146. [Doctor]
Boom!
Accompanied by the sound of cannon fire, the cavern collapsed. Fully armed players trampled over the goblins' bloody remains, skillfully raising their enchanted crossbows to eliminate the lingering survivors.
The massive Goblin Lord collapsed onto its throne of bones. Night Blade lifted his sword and decapitated it. Raising the head high, his fatigued expression vanished, and he proudly declared:
"Thus, the Faithkeep Village Player Expedition Team has officially conquered the Goblin Lair!"
"This is also the first successful planetary conquest action in "Star Abyss"," Yu Tianxiao reminded them.
"&…@+!"
Caramel Snail let out a muffled sound, weakly raising an arm. His body was covered in so many negative buffs that he resembled a mummy.
Cumin Powder focused his gaze, blinked, and said:
"I took a screenshot. Night Blade, I've got good news for you. Not only are you ranked first in Yanxia District, but you're also the world's first level 30 player. Any thoughts?"
"Thoughts?" Night Blade lowered his head in thought, then solemnly said: "It's too early to talk about victory. Yanxia District's esports projects have always been weak. True victories will be determined on the battlefield."
"But it really was tough." Gary Don commented. "If not for Azure Star producing someone as brilliant as Li Aozi to mentor us and open the second planet early, grinding to level 30 on our starter planet's conditions would've taken another week."
As he spoke, he picked up a shining scale from the Goblin Lord's body, puzzling over it:
"Why would there be dragon scales in a goblin lair…"
"Hmm… that's true."
Night Blade didn't dwell on Gary Don's mutterings. He nodded slightly and raised his enchanted longsword: "Li Aozi can truly be considered a special benefit for us Azure Star players. Not only do we have enchanted weapons, but we also have Azure Star's native technology—no matter which country's team we face in competition, Yanxia District won't be at a disadvantage."
"Oof oof oof!" Caramel Snail nodded vigorously, though his tongue had been corroded by goblin venom, leaving him only able to make odd noises.
"Speaking of which, our little Snail has done great too." Cumin Powder hooked an arm around Caramel Snail's neck, generously praising him: "Snail's only 13% away from level 30. Soon, all Faithkeep Village players will be Alpha tier."
"Speaking of that," Yu Tianxiao turned to Night Blade, "Old Night, what's your Alpha-tier promotion quest?"
"Master three core skills of my school to an advanced level," Night Blade replied. "My school is the Crane School, so I need to advance the proficiency of 'Iaido,' 'Diagonal Slash,' and 'Swallow Reversal.' I'm not far off—should hit Alpha tier tomorrow."
"I envy you [Martial Artists]." Yu Tianxiao sighed. "For [Mechanics], the job-specific requirement is to create three 'Masterwork' quality mechanical constructs. I'll have to rely on spending money."
"Good luck," Night Blade nodded.
"Don't just cheer me on—help me out too!"
"I'm just a Martial Artist, not as brilliant as you guys."
As Night Blade finished speaking, someone among the players suddenly shouted:
"Hey! Come check this out! There's something else in this goblin lair!"
Something else?
Night Blade and the other players exchanged curious looks, then stored the Goblin Lord's head as a trophy and followed the crowd deeper into the lair.
Skirting around piles of skeletal remains and scattered weapons caches, they found no goblin treasures. However, as they ventured further, the ambient energy grew more concentrated. They quickly realized what the others had discovered.
Clang! Clang!—Bang!
A [Miner] player precisely struck the wall with his pickaxe. The soil crumbled away, revealing a large, bluish metallic door. Gargoyles and winged demons adorned its sides, lifelike in detail. Despite the passage of time, the door showed no signs of erosion.
"Holy crap… there's a hidden section!"
The players instantly perked up.
They had thought the goblin lair was their only task, but now it seemed like a buy-one-get-one-free deal.
"There's writing on this," Night Blade noticed a stone tablet near the door. "Yu Tianxiao, your Tanasian language skill is the highest—can you translate?"
"Leave it to me."
Yu Tianxiao stepped forward, studying the inscription and waiting for the system to process the text. His Tanasian language proficiency was already at mastery level, so the progress bar quickly filled. He glanced at the text and read fluently:
"To those who come after, regardless of your reasons, reaching this place proves your courage to explore the unknown."
"The future is an unfathomable abyss, yet all hope resides within. I can't express this feeling in words… but please believe me, as a proud betrayer, I stand forever on the side of conscience and justice."
"Behind this door lies a long-sealed monster. I used forbidden techniques to create her from chaos. If there's anyone in this world I owe an apology to, it's that child."
"I have prepared trials for you. If you pass them, you can awaken her with sincerity to help you overcome obstacles."
"Children of the Star Abyss, please eliminate all [Societies] to bring peace back to the world."
"Signed, The Thirteenth Councilor of the [Secret Society]—[Doctor] Leviathan Lucien Docket (formerly: Edel King), entombed here."
"Erected by—former [Secret Society] jury member: Aerlia; citizen: Veilvie."
The players turned to each other with strange looks.
"It feels like we've stumbled upon something massive."
Yu Tianxiao bluntly stated:
"This repeatedly mentions something called [Society], and later talks about betrayers and the [Secret Society]… I think this might tie into the game's main storyline."
"Possibly."
Night Blade nodded:
"Everyone, set up camp and reset the respawn point. Let's scout inside first."
Moments later, the players surged through the bluish doors, only to find nothing waiting for them.
All that greeted them was a dilapidated laboratory.
Dusty equipment and broken magic circles lay scattered about. A few golems, seemingly less damaged, might be repairable.
"No enemies here." Caramel Snail, now free of negative buffs, sighed in relief and began searching. He approached a desk, casually flipping through a document that caught his attention:
"Hmm? What's this? 'Dragonfall WeaponDesign Manuscript'? Sounds cool. Let me touch it."
Caramel Snail, ever the curious type, eagerly examined it.
Opening the first page, he immediately noticed a phrase—strangely, though it wasn't in Tanasian, Azure Star, or any known language, he could inexplicably understand its meaning.
"To my dear child: Forgive me for sacrificing your happiness for the hope of all Star Abyss. Your life will be fraught with misfortune and struggle. Even so, I hope you stay strong. When your mission is complete, I hope you find your own love—someone who loves you more than I ever could. —Leviathan Lucien Docket."
Flipping through, much of the manuscript was water-damaged and illegible.
Fortunately, one section included a photograph and legible writing.
"Target: Eight years old. Physique exceptional, fully immune to Ether Blood's toxicity. However, foundational values remain insufficient… She is still just a weapon. Perhaps I shouldn't grow too attached."
The photograph depicted two figures: a middle-aged man with brown hair and eyes, appearing gentle like a doctor. He sat on a sofa, feeding ice cream to a girl on his lap.
If the photo focused solely on the doctor, it might have seemed like an ordinary father-daughter moment.
The girl, with golden hair and eyes, had a delicate appearance but vacant expression. In one hand, she clutched a still-beating heart; in the other, a fresh brain. Despite her childlike form, her surroundings were draped in meters of verdant, unidentified intestines.
Mechanically, she licked the ice cream, like a domesticated wolfhound numbly accepting its handler's offering.
Perhaps it was Caramel Snail's imagination.
The doctor's eyes seemed to hold… guilt?
"Hmm? Dust in the corner?"
Caramel Snail gently brushed the dust away, revealing a note under the photograph:
"Diaran Alexandra Jerkin."