Dredy and Ephar almost simultaneously chanted a spell in low voices.
Each released a soft, small orb of light that floated above their heads, dispelling the darkness ahead.
Karl did not cast a spell, because even in absolute darkness, his super vision could clearly see every detail.
The team naturally formed a defensive formation, with Dredy in front, Ephar covering the rear, and Karl protected in the middle.
This was clearly the consideration of two veterans looking after a newcomer; no matter if enemies appeared in front or behind, they would be the first to be attacked.
A barely noticeable smile played on Karl's lips, and his heart felt warm; these two companions, whom he had just met, had quite good character.
They proceeded along the winding, smooth passage into the depths, and after an unknown amount of time, their vision suddenly opened up to a wide hall.
The walls of the hall were covered with ancient texts and reliefs of unknown meaning, primarily featuring twisted trees and lush foliage.
Interspersed among them were images of slender, elegant elves.
Dredy scoffed, saying with a mocking tone, "Alyssandra sure knows how to pick a hiding spot, finding an elven ruin as her sanctuary."
"Fortunately, a warlock used hydromancy to capture relevant clues, coupled with abnormal magic fluctuations reported by nearby monitoring stations, otherwise it would have been truly difficult to find her."
The three continued forward, and eventually, the passage abruptly ended at a cliff.
Below was bottomless darkness, and opposite was a continuing passage, with a wide abyss in between.
Ephar walked to the edge of the cliff and peered down; the profound darkness seemed to devour light.
He turned to Karl and Dredy and said, "There must be a teleportation gate left by the ancient elves nearby; let's search carefully."
So, the three spread out, meticulously searching near the edge of the cliff.
Dredy and Ephar cautiously examined every suspicious stone carving and engraving, avoiding touching any potential mechanisms.
However, after they left, Karl did not move around like them.
He stood still, his eyes slightly narrowed, a subtle, undetectable glimmer flashing in the depths of his pupils.
Karl used his x-ray vision, his gaze sweeping over an inconspicuous corner a few meters away.
The rocks and dense vines quickly became transparent in his vision.
Behind them, an ancient, simple cruciform archway was clearly visible; that was precisely the teleportation gate they were looking for.
He did not walk towards the teleportation gate, but stood in place and raised his voice, shouting, "Dredy, Ephar, I found the teleportation gate."
His voice echoed in the empty cave, and soon the passage turned from dark to bright, accompanied by the hurried footsteps of the two.
Dredy and Ephar quickly returned, and seeing Karl still standing in place waiting, they were both momentarily stunned.
"Karl, where is the teleportation gate? You found it, so why are you back where you started after shouting?" Dredy asked, his tone filled with confusion.
However, they naturally did not know that Karl had never left his original spot from beginning to end.
Karl did not explain, but simply made a "follow me" gesture, leading the two towards the corner that was densely obscured by vines.
Ephar stepped forward, pushed aside layers of branches and leaves, and drove his orb of light closer to illuminate the dull magic crystals embedded at the bottom of the archway, which had already lost their luster.
"Oh, it really is here?" Dredy looked at Karl with a hint of surprise.
Then, he chuckled, "Your observation skills are really good; you found such a hidden place so quickly."
Ephar also nodded, indicating his agreement.
He extended his hand, slowly infusing magic into the dim crystal.
As magic flowed in, the crystal gradually lit up with a soft white glow.
Immediately after, a muffled rumble came from behind the archway, where there had originally been a solid stone wall.
The air began to twist and swirl, finally forming a stable, white-glowing vortex-shaped teleportation gate.
"Let's go!" Dredy shouted in a low voice, being the first to step into the teleportation gate. Ephar gestured for Karl to follow, while he covered the rear.
Passing through the teleportation gate, after a brief sensation of weightlessness and sensory disorientation, the three arrived on the opposite side of the cliff.
This was also a man-made space, with giant stone lion statues standing on either side.
Half of one of the lions was missing, and many of the stone slabs beneath its feet were broken.
Dredy and Ephar quickly surveyed the environment, their expressions growing increasingly grim.
"This is an ancient elven protection array; it seems Alyssandra forcibly destroyed and deactivated it," Ephar said, pointing to the broken lion and the ground.
However, just as they were about to investigate further...
"Boom!!" A muffled explosion echoed from the depths of the ruins, accompanied by faint female shouts and a harsh grinding sound.
The three exchanged glances, seeing the vigilance in each other's eyes.
"She's in there, quick!" Dredy roared, and the three immediately dashed towards the direction of the sound.
Passing through several short passages, they burst into a wider circular hall, and the sight before them immediately brought them to a halt.
In the center of the hall, a female warlock, dressed in a dark green dress and with a sinister expression, was desperately maintaining a flickering magical shield.
Her face was pale, and there was a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth; she was clearly at a disadvantage.
Besieging her were three clay constructs—golems, also known as alchemical puppets—whose movements were stiff but whose strength was immense.
And five gargoyles, circling and flying, constantly diving to attack and occasionally teleporting.
These gargoyles were like animated statues, made entirely of rough marble, with gusts of wind accompanying the flapping of their wings.
On the ground not far away, three mangled golem remnants were scattered.
"It's her, Alyssandra!" Dredy immediately identified her.
However, no sooner had he spoken than, as if in response to his identification,
A scorching fireball shot out from Alyssandra's direction, but she did not aim it at the three of them.
The fireball flew directly past the three, slamming hard into an inconspicuous protruding mechanism on the wall next to them.
"Bang! Boom!!" The fireball exploded, bricks and stones flew, and the mechanism was instantly destroyed.
Immediately after, a muffled roar sounded from behind them.
A heavy stone door slammed down with lightning speed, completely sealing off their retreat.
"Damn it, that crazy bitch!"
"She wants to draw the attention of these gargoyles and golems to us too, to drag us down with her!"
Dredy, who had previously been calm, cursed loudly on the spot, enraged.
Ephar's face also became extremely grim; his gaze towards the gargoyles was filled with deep apprehension.
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