Chapter 30: Stop looking, this treasure chest is a trap [Please bookmark and recommend]

Zong Shen tied the old traveling horse to the roadside.

Then, with one hand bracing his kite shield and the other gripping a sharp Germanic sword, he walked in the middle of the formation.

This was the safest position in the entire group.

Tie Zhu drew the twin daggers from his waist and followed closely behind, responsible for guarding the rear.

The three of them formed a simple exploration formation, advancing steadily.

Because this path had been temporarily cleared by Colby, it was extremely difficult to traverse. The ground beneath their feet consisted of uneven, undulating ruins. Wearing leather shoes, Zong Shen found them incredibly uncomfortable.

After traveling for five or five minutes, the terrain suddenly dropped away, leading them into a small hollow within the mountains. The area was surrounded by either dense forests or moss-covered cliffs, making it a place that could truly be described as isolated from the world.

It was quite an achievement for Colby to find ruins in such a godforsaken place. Even if Zong Shen had followed the system's prompts, he might not have found it easily. The main reason was Zong Shen's lack of a powerful mount. The old traveling horse was perfectly adequate for daily trekking, but it couldn't compare to Colby's giant wolf or Luna's black panther, which were both combat-ready and highly maneuverable.

Just like now, as Colby rode his giant wolf, constantly shifting and galloping, Zong Shen couldn't help but feel envious. In contrast, Zong Shen and Tie Zhu were like two toddlers, struggling to trudge through the jungle path. The joy of cavalry was something infantrymen could never truly understand.

When they reached the hollow, they finally saw the temple ruins Colby had mentioned.

Why call it a temple? Because through the gaps in the vines, one could vaguely discern various statues of deities. However, these statues looked quite ferocious. Some had horns, others had multiple different heads, and some even had fleshy wings and feet stepping upon burning footprints, looking like demons.

The three of them stood outside the temple. The entire structure was completely enveloped in vines, looking like a massive green cocoon.

"Colby, clear the way," Zong Shen commanded.

Ever the diligent, man-of-few-words type, Colby dismounted from the giant wolf, grabbed his twin blades, and began hacking away at the obstructing vines! The sharp combat blades sliced through the vines as easily as cutting vegetables, eventually revealing the entrance to the temple.

Zong Shen stepped forward slowly. He noticed that the bluestone floor at the temple entrance was carved with many peculiar patterns. These patterns depicted a long-lasting, epic battle. The most striking figure among them was a very unique character: a great demon with horns and wings, yet possessing the long, pointed ears characteristic of the Elven race. His body was adorned with the runes unique to the Night Elf race. In the stone carving, he sat alone and solitary on the edge of a cliff, gazing at a single moon.

This temple must have a deep connection to this individual.

Zong Shen looked up, focusing his gaze on the temple.

*(The Resisters Burdened by Misunderstanding: This was once the temple of the Demon Hunters.)*

*(These were a group of Elves who were willing to fall into demonhood to resist the Burning Legion. They were shunned by other powers on the continent, but in reality, they were true Demon Hunters.)*

"Demon Hunters?"

*(Powerful demon warriors. They were originally mighty Night Hunters who voluntarily descended into the demon race with the sole purpose of hunting demons. It sounds contradictory, doesn't it? But they were all great warriors.)*

Reading the guide's explanation, Zong Shen gained a general understanding of this temple. It was yet another ancient ruin and faction belonging to this continent.

By this time, Colby had already cleared a path leading directly into the temple's interior. Suddenly, Colby turned around.

"My Lord, those two treasure chests are on the right side of the temple. Why don't you go open them first?" Colby suggested.

Zong Shen slapped his forehead; he had been so focused on the temple that he had forgotten about the chests.

"Let's go."

With that, he stepped back out of the temple and walked toward the right. Sure enough, right against the temple wall on the right side, were the two treasure chests. The vines covering them had already been cleared away.

Zong Shen's eyes lit up at the sight of the chests. These two were clearly higher grade than Black Iron chests; one was bronze in color, and the other was silver-white.

As Zong Shen focused, the system prompt and the guide prompt appeared simultaneously.

【Bronze Chest】 【An unknown bronze chest. No one knows what might be inside.】 *(The chest is safe; you can open it with peace of mind.)*

【Silver Chest】 【An unknown silver chest. No one knows what might be inside.】 *(Don't look at it. This silver chest is a trap; the toxic gas inside will knock you unconscious for three days and three nights.)*

"Fuck!"

Seeing the note under the silver chest, Zong Shen couldn't help but curse. He raised a middle finger to the sky. This Lord System was a total schemer!

It was like Zong Shen sitting at a dining table, prepared to enjoy an exquisite meal, only to find that the food was made entirely of shit. It was absolutely revolting!

No wonder these two chests were placed in such a conspicuous position. An ordinary person without the guide module would surely be unable to resist and would open the silver chest directly, only to end up unconscious in this godforsaken forest for three days and nights.

Zong Shen kicked the chest in anger, then moved to the bronze chest. Fortunately, this bronze chest was the real deal. Zong Shen clicked to open it immediately. Several glowing orbs of reward emerged.

【Successfully opened the Bronze Chest】 【Sturdy Horned Helmet ×1】 【Tier 1 Spiked Obstacle Construction Blueprint ×1】 【Wolf Cavalry Recruitment Scroll ×2】 【Skill Book: Two-Stage Cleave ×1】 【Skill Experience Books ×3】 【Exquisite Roasted Meat Feast ×1】 【Fine Forest Fruit Wine ×1】

There were seven rewards in total, a similar quantity to a Black Iron chest, but the quality was a significant step up. Especially the two Wolf Cavalry Recruitment Scrolls! This meant that, including Colby, he could now possess three Wolf Cavalrymen. The military strength of his territory would be greatly enhanced!

He could now fully organize hunting parties at night. Every night, those beasts seemed to appear out of thin air in staggering numbers. Zong Shen had discovered early this morning that the area around the territory was covered in dense beast footprints, along with various bloodstains, though no carcasses were left behind.

This made Zong Shen suspect that the "beast frenzy" that occurred at night was a restriction imposed by the Lord System on many lords, intended to limit exploration time and development progress.

However, within crisis, opportunity is born. Nighttime was actually very suitable for "grinding mobs"! The prerequisite was having sufficient strength. Otherwise, even powerful soldiers could face annihilation when besieged by beasts. Furthermore, there might be powerful entities among those beasts. These were all risks.

Zong Shen shook his head, pulling his wandering thoughts back, and began to examine the rewards one by one.