Chapter 26: The Howling Cavern
It was already midnight. The Howling Cavern followed surface time, and by this hour, the slaves, exhausted from a day’s work, had gone to bed. Nio had finished his routine inspections and was walking back slowly along the main road lined with streetlamp trees, coming from the great passage barrier.
The main road was over 200 meters long. Though not straight, it was wide enough, averaging around 30 meters in width, roughly comparable to the height of the barrier walls. Nio thought that a 12-meter-wide road would suffice for the cavern’s needs, leaving plenty of space on either side that could be utilized.
“Move facilities like wolf pens, stables, and farms here…” Nio easily came up with this idea. After all, the Howling Cavern had limited space, which meant there was little room for farming or cultivation. It also meant the cavern had relatively little air storage—enough to breathe, but not much. If pens and livestock enclosures were added, the smell would surely become unbearable.
Thinking about air circulation, Nio naturally thought of ventilation. “Once we’re settled, we’ll need to check the ventilation systems carefully.” This was clearly a significant project—ensuring secrecy, maintaining air flow, and installing mesh covers. Many small creatures in dark places could be just as dangerous as larger ones, such as plague cockroaches, blood-sucking leeches, and black stinger bees. Prevention was key; by the time they were noticed, damage might already have occurred.
Kicking aside a pebble, Nio walked leisurely, treating it as a walk. After days of effort, the cavern and the main roads here had been largely developed. The rock surfaces were still a bit uneven but sufficient for vehicles to travel on. Valerding was enthusiastic, saying he would repair the main road into a cobblestone path when he had time. Dwarf dungeons usually had cobblestone paths—smooth as stone slabs, with anti-slip grooves carved into them. Some even featured artistic carvings. Nio had seen one such slab in the dungeon’s stronghold, in the center of the square, said to symbolize the tribe’s strength. After all, if basic needs like food and safety weren’t met, there would be no time for cultural development, let alone spare labor to carve patterns into the floors.
Just dozens of meters from the cavern’s entrance, one could already see the tall mounds at the entrance. These were made by scraping the entire ground inside the cavern. The soil wasn’t needed for building houses but was essential for planting. The first phase of soil screening and fertilization had been completed 6 days ago and used for planting in the botanical and ecological gardens. The second phase started 4 days ago, not in such a hurry, mainly because work on excavating stone in the lower hall was still in progress, and other infrastructure for cultivation had just begun—such as wall channels. As the name suggested, these were grooves cut into the rock walls to channel water from the pond to the lower hall using water wheels. Since the lower hall was multi-story, with up to five levels, the scale of this project was considerable for the Howling Cavern. Without the excavators brought back, such a project would never have been considered.
Since excavating the hall and collecting stone was the top priority, progress was quite fast. The hall, 4 meters high and 400 square meters in area across two floors, has already been completed. Although there are countless halls of this size in the dark regions, for structural reasons, thick double rows of stone columns were left in the rectangular hall. This hall will serve as a future cultivation area, mainly for mushroom wheat—a subterranean plant that resembles large mushrooms, with thick stems and thin, small caps. Once mature, the stems are cut, dried, and ground into powder, offering a texture and nutritional value very similar to flour. As long as the environment is suitable, mushroom wheat can be harvested in March, without the seasonal climate constraints of the surface. Of course, actually growing several crops of mushroom wheat per year isn’t that simple to calculate; even someone from a village knows the importance of crop rotation. Neio had already planned it: one crop of mushroom wheat, one crop of shadow alfalfa, one crop of fat-leaf grass, then again one crop of mushroom wheat, one crop of shadow alfalfa, and one crop of earth potato.
Shadow alfalfa is used to feed livestock, while fat-leaf grass and earth potatoes are for human consumption. Neio is currently working on breeding and improving these four plants. According to his estimates, once all five layers of cultivation areas are developed, the food output will be sufficient to feed over 300 people for a year, with only a small shortfall. With some additional food sources, it will be enough. Moreover, there can’t be just one such hall—building two more of similar scale in the west would be more than enough, not to mention areas in the east and north. If desired, further expansion horizontally is also possible; with cutting excavators and Fan Lending’s unique hole-digging skills, building more cultivation areas is just a matter of time.
