Chapter 218: Chapter 216: The Grand Money-Making Plan Through Cooperation

Within the temporary camp, the encounter of the Eternal Night Mercenary Corps quickly spread throughout the camp.

Everyone was discussing what had happened to the Eternal Night Mercenary Corps and whether they had opened up the hidden path of the ruins.

Hilia and Elina were also part of the mercenaries’ discussion.

Apart from expressing admiration for their timely rescue, the main topic was whether this ancient ruin was filled with such cursed traps everywhere.

If that’s the case, then it’s a big problem.

Hearing the mercenaries’ worries, Hilia was moved and pulled Elina aside.

"Elina, I think we can postpone the ruin raid, and instead, let’s partner up and set up a treatment stall, specializing in dispelling curses and healing injuries for the mercenaries. What do you think?"

Elina was momentarily stunned. "Why?"

"Of course, it’s to make money!"

Elina shook her head, "How wasteful of time, what if no one gets injured?"

"Uh, I think it wouldn’t hurt to try a bit. Do you think we can clear the ruins in one day?"

Elina shook her head.

Hilia gently persuaded: "That’s right, we tackle a little bit each day, come back to a small stool, dispel curses and heal for everyone. Considering the circumstances in this ruin, I’m sure we can earn a lot of gold coins."

Elina seemed to have never considered making money this way and hesitated for a moment, worrying, "What if there’s a curse I can’t purify?"

"Just say it can’t be cured. Don’t worry, there are some curses you might not be able to dispel, but with my help, although not all, at least most can be."

Remembering the scene of Hilia assisting in dispelling curses, Elina nodded.

She agreed.

"Alright, I’ve never considered this before, let’s give it a try."

Hilia nodded and suddenly asked curiously, "You’ve never set up a stall before? Then how do you usually make money?"

Elina’s eyes flickered, "I have ways to earn money too. After visiting ancient ruins, I also bring out some things to sell. But most of the time, I survive by borrowing money from others."

Rose laughed, "Actually, it’s stealing."

"What?" Hilia’s pupils widened.

Rose said, "When you were in Southern Border City, she occasionally ’borrowed’ some gold coins and other things from underground organizations and gangs in Southern Border City, especially during the time you were preparing, associations like East Hunting, she visited five or six times."

Hilia: "..."

She looked at Elina with a gaze filled with ambiguity.

Such a beautiful and cute creature, looking exceedingly noble, an ’Elf Royal Family,’ turns out to get her money this way?

"How come she wasn’t caught after ’borrowing’ so many times?" Hilia was a bit perplexed.

Rose replied, "She’s skilled and knows how to disguise herself. Even when people notice something amiss afterwards, they wouldn’t suspect such a noble ’Elf Royal Family’ of stealing."

Hilia: "..."

"What’s wrong?" Elina noticed Hilia’s unusual expression, feeling a bit puzzled.

Hilia shook her head, "Nothing, tomorrow when we open the ruins’ door and go exploring, I’ll teach you how to make money."

"Oh, alright." Elina didn’t pay much heed.

She seemed unconvinced that helping treat people could earn much money.

After all, every team has a priest.

Regarding curse dispelling...

The devastating state of the Eternal Night Mercenary Corps today has already been marked prominently; surely not many people are cursed.

Moreover, not everyone has the kind of large mercenary corps like Eternal Night, who would pay 2 gold coins without hesitation.

Most mercenaries might be reluctant to pay even 2 silver coins for treatment, let alone 2 gold coins.

So Elina didn’t take it seriously; she was more focused on the exploration tomorrow.

"I’ve put in so much effort to get here, I must unravel the mystery of the ruins!"

...

The next day.

The two packed up their belongings and handed their daily utilities to a merchant’s association specializing in storing personal items, before heading to the ruins’ entrance.

Today, there were significantly fewer people than yesterday at the door.

Only a few sporadic individuals roamed nearby, trying their luck to see if they could find a way to open the door.

More people gathered at the tunnel where the Eternal Night Mercenary Corps were, watching or assisting in digging the tunnel.

The trap triggered yesterday didn’t deter the Eternal Night Mercenary Corps from excavation; instead, it ignited their digging enthusiasm.

They believed that triggering a trap meant they were digging in the right direction, and soon they would reach the inner part of the ruins, finding an alternative path for exploration.

Fewer people made things convenient for Hilia and Elina.

Hilia took out her magic staff, uncovering the cloth wrapped around it—this was a disguise she used after entering the camp, as her pure magic crystal, being the core of the staff’s magic power, would undoubtedly attract many people’s attention, especially since this ancient ruin required a pure magic crystal to open the door.

"Elina, I will first place the magic staff on it, but don’t go in yet, let me test the dropping speed of the stone door first, and then we can go in," Hilia said while looking at the stone door.

Elina nodded, "Okay!"

Hilia approached the stone door, gazing at the groove big enough to embed the pure magic crystal, which was roughly human-sized.

She inserted the magic staff.

The exposed area of the magic crystal from the staff fit perfectly into the groove.

When the pure magic crystal was embedded within the groove, it emitted white light; unlike the holy type white, this white was of attribute-less magic power, which spread rapidly through the lines on the stone door, reaching all around.

Moments later, the entire mountain began to move.

The massive stone door slowly lifted, some uncared for vines and soil falling down with the rising door, landing on Hilia’s head.

Hilia dared not move, fearing that letting go of the staff might cause the ruin to swallow her pure magic crystal along with the staff.

When the stone door rose about half a meter high, she pulled the staff out with force, detaching the pure magic crystal from the groove.

The stone door’s tremor stopped, no longer rising.

The glowing lines that spread out, began to fade quickly.

Approximately three seconds later, the stone door plummeted swiftly, akin to free-fall, crashing onto the ground with a muffled thud. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

The entire mountain shook three times.

"Three seconds, that’s enough," Hilia breathed a sigh of relief.

At this point, the anomaly here attracted the surrounding mercenaries, who rapidly approached.

Hilia said, "Elina, you go in, I’ll follow right away."

"Okay." Elina nodded.

Without hesitation, as the gigantic stone door rose again, she crouched and slipped inside.

Once the door reached a height that Hilia needed to tiptoe to hold the staff, she decisively pulled the staff down, crouching and entering through the stone door.

Sprinting mercenaries witnessed this and hurried over.

As the stone door lost its magical power supply, the mercenaries running over hesitated during these three seconds as the stone door fell.

They were afraid of being sliced when entering by the descending stone door.

Until the stone door crashed heavily onto the ground, none took action.

In the end, they could only watch and lament at the stone door, regretting intensely.