Black Hearted Mage

Chapter 154 Underground World

Caesars took firm steps, one step at a time, moving forward. He followed the winding path, the scenery gradually becoming monotonous until, at last, there was no longer a path ahead. Suddenly, he noticed something strange beneath his feet—there was no trace of ice or snow on the ground.

As far as the eye could see, a small hot spring pool lay quietly. It wasn't large, only about four or five feet in diameter. Unlike what one might imagine, it didn't belch steam, but rather emitted a faint, warm aroma.

The hot spring water is so clear that you can see the bottom at a glance. The bottom of the pool is covered with white pebbles of various sizes and shapes. They shimmer faintly in the sunlight, like pearls embedded in the water.

Just as Caesars was carefully observing the hot spring pool in front of him, a rough voice suddenly came from the side: "You're finally here! I've been waiting for almost a month!"

Following the sound, I saw a fur-clad figure emerging from a white hide tent. The tent, located just five meters from the hot springs, resembled a pile of snow and was quite spartan. The man, about forty years old, had an unshaven face and unkempt hair, appearing rather disheveled.

"The road is really difficult to walk on!" Caesars explained as he walked quickly forward.

"By the way, why isn't this hot spring pool steaming hot as Duke Solomon described?" Caesars showed a hint of confusion on his face, and was obviously quite puzzled by this.

"This is a magical intermittent hot spring! Every morning, the spring water is boiling and emitting hot steam. The water temperature is extremely high and can even cook monster meat. However, at noon, its temperature will gradually drop and become warm and pleasant. And that mysterious cave is now covered by thick ice and snow. Look, it's just under the stone wall not far away! The snow there is really thick, I'm afraid it's five or six meters thick!" The middle-aged man described it vividly while pointing his finger in the direction of the stone wall not far away.

"Well, you have completed this mission very well, you can go home with peace of mind! When we return to Fire Maple City, the Duke will definitely reward you handsomely!" A satisfied smile appeared on Caesar's face.

"Oh, I really don't want to stay in this damn place for another day. Even when I sleep at night, I'm wrapped in five or six layers of thick fur, but I still feel freezing cold. Especially when it snows, the snowflakes are falling non-stop. I have to clear the snow off the top of the tent twice a day, for fear that the snow will accumulate too much and become too thick, and I will be buried alive in the tent if I'm not careful!"

After saying this, the man quickly walked to the side of the tent and shoved the entire tent into his storage ring. Then, he wrapped the dirty, oily, and wrinkled animal skin tightly around him and strode out without looking back.

"Fortunately, there is this hot spring, otherwise, I would have been frozen to death here by the severe cold. The water in this hot spring can not only be used for bathing, but also can be drunk directly. Although the taste is not very sweet, it at least allows me to feel a little warmth in this ice and snow!" The middle-aged man said loudly as he walked out.

Kaisas looked at the surrounding environment. There was now several meters of snow piled up around this small hot spring pool.

"This guy is also a ruthless person. He can actually stay here for three or four months!"

The Icecrown Mountains are so cold that only the Highland Ogres can survive. Even the people of the North fear the extreme cold here.

Caesars looked at the thick snow on the stone wall. It was as hard as ice, and digging through it was too tiring. He took out a fire crystal, used his magic to break the surface, and placed it on the snow at the entrance of the cave. The high concentration of fire element emitted a high temperature, emanating from the fire crystal, and the surface of the snow melted rapidly, and the melted snow began to flow continuously.

With a crisp "crack," the fire crystals in the ice and snow suddenly cracked, emitting an intense heat. The ice and snow melted instantly, the snow water instantly boiling, and a large amount of rising steam shot straight into the sky.

"It was so scary, it almost caused an elemental explosion!"

Kaisas stared wide-eyed, dreading the scene unfolding before him. The previously tranquil fire crystal suddenly cracked without warning, its speed completely exceeding his expectations.

In less than half a minute, the several-meter-thick snow melted rapidly, turning into rolling slush. However, even this slush was not spared, evaporating without a trace in the blink of an eye, and even the ground was baked dry by the high temperature.

At this point, only a tiny fraction of the Fire Crystal remained, but it continued to release scorching heat waves. Unfortunately, this little remaining energy had reached its limit and was quickly depleted.

As the heat gradually dissipated, a stone cave, barely a man's height, quietly emerged before us. Nestled beneath the white quartzite cliffs, its entrance appeared remarkably smooth and rounded, as if meticulously polished over time. Even more surprising was the gentle breeze that drifted out from within, bringing with it a refreshing and pleasant scent that intoxicated the soul.

Kaisas sniffed hard, an indescribable feeling welling up in his heart. This breath seemed familiar, surprisingly similar to the atmosphere in the endless forest, just like the fresh fragrance exuded by those lush trees and delicate flowers.

Faced with such a mysterious cave, Caesars knew not to rush in. Before entering, he placed a magical beacon at the entrance, ensuring he could accurately find his way back. Furthermore, he meticulously left magical markers as he ventured deeper, ensuring he wouldn't get lost in the complex maze of caverns. Of course, drawing a detailed cave map was also essential; only then would he be more successful the next time he ventured.

Upon entering the cave, a refreshing breath greeted me. The stone walls were as smooth as porcelain, even reflecting a faint light, making it hard to believe they were formed naturally. The cave sloped slightly downward, extending as if leading to an unknown abyss.

