A dark iron door, etched with peculiar patterns that intertwined and radiated an air of arcane mystery, stood before them.

    Kei and the others were baffled, but Su Nan recognized the patterns instantly.

    Enchantment runes!

    The rune structure was simple, appearing to be a basic magic trap.

    Touching the door would trigger an alarm and attack the trespasser.

    However, these runes were dull and faded, clearly deactivated, likely due to years of erosion. Even the most intricate enchantment runes couldn’t withstand the passage of time.

    “Is that the place where the Iron-Eating Beasts were created?”

    Kei looked at Su Nan, who nodded and added,

    “Be careful, those Iron-Eating Beasts won’t let us enter without a fight.”

    As if responding to his words, the moment Su Nan finished speaking, Iron-Eating Beasts surged out from the rock walls on either side of the iron door, charging toward them with a rush of wind.

    Prepared for this, the group roared and met the onslaught head-on.

    Only Bred stepped back, holding his heavy shield in front of Su Nan.

    Having witnessed Su Nan’s abilities, everyone knew he was the key to dealing with the Iron-Eating Beasts and naturally prioritized his safety.

    Su Nan uttered a strange syllable, but instead of Acid Splash, he used Master’s Hand.

    A beast that leaped towards Kei, just ten meters away, abruptly stopped in mid-air, defying gravity. Its limbs flailed wildly, unable to land.

    Kei’s eyes lit up, and he seized the opportunity, dashing forward, landing consecutive blows on the same spot on the beast’s neck, severing its head.

    The headless Iron-Eating Beast plummeted to the ground, lifeless.

    Compared to the single-use Acid Splash, Master’s Hand, although less powerful, had a longer duration, making it perfect for working in tandem with Kei to kill the Iron-Eating Beasts.

    “It’s a good thing that low-level puppets are not very intelligent, otherwise these guys would have rushed in and attacked the squishy spellcaster first. Bred alone probably wouldn’t be able to hold them off.”

    Su Nan silently mused.

    Of course, if the Iron-Eating Beasts weren’t puppets, he wouldn’t be restricted to just Acid Splash and Master’s Hand.

    A single Flash spell would blind these creatures, who were highly sensitive to light and lived in the dark underground depths, making them easy prey.

    Working in unison, the group systematically brought down each Iron-Eating Beast.

    As Su Nan had guessed, the Iron-Eating Beasts’ primary function was to guard the iron door.

    Gazing upon the countless black iron ingots, arranged in neat squares, everyone present stared in a daze.

    “We’ve struck it rich!”

    Johton’s eyes fixated on the black iron ingots, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard.

    No one mocked his outburst. Everyone was experiencing a similar emotional rollercoaster.

    Even Kei’s eyes widened in disbelief, a mixture of shock, elation, and confusion distorting his features.

    Black iron, comparable in hardness to fine steel, was significantly lighter, making it more expensive than the same weight of fine steel.

    These black iron bars were worth a fortune. Not necessarily ten thousand gold coins, but definitely six to seven thousand.

    That was nearly equivalent to ten years of Black Stone City’s tax revenue!

    How could anyone not be ecstatic at such a windfall?

    However, Su Nan had little attachment to gold. While surprised, he quickly regained his composure and moved towards the next room.

    The second room was slightly smaller, filled with various tools, including blacksmithing furnaces, molds, and bellows.

    But the most eye-catching feature was the massive stone table in the center of the room, exceeding three meters in length and nearly two meters wide.

    The table was covered in haphazard cutting marks.

    Su Nan glanced at the pile of black iron bars in the corner of the room and understood instantly.

    This must have been the workshop where the wizard apprentice had crafted the puppets.

    He had ruled out the possibility of this place belonging to a full-fledged wizard.

    Whether it was the Iron-Eating Beasts’ strength or the skill in crafting the magical trap on the iron door, everything indicated that the owner of this place was at most a wizard apprentice, far from reaching the level of a wizard.

    If it were a real wizard, with their power, this group of people would have been unable to breach the outer defenses and enter this place.

    While his thoughts raced, Su Nan acted quickly, thoroughly searching the entire room.

    To his disappointment, aside from the tools and iron bars, he didn’t find anything else of value.

    Su Nan shook his head, leaving the room and entering the third one.

    Compared to the first two rooms, the third one was smaller but more finely decorated and comfortable. Besides a small bed and a desk, there was also a bookshelf, indicating that this was a study.

    Su Nan’s eyes fell upon the bookshelf filled with books, and a gleam of excitement flickered in his gaze.

    (End of Chapter)