The tumultuous and roiling emotions still surged within as a deafening roar, far exceeding the previous ones, exploded like a thunderclap crashing to the ground! Concomitantly, the ground trembled violently.

The few individuals were so startled by the commotion that they leaped high into the air, their hearts nearly skipping a beat.

As the black smoke dissipated, the scene of the ruins once again came into clear view before everyone's eyes.

What was different was that a seemingly bottomless pit had emerged amidst the ruins.

Just as the local inhabitants were hesitating whether to approach and inspect, Leaves promptly transformed into a bird, grasped Mushroom, and flew towards it.

"Glen! Are you down there?" The two young girls called out, prostrate at the edge of the pit.

The sound echoed and faded as it descended into the profound pit.

"I'm unharmed. Do not descend for the moment. There may be peril here. I shall conduct an inspection first."

Upon hearing Glen's response, the two young girls felt reassured once more.

Down below, Glen's pair of luminous, green eyes scanned the scene within the ruins. He felt a sense of novelty reminiscent of the first time he entered an underground stronghold in the game "Minecraft" during his previous life.

At this moment, he seemed to be in a corridor. The surrounding walls were adorned with plant - like growths resembling moss, yet Glen knew that moss could not thrive in such a place.

The ground beneath his feet was paved with dark - red bricks, bearing distinct signs of human activity, and not from a distant past.

Presumably, this was the clandestine base of the three dark mages. One wondered how much of this ruin they had explored.…Glen casually plucked a torch from the wall and ignited it with the gauntlet on his wrist.

The instant the flame flared to life, the other torches, as if receiving a signal, lit up in succession.

So sophisticated?…Glen then re - inserted the torch into its original position and sauntered in one direction along the corridor.

At regular intervals along the corridor, an arched wooden door appeared on either side, none of which were locked.

Glen pushed open the first door, and the candles behind him illuminated automatically. The dissected corpses of various animals came into view, and an array of tools, along with notes and documents, were strewn haphazardly across a large table.

It was evident that the owner was rather slovenly.

Glen entered and examined the area but found nothing of particular interest, so he exited.

Several of the subsequent rooms were also similar, blood - soaked dissection chambers, with one specifically dedicated to the dissection of werewolves.

Inside, there were werewolf corpses ranging from levels one to three. Some were in human form, some in half - wolf form, and some seemed to have perished while caught between the two states.

Among these, Glen also discovered several vials of purified wolfsbane, each labeled.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

The dark mages had named this wolfsbane the Primordial Substance of the Werewolf Curse.

Following the name was the level of the werewolf to which it pertained.

Glen picked up a vial containing the Primordial Substance of the Third - level Werewolf Curse and scrutinized it closely.

The semi - transparent glass vial was pitch - black within. Had it not been for his ability to sense its contents, he might have mistaken it for ink.

He gently shook the vial, and to his surprise, changes occurred within the seemingly inert container.

The inky primordial substance of the curse danced within the vial like a swarm of living microorganisms.

With his exceptional hearing, Glen could even detect a sound akin to a multitude of tiny insects striking the glass.

How on earth did those dark mages extract this substance?…Glen set the glass vial down and exited the room, continuing his exploration deeper into the complex.

He soon arrived at a place resembling a conference room. Glen was somewhat taken aback upon seeing the enormous map affixed directly above the conference table.

The map depicted the entire expanse of the Zehn Kingdom, encompassing every district and locale, with places marked by magic, though their meaning remained a mystery.

Nonetheless, this map was a valuable find. After imprinting it deeply in his mind, he began to survey the other areas of the conference room.

Still, he found no further valuable information and thus continued to explore other regions.

This exploration consumed a considerable amount of time. By the time Glen emerged from the ruins, it was already afternoon.

Leaves and Mushroom, who had been sitting together engaged in conversation, rushed towards him the moment they spotted Glen.

"Glen, Glen! What lies below?" Leaves inquired impatiently.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. It's akin to the laboratory in the magic house," Glen replied, only half - telling the truth.

The areas of the ruins developed by the three mages were indeed typical magic laboratories, yet the unexplored regions were a different matter altogether.

Upon hearing Glen's response, the two young girls' interest waned significantly.

This was precisely the effect Glen desired. The unexplored areas of the ruins undoubtedly harbored perils that even fourth - level dark mages would struggle to contend with. Taking the two young girls down there would prove rather cumbersome.

"Esteemed sir, is there anything we can do for you?" The male elf, accompanied by his companions, stepped forward respectfully.

They were well - aware that it was time for them to be tasked with something.

Glen was pleased with their self - awareness."All of you accompany me below. I have visited the laboratories of the three dark mages, and there is essentially no danger. Your task is to assist me in removing all items of value."

Upon hearing this, the group immediately assumed a confident demeanor.

"Rest assured, sir! We are quite experienced in this regard!"

"We guarantee not to overlook a single valuable item!"

"Just wait and see!"

Glen merely nodded slightly and then addressed Leaves and the other girl."You two remain above and monitor them. Ensure they do not pilfer anything. Do you understand?"

"This is a breeze!" Leaves declared, placing her hands on her hips with an air of arrogance.

Mushroom, on the other hand, stated solemnly,"We will fulfill the task."

After giving these instructions, Glen led the group and leaped into the deep pit.

These individuals were at least first - level warriors, and the depth of the pit would not cause them harm.

Upon reaching the ruins, Glen informed the group of the locations of each room and explicitly cautioned them not to venture into the areas unexplored by the dark mages.

The others naturally nodded in agreement. They all cherished their lives too much to take risks.

After dispersing the group, the previously quiet ruins became bustling. Glen was unconcerned about how they would transport the items upward; that was their responsibility.

As for Glen himself, he made his way towards the depths of the ruins, where the torchlight did not reach.

The commotion gradually faded away, and the surroundings were engulfed in darkness.

A prison door loomed ahead, blocking the path.

The area around the prison door was littered with shattered stones, clearly indicating that a fierce battle had once taken place here.

Glen did not hesitate. He stepped forward, grasped the prison door, and attempted to tear it asunder with brute force.

As expected, his initial attempt failed.

He then immediately transformed into a fifth - level werewolf and effortlessly tore the door apart with his steel claws.

There was a faint magical fluctuation of the dark attribute. Presumably, this prison door was the handiwork of the three dark mages.

After all, the age of the prison door was markedly different from that of the surrounding walls.

It was precisely at the moment the prison door was torn asunder that, in a circular room deep within along the corridor ahead, countless pairs of scarlet eyes opened simultaneously.