Torun ended his rage, gazing at the corpses of the massive insects strewn across the ground and the scattered, severed legs of giant spiders, with no thought of cleaning up the battlefield.
The minotaur hurried over to the dwarf who was bound by spider-silk, crouched at his side, and asked with concern, "Sir, are you alright? How do you feel? Anywhere injured?"
As he spoke, he drew a small knife from his leather pouch and began cutting away the spider-silk restraints.
The dwarf was still panting, a bit shaken: "No, no, I’m fine, just a little hungry."
"Ah, do you have any liquor? I need a shot of something strong to calm my nerves..."
Charles strode quickly over and, hearing this, couldn’t help but let three dark lines appear on his forehead.
"We don’t have any alcohol," Torun replied, just as he finished cutting the dwarf free. The newly liberated dwarf stretched out his arms and legs, then broke into a hearty laugh: "Thank you, young lads!"
"My name is Bruno, a warrior of the Mountain Dwarf Mining Consortium. I came here to clear out the undead, but as you see, quite disgracefully, I ended up being captured by these giant spiders instead."
"Who are you both? Thank you for saving me—I’ll be sure to repay you."
"I’m Torun Highmountain, and this is Nigel Charles. We’re both adventurers, also here to solve the undead problem," said Torun.
Charles nodded, then pulled out his spellbook and crouched next to Bruno, casting a Cure Wounds on the dwarf.
Hearing this, Bruno looked a bit surprised. "Highmountain tribes? I heard your folks formed some sort of alliance with the other powerful tribes called..."
Torun answered, "The Alliance of the Mountain Purifiers."
As he spoke, he suddenly seemed to think of something, his pupils contracting slightly. He hurried to add, "Just as our alliance name implies, we formed for the purpose of purifying all the evil hiding in the mountains."
"That includes undead, cultists, fiends—anything unclean, we seek to purify and destroy!"
His eyes darted, sneaking a glance at Charles’s reaction. "To achieve this, and to ensure the mountains are purified and safe, we’ll unite with any possible ally and go to any length to destroy evil!"
Charles kept his head down, apparently focused on Bruno’s injuries, masking his gaze and expression from Torun’s view.
Bruno burst into another loud laugh at Torun’s speech: "Hahaha! So that’s how it is—looks like my people really did misunderstand you."
"You know, our leaders thought your real goal was Liberl Port, and that you’d attack anyone from Sein on sight!"
Torun gave a few awkward chuckles, glancing continually at Charles. The latter now looked up with a perfectly normal expression, "Mr. Bruno, can you move? We need to search for other survivors and link up with Torun’s comrades, then escape this cavern together."
Bruno stood up and hopped in place a few times. "No problem—the toxin’s worn off. You can always trust a dwarf’s constitution!"
He then turned and, seeing the partially devoured corpses nearby, could not help his grief and tears flooded down: "All of them were my good companions!"
"They were all excellent people, and now they’ve died here... Wooo..."
Sobbing messily, Charles could only offer him a handkerchief so he could wipe his face and blow his nose.
Torun had no idea how to comfort someone in this state, so he walked a circle around the area and eventually found a small set of chainmail and a greataxe, then brought them over and waited.
Bruno soon realized this was no time for grief. He wiped his nose on Charles’s handkerchief, then looked at the two expectantly: "Let’s come back and bury them after we clear out the foes—please?"
Charles nodded quickly. "Of course."
Torun nodded as well, and only then did Bruno smile through his tears: "Thank you, both of you!"
He took the greataxe and chainmail, quickly dressed, then hefted his axe high, full of fighting spirit. "Let me lead the way—dwarves’ vision is far superior to yours in the dark!"
Deep in the cavern, Ilthreza was fleeing in panic. All her fighting spirit gone, only terror remained.
That woman—how does she keep unleashing spells without pause?
Whether for movement, damage, defense, or scouting, since the battle began, her spellcasting had been nonstop!
And every time—a high-level spell!
Damn it! Does she not know how to conserve mana?
How has her magical energy not been drained dry yet?
She’s not even human, but some magical creature masquerading as one, with an endless well of spell slots?
Ilthreza had no way of knowing, and no courage to test Theresa’s true nature. Those searing beams of light were her very bane. So, at that moment, she could only bound frantically through the cavern, yanking herself onward with her spider-silk, her very soul fleeing in terror.
Deeper in the Tide Caverns lay a pit, a thousand meters straight down—leading to the Underdark.
If she could just reach it, she’d be safe again!
If only she could get there—
Suddenly, Ilthreza tensed and halted, turning toward the deep shadows up ahead. Raising her twin swords, her brow knotted as she barked sharply, "Show yourself! Who’s there?!"
She didn’t have to wait long. Her hiding opponent knew a Drider wouldn’t be fooled for long. Ilthreza soon saw a figure emerge—a succubus with faint violet skin, a slender and curvaceous form, and shockingly skimpy clothes, stepping calmly from the darkness.
None other than the succubus agent Ines, who had previously been embedded at the side of Abyssal Lord Montport and now hoped to get close to Torun.
Ines was, at this moment, in a terribly foul mood. She had originally intended to tail the minotaurs deeper into the cave, hoping to determine their true goal.
She planned to appear at a critical moment as a beautiful female adventurer, saving them and then growing close—building a quick romantic relationship and thereby worming her way into their group.
But her luck, it seemed, was abysmal. No sooner had she infiltrated the cavern than a powerful earthquake struck.
Cracks opened in the earth, rocks fell, and she quickly lost track of Torun and his group, left to wander the tunnels at random.
Now, she’d run into a panic-stricken Drider, another powerful presence, one obviously also fleeing from pursuit.
Curious, Ines had lurked in the shadows to observe. But the Drider had detected her, forcing Ines to emerge openly.
With an innocent look, Ines spread her hands at Ilthreza. The Drider, for her part, regarded the succubus warily—recognizing her as a fiend, Ilthreza was startled at first. Still, dark elves often trafficked with demons—after all, their goddess, the Demon Queen of Spiders, was now herself a bona fide fiend.
So, after the initial jolt, she regained her composure, though she still acted fierce and hostile. "Succubus, you’d best explain why you’re here—otherwise, I make no promises as to the... condition in which your pretty head will stay attached!"
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