Chapter 68

The radiance of magic illuminated the space that was originally pitch black.

What appeared before the two was something they had never imagined.

It was a ruin.

At first glance, this underground cavern was as large as a square, and at its center stood a magnificent palace. Surrounding this palace was a lake formed by the deep, dark underground water, like a moat guarding the palace. The only way out was the staircase that extended from where Rod and Marin stood.

"What is this place?"

Marin stared blankly at the palace, at a loss for words. Rod was slightly better off; he had seen more splendid ruins, but he too was silent, pondering the strange origin of this place in his mind.

Although both of them were well-versed in their respective fields, they were not omniscient. Rod's knowledge mainly revolved around game information useful to players, while Marin, despite being a mage with broad interests, prioritized learning magic over archaeology. If there had been a scholar present, they might have figured out where they were, but now they could only rely on their own knowledge and experience to guess.

"Do you have any clues?"

By now, Rod had calmed down. He gestured for the poor "Kamikaze Dog" to lead the way down the stairs to clear the path, while he followed closely behind, squinting and carefully observing everything around him.

The entire palace exuded a grand, luxurious, and majestic aura. The intricately carved stone pillars stood tall, showing no signs of damage. Magic orbs floated slowly in the cavern, casting shadows on the ground that moved with their light. The white floor, the white ceiling, and the black shadows created a fresh and unique beauty.

There were no corpses, no furniture, and no weapons.

Emptiness was Rod's first impression upon entering the palace.

On the surface, the ruin appeared intact, with no signs of damage. However, strangely, apart from the stone stairs, pillars, carvings, and statues, there was nothing else. It was as if someone had decorated a house, laying only the wallpaper and floor, but forgetting all the appliances and decorations.

In the game, Rod had seen hundreds of ruins, each different, but the broken weapons, armor, and rotten furniture at least indicated that people had once lived there. This place, however, was different. It was lifeless, as if the entire space and building were dead. Even the underground lakes on either side, though appearing to flow, made no sound of water.

Even their footsteps became abnormally faint, barely audible before being swallowed by the darkness.

"What a strange place."

Rod put down his sword and walked to a stone pillar to examine the complex text and patterns, but unfortunately, he could not make much sense of them. Marin, who had been closely following Rod, also observed the patterns, but unlike Rod, she had some insights.

"I think this is a building from the late Fasikar Kingdom, Mr. Rod."

The Fasikar Kingdom was a mysterious country from the early days of creation. Although it was considered a major power at the time, it later vanished without a trace. Historical records contained very little information about this country. If one only looked at this, they might think it was just an unknown small nation.

However, the shadow of this country lingered like a ghost, refusing to dissipate. No matter where one went on the continent, one could find its ruins and remnants of its civilization. Not only in the Light Kingdom, where the Light Dragon Soul resided, but even in the Night Kingdom and the Law Kingdom, relics of this country had been unearthed. If an outsider saw this, they might think it was a powerful nation that once ruled the entire continent.

Yet, strangely, there was no record of this country in any nation's historical records, and even the name Fasikar was only discovered in an ancient dragon language spell.

A country that could become so obscure was a realm unto itself.

"But this place seems to have nothing."

With the help of the magic light, Rod could clearly see the end of the palace. There were no treasure chests, no long swords, only a solitary stone altar—looking quite pitiful.

Apart from this, there were only the statues of swordsmen leaning against the pillars. They wore heavy armor, their hands raised high, swords pointing diagonally to the sky. At first glance, they seemed to be welcoming guests, but they also appeared to be issuing a warning.

"Since there's nothing here, let's leave."

Although leaving a treasure trove empty-handed was not Rod's style, this place was too eerie, making him inexplicably uneasy. In the game, dying was just a matter of respawning, but now he dared not take the risk. Since there was no gold or treasure, and nothing worth noting, it was best to retreat decisively.

