Chapter 316: The Gain and the Crisis
A small gray-black box caught Matthew's attention.
A sealing box!
These things were quite common in the various ruins along the East Coast.
Every adventurer had seen a similar sealing box, and many had personally opened them.
These boxes, used to preserve items, usually contained all sorts of surprises, big and small.
Most contained preserved personal belongings, generally worthless, and they would crumble upon touch.
Occasionally, there were ancient coins that some people might buy as collectibles elsewhere.
But in this area, they were too plentiful.
Rarely, one might open to find some books or spell scrolls, and if handled carefully without damage, selling them to specialized bookstores could fetch a good price.
The most valuable items, however, were rare magical materials!
Who would have guessed that this unremarkable box contained such an astonishing "secret"?
Matthew didn't act rashly. He habitually checked his attribute panel, confirming that his luck stat was still intact.
He then felt the force of fate, ensuring that there were no unsettling disturbances.
Only then did he open it.
There was no blinding golden light, nor any hidden ambush—two deep yellow crystal blocks the size of a palm quietly lay inside.
Legendary Earth Elemental Crystal ×2
Legendary item, condensed from the Earth Elemental Plane, containing pure, rich earth energy.
Description: Best not to place it on the ground, or it might grow legs and run away.
Two pieces!
This was truly a big surprise!
Matthew had already decided that, even at some cost, he would ask Lord Annie to help craft an elemental energy pool.
Once there was a successful template, Matthew could easily "steal" the knowledge for himself!
Besides the two crystals, there was also a small, curled-up piece of paper inside the box.
Matthew didn't touch the paper directly, fearing it might turn to dust.
He conjured a ball of time magic, carefully enveloping it, and then cast a mid-level restoration spell.
To Matthew's surprise, this seemingly insignificant piece of paper actually had a risk of failure!
Without hesitation, Matthew spent a portion of his fate energy.
50 points!
A very heavy piece of paper!
Unfolding it, two lines of blood-red writing came into view.
"Mad... they're all mad... Don't... look... at the moon..."
"So... delicious!!"
The moon?
It used to be called the moon?
Could this note have been written before the Crimson Moon appeared?
Mad?
They must have been corrupted by the Crimson Moon...
Matthew's lips twitched slightly, now understanding why this note required so much fate energy to preserve.
It was at least 6,000 years old!
Some dedicated players had once explored and researched the secrets behind the Crimson Moon.
They found a notable record.
6,000 years ago, the Crimson Moon wasn't like this!
Now, it seemed it had originally been the moon, but something unknown had happened 6,000 years ago, causing it to change.
As a terrifying source of contamination covering the entire material plane, the Crimson Moon had remained unsolved and uncleansed for millennia, hinting at some horrific secrets behind it!
It should be noted that while the next magic tide had yet to arrive, even the gods and evil deities had hidden away.
Yet, there were still numerous legendary figures on the material plane, some of whom could fly straight to the skies.
It wasn't impossible for them to reach the moon.
But what baffled Matthew and the players was this:
Even decades later, when the material plane was plunged into terrifying chaos, and all mAnnier of horrific enemies and monsters appeared, no one ever managed to explore the terrifying Crimson Moon!
Not even the gods!
With that in mind, Matthew carefully placed the note back in the box, taking the two legendary Earth Elemental Crystals and swiftly turning to leave.
To live long, one must avoid doing things beyond their capabilities!
Having obtained the legendary Earth Elemental Crystals, Matthew didn't immediately seek out Lord Annie.
He knew exactly what kind of person she was!
Now that she had some "new toys," she would undoubtedly spend her time locked away in the lab.
Want her to work? Not happening anytime soon!
However, this was one of Matthew's objectives!
Everything was going according to plan...
October 15th.
Bay Territory.
Bay City.
Inside the lord's mansion.
Matthew, who had risen early, was giving a lecture on two spells to Liana and Meriel, as well as other formal spellcasters.
Then, he handed over the detailed explanation duties to Liana, who had a thorough understanding.
Time to activate the little tool!
Returning to his study, Matthew found this week's issue of the Netheril Arcane Journal from Bloodmoon City on his desk.
He was about to browse through it, checking whether the major events outside Bay Territory matched his memory.
Before he could read more than a couple of lines, Ralph the butler arrived in a hurry.
He moved quickly, his expression tense.
For Ralph to be so flustered, it couldn't be something simple!
Seeing Ralph's reaction, Matthew's heart stirred:
"It's here!"
Ralph handed over a document with a trace of shock on his face, respectfully looking at Matthew as he said:
"Lord, we've received an urgent report from Bloodmoon City—the outer walls of the Scarlet Fortress have fallen!"
"More than a million siege forces bypassed the fortress's core area and have already broken into the Carl Plains!"
"It's not just orc armies; there are also many trolls and barbarian wanderers!"
"Most are heading west, but a smaller group of about 200,000 is heading south!"
Taking the report calmly, Matthew's expression remained steady as Ralph gradually regained his composure, marveling at the situation:
"The lord's intelligence network is truly impressive!"
"No wonder he had the territory prepare more than a month in advance!"
Matthew, reflecting on the butterfly effect and the unstoppable tide of events, maintained a calm expression as he began issuing orders:
"Issue a level two alert. Assign defensive duties to all adventurers."
"Increase manpower and relocate the families of those adventurers who wish to settle in Bay Territory."
"As for the rest, proceed with the plan."
Soon, those who had been notified gathered at the lord's mansion's meeting room as quickly as possible.
Almost everyone had a trace of disbelief on their faces.
After all, this was the Scarlet Fortress!
Over 300,000 imperial soldiers and two high-ranking transcendent Arcanists guarded that imperial stronghold!
How could it possibly fall?
Especially hearing the enemy's numbers might exceed 200,000, everyone felt their hearts race!
Last time, just tens of thousands of wanderers had put tremendous pressure on everyone.
Now, the enemy's numbers had increased almost tenfold!
Seeing the tension, Matthew smiled:
"Don't worry. They might reach Bloodmoon City, but they won't cross the Misty Swamp because we're too poor!"
At his words, everyone blinked in confusion, then glanced at each other, their tension evaporating into laughter.
That's right—our Bay Territory is such a desolate backwater.
Even if the orcs and barbarians were shown the way, they might not even want to come here!