Arcane Journey

Chapter 379 The Underground Passage
The wind blows, and the yellow sand fills the air.

Even at an altitude of several thousand meters, Brian, standing on the flying carpet, could feel a wave of heat rising from the ground.

However, what surprised him was that even though he had already reached his destination, the flying carpet still had no intention of landing, and continued to fly towards the western edge of the Enook Desert.

Brian cast a puzzled look at the female elf beside him, but found that the elf who was responsible for escorting him to Evereska had a delicate little face dignified and tense, and his eyes were fixed on the ground, showing no distraction at all. know what he meant.

Seeing this situation, Brian simply sat cross-legged on the flying carpet and closed his eyes to recuperate.

After about an hour or so, the flying carpet finally began to descend on a barren mountain range, and then the blanket snaked along the complicated path on the mountain range.

Just when it was about to collide with the most tall and straight barren mountain around, it was suddenly enveloped by layers of confusing fog.

It wasn't until this moment that Brian noticed from the corner of his eye that the female elf who was escorting him was obviously relieved.

The surrounding fog is very thick, making Brian standing on the flying carpet feel as if he is flying through the clouds. Even if he casts the light magic that can disperse the dense fog, the visibility is only about ten meters away, and it is like a wave if he is farther away. Rolling mist stream.

"This is the magical mist flow produced by the Mystic Barrier." The female elf finally spoke. She seemed to have determined her position in the dense fog, and began to control the flying carpet to land at an even speed.

"That is to say, we have reached the sky above the Evereska Valley." Brian nodded thoughtfully, looking at the impenetrable fog.

"That's right, we have already reached the boundary of this land." After the female elf finished speaking, she asked curiously, "Does Your Excellency Brian know about Efriska?"

"Know a thing or two," Brian replied.

As for Evereska, although he had never been there in the game world before, and he did not know much about the details of this place, but the books stored in Susar's Crown Hall had a certain understanding of Evereska. An entire dedicated introductory book.

And he happened to check this book with the help of his convenient identity.

This is also the reason why he immediately chose to look for the crown-wearing Ilsevery when he learned that the madman Ogasila might be hiding in Evereska, and asked him to send someone to lead him the way.

Closed and mysterious, this is what the scholars of the Crown Palace commented on Efriska.

The city has been shrouded in a mysterious and powerful mystical barrier for endless years, making it seem to have completely disappeared in the main material world, and it is impossible to find the entrance to the city.

After a while, the flying carpet finally got rid of the shroud of magic fog, and the scene that appeared in Brian's sight made him suddenly enlightened, as if he had entered a paradise.

Under the warm sunshine, there is a crescent-shaped valley.

With the landing of the flying carpet, the elven city full of nature and art in the Efreska Valley spread out in front of Brian's eyes like a scroll, gradually unveiling its mysterious veil.

As soon as Brian and the female elf landed on a verdant lawn, they saw an elf priest wearing the emblem of Corellon, the lord of elves, leading a group of elf warriors, hurried over, and approached the people beside him. The elf greeted:

"By the gods of the Seldarine, you are here at last."

"At the order of Ms. Ilsevery, the wearer of the crown, come to reinforce Efriska."

The female elf didn't give the elf priest any good looks, and said to him sarcastically with a businesslike look:
"I have already delivered the person, I should say goodbye."

After finishing speaking, she nodded to Brian, and without hesitation, she drove the flying carpet and gradually disappeared from everyone's sight.

Looking at the scene in front of him, the Elf Priest gave Bryan a wry smile, and immediately said respectfully, "Your Excellency is Mr. Brian, Ms. Ilsevery, the crown wearer of Myth Drano, has sent me a message via magic. I have explained in detail the purpose of your visit, here, you are the honored guest of all the elves, Efriska welcomes you, please."

"Since I already know my identity, let's make a long story short."

Brian looked around the magical valley with a slightly dignified expression, and said, "I want to know the specific situation here."

"It is my duty to report the situation of the valley to Your Excellency. We will talk as we walk."

The elf priest made an invitation gesture, and while walking towards the depths of the valley, he told Brian:

"Everiska's mystical enchantment was built on the basis of twelve mountain peaks around the valley. However, two months ago, a huge negative energy aura emerged from the underground passage of one of the mountain peaks. This energy is very weird, anyone who steps in will be corrupted, and finally die like a dry corpse, especially the caster, the first time they enter the underground passage, they will be backlashed by magic..."

