As Nix soared and continued the journey, Cain heard the notification from the system and decided to ignore it for now because it would only lead to his impulsive thought of combining his summon pool chances and using it.
Fortunately, this time there wasn't any beast that attacked them, resulting in a smooth journey until they almost reached the place that the man had mentioned.
When their position had reached around 20 km away from the location, Cain finally heard the notifications that he had been waiting for.
[Ding! Detected the source of a Mid-level Conqueror rank crystal mine.]
Cain raised an eyebrow when he heard it, thinking that this trip shouldn't be a useless one since he would at least bag the source home this time.
A second later, Cain also detected two beasts that had reached Peak-level Conqueror rank.
Tapping Nix softly, Cain pointed in a direction. "Nix, go there."
"Young Master Cain, the entrance is–"
Before the patriarch of the Flarehart family could finish his sentence, he was cut off by Cain as he waved his hand dismissively. "I know. That's why we're going directly inside from the entrance."
"Oh, the entrance is behind the waterfall," Cain murmured softly when they arrived at a massive waterfall that was hundreds of meters tall and wide.
"Nix, go directly inside," Cain pointed to the right side of the waterfall.
Nix immediately carried out the order as he had 100% trust in his master, while Fenix made a barrier out of flames so that they wouldn't be soaked by the water.
ROAR!
As they just passed the waterfall and entered a huge cave, a deafening roar could be heard from deep inside the cave.
Not long after, two huge crocodiles showed up in front of them.
"I honestly don't want to have a fight because I like peace. That's why I'm offering you to get out of the cave and take your kids out of here because I want that crystal mine. What do you think?" Cain smiled as he looked at the male crocs.
ROAR!
The male crocs roared again as he was mad that a person just came to his territory and dared to ask him to get out of his place.
"Alright. Come outside if you don't want the cave to be ruined from the battle," Cain chuckled before patting Nix softly, instructing him to go outside.
The reason why Cain was confident that they would come outside was because one of the crocodiles had just given birth, as Cain detected that there were also a few beast eggs inside the cave.
Not only that, he noticed that the female croc was not in its best state after giving birth. Cain guessed that it would probably only have 70% of its full strength at most.
Outside the cave, Fenix landed gracefully on the rocky ground, his fiery aura flaring around him as he faced the two monstrous swamp crocodiles. The air was thick with moisture, the scent of damp earth and stagnant water filling his senses.
The cave's entrance behind him was still dripping with water from the waterfall they had passed through, and deep inside, the faint glow of the Conqueror Rank crystal mine flickered ominously.
The male crocodile was a massive creature, its body covered in hardened, mossy green scales that appeared to have melded with the swamp itself. Its huge tail dragged on the ground, tearing through the wet terrain like a log.
Its golden eyes gleamed with intelligence and rage, and vines twisted along its back, pulsating with eerie energy. It was a beast that commanded the wood element, a predator that thrived in its swampy domain.
Beside it, the female crocodile was equally massive but bore a sleeker, more streamlined frame. Its scales shimmered with a dark blue hue, slick with water that constantly dripped from its body, as if it were one with the rivers and lakes.
Though weakened from giving birth, its sharp gaze and snarling maw showed no hesitation in engaging in battle. Water swirled around its feet, forming miniature whirlpools as it prepared to strike.
Fenix cracked his knuckles, smirking. "Two against one, huh? It seems that I need to go all out from the start."
The moment his words left his mouth, the male crocodile roared, summoning thick, gnarled roots from beneath the ground as it used its [Verdant Shackles] skill, and massive roots shot up like iron chains, wrapping around Fenix's arms and legs with crushing force.
"Tch," Fenix gritted his teeth as he ignited his aura, setting the roots ablaze. But before he could fully free himself, the female crocodile struck.
The female crocodile used its [Hydro Cutter] skill, shooting blades of compressed water shot toward him at blinding speed.
Fenix barely managed to dodge in time, feeling the sting of a near miss as the water blades sliced through the rocky floor like butter. The force of the attack sent him sliding back, his boots scraping against the damp ground.
"Heh, not bad," he muttered, flexing his arms as the last remnants of the roots burned away.
The male crocodile lunged forward, its maw wide open, revealing rows of jagged teeth. Fenix leapt high into the air in response and formed a pair of flaming wings to keep himself aloft. Below him, the male crocodile slammed its jaws shut with a force that could have crushed a boulder.
Not giving Fenix time to breathe, the female crocodile opened its mouth as it used its [Aqua Vortex] skill, creating a massive spiral of water erupted from the ground beneath him, forming a raging current that pulled him downward.
"Damn," Fenix grunted as he struggled against the force of the whirlpool. His wings flickered as the water sapped his flames.
The male crocodile took advantage of this and launched its [Emerald Thorn Barrage] skill, sending sharp, vine-like thorns hurtling toward him.
Unable to maneuver quickly, Fenix gritted his teeth and crossed his arms in front of him, taking the brunt of the attack. Thorns pierced into his skin, drawing blood, but his body burned with resilience.