Within the Forest of Demonic Beasts, despite the absence of overwhelmingly powerful monsters, it remained a favorite among hunters due to the sheer quantity of lesser beasts. Naturally, these hunters were no ordinary folk; they were either mages or swordsmen.

Cecil was one such swordsman, and his haul this trip was quite substantial: three core crystals from Grade Four demonic beasts, fifteen from Grade Three, and another twenty to thirty from Grade Two and Grade One creatures. Sold off, this bounty could easily fetch him several dozen Gold Coins.

(If Zhong Shenxiu knew how valuable these magic crystals were, the beasts in this entire forest would likely have already suffered a terrible fate, perhaps leaving not even a single hair behind.) The reason Cecil had so few cores from Grade Two and Grade One beasts was simply that he held them in utter contempt; they were far too weak for him to bother with. After all, Cecil possessed the strength of a Golden Swordsman; these minor beasts were no match for him.

Unless they actively sought death by stumbling into his path, Cecil rarely initiated a hunt for them. Though Cecil frequently hunted here, he wasn't particularly short of money.

His trips to the Forest of Demonic Beasts were mostly out of sheer boredom. There was another reason too: he didn't want his skills to grow dull from disuse.

Cecil was enjoying his walk back towards the city when he suddenly heard a strange sound drifting from up ahead. Could he have stumbled upon another beast?

With that thought, Cecil quietly crept forward, tracking the noise. His logic was simple: since it was on his way, gathering a few more beast cores wouldn't hurt.

From a distance, he saw what looked like a large pit in the earth, and the peculiar sound was emanating directly from within it. Could it be some kind of Earth-elemental beast?

But even those shouldn't be making such a racket! Could it be something entering its molting phase?

Suddenly, a mischievous grin spread across Cecil’s face as he crept even more stealthily toward the edge of the pit. “Master, it’s not here either!” A small girl’s voice suddenly echoed from the pit, startling Cecil so badly he nearly jumped out of his skin.

Someone was actually down there? Since there were people involved, there was no need for stealth anymore.

Cecil strode out boldly, walking right up to the edge of the pit. He peered down into the five or six-meter-deep hole and saw two small figures made of mud frantically digging through something, an utterly comical sight.

Heh heh~ Cecil couldn't help but let out a few soft chuckles; this was arguably the most hilarious scene he had ever witnessed. What are these two kids doing way out here?

Playing hide-and-seek, perhaps? “Hey, what are you two doing down there?

Go home quickly, it’s dangerous here!” Cecil said, adopting the lofty tone of an adult, albeit kindly. Though, anyone could hear the teasing intent laced in his voice.

Zhong Shenxiu glanced at Cecil as if he were looking at an idiot and paid him no mind. “Robin, keep searching.

I have a feeling something is definitely down here,” Zhong Shenxiu instructed Robin. Robin also looked up at Cecil briefly, then, hearing the command, resumed digging in the muddy slurry.

Cecil, perhaps possessing a rather thick skin, did not take the hint to leave. Instead, he sat down by the pit edge, considerably intrigued.

“Master, I think I’ve found something,” Robin said, a hint of excitement in his tone. Zhong Shenxiu immediately stopped what he was doing and leaned closer.

“Where?” Cecil, watching the spectacle from above, finally felt a surge of interest. He was intensely curious about what these two youngsters were seeking.

Could they be searching for treasure? The thought of treasure brought an undeniable smile to Cecil’s face, as he remembered his own childhood treasure hunts—though his efforts never matched the ambition of these children.

He had merely dug a hole in his own backyard, earning him a sound beating from his father for the trouble. Just as Cecil was lost in a nostalgic recollection of his own youthful folly, Zhong Shenxiu and Robin had already hauled their find from the mud.

Robin, covered head to toe in grime, wiped a patch on his small face, looking immensely pleased. After searching all day, they finally had something to show for it; how could that not bring joy?

“Hey, what did you find?” Cecil now clearly saw the object the two had pulled from the muck. It wasn’t small—roughly the size of an adult—but coated in mud and water, its true form was completely obscured.

Relieved that their efforts had not been in vain, Zhong Shenxiu struggled to contain his elation. He carefully cradled the object and then, with a whoosh, shot straight up to the edge of the pit.

Robin followed him up with equal agility. As he sprang upwards, whether by accident or design, Zhong Shenxiu’s movement sent a spray of muddy water that landed perfectly and completely drenching Cecil.

Cecil stood there, slightly stunned, entirely oblivious to the mud splattering him. He was genuinely staggered.

He could not fathom how two small children could launch themselves out of a five-meter-deep hole with such speed. It was unbelievable to anyone watching.

Zhong Shenxiu and Robin treated Cecil as if he were invisible, setting their find aside and immediately beginning to clear the mud off with dried grass and small branches they had collected. While they couldn't clean it entirely, they managed to reveal its general shape.

The object turned out to be a skeleton—a thoroughly decomposed one. However, this skeleton was clad in a suit of battle armor, and a saber was still sheathed at its waist.

This, precisely, was Zhong Shenxiu’s ultimate objective! “Master, do you think this dates back to the Z War?” Robin asked softly, gently rubbing the mud off the armor with his small hands.

“I’m not sure about that; who knows what the Z War even was. But one thing is certain: this thing is at least several centuries old,” Zhong Shenxiu replied, gesturing toward the armor.

“Look at the coloration, the remaining embroidery—it wouldn’t look like this without a hundred or eighty years, at least.” Robin nodded thoughtfully, appearing receptive to the lesson. What?

The Z War? Hearing those two words jolted the dazed Cecil back to full awareness, and he scrambled forward with a strange, sudden urgency, almost as if he’d suffered a stroke.

“Let me see!” Cecil shamelessly extended his hand, attempting to get a closer look, but before he could touch it, his hand was firmly seized by Robin. Robin said nothing, merely fixing the man with a steady gaze.

Cecil stared in disbelief at the slender hand gripping his wrist. Was this the strength expected of a little girl?

It felt stronger than a steel clamp! Cecil felt his wrist giving way, a sharp pain radiating from that point throughout his entire body.

This was because Robin had just increased his grip. “I won’t touch it, I won’t touch it…” Cecil quickly begged for mercy.

Blast it, if I don't yield now, this hand is going to be permanently ruined. Robin hesitated for a moment before releasing his hold, but he maintained a warning stare, his meaning perfectly clear: Little punk, you dare reach out again?

Watch me crush you!!