Ethan's words left everyone silent, each secretly opening their chat channels to inform those behind them of what was happening in the underground city.
For a moment, everyone's expressions changed.
The significance of the Mana Crystal Vein was beyond everyone's imagination.
As Ethan had said, no single Hero force could swallow this treasure alone.
Henry's group thought even further ahead.
Right now, Ethan was the only known Rank S presence in the Hero camp.
If they wanted a piece of the pie from the native forces of this world, Ethan's existence was indispensable.
Watching everyone with their own thoughts, Jonathan could only sigh.
Today they were all comrades, but how many would become enemies in the future?
Although they were all Heroes on the same side, they were not absolute allies.
Even among the Dark Lords, there was infighting, let alone among them.
Jonathan shook his head, now was not the time to think about these things.
He turned to Ethan and asked, "Brother Ethan, leaving aside this Mana Crystal Vein for now... how to get out of here is our most pressing problem."
If they were trapped and died in this underground city, even with a treasure trove at hand, what use would it be?
"I have a rough guess as to where the exit is... Follow me." Ethan led the group away from the collapsed hall, back to the altar.
The light on the altar slowly lit up.
The dwarf holding the staff staggered to his feet, and the skeletal soldiers reappeared and started to surround them.
Facing the encroaching skeleton soldiers, the group of Heroes gathered in front of Ethan. Compared to before, their state of mind was much more balanced.
After all, with a Rank S Hero present, even if these skeletons couldn't be killed, they wouldn't cause any trouble.
"Where is the exit you mentioned?" Henry was the first to ask, completely confused by the flood of skeleton soldiers.
"Don't you find it strange?" Ethan looked at the altar in front of him and began to explain briefly.
The anomalies in this underground city were born out of the Mutant Elemental Lord, the source of chaos.
However, in this area filled with elemental power, the appearance of undead creatures seemed out of place.
The battle with the Mutant Elemental Lord proved this to Ethan.
Among the various powers he possessed, there was certainly no ability to summon undead creatures.
Therefore, the existence of the altar deserved consideration.
It must have been left by the dwarves of the Blackstone Dwarf Kingdom.
The crown-wearing dwarf and the endlessly spawning skeletal soldiers formed an undying cycle...
This could be seen as an eternal seal, capable of forever confining the Mutant Elemental Lord here.
Now that the Mutant Elemental Lord had been defeated, their mission should have ended.
Ethan walked to the altar and punched the skeleton dwarf to dust.
As it regenerated from bone fragments, Ethan opened the coffin displayed on the altar.
Underneath the coffin was the center of the altar, with round holes. Seeing these holes, Ethan's eyes flashed.
"Just as I thought..."
He took out the elemental core left behind by the Mutant Elemental Lord after its death and placed it into the round holes on the altar.
A terrifying divine light rose, dreadful mana fluctuations echoed, and the space above the altar flickered with dazzling red and blue lights.
The two colors constantly converged in mid-air, entwining and interweaving into a giant portal.
The skeleton soldiers who were besieging the group of Heroes all stopped in their tracks, then burst into pieces, becoming a layer of bone dust, scattered by the wind.
The skeletal dwarf on the altar reconstituted his body.
He slowly raised his staff, and a mournful sigh echoed from his fleshless body.
"Our mission... is over..."
The staff in his hand emanated a soft white light, which went straight into the portal above.
After completing this last task, the skeletal dwarf's body gradually became stiff, then crumbled to dust and dissipated in the air.
Buzz!
A humming sound echoed as the portal overhead solidified into a giant teleportation gate.
"We've found the exit!"
"Haha, we can finally get out of here!"
"Does this mean we've completed the quest from the Blackstone Dwarf Kingdom? That's a Rank S quest! No one in the Hero faction has ever completed one!"
"Damn, could you have some ambition? We've just discovered a Mana Crystal Vein, who the hell cares about that crappy quest reward."
The Heroes discussed excitedly, their faces filled with joy.
