Chapter 278: Chapter 278: Down the hole we go (3)- A bigger explosion

"What’s it doing?" the baron asked, making Theo bring out the same excavation tool from Elias.

"From what I understood, it says there is food in there," Theo said after starting to hit the spot near the mantis to begin excavating.

Everyone waited until Clara and Elias went in to do the same thing. The four of them diligently dug at the rock, making the baron chuckle.

"You do know that if you hit the wrong spot, this whole thing will fall apart?" the baron asked with amusement, making Theo stop and look above him.

If that whole thing fell, there was no way they were going to retract in time.

’I want to know what it is, as food for the mantis can be countless important things... but...’

Theo gave a command to the mantis to go back to the beast space and asked Elias and Clara to move out with him.

Yet, when their backs were facing the ’excavation’ site, a clean digging sound resounded in everyone’s ears.

Theo looked back and sighed.

"It seems your beast still doesn’t listen to you well," the baron said, trying not to laugh, which was so infectious that Clara and Elias were also finding it difficult not to laugh.

Theo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but when he saw the hole the mantis was digging getting even bigger, and things were somewhat shining in the shade, Theo went in to check it out.

He dusted off the rocks and soil around the spot, and Theo pulled on the shiny thing, making it come out cleanly.

The mantis quickly jumped and latched onto the shiny thing as if it were his to begin with, and Theo was trying to steal it.

"I am not going to eat it, you glutton. Let me check it out first," Theo spoke while swinging the shiny object one too many times in order to try making the mantis’s grip loosen on it.

It was a futile try, and Theo had to bring it out with the mantis to show the others.

When the baron saw that shiny object, he went and tapped it a few times while trying not to touch the mantis, who was latched onto it.

"It’s definitely a gem. I feel an energy in it too," he spoke in curiosity and took hold of the object as if the mantis was still not latched onto it.

"Hm, it’s definitely a gem alright. A fire affinity one at that. Quite common, but still a worthy find."

Theo gave the stone back to Theo, who knelt down on the ground with the mantis when he heard the CRACKING sounds of the mantis munching on the gem already.

The baron looked at it weirdly, but it was as if he was desensitized to such things that he ignored the insect eating a hard ore altogether.

Theo told the mantis to get the gem in its forelegs and hop onto his hand, which the mantis did while being in a daze. They had already wasted too much time, and the heat wasn’t getting any better.

With the mantis on his shoulder, eating the gem as if it were a sweet, they all followed Elias, who was using Chip to scout for the location they wanted to reach.

And in about five minutes of brisk walking, Elias finally stopped and looked down.

"Chip is directly under me right now, my lord," Elias spoke with respect, and the baron grinned.

Theo looked around to try to find Chip, but it was nowhere to be found.

And as if Elias already knew what he was thinking, he spoke after pointing down, "Chip went down that hole and is flying right under us, young master," he said, making Theo frown a little.

"Isn’t it unsafe for it? We already know the location, get it back," Theo spoke seriously.

"I can’t see or detect any beast or danger down there, and it’s quite the high ground we are at compared to the inner area. So it’s safe, young master." While Elias felt happy that Theo was concerned, he was still adamant about keeping Chip down, so Theo did not say anything further.

"Alright, start digging the ground until the solid rocks start," the baron spoke and sat on a rock yet again, making the trio get back to work.

It wasn’t that hard to reach that point this time, seeing how they already knew how far they had to dig.

"It’s beautiful..." Elias muttered while one of his eyes was closed.

"What do you see?" Theo asked while working.

"It’s as vast a place as this reddish desert-like land, young master. It’s like the whole world is underground instead of up here. Everything is in there," Elias spoke, his one eye still closed.

"Do you see any beasts?"

"I haven’t sent Chip too deep for now, as the lord has already told us that many beasts are there. We don’t know what type they are, young master."

"Makes sense, Elias. Don’t send Chip too deep," Theo said after realizing.

CLINK!

Clara’s tool hit the rock-solid ground first, and the baron got up right away.

The trio had already started making some distance from the hole.

The sword was taken out of the scabbard, and Theo saw that transparent coat creep up to the sword’s blade again. It was almost like the aura was coming out of the baron’s hands and passing through the hilt before the sword.

"Start running," he said casually before digging the sword deep into the ground with next to no force.

Nobody took it as a joke. They all started running as fast as they could as the quaking had already started.

Before Theo could realize it, he felt a big THUMP on the ground near him, and the baron was there, running with them too—this time with much more speed than before.

"I mistakenly placed a little force in my attack. Run as fast as you can!"