RPAGF 074. Leaving the ruins
074. Leaving the ruins
This stone door was built to be hidden; it was a hidden surprise room deliberately placed during the original design.
It's been almost two years since the launch of Asgard Elegy, and only now are players starting to discover this hidden location.
Moreover, the corpse of the Tide King was lying in front of them, blocking most of their view. If Xinlai hadn't known about this secret door beforehand, she probably would have turned around and left with Eve long ago.
The stone gate and the walls on both sides are built together so tightly that they appear as one whole at first glance. Only by reaching out and touching it closely can one vaguely feel the uneven boundary.
He skillfully squatted down, counted four bricks upwards from the lower left corner of the stone gate, then moved two more to the left, pressed his fingertip against the inconspicuous blue brick, and gently pressed it down:
The mechanism bricks sank in response and slowly pushed inward.
A deep rumbling sound came from inside the wall, and a light dust rose with the sound. What was once a whole stone wall had now cracked open into a deep passage more than two meters high.
Xin Lai paused for a moment, going over the layout of the mechanisms in her mind again to make sure she hadn't missed anything, before stepping inside.
The room with the painted egg is quite spacious, about fifty or sixty square meters, with four thick stone pillars at the four corners supporting the dark dome.
On either side of the descending staircase stood a statue: the one on the left, holding a magic book in a refined posture, was Bernis;
On the right is a figure with both hands pressing down on a long sword stuck in the ground. His face is dignified and resolute, and he should be one of the powerful figures who sealed the Tide King back then.
Between the two statues was a small box with silver trim.
Despite being submerged in the lake for many years, the box showed no signs of rust on its edges. The silver edges gleamed with a cool luster in the dim light, as if time had stood still here.
Without further hesitation, Xinlai walked a few steps to the box, took a deep breath, and lifted the lid.
A parchment scroll covered with densely written characters lay quietly on a purple down cushion. The characters, winding and twisting, resembled some kind of ancient incantation, gleaming before Sinlai's eyes.
This is exactly what "attribute points" mean in "Elegy of Asgard".
Players can use it directly to permanently increase the number of attribute points they can allocate.
This one card can add a full 30 points after use.
For Sinlai, this was nothing short of a qualitative leap.
Xinlai carefully reached out and picked up the parchment scroll. The moment her fingertips touched the paper, a semi-transparent system notification appeared in her mind:
["Attribute Holy Scroll" detected. Use it now?]
Xinlai chose "yes" without hesitation.
The parchment scroll crumbled between his fingers, turning into countless tiny golden fragments, which then transformed into a wisp of pure golden light and dissipated into the air.
You have gained 30 attribute points to allocate.
Knowing that she was slightly inferior in terms of talent in magic and combat, Xinlai pondered for a moment and divided her 30 attribute points equally, putting half into arcane magic and half into technique.
……
【属性：体力28、奥术35、力量28、技巧35、敏捷28、精神28】
The moment the points were added, although the physical sensation wasn't intense, Xin Lai could vaguely sense a subtle change:
The proficiency threshold required for skill upgrades has been quietly lowered, magical affinity has become abundant like a flowing stream, and even the time required to learn new magic has been greatly reduced.
"According to the mage's standards... I should have entered the second ring by now."
Xinlai slowly clenched her fist, as if feeling that indescribable "talent" rising from her palm.
"Xinlai..."
A faint call drifted from outside the Easter Egg Room, the voice weak and ethereal, most likely Eve had woken up.
Xinlai quickly scanned the Easter egg room to make sure there were no more treasures or mechanisms missed before hurrying away to Eve's side.
Eve leaned against the wall, her lips were white and cracked, her face was sickly pale, and she looked extremely weak.
Her eyelids were half-closed, barely revealing half of her eyes, which held a hint of anxiety and fear of not seeing Xinlai.
Xin Lai quickly squatted down, pulled her into his arms, and took her hand in his. The cool touch on his palm made his heart tighten.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked in a low voice.
"Um……"
Eve felt the warmth emanating from Xinlai's hands and body as she listened to his breath. Her tense body finally relaxed, and she breathed a sigh of relief, leaning softly against his shoulder as if she had surrendered all her weight to him.
