Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

Chapter 729- Sixth Trial, Snow Lands

Could it be that the actual treasure was hiding within its pages? Simon continued flipping the pages but all the pages were empty, there was nothing recorded inside the book.

Stunned, Simon used [Appraisal] but to his shock, his skill failed to work.

 What did that mean?

It needs to be mentioned that after evolving from [Analysis] the [Appraisal] skill was much more powerful, he was even able to spy on the status of enemies he couldn't before. Yet the book in front of him couldn't be appraised.

It was not that the skill had failed but that the skill had been blocked. Simon had no doubt now, this book was definitely a treasure or else it wouldn't be able to block his skill.

That said, even though the book was a treasure its pages were empty. It did not dampen Simon's mood, on the contrary, he became even more interested. After all, it needs to be said that what Simon did not lack the most were treasures and artefacts.

His [Ga??????] option was more than sufficient enough to produce all kinds of treasures. In fact, Simon's space ring was full of so many artefacts. However, this book was clearly different, not even the appraisal can see through it.

Simon excitedly kept the book his [Inventory] and stored the mountains of treasure in the hall in his space ring. Once he returned to his dungeon, he would study the book and try to figure out its mysteries.

It only took him a couple of seconds to store everything there was inside the hall. After sweeping the treasury clean, Simon placed his attention on the teleport portal shining on the other end of the hall.

Now that he had cleared the fifth trial, he had two options on him. One was to continue the trial and go on to challenge the sixth trial which the teleportation portal led to. Or end the trail here and return using the Transit rock.

Simon mused for a moment. Before making his decision, he took out a black slate from his [Inventory]. It was clearly the Echomir Plates. Seeing that there were no writings and instructions on the black surface of the plates, Simon realised that there was no problem in the dungeon.

"In that case, I will proceed forward" he made up his mind. The goal behind coming to the forbidden grounds was to breach the wall that was stopping his growth.

After that last fight, Simon had new insights and enlightenment. He could already feel the wall collapsing. Just a little bit more.

Since that was the case, Simon proceeded towards the teleportation portal without any hesitation. His goal, the Sixth trial.

.

.

On a snow covered mountain inside a cave, a group of adventurers numbering more than twenty, were currently recuperating around a campfire. Fire crackled and the aroma of roasted meat filled the cave.

Unlike the freezing temperature outside, the cave was much warmer. However, the heavy atmosphere inside betrayed that feeling.

 "In the last week, we lost contact with Franco's team and now Euan's team isn't responding either. It is possible that…"

An adventurer opened his mouth to report with a heavy heart. However, he did not complete his sentence. Though even without him needing to, everyone present here knew what their fate was.

"Dammit… what kind of trial is this? This is simply sending us to our death, this is no trial" one of the adventurers who couldn't take it anymore, roared in grievance.

"Calm down Warren, you are too agitated. Leader is yet to speak, so how can you run your mouth like that and drop the morale of the team"

Another adventurer spoke out to calm the situation. However, it didn't look like the situation could be eased out so easily by him with a few words.

Warren who had been feeling aggrieved, turned towards the leader. Seeing the other party all silent, he couldn't help but grit his teeth.

 "Say something leader, we have already lost so many brothers on our side. We started the sixth trial with more than a thousand people, now no more than fifty of us remain. If even Eaun's team doesn't return, there will be even less of us. Don't tell me leader that you still want to continue even after that?"

That's right, this group of adventurers were currently challenging the sixth trail of the forbidden grounds. However, the sixth trial far exceeded their imagination both in danger and difficulty and slowly chipped their morals and spirits.

As could be seen from the aura of despair that surrounded them. In this past month the number of people they lost to the sixth trail, far outnumbered the people they had lost while clearing the other five trails.

 Of course, if you only see the number of people, it wouldn't seem like that. However, the adventurers who could reach here were all either powerhouses or elites of the elites in the outside world.

How can they be compared to the ordinary adventurers? In terms of value and strength, they were each dozens of times stronger than any level 400. Many of them were even above level 500.

Their vice leader was someone who was about to join the ranker and as for their leader, he was a bonafide ranker who had recently made a huge name for himself in the Mainlands. The current 7001th rank holder.

At the words of Warren, all the adventurers turned their attention towards the leader, waiting for his instruction. Donned in an impressive mythril armour from neck to toe and equipped with numerous [S] and [A] tier artefacts, the man emanated an awe inspiring and oppressive aura.

His blue eyes were like two gems shining with a brilliant radiance and his bearing was like that of an expert who had gone through numerous life and death situations. Even while facing the question and desperation of his comrades, the look of confidence did not falter from his face.

If Simon saw that face, he would immediately recognise it after all, this man was one of his enemies whom he hated to his very bone, the adventurer who had driven him into a corner more than two years ago in the kingdom, Godwin.

 Godwin looked at his comrades and spoke with a composure that betrayed the predicament they were in.

"Eaun will not die and as for going back, it is not an option. We have stepped on countless lives to reach this stage, countless brothers have given their lives to help us. What face we will have if we back out now? For the sake of our brothers, we cannot back out even more. We will clear the sixth trial and return triumphantly. I give you my words".

Godwin clearly held a high position in their hearts. If he was saying so, then they definitely had a chance to clear it.

After his self assurance speech, the gloomy mood inside the cave was instantly swept away. Even Warren who was the most anxious, settled down a little. Godwin did not say anything more and allowed his fellow brother to recuperate their injuries.

"Raven you are here. Did you find Eaun and the other groups?" Godwin stood up from his seat and asked.

After a while, a group of people walked inside from the entrance of the cave. The person leading this group was also someone that Simon recognised.

"Raven you are here. Did you find Eaun and the other groups?" Godwin stood up from his seat and asked.

Raven nodded his head and pointed behind him. A group of people were being carried by his team on a stretcher. Blood seeped out from their bodies and seeped into the snow on the ground painting it red.

Although they were still breathing, they were still injured.

 "Eaun!!" the adventurers inside the cave exclaimed. The group of people being carried on the stretcher were none other than Eaun and his team who had gone missing three days in the snow filled land of the sixth trial.

"Are you alright? Mages quickly cast healing spells"..

"Here take some potion"...

"Dammit, those monsters are too ferocious"...

"They are not only fierce, but their numbers are alos clearly a problem"...

 The adventurers immediately came to aid their brothers and became busy healing their injuries.

On the other side of the cave, near the entrance, Godwin stopped in his tracks and glanced at the vast white world outside. As far as the eye could see, it was all white outside. Treacherous mountains stretched into the horizon, artic clouds covered the sky and snow storms filled their vision.

 "The situation doesn't look. This snowstorm is even more ferocious beyond those mountains and the snow reaches till your hips. It is impossible to fight there. On top of that the special restriction of this place that makes the snow slowly chip our strength and makes us weaker is like a nightmare. At this rate, the raid will end up in a failure"

Raven walked up to him and reported. Godwin did not turn around and simply continued to gaze at those mountains in the distance. It was as if his gaze could see through this endless white world.

"Did you find the Abomination?" he asked in a low voice.

"Un" Raven nodded his head "You were right, that thing is beyond those mountains. I went there to investigate personally. However, when I looked at that thing, all the blood in my body turned cold and I had goosebumps all over my body. Can we really defeat that thing? What are our chances?".

Godwin was silent for a while before taking out a pendant "Don't worry, we can win this. Once our level recovers, we will immediately besiege it".