Chapter 436: Digging a Big Pit, Great Strength Flying Bricks

“What kind of preparations are you two making this time? If I may ask, could you tell me about it? Though I suppose I wouldn't be of much help anyway.”

Mira asked with a hint of curiosity about what Wang Yu and Avia were preparing, as the pair had seemed preoccupied with it for some time.

Lilia had gone to see for herself out of curiosity, but when Mira asked her about it, she had only shaken her head in silence. Unable to fathom what her eccentric sister was thinking, Mira felt a spark of interest and decided to voice her question now.

“It’s nothing particularly special, really. We’re just digging a very large pit that we expect to find useful later. The location is on the plain in front of the Cursed Wizard’s Tower. If you look down from the top of the tower today, you should be able to see it.”

Answering without hesitation, Wang Yu traced a line in the air, and the power of the Chariot channeled void energy to project an image before them.

Mira blinked. She now understood why Lilia had just shaken her head after seeing what they were doing; Wang Yu and the girl had spent these past few days digging a truly gargantuan hole in the middle of the plain.

The once flat, grass-covered expanse was now marred by a massive crater. While it was difficult to gauge the true scale from a single image, comparing it to the surrounding hills—which Mira knew well—revealed that the pit was so deep its bottom was lost to sight, large enough to swallow those hills whole if they were turned upside down and dropped inside.

“That is truly an exaggeratedly large hole.”

Taking a sip from the teacup on the table, Mira spoke with a faint smile. She didn't quite understand why they would do such a thing, but since they had chosen this path, there must be a reason. As a mother, she naturally chose to trust them.

“Hehe, I dug most of this myself over the last few days! My strength is already nearing that of a legendary mage. Give me a little more time—maybe a few years—and I should have a chance to break through to the legendary realm.”

Avia flashed a bright, cheerful smile, carrying a hint of boastfulness. In front of her mother, she was still just a girl who loved to be praised.

“That’s truly impressive.”

Clapping for her daughter, Mira was genuinely happy for the girl’s achievements.

“Alright, Wang Yu has been idle for enough days. It’s time I drag him back to help widen and deepen this pit. You get some good rest, Mom.”

With that, the girl walked behind Wang Yu, took over the authority to use the Chariot’s power, and with a surge of magic, a Phase Gate appeared, framing them both. As the girl waved goodbye to her mother, they vanished, reappearing at the edge of the great pit on the plain.

“This scale should be sufficient, shouldn't it? Have we reached the strata of obsidian and other magic-resistant bedrock yet?”

Standing at the rim and peering down, the vast pit was pitch black, revealing nothing but the sound of rushing air. Powerful gusts surged from within, a testament to the staggering size and depth of the excavation.

“Yes, we’ve reached the magic-resistant rock layer. While we could continue digging with magic alone, it wouldn't be as efficient as having you do it, Wang Yu.”

The girl nodded. This massive hole was the fruit of her recent efforts. For the surface layers, she had summoned a legion of earth elementals from the Elemental Plane; those earth lords were more than happy to perform such menial labor in exchange for the treasures stored within her Eden Seed space.

Deeper down, she had utilized her dual capabilities as a wizard and mage, employing stabilized seventh-tier spells to expand the depth and diameter. Currently, the pit was approaching ten thousand meters in depth, finally touching the layer of magic-resistant stone.

“Then let’s continue. A bit further down should be enough. Let’s not dig to the extent the dwarves and gnomes once did; after all, our goal isn't to see what lies at the bottom of the world.”

Taking Avia’s hand, Wang Yu jumped with her directly into the abyss. With the aid of air resistance, their descent quickly stabilized.

“Wang Yu, honestly, is my craft really that much worse than my mom’s?”

As she constructed wind-based spells in mid-air, the girl asked about his assessment of their cooking. She hadn't been truly angry earlier; it was just playful banter.

“To be honest, your desserts are slightly inferior to your mother’s. But when it comes to roasting meat, ignoring anyone else’s opinion, yours is more to my taste.”

Wang Yu spoke the truth; the girl’s culinary skills were still a notch below Mira’s.

“Fine, as expected of Mom. But I’ll keep working at it. One day, I’ll get you to admit that my desserts are the best.”

The girl sighed helplessly, then clenched her fists to cheer herself on, speaking of her future goals.

“I’ll look forward to it. But seriously, don’t eat yourself into a round shape while practicing. Don’t forget, you’re a knight, too.”

Wang Yu raised an eyebrow, and as he spoke, he reached out to lightly pinch the girl’s stomach. It wasn't fat, but the texture was surprisingly pleasant.

“Ahehe.”

Blushing slightly in embarrassment, the girl knew that what Wang Yu said was, on some level, a distinct possibility.

Air currents surged, slowing their high-speed descent until they landed steadily at the bottom of the cavern. The magical environment and the nature of the void energy here were quite unique, with temperatures exceeding a hundred degrees. Sunlight from above could never reach this place; it was absolute, silent darkness.

However, for Wang Yu and Avia, such an environment was hardly unbearable. Since both could draw power from the Lady of Night, they had no fear of the darkness hindering their perception.

“Hmm… no problem. This is the magic-resistant layer. From here on, we rely on the power of the Chariot to dig. Pure magic or physical means aren't as effective here; the efficiency is too low.”

Placing his hand on the scorching floor, his perception extended, feeding the structure of the rock back to him. Obsidian mixed with complex minerals formed this hard, magic-resistant layer.

The sky, the earth, and the ocean—the three regions of the material world—remained limited in their exploration and understanding by the intelligent races even to this day.

Even the Battle of the Abyss had not delved deep into the earth, and the deep sea remained unseen. As for the sky, abyss creatures originated from the cosmos beyond, and the existence of the dissociation layer made the sky an eternal limit for the intelligent races.

