乌罗亚的魔药 The Elixir of Uloa

作者： Rayla Heide

在闷热潮湿的雨林中穿行数小时以后，这座地下墓穴的凉爽空气简直是甜美的赐福。当然，每个转角都可能潜藏着死亡的威胁，但同样也可能潜藏了注定的荣光。

After hours of trekking through the stiflingly humid jungle, the cool air of this underground crypt is sweet bliss. Sure, potential death awaits at every turn, but so does certain glory.

我穿过了一道石头拱门，尘埃像鬼影一样飘浮扬起，勾勒出一条走廊，石壁上刻着圆润的纹样。传闻称这座古墓是密不透风、无懈可击、必死无疑的不归之路。目前为止没有任何探险者活着出来过，但话说回来，他们又不是我。

I step through a stone archway and clouds of dust rise like phantoms, revealing a pathway of circular patterns carved into the rock. This tomb is rumored to be impenetrable, uncrackable, and deadly. No explorer has yet escaped with their life, but then, none of them have been me.

现在我已经在地下迷宫隧道之中摸索了好几英里，探明并且避开了几处尖刺陷阱，匍匐躲过了巨型刀斧钟摆，还周旋制服了充满敌意的深渊毒蛇。算是个观光圣地，但我可不想在这长住。

So far I’ve infiltrated miles of labyrinthine tunnels, navigated spike-filled sand traps, crawled beneath swinging blade-pendulums, and wrestled hissing pit vipers. Nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live here.

石壁上有许多冷漠的眼睛不怀好意地瞄着我。好吧，换做是我的话也会这样。我估计它们上次见到如此惊世骇俗的美男子，还是上一次符文战争的时候吧。

Dozens of lidless stone eyes leer at me from the walls. Well, I’d leer too. I doubt they’ve seen anyone this astonishingly handsome since the last Rune War.

在墓室中间，一件玲珑剔透的水晶瓶正静静地躺在基座上，瓶中荡漾着微光的液体，在棚顶反射出一道小巧的彩虹。这就是我此行的目的。伟大壮丽的冒险故事会被许多人当成是痴人说梦，而一件珍宝实物则是无法否认的真凭实据。只要能请回传说记载中的珍宝，就能确凿地证明你征服了陵墓地宫中的绝世挑战。

At the center of the room, a crystal vial rests on a pedestal. It shimmers with lambent fluid, casting tiny rainbows on the floor. That’s what I’m here for. Many will dismiss a grandiose tale of bold adventure as pure fiction, but there’s no denying a physical artifact. Collecting legendary treasure proves beyond doubt you’ve conquered the impossible.

乌罗亚的魔药是许多人梦寐以求的珍宝，有许多歪门邪教认为它能够赐予他们不朽的神力，也有一些没落的王朝后裔认为它是重新掌权的关键，甚至还有虔诚的朝圣者希望它能带来超乎想象的智慧启迪。别看这一小瓶药水还不够一茶勺的分量，但它被寄予的期待可真是车载斗量。

The Elixir of Uloa is sought after by cults hoping it will imbue them with immortality, withered dynasties looking to reclaim power, and pilgrims seeking wisdom beyond belief. Quite a lot to promise for a vial whose contents wouldn’t fill a teaspoon.

我知道按照设计常理，只要我将基座上的瓶子拿走就会触发机关。这种建筑设施的本质功能一直如此。我活动了一下手指，手套上的宝石闪烁着令人放心的湛蓝亮光。现在要上演真正的好戏了。

I know every trap in the book will trigger as soon as I lift it from the pedestal. That’s the nature of places like this. I flex my fingers and the gemstone at the center of my gauntlet glows a satisfying cerulean blue. Now the real fun begins.

