Morning arrived in Noah's Personal Dimension.
He was sitting on the balcony of his mansion, reading one of the books he had purchased in Silverbrook Town.
The title was The Lost Civilizations of Aetherion.
The book contained information about several ancient kingdoms, forgotten cities, and civilizations that had disappeared thousands of years ago.
Some had been destroyed by wars, others by natural disasters, and a few had simply vanished without leaving any explanation.
Noah turned another page.
"Interesting. This world has a much longer history than I expected."
He closed the book and placed it inside his Primordial Spatial Ring.
Today, he had a destination.
Greywatch.
An abandoned mining settlement approximately seventy kilometers north of Silverbrook Town.
According to the old books and the merchant's information, the settlement had once been an important source of magical minerals. However, it had been abandoned nearly two centuries ago following a series of disappearances.
Noah wasn't particularly concerned about the rumors.
If something dangerous existed there, it would simply give him an opportunity to explore.
He stood up and opened a spatial portal.
"Let's go."
Northern Wilderness — Valtherion Kingdom
Noah appeared on a dirt road surrounded by green hills.
Unlike Verdant Moon Forest, this region had wide open grasslands, rocky slopes, and scattered patches of woodland.
A cool breeze passed through the tall grass.
He looked at the map.
"Greywatch should be somewhere beyond those hills."
Noah began walking.
He could have travelled much faster using his Voidstep Boots, but he wanted to observe the region.
Along the way, he noticed several small villages and agricultural settlements.
Farmers were working in the fields, while merchants travelled between villages using horse-drawn wagons.
A few adventurers were also moving along the road.
Everything seemed peaceful.
After approximately thirty minutes, Noah noticed a merchant caravan approaching from the opposite direction.
It consisted of six wagons, twelve guards, and several merchants.
The caravan leader was a middle-aged man with short brown hair and a neatly trimmed beard.
When he noticed Noah's appearance, his eyes immediately moved towards the black-and-golden horns.
He raised his hand.
"Good morning, traveler!"
Noah stopped.
"Morning."
The merchant looked at him curiously.
"Are you travelling alone?"
"Yes."
"That's unusual for this road. We're heading towards Silverbrook. If you're going north, you should be careful. There have been monster attacks recently."
Noah smiled.
"I'll keep that in mind."
The merchant introduced himself as Gareth, owner of the caravan.
"May I ask where you're heading?"
"Greywatch."
Gareth's expression changed.
"Greywatch? The abandoned settlement?"
"That's right."
Several guards exchanged glances.
One of them stepped forward.
"Sir, that place is dangerous. Nobody travels there without a reason."
Noah looked at him.
"I have a reason."
Gareth sighed.
"Well, I won't question your decision. But the northern road has become increasingly dangerous. We've lost two cargo wagons during the past month."
"What attacked them?"
"We don't know exactly. The survivors reported large creatures moving through the hills. Some described them as wolves, while others claimed they were enormous boars."
Noah nodded.
"Thanks for the warning."
Gareth hesitated before speaking again.
"If you ever need supplies, our caravan company operates in Silverbrook. The name is Golden Road Trading Company."
Noah gave him a friendly nod.
The caravan continued towards Silverbrook while Noah resumed his journey.
[System Notification]
[Regional Information Recorded.]
Location: Northern Wilderness.
Known Threats: Unknown.
Nearby Settlement: Greywatch.
Noah glanced at the notification.
"Let's see what kind of creatures live around here."
He continued walking.
Several kilometers later, the terrain began changing.
The grassy hills became rockier, and the trees grew taller and more twisted.
Noah stopped near a large boulder.
His Absolute Dragon Eyes activated.
Golden light passed through his pupils.
Immediately, several magical signatures appeared within his vision.
There were seven creatures hiding behind the nearby rocks.
[System Analysis]
Species: Ironfang Wolves.
Classification: E-Rank Magical Beasts.
Quantity: 7.
Estimated Age: 3–5 years.
