Chapter 250: The Artificial Glacier
Chapter 250: The Artificial Glacier
Lin Sai's exploration was not a sudden whim.
Nor did he have an unexplained passion for cave exploration.
But as he fell into this massive ice cave, Lin Sai's attribute panel also updated with a new task!
【The Frozen City】
【A secret from the distant past lies hidden beneath the glacier. Find and witness this ancient city, long dormant!】
【Task Reward: The hidden map of the Frozen City and ancient gold coins.】
"..."
"Lin Sai, are you out of your mind?"
Hong was unaware of Lin Sai's new discovery.
The girl was still analyzing based on the idea that the terrain couldn't be detected on a large scale.
So, on this vertical cliff, she patted Lin Sai's head:
"We still have to go beneath Black Mountain."
"Isn't it a bit irrational to suddenly change direction in a place like this?"
Lin Sai gave her a knowing look:
"Hong, you know I have a lot of random abilities."
Hong immediately understood:
"So there's something down there?"
Lin Sai replied:
"Yes, and it should be a city."
"A city? That's where humans gather to live, right?" Hong's tone was slightly incredulous, "Can people live in this godforsaken place? That's a bit far-fetched, isn't it?"
Lin Sai glanced at the word 'Frozen' on the task panel:
"I'm not joking at all. There might be people there, or there might not be, but there's definitely something down there!"
Hong was half-believing:
"Then let's go and see."
Now that Lin Sai knew there was a secret beneath the glacier,
he certainly wouldn't miss it.
He crafted a few daggers on the workbench to serve as ice picks.
The two of them descended along the vertical ice surface, and for Lin Sai, it almost felt like he was climbing the Sky-Piercing Vines again.
During the long and tedious descent, Lin Sai had another sudden realization.
When he first entered the glacier, he had confirmed that the ice blocks were not naturally formed.
But beneath this vertical cliff, a hidden frozen city was concealed, so he wondered if there was something wrong with the glacier that sealed it. With this thought, Lin Sai, as he descended, casually appraised the ice wall in front of him.
【Material: Ice Block】
【Ancient ice containing cold air, not naturally formed.】
【Can be used in beverages to make iced drinks, but its value is minimal unless it's summer.】
— Ancient Ice.
— Not naturally formed.
The first description ruled out the possibility of it being created by a Dragon Beast, while the second confirmed that the glacier was not a natural formation.
Lin Sai's mind conjured up the scene he had witnessed on the surface.
The glacier encircled Black Mountain, but how vast was its actual area?
"Tsk—"
Lin Sai smirked.
This was definitely not something one could guess by sight alone.
Moreover, he had some speculations about the Frozen City.
The Hidden Frontier next door, which was the original Elemental Realm, had been shattered in an ancient war.
After tens of thousands of years, only a small portion of it had recovered.
And the Black Mountain World,
As the burial site of the Crown of Annihilation and the Righteous Warrior, was undoubtedly part of that ancient war.
This city, buried beneath the glacier,
Was likely a location affected by that ancient war!
Lin Sai couldn't help but think of the term used for Awakened individuals beyond the Fifth Stage—Ascenders.
While Awakened individuals before the Fifth Stage were relatively minor,
Once they surpassed this threshold, their abilities progressed at an astonishing rate.
This world had a special term for these advanced beings, marking a significant milestone.
"Now that I think about it, it's quite fitting."
He marveled at this discovery.
Lin Sai didn't withhold information like a character in a horror movie; instead, he immediately shared this news with the girl beside him:
"Hong, I think this glacier is man-made."
Hong's expression froze:
She was still thinking about the Sixth Stage beasts she had encountered:
"I don't think a Sixth Stage beast could do this, could they?"
Lin Sai replied:
"Yes, and it should be a city."
"A city? That's where humans gather and live, right?" Hong's tone was incredulous, "Can anyone live in this godforsaken place? That's just ridiculous!"
Lin Sai glanced at the word 'Frozen' on the task panel:
"I'm not joking. There might be people there, or there might not be, but there's definitely something down there!"
Hong was still skeptical:
"Then let's go and see for ourselves."
Knowing that there was a secret hidden beneath the glacier,
Lin Sai was determined to uncover it.
He crafted a few daggers on the workbench to serve as ice picks.
The two of them descended along the vertical ice wall, and for Lin Sai, it almost felt like he was climbing the Sky-Piercing Vines again.
During the long and tedious descent, Lin Sai's mind wandered.
When he had first entered the glacier, he had confirmed that the ice blocks were not naturally formed.
But beneath this vertical cliff, a hidden frozen city was concealed, so he wondered if there was something wrong with the glacier that sealed it.
As he descended, Lin Sai casually appraised the ice wall in front of him.
【Material: Ice Block】
【Ancient ice containing cold air, not naturally formed.】
【Can be used in beverages to make iced drinks, but its value is minimal unless it's summer.】
— Ancient Ice.
— Not naturally formed.
