Chapter 288 The Troll Underground Palace and the Crown of Sin

 …

 After reading it, Matthew accepted the mission without hesitation and reported accurate information about his companions to his two companions.

 The two of them showed surprise at the same time:

 “Do you also have oracle skills (gossip)?”

Matthew smiled modestly:

“It’s not as good as the intelligence capabilities of the two of you, just a little sense of smell based on your peers.”

Roland asked with great interest:

“Intelligence capabilities against peers?”

 “So you learned it from the Silver Snake?”

“But if you feel it after ten kilometers, you still haven’t grasped the essence! I heard that guy can smell the odor of his fellow travelers hundreds of kilometers away..."

 Carmela heard this and corrected:

“If it’s a necromancer, it should smell fishy, ​​right?”

Roland asked:

 “Is there a big difference?”

 Carmela said seriously:

“I think precise wording is the most important part of expression and communication. If you always treat words with such a careless attitude, then sooner or later the gods will take away your talent.”

Roland showed an exaggerated expression:

 “Fortunately I don’t believe in any god!”

“To be honest, I think you do have more say than me in the field of heavy-armed melee combat, but when it comes to words, forget it. Are you trying to compare your literary attainments with a legendary poet?”

 Carmela said seriously:

“I was born in a choir, and I also received several years of church training in art and literature...I have no other meaning, I am just discussing the matter.”

The two of them exchanged words with each other, and the topic quickly changed.

 The more Matthew heard, the more something seemed wrong.

The two people started talking about body art and aesthetics through simple text expressions, and soon also talked about cosmos, astronomy and art education.

 Chatting and chatting.

The atmosphere of tension between the two has faded a lot. On the contrary, there is even a sense of sympathy between them!

 This is a hardship for Matthew.

 He felt like an NPC standing next to him.

And there is no obvious trend in the chat between these two people.

If I have to sum up one thing, it would be the trend of Matthew becoming increasingly incomprehensible...

 “Wait, can you stop?”

Matthew couldn’t help but speak:

 “Don’t you care at all about the colleagues I just mentioned?”

 Carmela blinked:

"Well enough."

Roland even laughed:

 “Do you need to be very concerned about it?”

“Matthew, you have just seen this lady’s fighting ability. Not to mention a few of her colleagues, even if the green dragon comes over, they still have to give her a cigarette…”

 Speaking of which.

Roland suddenly asked:

  “Do you smoke?”

 Carmela refused righteously and said:

“Clergy of Chuyue Church are not allowed to smoke!”

A trace of regret just appeared on Luo Lan's face.

 Carmela said softly:

 “Do you have a cigar? I can have some.”

  Loland Da Le pulled out a delicately packaged box from his underwear pocket with his backhand.

 He took out two cigars from the box, handed one to Carmela, and lit it with the mage's fire.

The bald priest in red robe skillfully took the cigar, took two deep puffs, and his eyes became brighter.

Loland smiled and lit one along with him.

 Period.

The two of them chatted happily and happily.

“So can clergy smoke cigars?”

Loland asked with a smile.

 Carmela replied seriously:

“If the church doesn’t prohibit it, then you can smoke it.”

“And I don’t smoke often. The main reason is that I often use herbal medicine to treat patients. In order to familiarize myself with the medicinal properties of various herbal medicines, I personally taste various plant ingredients, and cigars are just one of them…”

Roland nodded:

"It is understandable that clergy are actually quite stressed. I met a priest a long time ago who also loved cigars. The reason he gave was that smoking a good cigar would bring him closer to his god. .”

 Carmela asked curiously:

 “What happened next?”

Roland shrugged:

"Due to the Seven Saints Alliance's suppression of Tianlun Palace, the pastor secretly ran the church with poor performance. Eventually the church closed down and he couldn't afford to smoke cigars, so he changed his profession and became a thief. I met him again many years later. , he is already a well-known local thief."

 Carmela asked:

 “So he just gave up on his gods?”

Roland shook his head:

“His **** fell in the second year after the church collapsed. There are countless weak gods who met this end in the Tianlun Palace.

To be honest, I don’t like the magic stick, maybe there are factors of the times in it.

 In my life experience, anyone who has faith has lived a miserable life, and the gods they believe in also died helplessly in a lonely and cold state.

I cannot interpret these things with a perspective beyond the times. I just feel that this is an era that is not very friendly to gods and believers.

