Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Chapter 487: Chapter 285 Aurelio’s Gourmet Map

With mixed feelings, Hill packed up all the treasures scattered across the ground.

The only things left were some equipment and weapons.

For the Earth Bear, their claws were the most powerful weapon, and their hide was the sturdiest armor.

They didn’t need these things used by humanoid races to enhance themselves.

But from years of living underground, they occasionally ran into some treasures.

After all, even a guy like the Silver Wolf King could find a demi-god artifact in the wilderness. It was no problem for the Earth Bear, who could venture into more dangerous places.

Legendary equipment meant nothing to the Earth Bear, not even worth using to sharpen their claws, so they never collected it.

The items stored in their warehouses, which Hill was given access to, were all demi-god artifacts.

Hill sifted through them all and found that they were all items of Dwarves and Elves.

Hill suspected that the Dwarves might have perished at the hands of the Earth Bear.

As for the Elves, it was uncertain whether they were the victims of the Earth Bear or the Dark Moon Elves who killed Elves.

There were even two seed pouches. Hill thought he had figured out how the Earth Bear grew trees.

He inspected it; the seeds were intact and had evolved over thousands of years.

Hill sent the seed pouches directly into his pendant, instructing Li Si to plant them after moving the fir trees.

As for the scimitars, warhammers, and shields, Hill planned to sell off the two lowest-grade shields.

After all, there was only one customer who could afford them, and Hill didn’t want to bankrupt William. Even if they had to mine, they needed time!

He only wanted crystal stones.

Then Hill’s eyes widened as he picked up a simple gold ring from the ground. If it weren’t for the blue frost flickering around its edges, he would have thought it was an ordinary ring.

”A..Aurelio! Where did you get this ring?” Hill stammered, loudly asking the Earth Bear.

”On the way, while roasting a large bird, it fell from the sky,” Aurelio answered nonchalantly, glancing at Hill. ”This should be a divine artifact from another world, right? It seemed useless to me.”

”But it’s a divine artifact! Aurelio, you should use it yourself. Take it back!” Hill tried to control his emotions, walking up to the Earth Bear and handing him the ring.

”But what use is it to me, Hill? The moment I saw it, I knew it wasn’t meant for me. No other bear would like it either; bears despise that feeling.” Aurelio looked at Hill sincerely, ”Is there any Earth Bear besides you who uses spells?

If you found something useful for us that you couldn’t use, wouldn’t you give it to us?

Hill, we are kin!”

Hill held the ring and bowed his head slightly.

For the first time, he felt what it meant to be recognized as kin by the Earth Bear.

Hill gently patted the big bear, who continued eating after speaking, and walked away, holding the ring and wandering around the island.

Finally, he made up his mind.

”The Ring of Winter,” Hill whispered, then put it on his right hand without hesitation.

Hill already wore the Crystal Flower Ring on the middle finger of his left hand. His index and thumb had magic rings to amplify elemental power, so he was at his limit. His right hand, except for a space ring on his ring finger, had no functional artifacts.

As soon as he put on the ring, a silver-blue cloak draped softly over Hill’s shoulders, and snowflakes quietly fell inside the entire cave. The temperature dropped sharply.

Engrossed in his meal, Aurelio instantly built a stone roof over the table, then exclaimed, ”Why is it suddenly so cold? And snowing? How can it snow underground?”

”It’s the ring,” Hill laughed. ”It brings winter.”

Aurelio made an understanding sound: ”No wonder I found it unfitting. I hated the look of it, but it fits you well.”

Hill glanced at his right hand: ”It feels like having a miniature Agleya by my side; I won’t be lonely even if I leave this world.”

With this ring and the Supreme God Talisman, he should be safe no matter which world he ventured into.

The Gray Dwarves roaming with so many benevolent artifacts led to the extermination of their entire clan. It was entirely logical.

What’s there to be conflicted about with benevolent artifacts cursing the evil?

Maybe the Gray Dwarf King had once worn this ring, and his mind twisted. It made perfect sense.

Unlike other very complex benevolent artifacts, this ring could be easily worn by even the evil faction.

The only issue was that it slightly warped its wearer’s will.

If it didn’t freeze the Evil God using it to death, it was likely because the artifact hadn’t charged enough.

However, probably due to being placed near a furnace for so long, the Ring of Winter didn’t exhibit its usual freezing properties when unworn.

