Lei Lin had previously read about the subterranean world in an ancient text.
According to legend, in the age of the ancient Wizards, the surface was only a small portion of their domain. Before the ancient Wizards had turned their gaze toward other planes, their objective had always been the world below!
The ancient Wizards wielded tremendous power — even the sun and moon paled before them. Countless native subterranean races were conquered, and the Wizards developed layer upon layer of the underground world, obtaining limitless resources and wealth!
The subterranean worlds documented as having been developed by the ancient Wizards numbered a total of seven layers!
It was said that the deeper the layer, the stronger the subterranean races that appeared there, and at the very bottom even existed beings of extreme terror like the Earth Mother!
But none of that could stop the ancient Wizards' advance. In the end, the entire underground submitted to the ancient Wizards' feet, becoming yet another part of their glory!
Afterward, still unsatisfied, the ancient Wizards turned their gaze to other planes. One plane after another, one world after another bowed before them — until they encountered a world of extreme power!
After the great battle known as the War of Ending, though rumor held that the opposing world had gained no advantage either, the Wizard World had declined. Even the passages connecting to the underground had been completely destroyed in the war, and from that point on, the subterranean world became nothing more than legend.
At the very least, across the entirety of the South Coast, Lei Lin had never encountered a subterranean race or heard of any passage leading below.
"Based on the information I gathered before and what I've seen so far, this should be the subterranean world — though I don't know which layer. Judging by the danger level of the creatures, it shouldn't be below the third layer, or I would have already run into many dangerous high-energy beings long ago. The most likely scenario is the first or second layer..."
Lei Lin continued to mull it over.
Despite some concern that this might be nothing but a desolate wasteland, Lei Lin pressed on with his journey. The gray-skinned pig he had just encountered had given him a significant boost of confidence.
Along the way, Lei Lin had also been making records of his surroundings.
The location of the ancient Wizard Formation — the place he had named the Boulder Hills — showed the weakest signs of life. Almost nothing existed there apart from moss and a handful of insects.
As Lei Lin traveled further, the signs of life along his route gradually grew stronger. Bat-like birds began to appear.
And here, gray-skinned pigs could be spotted from time to time, with the frequency increasing the further outward he went.
For that reason, Lei Lin was now quite certain he had left that dead zone and entered the outside world.
"Ding! Energy fluctuation detected! Estimated as residual effects of a Zero-level Spell! Direction: 15 degrees east. Distance: 3,213 meters!"
At that moment, the Chip suddenly issued an alert.
"Hmm?" Lei Lin's spirits lifted. "Finally, signs of activity from living creatures with energy!"
He quickly packed up and set off toward the source of the energy fluctuation.
Although his body was still riddled with serious injuries, and his sea of consciousness could only muster the strength of roughly a first-level Wizard after solidifying such a large amount of Spiritual Power, this short distance was nothing to him. After just a short while, he arrived at the scene.
What appeared in Lei Lin's field of vision was three men and two women locked in a standoff against a high-energy creature.
The five subterranean humans displayed a very standard small-team configuration. Two young men in leather armor charged to the front as shields, their massive iron swords swinging ceaselessly — their strength was at least at the Great Knight level.
The other three wore grey robes somewhat similar to the uniforms of Wizard Apprentices from the South Coast, but the style was far more archaic, carrying an air of ancient simplicity.
"There are humans! And they're Wizard Apprentices!" Lei Lin was elated.
Facing off against them was a massive creature resembling a grey-skinned pig, except its body was a full dozen times larger. Beneath its snout grew three pairs of enormous crescent-shaped tusks, and its body was covered in coarse bristles matted with pine resin, mud, and other substances that had hardened into thick crusts, like a war chariot clad in armor. The Zero-level Spells the apprentices had cast earlier had left nothing more than blackened scorch marks on its hide, barely scratching even its outermost layer of defense.
"Huff huff..." Two thick plumes of white steam billowed from the pig-creature's nostrils. It dug its hind hooves into the ground, then suddenly launched into a furious charge, its entire body hurtling toward the two Great Knights like a derailed locomotive.
"Ahhh!"
The ground shook violently. One of the Great Knights slipped, and the massive boar slammed into him with devastating force, sending him flying. Its tusks tore a gaping wound in his side, and blood gushed out like a fountain.
The other Great Knight, witnessing this scene, let out a sharp cry and immediately retreated at full speed, exposing all three Wizard Apprentices.
Freed from the Great Knights' restraint, the massive boar instantly turned its razor-sharp tusks toward the three Wizard Apprentices, a bloodthirsty gleam burning in its eyes.
The two female apprentices stumbled backward in terror. Thud! Thud! Their feet caught on something, and both of them crashed to the ground, their faces twisted in despair.
The remaining male apprentice, showing considerably more bravery and chivalry, instinctively stepped in front of the two young ladies. His face set with grim determination, he was shouting something — then, raising his hand, he fired a small fireball that struck the boar square on the snout.