我慢慢走向前，脚下的石板发出一阵颤动，我立刻回撤，避免触发机关。我在屋子里小心翼翼地试探，只选择最稳固的石板作为落脚点。就在我的手指终于抓住了魔药的同时，地面开始碎裂，我立刻发动了手套的力量，向其注入了魔法能量。我眼前一阵炫目的闪光，旋即传送到了十五英尺之外的拱门之处。再晚一秒都来不及。好几百支锋利的尖刺从棚顶射下来，距离我只有一根发丝之隔，随后整个房间都坠入下方的漆黑深渊。

I approach slowly. A stone trembles underfoot and I step back to avoid activating a trigger. I pick my way across the room, only stepping on the most immobile stones. As my fingers close over the Elixir, deep cracks split the stone floor of the chamber. I activate my gauntlet, charging it with magical energy. Swirling rays of light overwhelm my vision as I teleport to the archway fifteen feet away. Not a second too soon. Hundreds of knife-sharp stakes cascade from the ceiling, missing me by a hair’s breadth as the entire room collapses into a shadowy crevasse below.

我的手套的能力在狭小空间中如鱼得水，但却无法穿越太远的距离。而且充能的时间比我理想的要长一点。

My gauntlet’s power is perfect for tight spots, but doesn’t lend itself to crossing great distances. And takes longer than I’d like to recharge.

雷鸣般的爆裂声撼动了墙壁，回荡在走廊中。似乎这座古墓的地基已经快要撑不住了，所以现在需要抓紧时间了。我比较喜欢脚踏实地，这样才能站得稳。所以我开始沿着通道飞奔，身后的地面上裂缝越来越宽。

A thunderous boom shakes the walls and echoes down the corridor. Sounds like the ancient foundations of this tomb won’t hold much longer, so it’s time to speed things along. I prefer my ground strictly solid, with a generous helping of reliability, so I sprint down the tunnel as widening cracks obliterate the floor behind me.

我进来的时候沿途用粉笔画了记号，我循着记号辗转腾挪，钻过了摇摇欲坠的拱门、跨过翻江倒海的流沙、躲开翻滚滑落的巨石，在愈加狭窄的过道中迅速穿行。

I chase the directional marks I chalked when I entered the tomb, sliding beneath collapsing archways, leaping over boiling quicksand, and dashing around colossal boulders rolling in to block this ever-narrowing passageway.

我右侧的墙壁突然裂开，一群巨型昆虫钻了出来，巨大的钳爪劈啪作响，丑陋的口器毒液流淌。上千只蜘蛛眼闪烁着饥饿的红光，蝎子挺着尾巴上的毒刺步步逼近。丛林中的虫子实在是很烦人，还好我有特效驱虫药！

The wall to my right splits apart and a barrage of colossal insects tumble through, giant pincers snapping and venom dripping from their jaws. Thousands of red spider eyes gleam with hunger while scorpions scuttle forward with stingers poised. Jungle vermin are a damn nuisance, but I’ve got just the remedy!

我眨眼的一瞬间。能量沿着我的手臂向下流淌，一阵脉动牵扯着我的神经，我将能量注入手套上的宝石。随后我将手套稳稳持平，瞄准了最大的蜘蛛。就在这只怪物张开下颚的同时，我对着它的巨口放出了一道白热的光，将它打退到虫群之中。烧焦的几丁质味道刺鼻难闻，灌入我的咽喉，搅动我的胃肠。

I close my eyes for a split second. Energy flows down my arm, jangling my nerves with a pulsating beat as I concentrate power into the gem. I steady my gauntlet and aim it at the largest spider. As the monster opens his jaws I unleash a blazing ray into its mouth, blasting it back into the crawling horde. The smell of burned chitin stings my throat and my stomach churns.

我转身跑开，在每一个转角都向身后发射出炫目的光柱。我正前方，一块两层楼高的巨石正在从棚顶坠下。我的手套刚好充能完毕，我在炫光的漩涡中向前穿越了十英尺，身后的通道开始坍塌。

I turn and run, firing blinding beams of light behind me at every twist of the passageway. A slab of rock the size of a house breaks from the ceiling directly overhead. My gauntlet recharges just in time and I reappear ten feet ahead in a whirling spiral of light as the tunnel behind me collapses.

