[Vol. 7] Chapter 178: Source Crystals and False Suns
The rules for this [Morst Underground Labyrinth] Exploration Tournament were actually quite simple.
Teams from various academies had to search for and collect a special type of magic crystal ore scattered throughout the maze and submit them using a small teleportation device provided by Sainz Academy.
This magic crystal ore was officially called "Source Crystal", a special resource unique to the [Morst Underground Labyrinth].
It was widely distributed, so common that you could see it growing anywhere on the ground, walls, and even the ceilings of the Cavern Zone.
These crystals contained an immense amount of magical power and served as the primary source of light and energy within the entire underground maze.
And the deeper one ventured into the maze, the higher the purity of the Source Crystals, making them more valuable.
For each Source Crystal teleported back, the magic device issued by Sainz Academy would automatically calculate points based on its weight, purity, and other factors.
The teams would compete by collecting and submitting as many points as possible before the time limit expired.
However…
If that were the only rule, the tournament would be way too simple. Noelle's "Treasure-Seeking Cat" ability would be practically useless in such a straightforward contest.
To make things more interesting, there was another way to obtain Source Crystals, one that was faster and more direct.
Oh, don't get the wrong idea, this didn’t mean stealing or robbing from other teams.
Instead, like most adventurers who explored the maze, competitors could obtain Source Crystals from monsters.
That's right.
Perhaps because the monsters of the [Morst Underground Labyrinth] were born and raised in this environment, their bodies also contained Source Crystals.
In fact, these crystals replaced the magic cores found in similar creatures from the outside world, effectively serving as their magical hearts.
Defeating these monsters and retrieving Source Crystals from their bodies was one of the main sources of income for mercenaries and adventurers who made a living exploring Morlst.
Moreover, Source Crystals refined inside monsters were far purer than the ones that grew on the walls or ground, making them incomparably more valuable.
And naturally, this difference in value was also reflected in the tournament’s scoring system.
Soon, the cat ears on Noelle’s head gradually slowed down and eventually stopped rotating, settling into a strange position at a specific angle. The tips bent slightly, just like a compass needle, pointing in a general direction.
Noelle’s "Treasure-Seeking Cat" ability had a limited scanning range, but once it locked onto a target, it would continue guiding in that direction until the treasure was found or a new search began. This meant there was no risk of suddenly changing direction because of a more valuable object appearing nearby.
After learning the tournament rules, Carinvega and her teammates discussed their strategy and finally decided on their current plan.
Collecting the common Source Crystals scattered along the path was too inefficient, the effort wasn’t worth the reward. Hunting a single high-level monster could earn them the same points as collecting crystals for several hours.
Unless they could reach the 30th or even 40th levels to collect higher-purity Source Crystals, the only way to compete for first place was by defeating monsters.
Of course, Source Crystals weren’t the rarest treasures in the [Morst Underground Labyrinth], but most valuable treasures were guarded by powerful monsters. Defeating these creatures not only provided high-quality Source Crystals but also granted additional rewards from the treasures they protected.
The Jungle Zone, where they were currently exploring, was at a mid-level, not as dangerous as the Cavern Zone, where sky-level monsters could appear at any moment, but also not as low-level as the Abandoned Zone, where the monsters were too weak.
This made it the perfect place for a team of elite academy students to hunt efficiently.
The plan itself was simple, but without Noelle, other teams wouldn’t be able to copy it.
The Jungle Zone looked like a vast, untouched forest, with dense tree canopies blocking vision and flight, making it difficult to scout from above.
After following Carinvega’s team down to this level, Violet, the examiner, simply removed her [Chameleon Cloak], choosing to walk alongside them instead.
As she watched the team efficiently locate and defeat powerful monsters, collecting Source Crystals one after another, Violet, who had nothing else to do, began to shift her attention toward the surrounding environment.
This lush and vibrant forest deep underground piqued her curiosity.
It was common knowledge that most plants couldn’t survive long in a dark environment. Yet here was a massive, thriving jungle, deep below the surface. Something that should have been impossible unless some unknown force was at play.
Water sources could barely be explained by underground water, but what about sunlight?
And why did this maze have such clear and distinct layers, standing for hundreds of years, or maybe even longer, without collapsing or showing any signs of decay?
Underground labyrinths are usually the ruins of ancient civilizations, buried deep below the surface for various reasons over the course of hundreds or even thousands of years. Over time, most of their structures decay, becoming fragile and riddled with collapse.
While some monsters may naturally appear in these ruins, it is nearly impossible for a place like [Morst Underground Labyrinth] to have developed such a massive and diverse ecosystem, let alone a functioning food chain.
Rather than an ancient ruin, this place feels more like a special facility that is still in operation.
Walking through the forest filled with shifting light and shadow, the air rich with the scent of plants and vibrant life, Violet looked up.
Through the gaps in the dense canopy, she caught sight of rays of sunlight streaming down from above, bringing light and warmth to the jungle.
But this was impossible in an underground labyrinth.
Unlike the dark and ruined Abandoned Zone, the Jungle Zone was bright as if it were daytime in an actual forest.
The source of this unnatural light?
A massive, blindingly bright orb hanging high in the sky. So dazzling that it was almost impossible to look at directly.
Violet had already examined it earlier and understood what it truly was.
Yes, it was a Source Crystal.
Not just any Source Crystal, but an incredibly pure and massive one, large enough to illuminate the entire forest like a miniature sun.
This super Source Crystal was undoubtedly the key to maintaining the stability of this underground ecosystem.
If there was any true treasure in this Jungle Zone that could even shock a priestess, then this "sun" was surely one of them.
However, the fact that it had remained here for centuries, still hanging in the sky, continuously radiating light and heat, made it clear, this was not something anyone could simply take.
The staircase connecting the Jungle Zone to the central basin was only a few dozen steps long. Yet, the true height of this underground forest was nearly a thousand meters, a space so vast that it completely defied the normal structure of an underground labyrinth.
It seemed that the tree canopy acted as a boundary, marking the edge of a restricted airspace.
The higher one tried to go, the stronger the pressure became, forming a barrier to prevent any creatures from approaching the Source Crystal.
Earlier, Violet had sent a Light Elemental Spirit to test the area.
But even when the spirit was still over a hundred meters away from the "sun," the pressure had already grown so intense that not even a Pseudo-God being could move forward.
That meant, aside from a true God, no living creature would ever be able to touch it.
It seemed that Lucine was right.
This underground labyrinth was hiding an astonishing secret.