The first description ruled out the possibility of it being created by a Dragon Beast, while the second confirmed that the glacier was not a natural formation.
Lin Sai's mind conjured up the scene he had witnessed on the surface.
The glacier encircled Black Mountain, but how vast was its actual area?
"Tsk—"
Lin Sai smirked.
This was definitely not something one could guess by sight alone.
Moreover, he had some speculations about the Frozen City.
The Hidden Frontier, which was once the Elemental Realm, had been shattered in an ancient war.
After tens of thousands of years, only a small portion of it had recovered.
And the Black Mountain World,
As the burial site of the Crown of Annihilation and the Righteous Warrior, was undoubtedly part of that ancient conflict.
This city, buried beneath the glacier,
Was likely affected by the ancient war as well!
Lin Sai couldn't help but think of the term used for Awakened individuals beyond the Fifth Stage—Ascenders.
While those before the Fifth Stage were relatively minor,
Once they surpassed this threshold, their abilities progressed at an astonishing rate.
This world had a special term for these advanced beings, marking a significant milestone.
"Now that I think about it, it's quite fitting."
He marveled at this discovery.
Lin Sai didn't withhold information; instead, he shared this news with Hong:
"Hong, I think this glacier is artificial."
Hong's expression froze:
"I don't think a Sixth Stage beast could do this, could they?"
Lin Sai replied:
"Yes, and there's a city down there."
"A city? You mean where humans live together?" Hong sounded incredulous, "Can anyone live in this godforsaken place? That's just crazy!"
Lin Sai glanced at the task panel, which read 'Frozen City':
"I'm not joking. There might be people, there might not be, but there's definitely something down there!"
Hong was still skeptical:
"Then let's go and see for ourselves."
Linsey pointed at the girl's chest and said, "But during that ancient battle in the past, those two guys at the peak of the eighth stage... They both perished together. It's reasonable that some traces of that world still remain..."
"Hmm?"
As they continued their conversation, Linsey's peripheral vision caught a change below.
The pitch-black cave, which seemed to have no bottom, now had a faint glow.
Linsey quickly extinguished the torch.
Hong realized something, "Are we close to our destination?"
Linsey nodded in the darkness, "Yes, be careful as we descend."
As they neared the bottom of the cave, both Linsey and Hong slowed their movements.
With their descent, the faint glow below became increasingly clear.
What appeared before them was not a complete city but a solid ice surface, similar to the glacier above.
The difference was that this ice surface had glowing fungi growing on it. Their caps resembled half-open umbrellas, with wavy blue stripes and granular protrusions on their caps.
These special fungi illuminated this dark area.
"Mushrooms..." Linsey was initially taken aback.
But soon, he realized there was an unseen danger below.
Deep beneath the glacier, in a cave where spores thrived, the blue, glowing shapes of fungi.
These elements combined to suggest a place that was far from safe.
"Hong, wait!" Linsey grabbed Hong, who was beside him.
He quickly crafted a mask from silk cloth and a fully enclosed helmet from iron ingots.
"The air down there might be strange. Put these on."
Linsey ensured they were well-protected before continuing their descent.
Once they reached the bottom, Linsey took out the torch and waved it around, revealing tiny particles in the air.
"Breathing this in would be quite a challenge," Linsey muttered to himself.
He approached the fungi for a closer inspection.
【Fungi: Icecap Mushroom】
【A highly toxic fungus that thrives in extreme cold, consuming it induces powerful hallucinations, often leading to death.】
【A rare and delicious mushroom of moderate value.】
"So fresh?" Linsey plucked one and checked the synthesis list.
【1 Icecap Mushroom + 1 Acidic Corrosive + 1 Lime Powder + 1 Clear Water + 1 Glass Bottle = Ice Erosion Toxin】
【1 Icecap Mushroom + 1 Ice Crystal + 1 Clear Water + 1 Glass Bottle = Frostwater】
【1 Icecap Mushroom + 1 Flameflower + 1 Clear Water + 1 Glass Bottle = Self-Adjusting Temperature Potion】
"I can probably synthesize Frostwater right now!" Linsey exclaimed.
With all the ingredients at hand, there was no reason to pass up this opportunity.
Linsey began collecting the mushrooms, also gathering some 【Mushroom Spores】 in the process.
With his helmet, mask, and the airflow protection of his cloak, Linsey wasn't too concerned about the environment.
However, as a precaution, he asked Hong to stand aside, tasking her with keeping watch.
After a few minutes, Linsey had collected a substantial amount of Icecap Mushrooms.
Just as he was about to synthesize Frostwater, Hong suddenly shouted, "Linsey, look over here!"
Hong, who was supposed to be on guard, had been idly daydreaming.
With the help of the torchlight, her wandering gaze discovered something intriguing.
Beneath the ice layer, there seemed to be a dark object.
Its depth had previously hidden it from Linsey and Hong's sight.
"There's something frozen beneath the ice layer."
"Linsey, is this the frozen city you mentioned?"
(End of Chapter)
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