Chapter 130: Yuzuro’s Regret Yuzuro’s worried gaze remained fixed on Xin’s back. Even though she couldn’t see his face, she could sense the palpable aura of sadness surrounding him.
"He must be so devastated about what happened with him and Meilyn," Yuzuro thought to herself.
"Of course he is!" She mentally facepalmed. Their story was known to everyone in their circle. They had been childhood friends turned lovers for years, but an unfortunate accident had altered the course of their relationship.
Meilyn had moved on swiftly, finding a caring boyfriend, joining a prominent guild, and becoming a vital member as one of its core healers.
She had even excelled in her studies, working toward becoming a doctor. Life seemed to be showering her with blessings.
Meanwhile, Xin had only recently awakened to this reality, and the contrast must have been a bitter pill to swallow.
"I’m sure he hasn’t moved on yet," Yuzuro said to herself, her heart aching with regret.
She wondered if things might have been different if she had mustered the courage to confess to him before.
But the answer to that question was painfully clear – she didn’t stand a chance.
Yuzuro couldn’t help but stare at Xin once more, her eyes filled with a trembling glimmer of hope.
"Maybe this time . . . this time . . ."
On the sidelines, Rever couldn’t ignore Yuzuro’s wistful gaze, and a mischievous grin played on his lips.
Leaning in, he whispered teasingly into Yuzuro’s ear, "Quit staring at Xin like he’s your next meal. People might mistake it for something more."
Rever chuckled, but when he looked at Yuzuro’s flushed face, he fell into stunned silence.
"Wait, you . . . Don’t tell me you really—!"
"Of course not!" Yuzuro vehemently denied, cutting off Rever’s words before they could form completely.
"You IDIOT!" Yuzuro exclaimed before hastily chasing after Xin and the others, leaving Rever momentarily speechless.
Rever was still processing the unexpected turn of events, and couldn’t help but crack a smile. "Well, well. You really do have feelings for him," he muttered to himself, stifling a chuckle.
Eventually, Xin and the rest of the group managed to engage the Dwarf in conversation and obtain the quest.
"Are you players?" inquired the Dwarf, Rodrick, with a curious look. "I’m one of the many messengers of the king, and I’ve got a quest for adventurers like you. Would you be willing to hear me out?"
Xin nodded in agreement.
"There’s a dire crisis brewing in the kingdom," Rodrick began, his tone filled with urgency. "The condition of our ailing dwarf princess has taken a turn for the worse. Her only hope for survival now lies in a unique plant that can only be found in a perilous area within the fortress’s map."
He continued, "In a desperate bid to save Her Highness, the castle’s chief physician has issued a request for a skilled group of fearless adventurers to embark on a hazardous expedition in search of this elusive plant. Will you accept this quest?"
Xin’s eyes darted toward Hilda, who was discreetly hiding behind a nearby building. Could the sick princess be her sister? He wondered.
Without hesitation, Xin accepted the quest and moved aside with the rest of the team, allowing other players their turn to inquire with the Dwarf about the same quest.
This time, their mission involved locating the burial site of an elderly druid who had journeyed to a distant area where the valuable plant grew.
According to the druid’s wishes, a cache of priceless seeds and invaluable texts on herbology had been interred in the druid’s tomb. These secrets held the key to saving the unique plant and, by extension, the princess’s life.
The princess’s condition hung by a thread, making time of the essence. The explorers had to navigate the perils and challenges within the Sentinel’s Rest, located somewhere in the fortress.
Their objective was to find the druid’s final resting place, collect the seeds and texts, and ultimately secure the princess’s salvation.
Victor clarified, "The herb we seek is within the druid’s tomb, which is the last chamber. To gain access, we must confront a gate with five locks and find the five corresponding keys."
He continued, "The keys can be located in the graves of the druid’s devoted followers. Overcoming the challenges in these hallowed tombs and retrieving the keys is our only path to the chamber containing the invaluable plant and determining the fate of the princess."
Yuzuro’s stomach churned at the mention of tombs, conjuring images of the deceased, skeletons, and ghosts. She swallowed hard.
Victor added, "The rewards include a significant increase in our [Relationship Level] with the kingdom’s inhabitants, a substantial amount of gold, some experience points, and valuable items."
Rever took the lead, filled with enthusiasm, but not before he whispered teasingly in Yuzuro’s ear, "I’ll be cheering you on."
He winked and chuckled as Yuzuro’s face turned crimson.
Xin couldn’t help but inquire, "What was that about?"
Yuzuro flinched, her voice almost shouting as she replied, "Nothing!"
With that, she left Xin intrigued, wondering what was happening.
The group then followed the map provided by Rodrick.
. The map led them to the fortress’s graveyard, a desolate place surrounded by dead trees. The area was bathed in a perpetual crimson light, giving it an eerie and unsettling atmosphere as if it were drenched in blood.
This eerie crimson light cast long, eerie shadows that seemed to dance among the gravestones and dead trees, giving the entire area a foreboding atmosphere.
The graveyard itself was a sprawling expanse, with rows upon rows of weathered tombstones, mausoleums, and crypts.
Many of the tombstones bore intricate carvings and symbols, a testament to the reverence and respect for the departed.
However, the passage of time had left them worn and faded, their details eroded by the elements.
Dead and gnarled trees lined the edges of the graveyard, their branches devoid of leaves and twisted into macabre shapes. The bare branches seemed to reach out like skeletal fingers toward the crimson sky, adding to the eerie ambiance.
The air was thick with a stillness, broken only by the occasional hoot of an owl or the distant howl of a chilling wind.
It was a place where the boundary between the living and the departed seemed blurred, and one could almost feel the weight of the spirits that lingered in the shadows.
Amidst this eerie setting, the group began their journey into the tomb’s entrance, their footsteps echoing faintly against the stone pathways as they ventured further into the realm of the dead, driven by their quest to retrieve the keys and save the ailing princess.