Lin Wei climbed down from the tree and continued moving deeper into the forest.
Based on what he had observed, all the stronger beasts seemed to be heading inward without even checking the outer areas like they were all drawn by something important.
Lin Wei wasn't about to fall behind, even though he was badly injured. He had taken some healing herbs that helped him keep going.
He moved nonstop, always checking his map, which had proven to be lucky for him so far. Along the way, he ran into several beasts. He fought some, and ran from others when he knew he couldn't win.
One day, while looking at his map to figure out what was happening deeper in the forest, he noticed a glowing pillar marked at the far end. No beasts had reached it yet, but it was shining brightly. Still, the map was hard to understand because some things were just shown as dots, so he couldn't get the full picture.
As he kept going deeper, the number of beasts increased, and it became much more dangerous.
He saw the bodies of dead beasts everywhere, some with terrifying wounds—clear signs of how brutal and savage these creatures were, and what had happened in this place.
Thanks to the map, he managed to avoid some of the more dangerous beasts, but not all. He still got injured by one or two that crossed his path. His body was covered in scars, and like that, the days went by.
Then one day, something strange happened. His instincts and his eyes picked up a sign. It felt like a golden opportunity was just ahead, but it was coming from underground. The map confirmed it, but he couldn't find any entrance or opening to get below. Still, the feeling was powerful.
Whatever it was, he knew he couldn't afford to miss it. The signal he felt was golden, with a hint of black color.
All around him were giant trees, towering so high they looked like they reached the sky.
Their thick canopies blocked most of the sunlight, making this area feel dim and mysterious. Then, he noticed something unusual—one tree was giving off a signal different from the others.
And that's when things started to get interesting...
He managed to locate the specific tree, but at first glance, there was nothing special about it.
He walked around it, searched for anything unusual, but found nothing. Still, the map and the signals from his eye grew stronger—something was definitely here.
"Maybe I should climb up and check," he thought.
But this tree wasn't ordinary—it was massive, possibly the biggest and tallest tree he had ever seen. Climbing it would normally take a long time.
Luckily, with the help of his Serpent Coil, the climb would be much faster, more than ten times quicker, in fact. Without wasting any more time, he got to work.
The Serpent Coil, a rope-like magical tool, did most of the climbing for him. Once he tied it securely around his waist and threw it upward, it wrapped around the tree and started pulling him up. He supported himself with his hands as he rose, amazed by the sheer height of the tree.
After about an hour of steady climbing, he was only halfway up but then, he finally saw what he had been looking for: a large hole in the trunk, big enough to fit five people at once.
"This must be the entrance I'm looking for," he thought, and without hesitation, he entered.
Inside was dark, but he could still make out some shapes. What surprised him the most was a thick rope-like chain hanging down—a climbing rope, it seemed, possibly meant to descend even deeper into the tree's hollow center. Not knowing exactly what it was, but feeling sure it was meant for descent, he grabbed the rope and started lowering himself.
It took a while, but eventually, he reached the bottom.
There, he found a place completely different from what he had imagined—a vast corridor made of ancient concrete, filled with cobwebs and dust. The place looked abandoned, incredibly old. He tried to see what lay ahead, but the corridor was so deep, he couldn't even see the end.
Using his map again, he discovered a massive hall was waiting for him further inside. The map didn't show any immediate danger, so he began walking forward. As he moved, the corridor gradually lit up thanks to spirit stones embedded in the walls.
However, their light was faint and flickering—like they could go out at any moment—proof they had been there for centuries, maybe longer.
He explored deeper, checking the map now and then. There were many tunnels branching off, but thanks to the map's markings, he was able to follow the main path.
After nearly four hours of walking through the seemingly endless tunnel, he finally arrived at the large hall marked on the map.
As he entered, he was amazed by what he saw—carvings filled the walls, showing all kinds of weapons, including ones he had never seen or even heard of. One thing was clear, this place used to be a forge or a smithing hall.
There were anvils around, but unlike any smithy he had known. It was unusually large and felt eerie. The whole place was covered in dust, and not a single weapon remained.
He began wandering through the hall, inspecting everything, trying to understand what this place once was. Then something caught his eye—a stone pillar, hidden in a corner at the far end of the hall. You wouldn't notice it unless you really looked around.
Curious, he walked up to it. The pillar wasn't very tall, but on top of it was a carved image of a hand pressing into the stone.
"Is this some kind of mechanism?" he wondered aloud.
Without wasting any time, Lin Wei placed his hand at the center of the stone pillar and pushed with all his strength. The part he pressed sank inward, and immediately, a deep rumbling echoed through the hall, like something ancient and buried was awakening from the depths of hell.
Startled, he looked around. At the center of the hall, within a circular carving he hadn't noticed before, the ground split open.
A spiral staircase revealed itself, descending into the unknown. The space beyond was surprisingly bright which is enough for Lin Wei to see every detail.
One thing became certain: this was a forge, but not one built by any ordinary smith. This place was ancient.
He descended the stairs slowly, his senses sharp and cautious.
This lower hall was smaller than the first but far more ancient. A desolate aura filled the air, heavier and more suffocating.
The place was filled with old scabbards and intricate carvings of swords and blades—some familiar, others completely foreign.
At the center stood a massive furnace, occupying nearly a third of the entire hall. Though Lin Wei was tall, the furnace dwarfed him in width.
"What could this have been used for?" he muttered, placing a hand on its surface.
Nearby, he noticed a stone pedestal with a set of buttons—twenty in total, each carved with symbols. Some resembled various weapons, while three stood out: a rising sun, a flame, and an upward-pointing arrow. Above the buttons were illustrated instructions—ancient drawings that explained their functions.
From what Lin Wei could understand, the proper sequence began with the sun symbol, followed by the fire, and finally, any of the other buttons, ending with the arrow.
Without hesitation, he pressed the sun symbol. Instantly, the hall came alive.
The Qi in the area thickened. Hidden lights flared to life across the room. The furnace rumbled. A section beneath it opened, and a cabinet-like structure slid out with several empty compartments. Lin Wei understood: to forge a weapon here, he would need to provide the materials.
He searched his storage ring but found nothing fit for forging—no ores, no suitable beast cores.
The only items he had were his divine dagger and a mysterious spear made from unknown materials. The dagger is of no use to him because he can't even control it, and the spear, while precious, could potentially be sacrificed.
He placed both into the cauldron.
The moment he did, something unexpected happened.
The necklace hanging around his neck began to tremble violently.
This was the same necklace his grandmother had given him—an heirloom he had carried for years. It was tied to the greatest tragedies of his life. Without it, perhaps his family would still be alive. Without it, maybe his bride to be wouldn't have been harmed. It was a reminder of everything he had lost and now, for the first time, it was reacting.
Why now?
Why here?
What was this place truly hiding?