[Chapter 332. Endless Tunnels]

They entered the tunnel at the far left. The darkness swallowed them whole as Iris's lantern cast long, dancing shadows along the rough stone walls. The air grew thick with dust and the metallic scent of ore. Shortly after rounding a sharp bend, they found themselves fighting five lesser Obarros. The creatures scuttled forward, their iron-grey spikes bristling.

The fight proved quick and brutal. Iris cut down two before they could even form a proper line, her Zweihänder moving with deadly precision, the black metal blade slicing through armored shells like parchment. Vanessa, still pale from her near-death experience, struck another down with her Starfall Matrix, the arcane bolts hammering into the creature's carapace with sickening thuds.

Only several dozen meters in, the tunnel came to an abrupt end—a solid wall of rock blocked their path, forcing them to retreat to the intersection. The dead end served as a stark reminder of their dwindling options and the precious time they were losing.

From there, they entered the next tunnel. This one branched into smaller side passages every few meters, like veins spreading from a central artery. Each offshoot proved short enough to see its end from the main tunnel, the light of Iris's lantern revealing the glint of ore in the distance. They fought through the beasts inside, their movements becoming more coordinated. Iris led the charge, her sword a blur of motion, while Lana and Vanessa covered the flanks.

Carmen, carrying Sarah's unconscious form, stayed back. They fought the Obarros lurking in the side passages, the sounds of battle echoing in the confined space. The tunnel stretched on until they reached the end several hundred meters down—another dead end.

The third tunnel proved no different; it branched off into smaller mining shafts before ending abruptly. The monotony began to wear on them, each dead end chipping away at their resolve. Every now and then they encountered more Obarros. The creatures screeches and the clang of metal against their armored shells became a familiar, unwelcome soundtrack to their progress. The fights grew shorter and their movements more efficient, but the cost showed in their strained expressions. The darkness pressed in on them, the flickering lantern light doing little to push back the shadows.

The fourth tunnel appeared to go deeper at first. Mining tunnels extended from the main shaft until they stopped. The main tunnel continued for a couple hundred meters before a smooth wall bearing clear signs of mining equipment blocked their exploration. The stone here bore the marks of heavy pickaxes, each gouge telling a story of relentless labor, while metal tracks jutted from the floor like broken ribs. Iris's lantern cast dancing shadows across the abandoned tools scattered about—shovels with splintered handles, cracked helmets, and empty lanterns whose glass had long since shattered. The air hung heavy with the metallic tang of exposed ore and the faint, musty odor of rot, suggesting miners had abandoned this place in haste.

"Another dead end..." Vanessa said. Her voice echoed slightly in the confined space. She leaned against the tunnel wall, her fingers tracing the rough surface as if seeking strength from the solid stone. Her eyes, once sharp with ambition, held a dull weariness reflecting their futile efforts. Her pristine white armor was now scuffed and stained with blood—a stark reminder of how quickly their situation had deteriorated.

"There is nothing we can do about it. Just keep walking," Iris answered in a stern tone, a slight undertone of frustration betraying her annoyance at the wasted time. She kept her silver eyes fixed ahead, refusing to acknowledge the mounting exhaustion among her companions. The Zweihänder in her hand felt heavier with each wasted step, its presence a constant reminder of her responsibility to protect these women. Her jaw tightened as she imagined Searanox's reaction to their lack of progress, the thought of his disappointment stinging sharper than any physical wound.

As they reached the intersection again, the beasts had already respawned. The group had been fighting and walking through these tunnels for over an hour. The lesser Obarros scuttled back into position, their iron-grey spikes gleaming in the lantern light as if they had never been disturbed. The sight of these creatures renewed—untouched by previous battles—sent a wave of despair through the group. Lana's shoulders slumped momentarily before she straightened her posture, her knuckles white as she gripped Wavebreaker's handle. Even Carmen, burdened by Sarah's weight and her own guilt, slumped lower.

As they prepared to enter the next branch, a soft groan came from Sarah, who remained slumped over Carmen's back. She was slowly regaining consciousness. The sound started barely audible—a faint murmur easily mistaken for settling dust or distant water dripping into stone pools. Carmen froze, her body tensing as she tried to discern whether the sound came from the burden on her back or her own exhausted mind playing tricks.

The platinum blonde head shifted against her shoulder. Another groan—this one clearer and accompanied by a slight stirring—confirmed her hope. Sarah's fingers, limp moments before, curled into the fabric of Carmen's armor as if instinctively seeking purchase. Carmen's heart raced with a mixture of relief and renewed anxiety at the thought of explaining their dire situation to the young woman who had hovered at death's door just an hour before.

