YM778.TV Chapter 98: Mysterious Grotto
"Hmph! Just scraping by at the bottom of the trial rankings, such people must be weak. They probably rely on some crooked means to make the list!"
"..."
The crowd in the Grand Hall of the High Tower was buzzing with chatter.
The sudden appearance of Enzo\'s name in the trial rankings wasn\'t acknowledged by most of them.
These people mostly hailed from the vast tribes of the barren mountain region and had some knowledge of other tribes\' existence and candidates entering the High Tower Space.
Yet, despite searching their memories, Enzo drew a blank.
Who exactly was Enzo?
This left many people puzzled.
Freya, also in the Grand Hall, was surprised to see Enzo\'s name on the trial rankings, but a mysterious smile crept onto her lips as she approached him. "Looks like I underestimated you." she said.
Enzo replied calmly, "Apparently so."
It sounded arrogant, yet also a display of confidence.
However , Freya admired Enzo\'s confidence.
Therefore, her desire intensified, imagining Enzo submitting to her, obeying her every command... such wonderful fantasies made her tremble.
Until she noticed Enzo\'s peculiar gaze.
What was this woman thinking just now, could it be...
Inevitably, Enzo\'s mind conjured up some exhilarating scenes, but at the moment, he wasn\'t particularly interested. Despite Freya\'s striking beauty and noble status, High Tower Space was far from safe. Although he now had the qualification to leave after passing the trials.
"Ahem..." Freya coughed, saying, "Enzo, please don\'t misunderstand."
She wanted to explain that her earlier behavior was due to a daydream, but it felt too embarrassing to admit.
Freya opted for a cold approach.
Her embarrassment quickly faded from her face, and she asked Enzo, "What\'s your plan next?"
Enzo promptly replied, "To go back."
Although he had informed Amy, Tia, and others about his plans, Enzo couldn\'t guarantee they wouldn\'t worry. It was also a test for the many managers of the tribe—he hoped that even in his absence, the tribe would continue to grow and maintain order.
The supernatural world was too dangerous, and involving the tribe\'s colleagues wasn\'t a good idea.
Freya nodded solemnly and warned, "In this world, it\'s ultimately ruled by those with great power. When you are strong enough, even just a thought can destroy a tribe of tens of thousands. So, when necessary, you must learn to abandon everything, even those you consider close."
Upon hearing this, Enzo looked at Freya for a long time.
He replied casually, "I\'ll consider it."
Indeed, what Freya said was a common occurrence in this world.
Just like the Barren Mountain Tribe in the past, they could choose to sacrifice their own people to gain the strength to combat disasters.
However, Enzo was not inclined to do so.
To him, true strength was not about sacrifice but about protection.
This difference in philosophy between him and Freya couldn\'t be reconciled through mere words.
Enzo didn\'t linger in idle conversation with Freya for long. After exchanging a few words with Christina and the others, he opened the portal once again and left the High Tower Space.
...
The Crimson Star Tribe camp.
On the second floor of a small bamboo building, Amy, Tia, and a few others were gathered, discussing tribal affairs when they suddenly noticed something unusual and ascended to the second floor. There, they saw Enzo returning from the High Tower Space.
They exclaimed excitedly, "Lord Enzo, you\'re back!"
Enzo nodded, smiling, "I\'m back."
Amy\'s worries eased, and she breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "Lord Enzo, let me prepare food for you."
Enzo stopped her, then noticed Amy, Tia, Clara, and Jessica together. He became curious and asked, "Is something happening in the tribe?"
Amy shook her head,"Nothing."
Jessica took over and added, "There\'s nothing going on with the Crimson Star Tribe, but there\'s a major event at Plata Plain. According to Ms. Lucy and the patrol team\'s detection, the situation at Plata Plain could bring adverse effects to the jungle. So, Ward and the others are quite worried."
Listening to Amy and the others, Enzo understood the situation.
Plata Plain was gathering a large number of supernatural beings!
These beings weren\'t from the same group but various species and strengths, all converging towards the depths of Plata Plain—a behavior that defied logic.
Even Neville, who had lived in Plata Plain, had never seen anything like it.
After hearing Amy\'s explanation, Enzo\'s expression grew serious.
