"At the beginning, things were indeed like that."

Old Nick's gaze grew more distant, the soft light shimmering on his face, making him seem as if he had returned to that dark, damp Magic Beast Cave.

"At that time, with two elite mercenaries leading the way, although those mutated Black Steel Spiders that appeared unpredictably in the nest and the sticky webs everywhere did cause us some trouble, it was only just that."

"Until we cleared the obstacles and reached the deepest part of the nest, the only injured member of the team was just a reckless archer who got his legs tangled in the web and accidentally took a tumble."

"In the end, after a battle that wasn't particularly thrilling, we successfully dealt with the leader of the Black Steel Spiders and completely destroyed the entire nest."

"Just as we buried a few corpses of the local villagers that had been completely devoured and were preparing to check again for any survivors captured by the Magic Beasts, an unforeseen event occurred."

Focused on Old Nick's story, everyone became increasingly attentive, as it seemed this was the beginning of it all.

"In the Black Steel Spider's storage room, a humble person unexpectedly found an ancient Teleportation Gate."

Old Nick's old eyes revealed a hint of regret as he continued to describe.

"That Teleportation Gate was meant to be there, just that due to the long passage of time, it had lost its original function, but the outline of the magic array engraved on the ground was still clearly visible."

"Initially, neither I nor the other mercenaries knew the specific function of the formation, until I tentatively infused a wisp of mana into the long-dormant magic array, reactivating the Teleportation Gate, like rekindling long-extinguished firewood."

Here, Old Nick's face was filled with even more regret, sighing heavily: "If only I hadn't listened to my teammates' suggestions to try and activate the Teleportation Gate, or simply hadn't discovered the magic array, then none of this would have happened."

Seeing Old Nick's regretful expression, knowing he couldn't empathize with what Nick felt, Leo Ray didn't offer words of comfort but silently patted Nick's thin shoulder, then signaled Xiaoyue to pour him a cup of hot tea.

"I am extremely grateful to Your Majesty for bestowing this tea!"

Holding the steaming cup of tea, Old Nick's emotions finally calmed down, and he continued to describe.

"I still vividly remember, deep in the dark and damp cave, when the ancient Teleportation Gate, shimmering with a deep gray light, suddenly appeared before us; everyone was first shocked, then burst into joyous cheers."

"You must know, in any legendary tales or well-known hero stories, behind a mysterious Teleportation Gate lies countless treasures, long-sealed Divine Weapons, or incredibly powerful Skill Scrolls, any of which are the kind of wealth us ordinary mercenaries couldn't attain in a lifetime."

"Therefore, without much deliberation, my team and I eagerly decided to explore it, which marked the real beginning of the nightmare."

At this point, Old Nick glanced apologetically at the Grey Elder, full of shame: "I'm sorry, Master President. According to the mercenary code, when such unknown Teleportation Gates or unfamiliar Ancient Relics are discovered, they should be reported to the guild, and then the guild would send an experienced, powerful team to assist in the exploration. After all, Ancient Relics often come with unpredictable dangers and challenges, but our group..."

"Old Nick, the mercenary code also includes a clause that, in emergencies, we have the duty to eliminate any unknown risks to ensure the safety of nearby villages. I believe you also had this in mind."

The Grey Elder slightly nodded, saying: "Please continue."

After expressing his thanks to the Grey Elder, Old Nick resumed his account.

"With an excited heart, following the team through the Teleportation Gate, I barely had time to savor the incredibly magical lightness of stepping over the threshold when I found myself before a strange underground Ancient Relic."

"That Ancient Relic was enormous; even with the Magic sphere I excel at casting, I could only illuminate a part of it, with the rest remaining in darkness, unable to see the end."

"Furthermore, the height of this Underground Space was incredible, so much so that even the signal flare magic couldn't fully reach it, at least four to five hundred meters high."

The Grey Elder, listening this far, pondered with a curious nod: "Is the ceiling so high? Coupled with being connected via the Teleportation Gate, I suspect the relic is located deep underground, isn't it?"

"Master President, you're absolutely right. Although my abilities are limited, my sensitivity to mana is comparable to a Tier 3 Mage. According to my perception, the Earth Attribute energy particles in this Underground Space are very abundant, suggesting a nearby Earth Attribute Magical Ley Line."

Old Nick nodded heavily, continuing: "However, at that time, my companions and I didn't pay attention to these things, but excitedly formed an exploratory formation and began to advance towards the location of the Ancient Relic."

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