From the perspective of others, isn’t this a blessing? "

 Carmela nodded thoughtfully after listening:

“But this era is not the entire history of human beings or other intelligent creatures, and it may change in the future.”

Loland flicked the ashes of his cigarette:

 “Who knows?”

 Carmela took two more puffs and then changed the topic:

“The cigar tastes good. Where can I buy it?”

 Loland Road:

 “Made at home.”

 Carmela asked in surprise:

 “Your family sells tobacco?”

 “No wonder you became a poet!”

“Being born as an orphan like me, I am destined to only follow the path of a priest or a monk…”

Seeing that the two of them suddenly chatted passionately.

Matthew, who couldn't stand the smell of tobacco, walked away silently.

 He has calmed down now.

　　has also reacted.

 Due to his previous experiences and habits, Matthew always likes to arrange everything in detail before each event.

 But this operation is different.

 The leader is a legendary priest, and the other follower is a legendary poet and deceitful demigod.

 You don’t need to worry so much at all!

 Just paddle behind the big guy.

They must have their reasons for not caring about their peers. Matthew doesn’t need to think so much.

 On the other hand.

 He is not that eager to rob the tomb.

 To put it bluntly, this operation was a temporary meal replacement that Matthew had planned when his trip to Jade Cangting was blocked.

　　To say how much he wants to rob a tomb.

At best, it was based on the strange idea that "a necromancer will always feel like his career is not satisfactory if he doesn't try tomb robbing."

Just go on an outing, it’s not bad to gain a lot of experience!

A few minutes later.

 Loran and Carmela ended their fuming interlude, and they came to Matthew. The former asked:

"What are you doing?"

Matthew replied while waving the shovel in his hand:

"Remove the weeds near these trees, have you seen it? This weed called thorn blood has a strong hindrance to the growth of the trees. These trees have almost been sucked out of their nutrients. If things go on like this, death is inevitable. An outcome that was avoided.”

“Since I saw it, I just helped them.”

 While speaking.

Matthew was vigorously cleaning up the ground nearby.

quickly.

The blood of the thorns near the black pine trees was cleaned up.

 In the surprised eyes of the two people.

Matthew also collected the blood from these thorns into his luggage.

 “Are there any other uses for these weeds?”

Roland asked curiously.

Matthew explained:

“This kind of weeds are very useful. On the one hand, they are very suitable for raising pigs, cattle, sheep, horses and other animals;

On the other hand, after the blood of thorns is burned to ashes, it can be used to make a hemostatic ointment, which promotes the self-healing of human tissues..."

Carmela couldn’t help it anymore:

“You’re a necromancer, and you tinker with these things all day long?”

“No wonder you don’t smell like an ordinary necromancer!”

Roland immediately interjected:

 “I still think the smell is more appropriate.”

 Carmela raised her eyebrows.

 Loland refused to give an inch.

Matthew sighed and went to weed the black pine tree on the other side with the shovel.

 While weeding.

 He also thought about the white tiger elf Jasmine for a while.

 “That white tiger of hers is so beautiful!”

Matthew thought with great envy.

 …

 Forty minutes later.

　　In the eastern part of the dilapidated forest, in front of a two-story wooden house.

 Matthew and the three of them stood side by side.

 Although Lorraine and Carmela kept bickering along the way.

  But fortunately, their trip was not delayed.

This is Carmela’s secluded place. Matthew noticed that in addition to the cabin itself, there is also a large medicine garden next to it.

 The medicine garden is surrounded by a simple fence, and the shadows of a large number of herbs can be faintly seen.

 “You actually grew so many herbs!”

Loland looked a little surprised.

Carmela snorted coldly:

“You don’t think I made up a random excuse just to cheat you out of your cigars, do you?”

 “Besides, I can’t rely solely on magic to save people.”

 “Come in.”

 Carmela led the two people in.

It's just that they didn't enter the hut, but entered the medicine garden next to it.

 Carmela strode ahead.

Matthew followed suit.

 In the process, he keenly discovered that there were a large number of psychedelic potions grown in the medicine garden!

 Except for some drugs that may be used for anesthesia.

 Most of them are highly addictive hallucinogens!

In the lush greenery, Matthew even saw a familiar figure!

 “Collin tobacco?”

He couldn't help but snorted.

 Carmela in front responded casually:

 “Yes, do you want it?”

 Matthew waved his hand:

 “I’m just curious as to why you would plant such a…forbidden thing?”

 “For research, Mr. Matthew.”

 Carmela replied solemnly:

 “In addition to being a clergyman, I am also an herbalist.”

"The reason why the Wood Elf Yue Yao has a good relationship with me is because I have a closer personal relationship with their superiors. A long time ago, the senior officials of Jade Cangting commissioned me to prepare a formula that can relieve the symptoms of those who are heartbroken. In order to To achieve this goal, research on Colin tobacco leaves is naturally inevitable."

Having said that.

But the solemn look on Matthew's face has not faded.

 Mainly because the name of Colin's Tobacco Leaf is so famous. It is a magical plant from purgatory. It was originally a terrible species created by Baator, the Lord of Nine Hells, to corrupt the elves.

 The effect of this thing is.

 It will produce a slight psychedelic effect immediately after taking it. After about fifteen minutes, the user will gain the ability to "break the limit on the number of spells cast"!

 It is well known.

 In Irondor, almost all magic has a daily number of uses.

 After exceeding the limit of times, it will be difficult for even the most skilled mage to cast the same spell.

 This is actually a limitation of the human body.

 Because magic, or ether, is highly corrosive.

It itself, without control, will trace the source of any spellcasting power.

 If you use the same spell a lot on the same day.

 Then your brain may be reversely locked by the etheric field and form a fixed infection circuit.

 It’s been a long time.

 The etherification of the brain is inevitable, uncontrollable, and unsurmountable.

Even the gods, in an almost cheating way, use their godhead to replace themselves to resist the trend of etherification.

Therefore, in ancient times, after the first group of people who came into contact with magic (mainly trolls, elves, and humans) paid an extremely heavy price, several top powerhouses among them set bloodline restrictions on their descendants. .

This bloodline restriction spread rapidly during the reproduction process of humans and other races. The human body’s self-protection mechanism has been formed over thousands of years.

 Colin tobacco leaves can completely destroy this mechanism.

However, the reason why this thing is so targeted is that if humans only smoke it once or twice, they will not be addicted, and it will take many times to take effect.

 The elves are different.

 Colin tobacco leaves have a 100% one-time strong addiction to all elven creatures.

Back then Baator almost used this thing to control all the elves.

 Fortunately, he was stopped by the gods in time.

 Several other incidents occurred in which other purgatory lords used Corinthian tobacco leaves to infiltrate wood elves or night elves.

 Although the impact was not as serious as the first time.

But there are still many heartless people active near the Trace of the Dead in Jade Cangting.

 They were the victims of Colin's tobacco.

“So, how did you study Colin tobacco?”

 Matthew is still very curious about Carmela’s research methods.

Unexpectedly, the latter tore off a large handful of Colin tobacco leaves, and then chewed them:

“It’s almost like smoking a cigar.”

“Let yourself be addicted first, and then solve the problem. I already have some plans, but some of the drugs will have to wait until next spring to be found.”

 Matthew was stunned.

Although humans are not that addictive to Colin tobacco leaves, eating so much at once will definitely lead to addiction, right?

“Of course, even if I am addicted, as long as I want to quit, the God of the First Moon will give me the power to completely quit all kinds of addictive things.”

 Carmela smiled and explained:

"It's not so much that the God of the First Moon helped me get rid of my addiction to other substances. It's better to say that my belief itself is the most addictive thing, and he has a strong exclusivity and does not allow other addictive things to occupy me. My mind and body.”

“So if your friend gets into bad habits, you can send him to me and ask him to believe in the God of the First Moon. Maybe there will be a good ending!”

Roland immediately interjected:

“Don’t listen to her. If getting rid of addiction through faith is a feasible solution, then the brainwashing technique of the Necromancer is also feasible.”

Carmela glared at him.

But by now the three of them had reached the end of the medicine garden.

But I saw Carmela move a potion away with her hands and feet neatly.

 The soil underneath fell off quickly.

 A dark hole was revealed.

“Is this a tomb down here?”

 Matthew was a little excited.

 Carmela shook her head:

“This is the road leading to the green dragon’s lair, and the green dragon’s lair happens to be built just outside the ruins of the Emerald City, the old capital of the wood elves!”

"Due to an unknown aberration many years ago, the wood elves evacuated from the Emerald King City overnight. When they left, they set up an insurmountable ritual field barrier around the Emerald King City, and there was only one gap in this barrier. , it was occupied by the first ancient green dragon of that year. After the ancient green dragon built a nest here, it passed this nest to the green dragon Fatina who is now active near the Emerald Cangting."

“I lived in seclusion here for half a year. In addition to investigating most of the origins and details of the tomb, I spent the rest of the time digging this tunnel.”

“It can help us enter the green dragon’s lair quietly, and then sneak into the Emerald King City through the crack.”

“The entrance to our destination is the underground palace of the Emerald King City.”

 Hear this.

Matthew couldn’t help but wonder:

“Who is qualified to build an underground palace in the royal city of the elves?”

 Carmela shook her head and said:

"not human."

 “But a troll.”

“I have carefully studied the history of the world of Irondor. In the dark ages before the coming of the gods, the trolls established an unprecedented empire on the southern land.”

"At that time, humans and elves were just vassals of the trolls. The Emerald City of the Wood Elves was theoretically one of the territories of the Troll Empire. Therefore, buried under the underground palace of the Emerald City is a certain person from the era of the Troll Empire. A powerful royal mage—that mage is also suspected to be related to the origin of the night elves."

“This is the oldest tomb in Irondor that I can find. I believe there will be a lot of ancient atmosphere in it. Just thinking about it is exciting..."

 It turned out to be the troll’s underground palace!

Matthew suddenly understood.

At this moment, a group of people entered the tunnel, and Carmela introduced as they walked:

“The green dragon Fatina is a homeless guy. In fact, she doesn’t like the lair of the ancient dragon.

 Occasionally I come back here just to avoid being chased by the wood elves.

Her strength is not very strong. The reason why the elves can't do anything to her is because Fatina is cunning enough and never hesitates to fight.

 On the other hand, it is because the elves cannot get close to this lair.

 In fact, it’s not just this nest that they can’t get close to, it’s the Emerald King City!

I suspect there is something in the Emerald King's City that can greatly weaken the power of the elves and make them extremely weak.

This power leaked out and gathered in the dragon's nest, which made Jade Cangting helpless against the nest. "

 The tunnel is not spacious.

 Carmela's voice echoed softly.

while walking.

Matthew suddenly had a strange look on his face:

 “What if there is someone in the dragon’s lair?”

 Carmela replied in a pious tone:

 “Then adapt to circumstances!”

 “I believe that the God of the First Moon will point me in the right direction!”

 Matthew couldn't help but rub his temples.

 Is this Carmela’s way of doing things?

He secretly vowed in his heart that if there is another underground alliance, he must personally control the plan.

Roland came over:

 “Is there any news about your colleagues?”

Matthew nodded:

 “They are all in the dragon’s lair.”

Roland said "Wow" and then said:

“It’s just a few necromancers, shouldn’t it be anything to worry about?”

 Matthew blinked:

 “Things have changed.”

 “Now, we are more than just one team!”

"To be precise, there should be four teams traveling together. They are all at the same coordinates of the Green Dragon's Lair. Normal people wouldn't dare to enter the Dragon's Lair in such a ostentatious manner, right? So is there a possibility that it was invited by the owner of the Dragon's Lair? Did they come in?"

 On the data column.

 …

 Hint: You discover more peers!

 Peer Smell: You have discovered four different teams, all of which have experienced tomb robbers!

These four teams are from White Rock City, Gemstone Bay, Sword Winter City and the Underdark Region!

Your mission "Exceptionally jealous when meeting peers" has been updated!

 For each additional group of companions you expel or kill, the duration of your "Nature Djinn" is extended by ten seconds. "

 …

 Listen to Matthew’s narration.

 Carmela started rolling her eyes without saying anything.

Loland's ears also trembled as if having a convulsion.

 A few seconds later.

 The three of them looked at each other.

"There was indeed an accident. The green dragon Fatina didn't know what went wrong. She actually recruited tomb robbers from everywhere through her own network of channels. She seemed to want to take away an ancient item called the "Crown of Sin" in the troll's underground palace. Items, those colleagues you noticed, should all come after hearing the news..."

 Carmela pondered.

Matthew leaned against the authentic stone wall and asked:

 “So what do we do now?”

Lorraine suggested:

“How about killing the dragon first and then robbing the tomb?”

 Carmela shook her head:

“Fatina has a deep background. Killing her may not only attract the long-lost ancient green dragon, but also offend several lords in purgatory.”

“Besides, slaying a dragon is too ostentatious and can easily attract some strange looks.”

 “As for what we should do…”

 She thought for a few seconds, then patted her head:

 “We can join them!”

 …

ten minutes later.

 In the green dragon's lair.

　　The group of three people who came out of the secret passage and trotted all the way to the front hall got their wish and bumped into the green dragon Fatina who was lecturing the four teams.

 Unexpectedly.

Fatina’s external image is that of a slender girl wearing a green dress and with two pointed tiger teeth.

"you?"

Green Dragon looked at the three people who suddenly appeared with some confusion.

 Carmela immediately replied:

 “We are here to rob the tomb!”

Fatina sneered:

 “Nonsense!”

“You are not here to rob tombs, are you here to slay dragons?!”

“What I mean is, you are late! Forget it, stand up quickly, what I said before is not important, let’s listen to the rest!”

Three people in different disguises hurriedly entered the queue.

 Inside the hall.

 Throwing some malicious glances.

Matthew also looked at these colleagues carefully in secret.

White Rock City looks like a necromancer, with an aura of poverty all over his body;

The people at Gemstone Bay are dressed like a group of businessmen, and all of them have smiling eyes. They don’t look like tomb robbers at all;

The ones in Sword Winter City were very strong and looked like mercenaries. Matthew couldn't help but wonder when he saw it - could it be that his colleagues in the north were all barbarians?

 As for the underdark area, it is even more special.

This is simply a dense group of kobolds!

If the leader of the kobolds hadn't looked a little special and had a level as high as 20, no one would have taken this group of colleagues from the Underdark seriously!

“I don’t care what you do inside, you can cooperate or you can fall out when you get in, but you must bring out what I want!”

"Do you see it? This is the Guilty Crown. Look carefully. In theory, it should be on the third floor of the underground palace, but it may also be on the fifth or seventh floor. It definitely cannot be an even-numbered floor. Do you understand?"

The girl transformed from the green dragon walked in front of everyone while holding a portrait high.

 After showing the portrait.

 She also ordered a dragon servant to distribute initial rewards to the five teams.

Unexpectedly.

 Fatina was extremely generous.

 The four teams, including Matthew, were directly rewarded with one thousand gold coins per head!

 Only when facing the group of kobolds.

Fatina shouted:

 “You have too many people! Give you five thousand gold coins!”

“Whoever finds the crown, I will give him two hundred thousand gold coins directly, and everyone in his team can pick a treasure in this lair!”

 “Now, everyone, follow me!”

Green dragon girl works fast and furiously.

 Three minutes later.

 The five teams came to the bottom of the dragon's nest, in front of a huge underground crack.

 The other side of the crack is filled with a green barrier.

 There was a small gap in the barrier where only a suspension bridge led to it.

“Each team will start one by one in first-come, first-served order, with an interval of five minutes. Speed!”

 Fatina arranges quickly.

The tomb robbers didn't have any objections and carried out the plan one by one.

Matthew and the others were the last to arrive, so they had to set off last.

 When colleagues are crossing the suspension bridge.

They were looking at a set of huge murals on the other side of the suspension bridge.

The shape of that group of murals is a bit weird.

 The main composition part is a column rising into the sky, with a mushroom-shaped swelling protrusion above the column, which makes people easily conjure up strange associations.

 And just not far from the top of the column.

There is also a huge circle drawn on it.

 The circles and the cylinders are in swaying correspondence and have a tendency to attract each other.

This mural looked simple, but for some reason, Matthew and the other two were fascinated by it.

 “This is the mural left by the trolls.”

 Suddenly an extremely old voice appeared next to them.

 Matthew looked back.

  Found out it was the kobold warlock.

 The latter said lightly:

“The culture of the Troll Empire has a very strong tendency to worship fertility. Your naked eye sense is correct. The lower part of the mural depicts the penis, and the upper part symbolizes the purple palace of the female troll.”

"In fact, the creation myth of the trolls started from a solitary peak that pierced the sky. They believed that the solitary peak was the **** of some god, because the **** pierced the sky from the earth, so it caused The sky mother was conceived, and then there were many intelligent races including trolls, humans, and elves.”

 “Crent Will, meet me?”

"We can cooperate. My partner and I think you three are pretty good."

Matthew looked at the kobold who seemed to be showing good intentions, and suddenly smiled and said:

 “Where did you get your partner from?”

 “Aren’t you the only one around you from beginning to end?”

 The expression of the kobold Will suddenly changed.

 …

 (End of this chapter)