Repairing the Warship (Part Two)

The Black Moon Royal Family's palace was vast, and Rune Formations protected it. Even Merlin could not probe its inner workings.

Merlin followed the Eighth Prince through corridor after corridor until they reached a towering statue. There was almost no one around it, and a powerful Rune Formation guarded it. This was clearly an important part of the palace.

Yet Merlin sensed nothing unusual about the place. The space around them was empty except for the strange statue. He had no idea why the Eighth Prince had brought him here.

The Eighth Prince looked grave. He waved his hand, sending a stream of mysterious runes into the statue. At once, ripples spread through the surrounding air like waves across water.

"Open!"

At the Eighth Prince's shout, the Rune Formation slowly opened. The huge statue began to tremble, revealing a stairway beneath it that led underground.

"Hm? The elements are so dense!"

Merlin's expression changed slightly. The instant the Rune Formation opened, he felt a surge of elemental energy denser than anywhere he had encountered in the Land of Glory.

That meant there might be a great many Elemental Crystals beneath the stairs!

"Wizard Merlin, you felt it too? That's why the Royal Family sealed this place with a Rune Formation."

The Eighth Prince was not surprised by Merlin's reaction. He had been just as astonished when Butuo XVI first brought him here.

With that, the Eighth Prince stepped into the stairway first. Merlin followed without hesitation.

The passage was long and sloped steadily downward. A stale, dusty smell hung in the air, suggesting that people seldom came here.

"I haven't been here in a long time," the Eighth Prince said casually. After nearly half an hour in the passage, the two of them finally emerged into a spacious hidden chamber.