Chapter 444: The Court of Divine Wisdom Overthrown by the Black Tide
"Crevasse of Cretus? Golden Bangboo? Platinum Bangboo?"
Stelle's golden eyes instantly lit up, practically sparkling in the dim light. The lingering disappointment and awkwardness from their previous setback were completely swept away, instantly replaced by the familiar, intoxicating thrill of discovering a brand-new adventure—and more, new 'treasure.'
"That sounds... really interesting!" She flipped the heavy metal card over and over in her hands, her fingertips tracing the strange, complex grooves. Although she couldn't decipher the cryptic patterns etched into the surface, her seasoned trailblazing intuition screamed that this was absolutely no ordinary item.
Standing beside her, Dan Heng also stared intently at the card, his brow furrowing slightly. He hadn't yet caught up on the local lore regarding these 'Golden'and'Platinum' Bangboos, but the name Crevasse of Cretus certainly rang a bell. According to the archives he had skimmed, it was one of New Eridu's six major Hollows. The sheer concentration of ether and the catastrophic danger level within it were entirely incomparable to a standard Satellite Hollow.
Seeing that Stelle had accepted the card, the battered little Bangboo named 'Good Boy Pom-Pom' happily bobbed its round head. It offered another earnest, mechanical bow. "Mhm! (Good luck to you all! I need to find a place to properly inspect and repair my chassis! Thanks again!)"
After delivering its cheerful parting words, the little machine took off on its short, stubby legs. Its gait was a bit unsteady, occasionally sparking from its damaged joints, but it marched determinedly toward the port's Repair Area.
Stelle clutched the metal card to her chest, looking between Dan Heng and the actual Pom-Pom with a grin that practically bloomed across her face. "It seems today wasn't a total loss after all! Even though we can't get into the Epis Port Hollow right now, it looks like we... have a much more interesting new target?"
Just as the words left her mouth, a familiar chime echoed in their minds. As if a hidden mechanism had been triggered, the translucent blue interface of the Chat Group materialized simultaneously before everyone's eyes.
`[System Notification: New exploration area recorded and unlocked: Crevasse of Cretus.]`
`[Warning: Information on this area is scarce. The environment is highly complex, and the danger level is currently under assessment. It is strongly recommended to proceed only after thorough preparation.]`
Immediately following the warning, an even more eye-catching, gold-rimmed quest box popped up right in the center of Stelle and Dan Heng's vision.
`[Special Exploration Quest: Whereabouts of the Golden Bangboo]`
`[Quest Description: Legends circulating among veteran Proxies and Hollow Investigators speak of a magical variant known as the "Golden Bangboo," occasionally spotted operating in the deepest, most ancient Hollows. These unique entities possess advanced intelligence and extreme mobility, wandering the Hollows to hoard scattered rare items and high-value materials. Successfully capturing or establishing contact with a Golden Bangboo yields unimaginable rewards from its personal collection—including, but not limited to, massive amounts of Gear Coins, ultra-rare materials, and unknown Technological Artifacts.]`
`[Quest Objective: Enter the Crevasse of Cretus. Search for and confirm the existence of at least one "Golden Bangboo."]`
"Wow—!" Stelle gasped, her pupils practically morphing into the shape of shiny Gear Coins. She leaned forward, her imagination already conjuring up mountains of glittering riches beckoning to her from the ether-corrupted depths.
"Golden Bangboos! Endless Gear Coins! This quest is practically tailor-made for me!" She pumped her fist into the air. "Let's go, Dan Heng, Pom-Pom! Let's hurry back, pack our bags, and head straight for the Crevasse of Cretus! We're gonna be rich!"
In her mind, she was already envisioning a pleasant, breezy, and completely effortless Hollow exploration routine, where she could just casually scoop up treasures from the ground.
Dan Heng, however, kept his gaze locked on the glowing text of the quest description. His brow furrowed deeper, his analytical mind remaining far less optimistic than his chaotic companion. "'Information scarce,''environment complex,''danger level being assessed'..." he read aloud, his tone measured and serious. "Not to mention the 'very dangerous' warning explicitly given by that Bangboo."
He crossed his arms, calmly pointing out the glaring red flags. "This will definitely not be an 'easy' journey, Stelle. We need to return to the Base first, gather as much concrete intel as possible about the Crevasse of Cretus, formulate a detailed tactical plan, and make full preparations before we even think about stepping inside."
