Let MapleStory experience the Fourth Calamity

Chapter 88 An Unexpected Discovery

The tremors that came from below the breakwater finally subsided.

The chassis of the pig iron ore car, weighing hundreds of kilograms, smashed through the narrow passage.

The flying dust was swept up by the strong airflow from the sewage pipes, making people's throats dry.

The little snail leaned against the moss-covered brick wall, panting heavily from exhaustion.

He looked down at the spear in his hand. The once sharp spearhead had been bent and deformed from the continuous high-intensity piercing. The blood seeping from his split hand mixed with sweat, staining the spear shaft a dark red.

Although the pain feedback had been reduced to 20%, the realistic muscle soreness and weapon wear and tear still made this expert player feel a long-lost sense of fatigue.

There's nothing going on deep inside the sewers for now.

A few moments later, footsteps broke the silence. Night Cat emerged from the shadows not far away, his black leather armor stained with mottled mud and dark green putrefaction, and his once light steps now seemed somewhat heavy.

He walked to the edge of the breakwater, shook his slightly sore right arm, and then threw a thick, muddy stone slab at Lynn's feet.

The stone slab hit the puddle, splashing water in a circle.

"Jim paid the ransom, saying he was offering some good stuff in return."

Night Owl's tone was tinged with disdain and mockery. He tore off a rag and carefully wiped the blood groove on the dagger. "That old fox is very cunning. When I took over the black market, I made him hand over the vault key. But he stubbornly refused to let go of the real gold and silver, insisting that this broken stone was an ancient relic that his men dug out from the bottom of the sewers, and that it was priceless."

Meteor Hammer leaned closer, poked the rock with his stick, and scoffed, "Isn't this just a stepping stone? Are those black market dealers trying to fob us off like beggars?"

Lynn didn't agree. He squatted down and used his gloved fingers to wipe away the thick layer of sticky black grime from the stone slab.

On the uneven, rough stone surface, grooves are faintly visible.

These grooves are not traces of natural weathering, but rather resemble some kind of regular geometric lines. Most importantly, at the intersections, there are several faint inscriptions remaining.

This is definitely not ordinary discarded building material!

The style of those inscriptions was exactly the same as the teleportation items in the system shop in Lynn's mind.

Could the teleportation system, which has been stuck for so long, be related to this thing?

"Where did the goose go?" Lynn stood up, his gaze still fixed on the stone slab.

Night Cat sheathed his dagger: "He just left the ruined capital not long ago. Judging by his pace, he should still be in the wilderness outside the city."

Lynn instinctively activated the system, attempting to send a message to the goose. However, the signal was blocked by the mine.

The unique magnetic field and thick granite layer at the bottom of the abyss completely severed the communication link between this place and the surface base station.

Since the terminal is unusable, we can only use the most primitive method.

Lynn turned around, his gaze sweeping over the group resting on the breakwater, finally settling on a newbie with messy short hair in the corner. The little guy was frowning and tugging at his boots, which had almost no durability left; he was nearly out of Maple Coins to repair his equipment.

"You over there, yes, that's you."

Lynn pointed to the stone slab on the ground. "There's an urgent errand now. Go back to the surface along the same path, catch up with the goose, and give him this. The reward is 10 Maple Leaf Coins plus 10 Credits."

Upon hearing the explicit reward, the newbie's eyes, which had been exhausted, now brimmed with greed.

"Boss! I'll take this job! Nobody else can do it right!"

The newbie scrambled over, as if afraid someone else would steal his errand fee.

He carefully lifted the heavy stone slab, no longer caring about the mud on it; the weight of several dozen kilograms was just enough to squeeze out the last bit of his strength.

He tied the stone slab tightly to his back with a thick hemp rope, then sprinted towards the upper exit of the sewage pipe. He was even faster than when he was dodging the monster, and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the depths of the intricate pipe network.

.........

Magic jungle.

At the top of the towering tree, sunlight filters through the dense foliage, casting dappled patterns on the library's hardwood floor. A faint scent of herbs and the aroma of aged parchment lingers in the tranquil air.

The goose picked up a cup of freshly brewed herbal tea, but before it could even take a sip, the wooden door was violently kicked open.

With a creaking sound as the door hinges gave way under the strain, the newbie who had taken on the errand rushed in, panting heavily. His legs were so weak that he almost collapsed to the ground, carrying the goods with him.

Without saying a word, he slammed a dirty stone slab onto the table.

"Phew... It's here! Big Goose Bro, the boss asked me to deliver this to you, please check it."

The newbie was panting heavily, his hands on his knees.

The mage instructor, Hans, who had been dozing in his wicker chair, was startled awake by the sudden noise. His previously cloudy gaze sharpened the moment it swept across the table.

The elderly mentor put down the magic scroll in his hand and stood up shakily. His wide robe trailed on the wooden floor as he strode quickly to the table.

Hans ignored the goose's surprised gaze and instead stretched out his withered fingers, as if handling a rare treasure, to gently stroke the mud-filled engravings on the stone slab.

As his fingertips slid across the surface, a faint blue magic flowed through the grooves, illuminating the ancient characters one by one. The blue glow reflected on Hans's wrinkled face, dispelling his weariness.

"The cornerstone of the ancient soul-guiding array..." Hans's voice trembled slightly, as if he were lost in a distant memory. "Oh my, it's been so long since I've seen something like this."

The goose paused for a moment, then asked, "Teacher, you recognize this thing?"

"Before the Great Change, Victoria Treasure Island was not like it is now. There were no mutated creatures running rampant, and the connections between the major city-states were much closer than they are now."

Hans's expression was blank, as if he were recalling something.

"Back then, adventurers created these inscribed anchors to explore the vast continent and dangerous ruins. With the help of a high-purity source of magic, they could form a sanctuary in a specific area to prevent the soul from accidentally dissipating. Unfortunately, that disaster destroyed too much; the ley lines fractured, and magic became chaotic. This technique was lost long ago. I never expected to find such a well-preserved foundation stone in the ground beneath an abandoned city."

Upon hearing this, the goose had a sudden inspiration, and the teacup it had just brought to its lips stopped in mid-air.

A sanctuary to prevent the soul from dissipating?

Isn't this the respawn point and teleportation array we've been dreaming of?!