It's Blackreach

The dark passageway resembled the gaping maw of an abyss, and the three were plummeting downwards at breakneck speed.

This process has been going on for some time.

The cave was far deeper than Kang De had imagined.

As they ventured deeper, numerous forks and branches appeared, but they could still discern their origins from the tracks left by the nameless monsters. Kang De made marks along the way, and the air grew increasingly cold and gloomy. The occasional passages they passed were dark and deep, but the challenges of the environment were nothing to worry about.

Numerous concave surfaces and small waterfalls, along with the winding path leading downwards, indicate that this is an extremely deep natural cave, with bizarre shapes, strange scenery, and no end in sight.

The light projected by the suit dispelled the darkness, but further away remained shrouded in deep shadows. The light illuminated the surrounding mottled stone walls, and Horus's sensors continuously updated the depth readings.

This section of the passage is almost vertically downwards.

To avoid encountering unknown dangers, the descent speed must be controlled. The recoil force of the jetpack counteracts gravity, the blazing blue flames shining from the thrusters originate from the power of technology, while the Mars constantly hissing from the rock walls on both sides are...

"..."

Kang De turned his head.

To his right, the Dragon Girl stretched out her right arm and gripped the rock wall, falling down with sparks and lightning in her wake. Her slender and graceful fingers scratched a series of Mars on the hard stone wall, and her pale golden hair only fluttered slightly. Even more strangely, her black dress did not move at all.

You're in free fall, you idiot!

Even if there's no Newton in this other world, at least show some respect for the Father God of the Earth, okay?

Kang De then looked to his left, where A Xing was gripping the rock wall with one hand and skillfully manipulating the NS with the other, looking completely absorbed and focused.

Be serious! We're in a dungeon!

What's the difference between you and those lousy destroyers who play Kantai Collection while simultaneously watching Kantai Collection and doing WoW?

In short, when they first came down, the Dragon Girl and the A Xing were extremely excited, after all, adventure is in the nature of intelligent beings—but soon, the tedious activities and the winding, maze-like paths quickly extinguished their enthusiasm, and now they were each looking for their own fun.

Anyway, Kang De is there to lead the way.

"Father." The display screen on the battle suit's visor activated, its honeycomb structure spreading out like water, and Horus's voice rang in her ears, "Is there anything you'd like to see? Leave the task of exploring downwards to me."

Anyway, the tasks of memorizing paths, scanning the tracks of nameless monsters, and leading the way downwards were all done by Horus, who was transformed into a combat suit; Kang De, the person inside, was just a figurehead.

What a thoughtful son!

The Autobots then added, "Of course, I strongly advise against watching adult films, for reasons you know, Father. Getting an erection in this state is extremely embarrassing."

"I'm not watching!"

Finally, amidst the laughter and chatter of the father and son, the depth reading settled at 1,889.4. At Horus's warning, the three of them simultaneously went on alert. The lights illuminating the area below revealed a rugged and empty expanse of light, no longer the narrow underground passage.

Nearly 1,900 meters.

This figure is quite close to the explored depth of the deepest natural cave on Earth.

The Dragon Girl and A Xing landed with a whoosh, sending shards of stone flying and creating a deafening crash. A Xing brandished his golden staff, while Lily opened her dragon eyes, her Dragon Might might emanating from her body, instantly preparing for battle.

Kang De landed slowly, cushioned by the reverse burst of flames; his gauntlets vibrated, and his light blades unfolded.

Then the three of them took in their surroundings.

For a moment, surprise flashed in his eyes.

What they saw was a vast underground space. If they didn't know where they came from, they would never have believed they were underground, at a great height. The jagged stone walls at the top resembled the sky, covered with countless fungi, scattered like stars, emitting various colors of light.

Like the starry sky.

A river flows gently nearby.

The banks are covered with lush greenery, with moss-like plants growing on the riverbed, cliffs, and flat ground. Clusters of colorful mushrooms, like flowers, grow there.

Some mushrooms are tall and robust, with rough white veins visible on the inside of their caps, resembling some kind of fiber. The riverbed glitters with broken gems, reflecting the light emitted by the surrounding strange fungal colonies. Clumps of crystals can be vaguely seen growing among the boulders and crevices.

Kang De murmured, "Here..."

It's Blackreach.

Okay, no, that's not true.

He tapped the visor. "Can you breathe?"

"No harmful gases or live suspended particles were detected. The atmospheric composition is similar to that of the Earth's surface, and the oxygen content is high enough to allow for free breathing, Father."

The mask opened, and a fresh, slightly sweet scent of air wafted out.

Kang De let out a long sigh of relief, gazing at the dreamlike scenery. Although he was underground, it wasn't without sunlight; various strange, luminous plants illuminated the area, refracting the light from clusters of colorful crystals and reflecting a mesmerizing glow—this truly felt like an "otherworld."

It's a landscape that can't be seen on Earth.

He stared at it for a while, then suddenly frowned and said, "Something's not right."

A Xing was looking around, curious and delighted by the scenery. She wanted to run around and have some fun, but Kang De's safety, she stayed close by his side. Hearing this, she asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

Kang De frowned and said, "No animals."