When Hill wore it, he could only feel the joy of the artifact, without any freezing effect.

Poor Ring of Winter, falling first into the hands of evil Dwarves and somehow not being burned to ashes in the divine fire was sheer luck.

Then it ended up with the Earth Bear, who disliked the cold.

When Hill wore it, besides joy, the ring felt elation at evading death.

”Are you planning to go to other worlds?” Aurelio asked curiously, ”You are a Son of the Earth too. Why leave the earth? Won’t you feel anxious?”

”I always wanted to see,” sighed Hill. ”Our world is too simple. I want to see the highest level of spells elsewhere.’

I also want to see how other worlds live and how they differ from Teraxil.”

”But there’s nothing good outside,” Aurelio said. ”Whether Elves or Dwarves, there are so many schemes and plots, and that’s just a small fraction, not even the most powerful ones.

You might get bullied if you go out?”

Hill chuckled, ”Whether I can even find their world is another matter, Aurelio.”

”Is it that far?” Aurelio blinked, ”Then it seems the Elves and Dwarves are quite capable.”

Hill took out a piece of the Furnace Artifact: ”I thought it would be very difficult to match this artifact’s level, but now that I have so much Mithril and Star Meteoric Iron, I can consider making a starship, and it could be beautiful.”

Aurelio approached and sniffed the fragment: ”Ores, whether Metal System or Earth, I can find some similar ones. Do you have a map? I’ll tell you where to dig!”

Hill glanced at the bear: Had he traveled across every corner of this continent for the sake of food?

He cheerfully took out an alchemy map nearly two square meters in size, produced by the Temple of Time and Space. It was expensive but probably the most accurate.

He always suspected that William, using his spatial transfer ability, had flown over the entire accessible world.

Such a clear and detailed 3D map suggested that William’s classes in military cartography were excellent.

He always unintentionally marked each country’s border defenses with precise detail.

Hill, of course, didn’t care if Aurelio was an extra month late for food. Hill knew if it were him, deprived of quality food for millennia, he’d be even crazier than Aurelio.

Aurelio was startled by the large alchemy map, compared to the ones the size of two parchments, which were already very precise.

Aurelio sprawled beside it, paws tapping left and right, quickly getting excited: ”Is there more? I want one too!”

”Yes!” Hill straightforwardly took out a small box filled with various small shells and a dozen space rings: ”Crystal stones and supplies. Take them. Among the supplies are dozens of such maps.”

Aurelio carefully cradled the small box and placed it into the fir tree: ”Hill, do you have enough money? Don’t strain yourself helping the clan; you’re still a cub!”

”I kept enough supplies to live,” Hill smiled indifferently, ”And the items I got this time can fetch a good price.”

”Do you intend to sell the Mithril?” Aurelio asked, ”Next time I come, I’ll bring all the quarry scraps for you.”

”And the demi-god shields of the Dwarves.” Hill grinned happily, ”They are unfused with Magical Beast Essences, those half-finished products. Humans can use them, and they can fetch a high price.”

Aurelio was surprised: ”People buy this stuff? Can humans afford it? As I remember, Elves and Dwarves can’t offer much for it.”

”Of course,” Hill said firmly. ”There is a hugely wealthy King of humans now. Besides, Elves and Dwarves not offering prices isn’t about affordability but unwillingness.

Back then, Earth Bears, could they sell to anyone else?”

Aurelio was silent for a few seconds, then said: ”There are a few more in the warehouse. But they have absorbed Beast Souls, unsuitable for cubs. So I didn’t bring them out.”

”If you come again, bring them,” Hill frowned, ”Though uncomfortable, I can purify them. I already have one, nearly purified.”

”I intended to bring them as toys for you. Your strength will continue to grow. When fully mature, you’ll easily shatter them.” Aurelio scratched his belly with his paw, ”As a human shape, the clan leader couldn’t determine your exact age for maturity. So using these, when you can crush it, you’re grown.”

Hill endured this unintentional display of wealth bravely.

He clearly knew his strength and didn’t need such extravagant methods to gauge its growth.

Hill noticed Aurelio’s actions. He had indeed added many mine locations but importantly marked where the tastiest animals were found.

As Aurelio gradually deviated, lost in delicious memories, Hill could only smile wryly: Would Aurelio even return the map?