The Hero Turned Into A Potato And The World Fell To Ruin

No one imagined that it would take a full two hours to descend the seemingly endless spiral staircase.

Moreover, after Liu Ji saw that strange vision, Yaine decided to discard the covertness and used the Daylight spell to illuminate the stairwell, speeding up their descent considerably.

Even so, it still took them two hours; utterly ridiculous.

When the group finally emerged at the bottom of the stairwell, they were stunned by the sight that greeted them.

This underground space was far more expansive than they had imagined.

The massive cavern housing Swirling Mire City was already impressive, but this space was nearly ten times larger.

The place where the group emerged from the stairwell was on the outermost edge of this immense cavern. In the center of the cavern stood a magnificent golden tree.

This tree was unlike anything they had ever seen; even the massive ancient tree spirits were dwarfed by it.

Golden leaves adorning the tree emitted a gentle glow, illuminating the dark underground. The entire tree seemed like it was made of precious jade, while long, golden branches hung down like threads of gold, creating an ethereal beauty.

What was strange about the tree was that it hung upside down from the cavern's ceiling—its roots above and branches below—casting a mesmerizing golden light that resembled falling stars.

When gazing at that tree, Liu Ji felt an urge to bow before the tree as if it were a divine and sacred presence.

However, Yaine quickly snapped him out of it with a sharp tap on his head.

"Don't stare at it," Yaine warned sternly. "Things that are more beautiful are more likely to deceive. Don't be fooled by appearances."

"Ah, okay." Liu Ji returned to his senses, pulling his gaze away.

But despite his efforts, his eyes kept drifting back to the tree.

Unable to help himself, he started looking around, trying to focus on something else, and finally settled on staring at Yaine.

Unlike Liu Ji, the rest of the group, perhaps more experienced or more cautious, didn't seem affected. After a quick glance at the majestic tree, they turned their attention to their surroundings.

A flat area was in front of them, with a stone gate a short distance away. Two guards in standard armor stood by the gate.

Since they arrived down here, Calidora had been keeping an eye on these guards, ready to deal with them if they reacted.

But the guards remained oddly passive, not reacting at all to the group standing just a few dozen meters away.

Beyond the gate was a vast training ground with numerous soldiers drilling, a sight that surprised them.

They hadn't imagined finding a real army down here. Rather, they half expected that anyone brought down here might have been turned into monster fodder.

"Yaine, what should we do next?" Calidora asked, still watching the guards. "The guards haven’t noticed us. Should I get rid of them?"

"Yeah, about time. Take care of them when we pass by," Yaine replied, stepping forward. "Since we've already been noticed, we might as well walk around openly. If such a large place were above ground, the ticket prices just to see the bare land would be exorbitant…"

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In front of a beautiful statue, a priest was conducting the final step of the blessing ceremony. He held a chalice and applied the sacred fluid inside to each soldier's weapon.

Yes, it was all just for ceremonial purposes. But this was always the most thrilling part for the soldiers, who cherished the blessings on their best weapons.

Take the scrawny young earthwalker before him, who became anxious when the priest was momentarily distracted upon sensing the approaching prey.

"Don't panic, my child," the priest said, smiling as he dipped his fingers into the chalice. "Receive your blessing."

The young earthwalker's eyes lit up as he watched the priest apply the blessing to his sword.

The priest smiled, reveling in the adoration of these devout followers. Unfortunately, this one was a little too scrawny and thus could only be considered a fervent piece of trash.

After blessing the trash and his trash sword, he moved to the next in line, a short outsider.

He liked this one; the outsider exuded strong, rich magic, a suitable source of food.

"Brave warrior from beyond, god favors your noble soul. Thank you for your dedication to saving the world," said the priest, dipping his fingers into the chalice once more. "Present your weapon for the blessing…"

The short outsider glanced up, then pulled out a stick that looked like a fire poker, and handed it over.

The priest's smile froze. He blankly looked at the outsider, then at the stick. Clearing his throat, he repeated, "Ahem, brave warrior, present your 'best' weapon for the blessing."

Particular emphasis was placed on the word "best."

The short outsider pondered, then pulled a small crystal from his pocket, wedged it into the stick's end, and handed it back.

The priest's lips twitched uncontrollably. Such behavior was sacrilege, and he felt anger boiling inside. But he quickly suppressed his rage when recalling the plan.

"Fine, then may the gods bless you…" he muttered, begrudgingly applying the sacred substance to the seemingly useless stick.

Surprisingly, it looked almost fitting.

The priest's anger flared. Not wanting to see any more, he moved to the last person in line. This outsider had a high-born aura and didn't seem as abhorrent as the shorty.

"Brave warri…" he began but trailed off.

The woman pulled out a similar fire poker, even adding on a crystal. And to accommodate his height, she crouched down to present it as if feeding a pet.

The priest's face twitched, and without another word, he slapped the sacred fluid on the stick and turned back to the altar.

Damned idiotic outsiders! Indeed, only the all-knowing Seer is the only exception among outsiders. The rest are just filthy swine. They'll pay for their arrogance and curiosity soon enough…