You are all my wings...

Because high-level monsters are generally quite large, they rarely hide in such concealed environments.

On the contrary, the lower-level monsters are hidden and numerous. Even though Leon and Iris have a record of defeating weak fourth-level monsters when they work together, they may still be ambushed and killed in this cramped terrain.

The reason is simple: the terrain easily limits the two people's agility and defensive magic.

The presence of low-level demonic energy in this place proves that it is not an ordinary place.

The saying that ants can kill an elephant is not just empty talk.

Moreover, there is a high probability that there are elemental magic rings here. Even if they are well sealed, the balance of the four elements caused to the outside world will definitely have a significant impact on the surrounding monsters, and it would not be surprising if they developed mutated skills.

"Watch out, Iris, your knee is touching me again."

"I'm sorry, but since I can't avoid bumping into you no matter what, I can only choose to touch you with my knees."

"If it's not a knee, then what is it?"

"I...I think it's better if you don't ask too many questions."

Lyon could tell that Iris's voice sounded somewhat tense.

He mentally simulated what it would be like for Iris to lean out from under the steps in this low space. If she didn't use her knees to brace herself against him, her only options would probably be her groin and her feet.

So Iris considered that it would be impolite for her to step on him with her soles, and it would be impolite for her to have her genitals close to him.

interesting.

Leon shook his head to dismiss the strange thought; this was a critical time for alert, and he shouldn't be thinking about such nonsense.

"Why are you shaking your head? Are you being attacked?"

“Well, it can also be considered a certain type of attack.”

Lyon thought to himself, this should be called the Serenity Attack.

"Wait, there's a noise!"

And it was at this moment—

Squeak squeak squeak!!

Perhaps the two of them had descended to a certain position when suddenly, a group of black-skinned, coarse-haired rats, the size of large cats, with gleaming scarlet eyes, rushed up the steps.

In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen of these unranked rats rushed forward, and three of them were already close to Leon's feet.

Freeze! *3

Magic -3.

A chilling aura swept down, freezing the steps below.

The rats that rushed forward were also frozen instantly.

However, this was only a basic spell, and the freezing range was only within ten meters.

With the three factors combined, the dozen or so closest mice were finally frozen completely.

Below the passage, it looked like hundreds more rats were rushing in.

Iris then created some space, using one hand to press down on Leon's back to maintain her balance, while waving her wand with the other.

As the magic gathered, she also cast a spell without chanting.

Light Cone! *8

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of fist-sized light cones condensed in mid-air and fell to the ground like a torrential rain.

Swish swish swish!!!

The ground was filled with continuous screams and the sound of blood splattering.

As expected of Iris, her first move was a terrifying and deadly strike. It seems she is very afraid of these dark sewer creatures.

An astonishingly foul stench wafted up.

Lyon covered his mouth and nose:

“Elise, next time before you make a move, remember to check the situation of your opponent. If there’s blood everywhere, it’ll be a real hassle for us to find things. For example, in this situation, you can use Light of All to directly deal with these rats.”

Elizabeth asked in surprise, "Will the light of the world work?"

"It seems you didn't notice that these rats, despite being low-ranking, have grown so large entirely due to the influence of evil energy. The light's illumination is perfect for purifying evil energy."

"If there is evil energy, why is there no trace of it at all?"

"Because rats are compatible with evil spirits, they can absorb evil spirits without leaking them out."

"I see, I've learned something new."

Elizabeth humbly accepted Leon's reminder.

The two continued their descent.

When Leon encountered a frozen rat on the steps, he smashed it with the hilt of his sword and kicked it off the steps.

A minute later, the two finally arrived at the underground space. Stepping on the blood-stained floor, along with various stenches and the pungent smell of rats, made them feel extremely uncomfortable.

Iris now fully understood just how important Leon's reminder was, and she felt she would never forget this piece of knowledge for the rest of her life.

The space wasn't large, just like an ordinary room, with bookshelves on three walls and a hidden door on one side.

This place is infested with rats, and Lyon knows without even looking that these books have probably been eaten by the rats long ago.

However, Leon still went to each bookshelf to see if he could find any books that had slipped through the net, or books that the mice couldn't damage no matter how hard they tried.

"what?"

On the top shelf of the bookshelf opposite the steps, Leon found a black-covered book box.

The book box was enchanted with dust and insect protection, so it was stored very well.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Leon's Deduction

"This thing is really beautiful."

