The sudden shift in environment left Lassim disoriented for a brief second.
One moment, he had been sitting under the shade of a rocky outcrop in the desert, and the next, he found himself in a vast underground cavern.
He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the dim light provided by pools of glowing water scattered around the cavern. Natural fountains sprayed water into the air, leaving a cooling and gentle mist that caressed his skin.
Directly in front of him stood a remarkable structure that looked like the entrance to a palace.
The wall facing him was covered in vibrant coral, and motifs of water and sea life that adorned every surface.
Two massive doors, fused to the wall, dominated the center of the scenes of sea life. Glowing water runes flowed across the surface of the doors and along their seams, creating a mesmerizing flowing pattern.
Displayed prominently before the entrance was a small podium or pillar of sorts with a conspicuous slot at its top.
Dried-up rune lines extended from the slot atop the pillar towards the massive doors, forming an intricate network of pathways. Lassim approached the podium cautiously, studying the slot and inactive lines.
"Is this where the obelisk fragment goes?" he wondered aloud, his voice echoing softly in the cavern.
Mari’s voice resonated in his mind. "[It seems likely. The runes and the setup suggest it might be a key slot of some sort. I also agree that it’s probably that we should put the fragment in the slot to open those doors.]"
Lassim glanced around the cavern, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension. "Where are we though?" he asked rhetorically.
The vastness of the cavern and the grandeur of the palatial entrance filled him with awe, but he was also still aware of his time-sensitive and currently unfinished mission.
"[We don’t have any way of knowing without exploring further,]" Mari replied.
"[That fountain over there looks like a perfect place to take a bath!]" Chirped Zaphyrella, referring to a large tub looking pool with a single water fountain jet spraying in an arc and landing directly on the center.
Lassim smiled, "Let’s see if we can get back first. We should finish the mission before doing anything else with this place. I really don’t want to be stuck as a servant again."
He held the stone fragment in his hand, channeling his water mana into the runes once more, recreating what took him there in the first place.
As they glowed brightly, he felt the familiar buzzing sensation, and in an instant, he was back at the rocky outcrop. The decapitated sand cobra’s body was still a few meters away.
"That was... interesting," Lassim said, exhaling deeply. "But at least we know how to get back."
Mari’s added, "Thankfully Ava made it so we could get back in case we weren’t ready. Let’s finish first and then come back to see whatever it is."
Lassim agreed. "You’re right. Let’s complete it quickly and go back."
With 40 venom sacs collected so far, Lassim doubled his efforts to finish his task even faster.
He pushed himself harder, using [Tempest Steps] more recklessly across the sand dunes. His increased speed and agility allowed him to secure 30 sacs a day, though it came with risks.
In the middle of his first day pushing to complete the mission quickly, he stumbled upon something unexpected.
The sun was high, and the sand radiated heat that scorched his feet beneath his boots. He had been tracking faint trails in the sand that were similar to the other cobras he’d killed so far. That’s when he noticed an unusual mound of sand, partly concealed by a cluster of thorny bushes growing at the bottom of a pair of dunes.
He approached the mound with every sense on high alert and with his halberd charged with water mana ready to send a blade of water with a [Slash] just in case.
As he approached the bushes, a sudden hiss pierced the air accompanied by a strong pressure that made him freeze. A massive serpent, its scales shimmering with an unnatural sheen, rose from the sand, eyes blazing with a fury.
The Sand Cobra, evidently a mother with her tail coiled around a clutch of eggs, lunged at him with frightening speed.
He dodged back instinctively, barely avoiding the venomous fangs. The force of the lunge scattered sand, creating a small whirlwind that briefly obscured his vision. Relying on his spirit sense, he swept with his halberd sending the sand away from him with the sheer pressure of his swing, only to reveal the face and fangs of the protective mother once more.
The sand cobra struck again. He barely deflected the attack with a swift, precise [Slash], his mana charged blade of the halberd glancing off the serpent’s nose scales.
The mother cobra hissed, her eye slits narrowing. This sand cobra’s strength was above his own, nearly Spirit Transcendent 5 in power. His arms hurt and felt like they could only take one more hit before both of them broke or fractured.
With lightning speed, the cobra lashed out once more. He knew he needed to get away quickly. He sidestepped, the fangs missing by mere centimeters. His heart raced, adrenaline sharpening his focus.
In a fluid motion, he sprinted with [Tempest Steps] toward the top of a nearby sand dune, his movements swift, transforming him into a lightning bolt. The cobra followed, her massive body undulating back and forth across the sand with shocking speed.
Reaching the top of the dune, he glanced back to see the cobra rapidly closing the distance. With a burst of energy, he continue, this time vaulting across the tops of the dunes. The hissing grew fainter as he increased the gap between them.
After what felt like an eternity, he reached a series of rocky outcrops. He slipped behind one, breathing heavily but steadily, his body thrumming with residual adrenaline. Peering around the edge of the rock, he watched as the cobra halted at the base of the dune, her eyes scanning the area before she reluctantly turned back toward her nest.
"That was close," he muttered, exhaling deeply. He calmed his racing heartbeat. He had run nonstop for several kilometers.
After that encounter, he spent the next two days continuing his hunt and made significant progress. By the end of if, he had collected the exact amount of 100 venom sacs needed for the mission.
"Finally," he said, inspecting the last sac before storing it away. "Let’s head back to the sect. I’m eager to see what’s behind those doors since Ava was kind enough to lead us there."
Returning to the sect after only four days away, Lassim handed over the sacs to the mission hall clerk. The clerk handed them to a worker who inspected them meticulously before nodding and passing back a stamped slip in approval.
"Excellent work, Lassim," the clerk said.
"You’ve met the requirements. Your merit points have been updated, and you’re now eligible to apply for the disciple rank increase assessment in three months according to the Sect Master’s restrictions. When you’re ready, head to the Grand Hall where you first arrived to apply for the assessment."
Lassim replied with a huge grin, "Thank you. I’ll use the next three months wisely and properly prepare for the assessment."
With the mission completed and another 100 merit points earned, Lassim wasted no time. He returned to his room, eager to shower and clean his martial robes before heading back to the underground cavern.
After refreshing himself, Lassim held the stone fragment and channeled his water mana into the runes once more. As the last rune glowed, he felt the familiar buzzing sensation and disappeared in a flash.
In his room a few seconds later, the Sect Master appeared directly in front of where Lassim once stood, a strong frown on his face. "So you gave him a port key, huh?" he muttered to himself while his eyes drifted upwards towards what would be the sky if not for the roof in the way.
"Now, let’s see… that’s definitely not lightning mana… water mana? The Water Goddess’ God’s Trial actually exists…? Or did you just make one for him specifically? My, I must say, Ava, that’s unexpected of your holiness! Will you expose its location to others in the future as well?"
The sect master stood in silence, receiving no response. "Seriously though, what has you both so determined for this child? Why must he advance so quickly? Can he face no set backs? Is the situation with the abyss so bad?" He stared at the spot where Lassim had disappeared, contemplating.
Silence reigned once more.
"Hmm… I suppose if you two are making such efforts, the sect shall need to make some changes of our own if this is so serious."
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Lassim reappeared in the underground cavern. The same pools of glowing water and natural fountains greeted him once more with the grand entrance of the palace-like structure looming before him.
Lassim approached the podium again, his heart pounding with anticipation. "So, do I just drop it in or…," he whispered to himself.
He glanced at the stone fragment in his hand, its runes glowing softly with a slight residual amount of mana left over from the teleportation.
"Let’s see what happens," he murmured, feeling excited for what could be behind the doors.
With a deep breath, he attempted to place the stone fragment into the slot on the podium.