The goblins were unfamiliar with human magic, but Long Yixiang understood the truth—he knew Lilith was currently bluffing, attempting to intimidate the creatures through sheer force of presence.
Magic was the art of manipulating reality through willpower, altering one's surroundings to achieve offensive, healing, defensive, or other extraordinary effects. The Truth Church claimed this power was bestowed upon humanity by God.
After the primitive era, the Church had taught magic to humans. Yet since mortals couldn't equal the Divine, they had to meet numerous conditions to wield it.
Because magical effects "transcended human limitations," spellcasting came with strict requirements. The foundation lay in the latent mana within every person—the stronger one cultivated this energy, the more powerful the spells they could unleash.
To transform mana into magical effects required four mediums: incantations, sigils, gestures, and magic circles.
Additionally, casting time was essential. Higher-level spells generally demanded longer preparation, categorized by duration into instant-cast, chants, and sustained spells. For sustained magic, the caster had to maintain the casting posture without interruption to keep the effect active.
During this process, the caster became extremely vulnerable. That's why experienced practitioners preferred using pre-inscribed runes or magic circles instead of vocal incantations whenever possible.
Having just unleashed a powerful light-attribute spell, Lilith was now in a weakened state. She'd likely begun chanting the moment she sensed danger, but with enemies already upon her, preparing another complex incantation would be difficult. Long Yixiang knew she probably had other tricks, but that would ruin his chance for a classic "hero-saves-the-maiden" scenario.
All the conditions were perfectly aligned—the ideal setting to trigger the suspension bridge effect.
Long Yixiang pulled the trigger. The bolt shot through the air with tremendous force, piercing clean through a goblin's skull before carrying the creature several meters until it slammed against a large rock, scattering brains like spilled tofu.
Lilith turned toward him in astonishment.
"Don't just stare! Prepare your next spell!" Long Yixiang shouted.
With him drawing the frontline aggression, Lilith cast aside her reservations. She resumed her melodious chant while tracing elegant arcs through the air with her hands and feet. The forest transformed into a concert hall, with the girl at its center performing an enchanting dance.
A Truth Church priestess was far more than just prayers.
Meanwhile, Long Yixiang picked off the goblins one by one—each bolt finding a target stunned by Lilith's magic. Their numerical advantage steadily dwindled. He'd only lured out one nest of goblins, and while repulsive, they were no match for the duo working in tandem.
The intense pressure finally shattered the will of these wretched creatures. The remaining goblins completely lost their fighting spirit, turning to flee for their lives.
Their legs slowed the moment they took the first step. Though their eyes brimmed with terror, their movements became sluggish as if wading through mud, their feet refusing to land properly. At a certain point, their movements froze completely, then a layer of frost crept from their feet to their heads, extinguishing all signs of life.
...
Lilith and Long Yixiang were preparing barbecue by the stream, satisfying their hunger with roasted meat. Thanks to the "assistance" from their goblin companions, the two were now traveling together.
"See? Traveling together is safer, right?" Long Yixiang said with some pride.
"Weren't you just saying the forest was the safest place right now?" Lilith shot him a glare, then added, "But thank you for earlier."
"Don't mention it. Let's eat quickly and get moving before someone else gets there. We'll rest a bit more, then head straight there." Long Yixiang skewered food on thin branches and held them over the fire.
"If this treasure of yours is so well hidden, shouldn't it be safe from discovery? It's been so long—if someone were going to find it, they would have by now," Lilith asked, puzzled.
"Not necessarily..."
Long Yixiang shook his head slightly. In his first playthrough, he had indeed stumbled upon it by chance. Back then, only low-level adventurers came to this trial forest to gather basic materials—no one else was interested. Those novice adventurers lacked the strength to delve deep into the forest, which was why it had remained undiscovered until he found it. But now, due to the Slime tide he'd triggered, this forest contained a group from the Truth Church...
Long Yixiang recalled a childhood anime featuring Doraemon, where a character traveled back in time and altered causality. His current situation felt somewhat similar. If his rebirth was an event outside this world's normal logic, it could create a butterfly effect. Futures that shouldn't have happened might now occur—possibly bringing unforeseen benefits, but equally possible were unforeseen disasters.
Following the route from his memories, they arrived at the place he remembered. Perhaps too much time had passed, as no traces of human activity remained. The ground was covered in dense vegetation, indistinguishable from the surrounding forest.
Long Yixiang checked his map.
"Where's this ruin you mentioned?" Lilith glanced around.
"There seems to be nothing here."
"O almighty wind spirits, with the atmosphere as my bow and radiance as my arrow, bear the power of my will and tear through the distant void..."
"Wait! What are you doing?" Lilith exclaimed in alarm.
But it was too late to stop him. Long Yixiang had already completed the chant. With a sweep of his arm, a massive gust of wind roared forth, scouring the ground with enough force to peel it back. Lilith's dress billowed up, forcing her to press it down for modesty.
As the gale gradually subsided, Lilith slowly opened her eyes.
"The Astralea Geoglyph?"
"What?" Long Yixiang was taken aback.
"It's the Astralea Geoglyph. It's recorded in the Church's ancient texts. I saw it in an old book on the 88th floor of the Truth Tower—it looked exactly like this," Lilith quickly explained.
"Why didn't I know about this?" Long Yixiang frowned slightly. Of course he knew this was the entrance to an underground base; the wind magic had stripped away the topsoil and trees to reveal it.
It was an enormous "door" made of high-pressure-resistant concrete, capable of withstanding strategic-level impacts. Two semicircular hatches interlocked like teeth—frankly, it resembled an oversized manhole cover.
Wait, the patterns on this "cover" did indeed resemble a "glyph."
"Access to texts above the 80th floor of the Truth Tower is restricted to clergy of archbishop rank and higher," Lilith explained. "I had legitimate reasons for being there."
"The Church is indeed more complex than I thought..."
Though he had expected as much, the extent of the Church's reach still surprised him. He had previously assumed they were arrogantly dismissive of ancient ruins, but it seemed they weren't that foolish. They had recognized its value and sealed the information. Perhaps I should invest in archaeology later, Long Yixiang mused, and explore more about this ancient kingdom.