386: Chapter 185: Structures 386: Chapter 185: Structures Leon withdrew his gaze from the huge Dwarf Statue in front of him and turned with his companions to descend from the platform.
He surveyed the mine’s central platform, lit by torches held by the soldiers.
On the underground bedrock platform, which was the size of a town square, there were not only the abandoned facilities and clutter left by the Helarn Dwarves but also crude tents made of animal hides, obviously the handiwork of Wild Goblins.
Upon confirming the original masters of this place, Leon couldn’t help but heighten his caution.
Wild Goblins posed little threat to the group, and if this were rely a human mining field, he wouldn’t have considered it dangerous.
But the Ancient Heranian capable of carving such a massive mine, the technologically advanced remnants of Dwarven….
These short fellows in this world, who resemble the Dwarves he rembered from gas and films of his past life, always brought to mind unpleasant mories.
He turned his head to Lokhak and said, “Get the soldiers to form up.
Remind everyone not to touch anything, don’t fiddle with any curious object they co across!”
“Understood.” Lokhak nodded, imdiately went over to the warriors and started shouting commands to regroup the dispersed guards.
“My lord, co take a look.”
Hearing Kovis’s call from behind him, Leon turned around.
He saw the young man who manipulated the Flying Sword had moved behind the huge statue’s platform.
His floating Sword illuminated the far more expansive rock archway behind it, much wider than all other platforms in the vicinity.
Leon walked over.
He saw that the rock bridge lit by the Flying Sword had eight tracks wide enough to support mining carts.
The mine tunnels that extended across to the other side were also much larger than all the other cavern entrances on the surrounding rock walls.
“That side must be the main shaft for transporting ore, it’s unclear how far it extends…
This underground mine may be just a part of a larger underground mining structure,” Kovis hypothesized.
Leon pondered upon hearing this.
When he was walking in the tunnel earlier, he thought he’d made a bit of money…
but now, the mine’s size was unexpectedly vast, and wealth was no longer the issue.
…Should he continue exploring?
A few Knights, plus a few dozen soldiers, were more than enough to handle the threat of Wild Goblins.
And since even the relatively weak Wild Goblins could live in the mine for so long, perhaps it indicated there was no danger here.
But looking toward the pitch-black expanse of the massive mine tunnel, Leon couldn’t shake off his worries.
To be safe, since he had confird the original owner of the mine and the basics of what lay below, he preferred to go back and discuss it with Lola before making a long-term plan.
“Let’s retreat for now and co back more prepared next ti,” Leon suggested cautiously.
As he brought everyone back to the assembled soldiers, Leon saw Larian crouched in front of an animal hide tent, seemingly examining a pile of bones left over from food consud by the Wild Goblins.
Leon approached Larian.
“What’s up, did you find sothing?”
The Ranger Knight sighed, stood up, and shook his head.
“Most of these are the bones of wild beasts, but there are human remains as well…
many of them are children.”
Upon hearing this, Leon looked back at the pile of bones, a wave of anger rising within him.
You eat , I eat you; it’s the law of nature, survival of the fittest.
But knowing that his kin, the young ones, had beco food for those creatures, it ignited his fury instinctively.
…If that night of their escape, they hadn’t discovered what was amiss while keeping watch, he and Azeryan, Lokhak, would probably have ended up in those little bastards’ bellies.
Patting Larian on the shoulder, Leon promised, “We won’t let them get away with it; we’ll wipe out the remaining scum next ti we co.”
Larian nodded, gave the cavern’s darkness a deep glance, and returned to the ranks.
As the dim torchlight flickered, the troops finished assembling and quickly called the roll to confirm no one was missing.
They then turned back the way they ca, toward the suspension bridge.
Suddenly, Olivia heard sothing.
She quickly turned to her lover.
“Leon, there’s a noise beneath our feet.”
“What noise?
More Wild Goblins?”
The young lady frowned and shook her head.
“I…
I don’t know; it’s a rattling sound, not like footsteps…
and it’s getting louder!”
Leon didn’t know what to make of it, but his instincts told him sothing was wrong.
He imdiately shouted, “Everyone, pick up the pace!”
But before he finished speaking, everyone could hear a rattling from beneath their feet.
That was…
the sound of chains and gears.
At the fringes of the rock platform, beyond where the torchlight could reach, there were movent and noise as if sothing was collapsing and rising.
Amidst the whirring and clanking of the stone platforms’ elevation, tall, broad shadows, three to four ters high, rose from the ground at the front and back ends of the troop, blocking their retreat.
Along with these shadows, were the sounds of successive clicking and the hurried clatter of strange tallic footsteps closing in.
A chill ran through Leon’s heart.
Damn it, there were traps after all, he knew those short folks loved to pull such tricks on intruders.
But why hadn’t the Wild Goblins living here triggered the traps?
The people hadn’t touched anything forbidden; there were no visible treasures, the soldiers didn’t even have a chance to be tempted.
Did soone step on an underground chanism?
But those damn Wild Goblins, living here for so long, doing as they pleased, hadn’t activated anything.
Could it be because they were light enough that the heavier humans triggered it?
As a myriad of questions flashed through his mind, Leon didn’t waste a mont.
As soon as he saw the shadows rise, he imdiately instructed the soldiers to halt.
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