Chapter 551: A New Gateway
“Sweetheart?”
Gawain blinked in surprise, then turned to see the half-elf lady bouncing excitedly nearby, holding up something that gleamed brightly in her hand. From start to finish, she radiated an eager, “Look what I found!” vibe.
Though she always seemed a bit greedy and prone to snagging little perks whenever possible, the moment she made a discovery, she was the first to come running to report it.
Gawain waved her over, curiosity lighting his face. “What did you find?”
“Look!” Amber beamed, thrusting the object toward him. “A ring!”
It was a simple silver band, modest in design but pulsing faintly with magical energy—clearly a crafted magical item. The instant Gawain laid eyes on it, his expression froze.
A strong sense of familiarity washed over him, and he finally recalled where he’d seen something like this before.
This was a ring from the Mithril Vault! A communication ring distributed to the Vault’s high-tier clients for contacting their agents!
“This must be a token from the Mithril Vault, right?” Amber said, having seen Gawain’s own Mithril ring before. The half-elf’s dragon-like sensitivity to any shiny precious metal had long since tipped her off. “I remember you have one too.”
“It really is a Mithril Vault token…” Gawain murmured. “Did the dragon drop this? Could it be that even the dragons are clients of the Vault?”
“Well… that’s debatable,” Amber stuck out her tongue, then pulled something else from behind her back. “Because I didn’t just find one ring…”
She produced a small, palm-sized metal box.
The box had clearly once been locked, but its lid was now smashed open, the latch twisted and mangled. Inside, neatly arranged in black velvet slots, was a whole set of Mithril rings—one after another, packed tightly together.
This time, it was Gawain’s turn to be dumbfounded.
“All these rings are from the Mithril Vault?” Amber watched his reaction closely. “Carrying one ring might mean you’re a client, but carrying a whole box of them…”
Gawain’s face grew serious. “Either that dragon robbed the Vault, or… it’s part of the Vault itself—maybe even responsible for safeguarding membership tokens.”
It was a simple logic: if someone carries a single house key, they’re just a regular person. If they carry several keys, maybe they’re wealthy. But if they carry half a pound of keys… they’re either a locksmith or a dorm supervisor.
If this box of Mithril rings really belonged to that dragon, the implications were intriguing.
Of course, Gawain didn’t rule out the possibility that a dragon had raided the Vault and stolen a box of communicators. But his gut told him the more likely explanation was that the dragons had some connection to the Mithril Vault.
Once that possibility surfaced, many of the Vault’s mysteries suddenly made sense—their power, their secrecy, their centuries-long influence across the continent, even their immunity to the magical cataclysms. It all became understandable because this organization wasn’t built by mere mortals. Behind it, there were dragon shadows.
But that raised even more questions: Why would such an extremely secretive, reclusive race like the dragons create a “commercial organization”? What was their true purpose on the continent? Was the Mithril Vault really just a “vault”? And were there other similar forces, controlled or founded by hidden races, operating in the world?
Gawain’s thoughts drifted far away, but he quickly pulled himself back.
For now, they’d only found a box of Mithril rings—tokens that happened to be discovered where a dragon had been active. The clues were far from conclusive. Even if the rings belonged to that dragon, and even if the dragon was a Vault member, there could be many explanations. Maybe the Vault was just a wealthy organization that happened to employ a dragon.
Jumping to the conclusion that “dragons actually control the Mithril Vault” was premature. But with this lead, Gawain tentatively linked the two equally mysterious forces—the dragons and the Vault—and resolved to investigate further if more clues emerged.
After stowing the rings away, Gawain exhaled softly, quietly planning to contact the senior agent named “Meritapernia” when the chance arose. Perhaps she could shed some light.
He looked around: the Steel Rangers were on guard nearby, Solderin led two warriors collecting samples from the crater floor and sketching the dragon’s claw marks.
Beyond that, there was nothing else of value in the impact crater, and night was falling fast. Staying longer in the Black Forest would only invite more risks.
Now was not the time for large-scale operations in this dangerous, forest-covered area.
With that in mind, Gawain called out to Solderin, “Once you finish collecting samples, pack up. We’re heading back.”
“Yes, sir!”
By the time the team returned to the Shadow Experiment Site cave, darkness had fully settled.
Portable magical crystal lamps were set up inside and outside the cave’s entrance, artificial lights illuminating this dark place for the first time in centuries. Building materials rushed in from Cecil City, along with weight-reducing enchanted machinery and more construction workers.