Backlashed by magic?
Could it be Felin Mokui?
There was a hint of surprise in Brian's expression. While thinking about what the elf priest told him about Evereska, he secretly used detection magic to observe the surrounding environment.

The entire valley is very quiet, and the surrounding mountains have been opened up by the elves into terraced fields and vineyards for planting crops. The buildings with a strong ancient elf style are arranged under tall trees and vines, and are lush green.

Twelve mountain peaks shrouded in a light blue magic halo surround the entire valley, and the energy diffused from the peaks fills the entire valley with a refreshing magical atmosphere.

The only fly in the ointment is.

The area around the mountain that the elf priest took him to was not only not shrouded in a magical halo, but also faintly exuded a faint air of death, and even the flowers, plants and trees around the mountain suffered as a result, appearing withered.

"Will even spellcasters in the Legendary Domain be affected by this?"

Brian asked thoughtfully. As he walked, some elves passed by with curious eyes frequently fell on him. However, most of the elves were in a hurry. Things went.

"That's not true." The elf priest replied:
"Master Laurian has entered the underground passage to investigate the reason in advance. Not long ago, a mystic guard returned and reported some information to us. According to the unreliable speculation of Master Laurian, let us know that the The underground passage is very long, and at the end of it is actually connected to the ruins of a floating city from the Netheril period."

The ruins of the floating city?
Brian was shocked when he heard this.

According to the information he obtained from the Crown Hall, the closest ruins to the Efreska Valley is the ancient city of Harundas. He did not expect that there are other ruins of floating cities buried here, but he has never heard of it. He couldn't help but look forward to the news.

Before he knew it, the elven priest had led him through the elven city to the vicinity of the mountain that was filled with negative energy.

When everyone arrived at the quiet mountain near the peak, Brian obviously felt that the warm sunshine disappeared out of thin air, replaced by a strange cold breath.

At first, Brian thought it was a breath of negative energy that represented death.

But after careful detection with the detection magic he released, he unexpectedly found out that this icy breath is similar to a death absorption spell that can devour magic.

"The scope of negative energy has expanded again." The elf priest stopped and stared at the gloomy mountain, his pale golden eyes were full of worry, "Gods of Seldarine, if this terrible energy is allowed to be unscrupulous If the expansion continues, I am afraid that the entire valley will be destroyed."

"This is not negative energy." Brian raised his palm with a lavender halo, felt it quietly for a moment, and then conjectured, "It's similar to a devouring magic mixed with chaotic energy."

As a Chaos Scholar who advanced from the Psion profession, he is very familiar with Chaos energy.

This terrible guess made Brian realize that the instigator of Efriska's strange situation was most likely an Elder Mokui whose strength had reached a high level of legend.

Because according to some unreliable rumors, the fundamental reason why the ancient monsters of Felin Mokui are so strange and difficult to deal with is that they possess the energy of chaos.

"I see." The elf priest held Corellon's holy emblem, and after praying devoutly for a long time, he looked at Bryan with eyes full of respect, "I have received revelation from the Seldarine gods, your excellency is right, indeed It is the chaotic energy that is at work, no wonder the elders of the twelve peaks are unable to mend the wounds here."

Hearing this, Brian couldn't help being surprised.

The main reason why Evereska has been able to hide here for countless years without being discovered by outsiders is because of the powerful mysia, and the operation of the mysia is supported by the twelve peaks in the valley.

Every mountain here is equivalent to a mage's wizard tower, and the strength of the elf elders who sit on the mountain peaks is probably at least as strong as the Legendary Domain.

Such a strong lineup can't deal with Felin Mokui, so it's no wonder that they don't hesitate to show their shame and ask for help from Myth Drano's elf expedition.

While thinking about it, the preoccupied elf priest had already brought him to the underground passage under the mountain.

The emerald green branches and leaves and the thick and thick ancient vines that once blocked the passage here have long since rotted and withered under the erosion of strange energy, so that the decayed atmosphere emanating from the underground passage makes people feel as if they have come to an ancient tomb.

"Your Excellency can see through the essence of energy at a glance." The elf priest took out a badge etched with ancient elf runes, and handed it to Brian respectfully:

"I believe that with Mr. Brian's assistance this time, after entering the passage, I will definitely help Master Laurian eliminate the source of evil. This badge has the blessings of the gods of Seldarine. Once you approach Master Laurian in the underground passage, or the lost Lock the guards, it will actively emit light and condense into a light group to guide you to meet them, please keep it safe."