两根石柱正在向中间倒下，我一记滑铲刚好通过，随后它们轰然摔得粉碎。我又冲进了一个房间，倾斜的角度正通向地表。

Two toppling pillars fall toward each other and I slide between them a moment before they smash to dust. I dash into a chamber with a floor angled toward the surface.

前方是一束阳光，我莞尔一笑，继续向前冲刺。自由近在咫尺。一阵震耳欲聋的闷响撼动着大地，跑动中的我也一个踉跄，我面前的房间整个儿坍塌下来。自由近在咫尺。

A sliver of sunlight shines ahead, and I grin as I bolt for it. Freedom is close. The ground shakes with a deafening rumble and I stumble mid-run as the chamber falls apart in front of me. Freedom was close.

再次证明，备用计划是我的专长。

Then again, backup plans are a particular specialty of mine.

我调整好手套，将所有能量注入宝石中。我能感到它在主动汲取我的能量。我的视线开始模糊，世界似乎开始扭曲，此时宝石已经充满魔法能量。手套放出天空般湛蓝的闪光脉冲。

I ready my gauntlet and concentrate all my energy into the gem. I feel it drawing power from me. My vision blurs and the world seems to tilt as the gem fills with magic. The gauntlet pulses the blue of a clear sky.

我张开手，一弯金色弧光从我的手掌射出。弧光的宽度与整个房间平齐，巨大的后座力让我不得不停下脚步，但我继续全神贯注维持着魔法。弧光持续照亮着四周，同时摧毁了前进方向上的一切障碍，在巨石中留下了一道窄缝。正是我的最爱！

I open my hand and a brilliant arc of golden light as wide as the tunnel bursts from my palm. The force of the blast staggers me, but I maintain my focus. The light blazes in a continuous glowing channel, gleaming brightly as it disintegrates everything in its path, leaving a precariously narrow gap. My favorite kind of gap!

我收紧拳头，通道再度暗了下来。地面在愤怒地颤抖，我摇晃着跪倒在地。我刚刚已经用尽了所有力量，几乎无力挪动分毫，根本无法站立。在我眼前几英寸开外，地面上裂缝正在迅速伸展，我的视线已经无法追踪裂缝前沿的位置。情况不妙。墓穴已经岌岌可危，于是我挤出浑身上下尚存的所有力量站了起来，向前方盲目飞奔，此时的我真切地希望前方尽头就是安全之所。

I close my hand into a fist and the tunnel darkens once more. The ground lurches unpleasantly, sending me to my knees. I’m so spent I can barely move, let alone stand. Inches from my face, cracks spread across the floor faster than I can track them. Not good. The tomb won’t hold much longer, so I muster my remaining strength and rise, sprinting to what I dearly hope is safety.

我已经看不到那一束阳光。又是一次坍塌——我周围的墙壁正在崩倒。我闭上眼睛纵身向前钻进那口山洞。祈祷好运并没有什么错，况且我一直都异常地幸运。我撞到了地面，一个流畅的翻滚站立起来，深深地吸了一口雨林之中的甜美空气。

I’m losing sight of the sunlight. Another crash - the walls crumble around me. I close my eyes and dive through the hole. Nothing wrong with hoping for a bit of good luck, and I am exceptionally lucky. I hit the ground, roll to my feet and inhale the sweet air of the jungle.

在我身后，通往古墓的入口彻底坍塌，喷出了一口远古的尘埃。我打扫了一下衣服上的尘土，娴熟地将眼前的秀发拢到耳畔，悠然地走开。

Behind me, the entrance to the tomb caves in completely, releasing a billowing cloud of ancient dust. I brush the dirt from my clothes, toss my hair out of my eyes with a well-practiced flick and walk away.

再破绝世遗迹，复得珍宝瑰丽，证明传奇冒险。

Another impossible ruin traversed. Another treasure to prove the truth of my daring tales.

犹得备午炊。

And all before lunch.