Iris noticed the book box that Leon had taken down.

By the light of the torch, one can see that the book box has a smooth cover and is engraved with exquisite mysterious characters on a black background with gold edges.

"This seems to be an Astari cryptana."

Elizabeth said:

"You need to understand the cipher to unlock this book box."

Lyon, of course, recognized the cipher.

It seems that this book box is most likely the thing that seals the Elemental Magic Ring.

According to player guides in the second part, the Elemental Ring was indeed found inside the Astaria Cult's secret casket.

Besides the elemental magic ring, there is likely also a secret file inside, recording research data that Iris's father obtained from a branch of the Astaria cult.

This information is very important.

In addition to the research content, it also conceals a part of the dark history of the Astalia cult.

It is highly possible that Iris's father was killed by members of the Astalia cult because of this.

However, it is probably not clear why this secret book box ended up here after passing through the place of Iris's father's death.

If we can figure out what's behind this clue, we might be able to understand what really happened back then.

This way, they could use this intelligence to save Hamra when she was on the verge of falling.

In addition, there is another point of doubt.

If the Elemental Ring was sealed away early on, then how exactly was this Elemental Prison formed?

Is it solely based on Iris's father's corpse?

After a moment's thought, Lyon came to a conclusion.

"Elise, it looks like this is what I've been looking for."

"This book box? But aren't you looking for a magical item that can help you level up? You can't open this book box, so how are you sure?"

“You’re mistaken, Iris. The sequence of events is actually different from what you think.”

"Oh, how so?"

"First of all, all we know at the beginning is that my target item is most likely located somewhere within this elemental trap, right?"

Elizabeth nodded.

"Secondly, we need to confirm one question: did the item come first, and then the elemental trap, or did the elemental trap come first, and then the magical item?"

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? That's the question.

Elizabeth paused for a moment.

"Leon, what do you mean?"

“What I mean is that you and I both have preconceived notions that this thing existed first, which led to this strange elemental balance in this place. But now it seems that perhaps the original situation was that someone discovered the strange elemental balance here, found the magical item that was born from this elemental trap, and sealed it away.”

"But how can you be so sure that your subsequent judgment is correct?"

"The evidence is this hidden book box. Think carefully, when did your father die? Before you were born, right?"

Iris nodded blankly, unaware of Leon's specific intentions.

“Take another look at this secret book box. Besides the Astalia cipher, isn’t this dust- and insect-repelling enchantment unique to elves? And look at the arrangement; isn’t it quite outdated, not the version commonly used by elves today?”

Iris took the box containing the secret book, put her eyes close, and examined it carefully.

Enchantment differs from regular magic; it requires a large number of mystical texts and special materials to be successfully applied.

Basically, each race has its own unique script, commonly used materials, and distinctive crafts.

With careful observation, one can generally discern the style of each piece.

"Indeed, this enchanting technique doesn't resemble human craftsmanship; it's more like the one used by us elves, and it is indeed an outdated method."

Elizabeth's eyes showed surprise.

At that moment, she was still unaware of what this truly meant.

"So the answer is obvious. Your father obtained this secret book box for some reason, and then enchanted it to hide it in this dungeon castle for a long time. He did this perhaps because his next actions were not suitable for carrying this thing, or perhaps he realized that he might be killed."

Did the father already know he would be killed?

This concise and clear conclusion shocked Iris.

"And another obvious conclusion is that your mother most likely didn't know the relevant coordinates of this secret book box, because if she had, she would have taken it long ago, wouldn't she?"

"Indeed, that seems to be the case."

Iris had nothing to say.

If Leon's judgment is correct, then her earlier hesitation and indecision seem somewhat unnecessary.

Because the items were not entirely the father's, and most likely wouldn't have any effect on the mother.

"Don't you feel like you've just wasted your time and effort?"

"almost."

Elizabeth lowered her head in shame.

Seeing this, Leon smiled and patted Iris's head:

"Before the situation is fully understood, appropriate hesitation and weighing of options is not necessarily a bad thing."

Iris pouted, not resisting Leon's pat on the head, and didn't even realize that the distance between them was getting closer and closer.

She said:

"Just over ten minutes ago you said you didn't like making your friends face choices!"

Leon: "I don't like choices that concern me, and I don't care about choices that don't concern me."

Iris: "So you're saying I have nothing to do with you?"

“Iris, just because I don’t like her doesn’t mean everything is bad.”