Frilian: The Adventure of the Hero

Chapter 146 The Great Magician Minus

The group walked along a narrow path.

Xia En looked up.

On the distant mountain ridge, a huge tree stands.

The tree canopy radiated a warm, intense golden light, like a burning sun, its rays piercing through the clouds and coating the entire earth in a warm yellow hue.

Under that light.

A white city lies quietly.

The city is built along the lake, with towering and magnificent white marble buildings, domes and towers scattered throughout, showcasing order and beauty.

The water's surface, like a mirror, reflected the giant trees and the white city.

This is Rivendell, the most prosperous city of the elven race, as recorded in "The History of Magic on the Continent".

"Is this underground or another world?"

Shutark looked around and asked the question everyone wanted to ask.

No one responded.

Because nobody knows the answer.

Only a few seconds had passed since the earth cracked open and everyone was dragged underground by the golden chains.

However, when everyone opened their eyes again...

The scene before my eyes has now become what it is today.

Is that the legendary "Golden Tree"?

Xia En looked up at the enormous, sky-covering trees and slowly frowned.

Frilian walked beside him, also looking at the giant tree in the distance.

There is no sun or moon here.

All the light came from that giant golden tree.

In her heart, just as Xia En felt, perhaps what lay before her was the [Golden Tree] sung about in the elven ballads.

.

But why does it feel so strange?

Elves aren't like dwarves who like to burrow; they never live in underground cities. Tranquil forests and warm sunshine are what elves prefer.

Frillian and Shane exchanged a glance, both reading suspicion in each other's eyes.

This underground city is strange.

Beside him, Falshu strode forward, staring at the massive white city ahead, his eyes gleaming.

He leaned forward, adjusted his glasses, and said excitedly, "Lyrne, if we can unearth some ancient elven texts that have never been seen before, or find some legendary elven magic, I'm going to take a three-month vacation when we get back!"

"No, I need to take five months off!"

Lylene remained expressionless. "As long as Lady Celie has no objections."

Upon hearing this, Falshu's shoulders slumped slightly. "You really don't know how to talk."

The group chatted as they walked along the path toward the city gate.

Walk along the steep, zigzagging path.

A great river runs across our view.

This river connects to the huge lake you just saw; the river is swift and rushing onward.

A narrow stone bridge spans the river.

The stone bridge is very high, without any railings or pillars, and is only wide enough for one person to walk on at a time.

Xia En glanced at the rushing river below the bridge and swallowed.

If it were someone with a fear of heights...

If you stand on it, you'll immediately fall down.

Fortunately, he was often dragged around by Frilian, so he didn't have this worry.

In contrast, Zain is in a terrible situation.

The monk stood at the bridgehead, his legs trembling. "May I request to experience the [levitation magic]?"

Frillie looked at the length of the bridge. "If there's a gust of wind halfway across, you'll be blown away."

Zan was in despair.

He wasn't afraid of heights, but the bridge was too narrow, and he had a constant feeling that he was about to step into the air.

Shutark led the charge.

Following them were Shane and Frilian, with Lylene and Falshu bringing up the rear, and the group went up the bridge one by one.

The wind in the valley whispers in my ear.

Above us was a hazy, yellow sky, and below us flowed a turbulent river.

Everyone walked very carefully.

suddenly.

Wisps of mist rose from the river, transforming into several beautiful women dressed in almost transparent gauze. Their faces were exquisite, and their figures were graceful. They danced gracefully on both sides of the stone bridge, facing the mountain breeze.

The sheer fabric is graceful and alluring.

Shutark, who was at the very front, paused for a moment.

The boy blushed.

Xia En placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and warned, "Calm down, this is a trap."

Shutark nodded, took a deep breath, and calmed himself down.

Lift your foot and keep walking.

As the crowd slowly crossed the center of the stone bridge, the dancing fairies vanished, transforming back into the mountain mist.

Just then.

Suddenly, a tall warrior clad in armor stood up in the center of the stone bridge in front of the crowd. He held a spear in his hand, pointing it at them. "Step back," he said. "This place welcomes only friends, not those with ulterior motives."

The soldier's voice was powerful and resonant, filled with a sense of oppression.

Shutark stopped again.

Xia En glanced at the warrior, then looked back at the spot where the fairy had just appeared, and stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment.

He said, "We are friends of the elves, and we have come here with no ill intentions."

Upon hearing Shane's response, the warrior remained silent, but sheathed his spear.

clang-

A long, resonant bell rang out.

A flock of birds took flight from the distant white metropolis.

The soldier's figure then disappeared.

No one blocked the way on the bridge anymore.

Frilian gave Shane an appreciative look.

Xia En curled the corners of his mouth slightly. It seemed that his rich gaming experience from his previous life was still quite useful.