Brian nodded slightly, and took the badge handed over by the elf priest.

After checking the attributes, it was found that there were indeed several permanent buff magic spells in it, but with his current strength, these few magic spells seemed a bit insignificant.

The only use is to find helpers faster in the underground passage.

Then, without wasting any time, he walked in without hesitation under the eyes of many elves full of expectation and gratitude.

In the dark underground passage, you can't see your fingers, but for a powerful arcanist like Bryan, there is nothing difficult for him.

As for the so-called magic backlash, it seems that because of his appointment as a chaos scholar, not only did it have no effect on him, but it made him more proficient in controlling chaos energy.

From this, it can be seen that the mythos here were really eroded by Felin Mokui using chaotic energy and devouring magic, otherwise the chaotic energy in the air would not be so active.

He quickly used a few simple prophecy detection spells, and found traces of Mage Laurian and his party in this complex labyrinth-like underground passage.

However, he didn't catch up with these people in the first place. Instead, he went in the opposite direction and passed through another way.

Because he made an unexpected discovery through the detection just now.

Bryan continued to walk deep along the narrow and cold underground passage. After about two hours, he finally came from this winding underground passage to a spacious corridor full of columns on both sides.

The corridor was very quiet, only the sound of Brian's footsteps echoed slightly, and it could be seen from the exquisite carvings on the pillars that it was obviously left by the elves.

The only thing that puzzled Brian was who built this long passage, whether it was the elves of Evereska, or someone else.

Just when he was about to speed up his pace to pass through this corridor, suddenly accompanied by sharp screams, several pale shadows passed through the pillars of the corridor in an indistinct manner, blocking Brian's way.

The dark eyes on the faces of these ghosts were burning with endless anger, and they stretched out their white claws, and rushed towards Brian.

With a thought in Brian's mind, a scorching radiance flashed past, and at least dozens of pale ghosts all let out mournful wailing, turned into smoke, and dissipated in the air.

"These dead souls can't appear here for no reason." Brian stared at the place where the ghosts collapsed, and said to himself, "There must be new discoveries ahead."

With doubts in his heart, he walked carefully through the corridor and came to the area with strong cells on both sides.

To his regret, there were no living creatures in the decaying cell, and all that remained were the corpses of various races.

Obviously, the ghosts just now were all produced by their resentment in life.

In order to find clues, Brian carefully and cautiously checked every cell.

Finally, in a prison cell where halfling corpses were kept, they found a fairly well-preserved sheet of metal.

Brian used spells to disperse the flakes of dust, and rows of tiny words were clearly displayed on it:

Alien adventurer, do you even wish to know my life—from the day I was slain, until awakened as a mere shadow of my past self?

Why are adventurers so eager to dip their toes into the crab's lair.

Well then, my life is what it is now.

I wish I didn't say so, this originates in the Year of the Bleak Shade, and I've often thought that when Ogathra the Madness named that year, she must have foreseen what happened to me.

Back then, I was just a young sorceress from the Forest of Riestal who had been honing my magical arts since the time of Karthus' Folly.

For a tome that records evil magic, my friends and I broke into the ruins of a floating city in Netheril, but unfortunately, we happened to encounter the shadow of a dead Netheril arcanist.

The creature killed me without breaking a sweat.

And in just one breath, I became a member of the undead creatures - at this time, the monster that defeated me had killed all my partners.

The Arcanist isn't the only shadow here, and I'm not the only spawn—in fact, he commands a veritable army of undead.

His eventual destruction freed us to look into our past and many of us, myself included, did.

At first, many of our companions were destroyed, but then we encountered beings known as the invisible guardians.

His name is Paralandusk, not much different from us, and after being cursed by Netheril magic, he also seeks relief.

Even though his body has gradually transformed into an incorporeal body, he has developed spells that can maintain his spiritual power.

All the while, he has generously helped those of us whom he could find with his magic.

With his help, some of us made it out of the ruins of Netheril, and then tried to bring the remaining undead to rest.

Many of our companions were destroyed, some in battle with other undead, and others at the hands of noble elven clerics who could not tolerate our undead presence.

In the face of such terrible losses, coupled with our own rejection of evil, we come to be seen as weak, or, as the word puts it: dim and powerless.

Though an adventurous halfling, I've traveled to the Ennook Desert and beyond, but I've never been able to return to the Ristar Forest.

…………

(End of this chapter)