Chapter 217 Decaying Leaves and the Inverted Sky

Adventurers—a complex and contradictory group that existed outside the mainstream structure of society.

They hunted monsters for gold, keeping farmlands and villages safe from disaster while putting food in the mouths of those who would have otherwise starved in the streets. The massive profits from their work nourished countless supporting industries that relied on them as a core pillar.

At the same time, the relatively low barrier to entry and their individual might—far exceeding that of ordinary people—resulted in a wildly uneven mix of character within their ranks.

Stealing food, harassing women, and pillaging villages were common occurrences, as were life-and-death struggles over the slightest disagreement.

They were an unstable element in society, a potential source of danger.

To the noble lords living in their towering castles, adventurers were necessary to handle the "dirty work" that their highborn bloodlines left them unable and unwilling to do. Yet, they also viewed these armed men and women, untethered to any domain, as a threat.

Meanwhile, the farmers toiling in the fields might fear that passing adventurers would wantonly plunder their villages and shatter their peaceful farming lives. But when monsters attacked, they had no choice but to desperately beg those same adventurers for help, even if they had to pay an exorbitant price.

Different stances and perspectives led to vastly different views of this group.

Even so, over countless years, certain stereotypes—or rather, "commonalities"—had been established regarding adventurers, especially those at the bottom rung.

In truth, it came down to a single word: desire.

It ranged from the humblest yearning for survival—"living on," "not starving," "not freezing"—to the dream of climbing the social ladder—"becoming a lord," "buying land," "becoming a sheriff"...

It went from the instinctive, immediate indulgence of the senses—"alcohol," "procreation," "killing"—to the ultimate pursuit of power and freedom.

Even those "living legends" of the Legendary rank who left their names in history could not escape the cage known as "desire."

Often, the clear-headed ones who recognized the true nature of desire would even actively allow it to control them, driving their bodies and wills toward their goals.

An adventurer team like the Sea Thorn Squad, composed of low-level Class Holders, naturally no longer had to worry about filling their bellies, but they did not have any noble pursuits either.

Mostly, it was just for gold.

Veris and Cash were both Class Holders and partners of many years.

Since the founding of the Sea Thorn Squad, their names had been on the Association's registry.

Despite being together for so long, neither had ever revealed the details of their pasts to the other, just as they still kept their guard up around each other during the occasional crisis.

They only knew roughly that one had grown up by the sea as a fisherman, while the other had mingled in the Underdark and the surface since childhood, a half-blood born of a human and a Drow Elf.

As for whether they had ever joined other squads or had other teammates, neither knew.

In the very beginning, the Sea Thorn Squad was actually like the vast majority of adventurer teams on this continent: a normal squad that lived by taking quests, hunting monsters, and earning bounties.

Exactly when it started was unknown. Perhaps it was in Arcane Calendar year 1014, when they abandoned the half-orc Warrior in the face of that Displacer Beast; or perhaps it was three years ago, when they looted a ruby-hilted short blade worth 150 gold from a dead gnome ranger teammate while clearing the battlefield.

Cash and Veris gradually became accustomed to making a little extra fortune off their teammates on top of completing their missions.

If the profit was large enough, they didn't even mind doing it themselves, letting those pitiful newcomers witness the true cruelty of adventurers.

Thanks to their rich adventuring experience and skill in reading people, the two never made a mistake. If they occasionally misjudged and recruited someone difficult to handle, they would usually just play the role of teammates until the end of the mission before finding an excuse to leave.

Of course, the excessively high casualty rate of their members from such actions would easily garner them a reputation in the small circles of adventurers if they stayed in any single human settlement for too long. Not only would it affect squad recruitment, but it also carried a high probability of attracting trouble.

Therefore, the two were accustomed to "committing crimes on the run," traveling between various Association branches, using time and distance to dilute the impact of their actions.

Perhaps the lower Class Level adventurers they targeted didn't carry much loot, but after several years of accumulation, the two had still saved up a considerable fortune.

Even with their massive daily expenses, they had still deposited a substantial amount of gold in banks, and purchased real estate and shops in a few major cities.

In this way, their despicable adventuring careers continued until a few months ago.

In a small, not particularly prosperous town, the Sea Thorn Squad welcomed a new member.

A young, cute, and kind Cleric.

