Chapter 69: The Giant Rat in the Dungeon

Ximen Yu was even more familiar with the depths of Locke Forest than Zhao Nan. While Zhao Nan merely knew the spots where one could efficiently gather Clearlight Crystals, Ximen Yu had once conducted a thorough reconnaissance of this area and had even drawn a fairly complete map.

At this moment, that map was spread out before the group.

“We’re here right now,” Ximen Yu explained, tracing the river on the map with his slender finger. “The underground river is at the far end of the instance. The river isn’t straight; there are many bends along the way. Here is directly beneath our destination—the river’s source in the instance, roughly a kilometer downstream. We simply follow the current and disembark here. The spot directly overhead is where we need to go.”

Zhao Nan nodded. The location marked as their goal on the map was accurate. He couldn’t help but raise his estimation of Ximen Yu once again.

“If everyone’s ready, let’s move out,” Ximen Yu said as he packed away the map.

“Aren’t you going to look for your teammates?” Zhao Nan asked in a low voice.

Ximen Yu shook his head, lips pressed together. “Rather than search blindly, I’d rather focus on defeating the boss. I have a feeling that once the boss is down, this place will return to its original state. The zombie rats’ level will drop, and they’ll no longer be frenzied. If my people aren’t dead yet, they’ll survive. If they’re already dead, there’s even less reason to waste time searching for possibly melted corpses.”

The words were somewhat unsettling, but they struck a chord within everyone. Ximen Yu was a model player, Zhao Nan thought privately.

He ran his fingers over the staff in his hand, silently passing by each member and touching them in turn. Waves of earthy, golden light shimmered.

He was casting Stone Armor upon everyone, making his stance clear.

Ximen Yu’s approach first earned Zhao Nan’s approval. Then, trusting Zhao Nan, Gao Mingyang and the others temporarily set aside their hope of finding Gao Xiang... They had reached the end here, and still found no trace of Gao Xiang. Perhaps he had already passed through this cycle and was now somewhere ahead along the underground river.

...

...

The river water was ice-cold, biting to the bone; any carelessness could result in choking on it. But with a plan and by using the current for travel, there were plenty of ways to keep one’s body stable.

The group followed the river’s flow, crashing against a wall of dark green rock before their vision suddenly opened up.

Having come to trust Ximen Yu’s judgment, no one was particularly surprised. They drifted with the current and finally landed at the designated shore.

Wringing the water from his clothes, Zhao Nan looked up at the smooth cliff ahead. There was a cave mouth at the top—this was the pit, the very pit where the statue of the Beast God stood.

Clearly, Ximen Yu had no good means to scale this cliff... It was fifty meters high, and its sheer smoothness would have daunted even the best climber.

Theory was one thing, but unexpected obstacles always made theory hard to realize.

“I’ll go up and have a look,” Zhao Nan spoke up.

“You have a way?” Ximen Yu asked, curiosity lighting his eyes.

Zhao Nan nodded. A black sphere appeared in his palm. He walked to the cliff’s edge, raised the orb overhead, and suddenly a thick white strand shot out, anchoring itself in the cave mouth halfway up the cliff.

“What is that...?”

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Ximen Yu stared at Zhao Nan in astonishment, but seeing Zhao Nan’s calm gaze, he simply shrugged. He didn’t press the matter, just as Zhao Nan hadn’t asked why Ximen Yu had killed those three members of the Guardian Knights guild.

Gripping the black orb, Zhao Nan triggered the spider silk to contract, and he shot upward at speed, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

The river’s rush echoed around them; the silence of waiting was almost unnerving. Soon enough, Zhao Nan dropped back down and announced, “It’s safe.”

“Excellent. Send your people up first,” Ximen Yu said offhandedly.

Without wasting words, Zhao Nan summoned Finina and Gao Mingyang, letting them each grip his shoulders as he hoisted them up.

“You two are the best close-combatants in the team. Guard the entrance,” Zhao Nan instructed.

“Leave it to me!” Finina laughed, her sword twirling—a flash of silver light trailing behind. At this stage, few could evade that silver gleam.

Zhao Nan nodded, then it was Xu Feng and Xu Fei’s turn. With a whoop, they too landed safely above.

Next came Xu Yang and Jiang Lun.

“Sister Xu Yang, left or right?” Jiang Lun winked as he looked at Zhao Nan waiting above.

“Whatever you like,” Xu Yang murmured.

“Haha, I’ll take the right, then!” Jiang Lun barked and hurried over, clinging to Zhao Nan’s right shoulder—the hand he used to pull the spider silk. His left, as before, went around the waist.

Xu Yang bit her lip, moved to Zhao Nan’s left, and with her head down whispered, “Sorry to trouble you.”

Zhao Nan grunted, slipped an arm around her waist, and said nothing more. “Keep your wits about you,” he murmured.

“Got it!” Jiang Lun yelled, evidently finding this method of travel rather thrilling.

Ahem!

Suddenly Xu Yang coughed, and their ascent slowed. Zhao Nan frowned. “Are you alright?”

“Just swallowed some water, my throat’s a bit sore,” Xu Yang replied, her voice hoarse but smiling. As she looked up, her hair in disarray from the wind, her eyes shone bright, though her eyelids drooped with a lazy air.

“As long as you’re fine.”

Zhao Nan nodded, quickening their ascent again. In no time at all, he and his companions reappeared before Ximen Yu and Xiao Wu.

“Name your price—would you sell me that device?” Ximen Yu asked with a light laugh.

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Zhao Nan recalled their first meeting; it too had been over a trade.

“I’m not short on money right now.”

“I have a level-19 enchanter—he could double-enchant all your gear.”

“We’re here.”

“Eh...” Ximen Yu sighed, a little disappointed, and strode into the cave ahead. Zhao Nan swiftly retracted his predatory spider silk.

This was a mere interlude; aside from Xiao Wu’s odd glance, no one else realized that Zhao Nan and Ximen Yu had just failed at another deal in those brief moments.

...

...

They were now close to the pit where the Beast God’s statue stood, and once again found themselves in an area where the walls automatically shifted. However, the destination marked on the map was in a direct line with the direction of this cave.

No matter if the wall blocking the way was horizontal or vertical, brute force could break it down. After less than a hundred meters, they encountered the fifth thick wall blocking their path.

Thud, thud, thud.

The group’s expressions grew grave. From behind the wall came intermittent, heavy impacts—like the tolling of a great bell, every strike urging panic.

Zhao Nan pressed a hand to the wall. It was icy cold. He exhaled and said quietly, “We’re here.”

His palm glowed with a surge of red light. With a thunderous crash, the wall blew open, and the head of a great dragon made of fire burst through, the force of its breath scattering the dust in an instant.

The fiery dragon’s head surged forward, crashing directly at the shadow ahead—then exploded in a blaze.

By the light of the fading flames, a massive black shadow loomed in the road ahead, stunning everyone.

LV55 Phoenicia (Weakened)

The name shone in golden brilliance.

It was a rat—a rat as massive as a small hill, with three eyes set in a row across its face.