Chapter 106: Truth Behind the Sacrifice

Korrin nodded. "Yeah. Every once in a while, some Half-Drows would come to inspect our tribe to check on the statue and ask us to offer sacrifice with the bodies of dead cavemen. That's all I can remember about it."

Ram rubbed his chin, his eyes narrowing as he studied the rubble. There had to be more to this than just a statue. He felt an odd pull toward it as if something was hidden beneath the surface.

"Alright, help me move this statue," Ram said, signaling to Korrin as they began shifting the broken pieces.

Bit by bit, they removed the shattered stones, finally clearing the space around the statue. Beneath it, to their surprise, was a dark underground cave, stretching below the statue's base.

A chill breeze escaped from the opening, carrying with it the scent of earth and something faintly metallic.

Without hesitation, Ram led the way down into the cave, Korrin following closely behind. The passage quickly opened up into a large underground chamber.

In the middle of the room, a huge crystal sat glowing brightly, casting a pale, light that illuminated the entire space. It was positioned at the center of an intricate spiritual array that pulsed with energy.

Off to one side, a dark passageway snaked further into the cave's depths, disappearing into the unknown.

Ram's eyes were immediately drawn to the crystal, and his curiosity spiked. Without wasting time, he activated his Spiritual Eyes to get a better understanding of what it was.

His vision sharpened even in the darkness, Ram blinked, digesting the information.

[ Low-level Source Crystal]

[ Type: Artificially created source crystal]

[ Description: A crystal formed from the collection source power dissipated from dead creatures. It gathers this energy and condenses it into a usable form. It can be absorbed by various creatures born in Monster Dens to increase their strength.]

[ Energy Remaining: 11 units]

[ Additional Feature: Summon Half Drows]

Based on the description he read, this crystal was part of a source power gathering array, designed to collect energy from the dead creatures—like the cavemen's bodies that Korrin's tribe brought here as a sacrifice to Goddess of Wildfire, Ignara. And at the heart of it all, the crystal was exactly what he needed: a Source Crystal.

But to his disappointment, the amount of energy stored inside this crystal is only eleven units, "I don't know how much these 11 units can be if Korrin wants to summon more Half Drow cavemen." he pondered looking at the crystal.

But what caught his attention was its additional feature to summon Half Drows, he immediately concentrated on it and new details appeared again.

[Summon Half Drows: Once the crystal is fully charged, the source-gathering array will automatically summon fifty Half-Drow Fire Mages from the third level.]

He immediately told Korrin and others about what he discovered, "This array here gathers the source power from dead creatures, like the dead cavemen you bring here as a sacrifice."

"This array doesn't just collect source power from dead creatures," Ram continued, turning to Korrin. "It's designed to summon Half-Drow Fire Mages once it's fully charged. But right now, it only has eleven units left. That's not enough."

Korrin's face twisted in confusion as he processed the information. "So... all those cavemen we brought here, the sacrifices... they weren't just to honor the goddess?"

Their eyes brightened with intelligence, and emotions flickered across their faces.

The other Half-Drow cavemen and Wood Spirits that had gathered stood in awe, frozen in place as they watched the process unfold.

Ram's eyes widened, momentarily surprised by the stark contrast between the newly summoned Half-Drow mages and those he had evolved.

The new arrivals wore fine robes, far superior to the crudely made clothing of the others.

The mage staffs they held gleamed, adding to their refined appearance.

In comparison, the evolved Half-Drow looked like rustic cavemen, dressed in makeshift gear.

He sighed softly. "Even though I can evolve creatures, I can't just create clothing or weapons out of nothing." The thought gnawed at him.

Ram knew he could push the evolution of creatures to new heights, but creating equipment he never tried.

"Maybe I could try creating something from plants later," he wondered if his new plant Affinity could be used to fashion robes or staffs made up of plants, but he decided to set aside the idea for the time being.

Instead, his gaze drifted toward the dark passageway that led deeper into the cave.

There was something unsettling about the hidden depths that beckoned him. He straightened, his focus shifting back to the task at hand.

"Let's see what else this place is hiding," he muttered under his breath, preparing himself for what lay ahead.

Without hesitation, Ram took the lead, his steps confident as he moved toward the dark passage.

The newly summoned Half-Drow mages fell in line behind him, their glowing staffs casting faint light over the jagged stone walls.

Korrin followed closely, and the rest of the group—Wood Spirits and Half-Drow cavemen alike—trailed behind, their curiosity piqued by what they might find.

The walls seemed to stretch endlessly, and the deeper he ventured, the more oppressive the air became.

The passage is still spacious and long, Ram estimated that he had walked hundreds of meters, but he still couldn't see the end.

-----

Note: Thank you, Josh_Wawrzy, for your comments. I attempted to respond, but it appears that Webnovel has locked my account, so I can only do this.

Your support, even for my previous work [Awakening: I Have a Game Panel with Recovery(unique)] which I dropped, is greatly appreciated.

I never Planned on writing another, since I was already struggling to get a new job, but I saw you and AncientDragonGod, who constantly supported me through Golden Tickets and Power Stones, which made me continue again.

Thanks, Josh_Wawrzy, Archmage, LonlyRose,Joseph_Wooten, Daoistf6YjjP, Splatari, 115599_, Toothpick_Of_doom, Daoist713551, and many other book friends for your support.