After several hours of intermittent searching, as dusk approached, Richard stopped atop an ordinary mountain hill.
Even with the support of the Energy Storage Short Staff, his mana source was somewhat depleted, and there was a hint of weariness on his face.
However, his eyes were exceptionally bright as they stared sharply at the spot beneath his feet.
In his field of vision, more than ten meters below lay a downward-slanting passage leading into the heart of the mountain.
Found it? Was this the true location of Wizard Tangka's tomb? Or the entrance to somewhere else?
But speculation alone was doomed to yield no answer. Whatever it was, he would know after investigating.
All right, then.
Richard's expression tightened as he made his decision. The faint blue glow faded from his eyes, and he slammed one hand heavily onto the ground.
"Smack! Bzz!"
A tremor rang out. With the ground as its center, finger-thick cracks rapidly appeared in the surrounding soil.
The cracks continuously spread and branched, growing ever more numerous. The soil shattered along with them until it was nearly reduced to powder.
With a "whoosh," a large expanse of soil sank like quicksand, revealing a pitch-black passage entrance more than ten meters underground.
Without hesitation, Richard rapidly descended. Golden energy spread across his body to protect him as he activated the "One Armor" state and stepped into the passage.
Treading on the fine soil powder that had slid into the passage, Richard advanced quickly while remaining alert. He was not overly worried about any traps or guardian creatures that might be present.
After all, through all this time of research and growth, he had improved immensely compared to before. He was still himself, but he would no longer be like when he first explored the Black Spirit King's