Chapter 673 Resolute

"Mr. Ronda, could I ask the name of your party?"

Groping his way through the dimly lit tunnel, Zanfrey, the young noble from the Imperial Capital, struck up a conversation with the gnome Rogue ahead of him.

Spending so much time in an environment as oppressive, pitch-black, and harsh as the Underdark, while staying constantly alert for sudden danger, placed an unimaginable amount of pressure on any adventurer operating there.

This was especially true for complete novices like Zanfrey and Winsor, who hadn't even cleared out a handful of Goblin Lairs yet. Throwing them straight into a place like the Underdark was no different from a player in his past life finishing character creation and being forced into a high-difficulty dungeon where even veterans frequently wiped, before they had even figured out the movement controls.

Yet, surprisingly, after spending so much time wandering underground in search of a way out, the two had performed much better than Xia Nan expected.

Winsor remained as gloomy as ever. Though his bond with the young noble beside him had deepened over time, keeping him from complete despair, he simply didn't show much emotional fluctuation.

Zanfrey's disposition was perhaps much more normal, but worry for his missing Uncle Ake suppressed most of his fear regarding their surroundings.

Only occasionally, when the stress became truly unbearable, would he seek out his teammates for a chat like he was doing now.

"The Shadow Crows. Heard of us?" Ronda Rockwhistle, who was leading the way, turned his head and smiled at Zanfrey.

Of course, this wasn't because he was naturally amicable or fond of helping rookies.

The only reason he even responded to Zanfrey during such a tense trek was because of Xia Nan, who stood right beside the boy.

"Heh, it's normal if you haven't. After all, our party usually operates alone in the Underdark, and we don't interact much with other teams."

Seeing the awkward expression on Zanfrey's face, the gnome Rogue offered a joking remark to smooth things over.

He was just saying it casually anyway; he never expected a rookie like Zanfrey to know anything about their party.

Truthfully, there wasn't any deep meaning behind the name "Shadow Crows" to begin with. He remembered that when their captain brought up the team name back then, the group hadn't deliberated much.

It sounded impressive, but in reality, the name merely reflected the nature of their party's business.

"Shadow" corresponded to the Underdark, and "Crows" corresponded to the Dire Corbies.

"In that case, Mr. Ronda, you must be very familiar with the environment and terrain of the Underdark, right?"

Suddenly thinking of something, Zanfrey's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked with pointed meaning.

Having already learned from the group's conversations along the way that a guard of Zanfrey's named Ake had gone missing in the Underdark, Ronda naturally understood the blond boy's meaning.

He let out a self-deprecating chuckle and said, "At the end of the day, our party just trails behind the Dire Corbies and picks up their scraps. If you're talking about real familiarity, we only know a few specific routes in this nearby area."

"If I accidentally took the wrong tunnel and ended up in an unfamiliar place, I'd have to rely purely on luck to find my way out."

This was naturally an exaggeration. Having trailed the Dire Corbies underground for nearly three years, his knowledge of this part of the Underdark obviously extended beyond just a few fixed routes.

The reason he said this to Zanfrey now was to crush any thoughts the boy had of searching for Ake.

He had finally taken a risk and struck a deal with the adventurer named Xia Nan, and they were on the verge of leaving this wretched place. He absolutely couldn't accept their escape failing just because of a few casual remarks from this kid.

Hearing this, a disappointed expression surfaced on Zanfrey's face.

But a second later, his eyes became resolute once again.

Youngsters were just like that. He might usually be carefree and seem a bit reckless, but with the life of someone he cherished on the line, he displayed a stubbornness far beyond imagination.

Experienced veteran adventurers would abandon their teammates to ensure their own survival, while fresh-faced rookies clung stubbornly to the hope of finding missing loved ones, even if it meant paying a price they themselves couldn't bear.

From their respective perspectives, both choices were understandable. It was simply that their differing experiences and contrasting personalities led to vastly different courses of action.

Then—what about Xia Nan?

Walking amidst the group and realizing this, Xia Nan couldn't help but wonder what choice he would make if he were in their shoes.

To be honest, Xia Nan couldn't figure it out right away; he even felt a bit conflicted.

