramble isnât hard to deal with." Dox rubbed his hands, apparently eager to get started.
Angel, however, said: "No need to investigate; underneath the Blood Bramble, tangle of vines thrives, certainly causing the underground aqueduct to collapseâitâs similar to the previous entrance."
Dox: "If the underground aqueducts collapse this easily, can we really enter and find the destination?"
Angel: "The underground aqueduct is a three-dimensional maze; the shallow layers are mundane constructions, eroded by time naturally, but deeper below belong to the realm of the extraordinary. There, even if collapses occur, they are rare."
"If thatâs the case, then letâs directly find the destination and just dig down, shall we?" Vay said.
After Vay finished speaking, the group fell silent.
Vay also didnât know what was wrong with what he said, bewildered, turning his head with a face full of innocence.
"Earlier, I just thought you were ignorant; now I see youâre genuinely foolish. If you could just dig directly, why not dig to the target location? Whatâs the need for a key?" Black Earl: "Also, where unnecessary, you should stop speaking now. Speaking thoughtlessly just brings ridicule."
The Black Earl is evidently somewhat annoyed; no matter what, Vay is his descendant; to say something so foolish only brings shame to the Noah Clan.
Angel also looked at Vay at this moment, his tone was not as harsh as the Black Earlâs, but calm: "Although this place has been abandoned for countless years, before it was abandoned, it must have been a city of transcendence standing proudly. Moreover, it would not be inferior to Mesomyia."
"Although the Underground Labyrinth has many residential areas on the surface, official institutions are located deeper and are certainly heavily protected. There are definitely still functioning Magical Energy Arrays, and there could be mechanisms, puppets, or even bred magical creatures. So, if you really want to enter the target area, you cannot break open the deep passage; you can only find a way to enter it."
And this way is to find a surface passage that hasnât collapsed and is still walkable.
This is also a challenge for Angel. When he entered the Nightmare Abyss City before, he appeared directly in the Underground Labyrinth, and turning around, he was in the passage of the Maneater Flower King. At the end of the passage was that wall.
Now, replicating that journey is almost impossible. They can only locate by the Hanging Jail Stairway and search back for that wall.
"If we canât explore here, whereâs the next place?" Dox asked.
Angel closed his eyes, recalling the birdâs-eye view, and Sandersâ description of Naraku Cityâs general layout. After a while, he hesitantly opened his eyes and slowly pointed north: "Over there in a garden, thereâs an entrance to an Underground Aqueduct. Itâs just that..."
Dox: "Just what?"
"Itâs just that after so many years, the garden must be ruins now. Thereâs no landmark building nearby, so weâll likely have to scout to determine the position."
The so-called scouting, Angel meant using spiritual power to search underground, but once implemented, he found that Vay could use earth sense for extensive exploration, which is far superior to using spiritual power.
Not to mention Vayâs abilities, even Dox can send sandworms underground for quick exploration.
This is the benefit of having a team.
Angel previously mostly worked alone, so this time he felt quite relaxed. He didnât even need to dispatch Earl Mi and just followed Vayâs lead.
Because they were scouting, they didnât walk quickly. Instead, they strolled leisurely, taking in the sights as they moved forward.
During this process, Angel also observed the surrounding scenery.
Even if words like dilapidated and ruins could describe the head of the Garden Labyrinth, from some details, the former prosperity could still be seen.
Kaier also sighed: "Such a vast city of transcendence, I really wish to see how it looked in its prime."
Angel had a similar thought to Kaier, but while Kaier was merely sighing, Angel could actually see the prosperous appearance of Naraku City by going to the Nightmare Realm.
However, the surface of Nightmare Abyss City is no safer than its underground; itâs equally dangerous.
According to Sanders, there are several places with Legendary-level beings, just like the bell tower they visited earlier, where there was a church nearby that had a Legendary presence. When Sanders went to explore, he didnât even dare to approach.
Angel also didnât know if his identity would be useful in facing these Legendary beings in the Nightmare Realm, and besides, during his last visit to Naraku City, he encountered that woman with a face full of stitches.
Angel dared not explore Naraku City again for the time being.
At least, unlike Kaier who could only sigh, he has hope for the future.
...
During the scouting process, Vay had discovered several Underground Aqueduct entrances, but they all had collapsed, leaving no paths to tread.
As for the entrance in the garden that Angel had high hopes for, Angel didnât know whether Vay had explored it or if it was ahead.
Anyway, they really couldnât find any entrance now.
The repeated failures to find an entrance made Vay somewhat frustrated. On the other hand, Dox, in a good mood, comforted: "Weâve been at the ruins for less than a day, and you want results already? It canât be that easy. Every adventure I went on in the past took months, even years."
"Moreover, weâve explored less than 1% of the Garden Labyrinth. Itâs too early in the day to be disheartened."
Vay sighed deeply: "Thatâs why I hate going out. If I were at home now, I could easily earn money with âdivinationâ without doing this hard labor."
Dox: "You, an Earth Apprentice, dare to speak the words of the prophecy system."
Vay retorted coldly: "Then donât look for me next time."
Dox immediately changed his tone: "To simultaneously control the Power of Earth and have a talent for smelling deathâsuch a person must be a genius, right, Kaier?"
Kaier was reluctant to agree with Dox, but respecting that Dox was an Official Wizard, he awkwardly smiled and nodded: "The lord is right."
"Flattery is useless; I certainly wonât..."
Before Vay could finish speaking, an "X"-shaped energy descended from the sky, sealing his mouth.
"I told you not to waste words, and you still do. Are you ignoring me?" The Black Earl spoke coldly.
Vay dared not speak again. Even if he wanted to, he couldnât, and obediently continued with his work.
Another half day passed without any progress. As nightfall quietly arrived, a furious shout full of intense emotion suddenly echoed from nearby.
Kaier perked his ears: "It sounds like someone is shouting. Is it a magical creature?"
"No, itâs human." Angel, most sensitive to emotions, first discerned the source of the emotions and even identified the direction.
"Is it a Wizard Apprentice?"
"No." Angel shook his head. Although the shout was emotionally charged, it contained no energy, indicating it was a normal person. Judging by the sharp voice, it was either an adolescent boy in his voice-breaking period or a woman with a loud voice.
"Should we go over and take a look?" The idea of going over was actually to see if the person was in danger and needed help. Kaier is an Academy Faction White Wizard, so it was normal for him to say such a thing.
"Whatever, itâs up to Vay." Angel was indifferent, knowing that as long as Vay went, they would follow.
Vay couldnât speak at that moment, only nod or shake his head. But before he could respond, Dox chimed in: "Letâs go take a look."
Angel looked at him: "Spiritual perception?"
Dox shrugged: "I donât know, Iâm just bored after a whole day and I want to see if there are any âexciting projectsâ."
Angel: "..."
Despite Doxâs response, Angel considered for a moment and then nodded, signaling Vay to go check it out.
Vay naturally did not dare to resist and changed direction, heading towards where the sound had originated.
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