Chapter 386: Mudcloak's Secret
Ashlock's focus returned to Red Vine Peak to open a portal for the Mudcloaks, as Stella couldn't open such a long-range portal herself.
"Come to think of it, I haven't checked on them in quite a while," Ashlock mused as his spiritual gaze floated through the rain and roaring wind toward the Citadel. "I wonder what they have been up to."
Atop the monolith that served as the central core of the Citadel was Quill's library, and Ashlock could see his offspring's leaves fighting with the storm. The Citadel was an 8000-meter-deep hole through the center of the mountain that had been made by a giant Star Core Realm worm. While the roaring wind quietened down the deeper he delved, the Citadel had been turned into a waterfall as rain drummed on the spiral staircase and cascaded down into the depths.
"If I remember correctly, there's a small lake at the bottom that is fed by my ethereal roots alongside the troughs built into the central pillar that feed the moss that the Mudcloaks like to eat." Ashlock thought as he reached the bottom, "Ah yeah, there it is."
He was pretty surprised as he inspected the small lake. It wasn't overflowing like he had anticipated. "Wait, are those pipes?" Looking closer, he saw industrial-sized pipes built into the lake's side, and he could see the water rapidly flowing into them. "Were these always here? I don't think so..."
Deciding to follow them, as he hadn't seen any Mudcloaks daring to brave the rain thus far, he soon came upon a vast tunnel. He would have thought it was a giant cave system if not for the perfectly smooth walls. It was as if it had been dug out by a machine.
It didn't take long for him to run into his first Mudcloaks. There was a small group inspecting a crack in the wall. All of them were wearing bright yellow rain boots and matching metal helmets. One of them was holding a clipboard and seemed to be the group leader as they waved a runic device over the crack. It looked like a long stick letting off a blue light, but when the Mudcloak waved it over the crack, it turned red.
"Bugs." The Mudcloak declared, causing excitement from the other Mudcloaks. The leader handed his clipboard and device to another and, to Ashlock's surprise, took out what he assumed to be a weapon. It was comically large compared to the 3-foot-tall Mudcloak. It vaguely resembled a gun with a long nozzle and was covered in runic circuits. Ashlock took a closer look and saw words related to fire.
From within his tattered black cloak, which Ashlock knew now was actually their skin and served as a protective layer, the leader Mudcloak revealed his hand and placed it on the wall. Earth soul flames flared to life, and a fist-sized hole in the rock appeared.