He was willing to pay a considerable price for his family and the people he cared about.

At the same time, was it really worth wagering his own life to chase a possibility with less than a one-in-a-hundred chance of success?

In his past life, Xia Nan might have agonized over such a conflict for a long time.

But right now, on the Aifala Continent, all these dilemmas that troubled ordinary people had a single, common solution.

Ultimately, it all came down to a lack of strength.

If Zanfrey wasn't a rookie adventurer who hadn't even attained a Class Level yet, but instead a powerhouse at the Legendary rank or higher, he naturally wouldn't have such worries.

With that level of strength, finding someone in the upper levels of the Underdark could be done in ten thousand different ways, to exaggerate a little.

And even if the situation reached the worst-case scenario, once a person grew powerful enough, the very boundary between life and death would blur.

Consequently, Xia Nan didn't need to exhaust himself fretting over this imagined dilemma.

Maintain discipline and constantly improve himself—as long as he was strong enough, all those difficulties and problems would be effortlessly resolved.

Of course, despite thinking this way, Xia Nan was still considering what to do about Zanfrey.

First of all, he had to be clear on one thing: searching for a lost person in the Underdark was no different from searching the vast ocean for someone who had fallen overboard and could drown at any moment.

Even if Ake had ended up nearby, given the complexity of the Underdark's terrain, taking just one wrong fork could lead them entirely off track.

Along the way, Xia Nan had kept his promise, doing his best to extend his Perception to search for traces of Ake.

Whenever they encountered suspicious tracks, he was willing to diverge and investigate further, even if it slightly delayed their journey.

But ultimately, they found nothing.

Foreseeably, based on Xia Nan's recent observations of Zanfrey, once they actually found the exit, the boy probably wouldn't just leave.

Instead, he would likely turn right around and return to the Underdark to search for his missing Uncle Ake.

Given the kid's level of strength and the extreme danger of the Underdark, doing so would be no different from suicide.

Even though he claimed it was to repay Xia Nan for his previous help, Zanfrey had ultimately taught him the [Returning Wave Shield Stance] combat technique without any reservations, providing precious inspiration for developing new combat techniques.

—Xia Nan was currently considering whether to use the [Fate Glimmer] die for him just once.

Effect 3: Specify a minor, upcoming, probability-based event related to yourself, and forcefully tilt the outcome in your favor (1 use/month).

The cooldown time was indeed long—a full month—but unlike the [Fate Coin] from before, it wasn't a consumable item, meaning it could be reused.

He just needed to think carefully about how exactly to apply it. If he wanted to use it for pathfinding, perhaps—

A reminder from the gnome Rogue at the front of the party interrupted Xia Nan's train of thought.

"We're about to enter that hook horror's active area. Everyone, stay alert."

He gathered his focus, deciding to wait until they finished this final stretch before the exit to make his choice.

In the upper levels of the Underdark, deep within a hidden dungeon.

"Scrape, scrape—"

Ake sat leaning against the wall, pale-faced with lowered eyes. Gripping a small, flat rock with both hands, he ground it against the floor with effort, producing a harsh scraping noise.

The three bizarre Goblins that had come to deliver meals earlier were already gone, but the stone bowls they had brought remained where they were. The strange broth inside showed no signs of decreasing.

The behavior of these Goblins was simply too strange, and the dark purple mycelium in their eyes was truly suspicious.

Until they determined exactly what kind of changes the creatures had undergone, who knew what they had added to the bowls? No matter how desperately a cautious adventurer needed nourishment after suffering physical injuries, they would never ignore the danger and eat food provided by Goblins.

Notably, the two adventurers opposite Ake, who claimed to be from some "Shadow Crows" party, looked perfectly calm and resigned to their fate. Yet, the stone bowls placed in front of them were equally untouched, making it clear they still harbored thoughts of escape.

"Hey, where are you from?"

Metal chains were wrapped tightly around her neck, making it hard for the Half-Drow named Yexi to even breathe at times, yet they still couldn't stop her from running her mouth.

The Goblins had only just left, and she was already prying into Ake's background.

