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Chapter 705: Underground Mine
Chapter 705: Underground Mine
After using Magic to hide the tents, Liam and Baru waved goodbye and set off for their respective destinations. This place was a town built around the mines in the gorge, primarily focused on mining, so the elevation differences throughout the town were quite significant. The mine where Ryan and the others were headed was at the very bottom of the gorge.
"This elevation is really too high", Hermione remarked, standing on the mountain and looking down into the deep gorge. "I can't imagine how people in the past managed to live here, seeing the sun for only an hour or two each day."
"Don't forget, the mine down there was used to extract Flight Stones 700 years ago", Liam pointed to the dirt roads carved into the cliff and the iron tracks on the wooden bridges. "Back then, people had enough Flight Stones to easily travel up and down the cliff, unlike now, where they have to use a rudimentary railway or dirt roads."
"You're right", Hermione said after carefully observing the roads and the remnants of buildings in the valley. "Look at the structures at the very bottom. They were likely built to utilize the existing facilities in the mine to extract various minerals that were left behind after the Flight Stones were mined. Once the associated minerals were exhausted, people abandoned the mines and buildings. The structures currently in use are all located halfway up the gorge or higher."
"So how do we get down there?" Rose Crystal, hidden in Liam's backpack, asked. "The roads only go halfway down, and there's no path beyond that. How do you plan to reach the mine at the bottom?"
"Of course, we'll fly down. The Centaurea Broom I bought can easily carry all three of us. Flying a bit slower shouldn't be a problem", Liam said, pulling out a broomstick from his spatial pocket.
"Actually, it's not that complicated", Hermione said, looking a bit embarrassed. "I've learned the Magic that allows you to form wings using Magic energy and fly. I can fly down by myself."
"Sounds good", Liam said, a bit puzzled. "But why have I rarely seen you practice flying? Remember, flying is like swimming; you need to practice, not just understand the theory, to be able to do it successfully."
"I have practiced", Hermione countered. "Just not in front of you. I even went to Teacher Luo Zhen to learn how to fly with wings from Mercury Lamp."
Once they stood at the edge of the cliff and extended their wings, Liam understood why Hermione had practiced away from him. After channeling the energy within her body, Hermione's back erupted with two masses of Blood. These Blood masses seemed to have a life of their own, slowly spreading out from her back, growing like trees until they formed a pair of red, skeletal wings.
When the wings fully extended, they flapped lightly. With each flap, black mist began to emerge from the blood-red bones and spread along the skeletal structure, filling the gaps like the skin of a dragon's wing. After a slight tremor, Hermione's feet left the ground, and she took flight.
Now Liam understood why Hermione was hesitant to practice flying in front of him. These wings were filled with an aura of evil and darkness. For someone with an appreciation for beauty, the dark red wings were not exactly appealing.
"These wings look pretty cool", Liam said, having experienced the cultural influence of the 21st century. He found a certain unique beauty in them.
"Really? That's great", Hermione beamed, feeling Liam's genuine praise through their soul link. "Let's get going. If we hurry, we might still make it back in time for lunch."
After speaking, Hermione approached the cliff's edge and cast the Disillusionment Charm on herself. She then spread her wings and dove downward. Liam and Rose Crystal also cast invisibility spells on themselves before gliding down the cliff after Hermione.
The mine was at the bottom of the gorge, and it took the three of them some time to fly into it. This mine was a Sky Pit, with a small entrance but a deep interior. When they reached the bottom of the pit, it was almost pitch black, and they could only faintly see the sky above, now reduced to the size of a ping-pong ball.
"It feels like the underground challenge we faced in our first year, also deep beneath the ground", Hermione said, landing on the ground and folding her wings. She gazed up at the tiny patch of sky and sighed, "It feels like so much time has passed."
"Indeed, it seems like everything happened just yesterday", Liam echoed, folding his wings as well. Fortunately, after numerous enhancements, they both had excellent night vision, allowing them to see clearly within a distance of twenty to thirty meters.
Based on their previous adventure experiences, it was best not to light a fire in such a dark and unknown place, as it would easily make them targets for hidden enemies. So, they set off into the darkness.
After reaching the bottom of the mine, Gill voluntarily emerged from Rose Crystal's body and took the lead, claiming that as a Hero Spirit, she was better suited to navigate such a complex environment. Her ability to turn incorporeal also made her more likely to survive in case of a sudden attack.
As they walked, Liam noticed numerous signs of human activity. The stone walls showed marks from various metal tools, and there were partially decayed wooden support beams. Even on the ground, they found metal tracks covered by a thick layer of dust.
"Which direction should we go now?" Hermione said, holding her wand and looking somewhat lost. The mine network in this area was extensive, with tunnels from the initial flight stone mining and many more from later mining for other minerals. Due to the richness of the mineral deposits, people had been mining in this direction for centuries, leaving behind a complex system of caves resembling a spider's web.
Hermione stopped at a crossroads with exits in all directions, unsure which way to go next.
"I have a solution", Liam said, pulling out a palm-sized Golden Compass and tapping it with his wand. The needle in the center quickly pointed to one of the tunnel entrances.
"We'll go this way", Liam said, pointing to a tunnel to the left. "I asked Baru yesterday, and he told me that besides flight stones, the only other things mined here were various metals, which don't have strong magical reactions. So, we just need to follow this compass to the area with the strongest magical reaction."
Guided by the compass, the four of them spent only two hours reaching a clearing by an underground river. They discovered they weren't the first to arrive, as a kerosene lamp illuminated the clearing, and a figure of modest height was seen tidying up near the light.
In the silent underground dimension, footsteps echoed far and wide. So, when Ryan and the others were about fifty to sixty meters away from the figure, they saw it stand up and shout, "Who's there?"
"Relax, sir", Liam called out, noticing the man had a beard even more luxuriant than Headmaster Dumbledore's, though he was much shorter, giving him the appearance of a dwarf. "We're just distant travelers, here to visit the old flight stone mines."
(End of Chapter)
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