[Architecture: Ancient ruins of the Tudor dynasty]

[Background: an ancient building that was more than 1,200 years old. The interior of the building was buried with a platinum-tier mage of the Tudor dynasty and more than 10,000 people. Due to the effects of some mysterious ritual, any living creature that had been exposed to the building for a long time would be transformed into an undead creature.]

[Danger level: Apart from the platinum-tier mage, there are also various triggering spells, such as poisonous smoke, quicksand, and dark arrows. The undead creatures will forever guard the platinum-tier mage's treasures. Anyone who tries to break in will become a pile of feces. As long as they don't break in, they will be safe.]

Watson's eyes were filled with information about the ruins that were buried in the dirt. He chose not to enter the ruins for the reasons stated above and because the system indicated that as long as he did not enter, there would be no danger.

Then, he asked Sven, “Is there anything wrong with my mining method?”

“It seems…there's nothing wrong.”

Sven's mouth twitched as though he did not know what to say.

Exploring the ruins, in his opinion, meant entering the ruins to obtain treasures. Otherwise, how could it be termed an exploration? Those who claimed to be adventurers did so, as did the heroes and authors of adventure tales.

No one did as Watson had done; he had moved the entire ruins.

However, after careful consideration, Watson's method was not an issue. They could investigate the ruins whenever they wished if they moved the ruins. They were unafraid of the dangers inside, thanks to Blackmoon Castle's power. No one had done it because the adventurers were not as strong as Watson, and powerful people despised doing such a thing.

Sven, the astrologer, Nightingale, and a few Shadow Guards stared at Watson with an odd look on their faces.

They had followed Watson into the ruins to discover what was inside and report back to the border count at the border. Watson's actions had entirely destroyed their hopes.

“Well, that issue with this ruin is solved. Sven, do you know any other ruins nearby?”

Watson had directed more than 20 giant rock golems to dig out the inverted pyramid from the crevices in the ground in less than ten minutes. The 100-meter-tall giants were hauling hundreds of meters of magnificent buildings. They broke all the trees along the road, leaving ma.s.sive pothole-like tracks on the ground.

Watson continued with his questions as they walked deeper into the forest. He wanted to dig more ruins and study them when they returned to the castle.

“Watson, hold on.”

Nightingale stopped Watson, who wanted to leave the vast ruins, and said, “Why did you bring us here? It feels like we can't help you with anything. If you had planned to do that from the beginning, wouldn't it be better if you came here yourself? I'm not blaming you. At least tell me the purpose of bringing so many magical beasts and us.”

She knew Watson was not a person who did things for no reason, but she did not understand Watson's specific thoughts. She felt like she was there to see a show.

“Do not worry, Miss Nightingale. You will understand why I brought you and those magical beasts here soon.”

“Sven, you have not answered my question,” Watson said with a curious smile. “Do you know any other nearby ruins?”

“I apologize, Young Master Watson. I really don't know about that.” Sven shook his head; the ruins were a coincidence. Even though the legendary Misty Forest had many ancient ruins, there were magical beasts everywhere. Furthermore, most of the ruins were hidden in difficult-to-detect places, making it tricky to find them.

“What do you think, Master?”

When the astrologer noticed Watson's gaze, he snorted and replied, “Do not ask me. I have been staying in the Star Temple and am unfamiliar with the border. Of course, I don't know much about the ruins here.”

Watson finally turned his gaze to Nightingale and the Shadow Guards. If any ruins were discovered in the Misty Forest, they would have been exploited long ago by the border count's subordinates. They would not have waited until then, and even if there were excavated antiquities, they presumably would not have notified him.

“In that case, I can only rely on myself.” Watson sighed. “Miss Nightingale, weren't you wondering why I brought so many magical beasts with us? I'll tell you now.”

He whistled to the 100,000 magical beasts as soon as he finished speaking. The sound traveled far and wide thanks to his combat aura. The magical beasts sprang from the ground and fled in all directions. They vanished quickly.

“Don't tell me you intend to utilize those magical beasts to help you find the ruins, Watson,” Nightingale exclaimed.

“Miss Nightingale, you have figured out what I am trying to say so quickly! Yes, that's what I want to do.”

The magical beasts he had fused were his eyes and ears; he could let those magical beasts search the Misty Forest. Of course, the Misty Forest was very vast. It was not enough to rely on just 100,000 magical beasts. Watson was prepared to fuse all the remaining magical beasts in the forest.

That approach could fully eradicate the magical beasts in the Misty Forest; people at the border would no longer be afraid of winter.

'Not only can I obtain the magical beasts and increase my strength, but I can also excavate the ruins. At the same time, I can also remove the problem with winter and make everyone at the border thank me. I don't know how many I can kill in one go.'

Watson pondered to himself, and the corners of his mouth curled upward to expose a smirk that indicated he had devised a strategy.

“Young Master Watson, you exceed my expectations every time.”

Sven took a deep breath. He had come here to see a few Demoness Bandit Gang leaders doing well in Blackmoon Castle recently. He did not want to be inferior to his rivals from the past, so he handed the ruins to claim credit in front of Watson.

His ideas had diminished considerably by that point. He was more interested in seeing how far Watson could go. What type of miracle would that brilliant adolescent, whom even the astrologer admired, would achieve?

Time whizzed by; Watson had been in the Misty Forest for a week.

When compared to a week ago, the Misty Forest has changed dramatically. The undulating hills had all vanished, replaced by a few towering mountains that stretched into the clouds. They were like colossal pillars that had no end in sight.

Watson had fused most of the hills in the Misty Forest because he felt the magical beasts were too slow in searching for the ruins, and the rocky mountain paths were difficult for them to traverse.

The mountain range not only increased in height after the fusion, but the material was also different from before that. It glowed with platinum-colored light, and any rock that fell would be platinum tier. Watson resolved to encircle those mountains in the future. It would become the quarry for Blackmoon Castle, and those rocks would last for decades.

Watson also fused the plants on the summit and at the mountain's base because they obstructed his view. Watson heaped up the medicinal herbs that transformed into silver or gold-tier herbs in another location, which would become Blackmoon Town's future medicinal herb base. It was not an exaggeration to state that a person could eat the medical herbs there for several years.

It was worth noting that among the medicinal herbs he had fused was a gold-tier fruit called the Ice Essence. That was everyone's primary source of food for that week.

The search for the ruins became much easier after Watson modified Misty Forest's terrains. Watson had identified and excavated more than a dozen entrances to the probable ruins in less than a week. Those ruins ranged from 500 to thousands of years. He transported them away with the help of the giant rock golems.

There was not a single modification when the majority of the ruins were unearthed. It was not a surprise; there was no odd movement when the ruins were buried under the ground. They would not touch any mechanisms until they were entirely excavated. Of course, there would be no strange motions. The owners of all the ruins would not have thought that such a person would exist in the future—that person would dig out the entire ruins instead of entering them during their exploration.

Only a minor fraction of the ruins were relocated. There were magical beasts that fled the place in fear. They were also easily handled by Watson and the astrologer, both of whom were at platinum tier. They had spent a week together, and Watson had carried out a great purge and fusion in the Misty Forest. The value he had gained was far beyond his imagination.

At that moment, Watson stood in the deepest part of the Misty Forest, adjacent to the Dragonspine Snow Mountain. He commanded a few giant rock golems to excavate a vast ruin embedded in that mountain.