"Looking at those clothes, you don't look like a local from the kingdom's borders."

"You're from the city, right?"

"The Imperial Capital," Ake answered without raising his head, his hands never stopping.

"Whoa, that really is a big city!" Astonished, the Half-Drow obviously hadn't expected this gray-haired, middle-aged man to hail from the very heart of the Servia Kingdom.

"Why would you come all the way to Calm Peaks Province from so far away?"

"The Imperial Capital! I've never been there in my life."

"I heard from a Bard before that the king's palace is forged from gold, and even the floors are covered with the highest quality goose-down carpets. Is that true?"

Yexi acted incredibly curious. Upon hearing Ake's origins, a ceaseless stream of questions spilled from her mouth.

The silent human Warrior beside her couldn't help but frown, barking out in a low voice, "Stop making so much noise and let me have some quiet!"

The Half-Drow merely curled her lips. "What, we're about to die and I can't even speak?"

"Or do you actually think the captain and that gnome will come save us, knowing their personalities?"

Hearing this, the human Warrior, Benny, lowered his head again, remaining perfectly silent.

It wasn't really Yexi's fault for being pessimistic.

Their "Shadow Crows" had been established for many years. Because their adventuring method of trailing Dire Corby flocks was quite safe, the team had experienced almost no personnel changes thus far.

The teammates had been together for a very long time and knew each other's personalities inside and out.

There was no need to explain the two currently locked in the cell after being caught by the Goblins, and as for the other two members—

The captain of the "Shadow Crows" had a conservative personality. He resisted overly risky behavior and even seemed a bit cowardly at times.

Back when they noticed the changes in the Dire Corby flock and discussed whether to terminate the adventure and temporarily retreat, he was the only one in the entire team who voted in favor.

Under normal circumstances, his conservative nature as the party's commander allowed them to largely avoid the risks of adventuring in the Underdark. This was precisely why their team had been able to securely reap the spoils of following this particular Dire Corby flock through the perilous underground world for nearly three years.

By the same token, knowing her captain, Yexi was absolutely certain he would never risk searching for—let alone rescuing—the two of them now that they were missing.

As for the gnome Rogue on their team, there was even less hope to be placed in him.

He would normally argue for half the day over a single silver coin. If they encountered any real danger, that gambling addict probably wouldn't even spare them a glance.

For all they knew, he had already returned to town and taken a seat at a card table.

It certainly sounded a bit harsh when spoken aloud, but considering their current physical conditions, it seemed "sitting and waiting for death" was the only option left for them.

"Do you two—want to get out?"

A somewhat hoarse male voice drifted over from ahead, taking Yexi aback.

The corners of her mouth curled up, and she instinctively wanted to tease him and ask if he was joking.

But when the Half-Drow's gaze shifted over and she saw the bloodshot yet inexplicably resolute eyes of the middle-aged man opposite her—eyes that looked as though an invisible fire were burning within them—the laughter that had reached her throat was abruptly choked back.

She paused, subconsciously dropping her feigned relaxed posture, and asked in a deep voice, "You have a way out?"

The human Warrior Benny beside her looked over as well.

"I'll ask again. Do you want to get out or not?"

Ake did not answer. He merely locked his eyes on the two adventurers before him, demanding confirmation one last time.

He made no grand display, yet the two adventurers from the "Shadow Crows" could inexplicably feel a determination as unyielding as steel behind the man's words.

Under Ake's intense gaze, they nodded in near unison.

Seeing their confirmation, Ake let out a long exhale.

With his right hand, he raised the flat stone he had been grinding against the ground this whole time. His gaze swept over its edge—slightly sharpened, but still agonizingly dull.

"Clatter—"

Amid the grating of metal, he shifted his body, settling into the best stance to exert force.

At the same time, he dragged his right leg—tightly bound by a bizarre iron chain—out in front of him.

Down in the Underdark, every second delayed meant another sliver of danger for the Young Master.

He couldn't keep waiting like this—

He had to leave. Right now. Immediately!

As if realizing what Ake was about to do, the Half-Drow blurted out, "Hey, you—"

A second later, Ake hoisted the stone high over his chain-bound right leg.