Chapter 372

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Chapter 372: Trial or Trap?!

The dark cave was filled with strange rustling sounds, and in the distance, the dull sounds of chiseling could be heard.

Not only Dark Iron Dwarves were digging here, but Troggs were also constantly creating new tunnels.

Daggett told him that many members of the exploration team believed that this place was actually a prison for cave-dwelling Rockjaw Troggs. These uncontrollable twisted monsters were imprisoned here by ancient Guardians. The arrival of the Explorer Association allowed them to interact with the outside world, prompting them to actively dig tunnels to escape.

An important reason for the disturbances caused by the Rockjaw Troggs in Loch Modan started shortly after the discovery of this excavation site.

However, Daggett did not mention the invasion of Gnomish city Gnomeregan by Rockjaw Troggs. Jesse felt that it was too far from here to Gnomeregan, maybe hundreds of kilometers away. It would take a long time to dig straight there.

Initially, listening to Daggett talk about some things related to the Explorer Association while waiting here was not boring. But after a while, sleepiness set in, and waiting became less interesting.

Jesse dared not sleep, as both the movements of the Rockjaw Troggs outside and the strange stone held by Daggett beside him made him uneasy.

Of course, the most important thing was Greed’s situation. Every time he peeked into the dim shadows inside the hall, seeing Greed sitting there motionless leaning against a pillar in a lifeless manner, he felt unsettled.

But he couldn’t go in, fearing that entering would trigger some strange conditions such as completing the trial alone as a dwarf, or disrupting Greed’s perception of "ancestral bloodline," resulting in a failed effort.

So after a few times coming to the door, he finally walked back down.

Watching his pocket watch and counting the time, by the third night, he no longer felt hungry or thirsty, and didn’t have the mood to eat or drink anything. He just stared at the stone carvings around the hall door frame, feeling the drowsiness of his consciousness about to leave his body.

Even though Daggett had napped once in between, he wasn’t in a good state. Holding onto a dried mushroom for a long time without eating, his eyes were fixed on the darkness on the other side of the cave, staring blankly without moving.

Jesse couldn’t help but ask, "Daggett, can this trial really only be completed by one person? Others can’t participate?"

Daggett snapped out of his daze and looked over, saying, "According to the rumors I’ve heard, that’s the case."

"Would it count as helping if we brought him to this relic?" Jesse asked.

"I don’t think so," Daggett replied, "After all, the previous Mountain Kings didn’t dig out the temple themselves, and let alone Muradin Bronzebeard. He can’t possibly go to Northrend alone and search for the ruins buried in the ice and snow."

Jesse nodded and then asked, "But what if he starves to death inside? He hasn’t eaten or drunk anything for three days."

Daggett looked over and said, "I believe there’s no need to worry. I can go without eating or drinking for three days, let alone a Gryphon Rider. Not eating or drinking isn’t about tormenting oneself but seeking another way to communicate with this world. If the Wildhammer brother can’t find anything, I think he would come out on his own initiative rather than continue wasting time inside."

Jesse nodded and said, "Alright, you dwarves are in charge."

He sat down on the steps and suddenly heard a rumbling sound around him, which made him turn around in surprise.

Wait, why is this door closing?!

Jesse hurried up to the door, but he was too late. The big door slammed shut, pushing him outside.

He brushed off the dust that fell on him from the shaking door, then tried to kick it. However, the stone door was four to five meters high and incredibly heavy, not budging at all.

Daggett also ran over, as Jesse asked, "What’s going on? Is this normal?"

He pressed his ear against the door to listen carefully for any sound inside, but the door was too thick to hear anything.

"I… I’m sorry, I don’t know either," Daggett said as he touched the stone door. "This might be some kind of defense mechanism that got triggered somehow."

Jesse’s mind was a mess. He leaned on the sturdy stone door, considering countless possibilities, even thinking about triggering the door to close by sitting on the steps.

Is this part of the trial?

Why would the Titan’s temple have such a trial hall specially prepared for the later appearance of a dwarf? Impossible.

Daggett is right, this must be some kind of defense mechanism. Either he triggered it, or Greed triggered it inside.

Considering how absurd it is to trigger a mechanism by sitting on the steps, he had walked back and forth on the steps countless times these days.

Greed must be in trouble.

"Greed!"

"Greed! What’s happening?!"

He shouted and slapped the stone door, but at that moment, the whole stone chamber kept making rumbling noises, as if some mechanical parts were operating, completely drowning out his shouts, so he couldn’t even hear his own voice.

Jesse refused to just watch Greed being trapped inside. He took a few steps back, took a run-up, and kicked the stone door hard. The door shook with a loud rumble, but didn’t budge an inch.

He pushed hard on the stone door until his vision blurred from exhaustion, unable to summon any more strength after days without sleep. At that moment, the dwarf patted Jesse’s back and said, "Mage, mage, behind us, we have company now."

Turning around, he saw a group of Rockjaw Troggs approaching the doorway, some tall and reaching two meters in height, while others short and thin like dwarves.

Each of these creatures carried various weapons such as stone spears, chisels, hammers, and Dark Iron Dwarf weapons.

The rumbling from the stone chamber must have attracted them.

Daggett steadied his bronze staff and asked Jesse, "What do we do now?"

Jesse tossed his cloak aside, chanted a spell, and a brilliant crystal armor immediately surrounded him, emitting a bright Arcane light that illuminated the surroundings.

The approaching Rockjaw Troggs hesitated, seeming dazzled by the intense light, and none dared to advance.

Waving the Azuresong Mageblade in his hand, he cast a Light Spell that illuminated the area even more brightly, then shouted at the Rockjaw Troggs, "Come if you’re not afraid to die!"

It was unclear how many of the Rockjaw Troggs understood his shout, but the ones in the front clearly took a step back.

Nearby, the Rockjaw Trogg and I locked eyes with each other before noticing a mage high above. A Rockjaw Trogg with white hair and dark skin then stepped forward.

He lifted a long stick adorned with many decorations and pointed it towards the mage as if giving orders!

"Surface dwellers… should all die!"

"You shall die first…"

Jesse cast the Life Drain Spell, causing the already elderly Rockjaw Trogg to immediately shrivel up, losing hair and skin wrinkles, collapsing before finishing his second sentence.

The surrounding Rockjaw Trogg panicked at the sight, trying to support the fallen one but unable to stop his rapid demise, eventually turning into a dried-up zombie on the ground.

However, Jesse had already regained his spirits.

"Come on, all of you," he muttered softly.