The sun was high in the sky as Aizel approached the summit. He had successfully killed all the snakes in the surrounding area, and the path ahead seemed clear.

He looked everywhere in the area for the Grade III snake monster, but couldn't find it.

Even though he tried and tried, there was no sign that would have helped him.

"Where the fuck is the monster?

"Hmm..What is that?"

Aizel sped up, his feet hammering the rough ground as he got closer to the peak. At that point, he finally saw something. Among the rocks and boulders, there was a cave.

"What is a cave doing all the way up here?

"Wait a minute, don't tell the monster is some type of keeper or guardian, defending the treasure and artifacts?

"heeeeh.. It's more interesting that way."

As he made his way closer to the cave, his anticipation grew.

The possibility of finding a treasure that could upgrade his core level was too tempting to ignore.

With this treasure, he wouldn't have to endure the grueling tests his past consciousness deemed necessary for him to prove his worth. Instead, he could bypass them all and directly heal to Grade III.

The thought of it made him almost reckless as he rushed towards the cave without any fear.

Aizel entered the cave carefully, his hand extended to call forth a bright orb of light.

The eerie darkness of the cave was illuminated with the light Aizel cast; flickering shadows on the rough, rocky walls.

He walked deeper into the cave, careful in every move as he cautiously made his way across the rough ground.

Aizel wandered for what seemed like hours, but still couldn't find any indication that anything important was hidden within the cave.

He wondered if there was anything at all or if it was all just a big waste of time.

As he explored further into the cave, he found no monsters, no evidence of past activity, and the same rocky surface.

When he was about to give up and turn around, he spotted a light, up ahead and cautiously made his way towards it.

When he finally emerged from the darkness, he found himself in a huge open area with a tranquil lake in the middle.

Aizel's mana sense was on full alert, but he sensed no presence of monsters or any activity in the area.

He scanned the surroundings with the hope of finding some hidden treasure or artifact, but there was nothing. It was just an empty cave with a lake in the middle.

"Now why is there a lake in the middle of the cave? Is this cave also the home of any other high-grade mage?"

"No wait, I have read in Chinese novels that this type of lake sometimes holds treasure. It can either boost your power or heal you.

"Don't tell me this can upgrade the core."

Aizel wasted no time stripping down to his underwear and jumping into the lake.

The water was peculiarly lukewarm—neither too hot nor too cold.

He closed his eyes and focused, waiting to pick up on any anomalies.

"Was I wrong?

"Should I drink it then? No, let me try to absorb it,"

He focused his thoughts, attempting to connect with the water's energy.

Gradually, a faint aura began to form around him, swirling and pulsating as it gathered in his stomach.

He concentrated more intently, trying to imagine the energy entering his body.

The aura grew more intense, whirling faster until it seemed to be sucked into his belly. However, after a brief moment, the aura dissipated and vanished.

"What happened? Why did it leave?"

He tried a few more times, but the same thing happened all over again.

"Wait, don't tell me,

"Fuck fuck, how can I be so unlucky? This is meant for a magic core that is present near the stomach area.

"Fuck, my case is unique in that."

"Damn it, then what's the point of this lake to me?"

"Should I just destroy it? No wait, it can help Daisy. I should have a chat with Vespara first."

Aizel reached for his ring and retrieved the crystal ball, its surface shimmering with magical energy. With a few incantations, he established a connection to Vespara.

"Hello pretty boy, are you missing me already?"

"Oi Hag, I am inside the Fangspire mountain; there was a cave at the peak, and inside of it there is a lake that can help grow the core."

"Oh, so you really found it. Great, it can help Darling to upgrade her core."

"But what about the royals? Though princess has promised that everything belongs to me but how can I trust her?"

"Don't worry about it; the whole mountain belongs to you now; whatever you do with it, no one can object now.

"It was a princess' word; that means it is a king's word."

"Well, I don't care about anything; I hope if some problem arrives, you can solve it."

"Sure, my pretty boy, a kiss from you, and I will do anything; hello, hello hello boy.."

"Now that I have informed her, I should also have a look at the ingredients of the mind potion. Let's see," He took out the ingredient list and scanned the note.

"Serpent skins, blood, and Mountian liquid substances,"

"So, I can easily collect the skins and blood, but where do I find that mountain liquid substance?"

"There is only one lake here in the cave; maybe I should head back and look for that."

Aizel came out of the cave and put on his clothes again. He began scanning the rocky terrain, searching every nook and cranny while gathering the remains of the defeated monsters.

"Hmm..

"What is this trembling,"

He crouched down and pressed his ear against the rocky terrain, listening carefully for faint vibrations that might signal the presence of a Grade III snake monster.

As Aizel listened carefully, the slight vibration got stronger and stronger until the ground started shaking furiously.historical

Around him, rocks and boulders started to break and fall apart, making it hard for him to stay on his feet.