Chapter 54: Chapter 50: Moving Forward
[Warrior’s Heart]: Tempered by ages of conflict, you have grown into a mighty Warrior. The will to battle burns in your heart, making you fearless in the face of danger, your fighting spirit unyielding!
Skill Effect: Increases Endurance by 10%, reduces Physical Consumption when using Skills by 10%.
What the hell?
Lin Mo’s eyes lit up as he looked at the effect of this Class Skill. ’It’s exactly what I needed!’ He’d been worrying about his low Constitution and lack of Physical Strength. This Special Skill, [Warrior’s Heart], not only increased his Endurance by 10% but also reduced the Physical Consumption of using Skills.
This, combined with the two-point Constitution boost from the Warrior Profession, might not solve the problem entirely, but at least he wouldn’t be gasping for breath after a couple of swings and gassing out in seconds.
"Hmm?"
Bain, who was surveying the area, suddenly noticed Lin Mo. He wasn’t sure why, but in the span of just half a minute, his entire impression of Lin Mo seemed to have changed.
It was an indescribable, subtle change, but it was definitely there.
It wasn’t the sort of thing one could ask about directly, so Bain didn’t dwell on it. He quickly looked away and resumed his observation of the Secret Realm.
Behind them, the "fissure" was still there, but it was now intangible.
Just as the Minstrels said, getting in was easy, but getting out was another story.
The Secret Realm had been triggered. To put it in more esoteric terms, as outsiders, they were tinged with the Magic Power of two different worlds. This interfered with the magical resonance, causing the passage on this side to temporarily close to them.
The duration of the closure was unknown, but no one had ever been heard of entering a Secret Realm and leaving through the original entrance.
Even if those two Cursed Cat Demons had made it to the Secret Realm’s entrance, they wouldn’t have been able to return.
"It seems we’ll have to explore this Secret Realm if we want to get out."
Bain walked over and touched a bluish-gray wall. The stone bricks were familiar to him; both their appearance and texture closely resembled the walls of Lania City.
"Looks like this is a small Underground Dungeon,"
Cody guessed.
Bain nodded. "That’s probably right. We just need to reach the end to find the exit."
Of all the types of Secret Realms, Underground Dungeons were arguably the most common, and most Minstrels’ tales were based on them.
The format was usually quite similar to what lay before them. These Underground Dungeons were typically filled with Demons and traps, but of course, there would be a corresponding reward at the very end.
A predictable level of danger for a satisfying reward.
For Adventurers, whether they entered willingly or not, this was the best type of Secret Realm to encounter.
It seemed their luck wasn’t so bad...
"So, should we set off now?"
Evan waved the Sword in his hand, looking ready to go.
"No rush. Let’s rest a bit first."
Bain shook his head. Though it hadn’t been long, they had just been through a fight. They’d also sprinted for some time chasing the Cursed Cat Demons. After such a brush with death, they needed a moment to compose themselves.
Everything inside the Underground Dungeon was an unknown. Before moving out, they had to get back into top condition.
There was no wood here, so they couldn’t start a fire. Bain could only take out some rather dry, hard bread from his bag, washing it down with water and salted meat to fill his stomach.
Lin Mo did much the same, eating a simple meal.
Cody didn’t eat any bread, having only a bit of jerky. As the party’s Assassin, he had to keep his mind as sharp as possible to spot traps. While the sweetness of wheat brought a pleasant sense of comfort, it also induced drowsiness and slowed one’s reactions.
Evan ate hurriedly, his impatience obvious. Millian, however, chewed in small bites, sitting not far from Evan and watching him.
It was rare for Evan not to strike up a conversation with her during a meal. Normally, as soon as they took a break, he would be right by her side, chattering away.
Millian always pretended to be annoyed, but in reality, she listened to every word and would occasionally respond.
But today’s meal was exceptionally quiet, which felt a little strange to her.
"Do you want it that badly? The Skill Scroll..."
Millian suddenly asked in a low voice.
Evan looked at her, surprised. It wasn’t often that Millian initiated a conversation with him.
Without hesitation, he nodded instinctively. "Learning Skills and becoming a Professional is the only way to make more money."
"You know, I don’t really care about all that."
Millian held the bread in her hands. A beautiful big house, wealth, fame—she had never cared for any of it. "A quiet life like this... it isn’t so bad."
’Even if it means not being an Adventurer, just living a simple, poor life in a town...’
"I know, but it would be better to have it, wouldn’t it?"
Evan’s reply was casual. The ardent young man, cherishing his childhood dream of being a Warrior, had walked through many bleak days with no light in sight.
Now that hope was right in front of him, how could he not be excited?
He could almost see himself, heroically swinging his Sword and cleaving a Demon in two with a single strike...
Millian said no more, simply stuffing the rest of her bread into her mouth.
As she swallowed, she touched the nearly healed scar on her neck.
She didn’t want to be just a burden, so she had desperately practiced her archery and eventually joined the party.
But now, she felt a little tired.
’But some things were better left unsaid.’ She could never stand in the way of the man she loved and his dreams. If he hadn’t possessed such a passionate heart, he never would have noticed her back then, wallowing in the mire, and pulled her from the deepest abyss.
Besides, they had no choice.
If they couldn’t reach the end of the Underground Dungeon, they would be trapped here to die.
After the meal, the group rested in a shared, unspoken understanding. Once they had recovered their energy, they gathered to discuss their next move.
The corridor ahead was not wide, only allowing for three or four people to walk side-by-side.
Considering the need to fight in case of an ambush, they decided to advance in a single file line.
The Knight, Bain, naturally took the lead. The Assassin, Cody, needed to be near him to scout for traps, so he took the second position. Millian was third, followed by Evan. Lin Mo was tasked with bringing up the rear and ensuring their backs were safe.
With the formation set, they set off. Bain advanced slowly, Sword and Shield in hand, each step taken with extreme caution.
Cody, meanwhile, was completely focused on the surrounding walls, not daring to miss a single suspicious detail.
"There’s a hole in the right wall! Be careful!"
Seconds after Cody’s warning, an Arrow shot out from the hole as expected, which Bain blocked with his Shield.
"There’s a crack in the left wall, ten meters ahead."
"Above! Watch out for rolling logs!"
...
The path through the Underground Dungeon was fraught with traps. Cody spotted most of them in advance, but for the few he missed, the ever-reliable Bain, solid as a fortress wall, was there to block the danger for everyone.
All in all, for experienced Adventurers, these Ordinary traps didn’t pose much of a threat.
The real danger was the Demons hidden within.
Since those two Cursed Cat Demons came from this Secret Realm, the Demons lurking inside were likely far more dangerous than Ordinary Goblins...
