"A suspicious person?" Jody repeated.
Jody fell silent for a mont as she was trying to recall sothing.
Soon, her eyes lit up…
"Aside from the informants we have from various cities and the summoned creatures used by our agents and reporters, there was soone… yes. A man carrying the badge of the Church of the Lord of the Secrets. He ca here not long ago, asking questions. He wasn't gathering new intelligence.. he was trying to verify information he already had."
Vale sat comfortably as he finally got sothing. "Verify what information?"
Jody rifled through a stack of docunts on her desk, pulling out a folder marked with the sign of Chronicle's restricted archives.
"Since he's working with the church and we've been getting information from them as well, we gave him this information without any issues."
She then opened the folder carefully, revealing reports stamped with warnings.
"The Forbidden Lands," she said quietly. "He asked specifically about the Ashen Plains of Myrrh and the Obsidian Caverns."
Vale gently nodded as he found this information interesting… He knew very well about the Forbidden Lands. They were the Northern Island of the Overseer, the Holy City of the Forsaken, the Ebon Lake, the Ancient Psychic Holy Land, the Obsidian Caverns, the Abyssal Rift of Zenthra, and lastly, the Ashen Plains of Myrrh.
"What is he looking for?"
Instead of answering, Jody slid the latest information she got about these lands across the desk.
[ The Obsidian Caverns ]
[ An imnse underground labyrinth beneath the Ancient Ebon Peaks, the caverns are dominated by black crystal formations and unstable volcanic activity. The air is filled with sulfur, and the walls have mysterious, destructive energy that stops Arcanists from exploring the caverns. It was known to be connected to a different realm opened by a Grand Arcanist of the Mystic Path. It had only been closed a few years ago after the Human Realm was sealed.
Creatures and Mystic Entities from another realm had occupied the region. They weren't leaving the region but are under observation of the Arcane Bureau and the Arcane Dominion.
Threats:
Crystal Golems: Sentient constructs born from obsidian veins. They adapt to attacks, rendering most elental magic ineffective.
Lava Wyrms: Colossal serpentine beasts dwelling in magma rivers. Their fire breath can lt enchanted steel.
Volcanic Surges: Sudden eruptions of magma and toxic gas. ]
[ Key Intelligence:
Sowhere in the cavern, the Obsidian Core, an artifact capable of channeling volcanic energy into devastating force, can be found... Recent magical readings suggest its power has grown unstable, possibly awakening dormant entities within the caverns. ]
[ Notes:
Organized activity has been confird. Rogue Arcanists and outlaw factions are attempting to mine obsidian crystals to forge forbidden war machines.
Scouts report Ancient Rune Arts carved into cavern walls. ]
"Ahh? I didn't know we already have more information about this place." Vale muttered as he read through the information.
Of course, the Lava Wyrms and Crystal Golems were old information already. However, the fact that the realm was actually opened by a Grand Arcanist and ultimately created the Forbidden Land was sothing new to him.
The Key Intelligence report was also important…
Vale then turned to the next Forbidden Land that the Void Immortal was looking into.
[ The Ashen Plains of Myrrh ]
[ A burnt wasteland where eternal flas consu the land. The plains were born from the cataclysmic battle between an ancient Pyromancer and the Great Fire Elentals. The ground itself burns, and the sky is always hazed with ash.
Threats:
Sentient Flas: Living fire that hunts intruders, capable of consuming both flesh and spirit.
Ember Wraiths: Ghostly remnants of fallen Fire Elentals, endlessly wandering the plains.
Ash Storms: Sudden eruptions of burning ash that strip wards and ignite artifacts. ]
[ Key Intelligence:
A legendary Fire Stone is believed to lie buried beneath the central plains. It is said to grant absolute dominion over fla. In addition, three relics of unknown origin remain hidden. Artifacts rumored to be of Arcana or at least Sovereign Grade were detected, but their exact nature is unconfird. ]
[ Notes:
Only Fire Elentalists or Arcanists like an Alchemist with specialized protections against fire can survive prolonged exposure.
Recent reports indicate foreign agents from the Church of the Three Paragons, including the Church of the Lord of the Secrets, have been sighted near the plains, searching for the Fire Stone.
The eternal flas appear to be growing stronger. ]
Vale couldn't help but realize that the fire stone in the Ashen Plains must be sothing that many other Alchemists were trying to find.
'Maybe if we get that Fire Stone, the Alchemists of the Academy will be stronger…' Vale mused as it would certainly increase their prestige.
'Should I search for it?' He mused.
Jody then waited for Vale to finish reading the information...
"This is all what he wanted. He asked about the Obsidian Core and the Fire Stone… Still, he was just confirming details. And Vale… he seed particularly interested in the reports of organized activity in the Caverns."
"The Rogue Arcanists ddling in the Forbidden Lands?" Vale muttered.
"Yes… Anyway, I didn't expect soone from the Church of the Lord of the Secrets to be this interested in their matters. Still, if they're after the Obsidian Core or the Fire Stone, then they're playing with forces that could devastate entire kingdoms…"
After so ti, Vale made a decision…
"Then I'll need to see for myself. The Ashen Plains and the Obsidian Caverns… If the Church is moving there, the Shadow Domain cannot ignore it."
There was no need to ntion the Void Immortal, who was most likely the one that Jody had t.
Of course, Vale didn't imdiately leave.
It had been a long ti since they had been together, and he was also not in a hurry.
They just chatted for so ti, and Vale even asked about the things she was writing for the articles.
"Ohhh… I'm still reporting on the Chaos Immortals' invasion, the rebuilding of Clovis, the rise of the Academy… Sothing like that… As you know, people outside your territory didn't believe the Shadow Domain could survive. But my Chronicle showed them the truth…" She proudly said and looked at Vale as if she was asking for a paynt.
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