His Phoenix Eye opened, Flame soaring as he looked around, then corrected himself, "Okay, there are some: tiny scorpion-like insects, tiny swimming fish, tiny multi-segmented reptiles like centipedes, tiny parasites, mice no bigger than two fingers..."

He looked around and frowned, saying, "This doesn't make sense either."

There is clearly a unique ecosystem underground. The mystery of nature lies in balance; various species and links check and balance each other, controlling their numbers to prevent overpopulation. According to the definition of Earth biology, fungi should belong to decomposers. In this fantastical and mysterious underground world, whether fungi are still simply decomposers, or also play a role as producers, remains unknown, but...

"But these weak insects and beasts, in terms of both number and variety, are no match for the consumers in the predator-prey chain. If there were only so many animals, mushrooms would be everywhere, and these little things would be everywhere too... It wouldn't be as peaceful as it is now."

Kang De took a few steps, his Phoenix Eye scanning the surroundings. "And what about the larger carnivores?"

"They've probably all been killed."

The Dragon Girl, who had been silent until now, squatted down and examined the ground beneath her.

Kang De turned and asked, "What did you find?"

Lily replied, "Kill, devour, cleanse completely."

Kang De thought for a moment, then said, "They were all eaten by those nameless monsters?"

"Most likely. Those monsters are terrifyingly aggressive, extremely bloodthirsty and frenzied, and their numbers are so vast that they can't possibly be part of the predator-prey chain in this area. They must have gathered in large numbers for some reason, under some kind of command, control, or attraction, rushing all the way to the surface along that terrifyingly long natural cave. This was their last restaurant before they reached the surface..."

The Dragon Girl stood up and looked around the dark and beautiful underground space. The glowing plants, crystal clusters, and mushrooms wove together a stunning scene, peaceful and dreamlike.

She said slowly, "Of course we should have a hearty meal."

I see.

Perhaps... no, it's certain that this place once had a well-developed and unique ecosystem, but the swarms of nameless monsters disrupted this balance and tranquility, hunting all the small, medium, and large animals, and then, with an insatiable craving for flesh and delicious food, they continued their journey along the passage.

Only a few tiny fish and shrimp, barely filling the gaps between teeth, survived.

Kang De shook his head and sighed silently.

"What a tragedy!" he exclaimed. "Those dragons are truly wicked."

Lily glanced at him sideways. "While it's possible they broke some kind of seal, causing these monsters to rush to the surface like madmen, it's not the only possibility—anyway, there are no outsiders here, so you don't need to try to fabricate charges against them. Just kill them if you want."

Kang De smiled. "Have you found any traces left by those dragons?"

"No... it's been several days already, and a large number of nameless monsters have passed through here, dispersing the dragon's aura," Lily said. "What about you?"

"No," Kang De shook his head. "There's no trace of that mysterious energy here."

Then we'll have to keep searching.

Kang De thought for a moment and said, "Go downstream along the river."

"--etc."

Lily flashed to a mountain wall, reached out and punched it, sending rocks flying. When she pulled her hand back, she had already grabbed a huge cluster of crystals. After flashing back, she tossed it to Kang De.

Her tone was tinged with sarcasm. "Goth's going to be rich again—when you go back and report that you're safe, take this with you and let Princess Number Two see it. Maybe she'll be so happy she'll give you some perks."

Kang De reached out and squeezed, Power of the Fire Thief immediately provided the answer, "This is..."

The Dragon Girl grew increasingly impatient, her tone becoming harsher. "Don't you, a Cathayan, have even this much common sense? Go back and ask your princess!"

Kang De glanced at her a few times; the man's face was clearly filled with sour jealousy.

He said, "Five percent—if Goth can keep this secret for himself this time, then I can give you five percent of the shares in the subsequent development of this area, as a token of my gratitude for your contribution."

"This is a crystal ore, and it's extremely pure! After being refined and processed using magical techniques and enchanted processes, it can be used to refine magic energy crystals. These can be used to power magical devices, sustain mages in combat, and for alchemy and enchanting, among other things. It's a strategic resource valued by many nations. Due to its scarcity and difficulty in refining, its value is unimaginable. We're going to be rich!"

Miss Dragon has a sweet voice, a gentle tone, explains things in detail, and has a friendly smile.

She blinked and asked solicitously, "Is there anything else you don't understand?"

Kang De said, "Note the preconditions: Goth must have exclusive control over this secret, enjoying sole rights to its development and exploitation, before you will receive this five percent share. Yours, understand?"

Lily nodded emphatically, her expression solemn and dignified.

"Those dragons, I have a terrible relationship with them, they're guys I really dislike, can't stand, and have a grudge against," she said. "So, no extra charge."

A consensus was reached.

This guy's enthusiasm has increased at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Proceed along the river.

The terrain continues to descend, yet we are still advancing deeper into the land.

