The extreme temperature fluctuations in the depths of the Boneyard nearly killed Mika.
Not only that, but on the winding, flowing sandy soil, occasionally emerged arthropods larger than humans. They have evolved to have exoskeletons the same color as the rocks for camouflage, and their large jaws and pincers could easily tear an adult to pieces, making them hard to guard against.
Mika did not have to take action himself, as the team leader specialized in this and knew the ways of the deep deserts, and had brought along a magician proficient in Earth Element Magic, making it easy for this Honor Adventure Group to handle.
By the second day, the team leader said they would reach the ruins today.
This was already the fourth wave of Magic Beasts to come.
It was a massive, horrifyingly black scorpion, crawling through the sand and standing taller than a person. In the harsh ecological environment of the Boneyard, to avoid larger predators, it had evolved to have no nutritional value in its body, which was composed entirely of chitin, with minimal acidic flesh that was unusable, making it worthless for hunting.
Only its large pincers and stinger could be used by magicians, but the market price was low, and no adventurer wanted to risk their life for a loss-making deal.
As the team leader chopped off the scorpion’s stinger with his scimitar, a black unidentified liquid gushed from the severed end, and he immediately raised his brass round shield in front of him as the shield’s surface was corroded somewhat by the poisonous liquid.
The scorpion, in pain, danced frenetically on the spot with its six limbs, indiscriminately sweeping everything around, and then desperately used its large pincers to burrow into the sand to escape.
The adventure group couldn’t let it escape, or it would be a thorn in their side, possibly coming back to kill them at any time.
The magician used Earth Element Magic to solidify the sand beneath the scorpion into hard granite, but the mindless scorpion kept digging frantically, causing its massive black pincers to bleed, still digging.
The group’s archer saw this as the best time to seize the opportunity. He set up his custom-ordered arcane missile-guided rifle, showing impressive accuracy.
The gun fired with a bang.
The gray condensed aether energy blasted through the scorpion’s eyes, exploding out the other side, completely blasting its head to pieces.
The remaining muscle commands caused the scorpion to struggle and flail for another ten seconds before it finally died, collapsing heavily in the sand, raising a cloud of dust.
Mika let out a breath of relief; this was the biggest monster they had encountered in the last two days.
Considering the cost of transporting those worthless corpse materials, it wasn’t worth it. Just leave the body there.
"You guys are really impressive."
Mika couldn’t help but praise them, feeling a bit embarrassed for only hiding in the back through four encounters solved by them.
Black Sail now dominates the East Sea with all sorts of bizarre immortals and gods.
But in reality, this Honor Level Adventure Group in front of him was among the top tier.
"This is nothing. Back when we were in Vadinia, the sand worms there were truly terrifying, but we still dealt with them easily."
The team leader looked at their current position with a sextant. They were close, less than twenty miles from the marked location of the ruins.
"I’ll say upfront, if there is any danger in the ruins, I will leave without looking back and not take risks with you all."
Even without the Royal Knight status, Mika was a founding shareholder of Black Sail, and by the end of the year when various projects come together, the dividends would be counted in thousands of Golden Dragons.
Having not enjoyed the life of a big figure yet, dying in this desert would be too tragic.
"How could we bear to let you take risks, we are still counting on you to open doors for us."
The team leader said cheerfully.
"Leader, the magician found something, it’s not good."
Mika followed them to take a look.
Even if there were ruins in the Boneyard, they would be periodically buried by the sand due to wind cycles, and then unearthed by the wind again periodically.
"Unfortunately, this place is buried quite deep, almost at the limit of my spiritual power sensing. But no mistake, there is a group of human skeletons twenty meters below, don’t know if they were adventurers or others."
The magician crouched, pressing his hands on the ground, closing his eyes, sensing.
"Does that mean someone got here first?"
A member looked dejected, having prepared for this action for so long with investments of money, time, energy, and two months of preparation. A failure meant tough days ahead.
The team leader, a tough guy, felt unusually excited, "Only means these people died here, indicating they didn’t take anything away. It proves we found the right place, and there are indeed ruins ahead."
Though the magician wasn’t formally educated at the Arcane Academy, he was naturally talented and skilled in Earth Element Magic.
He manipulated the sand and gravel beneath them into a reverse vortex, slowly drawing it out. The team waited over ten minutes to dig out the buried skeletons.
They seem to have decayed for over decades, likely over a hundred years, the bones were crumbling to the touch, leaving only remnants and fragmented skulls.
Confirming nothing valuable was found, no thoughts were given to whether they killed each other or were attacked by Magic Beasts.
The team leader ordered to proceed to the ruins.
Mika felt it was an ominous sign; if something really was in there, sacrificing others might lead to the same fate as these skeletons.
On July 1st, Holy Spirit Calendar 2690.
In the depths of the Boneyard, a forbidden death zone.
"How is this possible!"
The team leader stood on a sand dune, staring below, finding the scene too bizarre.
Mika and the adventure group reached the map’s coordinates.
The ruins were not buried by sand, with an invisible spherical barrier like a meteorite crater, neatly encasing the area.
It wasn’t large, about ten acres, with a diameter of about eighty meters.
The ancient stone pillars in the ruins square had collapsed, only scattered fragments remained standing. In the center was a bronze statue of the Eternal and Time Dragon, entirely covered in mold and rust with its shell pitted.
In front of the statue was a rectangular underground staircase, large enough for three to walk abreast, openly inviting them down.
There were also disjointed bone fragments in the square, along with rusty, incomplete boilers for cooking.
"This is creepy as hell." ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
Mika would never step into that underground staircase.
But the team leader, unable to control his excitement, slid down the sand slope to the square below.
Others, equally excited, copied him, sliding down the slope while shouting in excitement.
"I swear at your mother."
Mika felt he could never get along with adventurers, who just dove in enthusiastically. What if they encountered a Magic Beast again? That could be it for him.
He slowly walked down the sand slope to the square.
"Although the clothes on these skeletons are tattered, you can still see the insignia of the Eternal Sect. Some of those guys had been sent here too."
"Better be careful; so many died here, there must be some grave danger."
"Danger means the items are still here; these worthless three-legged cats couldn’t take it, but I have fully prepared."
The team leader, though a bit apprehensive, knew the Sect’s preparation was more thorough, but retreating now was out of the question.
Worst case, it’s death!
"Take out all gear, prepare items for the Undead Clan, highest alert, we’re going down!"
The leader led the group to the rectangular passage entrance.
Mika, standing by, looked down.
It was just an ordinary stone staircase, yet the chiseling skills were quite fine, the cutting marks were neat.
Wind sounds came from the cave, a sort of continuous space hum, eerie.
"I’m staying out, good luck to you all."
"Alright, take this spare Magic-guided Rifle and these three Blue Crystals. Each crystal can shoot eight times, five seconds between shots, to avoid overloading the rune circuit and damaging the rifle. Use them for Magic Beasts."
The leader handed Mika the rifle.
Mika nodded, accepting it.
The Honor Level Adventure Group mentally prepared themselves, discussed the plan, then went into the cave.
Under the scorching sun in the desolate skeleton-filled square, the heat shimmered. Mika found a shady spot with the Magic-guided Rifle, waiting for their return.