Sol strolled into the cave cautiously and silently. He suspected there may still be goblins hiding within the cave, as well as booby traps. According to the cartoons and movies he had watched during his time on Earth, Sol was made to understand that Goblins never left their caves unprotected.
Their caves were always filled with booby traps and forked parts, making it hard for invaders to deal with them on their home turf.
Huff.
Sol exhaled deeply with a frown as he found it hard to breathe due to the stale air. However, just before he could go deeper, he noticed something on the wall that he could not understand. It was some sort of art on the walls of the cave that made Sol wonder a one-year-old child did this.
"None of this makes any sense!" Sol cursed as he brought the fire closer, but all he could see were irregular shapes scattered across the wall.
Ding.
[Deciphering goblin stone art…]
[The picture depicts the coming of four saviors who will save them from the grip of Aetheria and its forces. It shows the rise of the four new alpha races, which will dethrone the current alpha races.]
"A savior like Jesus?" Sol asked with a look of confusion in his eyes. "But four of them?"
Sol didn't know what to think about this. He sincerely just wanted to walk past all of this and act like it didn't mean anything, however his instincts were telling him otherwise.
[The second part of the stone art displays the students of Aetheria taking the test in the enclosed zone, getting slaughtered by the beasts trapped in the zone. Not even one of them will survive the test. This is the first sign that the Messiahs are about to arrive!]
"What?" Sol frowned deeply as he moved deeper into the cave with his fiery hand hovering closely to the wall.
Sol was shocked to see a messed-up image of what seemed like a location covered by a dome. The beast cheered while countless bodies, some even headless, piled up.
This drawing was easier to make sense of, especially since it was something Sol could relate to. He pondered in silence as he wondered if this was a distant prophecy yet to happen or if it was happening now.
"I need to get my hands on those resources and leave this place quickly," Sol said with a deep frown.
He wasn't sure how far those goblins would chase Katherine and didn't want to take chances.
As Sol traveled deeper into the cave he came across bobby traps of various kinds but with his CogniSense Insight Module Extension tool, the system was always quick to point them out.
With this, Sol was able to avoid the pitfalls and trap wires littered everywhere and in a short time, he reached the end of the cave, where all the treasures were kept.
Thud.
After running forward for some time, Sol was left breathing hard. He looked at the dead end but noticed by the left was an opening in the wall, with light escaping the chamber.
Extinguishing the flames in his hands, Sol used the damp wall as cover as he got closer to the entrance to the final chamber in the cave, and he peeped.
"This…" Sol muttered as a feeling of shock crept into him.
In the chamber, radiant gems adorned the walls, casting a mesmerizing glow that illuminated the space. This explained the bright lights that Sol noticed when he got close enough; however, there was more to these gems.
Sol could feel the energy surging from these gems, creating a makeshift cultivation chamber.
'Impressive' Sol commented in his mind
The centerpiece of the room was a grand bed crafted from neatly arranged haystacks, creating a rustic yet comfortable resting place, and seated on this makeshift throne was a white-haired man.
The shape-shifter's eyes held an otherworldly gleam, a result of the numerous energy flowing into him from the gems embedded in the walls.
His skin was pale and ethereal, which made Sol believe this figure had been hiding in this room for a long time.
Sol's gaze quickly shifted to his cloak which was woven from mystical fibers, the garment shimmered with a subtle enchantment.
The shape-shifter's features were chiseled, and his figure exposed his youth. A calm, knowing smile graced his lips, and his hands were adorned with ancient markings.
Sol spotted, some distance away, a sizable brown sack filled with cultivation resources—a collection of rare herbs, crystals, and artifacts that pulsated with latent energy.
[Name: Lukas Shadowdancer]
[Tier: Peak tier One]
[Race: Shape shifter]
[Race Tier: Beast]
[Type: Ru-Destros]
[Title: Chosen of the shifters]
[Condition: Perfect condition]
[Status: Indifferent]
"Peak Tier One?" Sol was confused by this, especially since he had never encountered anyone with such a description.
Ding.
[This indicates that the target is at the peak of the tier one rank and is just a small distance away from ascending to the tier two level]
Seeing this, Sol's face turned ugly, and he shifted his gaze to the Shape-shifter's status again only to notice something he skipped earlier.
"Shadowdancer?" Sol muttered with a deep frown, "Where have I heard that name before?"
Ding.
[Name: Lyra Shadowdancer]
[Tier: One]
[Race: Shape shifter]
[Race Tier: Beast]
[Type: Ru-Destros]
[Title: Nil]
[Condition: Physical and hidden injuries detected]
[Status: Resentful]
The system pulled up Lyra's status, which Sol was shown in the classroom the very first day he met her. His eyes widened in shock as numerous thoughts began running through his mind. Sol was reminded of the time he offered to help Lyra escape, but she refused and chose to stay.
He had always known she had a secret but never bothered with it since he believed he was safe within the walls of Aetheria, but what if he wasn't as safe as he initially thought?
His thoughts wandered to the goblin stone art on the wall talking about the fall of the Aetheria and the four messiahs. Does that mean this man seated here was one of the four?
Is this why Lyra refused to leave?
Was it because the attack on Aetheria would happen soon?
Does this mean that Lyra was a part of this plot from the very beginning?
Ding.
[New Quest Unlocked: Arrival Of The Four Horsemen]