Speaking of Fan Lending, Neio can’t help but marvel at how lucky he is. He used to be a rather unremarkable person—clumsy and short, lacking strength and speed. He was said to be good at digging holes and building houses, but these skills were hard to utilize during the migration to the east. Yet, after settling down and being trained by Neio, he quickly yielded exceptional results.
Firstly, there’s Fan Lending’s unique skills. Initially, even Neio doubted how much remarkable skill a mixed-blood like him could master. After all, although dwarves are hospitable, they rarely teach skills related to metal and rock to outsiders. Unexpectedly, Fan Lending’s grandfather was extremely mysterious. He met Fan Lending’s dwarf-like grandmother due to an injury and left him three books years ago before leaving with her. These skills were passed down across generations—Fan Lending’s father didn’t even get the chance.
These three books are on architecture, metal, and rock. The first one is fine, but mastering the latter two requires the ability to use earth element power. Initially, Fan Lending couldn’t fully apply the knowledge in those books, but after awakening his earth attribute power with Neio’s help, everything changed.
In this world, skills related to energy manipulation are mainly magic, though science also exists but is still emerging and relatively primitive. The medium for using earth element power in the books on metal and rock is runes. Since Fan Lending couldn’t figure it out on his own, he turned to Neio for help.
That’s great! Nio already intended to learn runes, and Van Rending’s actions were like giving him just what he needed. Nio discovered that the runes in the Rocks section included the three earth element runes he had mastered through the Element Monuments. Clearly, the renowned dwarf rune craft also originated from natural understanding, sharing some similarities with his shamanic path. The unfamiliar runes in the Rocks section were likely Monument runes that Nio hadn’t yet awakened due to insufficient level. These runes were clearly beneficial for his cultivation.
As for the metal runes, Nio guessed they were the most important—dwarves’ unique skill, the fruit of wisdom and hard work.
Nio asked Van Rending, “You must know how valuable the contents of this book are. Why did you choose me to study it with you?”
Van Rending replied, “My grandfather said that in this life, one should at least make a trustworthy friend to willingly share one’s gains, honors, and joys with. You, boss, didn’t say the same to me—though you needed to accumulate earth element energy essence yourself, you still offered to help me refine it. Of course, I’d come to you when I had something good!”
With such words, Nio was naturally moved beyond speech. In this world, there were people like Xavier, as well as ones like Van Rending. Giving up because of setbacks wasn’t the right approach; the proper way was to sharpen one’s judgment and discern truth from falsehood, so as to avoid suffering needlessly. If it was just small favors, what harm was there in losing them? After all, it allowed one to understand a person’s character.
With the Metals section and the Rocks section, Nio’s rune studies, though somewhat unconventional, had finally begun. More importantly, with Nancy’s help, much of the knowledge had already been put to use. For example, most of the element energy crystals Nio pulled up from the bottom of the ice lake were used in building the dome with Van Rending, while the ecological garden only utilized the instruments and one-third of the element energy crystals. Some were reserved for Nio himself, as he needed to help Nancy fully restore the functions of the sacred artifact.
The use of the Rocks section runes greatly accelerated rock excavation, leading to changes in some of the original plans, such as the idea of digging soil to make bricks for houses. Hylfanis’ red soil was fine and cohesive, suitable for firing bricks, pottery, and porcelain. But at the depth of the Howl Dome, surrounded entirely by rocks, digging soil to make bricks would require creating a route to fetch soil from areas closer to the surface—this would not only consume a lot of energy but also involve significant work and safety risks.
Now that the daily stone production has increased significantly, and there are many useful runes that can be used for tasks such as slicing, dissolving, and solidifying, stone has naturally become the preferred material for building houses. In the open area not far from the main passage in the Dome of Howls, there are two special stone pits—one called the Dissolving Pit and the other the Solidifying Pit, both of which were just built today. The Dissolving Pit can shake and dissolve the sand and gravel sifted from the planting soil and the fine debris from stone excavation into elemental soil, making it an excellent planting medium. In the Solidifying Pit, there are over a dozen rune molds; scraps from stone cutting and rocks of uneven size are thrown in, and under the effect of magic, the outer layer of the stones melts like wax until the gaps in the molds are completely filled, resulting in ornate stone pillars. Although their load-bearing capacity cannot compare to that of pure bluestone, limestone, or granite pillars, they are more than sufficient for ordinary house construction.