The area of this underground region is probably beyond imagination. The entrance alone is huge. Lily, who received the equity incentive, immediately transformed into a dragon and did not hesitate to let Kang De and A Xing ride her. They flew around the entrance area, which took several minutes even at the speed of a dragon.

There were countless exposed crystals along the way, as well as a dazzling array of bioluminescent plants and mushrooms of all sizes. Horus was constantly monitoring various data, and the metal content here was incredibly high.

What a treasure!

The more she discovers, the more motivated Lily becomes, and the more positive her attitude becomes.

The river flowed downstream into a deeper area, the extent of which was unknown, and the terrain became more complex. Lily transformed back into her dragon form, and the three of them hurried forward.

Along the way, we also encountered various timid little creatures, which had probably escaped from the clutches of the nameless monster. It was their fate and destiny. There would be plenty of opportunities to study these creatures, but the most important thing now was to find the missing dragons.

As well as...

Find the origin of the nameless monster.

Those terrifying monsters, their bodies had been corrupted and eroded by mysterious energy to a critical point, achieving a perfect balance.

This suggests that they must have lived for a long time in a region with an extremely high concentration of mysterious energy.

What does this mean?

... This means a completely new office space, a more efficient assembly line.

Hold.

I don't want that kind of future!

We must give full play to the initiative of humankind!

Why can science and technology develop? Why can humanity progress?

Because Earthlings love to be lazy! What else can they do?

We had been considering whether there was a machine that could replace Kang De in this central position, allowing him to more comfortably and leisurely escape from the tedious Extraction work... We need to increase investment in research.

He didn't want to spend all his time working in the mines.

But then again, this place is truly strange. A subterranean world a thousand or two meters deep, rich in minerals, and even possessing strategic resources from another world—if Goth could develop this place, his nation's power would likely increase significantly. But this area... is it truly a naturally formed region?

For thousands of years, they lay quietly underground, unnoticed and unnoticed, and nothing happened. How did they evolve into such a unique biota?

This thought immediately brought forth a host of feelings of unease, doubt, and questions.

Kang De said softly, "Is this common in... other continents?"

"No, if tourism were developed here, we could make a fortune," the Dragon Girl said. "Even the dwarves who enjoy imprisonment play only live in the mountains because they're not very agile and can't run. They can only drink, mine, and forge in the mines."

She said casually, "I once went to the dwarves' land to gather materials. Their mines and mountain cities are magnificent and grand, but they have nothing to do with beauty or fantasy. They are nowhere near as beautiful as this place."

"--Wait a minute, hold on."

Kang De interrupted her, "What are you going to do with the dwarves? Gather information?"

Dragon Girl gave Kang De a thumbs-up and smiled healthily.

"You didn't know, did you? Dwarves are actually quite popular," she explained. "You see, even though dwarves look like gourds, they have their own unique features. Think about it, what are the facial features of a male dwarf?"

The classic image of a dwarf came to Kang De's mind. "A long beard?"

"Wrong!" Lily exclaimed, "Nose! Their noses are big!"

Then she gave me a knowing smile and raised her chin, "Got it?"

"..."

It took Kang De five seconds to react.

Hold.

I hadn't thought of this perspective on the issue!

"So, I've heard that a lot of nobles and all sorts of random people like this kind of thing. Think about it, dwarfs, they're short, aren't they like little kids? And their noses are huge, right? When a dwarf is with a normal woman, isn't that visually appealing?"

Lily raised an eyebrow. "And, let me tell you, female dwarves, specifically those who haven't expired, actually fit quite well with the aesthetics and tastes of certain humans..."

"--Alright, shut up!"

I always felt that as time went by and the relationship progressed, this girl became more and more unrestrained.

It took Kang De a full twenty seconds to remember what he was going to say. The Fire Thief gazed at the unique beauty, the vast underground world, the distinctive ecosystem, and the dangers, opportunities, mysteries, immensity, or perhaps... conspiracy hidden deep within its beauty.

Why does this area exist? How long has it existed? Is there intelligent life here? Who created this place? What was their purpose? And what lies deep within...?

Beautiful scenery, dreamlike landscapes, abundant mineral resources, and unique biomes—this beautiful, rich, and mysterious region harbors a mysterious energy that corrodes and mutates life, as well as cruel and ferocious monsters... What secrets lie hidden within, and what are the underlying causes?

Kang De asked softly, "Are there... intelligent beings here?"

The Dragon Girl also quieted down, gazing up at the "starry sky" above. In this silent world, only three people were traveling, exploring, fighting, and searching. Their goal was a mysterious and incomprehensible new power, as well as the enemies and conspiracies hidden behind it. Perhaps thousands of years ago, her father had also walked alongside the previous Fire Thief, traversing various strange, mysterious, and unbelievable realms, battling unknowable enemies.

She smiled and said, "We will find the answer."

This feeling is really not bad.

But neither of them noticed that A Xing, who had been somewhat curious since arriving, was now looking at the surrounding scenery with a puzzled expression from time to time, and...

A sense of déjà vu, a feeling of bewilderment.

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PS1: Day 12 of sticking with Ring Fit Adventure, Day 1 of finally succumbing to KFC.