Arbur's revelation of the nearby mountain's name was a pleasant surprise to Micro, though Arbur wasn't certain whether the basilisk could really be found there.

“It's always been called Lo Mountain, at least as far as I know.” Arbur explained as he led the party through the woods.

“Legends say he came here looking for crystals, and chased away the sect which resided here. There are a number of other stories though.”

“Once we get to the mountain, Blue should have no trouble confirming whether Lo is inside.” Micro said confidently.

“It's true.” Blue added, her voice muffled by the pocket she sat in.

“I must warn you.” Arbur suddenly announced, suddenly stopping and gesturing for the rest to do the same.

“Gravel golems are the most common creatures around here, but the crystals attract all kinds of beasts.”

Arbur peeked ahead from behind a tree, scanning the area for wildlife. However, he looked back to the party and was quickly embarrased to see them standing as casually as before.

“Then again...” He mumbled as he straightened his back.

“I'm sure you won't find anything too troublesome in this area...”

“I sense no chaos energy ahead.” Lena announced.

“Let's not waste time then.” Micro added.

~

As Arbur had initially feared, several monsters did interrupt the party on their trek, but among the slimes, bears, and other creatures they encountered, none dared attack them after sensing the energy released by Micro and Lena. After a short walk, the forest grew less dense, and large boulders began to fill the scenery.

“This is the base of the mountain called Lo.” Arbur announced as a steep incline appeared in front of them.

“I have not ascended this mountain myself, but it is not uncommon for elders to meditate here. At least, they did...”

“Oh, this is a fun one.” Blue said as she leaned out of Micro's pocket.

“Fun?” Arbur asked in confusion.

“There are definitely some dungeons in there.” Blue explained.

“It's not a very big mountain though, so it won't take so long this time.”

“This time?” Arbur asked.

“We have some experience with caves.” Micro replied as Blue concentrated on the mountain, and Arbur nodded slowly.

“There.” Blue announced.

“I'm not sure where a Basilisk would hide, but there's a lot more energy coming out of that opening than any others.”

Micro followed her directions toward a large, natural opening in the side of the mountain, only a short walk up the mountain. Upon entering the cave, Micro used Spirit Vision to look ahead as far as he could, finding several paths that led deeper into the ground, and one that seemed to climb up into the centre of the mountain. Everywhere he looked was so rich with energy that he wasn't sure which path to take, but when he switched from viewing the energy of the cave to using his long-desired headlight ability, he was greeted with an equally spectacular sight.

“Woah...” Kolt was the first to mumble.

“So shiny!” Kira added.

Arbur and Lena looked disinterested at first, but Arbur was amused by the reaction of the children. Micro walked to the cave wall and placed his hands on one of the many glittering rocks.

“There's a lot of gold in here, and some iron too!” Micro exclaimed.

“I wonder why nobody is mining here.”

“Not many sects would deign to dig in the dirt for shiny objects.” Lena replied.

“Even our recent hosts would consider it work better suited to the mundane, but this forest is not where any normal mundane population would find itself.”

“What a waste...” Micro sighed, breaking off an orange clump of rocks which crumbled in his hands.

“It's good ore.”

“You prefer the orange rocks to the gold?” Arbur asked.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“A truck made of gold might not rust, but I doubt it would be very useful.” Micro said, grinning as he imagined such a truck.

“Do you think I could take a little bit with me? I'd love to give it to Kurt. His hammer would enjoy this a lot.”

“You are a sect leader, Micro.” Lena said.

“There is no power in this kingdom to stop you from claiming this mountain.”

“What?!” Micro gasped.

“But it's public property!”

“It may be within the borders drawn by some mundane personage of some political authority, and so is within the jurisdiction of the empire, but this land is unoccupied and uncontested.” Lena explained.

“There is little chance of another cultivator finding and claiming this unimportant hill, when there are much taller mountains not far from here.”

“So I can just... claim it?” Micro asked, still dumbfounded by the notion.

“As a member of the only sect to have set foot on this mountain for centuries, I can confirm your rights to it would not be questioned, should it really please you to bother with such things...” Arbur replied, though his confusion became more evident in his tone.

“Mind your tone.” Lena said with a stern voice.

“Your sect leader's will is clear.”

“Forgive my discourtesy, honoured imperial guard!” Arbur suddenly panicked, but Micro waved his hand to dismiss the issue.