Xinlai knew that Eve just wanted to find a safe place to rest, so she didn't delay any longer and gently carried her on her back.
Two heavy little watermelons pressed against my back, warm and soft, and I could also faintly feel the tingling sensation brought by a slight heartbeat, which came in waves through the fabric.
"Hold on tight."
Xinlai tilted her head slightly, letting Eve's arms wrap around her neck. After making sure she had a firm grip, she took a step and walked steadily toward the exit to the side.
Not far from the location of the Tide King was a dark underwater vortex, silently hidden in a corner, slowly rotating like a deep eye.
Xinlai glanced at the vortex, her mind already rapidly sketching out an escape route.
The entire ruins rely on drawing on the Tide King's magic to maintain their operation. This design ensures that the Tide King's magic is always scarce, while also allowing the ruins to operate for a long time without external force.
Now that the Tide Kings are dead, once they leave, the ruins will lose their source of energy and will inevitably fall apart.
By then, the commotion will certainly be considerable. However, the greater the commotion, the easier it will be to take advantage of the chaos. Xinlai only needs to seize the opportunity to rush out with Eve.
Having made up her mind, Xin Lai let out a long breath and turned her head to remind him, "Make sure you hold on tight."
Eve didn't respond, but Xinlai could feel her gently tapping his chin against his back, her hair brushing against his neck, causing a slight tickle.
Having confirmed that Eve wouldn't get lost, Sin Lai stepped into the vortex.
The icy water instantly engulfed him, and he disappeared into the surging undercurrent as if a teleportation spell had been triggered.
The moment the two left the ruins, the entire lakebed trembled violently.
It started with a slight shaking, which then intensified, causing the building to collapse from the top down. Debris fell everywhere, and caves and grottoes collapsed one after another. A dull rumbling echoed endlessly underwater, as if something that had been sleeping for thousands of years was being awakened.
……
"Go and find out what happened."
Kobok sat upright on the sofa, his knuckles white from the effort he was putting into using his canes.
His face was solemn, and there was an obvious anger between his brows.
The servant didn't dare to look up, murmured a nod, and hurriedly left the room.
"well……"
Kobock sighed heavily. A problem he had never imagined was looming large before him:
Those who had worked closely with the Marquis of Tanstin, upon learning that the Tanstin family would be taken over by the Fissare family, almost all chose to part ways amicably, remaining polite but distant, with none willing to continue their cooperation.
Only a few minor nobles were willing to curry favor with them, cautiously seeking opportunities for protection and cooperation.
What exactly is it that makes these old foxes willing to cut off this source of income rather than continue their joint scheme to amass wealth?
However, this is not the most troublesome thing for Kobock.
Just as I was talking with the guests, a servant suddenly came to report that Garden Lake had begun to shake violently, and the entire Tanstin family fiefdom was trembling, as if an earth dragon were turning over.
What happened there...?
An ominous premonition quietly rose from the depths of Kobok's heart, coiling around his chest like a snake.
The Tanstin family has a secret passed down through generations: "the throne is passed down only to the legitimate son, not to illegitimate sons," a secret he has yet to uncover...
Could it be related to this lake?
Kobok's gaze slowly fell on the ice cubes in the wine glass on the table.
The remaining wine in the glass rippled slightly, and the ice cubes gently collided with the lingering tremors of the ground, making a soft, shaky sound.
"Knock knock knock".
The moment the tremors completely stopped, there was a gentle knock on the door.
Kobok raised an eyelid, thinking that it was probably just those useless good-for-nothings from the family coming to pass on some worthless information again.
"Please come in."
squeak-
The door was slowly pushed open.
The lights poured out a warm triangle, and a figure that Kobok never expected stepped out of the light.
Xinlai was dressed in a well-fitting formal dress with a crisp, straight line. She held a half-full glass of red wine in her hand, the liquid swirling slightly in the glass.
He exuded a faint air of elegance, mixed with a subtle scent of alcohol, and walked unhurriedly to Kobok.
"Your Excellency Kobok, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Xinlai slightly raised her wine glass, her movements elegant and aloof, her gaze calmly fixed on Kobock's face, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Kobok paused for a moment, then his heart sank.
This is bad. Could it be that his secret surveillance of the Third Prince has been discovered?
Now this is... coming to demand an explanation?