Map

After a rustling sound came from behind them, Kaisalin's voice rang out in thanks once more. Jialan and the other two turned around, and Jialan said, "Although the Soothing Rain Spell can heal injuries, you'll need to cultivate and take potions yourself to replenish the blood and vitality you lost."

Kaisalin nodded in agreement. Jialan took out a vial of Nishang Potion from his Spatial Bag and handed it to Katerina. "Senior, this is the potion I promised you."

Katerina accepted it, thanked Jialan, and put it into her bag.

The group cleaned up the battlefield. These adventurers from the Aus Empire had been surprisingly wealthy; they had over thirty Magic Crystals of various grades alone. Split evenly, each person could get six or seven.

Magic Crystals came from magical beasts. They were the source of the power that allowed magical beasts to cast their innate spells, but not every magical beast possessed one. The odds were only around half. Of course, the higher a magical beast's rank, the greater the chance it would produce a Magic Crystal, and the more valuable it would be.

Magic Crystals were valuable because countless things in this world required them. They were practically strategic supplies.

They could be made into all kinds of enchanted items. For example, a Magic Lamp embedded with a low-grade Magic Crystal could remain lit for years without going out. When war came, the defensive magic arrays activated in large cities drew their energy from countless high-grade Magic Crystals within the formations.

The dreaded Magic Crystal cannons on the battlefield also drew their power from Magic Crystals. Casters could use the energy inside Magic Crystals for cultivation as well, though the results were poor due to the excessive impurities, so they were only useful in emergencies. Even the lowest-grade Magic Crystal was worth ten Jintana, and they were scarce despite their price.

Besides the Magic Crystals, there were also currency, weapons, armor, and other items, which the group divided among themselves. The most valuable item was the priest's staff. Jialan was the only magic-class professional among them, so the staff naturally went to him. It was an unwritten rule among adventurer teams.

However, the staff was not particularly useful to Jialan. It was, after all, a priest's exclusive weapon. He could only sell it for Jintana or trade it for something else later.

Argyle Cape, the high-ranking Light Knight, held a scroll and said to Jialan, "This scroll is a little strange. It seems to have a magic trap on it."

Jialan took it and examined it carefully. It was a yellowed sheet of paper covered in dense lines and symbols, with many strange words annotated along the edges. Looking at it for too long made one dizzy. Its edges were badly damaged, as though it had existed for ages.

A flash of blue light passed through Jialan's eyes, with faint runes stirring within. He released his spiritual power and attached it to the scroll. More than ten breaths later, the blue glow slowly faded as he said, "This... seems to be a map?"

"A map?" Everyone gathered around. Katerina's eyes lit up. "Could it be a treasure map?"

Jialan did not respond. He muttered under his breath, "This seems to be... Ancient Elvish?" As he spoke, he took a crystal from within his robe and poured spiritual power into it. A soft light illuminated the scroll, and the seemingly chaotic patterns gradually revealed their order beneath the crystal's glow.

His fingers trembled slightly. As a caster, he knew exactly what Ancient Elvish represented. It was the magical civilization left behind by the ancient elves, a treasury of knowledge that countless mages dreamed of possessing. But what alarmed him even more was that these runes were not ordinary written records, but an exquisite magical mechanism.

Jialan took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He could sense the magic flowing through the air, winding like threads around every rune on the scroll. The runes were not still; they circulated slowly, like living things.

Everyone watched the scene nervously. After a long while, Jialan slowly opened his eyes and said, "I can confirm that this is a map to the Ancient Elven Ruins. However, the magic trap placed on it is far too complex. I'll need to return and consult some documents and perform certain rituals before I can undo it. At the very least, it will take ten days to half a month. Where did this scroll come from?"

Katerina looked toward Argyle. After seeing him nod, she said, "We were carrying out a mission for the military here. You don't need to know the details. This scroll was found on one of the mission targets, and then we were relentlessly pursued by that group from the Aus Empire. We thought it was because..."

"Cough... cough!" Kaisalin, who had remained silent at the side, covered her abdomen and coughed softly twice. Katerina glanced at her, then changed course and continued, "...but now it seems they may have been chasing us so relentlessly because of this scroll."

Jialan nodded. There were some things he should not know, and he had no interest in knowing them. The more one knew, the greater the danger.

He raised the scroll in his hand. "Then how should this scroll be handled now...? I still have patrol duties and may not have the time at the moment. To fully decipher it, I'll need to return to the garrison..." Though he desperately wanted to unravel the scroll, it did not belong to him.

Argyle Cape considered it. The three of them could not decipher this Magic Scroll either. One high-ranking assassin from the Aus Empire's group of adventurers had escaped, and he knew the scroll was in their hands. He might gather more adventurers to seize it...

There were no other casters they knew nearby. For now, they could only trust this junior fellow student from the Imperial Magic Academy.

Since Jialan had come to the border as a caster on assignment, it showed he had no major backing. If it truly was a magical ruin, then as a Junior Mage, he certainly could not enter it alone. Argyle said, "We're also carrying out a mission right now. Leave the scroll with you, and we'll come find you after some time." The other two women nodded as well, agreeing with his decision.

Watching Jialan put the scroll into his Spatial Bag, Katerina warned, "That escaped assassin may still be nearby. Be extremely careful when you return. Try not to leave the patrol team!" Jialan agreed, then returned to camp with John, who remained close at his side.

As Jialan and John's figures vanished into the depths of the dense forest, Kaisalin said worriedly, "We were careless this time. We actually encountered that kind of thing. Don't they rarely show themselves on the continent? Why would they appear in the Misty Forest?"

Katerina adjusted her leather armor and said calmly, "The turmoil is getting worse. Many people have already sensed that something is wrong. It is not strange for them to reappear in the world. We only need to send the news back and let those old men in the Imperial Capital worry about it." As she spoke, she looked at Argyle.

Argyle Cape nodded. "It has already been sent. I had Shadow personally deliver the news to the military headquarters in Misty City. The military will send it to the Imperial Capital through the teleportation array. We should have an answer in about half a month."

The three fell silent, leaving only the rustling of the wind through the forest.