Dungeon King: A Lady Knight Offered by My Goblins

Chapter 410 408-In Search of the Treasure

Ethan was pushed back several steps by the force of the collision but ultimately managed to regain his footing. 

Similarly, the Gigantic Mountain Dreadwolf was also forced to retreat a few steps. 

Their head-to-head confrontation seemed to be an evenly matched showdown.

To Ethan's surprise and delight, he found that even after the Gigantic Mountain Dreadwolf's power awakening, he was still capable of confronting it head-on. 

It was an unexpected revelation that his combat strength had reached such formidable levels.

The Gigantic Mountain Dreadwolf, too, had not anticipated that Ethan would choose to directly engage in a clash of force. 

It was taken aback by Ethan's boldness. 

However, recovering quickly from its initial shock, the Dreadwolf launched another attack towards Ethan.

Initially, the Gigantic Mountain Dreadwolf had expected Ethan to continue with a direct confrontation as before and had prepared accordingly. 

However, Ethan, defying expectations, chose not to engage head-on this time. 

Instead, he swiftly dodged, evading the Dreadwolf's next assault.

But this time, after dodging, Ethan didn't wait to land. 

Mid-air, he hurled a punch with all his might towards the Gigantic Mountain Dreadwolf. 

This punch, fueled by Ethan's full strength, was incredibly powerful. 

Following its awakening, the Dreadwolf's reactions seemed slower than before, its movements somewhat sluggish. 

Unable to evade in time, the Gigantic Mountain Dreadwolf took Ethan's punch squarely.

Despite the Gigantic Mountain Dreadwolf's newfound strength following its power awakening, it couldn't withstand Ethan's fierce punch, collapsing in pain onto the ground. 

Ethan, seizing the moment, gave no quarter to the fallen creature, delivering another powerful blow directly onto the Dreadwolf's body.

After two devastating punches, a harrowing cry escaped the Gigantic Mountain Dreadwolf before it fell silent. 

This battle, it seemed, had finally ended with Ethan emerging victorious.

Ethan stretched his muscles, feeling both exhausted and exhilarated from the intense fight with the Gigantic Mountain Dreadwolf. 

It had been a long time since he had engaged in such a challenging and satisfying battle.

With the Gigantic Mountain Dreadwolf now defeated, Ethan's thoughts turned to another matter – the treasure that the fearsome beast was rumored to guard. 

A treasure protected by such a formidable creature was unlikely to be ordinary.

Despite the fatigue from the recent battle, Ethan began his search immediately. 

However, the area was vast, and after a lengthy search, he found no trace of the treasure, not even a shadow of it. 

This lack of discovery was puzzling even to Ethan.

Could it be that there was no treasure here, and the tales he had heard were merely unfounded rumors? 

The thought brought a sense of disappointment to Ethan.

However, Ethan didn't give up on his quest for the treasure. 

After all, the legends of the Venomous Serpent Swamp spoke of a rare treasure, one that could bestow immense power upon its finder. 

Thus, Ethan held high hopes and anticipated the possibility of stumbling upon this fabled fortune.

He knew well the saying, "There's no smoke without fire." 

The detailed and vivid tales of the treasure in the Venomous Serpent Swamp surely had some basis in reality. 

Moreover, everything Ethan had encountered so far aligned perfectly with the legends, suggesting a high likelihood of the treasure's existence.

With this in mind, Ethan bolstered his resolve. 

However, he was also aware that finding the treasure would require patience and meticulous searching. 

The area was vast, and the treasure could be concealed anywhere within it. 

Ethan knew he couldn't afford to be careless; he had to search thoroughly.

But Ethan also realized that haste wouldn't help; after all, haste makes waste. 

For now, he had to proceed with a steady pace.

Given that he wasn't in a rush to leave the area, Ethan had ample time to conduct his search. 

With this thought, he decided not to hurry and instead took a break to rest, especially after the prolonged battle he had just endured. 

Feeling genuinely tired, Ethan ate something and took a well-deserved rest.

After a period of rest and feeling rejuvenated, Ethan resumed his search. 

Despite his renewed efforts, however, he still couldn't find the treasure. 

Time passed, and darkness began to envelop the sky, yet Ethan had not come any closer to finding the elusive treasure.

Despite not finding the treasure, Ethan was far from discouraged. 

He was a patient man; if a day's search proved fruitless, he would search for two days, then three, four, five... 

Ethan believed that sooner or later, he would find the treasure.

With this thought, Ethan decided to rest well again, as there was no urgent rush in the quest for the treasure. 

After all, searching for treasure at night, especially in a swamp, was a daunting task. 

Even in daylight, navigating the marsh required immense caution, let alone during the darkness of night.

Moreover, searching for treasure demands intense concentration. 

Ethan knew that venturing out in the dark could easily lead to missing the treasure due to poor visibility, which would be counterproductive. 

Therefore, he felt no urgency in his search at that moment, choosing instead to rest.

After a sound sleep, when Ethan opened his eyes, it was already the next day. 

He realized he hadn't had such a good night's sleep in a long time. 

Previously, whether in the Shadow Forest or the Venomous Serpent Swamp, Ethan always had to be alert to the threat of wild beasts.

Even during rest periods, he had to stay vigilant to fend off any potential attacks, never truly able to relax. 

But this time, Ethan was free from such concerns. 

There were no wild beasts in this area, allowing him to rest without the constant threat looming over him.

Previously, this place had been dominated by the formidable Gigantic Mountain Dreadwolf, and other creatures dared not venture near. 

Therefore, Ethan could rest here without the worry of being disturbed by wild beasts.

However, now that the reigning Gigantic Mountain Dreadwolf had been slain by Ethan, its oppressive presence had vanished. 

It wouldn't be long before creatures from other parts of the Venomous Serpent Swamp began to venture into this area. 

Gradually, this place would become like the rest of the swamp - teeming with life but also fraught with danger. 

But all of that was a concern for the future. 

For Ethan, the most pressing task at hand was the treasure hunt.

The key to a successful treasure hunt is patience, a quality Ethan was not lacking. 

He had even prepared himself for a prolonged search in this area.

Over the next few days, Ethan continued his quest for the treasure. 

During this time, he noticed that this part of the Venomous Serpent Swamp was different from the others. 

While most of the swamp was muddy and difficult to traverse, the terrain here was surprisingly firm. 

Ethan surmised that this was due to the Gigantic Mountain Dreadwolf. 

Its massive body had trampled the swampy ground over time, turning it into hard terrain.

Despite several days of searching without any success, Ethan did not give up. 

He was resolute in his decision to comb through every inch of the area. 

By doing so, if there truly was a treasure to be found here, Ethan was confident that he would eventually uncover it.

That day, as Ethan continued his search like the previous days, he finally stumbled upon something significant: a circle of stones laid out on the ground.

This discovery filled Ethan with excitement. 

The structure, meticulously crafted from stones and with a very regular appearance, was clearly man-made and couldn't have been a natural formation. 

Moreover, the stones used were quite large. 

Ethan had already observed that such large stones were not naturally found in the Venomous Serpent Swamp, indicating that someone had transported them here from elsewhere to construct this.

Could this be the location of the hidden treasure?

The possibility seemed highly likely, and the thought exhilarated Ethan. 

It appeared that he was getting closer to finding the treasure.

However, after some time, a tinge of disappointment crept in as Ethan realized that this area was not the treasure's hiding place. 

Not far from the stone circle, he discovered another similar construction, albeit smaller.

Although this was not the treasure's location, Ethan didn't allow himself to be disheartened. 

A new thought sparked in his mind: why were there so many stone circles here? What were they?

This question piqued Ethan's curiosity.