There was always 'something' lurking behind every unfathomable phenomenon, no matter how miniscule or impactful it was—that's just how the law of cause and effect works.
With that in mind, even if my previous life on Earth was a total disaster in its own right, it would be a blatant lie to say that I was not a bit curious about the 'answers' behind my transmigration.
Did I transmigrate because that's just the way fantastical mysteries work?
Was this a random occurrence that could happen to anyone? Oh, how others wished that's the case—to be able to live a new life in a world they loved more than reality.
"Young Master, there's something up ahead."
Traversing to the unknown and new yet both exhilarating and dangerous territory, Beatrice's voice snapped me out of my thoughts—which were something I often thought about since receiving a quest-like condition that was certainly a 'perk(?)' of being a transmigrator.
With Beatrice's Talent: [Eye of the Sky (Growth)], she could see far ahead if she just focused.
Thanks to her exceptional skill, aside from being responsible for careful reconnaissance to avoid or be ready for any potential dangers, that our journey after encountering an Iris Ent's habitat became smooth and peaceful.
Now, momentarily gazing at the direction her azure eyes fixated on, I glanced at the detailed map, eventually confirming that we were on the right path.
"Five hundred meters ahead! We will reach our destination! Be ready for any variables!"
My words echoed.
It had been a week since we fought against the Iris Ents. Even with just that one encounter of life and death, the soldiers were now truly aware of the unknown dangers in this vast nature.
Neigh!
Giddy-hup!
The fifty horses, with each one harboring two passengers, quickly traversed the forested and mountainous path filled with nothing but deafening silence.
After only two to three minutes, in one of the cliffs that appeared to be the mouth of a cave, we arrived at the bottom.
It resembled that of a miniature rock formation that had spiral, circular paths. But since it was a geographical landmark that's too common in the Dark Forest, or even throughout the entire of the Abyss Lands, it remained untouched.
"Let's go–!" With my command, I led everyone to ride to the top.
Precisely about a mere nine to ten-story building from its foundation, along with the uneven but not too rough of a path, we brought the horses and circled up to the mouth of what awaited us.
Less than ten minutes was all it needed for us to reach the dark cave... And as soon as we entered, even I couldn't help but have my eyes widen at the sight that welcomed us.
"Wh-what's that?"
"I feel... like I'm dreaming?"
"It feels strangely... dreamy?"
Being in this enormous cave, even though it was easy to access if not for the vastness of the Dark Forest that made this place undiscovered all this time, I recalled a certain passage in the original story of [Hero's Apocalypse].
It was the moment that the True Hero, Alana Sol Astraea, had set foot in this very cave for the first time... just a few seconds before a voice in her head informed her of the appearance of the Demon God's Apostle, prompting her to abandon and forget everything that's in here.
< Miniature pristine spires of cosmos. In them were swirling resplendent dots of the far beyond. A world trapped on its own, as its presence invites the soul. >
"It's Soulshards..." I mumbled.
However, in this silence of wonder and curiosity on everyone's faces, my voice reverberated as they clearly heard the words that escaped my mouth.
The first to react was the four mages—Ruina, Embrel, Ulven, and Zahir—previously slaves under the Golden Crown jurisdiction.
"Soulshards... I-Is this real...?!"
"What?! Seriously, my lord?!"
"Even some mages wouldn't come across it in a lifetime! H-how is it here?!"
"So... about the funds..."
Even if they were mages considered disposable by their previous owners, they were knowledgeable about the basics of magic, its external sources, and the creation of magical tools.
The moment I heard someone talk about the funds, I quickly approached the source of the voice with a polite(?) and gentle(?) smile that meant no harm(?).
"Ulven..." A fair-skinned young man seemed to frost at the mention of his name.
Meeting his green-hued eyes, I gently tapped his shoulder before whispering, "Yes. It will be our source of funds from now on... But if you utter its potential price right now, everyone wouldn't be able to focus, would they?"
"Y-yes, my lord..."
The other three mages had chills running down their spine.
The truth was—there was no market price for Soulshards.
And that's exactly the reason why its 'potential price' could be any amount depending on the buyer.
Meanwhile, silently watching this unfold as Beatrice, Kaya, or those near their seemingly tyrannical lord pretended not to hear his warning, Yena's thoughts were filled with turmoil.
She, too, was heavily aware of what Soulshards were.
Unlike Runeshards, which could be simply described as a chunk of solidified mana in the form of spike-shaped ores, Soulshards were the same—if not for its potency believed to be 50x.
Fifty kilograms of Runeshards was equivalent to a mere kilogram of these cosmical stones.
'But that's not the only thing that makes this discovery truly groundbreaking... It's the matter of a hero's Soul Order...' Yena thought, her mind battling on what to do with this information.
Just then, as if to light up the mood, someone among the soldiers, who didn't know its true value based on his tone, mumbled, "My lord, it's good and all, but how are we going to transport them safely?"
Looking ahead, the cave was wide and deep, and the Soulshards protruded from the walls abundantly that it seemed to stretch even to the parts of the cave that they could not see.
However, before the reasonable question was entertained, another one echoed from Kaya's mouth. This time, it sparked curiosity from everyone present.
"But brother, I thought we were going to the White Princess Labyrinth?"
...
I sensed Yena's gaze. But I couldn't care less about what she was thinking at the moment. After all, these Soulshards were collateral benefits and not the true goal.
That being said, hearing my sister's query that piqued everyone's interest, I replied, "We're here."
I fixated my gaze past the protruding stones that had swirling galaxies in their own.
Deep in the darkness, the first one to notice was Beatrice.
"Is that... a trapdoor?"