Chapter 156

Chapter 156 – Chapter 29: War Destruction #7

The large forest was wider than In-gong had imagined . As they ventured deeper, In-gong’s anxiety grew .

‘This is the right direction . ’

The information he’d gathered from Knight Saga gave an estimated location of the ruins, but he hadn’t experienced it directly . The forest was so wide that even if the rough direction was right, any slight error would make them arrive at a remote location .

‘I hope that the ruin stays the same size . ’

As with everything else in the forest, if the ruins were too big, he might have trouble finding it on the mini-map . Therefore, In-gong focused on the mini-map while riding on White Eagle .

Two hours later…

“This is the first time I’ve passed by this area . ”

Galang said in a voice which was filled with admiration and respect . The other Gullam hunters were also very excited .

Galang and his group were excited about being about to go into this area .

There was a colony of red ants in the area . Just like everything else in the forest, the ants were enormous and almost the size of a human body . There were thousands of ants, and the ground itself seemed to be red .

Even Felicia, who had seen many things, had to cover her eyes at the terrible sight, but that wasn’t the only problem .

Galang called the red ants, the Flaming Ants . It wasn’t due to their red colour but because of their nature . The Flaming Ants covered anything in their territory, without caring about living or dying . Thousands of red ants covered the bodies of their victims and ate them instantly, giving them a resemblance to the flame ants .

However, the party simply passed through the area of the fire ants . Half of it was thanks to Felicia’s barrier of fire and the other half was thanks to In-gong’s new power .

“Won’t people get out of your way every day?”

Carack said brief words of appreciation, and In-gong responded with a bitter smile . He didn’t want to deny it, but the newly awakened power was something he hadn’t thought about .

Dragon Fear—

It was a dragon’s innate power, just like the Dragon Breath .

As its name suggested, Dragon Fear was the ability to instill fear into the beings around him .

As soon as he realized it was innate just like Dragon Breath, he could use it immediately .

It was only level one, so the impact range was small, but the effect was obvious . In-gong used Dragon Fear, and the colony of ants opened up a path for them . Through this open path, Felicia expanded her fire barrier, creating a truly safe passage .

“Drakon Kechatulla . ”

“Drakon Kechatulla!”

While the Gullam hunters honoured him, In-gong looked at the mini-map . The reason he had descended from the sky down to the ground hadn’t been just to break through the colony of ants . The location of the ruins was shown on the mini-maps, so it was no longer necessary for him to stay in the sky .

Fortunately, their direction was still correct . They just needed to travel a little further to arrive at the ruins .

“It will be breathtaking . ”

Night was approaching . Perhaps by the time they arrived at the ruin, the sun would just be setting .

Of course, camping in the forest was a risk . There was a reason why the Gullam lived in the outskirts of the forest, away from their hunting grounds . At night, the prey would become the hunters . There were also many nocturnal animals which didn’t show up during the day . If they camped in the wrong place, they might never wake up again .

Could they find a camping spot near the ruins? If they couldn’t find the right place, they would have to camp inside the actual ruins .

In fact, it was common during exploration to set up camp sites within the ruins . There were walls and ceilings, so it was easier to secure their safety inside, than a place where every side was open .

The question was whether the ruins were dangerous . They wouldn’t know if there was anything inside until they searched it from beginning to end . An unexpected spell might be activated while they were sleeping, or they could be attacked by a dungeon monster or protector of the ruins .

In that case, the walls and ceilings would become obstacles to isolate the party .

“I think that I am worrying too much . ”

There was the possibility of danger, but risks always existed when going into ruins .

Felicia looked away from the Flaming Ants and expressed her opinion,

“If there is a multi-floor structure, even if a magic trap is activated, it is unlikely to affect the whole ruins, and we will be ready for magic from the beginning . There were always traces of the magic circuit left behind . And if we camp near the entrance, it won’t be so difficult to escape . ”

Felicia was the one with the most experience in ruins exploration . Carack nodded and asked,

“Don’t you just dislike camping in the forest?”

“Ah, no? Do I have to justify this to you? Would you prefer mud instead of walls, ceilings and hard floors?”

Felicia wasn’t embarrassed and said it openly .

While everyone was laughing, In-gong focused his gaze on a place far away . It was a big empty space beyond the bushes .

“Ohh…”

Galang and the other Gullam hunters gave cries of admiration . They had lived in the forest all their lives, but they had never imagined there would be such a vacant place .

Felicia looked around from Galang’s shoulder . The vacant lot was hundreds of meters in diameter and was much lower than the surrounding areas, like a type of basin . In the middle of the empty space, In-gong saw a stone structure . The entrance of the ruins was just high enough for the Gullam to pass through .

“Are these underground ruins? Maybe this isn’t a dragon lair . ”

Felicia muttered in a small voice . The dragon lair was the nest of a dragon, so a big entrance leading to the outside was needed . Of course, Kaltein’s lair in Sun Lake didn’t have such an entrance, but that was a rare case .

In-gong rose on White Eagle to a point where he was eye level with Galang .

“Let’s explore the area around the entrance . Arranging a camping place is imperative . ”

As expected, the sun was setting . They had to search for a campsite before it became dark .

“I understand . ”

Galang answered sincerely before rushing toward the ruins .

&

There were no traces of magic power at the entrance to the ruin . The walls were solidly laid and didn’t seem to have any added magic power .

