Chapter 137
As for the ancient dragons and the Inferno faction— the ancient dragons are aloof and represent an absolute neutral faction that players cannot join, at most they can only gain their favor; the Inferno faction, on the other hand, embodies chaos, with its members constantly fighting among themselves.
These two factions, one indifferent to all others and the other hostile to all, naturally do not form friendly relations with any other powers.
The divine realm has evolved for an unknown length of time, and the stronghold that now appears near the Sky City may belong to the deep-sea tribe, the Puligongguo, or to the Gawaguo, which is close to the ethereal spirits. These two principalities border each other, with territories extending near the Sky City.
However, even the names of these principalities could have changed.
Ye Bai stepped into the crumbling ruins and soon found the teleportation array mentioned by the paper figure within the best-preserved structure at the center.
"This is it."
The paper figure appeared on the magical inscriptions of the teleportation array, gesturing to Ye Bai.
Unlike last time, Ye Bai, now a level three historian, was well-equipped. She took out her newly acquired archaeological magnifying glass from her backpack and began examining the magical texts on the teleportation array.
[You have discovered an 'Unknown Border Ruin.' You gain 10 points of historical experience and 10,000 experience points.]
[You gain 1 point in 'Ethereal Language' proficiency.]
Although the information obtained did not explicitly provide detailed insights, the newly acquired proficiency in Ethereal Language indicated to her that this ruin originally belonged to the Gawaguo, which is close to the ethereal spirits.
The ethereal beings, masters of magic, are a mysterious neutral race that worships the pursuit of ultimate knowledge. Rather than saying that Ethereal Language is a language imbued with magic, it is more accurate to say that the foundational magical language has evolved from Ethereal Language.
The magical inscriptions found in various rituals, arrays, and scrolls throughout the divine realm and the myriad worlds are fundamentally based on Ethereal Language, which has since been expanded upon.
Ye Bai wished she could learn Ethereal Language just as she had learned Ancient Dragon Language, but unfortunately, this was merely a border stronghold of a principality allied with the ethereal beings, and the only connection to Ethereal Language was this broken teleportation array.
Indeed, this was clearly an incomplete teleportation array. Even though it was the best-preserved item in this ruin, it was still missing a part.
As if sensing Ye Bai's thoughts, the paper figure approached the damaged section of the teleportation array and explained:
"Although this teleportation array is missing a part, I can use my own 'composition' to fill in the gap, allowing it to function as intended. However, it will require your spiritual energy to power it."
"Can it only use spiritual energy? What about this?" Ye Bai said, pulling a finely crafted source crystal from her backpack.
Ottofis, standing nearby, noticed the glowing source crystal and approached with interest, curiously sniffing it.
The paper figure's expression brightened: "Oh, of course, this is even better."
"That's good to hear." Ye Bai nodded in satisfaction; as long as it worked, she was relieved. She had almost thought her 'hard currency' would be useless this time.
"This is truly a rare pure energy source. Many would be willing to trade with you for such a crystal," the paper figure remarked, then added, "Of course, you should be cautious of those with ill intentions when using it."
"I understand," Ye Bai agreed.
In the myriad worlds, the currency in circulation is naturally useless in the divine realm. Typically, different races in the divine realm have their own universal currencies, which essentially function as 'faction currencies.' Players in this high-level map must find ways to exchange or earn the currency of a specific race if they wish to trade within that faction.
Earning it usually involves accepting faction quests, while exchanging requires understanding the preferences and tendencies of different races. Beyond that, the only universally valuable item among all factions is energy.
The source crystal in Ye Bai's hand could serve as a universal currency in the divine realm.
Thus, on both of her visits, she had carried several source crystals with her, just in case.
Last time, her expedition in the dungeon went smoothly, and she hadn't needed to use them. This time, however, they proved useful when she needed to activate the teleportation array.
In fact, the essence of the energy required for teleportation arrays in the major cities of the myriad worlds is also energy, but this energy is provided by the city and charged to players in monetary terms, allowing the city to profit from the difference.
Once Ye Bai upgraded her territory to a city, she would be able to build her own teleportation array, drawing energy from her territory, and at that point, she could become the 'middleman' profiting from the difference.
According to the paper figure, it was also possible to use Ye Bai's spiritual energy to activate the teleportation, but that was clearly less practical. The divine realm is fraught with danger, and as a magic-based profession, it was essential for Ye Bai to maintain a good supply of mana.
Afterward, Ye Bai did not leave immediately. She explored the ruins inside and out with her magnifying glass, confirming that there were no other remnants before she decided to teleport.
The paper figure's outline vanished, transforming into ethereal inscriptions of the same material as the teleportation array, filling in the previously missing parts and restoring it to a complete state.
Following the paper figure's earlier instructions, Ye Bai placed a source crystal into one of the nodes of the magical array to serve as a power source.
"Click."
As the source crystal was embedded, the surrounding magical circuits lit up, and the teleportation array, which had not been used for who knows how long, sprang back to life.
Ye Bai wasted no time and stepped into the light with Ottofis.
The figures of the girl and the donkey vanished into the teleportation array.
Almost the moment they disappeared, a crisp sound echoed from within the array, and the light suddenly dimmed.
All that remained was a shattered, dull crystal, and the teleportation array, which had been momentarily restored, became incomplete once more.
...
After the familiar glow of the teleportation array faded, Ye Bai found herself on another teleportation platform, but there was no array beneath her feet.
Even with the paper figure's restoration, the broken teleportation array was not like the complete ones found in the myriad worlds, which would allow Ye Bai to choose a specific destination; she could only rely on luck.
Clearly, the border teleportation array had randomly sent Ye Bai to a one-way teleportation point.
However, since it was constructed by the Gawaguo, it was unlikely that the teleportation array would lead to a dangerous location; it would inevitably direct her to a safe area controlled by their faction.
Ye Bai glanced around, and Ottofis stood quietly beside her. She then took out a magical scroll and saw the familiar figure of the paper figure on it.
Confirming that no one had been left behind, Ye Bai began to observe her surroundings.
The area around the teleportation array was surrounded by stone walls, and from the structure, Ye Bai deduced that this was likely a watchtower.
Although the building was in much better condition than the border stronghold she had just come from, it was still empty, and the breeze blowing in through the windows carried a stale odor.
Ye Bai stepped down from the platform and began to survey the area.
Decaying torches, a thick layer of dust, heavy spider webs, and shattered pottery fragments... all around indicated that this watchtower had long been abandoned.
"There’s no one around here," the paper figure sensed the danger and informed Ye Bai.
Ye Bai nodded and proceeded through the only exit.
The corridor lacked torches, but sunlight streamed in through rectangular windows above, providing light.
"Tap, tap, tap..."
As Ye Bai walked through the corridor, she could hear the sound of wind and unpleasant bird calls from outside.
It wasn't until she turned a corner that Ye Bai suddenly halted, taking a deep breath.
In the corner of the turn lay a curled-up, emaciated figure.
"Whoa!"
Startled, Ye Bai, who had been on guard against traps, was taken aback. Once she got a better look, she realized that the curled figure was a skeleton wrapped in tattered cloth.
"Uh." The paper figure on the magical scroll quickly added, "What I meant was, there are no living people."
"..." Letting out a breath of exasperation, Ye Bai regained her composure and picked up the archaeological magnifying glass to examine the skeleton.
This skeleton was thoroughly desiccated, its skin having decayed, resembling a specimen from a biology book, leaving only the bare bones.
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