Owen raised his hand to greet them and asked, “Is everyone here?”
Simon simply nodded silently without speaking.
Karl was the first to complain. “We’ve been waiting for ages. We thought something had happened to you. If you hadn't come out soon, we were going to go in looking for you.”
“I was asking Steward Jesse about the situation in the mining area; it delayed us a bit,” Owen explained, then urged them on. “Time is tight for the commission. We’ll talk as we walk. Let’s get moving.”
The team set off immediately, following their familiar route downward.
They passed through the first, second, and third floors in succession.
Occasionally, they encountered groups of adventurers heading up. They simply nodded to each other in passing without any further conversation.
Lily took the initiative to walk beside Bai Xuan, her steps light and her red ponytail swinging behind her.
She tilted her head to look at Bai Xuan and asked curiously, “Mr. Bai Xuan, which adventurer team were you with before?”
“I didn't have a team. I’ve always been alone,” Bai Xuan replied in a flat tone, devoid of any extra emotion.
A hint of sympathy appeared on Lily’s face. “Doesn't it get lonely, adventuring by yourself?”
Bai Xuan didn't respond, his gaze remaining calmly fixed on the path ahead.
Lily didn't mind his coldness. She pointed at the iron rod at his waist and asked, “That rod of yours—you’ve been carrying it ever since I saw you back at Wazhuang, right?”
Bai Xuan gave a slight nod. Lily looked back at the path ahead and murmured, “I thought it was strange back then. You’re clearly a Healer, yet instead of a staff, you carry a bent iron rod.”
“Later, you were alone on the fourth floor, killing those mutant Black-Armored Crawlers.”
She then touched the hilt of the sword at her waist and asked casually, “How thick was the shell of those mutant Black-Armored Crawlers?”
“Much thicker than a normal Black-Armored Crawler’s shell,” Bai Xuan answered succinctly.
“Then how did you kill them?” Lily pressed.
“I used the iron rod to crack the shell, then took the chance to pierce through,” Bai Xuan said, keeping it simple. Lily nodded and said nothing more.
Just then, the team passed a fork in the path. Several Shadow Rats suddenly darted out from a crevice in the rocks, lunging toward the group with lightning speed.
The moment the gray shadows hit the ground, Lily was already in motion.
Bai Xuan only caught a glimpse of her slightly turning her body before her wrist flicked, and her rapier thrust out like a spirit snake emerging from its burrow.
The sword seemed to come alive in her hand. As the tip cut through the air, it left only a nearly colorless trail behind.
It looked like a distorted ripple where the airflow had been abruptly sliced, moving so fast it was almost invisible.
The foremost Shadow Rat had no time to dodge. It was struck precisely by the sword tip, letting out a short screech before tumbling into the rock wall. It twitched twice and then went still.
Seeing this, the remaining Shadow Rats were about to scatter and flee, but Lily’s second strike followed immediately.
The blade steadily pierced the body of a second Shadow Rat. With a fluid motion of her wrist, she precisely slashed the flank of a third one with extreme speed.
In the span of barely three breaths, all the Shadow Rats lay dead on the ground.
Lily sheathed her sword and glanced down at the gray stains on the blade. With a casual flick, she shook the stains clean, her movements both sharp and effortless.
Kieran, who had seen everything clearly from behind, couldn't help but praise her. “Your strikes are as fast as ever.”
Lily smiled faintly at the comment, her tone matter-of-fact. “Wind Pierce relies on speed to win. Once it slows down, it leaves openings.”
Karl, who was walking in the middle of the team carrying his battleaxe, also leaned in.
He muttered as he walked, “The food these past few days has been so bland and tasteless. Once this mission is over, I’m definitely going back to the town tavern for a proper feast to make it up to myself.”
“You say that before every mission, yet every time a mission ends, you’re too stingy to spend the money,” Lily glanced back at him, ruthlessly calling him out.
“This time is different! I’m serious!” Karl’s face turned bright red as he argued loudly.
Kieran laughed heartily at the side, and the atmosphere in the team instantly lightened.
Bai Xuan walked to the side, quietly listening to their bickering without joining in, yet a strange feeling stirred in his heart.
At that moment, Karl took the initiative to approach Bai Xuan. His tone was unexpectedly gentle, even carrying a hint of shyness. “Mr. Bai Xuan, my name is Karl. I’m the team’s Axe Warrior.”
“If we get into a fight later, just stand behind me. I’m sturdy enough to block the damage for you.”