“I guess I'll help myself on the way out then.” Micro stated.

“Let's find Lo before that. Blue?”

“Probably that way.” Blue replied to Micro's call.

“I've recovered enough not to miss the energy of a basilisk.”

~

The party began their journey into the mountain without further delay, their pace quickening after Kolt and Kira overcame the initial excitement that came with walls lined with gold. The sound of large animals scrambling in the opposite direction of the cultivators echoed throughout the cave occasionally, though they occasionally passed by the occasional rat or slime.

Kolt's first instinct was to reach out and touch the first slime they came across, but Kira held him back and threw a small rock at it. Kolt watched in awe and horror as the rock was absorbed and then melted within the slime's gooey form.

“That kind won't attack you, but you can't touch them.” Kira explained.

“That's how uncle lost two of his toes.”

“He said a goblin bit them off!” Kolt argued.

“No goblin could run as fast as uncle.” Kira giggled.

“He had a tendency to kick things when he was frustrated on a hunt. That's how we found out the slimes that look like that melt everything.”

“You know a lot about slimes.” Micro commented, gesturing for the children to keep up.

“I know a little.” Kira replied, her pride evident despite her attempt at a humble bow.

“Enough.” Blue suddenly announced as they came to a large opening in the cave.

Micro wondered why Blue sounded so curt for a moment, but soon noticed what she had found. As he shone his bright light on the rocks and boulder on the ground ahead of them, he noticed several human faces looking back at him with fierce expressions.

“Statues?” Micro asked.

“You think somebody came here to carve statues, then left after breaking all of them?” Blue asked.

“Cultivators do a lot of things I don’t understand...” Micro shrugged.

“It looks like the basilisk may really reside here.” Lena commented.

“At least, it did at one point in time.”

“Hey, look at this one!” Kira called out to Micro from a nearby pile of rocks.

“It's mostly still in one piece. It has clothes and everything!”

Micro rushed over, and saw the stone frame of a woman with a crystal gripped tightly in her only hand, though it was cracked and didn’t glow at all. Her other hand, and both of her her legs, were nowhere to be found, but she was still roughly covered in dusty rags that resembled cultivator robes.

“I don't recognize the attire.” Lena remarked after joining them.

“It predates my own sect.”

“What's going on?” Micro asked.

“This cultivator met her end, as did the others around us, upon meeting a basilisk's gaze.” Lena explained.

“Could these be the ancients who made the crystals...?” Arbur said with reverence.

“Check her pockets.” Blue instructed Trill.

Rolling his eyes in reply, Trill hopped down to the stone cultivator, disappearing beneath the gravel around her for a moment.

“Here you go...” Trill soon called back, reemerging from the rubble with three small crystals in his arms.

“There are more, but these ones are the shiniest.”

“Amazing! Can I-” Arbur blurted out, but the crystals suddenly vanished.

“These are mine.” Trill mumbled up at him with a frown.

“Get your own, cultivator.”

“Ah, of course, sir pixie...” Arbur stuttered. He looked to Micro for some kind of answer to his dilemma, but Micro only chuckled. Arbur looked back at the petrified remains and sighed.

“To think a basilisk has wrought the end of such a sect.”

“If the creature truly is born of a dungeon, created by the very immortal who created all dungeons, then a single sect would stand little chance...” Lena said, her eyebrows furrowing. She looked at Micro with a frown.

“The task you seek to complete may very well be impossible.”

“Well, it's something I promised I'd do, and it seems like I'll die if I don't...” Micro shrugged.

“Ray was a nice school bu- dragon. Maybe Lo is nice too.”

Lena looked around at the petrified remains of the ancient cultivators with an eyebrow raised, then sighed.

“I shall observe your journey, as Master Feng has decreed...” Lena said with a heavy tone.

“Regardless of when it shall end...”

Though Blue remained somewhat anxious as she looked around the cave, Trill and the two children had become busy looking for crystals among the rubble. Their joyous shouts echoed in the cavern, juxtaposing the grim scenery. Arbur restrained his own desire to collect the crystals, waiting patiently for Micro to announce their next course of action. However, it was Blue who spoke first.

“It seems like there are more caverns like this deeper in the mountain, but the energy...” Blue scratched her head as she spoke.

“It's hard to see clearly. Those crystals are everywhere, and I think there might be a... no, a few...”

“What?” Micro asked.

“Dungeons.”