Chapter 542 Arvandoril City
When he did that, Nala asked with a curious voice as her gaze was fixed on him. ''Why are you doing that, husband?''
He turned to face Nala with a grin before answering. "I've sent them to scout the forest, to find the others and any treasure that might increase my horde.''
After speaking, the lioness smiled before kissing him on the cheek before guarding the rear.
As the trio entered the forest, a tall, humanoid shadow emerged from the darkness, which scared the two girls.
The shadowy silhouette vanished after bowing to Archer before its eerie, unnatural voice. "A large city is close by, veiled within the very bosom of this forest. A trove of treasures beyond the bounds of your most fevered dreams beckons. Yet, be warned, for it lies ensconced within a nest of myriad, untold beasts mater."
Once the creature finished its monologue, greed overtook him, and his violet eyes sparkled with pure greed as he thought, 'Well, isn't this a ticket to becoming the wealthiest dragon in Thrylos?'
Archer shook his head before giving the Shadowspawn another order. ''Thank you. Now, get back to searching. I want even more treasure.''
When the shadow creature heard this, it bowed before vanishing into the darkness, leaving the lioness and wood elf puzzled.
He turned to the watching girls and explained in an excited voice. ''You can think of them as soldiers. They use my mana to manifest into the real world and treat me like their master, so that's good.''
They nodded when hearing his explanation, and the three continued walking in the direction the shadow creature pointed.
After walking for an hour, they came to a river, but across from that, he saw the top of a building covered in vines.
When Archer pointed it out to Nala and Llyniel, they smiled before looking for a way across the river. But no one spotted anything, so he grabbed the two by the waist and cast Blink.
The three vanished from the spot only to appear on the opposite side. The lioness smiled silly while Llyniel looked in amazement as she took in the landscape.
Nala looked around and shook her head before commenting with a big smile. ''I swear your magic is a straight-up cheat and shouldn't exist. Most people would feel the mana loss when teleporting with two people, but not you.''
Archer grinned. ''Well, you have an amazing husband who is very skilled in magic.''
When the lioness heard this, she laughed while Llyniel spoke beside him. ''Your whole existence is impossible. You're living mana, and do you know what that means?''
He shrugged and wanted to hear her explanation. ''Tell me my wood elf. I want to hear your point of view.''
Llyniel nodded and added, "In my kingdom, we think of white dragons as living mana with a body and a brain. They have access to unlimited mana, which the world allows, and I'm sure she'll help you on your journey. Maybe she even wants to meet you."
When Archer heard this, he grinned before shaking his head. ''Sounds about right. Let's continue my beauties.''
The trio continued and crossed through a dense bunch of trees to step out and see a massive city stretching into the distance.
Nala was the first to rush forward, followed by Archer, and when she arrived there, she thought to herself. ''What is this place? I've never seen a city like this.''
Llyniel stopped next to him, and her eyes widened as she mumbled. ''It's Arvandoril. How can this be possible? It's just a legend.''
Archer, intrigued by her reaction, asked while he put his hand on the small of her back in comfort. "What is it, Llyn? Why does this place seem to surprise you so much?"
The wood elf took a deep breath before telling them the tale she had heard all her life.?"Arvandoril wasn't just a legendary city; it was an ancient high elf civilization that thrived over a thousand years ago. The tales spoke of its power, its knowledge, and its beauty. But, Arch, it fell."
She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. Archer and Nala exchanged glances, their curiosity piqued.
Llyniel continued, her gaze fixed on the distant spires of the city. "A swarm of creatures, a force of darkness, descended upon it. We believed those tales were scary bedtime stories passed down through generations to keep us in check. But now, seeing this city before us, I can't longer deny the truth."
Archer asked with a curious voice.?"Creatures? What kind?"
The elf shook her head before answering, "The stories were vague, as if the details were intentionally changed over time. All we knew was that the city was lost, its inhabitants scattered or destroyed. We thought it was a cautionary tale, but it's not.''
With a sigh, he shared his perspective. "Knowing the Swarm's influence over this place and finding the city here, it appears some form of magic brought it here. Perhaps the citizens who were still within the city at that moment were captured by the Ratlings and transformed into ghouls."
After speaking, they made their way toward the city, hoping to find the treasure that it hid, but as they got closer.
Archer got a bad feeling but continued forward. As they drew nearer, the forest seemed to dominate the once-grand structures.
Vines clung to walls, and roots snaked through cracked pavements, nature reclaiming what had been taken from it.
Nala, Archer, and Llyniel stepped onto the aged streets, their eyes scanning the run-down buildings.
Despite the splendor of the ancient architecture, an unsettling stillness hung in the air. The only sounds were the distant creaking of swaying branches and the gentle rustling of leaves.
Archer exchanged glances with the two girls, a shared understanding that this city held secrets long buried beneath layers of time and overgrowth.
He gestured for them to follow as they ventured further into the heart of Arvandoril. Once bustling with life, the streets were now empty.
The trio passed buildings with carvings now weathered and partially obscured by ivy. Broken windows revealed interiors covered in dust.
As they walked, the silence deepened, with only the swaying of plants and the occasional flutter of birds from the forest breaking the stillness.
Archer saw a city square coming up, so he summoned the Shadowspawn and ordered them to loot the city and bring him everything.
With that, the Shadowspawn vanished. He smiled excitedly as all they had to do was wait. He looked around the place and walked toward their waiting place.
They settled on a broken stone bench surrounded by the creepy remains of a once-thriving civilization.
Archer reached into his Item Box and took out some chocolate before offering some to Nala and Llyniel with a grin. "Anyone up for a sweet treat?"
They savored the unexpected delight amid the mysterious city. The taste of chocolate mingled with the ancient air.
His Aura Detector picked up on multiple pings as they ate, closing in on them fast, and guessed it was the ghouls again.
Without warning, he transformed into his shadow form and covered the shocked girls. After doing that, tall ghouls jumped off the roofs and landed with a loud crash.
When Archer saw this, he smiled as his shadows acted like black flames around him. His shadows rushed forward and swallowed the creatures who tried to fight back but couldn't hurt something they couldn't touch.
Archer tore them apart with ease while eating their hearts to get the bonus, but he flung the lifeless bodies into a building with a splat. While he was doing this, Nala and Llyniel felt like they were in a sea of fluffiness, which caused them to grow tired.
They soon fell asleep, making Archer laugh as he finished the last ghoul. When he was done, he decided to stay in his shadow form so they could sleep peacefully.
Archer materialized into his usual size but kept the shadows that cloaked him. He went to sit down again to wait for the Shadowspawn. He realized they were taking time, so he summoned dozens of Stone Men and ordered them to help the shadow creatures.
They rushed off, causing Archer to chuckle, but he got comfortable to wait. While lying there, he fell asleep as well.
He was fine due to his body being made out of shadow and the girls deep inside him sleeping like babies. Soon after that, the first Shadowspawn and Stone Men returned. They dumped chests full of old gold coins.
This continued for hours as the mountain of chests and barrels of gems stacked. Archer looked at it with a smile before raising his hand and storing it all in his Item Box.
When he did that, he felt a heavy feeling hit him. They realized that the new treasures and buildings he stored before were nearly overwhelming his storage.
But with a shrug, he stored all the stuff they brought. Archer decided to organize it when he got out of this place.
[If there are any mistakes, point them out, and I'll edit it. Thanks]
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