After passing through the hall carpeted with mushrooms, the surrounding walls seemed less dilapidated, but after walking for a while, they found that the path ahead had completely disappeared.
There was only a narrow crevice, barely wide enough for one person to squeeze through. Chen Mian did not linger and stepped directly inside.
Loviki followed closely behind. The hem of her cloak dragged against the damp, slippery rock crevice, getting stained with a bit of dirt.
Flora also followed behind cautiously.
The crevice did not seem to be naturally formed; both sides were very smooth, as if cut by magic, though it looked like it had been done a long time ago.
After walking about a hundred meters through the narrow crevice, the area ahead gradually brightened.
It did not look like the light from magic lamps at all; instead, it resembled natural outdoor sunlight, even though they were still a long distance from the surface.
Chen Mian stepped out of the crevice, and the two behind him quickened their pace to squeeze out after him.
Upon seeing the scene before them, they stood frozen in shock.
Directly above their heads was a massive, pale-golden orb of light.
It hovered right in the center of the domed ceiling like a miniature sun, radiating a warm and gentle glow.
Ripple-like patterns flowed slowly across the surface of the orb. With each ripple, a visible ring of pale-golden light would expand outward in all directions.
Before them lay a vast, open space.
The ground was covered in a thick carpet of grass, and right through the middle ran a flowing stream. The water was crystal clear, with unfamiliar species of small fish occasionally swimming by. Along the banks grew many strange, unnamed flowers; their stems and leaves were ice-blue, yet they bloomed with blossoms the color of roaring flames.
“Is this really underground?” Loviki murmured, her eyes reflecting the breathtaking scene in disbelief.
Although they hadn't felt much when Leila mentioned that the fourth floor of the dungeon was a sea of trees just like the outside world, seeing a similar scene with their own eyes was still incredibly shocking.
“A magical creation.” Chen Mian’s gaze swept over the slowly rotating “sun” on the dome. “It is far more complex than an ice crystal golem's core. It can continuously draw mana from the outside world and convert it into various forms of energy, simulating natural environments and the cycle of day and night.”
“How long can it run?” Flora asked.
“That depends on the condition of the runes.” Chen Mian withdrew his gaze. “It shouldn't have any problem running for over a thousand years.”
Loviki crouched down and reached out to touch the grass at her feet. The blades were soft, and even carried a light dusting of morning dew.
“Let's go. We're almost at our destination.”
“Our destination?”
“Yes. The place with the strongest mana fluctuations is likely where the creator of all this resided.”
The three of them walked deeper along the stream. The grass was so soft that their footsteps made almost no sound.
A faint floral fragrance drifted through the air. If not for the domed ceiling above, this place would look almost identical to the outside world.
Flora walked at the very back, her eyes occasionally scanning the bizarre flora around them.
Everything here seemed to fall outside of her existing knowledge. Even the small fish in the stream were an entirely new species she had never encountered before.
“These plants...” Flora looked at the vegetation and said with certainty, “...have been modified.”
“How can you tell?” Loviki asked.
“Their growth patterns don't conform to natural laws.” Flora pointed to a nearby white fruit tree with translucent leaves. “Silver-white trunks typically grow in dry, high-altitude regions, and translucent leaves are meant to adapt to low-light environments. But the light here is extremely abundant; it has no need to grow this way.”
She paused, then looked at a nearby ice-blue shrub. “Ice-blue leaves are characteristic of cold regions, but the orange-red flowers are a trait of tropical plants. They have been forcibly spliced together again.”
“Have you studied botany?”
“Yes,” Flora nodded. “I studied it back when I was with my clan.”
“Sigh, we had classes like that at the academy too, but no matter how hard I tried to identify them, all plants just looked the same to me,” Loviki said, feeling a bit discouraged.
Hearing this, the corners of Chen Mian’s mouth curled up slightly. He wasn't particularly good at this either—at least, not compared to Flora.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, the grass gradually thinned out, replaced by bare, rocky ground.
The stream branched off here, sending a small tributary flowing down into a hollow.
Standing in that hollow was a wooden cabin.
Built from logs, the cabin looked as though it could only accommodate one or two people. In front of the cabin was a cleared patch of farmland, though it was now overgrown with weeds.
A pale green barrier of light enveloped the cabin.
The barrier was very thin, its surface densely covered with intricate magic lines.
“It's a magic barrier.” Loviki took a step forward and lightly touched the pale green energy shield. The moment her finger made contact, an invisible repulsive force pushed it back. “It's non-offensive.”
After observing the runes on the surface of the magic circle, Chen Mian said, “This magic barrier has an identification function.”
“An identification function? Like the teleportation array you set up at the apartment?” Flora asked.
“The principle is similar, but it's a bit more complex.” Chen Mian raised his right hand, placing his palm close to the surface of the barrier. Mana seeped from his palm, flowing into the intricate lines of the shield.
The barrier flickered with light.
The magic lines began to flow faster and faster.
A few seconds later, Chen Mian took a step forward and walked right through the barrier.
“Just like that?” Loviki was in disbelief.
“I modified a few runes and imprinted our signatures into it.” Chen Mian withdrew his hand and stepped inside. “Let's go.”
Loviki followed close behind. As she passed through the barrier, she could feel a force scanning her mana.
Flora also stepped inside the barrier.
The cabin was very simple, and the door was unlocked.
Chen Mian pushed the door open. The hinges let out a low, grating creak.
The interior was very dark.
Having been uninhabited for so long, the air carried a faint, musty odor mixed with the fresh scent of vegetation.
A ball of golden light flared in Flora's palm, illuminating the room.
The room was small, and the decor suggested it might have belonged to a woman.
However, there were very few belongings.
A stone counter, bottles and jars, a stove, and a sink.
A blackened pot sat on the stove, with a layer of charred residue at the bottom. It was similar to what they had found in the first few rooms, likely the remains of some burnt food.
The stone counter was lined with various jars and bottles. Most were empty, but a few still contained remnants of unidentified powders and liquids.
The labels on the bottles had faded, but the writing, written in the Common Tongue, was still faintly legible.
“Flavor Enhancer 3.0”
“Stabilizer No. 2”
“Mana Neutralizer (Experimental)”
Loviki picked up a metal bottle with a label that read “Do Not Drink” and shook it. The sound of liquid sloshing came from inside.
“Is this ‘Do Not Drink’ warning serious or a joke?”
“You can find out if you try it,” Chen Mian said.
Loviki put the bottle back. “No thanks.”
Flora walked over to the stove, crouched down, and gently touched the charred layer at the bottom of the pot with her finger.
“It's sugar,” she said. “Burnt sugar, and there's some residual mana.”
“Was she making dessert?” Loviki leaned in.
“It doesn't seem like ordinary dessert.” Flora stood up, her gaze falling on a hidden compartment beneath the stone counter.
Tucked into the gap of the compartment was a hide-bound notebook. Its edges were somewhat worn, but it was otherwise well-preserved.
Written on the cover in the Ancient Common Tongue was a single line: “Keyins's Experimental Log: Culinary Chapter”
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