Li Wen led the group to the front of the temple.
The style of the Trion Temple was no different from the many ruins left behind by the Noraton Empire—massive marble columns held up the grand dome, and the towering bronze gate that served as the sole entrance seemed like it was built for giants alone.
“Feels like we’re about to start a boss fight the moment we step in,” Taketori muttered under her breath.
Li Wen ignored her.
At that moment, “Leonart’s Fourth Solution” activated once again.
Without any physical contact, the massive bronze doors began to creak open, revealing the dark and dilapidated interior of the temple.
Unlike its plain and weathered exterior, the inside of the Trion Temple was more like a work of art.
Every tile on the floor and brick in the wall was intricately carved with totems and illustrations related to Noraton mythology.
A pitch-black corridor stretched deep into the heart of the temple.
The players stared nervously down the passageway, ready for a monster or enemy to jump out at any moment.
Li Wen didn’t wait.
She stepped inside first without hesitation.
The players exchanged uncertain glances, then obediently followed.
Inside, the temple was dim and oppressive, the air heavy with the earthy stench of decay.
But what caught Li Wen’s attention were the traces of dark red stains on the floor.
There was no doubt about it—it was blood.
Judging from the oxidation, it had been left no more than three days ago.
That matched Li Wen’s theory that the fire mage had been injured.
If that were true, then their goals overlapped.
The fire mage had also come here, but how had he found this place—and how had he entered?
Li Wen wasn’t too concerned about whether the fire mage would beat her to the crucial item.
In her past life, the one who first explored Amber City and secured the artifact had been a member of the strategy group.
That was a future already set in stone—a fate that could not be changed.
Unless, of course, there existed a second Spear of Uld.
After they passed through the long corridor, they finally reached the inner sanctum—surprisingly bright and well-lit.
When they looked up, they saw a massive amber-colored crystal floating in the center of the domed ceiling.
It was this crystal that illuminated the entire room.
Li Wen recognized it immediately: a Dusk Stone.
This rare magical material was often used in alchemical rituals and processes related to the Luminous spectrum.
Missionaries from the Holy Candescent Church used the resin that seeped from such stones to make ceremonial candles.
A Dusk Stone of this size—even in the Golden Age—would’ve been extraordinarily rare.
According to Li Wen’s knowledge of the black market, this amount of pure, intact Dusk Stone was more valuable than gold by weight.
A piece like this was a true treasure.
But what drew Li Wen’s attention even more than the crystal was the floor beneath her feet.
According to the strategy notes, the path to Amber City lay hidden here.
The stone tiles were inscribed with patterns as well, but unlike the murals on the walls or ceiling, these were complex geometric designs.
Even with Li Wen’s trained eyes, she could only tell that this was an incredibly advanced and powerful teleportation array.
Its true structure and logic remained a mystery to her.
The magic powering the array likely came from the Dusk Stone above.
It would be a waste to use something that powerful for lighting alone.
If her guess was right, the array’s destination was none other than the fabled Amber City.
But how did one activate the array?
The strategy notes merely mentioned a chant, but offered no specifics.
Perhaps for secrecy—perhaps for reasons far more profound.
Li Wen combed through her memory, recalling everything she had learned about Noraton’s magical arrays.
The Noraton Empire had begun in the final days of the Golden Age and ended in the mid-Silver Age.
It had witnessed the fall of the Golden Elves, the founding of the Sin Capital, and the rise and fall of Yasmarl…
Without question, the Noraton Empire’s depth in mysticism was unmatched.
Even modern-day nations like Arthur only rose to power because they inherited its legacy.
So for Li Wen to find a match for the complex glyphs beneath her feet—it would be incredibly difficult, perhaps even impossible.
Still, she wasn’t completely without leads.
Her training in rituals had begun with the Mages of the Prism Tower.
The founder of that tower had once been a student of Merlin, the Grand Mage of Arthur.
And theoretically, Arthur’s magical heritage had its roots in Noraton’s legacy.
In that sense, Li Wen could be considered a distant descendant—however many generations removed—of Noraton’s ritualistic tradition.
With this background, she believed she could at least identify traces of the original array, even if she couldn’t recreate it in full.
However, the moment Li Wen tried to apply this reasoning, something strange happened.
The complex symbols and lines before her suddenly began to rearrange themselves.
At the same time, a string of unfamiliar words echoed in her mind, and an irresistible compulsion made her speak them aloud.
“Mal’Sara I’katul.”
As her voice fell, the Dusk Stone flared with light.
The ground beneath them rumbled violently, and a sudden sensation of weightlessness swept through them all.
If teleportation arrays were designed to send people or objects instantly from one location to another, then Li Wen’s guess was technically correct.
But this… this was not teleportation as she knew it.
“What the hell? An earthquake?!”
Taketori shouted, completely panicked.
They had come expecting a boss fight—not whatever this was.
“There’s no earthquake,” Li Wen said calmly.
“We’re descending.”
This wasn’t a teleportation array—it was a magical elevator plunging them into unfathomable depths.
The sensation of weightlessness lasted for what felt like tens of minutes.
If they hadn’t been players, they likely would’ve vomited or passed out from the prolonged blood rush to the brain.
Li Wen took a deep breath and only relaxed once she confirmed she was standing on solid ground.
Based on the depth of their descent and how long it had taken, she estimated that they were now several kilometers below the surface.
At such depths… it was no wonder no one had found Amber City since the fall of Noraton.
Li Wen looked around.
The inner sanctum had transformed.
The walls were now pitch black with no visible seams.
Two doors stood in opposite directions—one tightly sealed, the other standing open.
There was nothing remarkable about the open door, but after confirming the sealed one couldn’t be forced open, Li Wen signaled for Taketori and the others to move ahead.
And when they stepped through the open doorway, they were greeted by the light of dusk.
Tftc!