"Finally, we can leave. Once we get back, I'm definitely going on a shopping spree," Henry couldn't help but say.
This quest was certainly an unforgettable memory for him.
"Yeah, it's time to go home..." Jonathan's gaze was somewhat vacant.
The group moved towards the portal on the altar.
Suddenly, the portal lit up with a faint light, the runes all began to glow, and several phantom figures gradually appeared on the other side.
A group of dwarves walked out from the portal, led by a tall, robust dwarf wielding a war hammer.
All the dwarves were fully armed.
They stepped out of the portal and quietly surrounded the Heroes.
The lead dwarf looked at the underground city before him, his eyes full of nostalgia.
"The royal city... I never thought I'd see it again in my lifetime."
The Heroes watched the towering dwarf who had suddenly appeared and couldn't help but whisper among themselves:
"The Dwarf King? Damn, why did this old fart come here in person?"
"I've been in the Blackstone Dwarf Kingdom for so long, but only saw this old king once at a celebration."
"It's said this old geezer is almost a thousand years old, the first Hero of the dwarf kingdom. His power is rumored to be Rank S..."
"What are they doing here? Could it be..."
All the Heroes started to speculate.
These dwarves were armed to the teeth and their intentions seemed ominous.
Considering the Mana Crystal Vein, the Heroes immediately had a bad feeling and all grouped up behind Ethan.
Jonathan, seeing the sudden appearance of the Dwarf King, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, we have successfully completed the quest issued by the Dwarf Kingdom. We've uncovered the truth about the missing dwarves. The quest is complete, so please let us go."
The Dwarf King did not reply, just staring at the city, lost in his memories.
A thousand years ago, he was just a child.
He vividly remembers the splendor of the city, never expecting that he'd have a chance to return to his homeland.
He looked at the dust under Ethan's feet, at the staff within the dust.
The Dwarf King walked over and gently picked up the staff.
In the past, when the glorious city met with calamity, they were forced to leave this magnificent underground city to build a new home on the surface...
His father, the former Dwarf King, had led the most powerful group of warriors from the Blackstone Dwarf Kingdom and, at the cost of their lives, eternally sealed this place.
This staff was once the symbol of the Dwarf King's power.
The Dwarf King remained silent.
A dwarf in elegant clothes came up behind him.
He was a close minister of the Dwarf King, a powerful figure within the Blackstone Dwarf Kingdom.
The Dwarf Minister glanced at the group of Heroes and said indifferently, "What do you mean you've completed the quest? You're just a bunch of lucky bastards."
He pointed to the collapsed hall behind the group, the remnants of the Mutant Elemental Lord's death.
"This Mutant Elemental Lord was a powerful being of Rank S a thousand years ago. Irresistible. How could you possibly have eradicated it with your strength?"
"It was my Dwarf Kingdom that paid the price in lives, draining its power under a thousand-year seal, causing it to perish here..."
Hearing his words, a Hero immediately became upset and yelled out, "What the hell are you talking about? We lost brothers here, are you freaking blind? If it wasn't for big brother Ethan..."
"We risked our lives, nine deaths for one life to get here, barely killing the Mutant Elemental Lord. What the hell do you mean by your words?"
The Heroes became agitated, but Jonathan was the most composed among them.
He signaled for the Heroes to quiet down and said, "Regardless of the truth, the fact is that we completed the quest. We activated the altar and opened the portal. We have fulfilled our quest, please let us leave."
"Indeed, you're right. You did complete the quest."
The Dwarf Minister nodded, waved his hand lightly, and a group of dwarf soldiers drew their weapons, surrounding the Heroes.
"We appreciate your sacrifices, but unfortunately, we cannot allow you to leave today."
"What do you mean by that?! Are you trying to start a fight with me?!" Henry flew into a rage, drew his sword, and pointed it at the Dwarf Minister.
"They say dwarves are honest and straightforward, but hell, even your back ends are as dark as they come! You want a fight, huh? Well, bring it on!"
A few of the hotheaded Heroes bellowed, drawing their weapons in unison.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel