Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 888 - 881: Operation Target

Chapter 888: Chapter 881: Operation Target

"So, does that mean that the Aud Empire buried the bodies of soldiers who died in battle in the Snow Domain all in one tomb? How large would that tomb be then?" Cheng Ziang asked curiously.

"If there’re many, over five thousand people, but if there’re fewer, maybe just one or two thousand," Axia pondered and replied.

"I have a question, I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to ask," Luo’er said.

"Go ahead, what do you want to know?" Axia nodded and encouraged.

"If I’m not mistaken, the soldiers who died in the Snow Domain mostly perished in battles against the Snow Elves. After the Aud Empire completely withdrew from the Snow Domain, didn’t the now free Snow Elves destroy these tombs?" Luo’er asked.

"How should I put this, it’s a bit complicated, but mostly, the main reason is the tombs are riddled with various traps and mechanisms that aren’t so easily destroyed," Axia explained.

"Traps?"

"Yes, including a variety of mechanisms as well as Magic Array Traps," Axia said, "The Aud Empire’s military magic technology was highly advanced, possessing many types of magic mechanisms and Rune Magic Circles that are now lost. Over the centuries, there have been constant attempts by people from the south to find these tombs and then excavate these treasures."

The ’south’ Axia spoke of referred to the vast area south of the Northern Domain Mountain Range and the Winter Mountains, which included the former territories of the Aud Empire, and didn’t necessarily mean the utmost southern part of the Continent.

"However, despite the traps and mechanisms, the majority of the mass graves within the Snow Domain have been severely destroyed, leaving only a few intact. The locations of these tombs are in the hands of some Snow Elves, who have passed the secrets down through generations, unwilling to reveal them to outsiders," Axia continued.

"Why? Do they want to keep the treasures within these tombs all to themselves?" Cheng Ziang asked, puzzled.

"That’s not it," Axia sighed, "Humans are a very complex species, and Elves are no different. Not all Elves resented the rule of the Aud Empire; there were some Snow Elf nobles who welcomed the Aud Empire actively, thankful for bringing civilization and order to the Snow Domain."

"It’s probably a minority among the Snow Elf nobility, the so-called vested interests," Cheng Ziang remarked, glancing at Luo’er.

"These Elves aren’t coveting the treasures of the mass graves, but sincerely want to preserve the legacy of the Aud Empire. How to understand them," Axia shook her head, "People differ, thoughts differ, it’s hard to comprehend."

"So, does that mean that most of the mass graves in the Snow Domain dating from the Aud Empire era have been robbed and destroyed, leaving only a few whose locations are held by some of the Empire’s remnants among the Snow Elves?" Luo’er asked with a frown and hesitation.

"You could say that," Axia replied, pausing before continuing, "But you could try visiting some of those despoiled mass graves; maybe you’ll find something that others before you haven’t."

"So, we’re looking for leftovers..." Cheng Ziang and Luo’er exchanged glances and shook their heads in resignation.

"Of course, if you’re not interested in that, you could consider searching for the tombs of the Aud nobility, those are the real treasure spots."

"The tombs of the Aud nobility, wouldn’t they..." Luo’er asked hesitantly.

"Don’t worry, those tombs are the truly dangerous spots that no one dares to approach," Axia reassured, "Unlike the mass graves, the design of tombs belonging to the Aud nobility is highly intricate, and the traps within are extremely hazardous. Nearly nine out of ten people who go there don’t come back, so over the years, only a handful of Aud noble tombs have been tampered with."

"If they’re that dangerous..." Luo’er thought, his expression inevitably showing worry.

Now, he faced two paths: either pick through the ruins of the mass graves or take a risk with the noble tombs. Although risky, he believed the rewards from the noble tombs could be significant. As the saying goes, ’Fortune favors the bold,’ Luo’er was actually keen on checking out the noble tombs, but the potential loss of manpower made him hesitate.

"So you mean you want to look for easy pickings?" Cheng Ziang saw through Luo’er’s thoughts at a glance and took the initiative to ask.

"It depends. If the noble grave is as dangerous as she says, then we do need to consider it thoroughly and not act rashly," Luo’er pondered.

"Speaking of which, which tomb did Eve take Fu’en to originally?" Cheng Ziang turned to ask Axia.

"A noble grave," Axia said, her face beginning to show a trace of worry, "If you are planning to take her there, I still suggest you visit the military grave instead. Last time they took so many people there, and only two came back alive. The entire noble grave was completely destroyed, and I really don’t want to put her at that kind of risk again."

"But the military grave has been emptied out; if we go there, we will probably return empty-handed," Cheng Ziang and Luo’er exchanged a glance and then said.

He could see that Axia seemed to know some insider information. Since she was so concerned about Eve, perhaps they could get some valuable intelligence from her.

"If, if you really want to go, I do know of a less-known military grave’s location. Not many people have been there, and you might find what you’re looking for..." After much hesitation and out of concern for Eve, Axia decided to be open.

"You know the location of a military grave?" Luo’er asked excitedly.

"Sort of, but if you want to go, it would be best to wait for better weather, as the journey might be quite far," Axia sighed and said.

"Then thank you very much, Miss Axia," Luo’er said respectfully.

They were initially planning to inquire about the Snow Domain, but unexpectedly, they got a windfall. Cheng Ziang speculated that if Axia’s words were true, she was likely from a family of Snow Elves with ties to the Empire’s old nobility, which was why she knew the whereabouts of the military grave.

Late in the day, Hu Daoke and his group finally returned before dark, bringing with them three strange prey. Two of the catches looked somewhat like deer, while the other prey somewhat resembled a wild boar.

Of course, Earth people didn’t know much about many species of creatures from the Otherworld, so they tended to classify similar-looking animals as "deer" or "pigs" and named them accordingly. Proper classification would be sorted out later.

However, this method always felt a bit perfunctory, just like the time they had mistakenly classified Sub-beastmen as Beastmen.

After catching the prey, Luo’er got busy. He had learned cooking skills at the academy from the cafeteria chefs, and his delicate looks had made him popular there, so his culinary expertise was quite exquisite.

About three hours later, Luo’er finally finished preparing a lavish meal, including various stir-fries, braised spare ribs, and grilled deer legs among others.

Luo’er habitually used a generous amount of spices when cooking, which made Axia and Eve frown, for in their eyes, it wasn’t spices he was sprinkling, but rather gold dust. However, the finished results eventually eased their frowns.

For this expedition, Headquarters had arranged a great deal of supplies for the Advance Team, including essential dry food and many consumer products from Earth, such as various beverages and snacks.

Industrial products may not hold high value in an industrial society but are seen as extremely precious in the agricultural society of the Otherworld. Axia and Eve were surprised and delighted to taste stimulating drinks like cola for the first time, as well as sweet confectioneries like chocolate.

Feng had been hooked on Earth’s beverage cola since her contact with it on the airboat. While at the base, she almost had a bottle every day. Concerned that she might harm her health or gain weight, Luo’er had the base bring over a batch of sugar-free cola for her to drink.

Feng was a core member of the Advance Team willing to challenge formidable enemies beyond their level, and Luo’er always took special care of her. Although Tangmo took care of her most of the time, Luo’er also occasionally checked on her health, fearing she might become unwell and unable to face the difficulties encountered by the team.

After a feast and satisfying their hunger and thirst, it was nearly midnight, so everyone went to sleep. Axia and Luo’er agreed to set out in search of the military grave once the weather cleared, aiming to avoid the dangerous noble grave as much as possible.