Chapter 18 Vestige (2)

Lynn led Lauren away from the inn, carrying with them a flintlock musket and ten rounds of ammunition.

Reloading the musket proved to be a cumbersome task— after each shot, they had to painstakingly clear the barrel of gunpowder residue and debris before adding fresh gunpowder and lead bullets for the next shot. Hence, ten rounds of ammunition were deemed sufficient.

Once outside, Lauren guided Lynn toward the nearby forest.

Inside the forest, Lauren came to a halt beneath a towering tree.

Lynn lifted his gaze, fixing his eyes upon the vacant expanse of the colossal tree before him.

Within his line of sight, adjacent to the transparent trunk of the towering tree, space began to ripple, and the outline of a translucent figure gradually materialized from thin air.

Semi-transparent scales emitted a silvery-gray sheen, and orange-yellow vertical pupils remained fixed on Lynn.

The big lizard stared at Lynn, its gaze tinged with a hint of scrutiny, and it slowly pronounced Lynn’s name, “Lynn.”

“Hello there, big fellow,” Lynn responded.

The lizard’s head made a slight rotation, and its eyes sparkled with wisdom.

It was in the process of dissecting the meaning behind Lynn’s words.

Then, with a gradual shake of its head, it replied, “I’m not called ‘big fellow’— my name is Serena.”

Indeed, communication was possible, and that was sufficient for Lynn, he thought.

“Hello, Serena,” Lynn greeted.

Although he was somewhat curious as to why a lizard had chosen a feminine name for itself, Lynn refrained from prying further.

From their brief interaction, Lynn discerned that this big lizard could speak, articulate in human language, and possessed normal logic and cognitive abilities, allowing for meaningful communication.

Since it could converse, harbored no malicious intent, and was open to communication, the foundation for cooperation had been laid.

“Would you be willing to accompany me to the mine?” Lynn inquired.

“If you ever desire a meal in the future, I can assist with cooking— I’m quite skilled at it,” Lynn attempted to entice the lizard with the promise of food.

The big lizard was deep in thought.

It recalled the time when Lynn had served as its feeder not too long ago.

Moreover, it didn’t seem to mind Lynn’s presence or scent.

What was even more significant was that it sensed the mark of Angley on Lynn.

After pondering for a moment, the big lizard descended from the tree and followed behind Lynn.

Although the big lizard hadn’t spoken, it had provided its answer through actions.

After successfully swindling a hired thug, Lynn felt a slight sense of relief.

Arriving at the entrance of the mine, the area outside the dark, cavernous opening was barren except for scattered rocks.

The ground bore traces of old bloodstains, blending with the dusty, multi-colored patches.

Lynn glanced at the dark mine entrance and suddenly realized he had overlooked something crucial.

The mine was too dark, and he hadn’t brought any torches for illumination.

Two dim, orange beams of light emerged from behind him. They weren’t very bright, but they provided enough visibility to discern the immediate surroundings.

Lynn was surprised to find that the lizard’s eyes were glowing.

Leading the way, Lynn walked ahead, with the big lizard and Lauren following closely behind.

The mine had considerable depth, with wooden supports scattered throughout. On both sides of the walls, you could still see candle holders with dried wax remnants. The ground was littered with rubble and dust.

However, before long, they reached a fork in the path.

Lynn frowned. He had originally planned to explore the mine tonight, thinking it wouldn’t take much time since it was right on the outskirts of the town.

He hadn’t anticipated multiple forks in the tunnel. If there were many more like this, even a whole day and night might not be enough.

The big lizard’s orange eyes fixated on the left path before it continued forward.

Lynn hesitated for a moment, then hurriedly followed.

As they delved deeper underground, with each fork in the tunnel, the lizard continued to lead the way. Lynn could sense that they were descending further into the earth, and the air grew increasingly oppressive. The heavy dust made Lynn hold his breath, and faint sounds echoed from deep within the mine.

Once again, they reached a fork in the tunnel, and suddenly, there was a cracking sound from above.

In the next instant, a colossal creature lunged at Lynn like lightning.

Lauren, who was beside Lynn, reacted swiftly, swinging a fist upward with great force.

With a lightning-fast speed and pinpoint accuracy, the uppercut connected with a resounding thud.

Boom—

It was like punching a sandbag.

The dull impact sound accompanied the noise of a heavy object hitting the ground.

The big lizard leading the way turned its head. Bathed in the orange glow of its eyes, Lynn could see a bulky monster that looked like an earthworm not far behind him, with a metallic sheen on its head— struggling to burrow into the ground.

It quickly disappeared into the mine, leaving only a gaping, pitch-black hole in its wake.

The big lizard gave it a cursory glance before redirecting its attention.

It twisted its body and continued deeper into the tunnel.

A curious Lauren asked the big lizard, “Aren’t you going to eat it?”

After spending these days in the wilderness with the big lizard, he had grown familiar with it.

“Not hungry,” the big lizard replied in human speech and continued onward.

Was this really a case of whether you are hungry or not? Lynn found this situation somewhat of a pain in the ass.

He had a feeling that the big lizard might not be as reliable as he had initially thought. So, he quickened his pace, closing the distance between him and the lizard, while tightly gripping the staff in his hand.

The earlier incident happened because he had been a bit too far away, making him the target of that monster.

If danger arose, he planned to take cover on the big lizard’s back at the first sign of trouble.

It seemed that there were more of these monsters inside the mine— the few encountered outside were just the tip of the iceberg.

Lauren remained silent, trailing behind Lynn. When Lynn glanced at him, Lauren wore a pleased smile, seeking to please.

Lynn nodded in approval of Lauren’s impressive feat, considering how he had effortlessly dispatched the monster with a single punch. It was evident that Lauren possessed considerable combat prowess and an extraordinary level of strength.

The big lizard continued to lead the way, and the confines of the cave began to feel slightly constricting for it.

As they ventured deeper, Lynn could sense the air growing thinner, but it had not yet become a hindrance to their breathing.

Upon reaching the deepest point, a faint trace of blood lingered in the air.

Lynn’s foot seemed to encounter something soft and slightly resilient as he took a step. He moved his foot, accidentally kicking whatever it was.

A tinkling sound followed, and upon closer examination, Lynn realized it was a pickaxe.

Beneath the pickaxe lay a bluish-purple severed hand, clutching the handle tightly.

“This is it,” the big lizard came to a halt, raising its head high with its orange-hued pupils fixated straight ahead.

Following the big lizard’s gaze, Lynn found himself at the end of the passage, facing a stone wall.

However, there was a sizable cavity that had been chiseled into the wall.

Signs of human excavation were evident along the edges of the cavity, with scattered rubble and chaotic footprints littering the ground.

Peering into the abyss, Lynn could see nothing but pitch darkness.

However, upon closer examination, he noticed a clue.

Along the edges of the chiseled cavity, there was a trace of gold.

Approaching it, Lynn realized it was a solid gold door, though it had been significantly damaged.

A massive breach had been carved into it.

Connecting this sight with what he had seen earlier—a pickaxe and a severed hand—Lynn surmised the probable cause.

The mine workers had discovered the golden door, but they didn’t dare to openly excavate it. Instead, they secretly chiseled away a bit each day.

In the end, they had damaged the door and unwittingly released the monsters within.

As for why the monsters only came out at night, Lynn speculated, looking at the scattered remains on the ground, that someone had sneaked in to excavate the golden door during the nighttime.

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