After tasking Mayor Buck with promptly selecting the apprentices and expanding the blacksmith shop, Raylo took Ed and headed straight upriver through the valley.
The further they went upriver, the more rugged the terrain became. The valley walls grew steep and the trees denser, leaving no sign of human passage.
"My Lord, it should be just ahead."
Ed pushed aside the undergrowth blocking their path, pointing toward the faint, immense sound of water up ahead.
The two walked a little further, rounded a Stone Forest, and the view suddenly opened up before them.
A wide waterfall, like the Milky Way pouring from the heavens, thundered down from a cliff dozens of meters high. It crashed into the deep pool below, throwing up a vast cloud of mist.
A deafening roar thundered through the valley. Mist washed over them, carrying the crisp chill of the mountain stream and the damp scent of vegetation.
"What a magnificent waterfall!"
Raylo couldn't help but marvel.
Ed remained silent, carefully observing the area around the waterfall.
After a moment, he pointed to a spot near the cliff face, to the side and behind the falls. "My Lord, look over there."
Raylo followed his gaze. Behind the massive curtain of water, he could faintly make out some uneven rocks. It seemed a fissure was hidden among them.
If it weren't for Ed's sharp eyes and his prior suspicions, an ordinary person would never have noticed this corner, concealed as it was by the curtain of water.
"Let's go take a look."
As they neared the waterfall, the immense force of the crashing water was a heavy pressure in their chests, and the billowing mist nearly soaked their clothes through.
The two of them carefully picked their way across the slippery rocks, circling around to the back of the waterfall.
Pushing aside the heavy curtain of water and dangling vines, they found, just as they'd suspected, a narrow crack just wide enough for a single person to pass through sideways.
It was pitch-black inside the fissure, which exuded a damp, cold aura.
Ed took a torch from his pack and lit it with a flint. Its dim, yellow light dispelled some of the darkness.
"My Lord, I'll go in first and scout it out."
Holding the torch high, Ed was the first to squeeze inside.
Raylo followed close behind.
The passage wasn't long. After a dozen or so steps, the space suddenly opened up.
It was a massive, naturally formed cavern. Stalactites of all shapes and sizes hung from the ceiling, shimmering with a strange luster in the torchlight.
A musty, long-sealed odor filled the air, mingled with the faint, peculiar scent of herbs and minerals.
Deeper in the cavern, there were obvious signs of man-made modifications.
The inner stone wall had been polished relatively smooth, and upon it were carved a number of blurry symbols and patterns.
In the center of the cave stood a massive stone table. Scattered across its surface were glass beakers of strange shapes, crucibles, mortars, and a few unfamiliar metal tools. Most of the items were covered in dust, and some were even broken and shattered.
Piled in a corner were some withered specimens of exotic plants, ores of strange colors, and several half-man-high wooden racks.
Several dried lizards, toads, and bat wings hung by thin threads from one of the racks. In the flickering torchlight, they cast menacing, dancing shadows that added to the sinister atmosphere.
"Looks like this was a Wizard's laboratory."
Raylo murmured, surveying his surroundings.
'From the looks of it, the Wizard must have left this place a very long time ago.'
"My Lord, look over here!"
Ed had discovered something beneath a pile of scattered junk.
Raylo walked over and saw Ed dragging something out from beneath a rotten wooden crate. The object was wrapped tightly in thick oilcloth.
The oilcloth had grown stiff and brittle, even tearing a little at the corners, but it had still provided excellent protection.
He carefully unwrapped the oilcloth, revealing a rather thick journal bound in the hide of some unknown beast.
The dark brown cover bore no text or markings, only a complex, twisted rune branded into its very center.
Raylo's heart stirred as he took the journal.
It felt quite heavy in his hands. Though ancient, the Beast Hide cover was remarkably well-preserved and still supple to the touch. He took a deep breath and carefully opened it to the first page.
The pages inside were yellowed and coarse, but the script was still clearly legible.
It was a strange script, a mixture of the common tongue and a great number of unknown symbols and diagrams.
Patiently, by the light of the torch, Raylo began to carefully decipher the parts he could understand, which were written in the common tongue.
The journal's contents were incredibly diverse, covering numerous fields: herb identification, mineral purification, elemental transmutation, rune-crafting, and more. Many entries were vague or even contradictory, like a Wizard's scattered notes on experiments and fleeting moments of inspiration.
However, as Raylo flipped to the latter half of the journal, his breath caught.
The subject matter of the next several dozen pages suddenly became sharp and focused, revolving entirely around a single, special domain: Magical Beasts!
It covered everything from identifying promising young beasts, analyzing the habits of different Magical Beast species, and taming techniques, all the way to more advanced topics like bloodline activation, potential induction, and even... guided development through artificial intervention!
A few pages, written in bright red ink, recorded in detail the recipes, brewing steps, and corresponding Magic Spells for several Magic Potions.
The names and descriptions of these Magic Potions made Raylo's heart pound wildly.
"Growth Accelerant for Young Beasts: Main ingredients are Earth Dragon Grass and the Spinal Fluid of a Magical Beast, supplemented with powdered Moonlight Stone... Can dramatically shorten the skeletal development period of a young beast..."
"Potential Activation Potion (Prototype No. 3): Requires the Heart's Blood of a Tier Three Magical Beast, a Deep Sea Luminous Pearl... Extremely unstable, high risk of failure, but upon success, can forcibly awaken a hidden talent or bloodline Power in the target Magical Beast..."
"Attribute Solidification Liquid: Recipe incomplete, only partial records remain.
Appears to be able to permanently solidify a type of Elemental Power within a Magical Beast, increasing its corresponding elemental resistance and attack power..."
Raylo's eyes grew brighter and brighter. His grip on the journal tightened, his knuckles turning white.
'This is a priceless treasure!'
'What was it he lacked most right now?'
'Time. A way to rapidly increase the strength of his Domain!'
Black Stone Town was in a state of ruin, needing to be rebuilt from the ground up. The talent and Power at his disposal were stretched perilously thin.
If he could master the methods for brewing these Magic Potions—even just the simplest one, the "Growth Accelerant for Young Beasts"—it would be enough for him to rapidly raise a batch of usable Magical Beast mounts. He could even form a small unit of Magical Beast cavalry!
This would play a crucial role in his Domain's defense, exploration, and future expansion!
"Ed, search this place again, thoroughly. See if there are any other journals like this one, or anything else of value."
Raylo's voice was laced with unconcealed excitement. He carefully closed the Wizard's Journal, rewrapped it in the oilcloth, and solemnly tucked it inside his clothes, close to his chest.
Ed nodded. Holding the torch, he began a more meticulous search of every corner of the laboratory.
Unfortunately, aside from some expired Alchemy Materials, a few low-quality Magic Crystal fragments, and some tattered pieces of parchment containing fragmented magical knowledge, they found nothing else as important as the journal.
"My Lord, there's nothing else."
Ed reported upon his return.
"It's more than enough."
Raylo patted his chest, feeling the thickness of the journal there. A satisfied smile spread across his face. "Today's haul has already far exceeded my expectations."