He couldn\'t shake the feeling that he had heard about such a gathering of supernatural beings somewhere before.
Wait!
A flash of images crossed Enzo\'s mind.
He remembered.
In the High Tower Space, after clearing the third trial, he had learned about the content of the fourth trial—leading a normal tribe to eliminate a large number of supernatural beings. These beings had also gathered together, attacking tribes along the way. This phenomenon was known as a "beast tide"!
Could it be that Plata Plain was experiencing a beast tide?
Although Enzo was reluctant to believe it, the behavior of those supernatural beings seemed to fit perfectly.
This could be a serious situation!
With this thought, Enzo didn\'t hesitate. He immediately sought out Priest Lucy, who was handling various tasks at the Adventurer\'s Association, and asked directly, "Priest Lucy, could the gathering of supernatural beings at Plata Plain be a beast tide?"
However, Priest Lucy looked puzzled and asked, "Beast tide? What\'s that?"
This surprised Enzo, who asked in return, "You don\'t know?"
Priest Lucy didn\'t seem too concerned and replied, "The world\'s knowledge is endless. While I understand many things, it doesn\'t mean I know everything. Enzo, what exactly is this \'beast tide\' you\'re talking about? You seem quite serious about this."
Enzo briefly explained what he knew about the beast tide.
However, he wasn\'t clear on the specifics.
According to the description from the fourth trial in the High Tower Space, the beast tide would only cease when more than a third of the creatures were killed or wounded. Yet, this could also intensify the aggression of the beasts, as human intellect and fear of death surpassed those of mere animals.
Heavy casualties could break human morale, but it wasn\'t certain if this applied to the beasts.
Listening to Enzo\'s description, Priest Lucy\'s face filled with concern.
She sighed, "If the behavior of those supernatural beings truly reflects the characteristics of a beast tide, it will be a disaster for both Plata Plain and the jungle. And there\'s nothing we can do to stop it."
Priest Lucy realized the most critical point.
No one knew exactly how many supernatural beings had gathered or their individual strengths. However, based on the general circumstances, any conflict between humans and these creatures would heavily favor the latter, possibly to an overwhelming degree.
With this realization, Priest Lucy\'s weary eyes seemed to make a decision.
She turned to Enzo and said, "Enzo, perhaps there\'s a place where information about beast tides or similar events is recorded. But uncovering that information won\'t be easy. Are you willing to go and find out?"
what could be so mysterious?
Enzo nodded curiously.
Priest Lucy smiled faintly and said, "Then come with me."
Under Priest Lucy\'s guidance, the two departed from the tribe via a floating bridge at the lake, proceeding along a jungle path outside the bamboo walls. This route initially led towards the Venom Tribe, but midway, Priest Lucy altered their course, navigating through swirling mists until they reached a grotto.
Letting out a sigh, Priest Lucy remarked, "This is it."
Enzo looked up at the eerie grotto surrounded by white mist, making it difficult to discern directions. At the grotto entrance were rough, crude stone carvings, pockmarked and uneven, their shapes indistinguishable.
Growing more curious, Enzo asked, "Priest Lucy, what exactly is this?"
Priest Lucy shook her head and said, "I\'m not entirely sure. While scouting for the Venom Tribe\'s camp location, I stumbled upon this grotto. Inside, there are some perplexing murals. And deep within the grotto, there\'s a closed door."
How could this be possible?
Enzo cautiously entered, his expression suddenly changing as he exclaimed, "This place actually suppresses supernatural powers?"
Perplexed, Priest Lucy didn\'t feel any suppression herself.
After a moment, Enzo realized.
He realized that the grotto didn\'t completely suppress supernatural powers but rather dampened the abilities of those who entered, roughly to a first-tier level. Priest Lucy, being older and her powers diminished, didn\'t feel the suppression, whereas Enzo, at Level 3, felt it distinctly.
How intriguing!
It was akin to the suppression mechanism in the High Tower Space trials.
What connection did this grotto have with the High Tower Space?
Enzo felt surrounded by layers of mist, beyond which lay the supernatural, the truth of the world.
He looked up then, using the filtering light to examine the mysterious murals Priest Lucy had mentioned. Once he saw what they depicted, his face contorted in surprise.