Reign of the Hunters

Chapter 125: The Empty Harbor

Actually, this was logic-defying on several levels.

It was actually illogical for a small piece of metal not larger than a finger to be a key to a hidden map within a mountain.

However, there were times like these special circumstances where logic would take a step back to make room for fantasy. Just like how one side of a mountain right now was depending on this very small key to be unlocked. Ye Ci dismounted from Ol' Four and quickly found the Hidden Treasure Gulf's entrance. She lifted the vines covering the cave entrance and carefully studied its walls.

Soon after, her close inspection revealed the small slot that had the exact same shape as the metal piece in her hand.

Without much thought, Ye Ci pressed the metal piece into the tiny slot. Ye Ci had envisioned that there would be a rumbling sound accompanied by smoke and dust like how they usually portrayed these things in television shows or movies whenever somebody opened the entrance to a cave, but that wasn't the case. A simple notification from the system appeared in front of her instead.

"Are you sure you wish to enter this map - Hidden Treasure Gulf?"

"Yes."

"As this is an unexplored map, you might face untold dangers. Do you still wish to enter the map, Hidden Treasure Gulf?" The system would always warn players to proceed with caution while pioneering these unexplored maps, hinting that they should not underestimate the difficulty of these places.

"Yes."

"You'll have exclusive rights to explore the map for 72 hours. Once 72 hours have passed, the map will be made available to all players regardless of your exploration progress. We wish you good luck." After cautiously informing Ye Ci of the limited time she had to explore the map, the system teleported Ye Ci into a map that she was unfamiliar with.

Out of habit, Ye Ci called out her mini map to assess her current whereabouts. However, all she could see on the mini map was darkness. She was momentarily shocked before remembering that this was the unexplored map, which would explain why it appeared differently. Closing her mini map, Ye Ci dug into her bag and took out a sheepskin roll.

This was the map Tick had appraised for her. However, Ye Ci noticed that the outer edges of the area were dark and it was unclear what the map said about these areas. She took out a torch from her bag and lit it up to see the minor details on the map more clearly.

"The map is now synchronized with the terrain, would you like to virtualize the map?" The system asked.

Virtualize the map? Even Ye Ci, who was a reincarnator, did not understand what the system meant. Yet as she thought about it, she accepted the choice. Immediately, the map in her hands disappeared and a transparent map appeared in front of her. She could see a tiny golden blip and a tiny green blip on the map, with the former indicating her position, and the latter was Ol' Four.

With this, she would be able to traverse the place with the aid of her mini map.

Lifting the torch, she could see where she was very clearly. She was in a narrow cave. Tree roots grew unchecked throughout the cave via a hole in the ceiling. Mushrooms lined the walls of the cave, appearing full of vitality. The ground was moist, giving off a sticky sensation.

Ye Ci advanced carefully with Ol' Four following closely behind her, always half a step away. The two soon walked into rays of golden light. It was the rays of a setting sun.

She heaved a sigh of relief upon realizing that the cave was actually not as long as she had expected. She hastened to walk out, when suddenly a sharp piercing voice screeched through the air. "Intruder Alert! Intruder Alert!"