For the time ahead, the task of the inhabitants will be to open up land halls, collect stone materials, build barriers, stockpile building supplies, dig water channels, transport soil, and plant fungi and wheat. Among these, building houses is actually the least important. The temperature in the Dome of Howls is similar to that of early summer, so even sleeping under the sky poses no major issue. Most importantly, these slaves are hardworking and uncomplaining; those with strong personalities were already dealt with by the bandits. Compared to before, their treatment is much better now. As the saying goes, poverty shrinks one’s ambitions—these people have long given up any hope of enjoying a comfortable life; being able to work daily and have enough food to eat is already considered a blessing.
The number of light trees in the dome is still too small, so although there is light, the dome remains gloomy and dim. However, since planting has succeeded and a start has been made, there is hope. The cool, clear light from these light trees is bright and gives a sense of cleanliness in the area it illuminates, making it more preferable than the light from bonfires. Moreover, bonfires consume firewood, and in this dark region, no household can rely on them for long-term lighting.
The Dome of Howls is roughly rectangular, wider from north to south and narrower from east to west, not perfectly symmetrical, but no one bothers to correct it. The main passage Neo took when he returned is on the west side near the south; less than 20 meters south of entering the dome are the fire pit, the melting furnace, and the blacksmith’s shop. The fire pit was only activated today after Neo brought back elemental energy crystals. With this device controlled by fire runes that consume elemental energy crystals, the furnace temperature can reach over 1,900 degrees, allowing direct extraction of molten steel, which means it is possible to forge high-quality metal tools more quickly.
Neo has always placed great importance on smelting and forging. Currently, there are 3 blacksmiths, 2 helpers, and 3 apprentices in the dome. Neo, who already has little free time, has tutored them nearly 10 times. Unfortunately, no skill can be mastered overnight. Moreover, although these slaves are decent and compliant, they have lost their spirit of courage and innovation. Those 3 blacksmiths are only at the level of amateur craftsmen. To improve the dome’s forging skills, it will likely be necessary to hire more skilled experts.
The smelting and forging operations are temporarily set up here. Once time permits, they plan to move into rooms built on the side walls. For now, this area is being planted with trees. Further south from here lies the only source of water in the dome. In the Dark Lands, water is a symbol of life, so Neo attaches great importance to it. Unfortunately, this place isn’t like the Medusa’s Nest Dome he explored earlier, which had abundant underground rivers. Here, only narrow gaps allow water to seep out, forming a shallow pond that never goes deeper than 3 meters. Considering the many places in the dome that will need water in the future, Neo is worried about whether it can handle the demand, so he sent Heavy Water Shield Guards to investigate. After traveling for three days, they reported that this water source eventually connects to a vast sea of clean water. There isn’t a shortage of water, and fortunately, the water channels are narrow; otherwise, it might be plagued by bottom-dwelling demon fish living in that sea. In the Dark Lands, mentioning bottom-dwelling demon fish implies a group of disgusting and vicious enemies, as well as troublesome mental magic and battles on and under the water. Although normally, these fish aren’t stronger than level 8, actually fighting them requires at least level 10 strength, and they are extremely persistent. Most of these fish possess many ancient and even terrifying secrets—secrets that come not only from themselves but also from their enemies they’ve killed. For now, Neo isn’t interested in them, but this information further strengthened his decision to build a Moon Goddess Well spell array in the pond. This array was derived from what he found in the Medusa’s Nest Dome, but it has been separated into its components—water without the moon. The six Water Moon Stones are the fundamental parts of the array. The idea came from Nancy. Since Neo is still in the early stages of learning magic, he can’t construct such a complex array on his own. He has assigned the tedious tasks of selecting materials and engraving runes to his subordinates. He plans to complete the array after finishing his current training, so that the water in the pond will become much purer and more abundant, benefiting both drinking and planting. Moreover, this array can gather the essence of water elements. If left unused, it might eventually create conditions to connect with the water element plane. Around the pond lies the botanical garden, with an ecological garden capable of growing surface plants on the south bank, covering about 300 square meters. Magic rune stone slabs are still being made there, supervised by two druids, with Nancy designing the plan. These slabs will serve as the walls of the ecological garden. Although it isn’t as transparent as the garden in the Hurricane-class ship’s cabin, it has all the necessary functions. To ensure sufficient energy inside and establish a microcirculation system, sealing is essential, and deploying spells is also necessary—while the magic rune stone slabs are the components of those spells.
