Chapter 108: Deeper Within

“How is it?” Skandori seemed to notice the slight gravity on Veil’s face and asked him.

“I’m guessing someone’s been here before,” Veil replied, handing the energy crystal in his hand to Skandori. “You know, those undead creatures wouldn’t use these things.”

“Is that so?” Skandori took the crystal from Veil and examined it carefully before nodding. “Though there are many kinds of undead from the Netherworld, I’ve never encountered any with intelligence like this. What you say makes sense—it’s impossible. Of course, the Beast Clan wouldn’t use them either, that I can guarantee. But whether other races might, I can’t say. Take the Elves, for example; with their abilities, they should be capable of using such items.”

“No, it shouldn’t be the Elves,” Veil immediately dismissed Skandori’s suggestion, shaking his head firmly. “I thought the same at first. Elvenkind are almost born sorcerers, masters of magic and energy manipulation by nature. These energy crystals contain vast amounts of power, which fits our theory perfectly. But look at this stone platform—the crystals are arranged in a very orderly pattern, resembling a magic array. Though its purpose remains unclear, one thing is certain: this is not a magic array.”

“Then do you know what it is for?” Skandori asked eagerly, aware of Veil’s expertise in such matters.

“The shape resembles an array and requires a massive energy supply, much like a magic circle. But the energy it uses does not match any form I know. I’ve probed it with my senses; the energy is very pure but lacks any offensive quality. Moreover...” Veil paused briefly, glanced at Skandori, and continued, “it’s very strange. The energy seems to be constantly drawn, as if pulled by something distant. It’s always flowing, giving the impression of a continuously circulating channel.”

A circulating channel? That sounds remarkably similar to magical spatial teleportation. Could this be a portal from another plane leading into the Magic Continent Six—the Gate of the Netherworld?

At first, Veil hadn’t considered this possibility. But as he spoke, his surprise deepened. He quickly extended his senses to carefully examine the pattern on the stone platform. Not content with that, Veil climbed atop the platform, tracing every line and symbol with meticulous care, using his perception to probe continuously.

Though Skandori and Nassar didn’t understand exactly what Veil was doing, they wisely refrained from interrupting and waited below the platform. After more than half an hour, Veil’s tightly furrowed brow finally relaxed slightly, and a faint smile curved his lips.

This pattern was exquisitely intricate; every line and symbol held unique meaning. In this respect, it bore a strong resemblance to magic. Yet, strangely, the pattern on the stone platform—and the energy it contained—was unlike anything Veil had ever encountered. It didn’t correspond to any known form of energy on Continent Six.

The only possibility was that these things originated entirely from the Netherworld.

Discovering such a crucial clue brought Veil a moment’s joy, but it was soon replaced by deep concern. The Netherworld was far more complex than he had imagined. It wasn’t merely a realm filled with countless mindless undead beasts; there were highly intelligent beings there, and even a distinct history and culture unique to that realm.

“Found something?” Skandori, noticing Veil had stopped his movements, stepped forward to ask.

“Yeah,” Veil nodded. “I did find something.”

As he spoke, Veil shifted several energy crystals, then drew his magic wand and added a few strokes to the pattern on the ground. A cold, chilling frost magic energy transformed into power to activate the array. Under Veil’s deliberate control, the entire pattern slowly came to life. Strange glimmers began to radiate, forming a swirling vortex of energy above the stone platform, shimmering in hues of green, black, and silver.

“Prepare for the worst... we might encounter something interesting soon,” Veil said abruptly, a trace of indescribable excitement on his face. Clutching his wand tightly, he waved it twice before the energy vortex. Suddenly, the swirling energy exploded into a dazzling flash, shooting out four blinding beams of light. In an instant, these beams scattered wildly, detonating about ten meters above the vortex’s center.

In such darkness, the sudden explosion’s brilliance was almost blinding. At the moment of the blast, all three instinctively shut their eyes. Strangely, the beams didn’t ignite fiery sparks but instead erupted into eerie, hazy black light.

As the strange black glow dispersed, it gathered quickly above the stone platform. When Veil and the others recovered, a large gate formed from pitch-black energy stood before them, appearing mysteriously out of nowhere.

“The Gate of the Netherworld has been activated. I’m not sure if it will suddenly close or what dangers lie beyond. So, what do you say—shall we enter?” Veil turned to look at Skandori and Nassar, asking their opinion.

“Destroying this platform would completely sever the Gate of the Netherworld, right?” Skandori frowned slightly and asked Veil. Though he was a madman, he didn’t want to take unnecessary risks. If destroying the pattern on the platform meant cutting off the undead from entering Continent Six, he wouldn’t venture further.

“That won’t work,” Veil replied. “This platform acts like a teleportation ‘anchor point.’ You can destroy the anchor, but it only removes one endpoint or target for the teleportation. The teleportation itself will continue, but after that, we won’t be able to control or predict where the undead will appear. It could be somewhere beyond the wilderness, in the human world, or—who knows—they might suddenly show up in Masan itself.”

Hearing this, Skandori frowned deeper, pondering for a moment before finally deciding to step through the Gate of the Netherworld and investigate.