School Transmigration: I, Chosen as the Saint by Dragons at the Start-Chapter 130 --The Abnormal Mine

For ordinary people, the congestion might have been insurmountable.

But for Owen and his companions, it was a trivial matter.

With just a few leaps, they had already descended into the mine.

The entrance was narrow, only about the width of two doors, tucked under the mountainside and easily missed if not carefully sought.

A row of houses was built next to the mine. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Clearly, these were not for the miners to sleep in the mine, but for their rest during shifts.

Now, these single-story buildings stood empty.

Owen noticed a low wall with bloody paw prints on it, as if the creature had only three fingers.

"This thing’s claws are very sharp, and they’re its weapons for attack," Jiplin observed.

"They?" Owen picked up on the key point.

"You don’t know?" Jiplin looked at Owen as if he were an oddity but said no more.

As soon as they entered the mine, they were competitors.

Owen’s ignorance about the Devourer was an advantage for them.

Owen knew what Jiplin was thinking and didn’t mind.

Letting out such a smokescreen could be advantageous.

Feldin, however, seemed more well-meaning and loudly warned, "Don’t take it lightly. The later a River Crossing Demon is born, the stronger it is."

Jiplin responded coldly, "So, you know? Showing off, are you?"

Feldin’s mouth twisted, his face equally icy, "Jiplin, just make sure you don’t end up losing your soul to the River Crossing Demon without achieving anything."

"Hmph, let’s go," Jiplin led his team into the mine.

Observing the verbal sparring between the two, Owen thought to himself, "As expected, the human race is prone to infighting. The competition has barely started, and they’re already at each other’s throats."

Jiplin’s deputy, Loa, seemed apologetic as he nodded to the others, saying, "Don’t mind our captain, he’s just like that," accompanied by a smile, before hurrying after Jiplin.

Feldin, full of goodwill, waved at Owen and signaled his own team to enter the cave.

The other team remained silent, becoming the third group to venture into the mine.

Brawny, stroking the stubble on his chin, remarked, "Feldin is probably from Ethereal Wisdom Academy. His demeanor is very much in line with theirs."

"Oh?" Owen gestured for Brawny to continue.

"Ethereal Wisdom Academy is mostly focused on research. Even their battle magus are influenced by this culture, generally being quite amiable towards others," Brawny explained.

"And Jiplin?" Owen probed further.

Brawny pondered, "I’m not sure about him, but I can tell you about the quiet team we saw along the way. They’re likely from Skyward Magus Academy. The mages there hold military ranks, much like soldiers. They are disciplined and treat their missions like military operations, making them easy to identify."

"They’re hardly speaking. How can you tell?" Owen asked, curious.

"Heh, most of them are from Skyward Magus Academy.

Their mages have that military air about them – strict and disciplined, which makes them stand out," Brawny said, grinning proudly at his own insight.

"So, Jiplin is from Stellar Magic Academy?" Owen shrugged.

Brawny snapped his fingers and slapped Owen’s shoulder heartily, "I thought you were just a brute, but turns out you’re a clever one, just like me. Hahaha—"

He laughed triumphantly, his laughter shaking some snow off the surrounding trees.

Owen’s mouth twitched, unsure whether Brawny was complimenting or mocking him.

The others covered their foreheads, too embarrassed to look.

Jonathan coughed and said, "Alright, enough joking around. Let’s head in. We don’t want to fall behind."

Jonathan led the team into the mine, with Brawny and Owen bringing up the rear.

Brawny leaned close to Owen’s ear, shielding his mouth with his hand, "They’re just jealous of my talent."

Owen responded with a forced smile, "You figured that out, did you?"

"Of course," Brawny replied, his thumb up, his face again wearing a smug expression.

As the four teams entered the mine, each person took out a glow worm.

These creatures, part of the guards’ standard kit, lit up at the tail like lanterns, providing ample illumination.

The group realized that their space rings hadn’t made it into the secret realm, evidently blocked by its boundaries.

Fortunately, the guard packs were well-equipped for investigating the mine, even containing several pieces of dry food.

The construction of the mine was labor-intensive, typically narrow and low.

Owen, being tall, had to bend over to move forward, while Brawny, even more so, was red-faced from the effort.

