Chapter 679: Palace on the Island
Chapter 679: Palace on the Island
As dusk approached, an unexpected incident unfolded within Green Isle City.
The ordinary people, who were not among the laborers, quickly retreated into their homes, locking their doors tightly with no intention of stepping outside.
In contrast, the Awakened reacted differently.
Some rushed towards the direction of the Law Radiance, while others, concerned only with their own well-being, sought hiding places within the city, indifferent to these events.
"..."
This scene unfolded before Lin Sai's eyes, presenting him with a crucial decision.
Should he continue forward, following his original plan to enter the city center and retrieve the object imbued with life force?
Or should he turn back and assist Xilude and Alorn?
Lin Sai promptly opened his map.
The situation that was unfolding differed from what he had imagined. Instead of escaping towards the outskirts of the city after being discovered, Xilude and Alorn were engaging in a different strategy.
They, along with the slaves they had freed, were rampaging through the city, breaking into the homes of their enemies and eliminating the Awakened.
Immediately after, they would liberate the slaves under their captors' control.
The coordination between the two Fifth Stage Awakened Ones proved unstoppable within the currently vulnerable Green Isle City, as no one could resist their onslaught.
As they advanced, their numbers swelled with the addition of other freed slaves, including Awakened Ones.
Even though Green Isle City had loyal Awakened Ones willing to confront this growing force, they were at a disadvantage in terms of both quantity and quality.
These defenders often fell quickly, unable to withstand the onslaught for more than a brief moment.
"..."
Lin Sai stood motionless, deep in thought.
If they had been discovered passively, according to the original plan, Xilude and Alorn should have fled towards the outskirts of the city instead of engaging in such actions within its confines.
His mind raced, and he quickly grasped the intention behind Xilude and Alorn's unusual behavior.
They were not only freeing as many slaves as possible but also drawing the attention of Green Isle City.
And this act of deliberately courting danger...
"Are they creating an opportunity for me?"
"..."
Lin Sai's expression was one of surprise, but it quickly turned to determination.
Any hesitation or pity towards their selfless and fearless assistance would be disrespectful!
Lin Sai made his decision in an instant.
He changed direction, crouched slightly, and entered a stealth state, increasing his speed as he made his way towards the city center.
...
Within Green Isle City, almost everyone's attention was focused on the actions of the Law Knight and the Artist.
With the aid of his stealth skill, Lin Sai moved unnoticed.
After just a few minutes, Lin Sai had crossed Green Isle City.
In the center of the city, on the lone island within the lake, stood a low-lying palace-like structure constructed from massive stones, now completely covered in moss, making its original form unrecognizable.
"The soil is connected to the memories of the Corruptors, and disturbing the earth will awaken them. What about this water..."
Lin Sai halted and lowered his gaze.
The green lake before him didn't appear particularly deep.
Even a grown adult, or a child who had only recently learned to swim, could easily cross this stretch of water and reach the island.
Given the simplicity of the environment, Lin Sai had reason to suspect that this, too, was a defensive measure.
He activated his reconnaissance skill.
[Venom Lake - Acidic liquid containing a special Essence Toxin.
"As expected."
Lindsey turned to survey his surroundings.
He extracted clues from the shoreline and the surrounding footprints, combining them with the lake's water, and the information before him led to a deeper revelation.
[Nature of the Toxin - Corrupting Venom, in a weakened and dilapidated state.]
"..."
Lindsey blinked.
Before coming here, he had imagined the experiences of the previous adventurers upon reaching the southern part of the world. Seeing the presence of Corrupting Venom here, especially in a weakened state, wasn't entirely unexpected.
Lindsey took action immediately.
He couldn't touch the water, dig the earth, or fly. So, he took out resource-transformed stones from his bag and constructed a half-meter-high platform at the lake's edge. Then, he pulled out a long bridge that hung in mid-air, perfectly parallel to the water's surface.
Lindsey stepped onto the bridge.
From a mechanical perspective, it was absurd to have a structure like this, with only one side bearing the load and stretching tens of meters in length.
But Lindsey now had the bonus of Architecture and Materials Science.
With his skills, the bridge became a reality, just like in a sandbox pixel game, defying all logical engineering principles.
"And now, it's time to go inside."
In less than half a minute, Lindsey successfully reached the island in the lake. He put away his materials, crouched down, and continued towards the palace.
The symbol of the Serpent King was inside.
Even though he trusted his stealth skills in the Terror Game, Lindsey remained extremely cautious.
As he approached the end, the details of the architecture became more apparent.
This low-lying palace, like the city, was made of rough green stones.
The construction was crude and simplistic, with stones haphazardly cut and stacked together.
There were no sculptures, engravings, or decorations.
The interior of the palace was a vast, empty shell. The only furniture was a relatively spacious chair placed on a stone platform.
"..."
Lindsey unconsciously lowered his breathing.
In the empty palace, there was no sign of any guards.
But a corpulent figure lay there, their Essence surging like ocean waves.
This was a seven-stage Corruptor, possessing the skills of assimilation and devouring others' powers.
However, the Serpent King before him had a distorted and misshapen body.
At first glance, it seemed as if he had overeaten, his body forcibly stretched and deformed.
"..."
Lindsey instinctively wanted to appraise the Serpent King's state, but he quickly remembered his past experiences.
A seven-stage Artist could sense the slightest change in emotions with a mere glance.
Even a six-stage Righteous One could detect the subtlest shifts in Essence, down to the vibrations of a workbench.
Lindsey's understanding of Corruptors was only superficial.
If this reconnaissance method accidentally awakened the Corruptor, it would be a costly mistake.
There was no room for error at this moment.
Lindsey immediately suppressed any further probing.
He glanced at the corner of his eye, then withdrew his gaze and continued his stealthy approach, entering a side hall on the left side of the palace.
The side hall was equally empty, devoid of any interior decoration.
However, in the center of the room, near the wall, there was a large hole in the ground, slanting downward.
The underground was pitch black, with not a glimmer of light.
But Lindsey, through his map observation, knew that this path extended all the way beneath the lake island.
The only living person nearby.
The adventurer Lindsey had envisioned was indeed inside.
(End of Chapter)
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