Lily immediately teased him from the side. “You have the nerve to call yourself sturdy? Last time you were hit by a big bug, you couldn't get up for ages.”
Karl’s face instantly flushed as he defended himself in a small voice, “That... that was different! That bug was too big and incredibly strong. Anyone would have been knocked down...”
Watching Karl’s embarrassment, the corners of Bai Xuan’s mouth twitched, a trace of a smile flitting across his face.
The group walked for about another hour before the mining tunnels ahead gradually began to open up.
Clear signs of artificial excavation appeared on the rock walls. Every so often, a wooden sign was nailed up, carved with the White family’s crest.
Owen stopped and pulled the mining area map from his vest. After studying it for a moment, he looked up and said to the group, “We’re here. The entrance to the polluted area is just ahead.”
Everyone followed his gaze. Ahead was an entrance sealed off by an iron fence. Several yellowed pieces of Rune Paper were pasted onto the bars, many of them curled and faded, having lost their former luster.
In the middle of the fence hung a pale blue crystal, its light so weak it looked like a candle about to go out.
Behind the fence lay a pitch-black mining tunnel, its depths bottomless like the maw of a giant beast, hiding everything within.
A few seconds later, Owen took the lead and stepped forward, his tone brisk. “Move quickly. Let’s try to finish the mission today to avoid any complications from a long delay.”
He pushed open the iron fence. Using their magic tokens, everyone passed through the magic circle at the entrance one by one and slowly entered the mining area.
Bai Xuan slowed his pace just inside the entrance, his hand gripping the iron rod at his waist, his expression wary.
Black mist drifted ahead like a layer of gray gauze suspended in the air, wrapping everything in sight in a somber hue.
He took a light breath, sensing two distinct scents, and a familiar feeling of discomfort washed over him.
First was the cold undead aura characteristic of the seventh floor, feeling like countless tiny insects crawling slowly over his skin.
Immediately following that, he precisely captured another scent hidden deep within the black mist. It instantly pulled his thoughts back to the day he first arrived in this world, in Klara Village.
The monsters that had surrounded the village that night carried this exact same scent, identical to the one currently mixed into the black mist.
Bai Xuan stood still, his gaze sweeping over the mottled rock walls, the clouds of doubt in his heart growing heavier.
The undead aura of the seventh floor and the monster scent from Klara Village—these two scents that should never have met were now entwined within the same black mist.
The name Zane Cross instantly surfaced in his mind.
The events at Klara Village were already shrouded in suspicion.
The monster tide had come suddenly, and the villagers' corpses and blood had vanished completely, as if someone had been cleaning up the scene.
It didn't look like a normal attack; it looked more like... an experiment.
If that were true, this mining area of the White family might just be a suitable testing ground the other party needed.
And dealing with the White family itself was likely just a byproduct of this experiment.
Bai Xuan composed his thoughts. There were no more clues for now; only by going deeper into the mining tunnels could he find the truth.
Just as he was about to move, Owen walked over quickly and asked in a low voice, “What do you sense?”
“There is an undead aura, and something else,” Bai Xuan replied flatly, without elaborating on the familiar monster scent.
Owen nodded in understanding and didn't press further. He looked back at the team members behind him and confirmed in a deep voice, “Is everyone in?”
Simon stood at the very front carrying his heavy shield. The five of them were all in position, their expressions guarded.
“Let’s go.” Owen took the lead into the black mist, and the team members followed closely behind, moving into the mining tunnels in an orderly fashion.
The black mist swirled slowly around them, coiling around their ankles as if it were alive.
The moss on the rock walls emitted a faint, eerie green fluorescence, barely illuminating the narrow path ahead and dispelling some of the darkness.
After walking only a few steps, Bai Xuan suddenly stopped. He quietly condensed his pale gold mana and slowly released Purifying Severance toward the thickest patch of black mist ahead.
The pale gold light spread slowly from his palm. The moment it touched the black mist, the gray vapors churned violently as if scorched by fire, then dissipated.
Bai Xuan cleared a small area, revealing the rough rock wall behind it, covered in chisel marks.
However, this area lasted for less than a few seconds before the surrounding black mist surged back like a tide, quickly filling the void as if it had never been purified at all.
Bai Xuan slowly withdrew his hand. Such purification was merely a drop in the bucket. With Purifying Severance alone, even if he completely drained his mana, he wouldn't be able to purify the entire mining area.
To solve the problem completely, he had to find the source of the black mist.