Marin was somewhat dissatisfied with Rod's cautiousness, but since she had agreed to follow his orders, she remained silent, sighing in frustration. She stood up, intending to turn and leave. But at that moment, the little squirrel suddenly appeared from the darkness, chirping and running quickly to Marin's side, then grabbing her robe and climbing up. Marin's expression changed.

"Mr. Rod, they're here!"

Damn!

On the surface, Rod showed no change, but deep down, he cursed, clenching his teeth. He had guessed that the spies would follow them. This underground place was perfect for an ambush. If they died here, no one would ever find them. For the spies, this was an ideal place to strike. If they didn't act here, it would be more than just a matter of intelligence. However, the timing was far from ideal. If everything had gone according to Rod's plan, there would have been no problem. But now, an unexpected ruin and ruin had appeared.

Rod looked around, and it seemed there were no other exits. The path they had taken was safe, but the unexplored areas were anyone's guess. They had only been in the cave for half an hour, and the spies couldn't have been slower. Although they were prepared, ...

"Miss Marin."

With this thought, Rod made up his mind. He grabbed Marin's hand and whispered to the startled girl.

"I have a plan, and I need your cooperation..."

Shadows quickly darted through the darkness.

The black-clad figures moved like ghosts, silently leaping and communicating with gestures, adjusting their direction and movements, and giving orders to their companions.

The target was ahead.

They were almost there.

They had reached their destination... be cautious, prepare to act.

The spies infiltrated the cave.

The underground beauty that amazed Marin did not impress the spies. They had no time to admire nature's wonders. They cautiously observed the dim cave, holding daggers and short swords, carefully moving along the walls, hidden in the shadows.

But they found nothing.

In the vast cavern, there was only an open broken box and a pile of rusty weapons.

There were no other exits, so did they grow wings and fly away?

Of course not. The spies soon found a hidden door in the stone wall. They were much more skilled at this than Marin, who had stumbled upon it by chance. They also had fewer qualms—after all, as spies, they faced death more often.

However, the spies were cautious. They left two people to guard the outside, and the other three quietly slipped into the secret passage to find their target.

These guys are quite troublesome.

Rod, also hiding in the darkness, felt a sinking feeling in his heart when he saw the spies' actions. He wasn't worried about being discovered. As a summoner and guild leader in the game, Rod had faced many assassins and thieves. If he couldn't handle this, he would have died countless times. To be safe, he put on the "Shadow Messenger," a magical item that lived up to its name. Once activated, Rod's body blended seamlessly with the surroundings, making it difficult for anyone to notice him even with careful observation.

Rod was determined to take down these spies. For this, he not only equipped the "Shadow Messenger" but also touched the "Dark Soul" on his finger.

In PvP battles, equipment and skills were the most important.

In the next moment, Rod's figure disappeared into the darkness, vanishing without a trace.

The three spies passed by Rod like a gentle breeze, unaware of his presence. Rod, however, had already drawn his longsword, his eyes filled with cold determination, ready to show these intruders who the true hunter was.

However, Rod did not act rashly against the seemingly unguarded spies. He saw clearly that their positioning was very regular, forming a triangle that allowed them to support each other. If any one of them was attacked, the other two would immediately react and counterattack. Unless Rod could take down all three at once, it would not be the right move.

And he did not have that kind of power.

But Rod was patient. He knew what the spies were thinking, what they planned to do, and how they would act.

He quietly followed behind them, waiting for the right moment.

Soon, the three spies passed through the secret passage and arrived at the platform, just like Marin.

However, what appeared before them was not the grand and magnificent scene they had seen earlier. Before they arrived, Rod had already had Marin cancel the magic light, not wanting to give the enemy any advantage. But perhaps because Rod understood that this would be too difficult for the spies, he was quite "thoughtful" and gave them a little help.

In the darkness, a small flame immediately caught the spies' attention.

They crouched down, lying on the ground, and carefully looked in that direction. They saw Marin holding a torch, half-kneeling in front of a stone pillar, apparently studying something.

A good opportunity!