Everyone Is A Lord: My Talent Is A Little Too Strong Chapter 2720: 1494: Dialogue and Doubts
Previously on Everyone Is A Lord: My Talent Is A Little Too Strong...
The sensation of weightlessness, all too familiar, swept through him briefly. Once Leo Ray's sight sharpened anew, he realized he had crossed the Teleportation Gate into a massive, humid cavern buried deep below.
“Guiding Light!”
With Little Jie, appearing as a tiny elf, summoning a series of glowing magical orbs, Leo Ray examined his surroundings more closely.
Just as Old Nick had portrayed it, the area stretched out enormously wide; even with Little Jie's line of orbs darting out in a spreading arc for hundreds of meters, they failed to light up every corner, and the ceiling loomed impressively high, reaching at least four or five hundred meters above.
“Could this truly be far beneath the surface?”
Leo Ray narrowed his gaze a bit, catching the far-off rush of an underground stream as he peered into the cavern's depths.
Under the glow from the orbs, a colossal ancient city emerged bit by bit, like the peak of an iceberg; weathered stone walls caught the faint shimmer, while silhouettes of structures danced in shifting patterns of light and dark.
“Sheila, have you detected any signs of ‘Corrosion’?”
Leo Ray steadied his thoughts and promptly asked the stone spirit beside him, who took the shape of a small elf.
“My Lord, nothing so far.”
Sheila shut her eyes briefly before shaking her head: “No life forms here either; it looks like no one's visited in ages.”
At Sheila's response, Leo Ray gave a small nod.
She had it spot on; during Old Nick's earlier visit with his group, the abrupt ‘Corrosion’ had overwhelmed them, sparing only Old Nick to flee this spot.
In contrast to the immense scale of the area, the life force from Old Nick's companions had faded away long ago.
As Leo Ray scanned the scene, his allies Moli, Kara, and Old Nick, along with the core powerhouses, caught up; additional orbs of magic shot forward rapidly, bathing the nearby space in clear light.
Despite that, hundreds of meters off, deep shadows persisted, hiding the cavern's full extent.
“Keep watch over them.”
Leo Ray gestured to the Tier 6 powerhouses, who at once positioned themselves to shield Kara and the rest at the group's heart.
He had included them for two main reasons: to safeguard Kara and her companions while letting them grasp the unfolding events, and to have Old Nick guide them toward the ‘Corrosion’ site for verification.
With the hundred-strong force organized, Leo Ray pressed onward.
After advancing just over a hundred meters, Old Nick's weathered features drained of color; he shakily indicated a close-by underground river: “Your Majesty, right there is where the ‘Corrosion’ emerged!”
“You've endured much, sir.”
Leo Ray softly clapped the man's shoulder, urging calm, before directing the elite fighters closer.
Upon nearing, Leo Ray surveyed the spot; the waters moved smoothly, transparent down to the bed, matching the initial murmur he'd picked up.
“My Lord, energy pulses from earth attribute magical ley lines are indeed present here.”
Crisis tucked in her wings, probed for a second, then affirmed to Leo Ray: “The nearest ley lines lie probably a few hundred meters along the river bottom.”
As the leader of the Wood Fairy Clan and a Grand Mage of Earth Elements focused on City Building Art, she showed keen attunement to matching energy flows.
“My Lord, I feel it as well.”
Fanny, another Earth Element Grand Mage, placed hand over heart in a bow and concurred: “Plus, remnants of an earth attribute magical ley line burst linger, dating back about a year.”
“That matches precisely when Old Nick's group arrived; it all fits.”
Leo Ray dipped his head in acknowledgment before asking: “Is it possible to forecast the next burst?”
“My Lord, from what we see now, no burst looms, yet magical ley lines remain wildly unpredictable, so precise timing escapes me.”
Crisis shook her head in resignation as she replied, and Fanny mirrored her look, evidently in full agreement.
“Got it; no immediate burst for now.”
Leo Ray let the matter drop and guided the team deeper into the ancient ruins ahead.
“My Lord, something troubles me; with no ‘Corrosion’ traces around, where could they be?”
Han Ershu, the newly bound Troll Clan Chief via Leo Ray's [Contract Purple Crystal], bowed with fist to chest, his rugged blue features etched with uncertainty.
“Simple enough. In a magical ley line surge, they roam freely between this place and their hideout, untouched by the chaos, so they could've slipped back once it subsided.”
Moli answered calmly, devoid of worry, in an offhand manner.
Her voice then turned grave as she added: “Or perhaps they exited the cavern sans Teleportation Array and sneaked into Human Clan lands undetected.”
“It's not uncommon; ‘Corrosion’ sightings pop up now and then near where I grew up, though they're swiftly wiped out, since God’s Stone works wonders against these odd beings. Even if they latch onto a host, the victim's look shifts dramatically, spotting them from afar.”
With Moli's words hanging in the air, a heavier mood settled over the group.