The sound of Sarah stirring caught Iris's attention. Her head turned with calculated precision as her silver eyes fixed on the platinum blonde girl draped across Carmen's back. The lantern light flickered across Sarah's face, highlighting the confusion etched in her features as she struggled toward consciousness.

"Finally decided to wake up?" Iris's voice cut through the tunnel's silence, each word laced with impatience rather than concern. Her posture remained rigid, her hand never leaving the hilt of her Zweihänder, as if expecting another threat to emerge from the darkness.

Sarah's eyelids fluttered open, revealing eyes clouded with disorientation. The dim light of the tunnel overwhelmed her awakened senses, causing her to squint as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. Her gaze drifted across the rough stone walls, the abandoned mining equipment. The reality of their situation dawned on her as memories of sharp pain and flashing claws surfaced in her mind. Her fingers tightened instinctively around Carmen's armor, nails digging into the metal plates as she pulled herself closer to the healer.

"Where am I? What happened?" Her raspy whisper felt dry from disuse and the lingering effects of the healing potion.

Before Carmen could muster a response—her throat tight with guilt and her thoughts tangled with the memory of her earlier paralysis—Iris spoke again, "You must be full of energy after sleeping for so long." The words carried a subtle accusation, suggesting Sarah's brief unconsciousness had been an indulgence rather than a necessity following near-fatal injuries. Iris's eyes narrowed, taking in the way Sarah clung to Carmen, the slight tremor in the younger woman's hands, and the confusion still clouding her features.

Sarah's eyes widened. The haze of confusion cleared as her memories sharpened into focus. Her hand flew to her chest, fingers tentatively exploring the damaged armor covering where the quill had pierced through. The metal remained warped and punctured, but beneath it, her skin felt whole—no longer burning with searing pain. The realization that she had been healed and saved from death's door sent a shiver through her body. With awkward movements, she slid down from her hoisted position, her legs unsteady as they adjusted to bearing weight. Her eyes immediately sought out Vanessa. As their gazes met, an unspoken conversation passed between them—a silent exchange of questions, their faces changing expression as information flowed without words.

"Right. Sleep," Sarah said softly, her voice barely a whisper as she finally understood the implication of Iris's remark.

The sarcastic edge hadn't escaped her, and she recognized the dismissal in Iris's tone. She straightened her posture, pushing aside the lingering weakness as determination replaced confusion in her eyes. Her party-girl demeanor, shattered by the violence of their encounter, began to reassert itself like armor against the harsh reality of their situation.

Iris didn't wait. Her armor made soft metallic noises as she moved into the next tunnel, the sound echoing slightly in the confined space. The four of them followed without hesitation. Lana took the rear position, her hand resting on Wavebreaker as she watched their backs. Carmen and Vanessa remained in the center, while Sarah took a place right next to Iris, determined to prove herself capable. The tunnel ahead proved identical to the others: dark, narrow, and foreboding, with rough stone walls pressing in from both sides.

"Get back, keep a couple of meters distance," Iris commanded without turning her head, her voice carrying clearly over the shuffling footsteps of her followers. Sarah froze mid-step, confusion clouding her features as she glanced from Iris's rigid back to the darkness ahead. "New formation," Iris continued, her focus entirely on the path forward. "You stay ahead of Carmen and Vanessa by a meter or so."

The order left Sarah speechless, caught between surprise at being trusted with a forward position and uncertainty about what Iris intended by the sudden rearrangement.

Sarah took her position between Iris and Vanessa, who was closely followed by Carmen. No chatter passed between them—only a dense silence, heavy as the pressing stone walls. Their boots scuffed against the floor, the sound muffled by the atmosphere of the mine. Sarah's hands trembled slightly from the residual effects of her near-death experience, but she forced her fingers to still at her sides, refusing to show weakness to Iris's cold presence.

As they moved through the fifth tunnel—which looked just like the others: dark, narrow, lined with support beams and dim orange lanterns—something changed. The space opened abruptly into a wider, higher tunnel-like chamber. The ceiling rose enough that the hooded lantern light no longer reached the darkness above. The air felt different here—less stale, but thicker with the scent of mineral dust. A small row of minecarts sat on metal tracks in the center.

A couple of carts on the side had tipped off the track, their contents spilled onto the floor—piles of dull rocks mixed with fragments of tools or personal items, now indistinguishable from one another. Right next to this odd addition stood a small, raised area leading into a side room. Crumbling stone steps framed its entrance.

Inside sat a single desk-like table, its surface scarred with deep gouges and stained with dark patches. Broken furniture lay scattered around the room. Remnants of paper or parchment that turned to dust long ago littered the floor, brittle fragments disintegrating at the slightest disturbance, their writing and meaning lost to time.