The forest echoed with the haunting sounds of wolf howls, coyote calls, buzzing insects, and mysterious creatures, shrouded in darkness illuminated only by a flashlight. Before they realized it, more than 10 minutes had slipped away in this tense atmosphere.
After trekking for a while, Victor and Carlo halted before a massive cliff nestled deep within the Archville forest gorge.
Victor's face lit up with satisfaction as he beheld the towering cliff, stretching upward for what seemed like a hundred meters.
A surge of pride and fulfillment washed over him. With no map to guide them, relying solely on his memory, he had successfully led them to this spot.
Noticing Victor's expression, Carlo inquired, "Have we reached our destination, young master?"
"Yes, and now I need your assistance," Victor said, flashing a grin. "Due to the sudden cloud cover, could you disperse it and allow the moonlight to illuminate this cliff?" he requested, gesturing toward the nearby colossal rock face.
Carlo's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You want me to clear the clouds?" he inquired, taken aback.
Victor smiled confidently. "I know you're more than capable. Don't hold back," he encouraged.
With a sigh, Carlo remarked, "Seems like you've changed quite a bit lately, young master," before offering a smile. "But I'm thankful if it leads to something better."
Turning his gaze upwards to the darkened sky veiled by thick clouds, Carlo prepared to act without further questioning. He leaped into the air, blue energy enveloping his legs as he floated effortlessly. His mastery of advanced magic allowed him to walk on air.
Summoning a sword with a blood-red blade using his spatial magic, Carlo tightened his grip and assumed a stance, focusing his gaze skyward. The intense energy emanating from his hands imbued the sword with an even greater power.
"Devil Slash!" he said softly, swinging the sword upward in a swift motion, unleashing a brilliant red flash that pierced the darkness.
In the next instant, the oppressive dark clouds parted, revealing a breathtaking starry sky with the full moon shining brightly.
Victor's expression filled with admiration as the clouds parted, leaving him momentarily awestruck by the spectacle.
A grin spread across his face, not surprising considering Carlo's extraordinary power far surpassed his own.
Carlo descended gracefully, landing directly in front of Victor. With a smile adorning his face, he inquired, "How's that, young master? Is it what you wanted?"
"It's perfect, thanks," Victor replied with a nod of appreciation.
"I'm glad to be of assistance," Carlo said with a smile, bowing slightly.
Turning his attention back to the massive cliff, now bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight, Victor approached and ran his hand over its surface, sensing its hollowness. With a gentle push, a door spun open, inviting him into the giant cliff!
Carlo, witnessing this, was taken aback. "Young master!" he called out, rushing towards the cliff and touching its surface. His expression hardened immediately as he sensed something peculiar about it.
Pushing against it, a door swung open, granting him entry into the cliff, just like Victor.
His eyes widened in awe and disbelief as he beheld the room inside the cliff, spanning over 50 meters with a luminous blue pool at its center.
Approaching Victor near the pool, Carlo asked, "Is this what you've been searching for, young master?"
With a grin, Victor affirmed, "Yes, we've found it."
The radiant glow emanating from the pool below wasn't from the water but from a ginat stone at its bottom, emitting a soothing bluish energy.
Carlo's expression turned solemn as he sensed the immense mana within the stone. "Young master, I can feel an incredible amount of mana emanating from that stone," he remarked seriously.
"What if I told you that the stone is a meteorite fragment that brought mana to this world millions of years ago?" Victor said, his smirk evident.
Carlo's eyes widened in shock at the revelation, disbelief written all over his face.
"A meteorite fragment from millions of years ago?" he stammered incredulously. Then, his expression shifted back to seriousness as he looked at Victor. "Such a significant discovery, if others were to learn of it, it would undoubtedly cause a commotion. Even the empire might intervene," he warned.
"Don't worry, old Carlo, I have a plan for that, and no one else will discover it," Victor assured him with a smirk.
Carlo swallowed nervously, observing how Victor had transformed into a different person. "Where did you come across this information?" he inquired curiously.
"I stumbled upon a map in some ruins that led me here. But let's not dwell on it too much, old Carlo. It's possible that others might stumble upon this place," Victor explained.
Carlo nodded in understanding. "Alright, I apologize. What should I do now?" he asked.
"Retrieve the stone and store it using your spatial magic. We'll take it back with us," Victor instructed, his grin widening.
Carlo nodded and promptly submerged into the pool.
The pool's depth was shallow, less than 20 meters, allowing him to easily spot the ginat stone thanks to the crystal-clear water.
Meanwhile, Victor's gaze lingered on the stone, satisfaction evident on his face.
As he had mentioned earlier, it wasn't an ordinary stone; it was a treasure capable of transforming even someone like Leon into something extraordinary.
Seizing this opportunity that rightfully belonged to him, Leon would undoubtedly be coughing up blood.
The mere thought of Leon's reaction brought a satisfied grin to Victor's face, and there was much more in store.
Unaware of his drifting thoughts, Victor snapped back to reality upon seeing Carlo resurface, carrying a large stone big enough to require both hands and pressing it against his body for support.
Victor immediately touched the stone's surface, sensing the pure mana within it—difficult to comprehend yet calming and energizing upon contact.
"Store the stone in your spatial ring, old Carlo, and allow me a moment here," he instructed, grinning.
"Alright," Carlo nodded, refraining from further questions.
As Carlo placed the stone into his spatial ring, Victor produced an object twice the size of his palm, emitting a short beep when activated.
He tossed it into the pool, where it seamlessly blended with the bottom rocks, invisible yet emitting a soft blue light, revitalizing the pool's glow.
With a satisfied grin, Victor accomplished his objective, now awaiting Leon's arrival.
As he turned to depart, his body suddenly froze in surprise as a hologram materialized before him.
[Your first intervention was successful, congratulations]
[By cutting off Leon's opportunity, you've earned a character summoning card]
Dumbfounded by the hologram's message, Victor's expression gradually shifted to a smile. So, this was how the system worked.
[Do you wish to open it?]
Victor rubbed his chin in contemplation before shaking his head decisively. "Open it," he said.
Carlo, bewildered by Victor's words, sought clarification. "Do you mean you want me to retrieve the earlier stone?" he asked.
Realizing Carlo was still present, Victor quickly clarified, "No, I mean..."
[Congratulations, you've acquired a character from Greek mythology: Herakles]
[He is now under your command]
Victor's words trailed off, his eyes widening in disbelief. Herakles, the Greek god of strength, was now his subordinate?!