Chapter 47: Entering the Altar

Prevent those beasts from even approaching the shelter?

Sophia was speechless. Just as she was about to say something, she saw Irving take out two blueprints and hand them to her. "Take these two blueprints, go to the trading section of the forum, and purchase all the necessary materials. Then, find a suitable location on the outskirts of the sanctuary and set everything up."

"What about you, Irving?" Vicky, sensing something, asked. Vicky gradually became more alert, and now he always asks Irving when encountering uncertain things.

"I have some other matters to attend to. Just follow my instructions, and you won't need to worry about the second wave of the cataclysm." Irving replied.

"But..." Sophia started, feeling a bit stunned after seeing the information on the blueprints. Such blueprints, especially those for shelter defense, were incredibly rare on the market. She hadn't expected Irving to produce two of them so easily.

Although these blueprints could significantly enhance the shelter's security, Sophia still harbored doubts about Irving's earlier statements.

Even the large guilds didn't dare to claim they could completely withstand the second wave of the cataclysm, let alone prevent beasts from approaching the shelter. If other players heard Irving's words, they would undoubtedly laugh them off as a joke.

After giving his instructions, Irving left the shelter with Little Black, while Sophia and Vicky temporarily logged out of the game to search the forum's trading area for the necessary materials.

Dusk was approaching.

Looking ahead toward the forest, there was less than an hour before the sun would set. Most players generally avoided going out at night, but this did not deter Irving.

This time, he was heading to the altar!

He still remembered being brutally killed by the beast[Butcher]at the altar when he first entered the Other World, without even the slightest ability to fight back. Recalling that scene, a bitter smile appeared on Irving's face. Sёarch* The nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

His reason for coming to the altar was quite simple. It was there that he had obtained the [Necromancer's Job Change Rune], and at that time, he had not even reached the true core of the altar. This meant that there could still be other, more valuable items hidden inside. Places like this typically have powerful exotic beasts guarding them.

Irving now possesses sufficient mental power. However, there are no suitable exotic beasts for him to enslave, nor is there any way to operate those turbine generators.

This altar was the closest and possibly the last place where stronger beasts might be found near his shelter.

Soon, he arrived at the outskirts of the altar. The first thing that came into view was a low wall, from which he could already smell a faint scent of blood even before getting close.

Inside the wall was a passage leading down to the altar.

As Irving prepared to move forward, a sudden piercing roar echoed in his ears. He looked up to see a large, fast-moving shadow lunging at him.

"Gravity Mire!" Irving's lips curled into a slight smile as he lightly waved his staff. In the next moment, the butcher, which had leapt into the air, suddenly slowed down dramatically.

The intermediate skill [Gravity Mire] imposes three times the normal gravity on beasts within its range.

The strength of the beastly butcher lay in its ability to combine massive size with swift speed. However,[Gravity Mire]turned this advantage into a critical weakness.

The larger its size, the greater the gravity it had to endure. Under the influence of three times normal gravity, what should have been a powerful lunge toward Irving turned into a hard, vertical crash onto the ground.

Another piercing roar echoed! The butcher's blood-red eyes now held a flicker of terror as it looked at the player standing before it. But the beasts had been cursed and could not allow anyone to enter the altar.

"Little Black, it's your turn." Irving said calmly.

With a howl, Little Black, engulfed in purple flames, dashed forward like an arrow from a bow, immediately engaging in a fierce battle with the butcher.

The mysterious purple flames covering Little Black were incredibly powerful, allowing it to kill the butcher in mere moments, despite being at a size disadvantage.

[Do you wish to perform Soul Reap on the butcher?]

"Yes!"

[Soul Reap in progress...]

[Soul Reap successful!]

Stepping over the blood-stained ground, Irving, with Little Black at his side, smoothly entered the passage leading to the underground altar. Following them was the butcher, now engulfed in dim purple flames.

Any beast killed by Little Black would also be covered in purple flames. The difference was that these flames had weaker adhesive properties, slightly stronger than ordinary fire.

Once underground, Irving had the butcher lead the way. The light from its burning body provided limited illumination, with visibility extending only two to three meters.

Upon entering the main hall, Irving immediately noticed the boxes he had previously opened using a "special method." To his surprise, there were fresh bloodstains on the walls and floor.

"It seems that other players have also discovered this altar, but unfortunately, they all ended up dying here..." Irving thought to himself.

In the game, common beasts like pigmen and butchers would respawn after being killed by players. However, treasures, mining resources, and[Calamity-grade]beasts like golems would not regenerate.

So, after Irving opened all the treasure chests in the altar hall, the other desperate players who arrived here found nothing but empty boxes...

Many players were brutally killed by the butcher, only to discover that the place had already been raided, leaving them furious and wanting to bash their heads in... This altar has been mentioned in the forum's discussion area, with posts indicating that the resources inside have already been taken. As a result, many other players have given up on the idea of exploring this place.

Irving glanced at the passage leading deeper into the altar but didn't proceed immediately. Instead, he began to wander around the hall.

The passageway ahead was filled with traps and mechanisms, and a single shield wouldn't suffice. Thus, Irving decided to enslave more Butchers to help him navigate the dangerous path.

Last time he entered this place, he was too hasty to observe the environment of the hall carefully. But this time, Irving's strength had greatly improved, and he no longer worried about the Butchers' attacks. Suddenly, he noticed something carved into the surrounding walls.

"Little Black!" Irving glanced at his companion. He and Little Black had a master-servant contract, and their synergy had significantly improved. With just a look, Little Black's purple flames burned brighter.

Under the illumination, although the murals on the walls had become somewhat mottled with age, the content was still discernible:

At the top was a vast expanse of dark clouds, inky black and shrouding the entire sky. Below were withered trees and skeletal remains, the earth seemingly drained of all life...

Seeing the mural's content, Irving's expression darkened, and he felt an intense sense of oppression.

After spending some time in the hall, Irving deliberately made some noise to attract the nearby Butchers.

About half an hour later, nine Butchers had gathered behind him, all emanating a layer of purple flames, brightening the surroundings considerably.

Satisfied with the number, Irving entered the passage, letting the enslaved Butchers lead the way while he and Little Black followed at a safe distance.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

They hadn't taken more than a few steps when, with the sound of mechanisms clicking, countless arrows rained down like a sudden storm. The leading Butcher was instantly turned into a pincushion and fell to the ground with a thud.

Thankfully, these Butchers were massive, serving as moving shields. The remaining eight Butchers bore various numbers of arrows, but Irving and Little Black were critically injured.

The passage was long, and Irving had no idea how many traps lay ahead. If all the enslaved Butchers were lost halfway, it would be troublesome...

After about ten minutes and encountering two more similar arrow traps, losing two more Butchers, Irving finally saw a light ahead.

The light in the dark passage was like a beacon guiding his way.

"Finally, almost there..." As the light grew brighter, Irving could finally breathe a sigh of relief. There were no other bloodstains along the way, indicating he was the first player to reach this place. If there were treasures inside, at least they hadn't been claimed by someone else.

Last time, he had only reached the hall and obtained the[Necromancer Transition Rune], making Irving excitedly anticipate what lay ahead.

As he got closer, he could vaguely see the end of the passage. But in the next moment, his gaze fell upon something that made his face darken instantly.

It was a coffin!

Dozens of iron chains connected the coffin to the surroundings, suspending it in midair. This eerie sight made the temperature around him drop significantly.

Just as Irving was about to step out of the passage, a rumbling sound suddenly echoed in his ears. The ground began to shake in response to the noise.

"Damn!" Irving's heart pounded with fear. Before he could react, the six Butchers leading the way were crushed into pulp.