Whenever he thought about why the two druids followed him, Neo felt a tightening in his body. The Woodtribe selected promising individuals to invest in, aiming to reap benefits in the future—a method Neo wasn’t averse to, as it was akin to helping someone in need. After all, those who had the foresight to take big risks early on deserved greater rewards later. What concerned Neo was “fate.” It seemed there truly was some means to predict certain future changes. For example, when the Woodtribe chose him, he was in a desperate situation as a slave, with even those closest to him not knowing much about him. Yet they still gave him two highly promising druids. Now, one of them was at level 4 and the other at level 5. With them by the Swift Wind Team, Neo could feel more at ease when going out.
“The pull of fate, the prediction of fate’s path. Tsk tsk! Such godlike abilities—who could possess them? Who could be so miraculous?”
By noon the next day, everything was ready for the ritual. In a corner of the dome, within a temporary tent, multiple guards, water guardians, and two combat puppets modified from war puppets ensured no one or nothing could disturb them.
The grandeur of the preparations was due to the fact that this involved Nancy’s true form, the most crucial secret. Nancy’s existence was the foundation of Neo’s life, the source of all changes, a secret even Millien didn’t know about. Even Thorns and Pricks only thought Nancy was a personality created by Neo in his mental world. Neo intended to keep this secret for life. Moreover, recharging Nancy this time was extraordinary; Neo would likely be defenseless for a long time and even completely cut off from the outside world.
The magic circle, constructed using plant materials and involving 21 plant species, had been prepared by Neo a month earlier. It was used to assist him in elemental refinement. Although regular refinement often caused skin damage, it was still much milder compared to today’s process.
The elemental energy crystals obtained from the Hurricane Ship couldn’t be absorbed directly by Neo, but today he intended to change that through the magic circle. Undoubtedly, this would cause severe damage to his body—this was where the danger lay. However, the energy required to fully restore the sacred artifact’s functions was increasing, and under normal circumstances, it might take 3 to 5 years to complete. Neo couldn’t afford to wait, so he discussed this plan with Nancy. Success and failure were equally likely; the key lay in whether Neo’s will was strong enough.
“I must be able to overcome this challenge!” Neo lay down in the magic circle, took a deep breath, and inserted the activation energy crystal into the center of the circle. Elemental charging began.
It was a very tedious process with little aesthetic value. If one had to choose observers, enemies who hated Neo deeply would be suitable. Imagine having one’s body used as a conductor for electricity, yet somehow not dying from it—just imagine what that person would go through to understand the suffering Neo endured.
Weak electricity can kill bacteria, while strong electricity can be fatal. The same applies to elemental energy. Neo’s body wasn’t strong enough to withstand such intense elemental energy transmission. It was Nancy who took full control of Neo’s body, protecting it as much as possible without hindering energy transfer, using all means, including life force, to combat destruction. All Neo had to do was guide his will, endure, and persevere.
The destination of the elemental energy was the energy pool in Neo’s brain, where the sacred weapon energy that Nancy could use could be synthesized. The process of transmission, creation, and absorption repeated continuously, with increasing efficiency. Thus, Neo didn’t have to worry about developing resistance to the pain over time; before the training was complete, the pain would only grow worse.
Since Nancy had taken full control of his body, Neo couldn’t even shout or struggle. From the outside, his body appeared to be wrapped in elemental energy, convulsing like in a seizure. In his mental world, however, it was a scene of apocalyptic chaos—chaotic mist swept across the world like waves. Neo’s task was to maintain order in this world, ensuring that mountains remained mountains and water remained water, which meant his consciousness remained clear. If he were completely swallowed by the chaos, it would mean mental collapse, destruction of consciousness, and his demise.
