Zong Shen tied the Old Travel Horse to the side of the road.
Then, with one hand bracing his Kite Shield and the other gripping his sharp Germanic Sword,
he walked in the middle of the group.
It was the safest position in the entire party.
Tie Zhu drew the pair of daggers at his waist and followed close behind, bringing up the rear.
The three of them formed a simple exploration formation.
They continued forward.
Since Colby had only recently carved out this path, it was extremely difficult to traverse.
The ground beneath their feet was the uneven terrain of the Ruins.
Zong Shen wore leather shoes, and the rough ground kept digging into his feet.
After walking along the path for five or six minutes, the terrain suddenly sloped downward.
They arrived in a small hollow in the mountains.
The area was surrounded by either dense forest or moss-covered cliffs.
It was practically an isolated place, cut off from the rest of the world.
Colby really was impressive to have found Ruins in a place where not even birds would shit.
Even with the system's directions, Zong Shen wouldn't necessarily have found this place.
The main reason was that Zong Shen lacked a decent mount.
The Old Travel Horse was more than adequate for everyday travel.
But it couldn't compare to Colby's Giant Wolf or Luna's Black Panther, which could both fight and move with agility.
Just look at Colby now, riding his Giant Wolf as it bounded and darted about. Zong Shen couldn't help envying him.
By contrast, Zong Shen and Tie Zhu looked like two toddlers just learning to walk.
They struggled along the narrow forest path.
Infantry could never understand the joy of cavalry.
When they reached the hollow, they finally saw the Temple Ruins Colby had mentioned.
Why call them Temple Ruins?
Because through the gaps in the vines, they could just make out one statue after another.
But all the statues looked ferocious.
Some had a pair of horns growing from their heads, while others had several different heads.
There were even statues with leathery wings sprouting from their backs, standing on burning footprints and looking just like demons.
Zong Shen and the other two stood outside the Temple.
Vines completely enveloped the entire Temple, making it look like a gigantic green cocoon.
"Colby, clear the way."
At Zong Shen's command,
Colby, who was hardworking, ruthless, and sparing with words, dismounted from his Giant Wolf and began hacking at the obstructing vines with his twin blades!
His sharp swords sliced through the vines as easily as knives through vegetables, chopping them to pieces.
At last, the entrance to the Temple was revealed.
Zong Shen walked inside.
He saw many strange patterns carved into the bluestone paving at the Temple entrance.
The carvings depicted a long and brutal war.
The most striking figure was someone quite unusual.
He was a great demon with a pair of horns on his head and a pair of wings on his back, yet he had the long, pointed ears unique to the Elf Race.
His body was covered in Runes distinctive to the Night Elf Race.
In the stone carving, he sat alone on the edge of a cliff,
gazing at the moon.
This Temple must have had a deep connection to this figure.
Zong Shen raised his head and studied the Temple.
(The misunderstood rebel: this was once a Temple of the Demon Hunters)
(These Elves chose to become demons rather than give in to the Blood-Burning Legion. The other powers on the continent shunned them, but in truth, they were genuine Demon Hunters.)
"Demon Hunters?"
(Powerful demon warriors who had once been mighty Night Hunters. They willingly fell and became demons so they could hunt demons. Sounds contradictory, doesn't it? But they were all truly great warriors.)
After reading the Strategy Guide's explanation, Zong Shen had a general understanding of the Temple.
It was another ancient ruin and power from this continent's past.
Colby had already cleared a path straight into the Temple.
Just then, Colby turned around.
"My lord, the two treasure chests are on the right side of the Temple."
"You should open them first."
Colby suggested.
Zong Shen slapped his forehead. He'd been so busy looking at the Temple that he'd forgotten about the treasure chests.
"Let's go."
As he spoke, he took a few steps back and left the Temple.
He headed to the right.
Sure enough, two treasure chests stood right beside the Temple wall.
The vines covering them had been cleared away.
Zong Shen's eyes lit up when he saw them.
These two chests were clearly of a higher grade than Black Iron Treasure Chests.
One was bronze-colored, while the other was silver-white.
Zong Shen examined them.
The system and the Strategy Guide displayed their prompts at the same time.
[Bronze Treasure Chest] [An unknown Bronze Treasure Chest. No one knows what might be inside.] (The treasure chest is safe. You can open it without worry.) [Silver Treasure Chest] [An unknown Silver Treasure Chest. No one knows what might be inside.] (Stop looking. This Silver Treasure Chest is a trap. The poisonous gas inside will leave you unconscious for three days and three nights.)
"Damn!"
Zong Shen saw the note beneath the Silver Treasure Chest and couldn't help swearing.
He raised his middle finger to the sky.
The Lord System was such a sneaky bastard!
It was like sitting down at a table, ready to enjoy a delicious meal,
only to discover that all the food was made of shit. It was enough to ruin your appetite!
No wonder the two treasure chests had been left in such an obvious spot.
Without the Strategy Module, most people would surely be unable to resist and would open the silver chest right away.
Then they'd be left unconscious for three days and three nights in this godforsaken forest.
Zong Shen angrily kicked the chest.
Then he went over to the Bronze Treasure Chest.
At least this Bronze Treasure Chest was the real deal.
Zong Shen clicked to open it.
Several glowing reward orbs appeared.
[Bronze Treasure Chest opened successfully] [Sturdy Bull Horn Helmet ×1] [Tier 1 Spike Obstacle Technology Blueprint ×1] [Wolf Cavalry Recruitment Scroll ×2] [Two-Stage Slash Skill Book ×1] [Skill Experience Book ×3] [Exquisite Roasted Meat Feast ×1] [Mellow Green Forest Fruit Wine ×1]
There were seven rewards in total, about the same number as a Black Iron Treasure Chest yielded.
But the rewards were a tier better.
Especially the two Wolf Cavalry Recruitment Scrolls!
That meant he could have three Wolf Cavalry, including Colby.
The military strength of his territory would increase dramatically!
He could organize hunting parties at night.
Whenever night fell, the beasts seemed to appear out of nowhere, and their numbers were astonishing.
Zong Shen had noticed early that morning that the area around his territory was covered in countless animal tracks.
There were also traces of blood, but no corpses had been left behind.
This made Zong Shen suspect that Beast Surge at night was the Lord System's way of restricting the many lords.
Its purpose was to limit how long they could explore and how quickly they could develop.
But danger also brought opportunity.
Night was actually perfect for "grinding monsters"!
The catch was that you needed enough strength.
Otherwise, even powerful soldiers could be wiped out when surrounded by beasts.
And some of the beasts might even be powerful creatures.
Those were all risks.
Zong Shen shook his head, pulling his wandering thoughts back, and began inspecting the rewards one by one.
Before you continue