Owen saw all of this but didn't ask questions. He simply picked up his pace and continued deeper into the tunnels, with the team following close behind.
After walking for a while, the tunnel gradually widened, and minecart tracks appeared on both sides, the rusted rails half-buried in rubble.
The moss on the walls grew denser, and the fluorescence became a bit brighter, barely preventing this space shrouded in black mist from falling into total darkness.
Just then, a faint rustling sound came from ahead.
Immediately after, a Skeleton Wanderer lunged out from a side tunnel.
Its pale skeleton glinted coldly under the eerie green fluorescence. The soul flames in its eye sockets flickered violently, instantly locking onto the intruding team.
Simon had the fastest reaction. He immediately took a large step forward, his heavy shield held steadily in front of him in a defensive stance, his expression as steady as a rock.
With a heavy thud, the Skeleton Wanderer slammed into the shield. Its skeletal frame rattled and partially came apart, but it quickly pulled itself back together.
Simon was pushed back half a step by the impact, his arms trembling slightly from the force, but he maintained a death grip on the shield, not loosening it in the slightest.
Karl seized the opening and stepped forward from the side. He swung his axe, slamming it into the Skeleton Wanderer’s ribs, the blade wedging itself into the gaps between the bones.
The undead struggled in pain, trying to turn and counterattack, but Lily had already flicked her body around to its rear. Her rapier precisely pierced the gap between its vertebrae.
The subtle airflow from Wind Pierce distorted around the blade, and the sword tip drove straight through to the other side.
The Skeleton Wanderer’s movements instantly slowed, and the soul flames in its eyes grew much dimmer, clearly at its limit.
Bai Xuan stepped forward slowly, his iron rod raised high. Pale gold mana coated the rod as it swung down, smashing into the core of the skeletal frame.
Golden light flared on the rod. The soul flames in the Skeleton Wanderer’s eyes flickered violently a few times before completely going out.
The scattered skeleton collapsed to the ground with a clatter, turning into a pile of useless bone fragments.
【Exp +7, Pleasure +5】 The status panel notification popped up at the right time. Bai Xuan gave it a quick glance before looking away, his expression remaining calm.
Standing at the back of the team, Kieran looked at the bone fragments on the ground and couldn't help but mutter in a low voice, “So it was that simple. I thought it would be harder to deal with.”
“Shut up. Don't be careless.” Lily retracted her rapier and lightly flicked the bone dust from the blade.
With practiced movements, she crouched down and began to collect the Magic Core left by the undead.
Owen remained taciturn. Once Lily had collected the Magic Core, he took the lead and moved forward, clearly not intending to linger here for long.
Over the next part of the journey, they encountered several more wandering undead.
Some stood dazed in the middle of the tunnel, lunging frantically as the group approached; others hid in the shadows of corners, suddenly darting out to ambush them when they weren't looking.
However, these were only Level 2 or 3 undead, and they weren't difficult to handle. The team had already formed a tacit understanding.
Simon stood at the front to tank the damage, Karl and Lily looked for openings to deal damage, and Kieran fired arrows from the back to keep them suppressed. Finally, Bai Xuan would deliver the fatal blow to completely finish the undead.
After repeating this several times, the Pleasure value on Bai Xuan’s status panel rose again. He quietly kept an eye on his teammates.
The coordination of this team was indeed seamless. After a battle, Kieran and Lily were basically responsible for collecting the Magic Cores. They rarely needed to communicate with words.
A single look or movement was enough for them to understand each other’s intentions without any extra instructions.
The group walked forward for another period of time before the tunnel ahead suddenly opened up.
A small underground space appeared before them. In the recesses of the rock walls, several temporary shacks had been built.
Those shacks were constructed from crude wooden planks and coarse cloth, huddled together haphazardly and looking dilapidated. It seemed they had been abandoned for some time.
Some of the shack doors were wide open, some were half-closed, and some had simply fallen to the ground, lying lonely in the rubble.
Black mist drifted in and out of the gaps in the doors and windows, wandering between the shacks.
Various discarded items were scattered on the ground.
There were overturned pickaxes, small carts, several flattened tin canteens, and an old coat covered in dust and stains.
On a wooden table not far away sat half a bowl of long-moldy porridge, with several dead insects clinging to the rim of the bowl.
It was clear that the people here had left in a great hurry, not even having time to pack their things.
A faint draft blew from deep within the mining tunnels, making the coarse cloth curtains of the shacks sway gently. For a moment, it almost looked as if someone had just pulled back a curtain to peek at them.
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