Volume One: Hell-level Lord World Chapter 21: No Opening the Door

When Chen Gu woke up, the carriage had already come to a halt. Glancing out the window, he noticed that the vines draping over the carriage had descended, blocking most of his view. At once, Chen Gu realized this was the carriage’s concealed ability.

He pushed open the door and stepped outside, quickly discovering why the carriage had stopped. While he was asleep, it had brought them to the edge of Silver Pine Valley. Standing outside, Chen Gu finally understood the origin of the valley’s name.

Before him lay a valley beneath the earth, hidden within a peculiar pine forest. Though the power of the undead had distorted the forest, a thick layer of silvery pine needles still carpeted the ground. Just by looking at those needles, Chen Gu knew where the name “Silver Pine” came from.

The carriage rested outside the valley. Peering past the unremarkable stones at his feet, he could just make out the elven city concealed within the valley below.

“Bloodshadow Wolf, go in and take a look.”

Though there was nothing unusual about the valley’s exterior, Chen Gu remained cautious, ordering his subordinate to scout ahead. After all, this was the largest city in the region. No matter how the situation had shifted since Allen fell into slumber, it could not have remained untouched by the undead. Chen Gu had to investigate before entering—otherwise, charging in blindly and getting surrounded would be courting death.

After Bloodshadow Wolf dashed inside, Chen Gu kept busy as well, directing his Corpse-Eating Vines to block the path behind them and preparing for battle.

It wasn’t long before howls echoed from within Silver Pine Valley. At the sound, Chen Gu’s eyes narrowed—an enemy. There were foes within.

He gestured, summoning the Fire Spirit Crows to gather around him. Should any enemy emerge from the valley, the crows would immediately attack.

Just then, Bloodshadow Wolf burst out from the valley. Chen Gu was about to signal an attack with the crows, but realized nothing pursued his wolf. Only a few crossbow bolts were embedded in the creature’s body, and fresh wounds marked its hide. Bloodshadow Wolf stopped beside him, but no enemy followed.

Chen Gu was surprised. He waited, then, after some thought, resolved to see for himself.

He raised the Ghostface Shield before him and led his subordinates toward Silver Pine Valley. Bloodshadow Wolf, having pulled out the bolts, took the lead again, pausing at intervals to warn Chen Gu.

It was then Chen Gu noticed that the valley floor had once been an underground river. At some point, a crack had opened in the earth, discovered by the elves, who built their city along the river’s course. Because the only entrances were upstream, downstream, and a third concealed exit, the elven city was well hidden. Anyone ignorant of Silver Pine Valley could pass overhead without ever realizing an elven city lay below.

Of course, the limited space meant that over the years, Silver Pine Valley remained a mere township, never growing beyond the third tier.

As Chen Gu descended, he found the passageway narrow—barely wide enough for a single carriage—with traps lining the walls and floor. These were what had injured Bloodshadow Wolf. Scattered bones on the ground and walls spoke of those who had perished trying to enter. It seemed that others had found the entrance over the years, but none had succeeded in passing through.

After a few more steps and a turn, Chen Gu finally saw the city wall of Silver Pine Valley. It sealed off the passage entirely, save for a tightly closed ancient gate, its surface entwined with withered vines.

Despite having reached this point, Chen Gu had yet to encounter any undead attacks, and a sudden thought struck him. Retrieving the Hero’s Token Allen had mentioned, he raised it high above his head.

“Kingdom of Elves! Allen, commanding hero of the Third Archer Regiment of the Fafnir Legion, has come to reinforce the troops!” he called out.

His voice echoed through the passage, but there was no answer—only silence. After waiting a while at the gate, Chen Gu turned to his companions.

“Find a way around the gate,” he ordered.

Corpse-Eating Vine and Bloodshadow Wolf leapt into action. The vine burrowed underground, aiming to bypass the wall, while Bloodshadow Wolf attempted to blink past it with a single leap. In the next instant, however, the wolf crashed into the barrier.

The withered vines atop the wall sprang to life, swiftly coiling around Bloodshadow Wolf.

“Fire Spirit Crows, attack!”

He had only a few Bloodshadow Wolves—he could not afford to lose them here. At his command, the Fire Spirit Crows launched sparks at the vines, which flared into thumb-sized fireballs upon impact, making the vines curl away defensively. Seizing the moment, Bloodshadow Wolf withdrew to Chen Gu’s side.

Clearly, the wall was impervious to spirits.

While Chen Gu assessed the situation, the Corpse-Eating Vine emerged from the ground nearby, circling around him as if to say there was no way through—neither above nor below.

Chen Gu was speechless. He had not expected Silver Pine Valley’s defenses to be so formidable. The city was deserted, yet still barred entry.

Eyeing the now-calm, withered vines, Chen Gu grew determined. The return of the Corpse-Eating Vine gave him an idea: go aboveground and have the vines dig downward from the surface. The wall could block their path here, but with the city so vast, the elves could not have reinforced the entire ceiling. If he could dig down, the vines—and later his carriage—could enter Silver Pine Valley. This would serve as his contingency plan.

With a backup in place, Chen Gu was unafraid to experiment. He decided to try the main gate again. Standing before it with Allen’s Hero Card held high, he repeated his earlier words.

“Kingdom of Elves! Allen, commanding hero of the Third Archer Regiment of the Fafnir Legion, has come to reinforce the troops!”

This time, at last, the gate responded.

“Wartime status. To prevent infiltration, no one but heroes of this city may open the gate.”