And during the mission, the two discovered that their teammate seemed to carry a precious magical accessory—one capable of fetching a sky-high price on the market, enough for them to retire on.

What happened next no longer needed much elaboration.

But infuriatingly, at the very last moment, that Thorn-Woven Necklace had actually been snatched away by a nauseating, disgusting thief—a thickly furred black bear.

And this was exactly the reason why Cash and Veris had tracked it for months, eventually arriving at Rivervale Town.

Fortunately, persistence paid off.

Only the most patient fisherman with the most tenacious willpower could hook a big fish in that chaotic ocean—these were the exact words Cash's father had said before he died.

It was also just like the proverb passed down in Veris's clan: when accidentally falling into a cave in the Underdark, one might encounter a starving hook horror, or perhaps a hidden treasure sealed away for years.

A "suspected rookie" inadvertently recruited into the squad suddenly displayed extraordinary strength that disrupted their original plans. Yet, after peacefully biding their time until this final mission, they discovered that their long-sought target was the very subject of his investigation.

A sudden twist of fate.

As Veris stood in the tall grass, gazing across the clearing at the corpse of the Lycanthrope—

as the dazzling magical glow flashing around its neck reflected in her eyes, which grew brighter as the night thickened—

this Drow half-blood from the Underdark suddenly recalled the night before she passed her clan's trial.

Sweet and lingering.

Everything was worth it.

The morbid pursuit of wealth, unconsciously fostered over years of her adventuring career, even made Veris instinctively want to hoard the magical accessory before her all for herself.

But the next second, the last shreds of reason warned her from the deepest depths of her heart:

Don't rush, don't rush.

Wait until the only outsider on the field right now—that young man who newly joined the squad—was dealt with.

She and her teammate would naturally have a good discussion regarding the distribution of the spoils.

When the time came, if she still wasn't satisfied...

Veris's eyes flickered, a suffocatingly thick greed flashing briefly in the depths of her pupils.

"Clack."

Behind her, accompanied by the snapping of branches and the clatter of plate-chain armor, footsteps rapidly approached.

He was here!

Her mind instantly went on high alert.

Subconsciously turning her head, she exchanged a silent look with Cash beside her.

That identical look—one she had seen countless times and shared herself—made the corners of her mouth curl up involuntarily.

Without needing any further communication, Veris knew in her heart that her old teammate shared her exact thoughts.

Her brain raced, countless thoughts flashing by in an instant.

This black-haired young man, known as Greysword among the bottom-tier adventurers of Rivervale Town, possessed a formidable strength far exceeding other ordinary Class Holders.

Although his combat style leaned more toward close-quarters combat, and the equipment he wore was thick and heavy, granting him excellent defense—

Through careful observation over these past few missions, she knew clearly that he also possessed a highly explosive gap-closing combat technique, capable of covering a large distance in an instant.

Moreover, it seemed to cost little energy, allowing him to use it repeatedly in a single battle.

Under normal circumstances, this was absolutely an incredibly tricky opponent.

In close combat, swinging that distinctly personalized Iron-Gray Greatsword, his arcing slashes—suspected to be a Mastery-level combat technique—were unstoppable even against the thick down and fur of an Owlbear.

From top to bottom, his obviously Fine-grade Plate-Chain Composite Armor and cold, rigid greaves almost fully enveloped his body, granting him a sturdy defense far beyond that of ordinary adventurers and an immense margin for error.

And whenever one thought to create distance, that displacement combat technique which condensed a Wolf Head in the air would instantly seize the initiative of the battlefield beneath its Wolf Fang.

Retreating, kiting, closing in to attack—as long as you lacked a speed faster than that wolf howl, the flow of the battle was entirely in his control.

The opportunity would only last for a split second.

At the very beginning, in that instant when he approached and had not yet sensed any hostility.

It was the perfect time to eliminate him at the fastest possible speed.

Otherwise, once Greysword reacted, the field would devolve into a drawn-out battle of attrition.

She knew with absolute clarity that killing Xia Nan in an instant was a difficult task.

Yet, deep down, Veris felt exceptionally confident.

On one hand, it was the bloodline of the Drow Elf, rendering her increasingly calm and composed at critical moments—a natural-born assassin with nerves of steel.

On the other hand, it was her own preparations, so thorough they were almost overly elaborate.

Her right hand, gripping the sharp Short Dagger, quietly brushed past her waist. The next second, held between her slender fingers hidden in Xia Nan's blind spot, appeared an oval-shaped object resembling a closed eye.

