Black Hearted Mage

Chapter 155 Underground World 2

One side of the cave was covered in a thick layer of frost, the crystal-clear ice emitting a chill that made people shiver. On the other side, however, the ground was incredibly dry, without a trace of moisture. The ground was covered with dense, viper-white skeletons. These bones piled up, layer upon layer, forming a strange and spectacular sight.

A closer look reveals a thick layer of bone powder beneath the bones, a fine powder as light as snowflakes. No one knows how long these viper skeletons have been lying here; perhaps only time itself will reveal the answer.

Caesars cautiously walked along the path paved with white bones, remaining vigilant throughout the journey, fearing any unexpected danger might suddenly approach. After a difficult trek, he discovered another cave entrance. This one was narrow, only wide enough for one person to pass through, and Caesars had to crouch down to barely squeeze in.

The cave passage was low and narrow, forcing Kaisas to use his hands and feet, crawling like a gecko. The distance seemed endless, and as time ticked by, Kaisas tirelessly inched forward. After crawling for over half an hour, he finally reached the point where he could straighten his back.

When Caesars stood upright, he was greeted by an immense expanse of space. A faint glow permeated the cavern. Growing on the walls and floor were a profusion of fluorescent mosses and bioluminescent ferns. These ferns were incredibly lush and flourishing, reaching a staggering height of approximately ten meters, like giant green umbrellas held high in the air. Even more astonishing were the plump, round seeds on the undersides of their leaves, each about the size of a fist.

Kaisas stared blankly at the scene before him with his eyes wide open. This scene reminded him of the underground forest his ancestors had recorded during their travels.

At that moment, a dark figure flashed past him like lightning. Upon closer inspection, he saw a small animal remarkably similar to the demon rat. It was clutching a freshly fallen fern seed. In the blink of an eye, it vanished like a gust of wind, deep within the lush, endless vegetation.

The air here seemed to be a fusion of various scents, forming a unique and complex atmosphere. There were fresh and elegant, refreshing fragrances, as well as nauseating, foul odors; and a faint, almost imperceptible smell of blood, quietly drifting in this seemingly peaceful environment.

Caesars didn't dare to let his guard down. He concentrated his mind and used his magic to explore the surroundings. In this fern forest, like a dense forest, traces of insects and beasts could be seen everywhere. Those tiny figures, hiding in the grass or darting through the branches, filled the once silent space with life.

When he looked up, a chill instantly ran down his spine—the ceiling of the cave was densely packed with countless bats! These bats were about the same size as the demon rats, and they were hanging upside down on the cave ceiling.

Caesars took a deep breath, then tiptoed slowly along the edge of the cave. He took each step with extreme caution, fearing any loud noise would startle the bats swarming overhead. Bats are easily disturbed, and once startled, they would scatter in panic, defecating and urinating without restraint. The mere thought of such a scene, a "rain from heaven," made him nauseous; he didn't want to be subjected to such a "baptism" himself.

After walking for about ten minutes, not far in front of Caesars, a short, plump, green viper slowly crawled down the cave wall. Its round belly was bulging, and it had obviously swallowed at least two or three bats as a delicious meal.

This turquoise viper was a rare sight, and Caesars couldn't help but be curious. He cautiously approached it, then reached out and gently grasped the viper. Surprisingly, the viper showed no signs of aggression. Instead, it leisurely moved its forked tongue in and out, as if trying to capture Caesars' unique scent.

After a quick inspection, Caesars discovered that the viper was only a little over a meter long, but its short, thick body was a distinctive feature of the species. The viper didn't seem frightened or resist being captured. It docilely allowed Caesars to manipulate it, even actively clinging to its body against his arm.

Caesars gently placed the viper at his feet and decided to follow it to its lair. Having just finished its meal, the viper was moving unusually slowly. Its body was covered in a layer of turquoise scales, a color that matched the fluorescent moss. If the viper were stationary, it would be difficult to spot.

The viper snaked forward slowly, its body leaving a shallow trail on the ground. Following behind it, Kaisas raised his head, his eyes scanning the top of the cave intently.

The cave's roof is rocky and uneven. Surprisingly, there are hardly any bats to be seen along the edge of the cave's roof; they are densely packed in the center. This is likely due to the frequent hunting of vipers there.

Time ticked by, and after a long trek, they had almost circled half of the immense cave. Just then, three entrances of varying sizes suddenly appeared ahead. The highest entrance, about thirty or forty meters above the ground, seemed suspended in mid-air; the other two entrances were lower, quietly nestled at the bottom of the cave.

Caesars didn't rush to the passages, but stopped and stood there to observe carefully. At the same time, he pulled out an old animal hide topographic map from his pocket and began to carefully describe and record everything he saw.

The turquoise viper seemed oblivious to its surroundings. Slowly but surely, it crawled towards one of the entrances, eventually disappearing into the darkness. Caesars felt no fear of the viper. After all, with his strength and experience, he was more than capable of dealing with such a beast. If it had been a more ferocious beast, the outcome would have been unpredictable.