After cautiously advancing for less than fifty meters, the cave suddenly took a sharp turn at a steep angle. The passage, which had previously extended north, now completely veered south, catching everyone off guard. Furthermore, with this change in direction, the interior of the cave underwent a dramatic transformation—the once smooth walls suddenly became rough, as if eroded by time and wind and rain.

There were a lot of objects piled up under his feet, like scraps of paper. With the help of his dark vision, Caesars finally saw their true appearance: it turned out that these were all snake skins! Snake skins of all sizes covered the entire bottom of the passage.

The mystery of why the vipers come to the surface has finally been solved. They first soak in the warm hot springs to soften the dead skin on their bodies. Then they return to the rough caves to swim and rub their bodies to complete the molting process. The snake sloughs scattered on the ground are the most convincing proof.

The same is true for the black magic snake in the crater, but when this little snake sheds its skin, it is Caesar who helps it tear off the skin.

Caesars paused at the bend in the passage and, with a gentle wave of his hand, a rune gleaming with a pale blue light was imprinted on the stone wall. After making the magical mark, he pulled out a yellowed animal hide and began carefully mapping the passage.

According to previous observations and estimates, this cave is about a thousand miles away from the newly appeared crack on the plateau.

Among the books in the magical holy tower, Frostcrown, there is a map of the underground world, but it is incomplete. Caesar's ancestors did not continue exploring the underground sea after reaching it. There lived another kind of super-powerful magical beast.

After completing the map, Caesars continued on his journey, staff in hand. It was already pitch black here; the recording stone needed a dark spell to record images. As he continued forward, the passageway widened considerably, but snake sloughs remained everywhere. The further he descended, the warmer the temperature, and the fresh, elegant aroma grew stronger.

Less than ten minutes into their journey, a startling sight suddenly appeared before them, like a massive cliff. Caesars, caught off guard, nearly missed a step and fell off the shallow cliff.

The cliff was roughly estimated to be about twenty meters high, and a thin mist hung below, shrouding it like a mysterious veil. Within that hazy mist, a faint light flickered, adding a touch of eerie and mystery to the entire scene.

A closer look at the cliff revealed a uneven surface, not a smooth one. However, for the experienced Kaisas, this terrain made climbing relatively easy. He quickly cast protective spells such as Light Body, Feather Fall, and Magic Shield.

After everything was ready, Caesars leaped without hesitation, leaping straight down from the cliff as lightly as a bird. His figure slowly disappeared into the drifting mist, and the light around him gradually brightened.

Only when Caesars passed through the veil-like mist and landed firmly on the ground did he see the scene clearly. A dense layer of fluorescent moss grew on the ground, emitting a soft glow like a thick carpet, adorning this small world with a dreamlike quality. With every step, he felt a soft and comfortable touch, as if walking on clouds.

The fresh and elegant scent, emitted by these fluorescent mosses, lingers in the air, making people feel relaxed and happy, as if all fatigue and worries have disappeared at this moment.

Caesars looked around curiously and found that the area was not large, only about two or three acres. So he began to carefully search for other possible entrances and exits. Soon, he noticed a narrow crack in the rock to the south, only about two feet wide, which seemed to be the only way out of this place.

Caesars stopped again and took out the soft and tough animal skin again, but each time it carried an important mission - to draw a topographic map of the cave.

He gazed intently at the cave before him, his pen gently moving across the animal hide, meticulously outlining the cave's topography. Every line and every mark was a record of his exploration of this mysterious place.

After completing the preliminary outline, he paused and took out the small black snake from his backpack. It had a keen sense of perception and could detect dangers that Caesars was unaware of.

The little black snake stretched its body lazily, seemingly still not fully awake from its deep sleep. But when it sensed the unfamiliar aura around it, it immediately became alert.

"Saint Paul, this time it's your turn to show your skills! You go ahead and lead the way for us!" Caesars said softly.

The little black snake understood his command and slowly crawled forward. The rock crack ahead was extremely narrow, only about two feet wide.

The black demon snake slowly advanced along the straight crack, its environment a novelty. Beneath its feet lay a massive, flat quartzite rock, evidently fractured and displaced by geological movement. This quartzite rock formed a natural passage, leading them deeper into the unknown depths of the cave.

Time ticked by. After about ten minutes of walking, the Black Demonic Snake, which had been steadily advancing, suddenly stopped. His heart tightened, and he quickly stepped forward to investigate. The snow-white quartzite had vanished, replaced by a gray sedimentary rock. They had reached the boundary beneath the Icecrown Mountains.

The crack in the sedimentary rock was relatively short, only a few dozen meters long. At the end of the crack, the entrance to a cave appeared before him.

Caesars carefully observed the cave, then pulled out some alchemical potions and inserted them into his belt, ready for quick access if needed. Once everything was ready, he placed the black demon snake back into his backpack. Its belly was still bulging, and because of this, its crawling speed was noticeably slower than usual.

The cave was very dry and cool, even a hint of chill. While the ground beneath him was uneven, fortunately, there were no spiky stalactites. Caesars slowed down, heading deeper down the cave. A snake skeleton appeared on the ground. The length and shape of the skull suggested it was a viper.

Not long after walking, the number of viper skeletons on the ground gradually increased, and frost appeared on the wall of one side of the cave, and the thickness was quite astonishing, like an ice waterfall.