The group successfully crossed the entire stone bridge.

We arrived at the city gate.

The city gates were wide open, and there were no guards.

Inside the gate, residents come and go.

Wait, residents?

Everyone looked at each other, their faces filled with disbelief.

The wide streets, paved with marble, are lined with shops—clothing stores, bakeries, blacksmith shops—and even dessert shops. People browse goods in front of the shops, chatting happily, their faces beaming with joy.

Shutark looked at Shane.

Shaun shook his head. "It's not an illusion."

Zain added, "Indeed, my magic doesn't feel like a hallucination or a curse."

Falshu adjusted his glasses, then looked at the giant golden tree on the ridge that could be seen from anywhere, and asked, "Do the people here live underground, relying on the light of that tree?"

Frilian summoned her staff, held it in her hand, and walked forward.

"In short, everyone should be careful."

The group entered through the gate.

He cautiously surveyed everything within the city.

The crowd attracted the attention of passersby, who cast curious glances their way. Merchants also stopped what they were doing to observe the group, which became the focus of the entire street.

Philon moved closer to Shane, the little girl seemed a bit nervous.

Ailu moved closer to Lylene. "Grandpa, are they really human?"

Ailu's words raised the tension in the team to another level.

The group continued walking along the street.

Wherever they went, the once bustling crowds fell silent.

Just then.

A greeting came from a nearby hotel.

"Hi, dear travelers, you must be from out of town. Come in and rest for a while."

Accompanied by this sound.

A plump, fat woman walked over.

A white linen towel was draped over her left arm, and she held a pot of tea in her right hand, her face beaming with smiles. "Oh dear, it's been so long since any travelers have visited Rivendell."

"I imagine you all came here specifically for the anniversary celebration."

As she spoke, the plump woman casually placed the teapot she was holding on the table near the door, quickly wiped her hands with a towel from her arm, and stepped forward.

"This little shop is the most popular inn in all of Rivendell, with the softest beds and the most delicious pork chop rice. Would you like to try it?"

Although she was speaking to everyone, the proprietress's gaze was clearly fixed only on Xia En.

The smile on her face was warm, but also carried a hint of barely perceptible shyness.

Frillie glanced at the proprietress, then at Shane, and breathed a sigh of relief. "It's alright now, everyone can relax."

"Um?

""

Xia En looked puzzled.

The others also looked puzzled.

Frillie led the way into the inn, saying, "Because the landlady here is just like all the landladys on Earth, she must be human."

Philon immediately realized what was going on and followed them into the inn. "That's right."

Shutark and Zain nodded and began to confidently order food from the proprietress.

Only Lyleen and the others were completely baffled.

Ailu looked at Shane with a questioning gaze.

Xia En sighed helplessly, "—Don't ask."

There were a few people eating in the hotel.

As usual, they cast curious glances at Xia En and the others as they entered.

As she poured tea for everyone, the proprietress explained, "Don't be offended, we haven't seen any travelers in the city for a long time."

Xia En took the teacup and casually asked, "Boss lady, what did you mean by 'anniversary' earlier?"

"It's to commemorate the founding of this city. The celebration is scheduled for tomorrow. Lady Minus will be on the highest terrace in the city to bestow blessings upon everyone."

Upon hearing this, Frillie paused for a moment.

"Lady Minus? Blessings?"

"Yes." The proprietress handed out tea to everyone one by one and continued, "Ever since Lady Minus founded this city, every year on the [anniversary], this benevolent lady would bestow blessings upon everyone. Lady Minus's [blessing magic] can keep us healthy and pain-free for a whole year, even more powerful than the magic of [monks]."

Upon hearing this, Falshu choked on his tea.

"Ahem, are you talking about the mage Minus?"

"Yes, Lady Minus is a powerful elven mage."

Upon hearing this, Falshu and Lylene exchanged a glance, their expressions changing.

Even Frilian's expression turned serious.

"ah."

Philon let out a cry of pain and put down his teacup.

The proprietress was startled. "Is the tea too hot?"

Philon raised his hand, and a string of tiny beads of blood oozed from his snow-white fingertips.

She was cut.

"Oh dear, I must have gotten hold of a broken cup. I'm so sorry, I'll go find you a clean cloth and bandage it up right away."

Before the proprietress could leave, Zain raised his hand and cast a Healing spell on Philon.

Philon's fingertips were restored to their original state.

Seeing this, the proprietress looked at Zain gratefully, "It's good that you have a [monk]. I'm so sorry, it was all my oversight. Everyone, please see what you'd like to eat. No matter how much food you have, this meal is free as an apology."

Xia En smiled and comforted the proprietress, "It was just an accident, don't be nervous. Just give each of us one of the pork chop rice dishes you mentioned."