Looking around, Caesars discovered a vast array of mushrooms growing in this forest. These mushrooms were completely white, resembling piles of snow. Compared to the more common mushrooms outside, they were significantly larger, but unfortunately, their surfaces were covered in various bite marks, appearing somewhat battered.

Just as Caesar was about to step into the cave entrance—the branch of the cave the viper had entered—he suddenly stopped. A dazzling ball of light suddenly emerged from the tip of his metal staff. Then, it shot swiftly upwards into the vast cavern. After completing this movement, Caesar took a long, unhesitating step and swiftly entered the narrow passage.

The spell being cast was called "Intense Light." It had no offensive properties, its primary purpose being illumination. As the spellball, emitting a fierce burst of light, soared into the air, the bats, previously peacefully nestled atop the vast cavern, instantly grew restless. They screamed in panic and took flight. In an instant, the sky seemed to be enveloped by a thick, dark cloud.

The bats' screams were incredibly sharp and piercing, a sound that seemed to possess a soul-piercing, unsettling power. Terrified, the bats began to dash and scatter in all directions. Suddenly, feces and urine rained down like raindrops. Some bats collided with each other, while others crashed directly into the solid cave walls, plummeting from mid-air. For the various predators lurking deep within the underground forest, this sudden change proved an unexpected feast.

The remaining bats, like frightened birds, flapped their wings in terror and scrambled to escape into the cave above. The cave seemed deep and dark, and there must be another way out hidden within. Caesars had no interest in this; he didn't want to step in the bat droppings.

The cave bats here were merely omnivorous, low-level creatures, not even the lowest-level magical beasts. Furthermore, their bodies were toxic, making them completely worthless.

At this moment, Caesars seemed completely oblivious to the chaotic scene behind him. He turned slowly and calmly, each step he took being exceptionally steady and powerful. He advanced step by step along the branching passage of the cave. This passage was extremely narrow, barely enough for one person to pass through. If two people were to pass through at the same time, it would probably become quite crowded.

After about twenty minutes, a faint light finally appeared ahead. However, the color of this light was quite strange. It wasn't the usual white light, but a faint, eerie red. Caesars quickened his pace, walking quickly in the direction of the light. As he drew closer, the faint red light became clearer and clearer...

What appeared before him left Kaisas speechless with shock. This was no longer a cave. The walls were covered in various gems, predominantly red magic gems. A faint magical energy emanated from the sandstone, causing the magic gems to glow. The ground was littered with not only numerous vipers but also numerous fallen gems.

Kaisas observed this primitive mine. Long ago, it was a vein of magic crystals, and these magical gems were associated minerals. The magic crystals here were no longer visible. They must have been partially absorbed by the vipers, and most of them escaped as magical elements.

The vipers on the ground lay motionless. Their scales were two colors: turquoise and dark gray, with no vipers with golden scales to be seen. Caesars cautiously entered the mine, crouching down to pick up a few magical gems. The gems were so pure they could be crafted into magical gems for a staff.

Caesars bent down and carefully picked up the gems scattered on the ground. After a while, he picked up four or five larger gems, which sparkled charmingly under the light.

He stood up and took cautious steps forward. The vipers seemed to have no interest in this outsider, and continued to lie lazily on the ground, occasionally spitting out their tongues but not moving a muscle.

Caesars continued forward, and after walking about two hundred meters, he noticed that the vipers resting on the ground were becoming more and more numerous. Looking around, the dense swarm of vipers almost occupied the entire ground, leaving him with no place to rest.

Hidden among this group of vipers was the extremely rare Golden Viper. The small black snake that had always accompanied Kaisus now seemed a little small and powerless, and the role it could play was minimal.

Faced with such a predicament, Caesars didn't panic. He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and slowly channeled magic power into the Death Staff in his hand. As the magic power flowed in, the small metal snakes on the staff's tip began to glow faintly, as if imbued with life.

Caesars gripped his staff tightly and thrust the tip into the ground. A gray ripple rapidly spread outward from the tip. Wherever this mysterious ripple reached, the vipers that had been entwined around him, as if frightened, twisted their bodies and quickly crawled towards the vipers on either side.

Caesars walked slowly forward, his eyes constantly scanning, searching for the legendary and seldom-seen golden vipers. The further he went, the thicker the vipers grew, but they still didn't stir, and continued to obediently move out of the way.

Every viper here is as thick as an adult common black snake, almost as thick as a human calf.

Not far ahead, a large snake with golden scales stood up, and next to it was a smaller golden viper, almost as big as a small thick leg.

This small golden viper was spotted by two northerners as it made its way to the hot springs above ground. Duke Solomon's men also spotted it, but neither side had seen the massive snake—a golden viper as thick as a man's waist.