"In a place like this, encountering an enemy would be a real nightmare," Owen murmured softly, his words heard by all his teammates.

Willow responded gravely, "Perhaps that’s why the guards of the past never returned."

A chill ran through everyone’s hearts, and they proceeded with heightened caution.

Along the way, they came across two mine carts, both unoccupied.

One of them had bloodstains on the handle.

As they progressed, they encountered two separate bloodstains, identified as human, but no bodies were to be found.

The presence of the Devourer in this mine was now a certainty.

All four teams were on high alert, weapons ready in their hands.

Being the first to be eliminated would be extremely embarrassing.

The first person to exit would undoubtedly be surrounded by academy teachers, bombarded with questions – a scenario so awkward it was enough to make one’s skin crawl just thinking about it.

After a short walk, the path opened up, as if entering a natural cave tunnel.

The walls around them were damp, with water seeping through.

In such tunnels, seeping water was common, and sometimes underground lakes would even appear.

The group didn’t pay much mind to the water, just ensuring it wasn’t poisonous.

Willow, ahead of everyone’s reaction, covered her nose, "This cave stinks a bit, be careful."

Feldin noted, "The path ahead isn’t marked on our map."

The map they were using was, of course, one carried by the guards.

They soon reached a four-way intersection, each path identical in size and darkness, leading into an abyss of pitch black.

"Should we stick together or go our separate ways?" Feldin raised an eyebrow.

Jiplin snorted, "Let’s see everyone’s skills then."

With a wave of his hand, he chose the third path and strode in.

Feldin frowned and said, "Jiplin, remember that every point in the grand competition is recorded. Even if we fight together, there will be differences in scores. The Devourer is not like other creatures in secret realms. If we fight separately and get divided and conquered, neither of us will look good in the end."

Under the scrutiny of forty people, Jiplin felt the pressure.

Uncharacteristically, he didn’t lose his temper but instead spoke seriously, "Look at these tunnels, not to mention they’re low, they’re narrow. If forty of us crowd together to fight, there’d be no room to even run if we face an enemy. Fighting separately might be better, and perhaps that’s what the teachers intended."

The group nodded slightly, clearly persuaded by Jiplin’s argument.

Owen also agreed.

He was confident in his personal combat abilities and would have suggested the same if it wasn’t disadvantageous to act alone.

Without further hesitation, Jonathan nodded to his team and then headed into the first tunnel.

Feldin, with a stern face, shook his head slightly, "Jiplin, don’t overdo it. Grand Magus Academy has good relations with our three academies. There’s no need to break this bond by acting rashly. It might end up being your downfall."

Jiplin chuckled and led his team into the tunnel.

...

As Owen and his group ventured deeper, the sounds from behind gradually faded.

A thin team member, as lean as a monkey, spoke up, "Why did Abbott give us – no, why did he give those original guards a wrong map?"

Jonathan replied in a low voice, "I noticed Abbott seemed evasive, clearly hiding something. But it’s not our concern. After all, this happened thousands of years ago. Even if we uncover the truth, what then? Stay sharp, Monkey. The Devourer could appear at any time."

"Understood, Captain," the thin man responded.

Willow, frowning, said softly, "According to historical records, Coiled Dragon City learned about the mine’s issues through merchants who spread the news. Abbott never thought to pass on the information..."

"How can the records be so detailed?" Owen asked, puzzled.

Willow’s tone turned icy, "Well, Abbott is mentioned in the records as a secondary culprit in the Devourer’s chaos."

Everyone widened their eyes in surprise.

However, lacking information, they couldn’t make the connection between Abbott and the Devourer.

Suddenly, another team member spoke, "Willow’s right, there’s a bad smell here, somewhat fishy."

"It feels warmer too," someone else added.

In such caves where light cannot penetrate, the deeper one goes, the cooler it usually gets, even icy.

Some areas have caves that are used by locals to escape the summer heat, where staying for a while might even require a coat.

Yet, this tunnel was growing warmer as they progressed, the air heavy and stifling.

Willow’s pencil began to sweat slightly, and several of the men started loosening their collars.

This was truly strange, unsettlingly so.