The greatest achievement of intelligent beings after years of slaughter was the “Morning Star” that had cracked the “continent.” But that continent was, in the end, merely a surface extension of the true land beneath their feet. They were still a hundred thousand miles away from shaking this almost boundless earth.

Historically, the deepest record was held by the dwarves and gnomes—at least, in the recorded official history. The veracity of wild, unrecorded legends remained unknown.

Regardless, the dwarves and gnomes, backed by their robust national strength and ever-evolving technology, had once explored the depths with intense curiosity.

At about fifty thousand meters, the strata began to turn liquid, and the temperature approached the fire elemental realms. At that depth, the nature of magic and void energy had nothing to do with the surface world.

Many materials that could withstand extreme heat on the surface changed properties at that depth, becoming useless. The dwarves and gnomes had built monitoring stations at every stage, constantly modifying their machines and creating new materials to keep going.

Then, as the drill pierced a layer of liquid high-energy rock polymers, “Bang!” It exploded. Terrifying energy erupted from the depths, rushing to the surface and obliterating every monitoring station and a small city atop the tunnel.

After that explosion, heaven knows how much the dwarves and gnomes lost. They never attempted a second deep-earth drilling. Part of it was due to the subsequent Battle of the Abyss, but never underestimate the dwarves’ obsession with the underground. Give them time, and they would surely drill again.

That energy eruption hadn't left the dwarves with nothing; a batch of special ore was found in the ruins of the city. It possessed terrifying energy storage capacity and a unique form of energy release, which the dwarves called “Terra,” meaning the crystal of the earth.

The Morning Star contained a significant amount of this material. The main component of the Dwarven King’s heirloom warhammer, “Heart of Earth’s Melt,” was Terra, and the armor and weapons of the King’s elite guard—the legendary dwarves—were all infused with it.

Truth be told, Wang Yu coveted this material quite a bit. Using it as filler for the Shattered Meteorite Blade would be incredible, but for now, it was just a thought.

Pressing his hand against the solid magic-resistant rock, he activated the power of the Chariot. The entire earth began to obey his command, moving and retreating, allowing the pit to expand at a steady pace.

To Wang Yu, it didn't matter if the rocks were magic-resistant, void-repellent, or solid. Before the power of the Chariot, all inanimate matter was equal; deep excavation was merely a matter of time.

However, the speed was not exactly fast. That was why the shallow layers were left to the girl; Wang Yu’s efficiency in digging ordinary, non-resistant rock could not compare to Avia’s.

“A few thousand more meters should be enough, then we can take it slow.”

The pit deepened under Wang Yu’s influence, gradually nearing the state they required. He didn't need it to be as deep as the dwarves’ and gnomes’ old project, but the underground world was vast—it would be a shame not to utilize it.

His perception flickered. Avia, who was tossing the excavated soil into the Eden Seed space, and Wang Yu, acting as a human excavator, both noticed another presence appearing in the pit.

“Greetings, Tower Master. What brings you here?”

Wang Yu greeted the old man who had suddenly appeared at the bottom of the pit. He rarely experienced the “sudden discovery of someone behind him” anymore; even for the master of the Cursed Wizard’s Tower, who arrived with a faint spatial ripple, Wang Yu had sensed him in advance.

“I don’t mean to intrude. I was just curious about the preparations you were making. Lilia mentioned the great pit you were digging, and I couldn't help but wonder what it was. Now that I see it, it is quite… well, astonishing.”

The old man smiled kindly, looking no different from an ordinary elder. Setting aside his strength and status, that was the first impression he gave.

“Haha, just like you, I simply hope to have the ability to protect myself and those I care about in these chaotic times.”

Wang Yu replied casually, not dwelling on the old man’s unannounced arrival. Though they hadn't met before, their impressions of each other were quite good.

“I wouldn't dare claim such things. I am but a cowardly old man who only knows how to run away.”

With a bitter smile and a wave of his hand, the Master of the Hex-Bound Wizard Tower instinctively dismissed Wang Yu’s words.

"Master, if you were truly as you describe, the path of the 'Hex' you pioneered would not see its constraints weaken as one grows stronger, nor would it be riddled with so many loopholes to exploit."

The girl interjected, offering a rebuttal to the old man’s self-assessment.

"Ahem, let us set that aside, let us set that aside. If you do not mind, could you share the logic behind your current endeavors? I shall not pry into the specifics, as that would be overstepping, but a rough outline would suffice."

Clearing his throat, the Master showed no sign of embarrassment, his tone shifting to one of earnest inquiry regarding the plans of Wang Yu and Avia.

Regardless of the circumstances, this territory was under the Master’s jurisdiction, and the old man had tacitly permitted the digging of this pit. Since he was now asking, Wang Yu, who had never intended to conceal the general direction of his actions, saw no reason to refuse.

"The Master has surely observed the recent upheavals across the continent. While I lack deeper insight, based on my own experiences and the intelligence I have gathered, I can only offer an unsubstantiated conjecture: something monumental is about to occur, driven by forces of terrifying stature."

"Turmoil is inevitable, and trouble will undoubtedly find us. We must make preparations, and the most logical approach would be to meet each challenge as it arises, resolving every issue one by one."

"Yet, upon reflection, that is simply impossible. Setting aside the long-laid schemes of those behind these events—who are surely masters of calculation—my own mind lacks the capacity to unravel such a web. Even with Avia’s aid, or the collective wisdom of others, those entities lurking in the shadows are far too formidable."

"Therefore, to transcend these insurmountable gaps in information and preparation, the only course left to me is to rely on sheer, overwhelming force."