The amazing thing was the air inside the ruin . In contrast to the humid forest, the air inside was very cold and dry . It was a double layered structure which led underground like Felicia speculated, and it had a spell at the underground side .

“This is a very old ruin . At least 5,000 years… maybe more than that . ”

Felicia got down from Galang and spoke while touching the walls of the stone ruin . She used a type of magic which could measure age, like carbon dating .

The ceiling of the ruins was very high for In-gong’s group, but not for the Gullam hunters . In particular, Galang was the tallest and felt quite frustrated because there was only one palm height between his head and the ceiling .

Fortunately, the corridor was quite wide . There was plenty of space so that three Gullam hunters could walk side by side at the same time . Galang led the party into the ruins while holding a torch . Outside the ruins, it was already dark .

“I don’t feel any signs of movement inside . There isn’t even a big animal . ”

Galang said with narrowed eyes . He was somewhat puzzled .

Ruins with their walls and ceilings were a haven for many animals and plants . Due to this, there were usually many dungeon monsters and various flora and fauna inside old ruins .

In-gong was reminded of the dwarf cave he had used when fighting against the Red Lightning tribe . There had been rock spiders and other flora and fauna inside the cave .

“Although there seems to be… bugs . We can rest easily . ”

Felicia looked at the Carack-sized spider on the ceiling . Even though there were no big animals, there were still living creatures . It wasn’t unreasonable to camp overnight here .

The inside of the ruins was basically a straight corridor, with several rooms on the left and right . It seemed like the corridor would become a crossroad if they went deeper, but In-gong’s group stopped exploring in front of the first room .

“Let’s make preparations for the camp . ”

There were walls and ceilings, but this wasn’t enough . There was a large room which was 50 meters long . This wasn’t big for the Gullams, especially Galang, but they made sure it was well-ventilated before setting up a campfire . The room was soon filled with a red light .

It was bare of any furniture, and the ceilings and walls were old, so it was hard to find traces of anything .

“We should set it up . ”

In-gong nodded at Felicia’s words and opened his inventory . Unlike the Gullams who were ready after the campfire, In-gong’s group still had a lot of work to do .

In-gong took out all the materials to build a big tent . He then pulled out the sleeping bags and cooking utensils . The last thing he took out was a bathtub made of pottery .

“Shutra is the best! Too convenient!”

Felicia touched the bathtub excitedly . Galang and the other Gullam hunters stared at In-gong with wide eyes .

“I’m getting used to this now . ”

Carack set up the tent with Karma, and Delia opened a screen and large parasol around the bathroom to set up a bathing room . It was a place without a waterway or well, but it didn’t matter . Felicia called the water spirit and filled the bathtub instantly . She didn’t forget to use the fire spirit to heat up the water as well .

In-gong then pulled out a leather rug to place it on the bottom of the tent . Despite not bringing a big bag, the campsite was like a luxury accommodation with a kitchen and bathing room .

“Shutra, I’ll wash first . ”

Felicia had been sweating all day, so she couldn’t be happier . She took Delia and Karma into the temporary bathing room . They had a change of clothes because of In-gong’s inventory . In-gong used magic to light a fire with the firewood Carack had collected, then he took out cold beverages and handed them to Carack .

As the Gullam hunters kept staring in surprise, Carack look at the cold beer in his hand and laughed .

“I once again realized that I am on a trip with a prince . ”

In-gong was able to provide a camp of this luxury in a short amount of time . This was because Felicia could use magic and spirits for easy convenience, while In-gong could fit various equipment in his inventory .

“I’m sorry . The size of the Gullams means this was the only thing I could bring for you . ”

In-gong’s face filled with regret as he brought out large spice shakers almost the size of a human body, which contained salt and pepper .

“Thank you for this . ”

Galang laughed and put the wyvern meat onto the campfire . As the smell of roasting meat spread, there was the risk of gathering beasts from the forest . However, the party had Green Wind . Green Wind gathered the smell of roasting meat and blew it far away into the sky .

“Well, even I think it is a scam . ”

In-gong said as he sat on a chair and watched Carack cook . Felicia and the women left the bath almost half an hour later .

&

In-gong suddenly opened his eyes . He was in a small one-person tent . There were animal skins and a few blankets on the floor, with Green Wind sleeping beside him . She had a warm body temperature in a solid form, while she was a cool breeze in her semi-solid form .

At first, he was a bit embarrassed about sleeping next to her, but he was so used to it now that he couldn’t sleep well without Green Wind .

In-gong blinked a few times while stroking Green Wind’s head reflexively . He hadn’t simply been woken from his sleep .

‘Master?’

Green Wind asked in a sleepy voice . Despite being a guardian which didn’t need to sleep, she felt sleepy due to her experiences in the past .

Instead of answering, In-gong got up . He summoned a small light spirit and left the tent .

“Your Highness?”

Galang, who was standing guard, turned toward In-gong . The rest of the Gullam hunters were gathered around the campfire, while Felicia, Delia and Karma’s tent was quiet . Carack was lying at the entrance of In-gong’s tend and opened his eyes with a loud grumble .

“Prince?”

In-gong didn’t answer . He raised a hand for Galang and Carack to remain still .

No sounds could be heard . There was only the sound of wind passing through the hallway . However, In-gong knew instinctively—no, he could feel it .

Drakon Kechatulla…

The great dragon warrior—

Its voice was calling In-gong .