Villainess' Redemption Records

Chapter 36: A Wild Flower in the Beast World (16)

"Cursed?"

Elder Myul sighed again, "That's what you smell around here. This place is so cursed that no one wants to live here anymore." 

The smell around here was pungent and disgusting, almost like rotten eggs. It was overpowering and difficult to ignore, but for the sensitive nose of their wolf clan, this was pure torture.

"During the war with the Great Lion clan that year, the situation became more and more desperate. Our king listened to some crazy person from the snake clan and mined the mountain like crazy. They wanted to build something with all these Ember Rocks."

"Then one day, boom, the mountain blew up."

"Blew up? Was it a volcano?" Someone asked.

Elder Myul chuckled, "There wasn't a volcano before, but now..." He pointed at the fire mountain in the middle of the city. "That used to be our palace."

Then he pointed at the one at the far distance. "And that was the Ember Rock mine."

Everyone was shocked. There wasn't a volcano here before, but suddenly, two appeared at such short proximities. No wonder such a great city was destroyed.

Ling frowned as he remembered that there was a male snake in the Howling tribe before. Curious about it, he asked, "What happened to the crazy snake clan?"

"Who knows." Said the elder. "Probably died with the rest of them." 

At that time, the explosion came really suddenly, and lava came out of nowhere. A large part of the city caught fire. Countless people died here, and everyone can't even find their own families. The remaining survivors were scattered everywhere. Who would care about the whereabouts of one male snake?

Elder Myul pointed through a cave and said, "There. The things that we came for were stored there."

No one was relaxed. They had to explore the cave, but first, they had to confirm its solidity and safety, as well as defend the door from any potential threats.

As the group carefully explored the cavern, their anticipation mounted with each step. The air inside was cool and musty, carrying with it a faint scent of earth. Elder Myul led the way with a small torch, his steps steady and sure, his eyes scanning the darkness ahead.

The flickering light of their torches cast eerie shadows on the cave walls as they ventured deeper into the unknown. 

Finally, they reached a spacious chamber filled with piles of rocks everywhere. Some were nestled in wooden boxes, while others lay scattered across the floor. Ling curiously picked up one, and his eyes widened in surprise. He turned to Elder Myul with a questioning gaze.

Elder Myul nodded, confirming Ling's doubt, and said, "This is it. Let's take everything away."

With Elder Myul's guidance, they set to work, carefully lifting each stone tablet on the floor and putting them in their baskets. Soon after, the chamber was emptied. 

As they made their way out, Ling couldn't shake the feeling of awe that washed over him. Each tablet was full of carvings of ancient language that he didn't understand. No one taught him how to read, and he almost forgotten that such a thing even existed. In that room, each rock held a piece of their history, a glimpse into the lives of those who had come before them, but also a humbling reminder of the legacy they had to carry forward with them.

At last, when they emerged from the cave, the sun had begun to sink below the horizon, casting long shadows across the landscape. 

The sky was getting darker and darker, and the stinky smell outside really didn't help. Even though everyone was covering their face with animal skin, the smell still made them dizzy.