"Okay, I'll be right there."

After the proprietress left.

Xia En glanced at Philon, who seemed somewhat absent-minded.

If he remembered correctly, the years of war in the Southern Kingdoms were caused by this Elf Mage, Minus.

"The Great Magician Minus————"

Falshu adjusted his glasses. "The 'Rebellious Witch' who brought endless war to the 'Southern Kingdoms,' who would have thought that she would be the one who built this elven city?"

"It is said that 30 years ago, this witch was killed in a small town on the southern border."

"Although there are many conflicting accounts of the details of the killing and the identity of the killer is unclear, it is true that the war in the south gradually subsided after that."

Xia En fell into deep thought.

Shutark, who was standing nearby, grasped the key point in Falshu's words.

"So what's going on now? Wasn't she supposed to bless the residents tomorrow? Did she not die 30 years ago?"

""

As soon as he finished speaking, the proprietress came up with two large bowls of pork chop rice.

The aroma of the delicious food immediately drew everyone's attention; after spending so much time in the forest, the allure of such food was irresistible.

Two customers at the next table smelled the aroma of pork chops and joked with the proprietress, "Proprietress, I heard your husband is slaughtering a pig today. Could you make some braised pork intestine noodles for everyone to try tonight?"

The proprietress smiled and agreed.

They promised that in the evening, they would not only have braised pork intestine noodles, but also grilled ribs.

The guests at the hotel were very happy.

Xia En glanced at the guests around him, who were making a lot of noise and joking around. For some reason, he had a strange feeling in his heart.

During meals.

While enjoying the delicious food, everyone discussed their plans for the next step.

Philen, Shutark, Zain, and Elru went to befriend the surrounding residents, especially the children, to see if they could find any crucial information.

Frilian and Shane went to investigate the outskirts of the city to see if there were any roads connecting it to the outside world. The people inside lived in the city, and their lives were no different from those outside; it was impossible for them not to have contact with outsiders.

Lairn and Falsh went to investigate the city hall and library to see if they could find any documents such as "City History." At the very least, they wanted to try and find the city's leaders to inquire about the city's situation. Their identities as members of the Continental Magic Association might be of some use.

"Remember, don't get into conflicts with anyone."

"If you encounter danger, don't confront it head-on, just run."

Xia En reminded Philon and the others.

The little girl nodded.

Just as Philon turned to leave, Shane called out to her.

"Philan, what's done is done. Don't let hatred control you. Think about what Haita expects of you. If—if you meet Minus—"

Before Shane could finish speaking, Philon smiled.

"I know, Mr. Shane."

Xia En opened his mouth.

It would be incredibly difficult to accept the sudden realization that the culprit who caused you to lose your hometown and loved ones might still be alive.

He wanted to say a few more words, but looking at Philon's resolute eyes, he ultimately said nothing.

He raised his hand and patted the little girl's head.

Beside her, Frillie smiled and reminded her, "Go ahead, be careful."

Philon nodded vigorously.

Everyone left the hotel and went their separate ways.

Shane and Frilian arrived at the city gate they had just been at.

They did not cross the stone bridge.

They began their investigation, circling the city along the outer walls.

The entire city of Rivendell is constructed of pure white marble, including its walls. Outside the walls, an artificial moat draws water from a nearby lake and encircles the city.

The river water is clear.

Across the river lies a lush forest.

Frilian grabbed Shane and used [Flying Magic] to fly to the other side of the river, wanting to explore the surrounding forest.

However, just after flying over the moat, Frillie had a strange feeling.

The surrounding air became heavy and stagnant.

Even the gravity in the air seemed strange. She continued flying forward, but the more she flew, the more difficult it became. And although the forest appeared to be less than a hundred meters away, no matter how she flew, it always maintained a distance of nearly a hundred meters from them.

Xia En also sensed that something was wrong.

"Frilian, let's go down."

The two landed on the ground by the river. Xia En activated the [Swiftness] skill and began to run wildly towards the forest. However, the forest was like a [Mirage]. No matter how fast they ran, they could only appear to be [approaching], but they could never [arrive].

Xia En stopped.

He looked up at the enormous Golden Tree that he could see with just a glance. Although the tree was radiating a warm light, he felt the hairs on his body stand on end.

After that, they conducted tests in different directions outside the city.

same.

They're all the same.

Even the stone bridge they had crossed before became impassable once they reached the zigzag path.

This city was completely isolated from the outside world.

It seems to exist independently of the world.

Something's not right—

Frillie frowned.

Worry also appeared in Xia En's eyes.

"Let's go back first and see if anyone else has any clues."

When everyone met at the inn.

Night has fallen.