That was the trump card she had brought from her clan and kept on her person for crucial moments.

A specially processed tentacle-tip eye from a [Spectator Beholder].

This dangerous monster, with a Challenge Rating as high as "3," lacked the burly, robust physique of an Owlbear and was even inferior to the physical constitution of a Petrification Lizard.

But their eyes and tentacles, capable of shooting out "Confusion Rays," "Paralyzing Rays," "Fear Rays," and "Wounding Rays" respectively, made them one of the most terrifying existences in the countless deep tunnels of the Underdark.

Right now, the eyeball in Veris's hand contained a single Fear Ray.

As long as she guided her mental strength and gave it a light squeeze, that special gaze capable of plunging a target into a state of "Fear" would fall upon Xia Nan.

She wasn't sure how long Xia Nan would be affected by this consumable item.

A minute, thirty seconds, or just the span of a few breaths?

Even considering the worst-case scenario: that his will was resilient enough to completely resist the Fear Ray's mental attack.

At the very same time, a Rogue class ability—her mastered [Shadow Bind]—had already locked onto his legs like thick sludge.

This ability was not something that could be negated by willpower alone, and his physical attributes couldn't possibly reach the level required to break through the binding instantly.

An instant—even just a split second of immobilization.

That would be enough for Veris to continue her plan.

[Shadow Body] could grant her movement speed far beyond her usual limits for a short time, allowing her Mastery-level [Straight Stab] to display exaggerated explosive power in a flash.

And even preparing for the absolute worst, factoring in all the above conditions while simultaneously ignoring Cash attacking alongside her—even if this strike failed to achieve its ideal effect...

As long as her two poison-coated Short Daggers so much as grazed him, the deadly toxin would seep into his body through the wound and course through his bloodstream.

At that point, the scales of the Goddess of Victory would completely tip in their favor.

Veris didn't hold back in the slightest, revealing her trump card right from the start and going all out.

And if everything progressed as she anticipated, Xia Nan would likely suffer a heavy blow sufficient to dictate the course of the battle in less than a second.

What a pity that no matter how meticulous Veris's planning was, no matter how sinister and vicious her methods were...

She could never have imagined that everything would grind to a halt right at the very beginning.

The Short Dagger in her hand had just thrust out, her Mastery-level [Straight Stab] combat technique not yet fully formed;

Faint afterimages surfaced on her body, the explosive power brought by [Shadow Body] still brewing in her muscles;

The shadows on the meadow beneath the dim light twisted slightly, [Shadow Bind] having only just locked onto the target and slowly creeping beneath him.

Right at the onset of everything, she aimed at Xia Nan before her and forcefully squeezed the eyeball from the [Spectator Beholder].

When that tightly closed eye snapped open, casting a dark purple beam of light onto the black-haired young man in an attempt to plunge him into a state of fear...

Everything was over.

[Gaze into the Abyss]

Category: Feat. Effect: 1. When resisting mental control spells such as charm, fear, and hypnosis, you receive a bonus to your Saving Throw (influenced by the Perception attribute);

2. When you successfully resist a mental control effect, the Spellcaster is forced to make a Saving Throw. Upon failure, they will enter a [Brief Trance] state and take a certain amount of psychic damage.

Veris found it hard to put into words what she experienced the moment she squeezed open the Beholder's eye.

All her thoughts, the schemes in her mind, and even her greed for wealth were instantly scattered by some massive, invisible force.

It wasn't a simple blanking of the brain; even the ability to "think"—innate to every living creature—seemed to have been stripped away.

All that remained was a dried-up husk housing a pale soul, sinking—endlessly sinking—into the lightless Bottomless Abyss.

Veris had no idea how long she remained in this state.

When her eyes regained focus, the vibrant colors of the world reentered her pupils along with the light.

She suddenly realized that the sky and the ground seemed to have inverted in a rapid spin.

Trees grew upside down from a sky paved with soil and decaying leaves, while the dense canopy and dim light fell downward to form the earth.

The very last shred of thought turned over in her mind, finally coming to a sudden realization amidst the lingering iron-gray sword light in her peripheral vision and the headless body spurting blood.

'Ah—so that's how it is.'

"Thud."

In the tranquil woodland, the sound of a corpse falling to the ground rang out.