When Gawain arrived, Sir Byron was leading soldiers guarding the temporary defensive line near the cave mouth. A burly, bearded middle-aged man in heavy work clothes was directing laborers clearing rubble nearby, preparing for the next phase of construction.
Gawain recognized him—Gordon, once a stonemason from Cecil, who had earned special commendation during the first defense of Cecil. Now, he was one of the city’s chief building officials.
“Mr. Gordon,” Gawain approached, “how’s the progress?”
Gordon, now a government official but still with the heart of a stonemason, snapped to attention. “My lord! We’ve cleared the open ground outside the cave. By this time tomorrow, my men and I will have built a two-meter-high wall.”
“Excellent,” Gawain nodded. “Thank you for your hard work tonight. We need to get these fortifications up quickly—this area isn’t safe.”
Gordon glanced nervously toward the dark Black Forest beyond. Though tall and strong, any ordinary man would feel a chill facing the infamous forest. But with General Byron and the brave Cecil troops guarding the line, plus the lord’s personal encouragement, reliable magical cannons, and legendary heroes, courage was easier to muster.
He nodded firmly. “We’ll get it done!”
Gawain nodded back and, accompanied by Amber and Solderin, headed deeper into the cave. At the central resting area, he found Hetty waiting.
She looked worried for a long time, but upon seeing Gawain, she immediately approached, her face openly relieved. “I’m so glad you’re safe. Any discoveries?”
“Something big,” Gawain waved a hand. “But I’ll explain on the way back. I saw the construction crew earlier—Gordon helped with the northern gate reinforcement at Rockhold Fortress, right?”
“Yes, he’s an expert in that field. He led the team reinforcing the northern gate and took part in rebuilding parts of Rockhold Castle. After winter, the local Rockhold builders took over,” Hetty said, watching Gawain curiously. “Lord, what are your plans?”
“The passage between Cecil and the southern foothills of the Dark Mountains is open,” Gawain said with a slight nod. “I want to keep it—and set up a gateway here.”
Hetty blinked, looking around the vast cave. Powerful magical lamps lit the once-dark Shadow Experiment Site. Construction equipment, building materials, and weapons were neatly arranged on rocky platforms. Seeing the resources Gawain had pulled from Cecil, she had already guessed his intent.
“We can’t stay huddled north of the Dark Mountains forever. Facing the magical cataclysm threat, the frontier of civilization either advances or retreats,” Gawain said. “When the Ansu retreated once, we lost a third of the southern lands, and the kingdom’s southern defenses were shattered. We can’t afford complacency.”
He looked toward the huge fissure in the cave’s southern wall, the black night beyond.
“Crossing the Dark Mountains ridge is too difficult. The Defiant Fortress is our natural passage. This crack leads directly to a gentle slope on the southern foothills. It’s hard to defend, but easy to push outward. From here, we can enter the Black Forest. I plan to turn this massive cave into the ‘Southern Gate Fortress,’ armed with railguns, prismatic cannons, and reinforced concrete. A man-made fortress like that will be no weaker than the natural cliffs. Then we’ll have a gateway to the south.”
Hetty understood his plan. After a moment’s thought, she nodded slowly. “Understood. I’ll start making arrangements.”
Gawain said no more. He gazed at the dark sky beyond the cave’s southern opening, his eyes growing resolute.
The impact crater in the Black Forest, the mysterious alien object, the missing dragon, the secrets behind the Mithril Vault, and the fissure at the end of Defiant Fortress…
This world was growing more unstable by the day. As ruler of these lands, he had to seize every bit of value in this uncertain world.
With the right use, even a dangerous breach could become a gateway for a southern advance.
It was the first day of the month of Revival, year 737 of Ansu.
On this spring day, the Southern Gate Fortress of Cecil began construction. After seven centuries of isolation, the descendants of the Gondor Empire were stepping onto the edge of the wasteland once more.
On the same day, the brief truce between the Ansu Kingdom’s army and the Eastern Legion ended. Tensions flared again along the eastern front lines of the Holy Spirit Plains.
Also on this day, far from Cecil, at the edge of a forest southwest of the Dark Mountains, a huge earthen pit churned with dust.
A young woman dressed in a pale purple silk gown, her face veiled in matching lavender, exuded an aura of mystery and grace as she sat quietly on the rim of the dusty pit, contemplating her tens of thousands of years of “life.”
“When making the final circle, I shouldn’t have tail-slid. Gliding to slow down would’ve been fine… Could it be I’ve gotten fat lately? No, it must be the wind direction… Wait, where’s my box?!”
(End of chapter)