Abilities: Enhanced Physical Strength, Hunting Instinct, Ironfang Bite.
Threat Assessment: Low for current host.
Noah smiled.
"Well, I suppose the locals weren't exaggerating."
The wolves emerged from their hiding places.
They were larger than ordinary wolves, with dark grey fur and metallic-looking fangs.
Their leader was slightly larger than the others.
It growled and rushed towards Noah.
He didn't move.
A thin lightning thread appeared around his right index finger.
With a casual flick, seven tiny lightning needles shot forward.
Each needle struck a wolf precisely between its eyes.
All seven creatures collapsed almost simultaneously.
Noah glanced at the bodies.
"That was easy."
[Seven E-Rank Magical Beasts Defeated.]
[Rewards Received]
- Evolution Points ×350.
- Ironfang Wolf Magic Core ×7.
- Ironfang Wolf Hide ×7.
- Ironfang Wolf Fang Pair ×7.
Noah stored the materials inside his ring.
He continued north.
A few minutes later, he noticed something unusual.
A broken wooden sign was lying beside the road.
Most of its writing had faded, but the remaining letters were readable.
GREYWATCH — 12 KM
Noah checked the map.
"Finally, getting close."
He followed the road towards the settlement.
Two Hours Later — Abandoned Mining Region
The landscape had become noticeably darker.
Old mining equipment was scattered around the hills, and several abandoned carts remained beside the road.
Noah spotted a collapsed wooden structure.
Its roof had completely fallen, leaving only a few support beams.
He approached it.
[System Analysis]
Estimated Age: 187 Years.
Previous Function: Ore Transportation and Storage.
Current Condition: Severely Damaged.
Noah walked around the building.
Inside, he discovered several broken crates, rusted tools, and a damaged mining helmet.
Nothing particularly valuable remained.
However, his Absolute Dragon Eyes detected faint traces of magical energy beneath the floor.
He crouched and touched the wooden boards.
A small amount of golden energy passed through his fingertips.
The ground beneath the structure responded with a faint vibration.
"Hmm?"
He removed several broken boards.
Beneath them was a stone hatch covered in dust.
A circular symbol had been carved into its surface.
Noah examined it.
[System Analysis]
Object: Ancient Sealed Hatch.
Material: Unknown Ancient Stone.
Formation: Dormant.
Estimated Age: Unknown.
Origin: Unidentified.
[Warning: Magical Structure Detected.]
Noah examined the circular symbol more closely.
It didn't resemble the dragon formation he had discovered in Verdant Moon Forest.
The markings were arranged in a completely different pattern.
"Another ancient civilization?"
He tried applying a small amount of mana.
Nothing happened.
He tried a little more.
The circular symbol briefly illuminated before fading again.
Noah stopped.
"Interesting. It requires something specific."
He didn't force it open.
Instead, he recorded its location and continued towards Greywatch.
[Location Recorded.]
Ancient Sealed Hatch — Northern Mining Region.
Coordinates Stored: Complete.
Noah walked for another twenty minutes.
Finally, the abandoned settlement appeared.
Greywatch.
The remains of an old stone wall surrounded several ruined buildings. Broken watchtowers stood at the settlement's corners, and a large mining entrance could be seen at the base of a nearby mountain.
No smoke rose from the chimneys.
No people walked through the streets.
The entire settlement was silent.
Noah stopped at the entrance.
"Well, this is Greywatch."
His Absolute Dragon Eyes activated again.
Immediately, he noticed something strange.
Beneath the settlement, enormous amounts of magical energy were flowing through underground passages.
There were several interconnected chambers.
And at the deepest point, something was emitting a faint golden glow.
Noah narrowed his eyes.
[System Notification]
[Unknown Underground Structure Detected.]
[Analysis In Progress...]
[Warning: Information Insufficient.]
[Potential Ancient Dungeon Identified.]
Noah smiled.
"Now we're talking."
He stepped through the broken entrance.
The adventure had only just begun.
End of Chapter 9