Spirit Taming

Chapter 606: Temple Entrance?

Ella had a death grip on Clark's shoulders. She was sure that he was reading things that made no sense to the rest of them. However, she also recognized some of the broken statues covered in moss and vines. Things lost to time since the violent jungle had grown around it much larger. Or at least that's what nature does. It grows.

"Is it just me or do all of these statues look like they have longer ears and stand taller?" Maria was trying to distract Ella since it was clear that she was not letting Clark go. Mentally she told herself that this was the reason, the only reason she would be helping Clark stop Ella from touching him.

"What!? Don't tell me you are trying to say that these are elves!? Statues of elves…" Ella felt that she was in a hurricane of ideas. Theories were too great without more information. If this was the case, then why had no one else come here.

"I wouldn't come here to look at some old rocks. Especially if my beast could get sick. Plus there aren't any dungeons or anything here. So, what's the point of trying to learn whatever about it?' The way that Ella glared at Ralph was the same as someone glaring at a mortal enemy. Or at least that was the chill that Ralph felt at the moment.

"I just think we should look around. Collect wherever untouched herbs and materials are here, then head out. They are just ruins after all. Nothing looks like it will be able to be saved." Reese somewhat agreed with ralph. They would not get strong here.

'You are both idiots! Ruins that no one has touched because at some point the bests here were so terribly strong that they could not get anywhere near enough to know these were here. And because people gave up, the beasts died and things got like this! We can be the first here in years!" Ella lost her composure for a few moments before Isa put a hand on her back and calmed Ella down.

It was clear that Ella had Isa's support here.

'Subquest- final survival subquest

Requirement: find a way in and fully explore the exiled elven temple.

Rewards: completed map of the violent jungle, book of violent jungle dungeons, book of violent jungle beasts, book of violent jungle plant life, completion of the survival chain quest due to map completion.'

"We are searching every single inch of this place and if you don't help then you can walk home by yourself!" Clark's sudden outburst made Ella feel like she had just seen the light for the first time. She always knew that Clark was smarter than the others. She had relied on his knowledge. Now he clearly was proving that he was also a fellow researcher through and through.

"Really? I thought you were just looking at weird writings and were going to say that we should just gather materials then leave?" Maria might have been a little off put by the close contact that Ella had with Clark just minutes ago, but now, she was a little lost in general. Clark had been very focused on the growth of everyone, not exploring ruins.

"This place is called the exiled elven temple. It's a place where elves were exiled at some point. Ancient elves. Who doesn't want to find what they left behind." Clark pointed at a lot of the other stones that had writing on them. This put everyone under the impression that he had gathered this information from what was around then.

Realistically, it was just the system sub quest that would complete the chain quests for survival. It also would earn him a lot of rewards that they could use.

He could not let this chance slip by. What if the survival chain quest never ended because there was too much to learn? Completing this one would be the end of that and offer new chances to get gacha tickets or better rewards.

"Elves?" Brad spoke up and remembered that Clark had a run in when they were in a dungeon just recently in terms of dungeons that the group had been in to. "You learned the writing form from them somehow, didn't you?" Brad made this seem like it made a lot more sense. He actually appeared a little happier than usual since he had figured this out before everyone else.

Realistically, it was the system yet again. But Brad had made it seem like his idea was better. Therefore, Clark jumped to agree.

"Well, when they had all their information right out there to show, it was easy. They use it to help create and strengthen the golem cores even though they can't use it the same way. So I just looked at the beasts before I dealt with them. It went the way I told you all otherwise.

But understanding a language didn't really help us when I explained things, soooo…" Clark trailed off pretending just to have omitted this fact.

"I guess we are going to be exploring it all. I always wonder what weird things they will find. Or I guess we since I find things too." Grace casually started humming while Ella pushed toward the larger stones with glee. Clark, on the other hand, was paying attention to the fact that he had to completely explore and get inside this exiled elven temple.

"So, before you rush off, what are you hiding? I know that Ella and Isa think they will find a lot, plus Jerold wants to test whether he can find cool ways inside a place like this…" Maria pointed at the three while the others were somewhat holding back. "But you aren't simple enough to want to just explore."

"Seeing through me a bit too much today, hm?" Clark laughed a bit at the end of this as he saw Maria roll her eyes. But she was still smiling too so it wasn't as bad as it could be.

"This place is not at all what should be here. If the elves exiled people here in ancient times, then we might learn things they don't remember. It also might have a dungeon that is connected to the elf's home world or maybe used to be connected. Regardless, the things we learn or find might be more than just what we need to get stronger.

It might help us make amends with elves overall and stop any fighting when we get stronger. After we clean up our own homes."

"Then it's a good thing we came here." Maria nodded with appreciation. She liked that Clark was thinking even further ahead than just purging corruption from their homes. She could tell that he wanted more than just to give up and retire after that. It meant that they might have a lot more adventures to go after once they had finished their main goals.

"Let me try!" Brad and Ralph both shouted at the same time. They had found that Jerold was attracted to an odd connection of stone.

From what everyone could see, the stones had been connected where they clashed. A line that was slightly degraded but somehow more solid than the outer stone nearby. It clearly had fallen in to place to block an entrance. This was why Jerold had tried to attack it and break a way in. seeing that had spurred Brad and Ralph to test their strength.

"It looks like when this stone fell, a beast of some sort had released earth related acid. Or maybe it was harvested and placed between the stones. A few rock eating beasts have acid that melts stone and causing it to fuse together." Ella spotted his and recognized it instantly.

"Oh, I can buy that stuff. It's a good resource to have when building anything. But it has a very solid price so the money you make from it is always smaller. But it is reliable." Isa considered this form of merchant business but had realized it was dull and better for when she retired. If that day ever came. Merchants could easily work their entire lives, many did.

"Well, we don't have it now, so we can't just melt through rock. I don't even think Ralph's partner could help." They all looked at Ralph who angrily shook his head no. The molten boar focused on metal, not earth. Its stomach acid and heat might not do a thing to this place.

"Clark needs to read more then while we look around. It's on you." Ella looked at Clark with extreme focus. He could only nervously smile and nod. He had trapped himself as the focus of attention here again. Especially with the drive behind Ella's unending desire to learn more about everything.

"I will take a better look around. Since there are not many beasts here and really only some plants that cause us trouble, we should make a perimeter and set up camp here. It's as good a place as any. Then we can report back what we found. No one should touch anything odd and try not to attract any beasts. We don't want to lose this odd safety net."