The pain was one thing, but the greatest risk was that this wasn’t just one attempt—it was a desperate choice with no way back. The severe damage this training would cause Neo could only be healed once the sacred weapon’s abilities were fully restored, turning harm into advantage. There was no possibility of quitting halfway.
From a long time ago, Neo had asked himself a question: Why should he be better than others, surpass his peers, and become the best? After much thought, he came to one answer: Cherish life, but fear death not!
Cherishing life made one cautious enough to pay attention to details, laying the foundation for success. Fearlessness allowed one to strive boldly, dare to fight, and move forward fearlessly.
This creed became part of his personality, giving him a unique edge. From the juvenile gladiator training camp to the arena, from Thules to the journey eastward, time and again it was proven that repeated trials forged true strength. This was his belief, his confidence—precisely these qualities shaped Neo’s unyielding will.
As the chaotic mist pressed down, beams of light soared from the peak of elemental energy, standing tall like swords. The monuments of the four elements also emitted light driven by will, reaching into the sky. Above, the Shadow Moon, symbolizing Neo’s elemental powers, shone brightly, and the stars representing his mental strength grew even brighter.
In Neo’s pineal gland, the four elements formed turbulent vortices, swirling around a crystal the size of a soybean. Finally, with a flash of light, the crystal transformed into a transparent rhombus-shaped gem. This was the result of the fusion between the central growth point crystal and the mysterious crystal remaining in Neo’s brain. From then on, the sacred weapon evolved from a pure medical AI into a comprehensive intelligent brain, with its operating mode undergoing a complete transformation.
In the glow of elemental energy, that coffin-like, ultra-modern artifact that Neo had first seen in the underground tunnels of Tures reappeared, undergoing profound changes. The exposed cables had all transformed into flowing crystals, integrating into the chamber’s structure. Then the entire chamber broke into hundreds of fragments, floating in the air, each changing and reassembling itself. Though it still resembled a coffin, it was now complete and radiating light. It had once been non-independent, especially in terms of energy supply, relying heavily on external sources. Now, it was free!
At this point, Neo’s skin and much of his muscle tissue had been destroyed by the fierce energy, giving him the appearance of a severely burned patient on the verge of death. Yet in reality, he had turned misfortune into fortune. The top of the crystal chamber, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, flashed with light, revealing the space inside. The void drew him away from the magic circle; he floated in the air, turned slowly, and was then drawn into the chamber. The chamber flipped over, its top sealed, and it slowly descended back into the magic circle.
Five days later, Neo opened his eyes inside the chamber. When the lid opened, he got out, completely naked, and examined this ultra-modern artifact closely. The surface of the chamber no longer shone brightly as before but emitted only a faint glow. Neo knew this was a sign of excessive energy consumption. Ultimately, he still hadn’t fully resolved the energy supply issue of this “Energy Therapy Chamber.” Ordinary elemental crystal energy was of poor purity, and the chamber required a mixed form of elemental energy. Initially, energy supply hadn’t been a problem for it, but thousands of years later, he had to find ways to produce it himself.
According to Nancy, if the energy problem could be solved, as long as his soul remained intact, the Energy Therapy Chamber could revive him. It could also increase elemental concentration, which would be highly beneficial for cultivation. For now, it could only be used once every ten days, with a time limit and limited functions.
Still, even so, Neo had gained tremendous benefits. Not only did he have an extra layer of protection for his life, but he could also undergo various levels of physical transformation using the chamber’s biotechnology. The appearance disguise he needed could be achieved through relatively simple modifications.
Nancy told Neo that the cultivation of the soul was the top priority. The body was merely a vessel. Aside from the neural network, which was necessary for transmitting will and needed to remain intact and strengthened, all other parts were replaceable. Eventually, even the neural network would be replaced by a more advanced substance made of pure energy—that would be immortality.
However, Nancy only knew the outcome, not the path. She didn’t know how to achieve immortality, nor would Neo dwell on such a distant goal. For him, it didn’t matter how far he could go; what mattered was whether he made an effort. If he did, his life would have no greatest regrets.