Chapter 349 - Elven Stone and Moonstone
Chapter 349 Elven Stone and Moonstone
As the clearance holder for the first stratum, Eleena could be considered a human tool from a certain perspective.
In fact, Edward and the others were at first reluctant that she wouldn’t join them-no one knows what would happen inside, and if Eleena died out of some mishap, she would have to revive and rush to Crookes if more Players want to enter the Elven Synchronized Intellect Nation (SIN).
Still, Eleena managed to persuade Edward and the others to include her into the frontline with the condition of ‘not going to the deeper strata’, and to find her maternal grandfather.
And things proved to have gone well. “Eleena? You…”
The old man murmured in disbelief, staring in shock at the Players who were all well-equipped and spirited, and certainly were not looking ragged or exhausted. “How did you people reach this place?”.
When he first acquired the clearance of the Faint Crystal Stratum, it took him over a hundred years and the protection of two elite automatons to evade the rampaging automatons, feel around and finally map a trail to this place!
And these people had caught up to his hundred-year long progress in less than half a day!
In fact, the old man didn’t know that it was just 40 minutes between the moment Eleena opened the entrance and the Players reaching here—which was a lot shorter than half a day!
“I think it’s Mister Marni’s sudden death that ensured us finding the right trail so quickly.” Gou Dan muttered just then, with everyone showing looks of agreement, aside from Eleena who looked a little troubled and Edward who was staying serious as the leader.
The Pink Flatfish who was hanging behind even firmly flipped its tail to indicate his agreement.
“The light of the God of Games guides our path,” Edward said with conviction while his helm continued blazing away.
Moreover, Xi Wei had decided that the Faint Crystal Stratum was a level 5 area that even small-fry Players could enter. While the rampaging automatons were powerful enough to kill a first-rate, level 40 Player with a single blast, their bodies became exceedingly weaker after losing the protection of the Elven Sin, and even level 5 Players could hurt them effectively. To put it simply, the monsters of the first stratum were glass cannons in the truest sense of the term: it could indiscriminately kill newbie and veteran Players alike, just as newbies could kick their asses.
And originally, the greatest threat against the Players in the first stratum should have been various traps and Pyrocrystal Cannons, but those were either directly suppressed by Xi Wei or turned offline by Eleena’s clearance.
Indeed, the old man had the feeling that something wasn’t right, but decided not to ask.
Having lived two hundred years, he naturally knew that talking too much with strangers was nothing good-especially with devote zealots.
With that thought in mind, the old man glanced at the blazing helmet over Edward’s head: to his knowledge, anyone who would wear something like that were definitely cultists and zealots who would self-immolate for their faith.
Anyway, knowing that they were reinforcements his granddaughter brought in was good enough. “I’m grateful towards all of you,” the old man said, spreading his hands to reveal his withered body. “But as you can see, I don’t have much time. I would die soon even if I follow you away from here.”
“Sorry, but is that thing on your chest an elven stone?”
Edward asked tentatively when he saw the gem on his chest that had lost its radiance.
“Yes, it is. It had kept me alive, but it’s all over now…” the old man smiled faintly. “It would become dust like me as its final light goes out. My fortune built upon this high elf ruin would now be returned entirely to it, which in a certain sense fits the high elves’ belief that ‘all blessings are returned to nature’.”
“Eleena will inherit everything I have when I’m gone. You will be the new mayor of Crookes…”
However, even before the old man could finish, he saw Edward draw out and emerald jade from his trouser pocket and tap it lightly on the elven stone over the old man’s chest.
The stone in Edward’s hand promptly lost all glitter before crumbling into dust, whereas the elven stone over the old man’s chest shone in emerald radiance once more, as if it had drained the light from Edward’s stone.
And in the old man’s memory, the elven stone was only that bright fifty years ago! In other words, he could live another fifty years if nothing unexpected happens! “W-what…” The old man couldn’t find the words in his shock.
“This was a moonstone, an object the wood elves made in imitation of high elf ancient magitek.” Edward explained. “They couldn’t fully replicate elven stones because of the lack of Mystery, which was why they could only make something like this, a crude version of Illum crystals.”
It was worth mentioning that the moonstone was a gift from the wood elf elders who had come to Crookes with them.
They only gave up on their wood elven pride and acknowledged the Players will-after witnessing the Players continued fighting with their lives on the line despite the desperation of the situation, and yet ultimately succeeding in bringing down the high elves’ ancient relic.
But since they had yet to convert to the Church of Games and were still convinced that ‘people die when they are killed’, they therefore entrusted the Players with exploring the Elven SIN.
That said, they had also sent a letter to the Elven Queen in Trinia, requesting some tools that could help with the exploration.
And the moonstone was one of them.
Still, even though it was a weaker replacement for the elven stone, the moonstone not only activated most mechanisms that the elven stone could, but it could also charge the elven stone as a source of energy.
Naturally, frontliners notwithstandingPlayers would have to exchange various high elf relics they find in the Elven SIN for a moonstone.
While this ruling meant that Players would have to turn the dungeon upside down as they scour it, it also helped Xi Wei make up for the lack of item exchange for this event.