Pom-Pom nodded its large, floppy ears in vigorous agreement. "Passenger Dan Heng is absolutely right! We shouldn't rush blindly into action just because the reward looks shiny. Mr. Good Boy Pom-Pom clearly suffered a terrible beating in there. We must learn from its misfortune, return to the Base, and plan this out properly, Pom-Pom!"
"Alright, alright, you guys make a fair point." Stelle sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. Although she was itching to dive in, she knew her teammates' caution was entirely sensible. "Then let's head back first and ask Wise and Belle. As experienced Proxies, they've probably heard rumors about this Crevasse of Cretus. Only with thorough preparation can we maximize our profit margins!"
Humming a cheerful tune, she scooped up Pom-Pom and turned to walk toward the Warehouse Base alongside Dan Heng. Her mind was already racing, calculating exactly what gear to bring and mentally window-shopping for all the shiny things she would buy once she caught that Golden Bangboo.
However, the 'easy routine Hollow journey' Stelle was currently daydreaming about was worlds apart from the grim, suffocating reality faced by her main body, currently fighting for survival far away in another universe—Amphoreus.
Stelle, March 7th, Dan Heng's main body, and their Amphoreus companions were currently trudging through a sprawling forest entirely shrouded in an ominous, suffocating gloom.
This was the Court of Divine Wisdom. Or rather, the rotting corpse of what it used to be.
The air here was thick and heavy, saturated with an unresolvable Black Tide aura that clung to their skin like a sticky, foul-smelling film. It was far more concentrated and nauseating than anything they had encountered thus far.
The towering trees, which should have been thrumming with vibrant life and the radiant glow of divine wisdom, were now grotesque parodies of nature. Their branches were violently twisted, resembling agonizingly stretched claws, while their withered leaves drooped in a morbid, sickly purplish-black hue.
Visibility was incredibly poor. The only sources of illumination were the unstable, eerie purple glows bleeding from the corrupted plants and jagged rocks, casting long, unnatural shadows that only amplified the terrifying atmosphere of the forest.
Just recently, the Astral Express crew had completed a brutal, exhausting mission—successfully dragging Phainon out of the harrowing trial of the Seed of Conflict.
Following that victory, a conversation with Aglaea had led them to cross paths with a Healer from the Courtyard of Dim Light, Hyacine. Under Aglaea's careful arrangement, the group had ventured into the Court of Divine Wisdom, desperately hoping to unearth lost research materials regarding the Black Tide and secure vital clues about the whereabouts of the Seed of Reason.
However, the devastating sight before them made everyone's heart sink like a stone.
The Court of Divine Wisdom, a sacred Sanctuary that was supposed to stand as the ultimate symbol of intellect and Reason across all of Amphoreus, had been completely overthrown. The Black Tide had swallowed it whole.
The figures aimlessly wandering the shadowed groves were no longer contemplative scholars deep in thought, but violently twisted, highly aggressive Black Tide creations, their low snarls echoing through the dead woods.
Relying on the guidance of a Soul Spirit who introduced herself as 'Calypso'—who was, in truth, the lingering soul of the Titan of Reason, Thessis—they had managed to scour the darkness and collect two scattered fragments of the Seed of Reason.
Now, they were pushing forward toward their final, most dangerous destination: the Throne of Enlightenment.
According to Thessis's whispers, the final fragment of the Seed of Reason was hidden deep within Anaxa, a figure who had ventured into this corrupted court long ago, only to fall completely silent.
The path beneath their boots grew increasingly treacherous with every step. The surrounding darkness felt almost alive, thickening into a viscous sludge, giving them the distinct, skin-crawling sensation that countless unseen eyes were tracking their every movement from the shadows.
"Hey, Stelle," March 7th whispered, leaning close. She gently nudged the Trailblazer's ribs with her elbow, desperately trying to dispel the suffocating unease by initiating some casual chatter.
"What were you doing with the Conductor and Dan Heng earlier? Why did some notification about a 'New Hollow' suddenly pop up in the group chat just now?"
Hearing the question, the grim tension that had been gripping Stelle's face instantly melted away. It was immediately replaced by a smug, triumphant smirk, as if she had just been handed the perfect excuse to boast and distract herself from the terrifying death-forest around them.
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