"So many stone coffins piled up here, it seems to be a custom before the Void invasion."
Polina walked around the sunken fountain with interest, touching here and there, having a great ti.
"Let’s have a look around," Dulin said.
"I’ll go with Dulin," Narta imdiately followed.
A few people split up and made so exciting discoveries.
In addition to the tomb group for buried along with the dead, there were many living areas as well, complete with dining rooms, bedding, and separate bathrooms; they even saw a well-developed sewer system.
"After the Void invasion, the world changed too quickly, technology was updated every day, from slingshots to automatic rifles, it only took a re nine months, but our culture and social system haven’t really kept up and matched with the technology."
As she spoke, she reached out to touch a stone column carved with various textual information, and exclaid in surprise:
"Look! The symbols on this are almost identical to the language on the Dragon Satellite nowadays."
"After all, it’s been less than 100 years since the Void invasion," Gaslin stepped forward, "Let see what’s written on it..."
He moved the lantern closer, using the light of the Void Energy to make out the text:
"... In the 189th year of the Ebyssian Dynasty, purple rain fell from the sky, strange anomalies occurred frequently, and monsters road. The King of Ebyssian — Duston the Third, ordered the High Priest Musta Khandora to erect an altar and sacrifice one hundred thousand offerings, seeking help from the Heavenly God."
"However, the sky showed ominous signs, torrential rains fell, and the dynasty was destroyed overnight."
"Ebyssian the Third took won, children, and loyal subjects into the Grotto, planning to lie dormant for a hundred years before erging; however, the relentless downpour destroyed the grotto..."
Soone imdiately interrupted:
"In human words, this place has been washed by the Substance Rain and not a trace of the Void is left, right?"
"So unknown little King, tried to use a human sacrifice to ask for Divine help to fight off the Void, but it was ironically destroyed by the Substance Rain instead," Gaslin said mockingly.
"But on the bright side, there probably isn’t any trace of the Void left here."
"You see, there are many signs of daily living here, which indicates that before the construction of the royal tombs, they maintained the operation of a state for a long ti."
Polina pointed at the area around sunken tomb fountain excitedly and said:
"Since they were basically destroyed by the Substance Rain, they definitely left behind a lot of treasure!"
She said to everyone:
"What are we waiting for, let’s get started?"
However, as soon as she finished speaking, she discovered that everyone stood motionless. Each person was calmly looking at her -- specifically, at her waist pouch.
The waist pouch that held the Essence Alige.
Polina noticed everyone’s odd behavior, forced a smile on her face, and humorously said:
"Why... isn’t anyone moving?"
She opened her arms, looked around encouragingly, and said:
"Look how big this place is, it’s dozens of tis the size of our town, there must be lots of relics and treasures from the Ebyssian Dynasty. They needed wealth to maintain their power, and with the Substance Rain blocking them, all of this must have remained underground. Find them, and all these will be yours..."
Yet no one was swayed.
Polina’s tone beca more anxious, and she unconsciously stepped back, her suggestions sounding more like pleas:
"Everyone, go find the treasure fast..."
"You really are quite the joker, aren’t you, miss?"
A tall boy laughed:
"You are the treasure."
"...What?"
"Yes — after all, you carry the Essence Alige, yet you’ve kept it hidden. You are quite sothing!"
A girl said faintly as she erged from the shadows, taking out a pair of scissors from her bag and spoke calmly:
"I thought you were just the miss from a respected family, but you had such a good thing."
"You, what are you talking about..."
Polina looked astonished and quickly turned to Gaslin, her supposedly good friend:
"Gaslin, why are you... not saying anything? It’s just the Alige, it’s nothing important—"
"Sorry, Miss Polina,"
Gaslin smiled faintly, his grey eyes lighting up with a golden ring:
"The Essence Alige is indeed very important."
"How could this—"
Pale-faced, Polina spoke dryly:
"But we’re friends—"
"Friends? Who’s your friend? If it wasn’t for your pretty face and the status that cos with hanging out with you, who would want to be with you?"
"Friends? Didn’t your mother ever teach you a lesson? Flowers attract swarms of bees and butterflies with their sweetness and blossoms, but when the flowers wither, the bees and butterflies inevitably scatter."
The twin sisters said in turn:
"Your worth has ended, Miss Polina."
Polina’s pupils trembled, and she imdiately turned to run, only to be stopped by two young n blocking her way.
It was Narta, whom she had personally saved before, and his good friend Dulin.
She looked up hastily and said, "Dulin, Narta! You said you would repay —"
Narta’s gaze hesitated slightly, while Dulin smiled openly and said:
"Of course, Polina."
Polina was elated for a mont, but then Dulin promptly stepped aside:
"Out of consideration for you saving Narta—I won’t catch you right away."
"...What?"
Polina’s gaze hardened, staring at Dulin, who not so long ago had sworn to repay her. The tall and mature boy was now smiling unabashedly, without a trace of sha for his words.
"You have ten minutes. I’ll try to convince everyone for you."
Polina clenched her fists and said urgently:
"Dulin, you can’t do this, we’re friends."
"Right, we are certainly friends. But the point of making friends is to have fun together—now, a betrayal will clearly make all of us happier."
Dulin shrugged:
"Don’t bla us, it’s just that compared to an extra life, no treasure can match."
Polina found it absurd:
"... What is this? To you, is friendship just so cheap thing?!"
Dulin spread his hands:
"It’s the age of the Void, girl. Everything is illusory; only the happiness of this mont is real. Well, the countdown starts now—9 minutes 59 seconds, 58 seconds..."
Polina’s eyes reddened:
"Dulin, you traitor, ingrate—"
"9 minutes 55 seconds," Dulin started counting down. "You can keep getting angry, but I won’t stop counting while you do— Or, can you persuade those people behind you?"
Polina’s delicate body trembled, her peripheral vision sweeping over the boys and girls behind her who, intimidated by Dulin’s size, were hesitant to make a move but whose eyes were cold.
Gaslin, with his handsoly flawless features, undid his collar for ease of breathing and running. His zircon-like gray eyes lit up with golden rings, and the surrounding light seed to distort all at once.
The twin sisters, Jessie and Lixi, stood back to back, close together; the shadow under Jessie stretched very long, while Lixi was enveloped in the light from a lantern, looking akin to a demon and an angel.
The tall young man in the team, Xides, bent his head slightly, his naturally hanging palms turning slightly blue.
There were also two silent girls who seed to have faded back into the darkness, disappearing without a trace.
—Betrayal.
Polina truly understood the situation now.
They never wanted to play with her because they liked her; they were attracted by her wealthy background and good looks.
A dune ford by interests would eventually collapse under greater interests.
Dulin’s eyes turned blood-red as he casually said:
"9 minutes 32 seconds—"
Snap!
Polina leaped forward, zooming past his side in an instant. Dulin smiled lightly, watching the young lady’s fleeing form as she rushed into the midst of the ruins, shook his neck leisurely, and continued to count down:
"9 minutes 30...3, 2, 1!"
Clang!
The blacksmith brought the hamr down onto the well-forged steel with satisfaction, nodding his head.
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