Chapter 128: Hope
Chapter 128: Hope
"According to the records, most of the main members of the expedition were at the Sixth or Seventh Stage. Even the leading Awakened leader was a definite Eighth Stage powerhouse."
Lin Sai mumbled to himself.
Under the watchful eyes of the starry night sky, he headed west towards the town.
The night had deepened, and a bright moon cast its pure white light onto the gravel road of the town, intertwining with the black cracks in the stones, creating a quiet corridor of light and shadow.
Lin Sai's heart suddenly calmed.
The moon, amidst the starry sky, seemed to guide his path, and the houses on both sides of the town appeared to be listening to their breath.
The most genuine thoughts emerged from the depths of his heart.
He had to find a solution to the problem as soon as possible.
Otherwise, everything in the Hidden Borderland, everything Lin Sai was familiar with, and even himself, would face annihilation.
The current situation in Anville Village was beyond Lin Sai's comprehension, let alone another Borderland town!
At this very moment, Lin Sai's mind was occupied with only one thought.
In the current understanding of the people, there was indeed no one in the Hidden Borderland who could defeat the Black Mountain Wyvern. The expedition, which had been gone for over a hundred years, was certainly not a viable option for seeking aid.
Could the expedition deal with the Wyvern?
Of course, they could.
According to the records, to ensure the success of the expedition, they had not left behind any powerful weapons that could be used against the Wyvern.
But this did not mean that the expedition had not left behind any physical objects.
Lin Sai had one right in front of him.
Under the dark night sky, the lighthouse stood tall at the edge of the world, like a giant that had been asleep for a hundred years, waiting for the expedition's return, and then opening its bright, single eye to guide them.
"This lighthouse, isn't it something left behind by the expedition!"
Lin Sai recalled his experience when he first arrived at the Hidden Borderland three years ago.
He also remembered the crystal core that served as a landmark, placed atop the lighthouse.
At that time, even without touching it, the crystal had given Lin Sai a sense of being consumed by flames.
The winter night was cold, and the wind was biting.
There was no one guarding the lighthouse, and Lin Sai easily cut through the door lock and climbed up.
Before him, the amber crystal still rested within the silver lamp.
Unchanged from three years ago.
[Oddity: Ancestral Core]
[The core left behind by a failed Seventh Stage Ancestral Awakening, containing an endless source of essence. Extremely dangerous, any Awakened below the Sixth Stage will die upon contact.]
[This core is engraved with a special ritual, converting its internal energy into an eternal coordinate system that provides guidance. It is recommended to sell it to those who can touch the Ancestral Core.]
"The core left behind by a failed Seventh Stage Ancestral Awakening. Any Awakened below the Sixth Stage will die upon contact."
Lin Sai mumbled the product description that appeared before his eyes.
This Ancestral Core, which served as a guiding landmark, had been left here by a prominent figure of the expedition. Its violent nature prevented any weak individuals from touching it.
But this also implied power.
Lin Sai, only at the Third Stage, naturally wouldn't dare to recklessly grab this Ancestral Core with his bare hands, and automatic pickup was also not an option.
Lin Sai casually took out a piece of wood and an iron pipe from his bag.
He tried to use these tools to touch the Ancestral Core, but the moment he made contact with the crystal, its power instantly incinerated the objects in Lin Sai's hands.
It seemed that only the silver lamp connected to the lighthouse could contain its existence.
Lin Sai used his skill to examine the silver lamp and discovered that it had also been altered. Once moved, the function of containing the Ancestral Core would become invalid.
"How was this thing normally stored and transported?"
Lin Sai scratched his head.
At that moment, a dark cloud drifted by, blocking the moonlight above the lighthouse.
Standing atop the pitch-black lighthouse, Lin Sai saw only the Ancestral Core shining brightly, as if foreshadowing some change.
"Hoo—"
"Can this be used against a Seventh Stage Wyvern?"
Lin Sai took a deep breath.
Lin Sai questioned himself, seeking confirmation, "If I take it away and the expedition team returns, will we lose the coordinates?"
He asked himself again, receiving another affirmative response.
"But what if I do nothing and leave it here? After the Hidden Frontier is destroyed, can it still serve as a beacon?"
Lin Sai's final internal question yielded an ambiguous answer.
"..."
"Yes, this is where hope lies."
After questioning himself three times, Lin Sai was no longer hesitant.
Although the other items couldn't help him extract the Ancestral Core, one of his Game Player system items, the Eight-Clawed Spider Silk Hook, had the ability to grasp objects.
With a single-handed gesture, white spider silk shot out from behind him.
Snap—
Boom! In an instant, the white spider silk ignited in mid-air.
He quickly unequipped the Eight-Clawed Spider Silk Hook and tossed the decent equipment onto the ground.
Whoosh—
Almost immediately, the Eight-Clawed Spider Silk Hook turned into ashes.
Even a brief contact with the Ancestral Core's weak power was enough to destroy the equipment and leave a spider web-like flame imprint on the floor.
"But it's worth it."
Lin Sai didn't mind the loss.
As the silk touched the Ancestral Core, the crystal vanished from the silver lamp and now lay quietly in a compartment of his bag.
Dark clouds drifted across the sky, and moonlight bathed the lighthouse once more, turning Lin Sai's surroundings white.
On his attribute panel, he attempted to transfer the Ancestral Core to the workbench.
[1 Ancestral Core + 10 Advanced Metals + 3 Star Fragments = Eternal Sun Crown Sword]
[1 Ancestral Core + 3 Advanced Metals + 1 Divine Statue + 3 Advanced Gems = Ancestral Ancient Crown]
[1 Ancestral Core + 15 Titanium Alloy + 1 Advanced Gem Powder = Ancestral Death: Promotion: Glory Bullet]
[1 Ancestral Core + 1 Natural Core + 1 Divinity + 30 Advanced Metals + 7 Advanced Gems = Faith: Eternal: All-Powerful Domain Staff]
"..."
Lin Sai paid no attention to the impressive-sounding items like the Eternal Sun Crown Sword, the Ancient Crown, or the All-Powerful Domain Staff. Instead, he focused on a specific synthesis formula.
[1 Ancestral Core + 15 Titanium Alloy + 1 Advanced Gem Powder = Ancestral Death: Promotion: Glory Bullet]
From the name alone, Lin Sai could tell it was a type of ammunition.
It was a super ammunition created by transforming the seven-stage Ancestral Core!
"Black Mountain... Wyvern... Seven-Stage..."
Lin Sai clenched his fists, looking around and moving his lips, unsure of what to say.
He felt an urge to shout out loud.
He walked to the edge of the lighthouse and sat down, gazing at the empty western border of the world.
The edge of this world was only a little over two hundred meters from his current location.
A hundred years ago, the expedition team members who left here had built the lighthouse just over a hundred meters from the world's edge. Their purpose was to leave a marker for their return, as the Black Mountain was not yet occupied by the Wyvern, let alone having the means to deal with it.
However, in a coincidental and wondrous way, this beacon had become the greatest hope for slaying the Wyvern at this moment.
Lin Sai stared at the boundless sky.
But as his gaze fell on the ground below the lighthouse, a new doubt emerged: "This distance seems off."
Earlier that morning, Lin Sai had been searching through materials, seeking hope to deal with the Wyvern.
He found a clear passage stating that the expedition team had built the lighthouse just over a hundred meters from the world's edge before departing. However, as Lin Sai looked down, he realized the world's edge was now clearly more than two hundred meters away from the lighthouse!
(End of Chapter)
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