In truth, Li Wufeng was being a bit unfair to Zhao Dulay.
Even Zhao Dulay hadn't expected that a simple flash of light would cause such a long-lasting effect.
Meanwhile, Lisara had run to Li Huai with a rope and was looping it around him.
“Mr. Li Huai, please maintain the wall for a little longer. There’s about a meter of monster liquid behind your wind wall that might cause mutations. Someone will pull you back in a moment.”
As she tied the rope, Lisara explained the situation and handed him a mana potion to drink.
Although she wasn't certain if the liquid would actually cause mutations, it was better to be safe than sorry.
After all, those who weren't cautious didn't survive long here.
“Alright, thanks for the help,” Li Huai replied.
Though he couldn't see, he could still hear perfectly.
Hearing her clear explanation, he felt a wave of relief.
Just as Li Wufeng and the others were afraid he might pull something, he had been worried they might try something while he was incapacitated.
Fortunately, there was still some level of trust between them.
Or perhaps it was because that shrewd merchant Shang Chuan had at least some modicum of credibility; otherwise, this cooperation would never have happened.
Of course, Lan Qingyou's role as a supervisor was also crucial.
She hadn't come.
But it was precisely because she hadn't come that both sides could trust each other.
After securing the rope around Li Huai's waist, Lisara ran back. She had the others keep their eyes closed as she led them to the middle of the tunnel and began slowly pulling the rope.
Li Huai could clearly feel the friction between his backside and the ground.
Seventy or eighty meters wasn't exactly long, but it wasn't short either.
For Li Huai, it was quite the ordeal.
To be honest, it hurt a bit, but he had no choice.
Once they dragged Li Huai to the fork, Lisara spoke up.
“Everyone, help the captain, Zhao Dulay, and Otto away first. You two stay behind; once we pull Li Huai over, pick him up and run immediately.”
Although Lisara was the youngest and everyone doted on her, that wasn't why they were following her orders.
There was only one reason: only she could see what was behind Li Huai's wind wall.
Following her instructions, the team first assisted the three partially blinded men away. Then, they gave the rope a hard tug, pulling Li Huai to the intersection. One person grabbed his arms, another his legs, and they took off.
Splash—!!
A sound like a dam bursting echoed from behind them.
Taking a lesson from Li Wufeng's earlier experience, no one turned back to look. They just kept running forward.
They didn't stop until they reached the next corner.
“Lisara, what's the situation now?” Li Wufeng asked anxiously.
“It's fine now.”
Lisara glanced at the distant crystal formations and slumped to the ground.
She felt drained, her body weak and her throat parched.
After all, she had never commanded anything like this in her life, not even in a video game.
“Drink some water to calm your nerves,” Li Huai suggested, having a general idea of what she was going through.
“Thank you.”
Lisara took a bottle from a teammate and gulped it down, finally catching her breath.
“Lisara, what does it look like out there now?” Li Wufeng asked after a moment, sensing she had stabilized.
“Wait, let me see.”
Without even standing up, Lisara leaned over to peer out.
The pale green liquid had completely vanished, replaced by an entire tunnel filled with pale green crystals.
“It's completely safe now.”
“Is that so? Good.”
Hearing Lisara's words, not only Li Wufeng and Li Huai but even those who hadn't been directly involved let out a sigh of relief.
Whether it was being partially blinded or being able to see but not daring to look, it was a miserable experience.
If none of them had been wearing glasses, Li Huai might have been in serious trouble.
Even a wind wall, which didn't require much power or consumption, would eventually drain a person's mana.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Lisara had saved everyone directly involved in the fight.
“Those crystals you described... is there any way to get a piece?”
This was an investigation, after all. Having a crystal would count as completing the mission, so Li Wufeng hoped to bring one back for identification.
“It should be possible. The liquid that might cause mutations is gone,” Lisara said, tapping her finger against her lower lip as she thought.
“Alright. Kam, take off your armor and give it to Lisara. Give her your gloves and shield too.”
“Lisara, take a sack. Grab a piece and we'll head back. But remember, don't touch it with your bare hands, and don't let it touch your skin.”
Li Wufeng gave the orders, having understood the general gist of what she meant by the mutating liquid.
No one could guarantee that the stuff wouldn't cause more trouble even after it had hardened and mutated.
“Sure, that shouldn't be a problem,” Lisara agreed casually.
After donning the ill-fitting equipment, Lisara cautiously approached with a sack and a pickaxe. With a few sharp clinks, she broke off a fist-sized pale green crystal and wrapped it in the sack.
“Alright, let's head back.”
With Lisara's word, the exploration was successfully concluded.
“Heh! Wufeng, why are your eyes filled with tears?”
On the way back, Zhao Dulay looked at Li Wufeng's red, swollen eyes with a mischievous grin.
Their vision was starting to recover, though it was still blurry and far from perfect.
At least they weren't stumbling over their own feet anymore.
“Because my love for you runs deep,” Li Wufeng muttered through gritted teeth.
“Hahaha! Let's go, let's go. We need to get this crystal identified as soon as we get back.”
Zhao Dulay laughed off the accusation and hurried them along.
Soon, the group returned to their shelter.
Li Huai had already departed. Although his vision was still a bit blurry, it wasn't a major issue. He felt that as the only person in District 666 who could fly, he didn't need to worry about being ambushed.
Of course, the most important reason was that Li Wufeng and the others wouldn't let him know where their shelter was.
It was basic caution; everyone did it.
He wouldn't want anyone to know the location of his own shelter either.
Even if they were teammates who had just fought side-by-side.
Upon returning, Li Wufeng immediately borrowed the glasses from Lisara and placed the crystal on them for identification.
“Hiss... this... this is!!”
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