novelnext Chapter 34 First Exploration
Chapter 34 First Exploration
"This...the location of this entrance." She pointed to the beginning of the drawing with her finger, trying hard to recall:
"I think... I vaguely remember this place. It looks a lot like a place I cleaned before. It's located at the end of the east corridor of the main hall on the first floor."
"I heard from others that it was an old evacuation passage that existed when the Wizard Tower was first built. It was abandoned and closed a long time ago due to structural changes in the direction of the exit and safety hazards."
Upon hearing her words, Li Ang suddenly realized what she meant.
No wonder it looked familiar. He always passed through that corridor when he went to the quest log, and he did indeed glimpse a heavy stone door at the end. So that was the starting point of the map.
"Abandoned evacuation routes..." Li Ang looked at the map, his heart beating slightly faster.
The notebook belonged to Lottie's grandfather, a formal wizard. Why would he record a map leading to an abandoned passage in such a secretive way?
Li Ang's curiosity was completely piqued.
But this map was left to her by her grandfather, Lotte. To explore it on his own without her knowledge? Li Ang couldn't bring himself to do that.
Moreover, the two of them can look out for each other if they go together, and if there are any gains, they can divide the spoils according to how much effort they put in.
Thinking of this, Li Ang asked cautiously, "Lottie, would you like... to go and take a look here tonight? This is a map left in your grandfather's notes."
"The map my grandfather left behind?"
Lottie was startled, her face instantly filled with tension: "Now...now? To that abandoned place? Mr. Leon, this...this violates the tower's rules, doesn't it? Besides, that place has been sealed off for a long time..."
"The map shows there might be another route," Li Ang said, pointing to an inconspicuous branch line and a marker next to it on the map. "Don't you want to know what your grandfather left behind?"
Lottie bit her lip, her mind in turmoil. Her longing for her grandfather and her curiosity were intertwined with her fear of the rules within the tower and her instinctive unease.
After a long silence, she first looked at the notebook left by her grandfather on the table.
Looking at Li Ang's calm eyes again, she finally took a deep breath and made up her mind.
"Hmm... okay, I also want to go and see what Grandpa left behind."
Having made their decision, the two did not immediately begin their exploration to avoid attracting attention. Instead, they meditated together in their dormitory with Li Ang, waiting for the night to fall.
Time passed slowly in silence, and when it was 2 a.m., Li Ang and Lottie opened their eyes at the same time.
Li Ang crouched down by the door and listened to the sounds outside. It was completely silent outside; it seemed everyone was already asleep. Now was the perfect time to explore.
"Let's go." Leon picked up the magic lamp and beckoned to Lottie.
Lottie nodded nervously and subconsciously straightened her robes.
The two slipped out of the dormitory without a sound, and walked down the dim and quiet corridor to the secluded corridor on the east side of the first floor.
At the end of the corridor, the heavy stone door, sealed with metal strips and ancient runes, appeared even more sinister and terrifying under the dim light of the magic lamp.
The surroundings were quiet, with only the soft sound of their breathing.
Li Ang carefully examined the walls surrounding the stone gate, referring to the map. The hidden entrance marked on the map should be located somewhere on the right wall of the stone gate.
He reached out and slowly felt and pressed on the rough stone bricks in that area.
Suddenly, when he pressed down on a stone brick on his head that looked no different from the surrounding bricks, the brick sank inwards sharply.
A very faint "click..." sound, like the turning of a mechanism, came from inside the wall.
Immediately afterwards, not far away, another stone wall about the height of a person silently slid inward, revealing a dark cave entrance that was only wide enough for one person to pass through. A cold wind carrying a musty smell rushed out of the cave.
Lottie was startled by the sudden rise of the stone door. She covered her mouth tightly to prevent herself from screaming.
Li Ang turned on the magic lamp and shone it inside. Behind the door was a narrow stone staircase leading downwards. There were no lighting fixtures on the walls, and further in, it was pitch black.
Li Ang thought to himself: As expected of the Magic Light that claims to be energy-saving, its brightness is indeed energy-efficient.
The magic light only illuminates an area of about 5 meters around you. To find out what's down there, you'll have to go inside and take a look.
"Stay close to me," Li Ang whispered.
He slipped inside first, sideways. Lottie nervously gripped his clothes and followed closely behind.
The passageway was eerily quiet; the only sounds were their own footsteps and breathing.
The stone steps descended steeply, and after walking about several dozen steps, the two entered a slightly wider passageway.
What followed was an increasingly pronounced feeling of suffocation…
"Um... Miss Lottie, if you pull any harder, I might get strangled to death."
Leon gave a helpless reminder. Lotte, who had gone from gently grabbing the hem of his clothes to now clinging to them tightly, was practically hanging on them.
Upon hearing Li Ang's words, Lottie seemed to snap out of her daze. She let go of his hand somewhat embarrassedly, but soon after, she subconsciously took his arm again.
"Fine, let it be," Li Ang accepted with a hint of resignation.
Li Ang felt his arm being pulled tighter and tighter, and couldn't help but think to himself, "This girl has a strong grip."
And so, the two walked forward for a while, and within the range of the magic lamp's light, a half-open, decaying wooden door appeared.
They had finally arrived. Li Ang gently pulled his arm, which had become somewhat numb, from Lottie's embrace, pushed open the wooden door, and went inside.
Behind the door was a small room that looked like a makeshift lounge.
The room contained only a dusty stone table and two stone stools, with a wooden shelf in the corner holding some spoiled food.
The spotlight swept across the stone table, instantly drawing Li Ang's attention to a yellowed letter lying prominently on it.
Lottie saw it too, and her heart suddenly raced; a strange premonition welled up inside her.
Li Ang stepped forward, carefully blew the dust off the envelope, and gently picked it up. The envelope was not sealed, so he pulled out the letter inside and unfolded it.
Lottie also came closer, and in the lamplight, the handwriting on the letter came into view. The handwriting was strong and powerful, yet it carried a sense of familiarity; it was indeed her grandfather's handwriting.
To the descendants who discover this letter:
Although I don't know who you are, if you can decipher the information in the notes and find this place, it proves that your mental strength has at least reached the level of a formal wizard, enough to at least protect yourself.
I discovered this secret passage by chance; it seems to lead to some unrecorded area deep within the tower's base.
I explored further, but was turned away by two powerful puppet guards.
Although I am a formal wizard, I have devoted my life to potion making, and combat magic is not my forte. Therefore, I have no choice but to retreat here and leave this letter.
The road ahead is extremely dangerous. If any younger members of the family wish to explore it, please be cautious. If you are unable to do so, you may leave it for the future.