Downward (Please Follow)

Li Wen led the group to the temple. The style of the Temple of Tyrion was no different from the remaining Noradun Empire ruins—rough marble pillars supported a massive dome, and the bronze gate, the only entrance, stood so tall it seemed only a giant could push it open and enter.

"It feels like we're about to trigger a boss fight the second we step inside."

Take muttered under her breath.

Li Wen ignored her. At that moment, Leonart's Fourth Solution activated again. The enormous bronze gate slowly swung open without any contact, revealing the dilapidated, dark interior of the temple to everyone.

Unlike its unadorned exterior, the inside of the Temple of Tyrion resembled a magnificent work of art. Every stone brick on the floor and walls seemed meticulously carved, adorned with totems and paintings related to Noradun mythology.

A pitch-black corridor stretched straight into the temple's depths. Take and the others stared nervously down the passage, afraid some monster or enemy might suddenly burst out.

Li Wen paid them no mind and walked in first. The players exchanged glances but ultimately followed obediently.

The temple interior was dim and oppressive, carrying a musty odor unique to soil. But Li Wen noticed faint traces of reddish-black stains left on the floor.

Without a doubt, this was blood. Judging by the oxidation marks, it had been left no more than three days ago.

This fit Li Wen's speculation that the Fire Mage might be injured. If so, their goal aligned with hers—she just didn't know how they'd found this place or entered the temple.

Li Wen wasn't worried about the Fire Mage beating her to the crucial item. In her previous life, the first to explore Amber City and successfully obtain that treasure were members of the Strategy Group.

This was a confirmed future. A destined fate could not be altered—unless a second Urd's Thorn existed in the world.

When they passed through the dark corridor and reached the inner hall, they found it brightly lit. Looking up, they saw a massive, dusky yellow crystal floating in the center of the semicircular dome. The light source for the inner hall came from this crystal.

Li Wen recognized it as a Twilight Stone—a rare, magically imbued material often used in alchemical processes or rituals within the Radiance Spectrum. Missionaries of the Holy Candlemas Church would use the stone oil seeping from it to make Whispering Candles.

A Twilight Stone this massive was rare even during the Golden Age. Based on the Black Market prices Li Wen knew, a Twilight Stone of equal weight was more valuable than gold. A complete stone of this size was truly one of a kind.

But more than the Twilight Stone, Li Wen focused on the stone bricks beneath her feet. According to the group's strategy, the path to Amber City lay among them.

These bricks were also painted with patterns, but unlike the murals on the corridor, walls, and dome, these patterns resembled an exceptionally complex web of geometric lines and shapes. Even with Li Wen's knowledge, she could only tell this was a highly sophisticated, powerful Teleportation Array—she had no grasp of its specific logic.

The array's magic likely came from the Twilight Stone above. Using something that large just for lighting was wasteful. The array's target was presumably the legendary Amber City.

So how to activate the array?

The strategy only mentioned a chant, but recorded no specific words. Perhaps for secrecy, or perhaps for deeper reasons.

Li Wen recalled the Noradun Empire's records regarding arrays. The Noradun Empire began at the end of the Golden Age and ended in the middle of the Silver Age. It witnessed the fall of the Golden Elves, the founding of the City of Sin, and the rise and fall of Asmar...

There was no doubt that the Noradun Empire's occult foundation was unmatched by any nation today. Several great powers, including present-day Arthur, had grown strong by inheriting its legacy.

Thus, searching her memory for an array matching the patterns on the stone bricks was extremely difficult, if not impossible.

But she wasn't without clues. Her ritual studies began with the mages of High Prism Tower, whose founder was once a student of Archmage Merlin of Arthur. Theoretically, Arthur's magical techniques derived from the Noradun Empire's legacy. In a sense, Li Wen could be considered a ritualology heir of the Noradun Empire, however many generations removed.

With that, she could use what she'd learned to reverse-engineer fragments from the vast ocean of Noradun rituals. She might not reconstruct the entire array, but finding some clues shouldn't be a problem.

Yet when she tried, the originally chaotic geometric lines and images in her eyes spontaneously assembled themselves. At the same time, a strange string of text appeared in her mind. An irresistible impulse made Li Wen speak the words aloud.

"Marsala, ikatur."

As her voice fell, the Twilight Stone blazed with light. A thunderous rumble came from the floor beneath them, followed by a powerful sensation of weightlessness.

If a Teleportation Array was defined as moving a person or object from one place to another quickly, then Li Wen had guessed correctly—this was indeed a "teleportation" array. But the method of "teleportation" was completely different from any she knew.

"Holy crap, is this an earthquake?"

Take and the others were terrified. They'd only come to fight a boss—they hadn't expected such a spectacle.

"It's not an earthquake. We're descending."

Li Wen said calmly.

This wasn't a Teleportation Array at all—it was clearly a Magic Elevator heading to who-knew-how-deep underground.

The weightlessness lasted a full ten minutes before stopping. If Li Wen and the others weren't players, they'd likely have vomited or passed out from prolonged blood congestion in the brain.

Li Wen took a deep breath, only relaxing after confirming solid ground beneath her feet.

Based on the intensity of the weightlessness and the descent time, they were now at least several kilometers underground.

At this depth... no wonder no one had found Amber City's location since the fall of Noradun.

Li Wen looked around. The inner hall had transformed. The walls were pitch black with no gaps. Two doorways stood in different directions—one tightly sealed, the other open.

The open door revealed nothing special. After confirming the other couldn't be opened by normal means, Li Wen had Take and the others take point as they headed toward the open door.

When they stepped through it to the outside, they were greeted by twilight.