After slaying the gargoyle, Wayne did not stay, nor did he choose to return to the camp, but continued to explore the inside of the banquet hall. And as he explored, Wayne discovered that this underground ruins was probably a palace of the royal family of the elves in the past. In addition to the exquisite and luxurious statues and murals here, another reason is that it is impossible for ordinary elf nobles or other figures to own such a huge palace. Perhaps only those royal family members who rule the elves have such authority.
It is a pity that although the elves have a long history, they can be traced back to the period when the White Ship landed by Pontar and Yaruga thousands of years ago. But with the cruel war between them and human beings, many things have long been lost in records and cannot be investigated, and countless unknown secrets have long been hidden in the dust of history. I am afraid that apart from those old antiques who survived from the White Ship Era, no one knows exactly what happened here.
Wayne, being a witcher, wasn't particularly concerned with unraveling the historical mysteries of the ruins. His primary focus was the sheer scale of the underground complex, filled with numerous chambers, rooms, and guarded by gargoyles. Moreover, the presence of various underground monsters in every nook and cranny added to the complexity and danger of the situation.
And in this dark environment, not only did he have to be vigilant at all times to prevent the monsters who might sneak up on him at any time, but he also had to explore the correct route in this complicated environment, which was time-consuming and labor-intensive, which was quite troublesome.
This also led to the whole second day, he only explored one banquet hall and several rooms next to the banquet hall and had no time to explore other areas. As for the results of the exploration, in addition to killing the three gargoyle guards, they also killed more than a dozen Archespore monsters, blocking the passage.
When he dragged his exhausted body back to the camp, Toruviel immediately greeted him. Wayne didn't hide anything and told the elf leader about his work progress and related speculations.
After discussing the exploration plan with Toruviel and chatting with her, Wayne returned to his tent for some much-needed rest. Over the next days his life took on an unusually busy routine. Each day was filled with gathering and refining medicine, engaging in battles, collecting spoils, resting in camp, having lunch, and then resuming exploration in the afternoon. This left him with little time for other activities.
In addition, of course, he has not forgotten the quest system where he can gain EXP for daily activities. Every time before exploring the ruins, he will receive a normal-level combat quest from Geralt. Gaining a few experience points and a normal-level treasure chest for free.
In contrast to his typically hectic daily life, Geralt was leading a rather luxurious lifestyle at this time. After sustaining injuries to his chest and ribs, Geralt was confined to the camp for recovery.
However, being a free spirit, he found it challenging to take time off even during his healing period. Instead, he swiftly developed a thing for the Gwent card game. Not only did he audaciously borrow decks and a substantial sum of ducats, but he also formed a connection with a half-elf widow, indulging in enjoyable evenings throughout his recovery.
On the contrary, Wayne, in his pursuit of strength, not only commits to completing a task daily but also dedicates time to relentless skill development without any breaks. He diligently hones his abilities, constantly pushing himself. Nonetheless, the underground ruins have finite challenges. As the seventh day arrived, Wayne's continuous fighting and cleaning, this expert-level commission finally came to an end.
Within the entirety of the underground ruins, there is only one last area left unexplored. As Wayne readied himself and defeated the two gargoyle guards protecting the area, his attention was drawn to a massive metal gate crafted from an unidentified material. The black metal gate had become adorned with cobwebs and dust. Nevertheless, Wayne could distinctly sense that the gate was not only exceptionally robust but also remarkably sturdy. Even after the passage of time, there was no discernible trace of rust, indicating its extraordinary durability.
After confirming that there were no other enemies around, Wayne cautiously approached the metal gate with caution. But when he was less than half a meter away from the metal gate, the medallion hanging on his chest unexpectedly started to vibrate again.
An unfamiliar magical energy flowed through the door towards him. Simultaneously, the system's emotionless voice echoed in his ears once more.
Ding! A high-concentration magic energy node is detected, three ability points can be obtained by absorbing it.
Note that opting to absorb this energy node will result in its permanent destruction, causing the spatial structure to collapse and forming a dimensional crack. Please choose carefully.
Upon hearing the system's warning, Wayne quickly grasped that behind the imposing metal door lay the Circle of Elements he had long sought after.
This time, he pondered for only a few seconds before swiftly arriving at a decision. He explored here alone, without any witnesses around, including himself, and no one could predict what he would encounter in the ruins.
Isn't this the good opportunity God gave him?
Thinking of this, Wayne no longer hesitated and immediately chose to confirm.
In an instant, the magical energy on the opposite side of the metal gate, compelled by an unknown power, rushed toward him like a tidal wave. In response, his body, defying the logic of mages, rapidly drew in all the magic power enveloping him, like a whale voraciously ingesting its surroundings.
That terrifying speed even formed a huge mana vortex around Wayne. However, this phenomenon was fleeting. Approximately 5 minutes later, Wayne sensed that his body had regained control. The invisible magical power had disappeared, and his body seemed to have been nourished by the fountain of life.
Whether it was fatigue, injury, or mental exhaustion, everything had disappeared. It resembled certain game settings, where everything reverted to the most optimal state. Most significantly, in his attribute column, the ability points had surged from the remaining two points to five points.
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