Chapter 647 – Being Followed.

The forest seemed to shift as the group moved through a small, narrow passage. A stream filled with rot and poison bubbled as they passed it. Serpents hissed from the bushes and toads croaked as they watched the group go by, but none of them attacked.

‘It stinks, but it works.’

Roland thought this to himself as he jogged forward at the vanguard. The monsters in this area were at the lower levels of tier three, yet none of them reacted to the group. Instead, they appeared disturbed by the smell the group carried. The source was an alchemical potion that served as a powerful repellent for monsters.

Varek had given it to everyone, clearly deciding to use one of his trump cards. It was obvious that the man wanted to reach the third ring as quickly as possible. By avoiding combat with the monsters along the way, their pace increased dramatically. The only real slowdown came from the non-combat class holders like Ermes, since the porters were at least tier two and could move relatively quickly. Nevertheless, with the repellent in effect, they were making good progress.

They were not alone, however, as shadowy figures continued to pursue them.

‘Now then, what should I do…’

Roland weighed his options carefully. He had not yet told the others that they were being followed. He did not want to alarm the adventurers, who might try to flee immediately or, worse, turn out to be working with the assassins. Agni had already been moved to the middle of the group to act as a protector for both the gnome mage and the blacksmith.

This was not a matter of if but of when they would be attacked. The body of the headless barbarian had already been stashed away in a spatial storage, not his own but Harphon’s. As a hidden guild inspector, it made sense for him to handle such matters. Although he wanted to take the body for study and compare it to the sludge left by the other assassins, he did not wish to drop his pretense of being merely an older adventurer just yet.

For the time being, they were safe. Varek was a good leader. He had provided them with monster repellent and chosen a slightly different route, one more frequently traveled by adventurers and therefore less likely to host an ambush. Even so, there was still one area they had to pass through. A series of tunnels led out of the second circle and into the third. It was a labyrinth of passages filled with traps, hidden corridors, and countless spots where an ambush could be set with ease.

‘That’s probably when they will strike, but should we let them?’

Roland was not one to shy away from confrontation, but if things continued as they were, they would be at a disadvantage. From what he could tell, they were being followed by a group that could move far faster than they could. It was reasonable to assume that some of the assassins had split off and run ahead to the next area along their path. He had confirmed this suspicion half an hour earlier when the number of pursuers had noticeably dwindled. If they wanted to improve their odds, it would be far better to lead their enemies into a trap of their own and do something entirely unexpected.

“Captain Varek.”

To do this, he needed help, and for the time being, Varek’s actions had not been suspicious. The man was doing his best to complete his mission under these circumstances, and he was probably the only one he could rely on now, since this dungeon was new to him. While Roland had gone through maps, accounts of other adventures, and even rumors, he still needed advice from someone who had spent more time in this dungeon, which made Varek the perfect choice.

“What is it, Siegfried? Is there something ahead of us?”

He slowed his pace to fall in beside Varek while the group continued moving.

“No. I just need you to play along with something.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

Roland leaned closer and lowered his voice, surrounding them with a compact sound barrier so only the two of them could speak freely. As they continued running, he quietly explained his plan. Varek’s expression remained unchanged as he played his part well. After confirming a few details, Roland finally stopped.

“What do you mean you’re leaving us?”

“I just decided. It’s too dangerous, and I can reach the third ring on my own with Amun. It’s the logical choice. Amun, come. We’re leaving.”

Agni looked on in confusion, as did several of the other adventurers, when the group came to a halt. Harphon was the most bewildered of them all. Roland had agreed to help him earlier, and just as he was about to shout in protest, something happened that stopped him from complaining. After his expression changed a few times, he just nodded and held himself from complaining.

“Bah, let the idiot go. It is not like we need him. We can get through this on our own.”

Harphon said this while turning his face away, as if he were looking at a traitor. The other adventurers glanced at one another and began mumbling among themselves. Roland was their main vanguard, but it was not as though someone else could not take his place. The group was still large enough to make it through the forest and reach the third layer, especially since most of them were adventurers with levels over two hundred.

Roland did not look back as he turned away from the group. He made sure his steps were loud and careless, his posture stiff with irritation. To anyone watching, it would look like pride mixed with cowardice.

“Do not follow me.”

He added it flatly, glancing over his shoulder.

“Let’s go, Amun.”

Agni howled once, sounding almost disappointed, but soon moved to his master’s side. Varek scowled, then turned back to the group.

“Fine. Do what you want. We do not need you.”

The captain raised his hand and barked orders. The group surged forward again, disappearing deeper into the narrow forest path that led toward the tunnel entrance. Voices faded, footsteps softened, and soon only the sounds of rot, insects, and distant dripping water remained.

“What do we do? One split from the group…”

After a few minutes, six figures rose from the shadows. Men wearing long robes stood enshrouded by the darkness of the poison forest.

“That one knows too much. You three go and take care of him. Then we will meet again with the Master within the tunnels.”

One of the men spoke while the others merely nodded. Moments later, they vanished from their positions as if they had never been there, melting back into the forest’s warped shadows.

*****

“Do not stop moving. If we go through here, we will make it into the third layer in half a day.”

“Please, just give us a moment to rest…”

“…Fine. We will rest for ten minutes. Drink some water and use recovery potions if you need to.”

Varek called out to the others. The adventurers themselves were fine, but the problem lay with the regular people, like the blacksmith. For a moment, he considered abandoning them, but he stopped himself as he remembered the warning from the man called Siegfried. If the blacksmith died, then so would he.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

He did not know exactly what that meant, but he knew better than to underestimate the dark swordsman. After seeing what Siegfried could do during the fight with the monster tree, Varek feared him more than any assassin that might be following them.

“I just want this to be over.”

“That’s for sure. I heard the adventurer stronghold in the third ring is a small city in itself. I hope the beds are soft.”

“Who cares about the beds. I just want to eat something, or drink some of that famous drake ale they have down there.”

“Ha, that’s for sure.”

The adventurers began to relax, chatting among themselves, but Varek remained vigilant. He kept scanning their surroundings. Shadows sometimes took the shape of monsters or men, making him uneasy.

‘I hate assassins. I hope that man did not lie to me.’

Varek let out a sigh as he drank from his water bottle. Ten minutes passed quickly, and after consulting their main tracker, they set off into the labyrinthine tunnels. They stretched for tens of kilometers underground, and to make matters worse, the labyrinth was alive, shifting its layout every half day. The key to passing through was to enter just after a shift and recognize the pattern it followed.

“We should move. It shifted half an hour ago. If we are fast, we should reach it in less than ten hours.”