Unlike the sunrise and sunset outside, the light here, both day and night, comes from the giant tree on the mountain ridge outside the city.

However, the light is more intense during the day and softer at night.

Everyone, return to the hotel.

The proprietress warmly served a plate of sizzling, oily grilled ribs.

A complimentary tomato soup was also served to help cut through the richness.

While enjoying the food, everyone exchanged information with each other.

Philon and his companions inquired with the surrounding residents and found that they were not surprised that there was no sun in the sky, and did not even think that the giant tree was glowing.

It seems that the people here are born with a different understanding than others.

Apart from that, life here is no different from outside.

It's fair to say that no useful information could be obtained from ordinary residents.

Lylene and her team have made some progress.

They found the city's large library and obtained some books from it.

As they spoke, the two men spread the books they had brought on the table.

A whole bunch.

Xia En was speechless. Was it stolen or bought? Oh well, it doesn't seem that important.

He opened a book, which was entirely written in the language of the ancient elves, and was difficult to understand.

Falshu adjusted his glasses.

"Layne and I will decipher these texts tonight, hoping to find some clues."

Shane nodded, and then shared his and Frillie's findings with everyone.

They learned that they could not leave this city.

Everyone was a little disappointed.

Seeing this, Shane quickly encouraged everyone not to be discouraged.

"Isn't it common to enter a 'maze' where you can't leave until you clear it?"

Everyone looked at each other, completely bewildered.

"Mr. Shane, how can there be a 'maze' that we can't leave?"

Xia En paused.

So, are all the mazes in this world places that you can just walk into and out of at will?

It seems that past gaming experience isn't always useful.

Late at night.

Everyone took a rest.

Xia En stood at the window of his hotel room, looking at the myriad lights outside.

In the distance, only the treetops shone with a faint light, gently illuminating the city.

He watched for a while.

Turn your gaze away and prepare to rest.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a small, blurry figure standing alone on the terrace of the tallest tower in the city center.

Xia En frowned.

Isn't that the tower where the landlady mentioned the "mage Minus" lives?

Just as he was wondering, the small figure took off and flew towards the glowing giant tree outside the city.

? ?

Xia En was puzzled.

Isn't this city inaccessible?

He and Frilian tried, but they couldn't get close to the giant tree at all.

Is Minus the only one who can leave?

I was just thinking about it.

The light from the giant glowing tree went out completely, and all the light in the city suddenly disappeared.

A wave of drowsiness washed over me.

Xia En groped his way to the bedside and collapsed onto it.

It fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning.

When Xia En came downstairs, everyone had already gathered at the dining table downstairs.

Even Frilian was sitting there.

He was just a little unsteady and not very clear-headed.

"It's so rare to see Frillie up so early."

Philon served him a bowl of porridge.

She explained with a smile, "Lady Frillien was woken up by Mr. Falshu."

"Oh?"

He reached out and took it, pulled out a chair, and sat down at the table.

Beside him, Falshu, sporting dark circles under his eyes, was drinking porridge while flipping through the books at hand.

Lylene is about the same.

The two were engrossed in their books, barely managing to sip their porridge.

Hearing what Shane and Philen said, Falshuo replied without looking up, "There are too many books. We need Frilian's help."

Frillie held a thick local history book, turning the pages while yawning and making sarcastic remarks.

"The local gazetteer records are far too detailed."

Xia En leaned over and glanced over.

[————A red pebble was unearthed during the dredging of the river.————]

[The newborn elf girl will be named Serena.]

[————A resident of the town lost two hens, and three days later devised a plan to catch a weasel————]

Xia En was speechless. What was all this?

Minus is so boring.

and many more!

Xia En realized something.

A newly born elf girl?

Xia En suddenly stood up, almost knocking the stool behind him down with him.

He knew what had been bothering him since yesterday.

"Isn't this supposed to be an elf city? Why haven't I seen a single elf!"

As soon as Xia En spoke.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him.

Just then.

Snapped.

The teacup in Philen's hand fell, and blood beaded on the little girl's fingertips.

The customers at the next table joked with the proprietress who was serving the food, "Proprietress, I heard your husband is slaughtering a pig today. Could you make some braised pork intestine noodles for everyone to try?"

The proprietress smiled and agreed, promising that in addition to braised pork intestine noodles, there would also be grilled ribs that evening.

The guests at the hotel were very happy.

Xia En looked at the teasing and joking guests, and his heart sank.

The exact same things as yesterday, the exact same people as yesterday —

Not only him, but others gradually realized it as well.

Shane and Frilian exchanged a glance, both seeing seriousness in each other's eyes.

Time has been reset.

Their identities changed from "travelers from afar" to "NPCs" who are permanent residents of the inn.