Chapter 19
A massive cave loomed before the group. The mountain itself wasn’t particularly tall—not even matching the height of the ancient trees surrounding it.
Yet the cave’s perimeter teemed with rare herbs and precious medicinal plants, thriving with unnatural vigor. Ordinary flowers and grasses shot up to a full meter. Beyond the exotic flora, the ground glittered with high-grade mana stones—dense enough to rival a small-scale mine.
Bathed in the pitch-black night, the glowing plants and mana stones cast a soft, shimmering light. For a heartbeat, the adventurers felt the illusion of stumbling into a secluded paradise.
“This cave should be the Red Lizard’s territory…” Idi murmured uncertainly, just as baffled as the rest.
What’s with all these rare herbs everywhere? And these top-tier mana stones? The intel never mentioned any of this!
Could the Red Lizard have developed near-human intelligence—cultivating all this right at its doorstep? But the report clearly described its lair as a cave on a barren, bald hill!
“Don’t you think… the plants here are growing way too aggressively?” Roland pointed at the towering trees. “These are meters taller than the ones we passed earlier. Lush foliage. Harder trunks.”
“These plants only thrive in mana-rich paradises,” Roland continued, scanning the area. “And these mana stones? Even a top-tier mine yields low-grade stones sometimes. Here? Every single one is flawless.”
As Silva turned away, Roland swiftly scooped up two mana stones. Just as he reached for his pocket—a cough echoed behind him.
Feigning helplessness, he tossed one back. With a barely perceptible flick, he slipped the other into his sleeve. Silva noticed nothing.
*Safe.*
But the instant triumph flickered in his chest—Silva’s hand seized his wrist, fingers pressing exactly where the stone hid. A faint, knowing smile curled her lips.
Roland: “….”
Under that gentle smile, he dropped the stone.
“True—the mana here is incredibly dense. Training might yield twice the results with half the effort. Could this be a paradise?” Idi said slowly, then frowned. “But the intel said the Red Lizard’s nest was surrounded by ordinary forest. Even if treasures existed… they’d have been looted long ago.”
“Look—the rocks! Blacksteel!” An adventurer ran his hands over the cave entrance, expression shifting.
Jagged and menacing, the black stone radiated sheer hardness. Blacksteel ranked among the world’s toughest materials—found only in rare continental sites, commonly forged into earth-attribute Arcane Gears.
“The soil’s unnaturally fertile! Even plain grass becomes magic herbs!”
“The water pulses with mana and vitality—a few drops revive withered blooms.”
“Even the wind… feels like it breathes life into everything.”
Element-specialized adventurers chimed in one after another. One conclusion hung in the air: this was a paradise—flawless to the point of eeriness.
Paradises concentrated dense mana. Humans, beasts, or plants thriving here gained accelerated growth. Yet wild paradises were often death traps—claimed by tenth-tier or Imperial Rank magical beasts. This one? Continent-ranking perfection. Yet that very perfection sent a chill down every spine.
When things seem too good to be true, danger lurks. Abnormal mana density. Mutated flora. Treasures that belonged elsewhere. These adventurers weren’t fools. A place this extraordinary couldn’t stay unclaimed. Was the beast inside still the Red Lizard from the report?
Just thinking of that unreliable intel made Idi grind his teeth. Barren hill. Modest cave. One strong Red Lizard. Their target inside.
Now? A mountain of treasure.
Ordinary folks would scramble to get rich. These veterans knew better. This golden paradise felt far deadlier than a bald hill. Who knew what curse followed a single stolen stone?
“So… should we go in?” Roland gestured toward the cave.
The pitch-black entrance gaped like a monstrous maw, hungry for foolish prey. An aura of silent dread clung to the air. A cold gust swept out—raising goosebumps, freezing blood. It howled like ghostly wails.
“Eeek—” An adventurer shrank back. “You don’t think… vengeful spirits live inside?”
“No resentment traces. No spiritual entity reactions,” Idi stated gravely.
Roland blinked slightly. *Sharp instincts. He can even detect souls.*
“How about… we check inside?” Archmage Karami glanced tentatively at Roland and Silva. “Your thoughts?”
“I’m fine with whatever,” Roland shrugged.
*Of course you are. What else can a mid-tier mage do but piggyback on others and cheer mindlessly from the back?* Karami sneered inwardly, then turned hopeful eyes to Silva.
“Then I’m fine too.” Silva knew—staying beside Roland was safest. Even six god-tier items couldn’t match the quiet certainty he gave her. That stability. That safety. The very reason she’d fallen for him.
“If no one objects, we’ll—”
BOOM—!
A deafening roar shattered the silence, shaking the forest like an earthquake. And it was terrifyingly close.
