Chapter 224: The Unsettling Echoes [Your companion, Grey Smoke, has DIED!]
Xin’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at the notification, his mind struggling to comprehend the words that had appeared on his screen.
The lines blurred before him, the letters dancing in a chaotic manner as if mocking his inability to grasp their meaning.
He blinked repeatedly, hoping that the words would rearrange themselves into something less ominous, something that didn’t imply the loss of a companion.
His heart pounded in his chest, the thudding reverberating in his ears as if trying to drown out the harsh reality of the message.
Slowly, a cold realization crept over him, sending shivers down his spine. Grey Smoke was gone.
Unable to accept the truth, Xin read the notification over and over again, as if expecting the words to change upon each repetition.
Each time he read it, the weight of the loss bore down on him, pressing against his chest until it felt hard to breathe.
His hands trembled as he reached out, his fingers tracing the letters on the screen as if trying to erase them, to undo the terrible reality they represented.
A surge of disbelief and denial flooded through him. He couldn’t fathom how on earth could Grey Smoke be defeated in the maze when he himself was left unscathed?
Xin hastily tapped out a message to Victor, his hands shaking as he typed each word. The message was simple, a question to what happened, a desperate hope that maybe, just maybe, there had been a misunderstanding.
He hit send, his gaze fixed on the screen as if willing Victor to reply instantly.
Time seemed to stretch into an eternity as he waited, his eyes never leaving the device in his hands.
And then, a notification chimed, signaling an incoming message.
Xin’s heart leaped in his chest as he opened the message, his eyes scanning the words with a mixture of fear and dread.
Victor’s reply confirmed the devastating truth, and Xin felt that their journey had come to a close in this dungeon.
Grey Smoke’s absence left a gaping hole in their team, their firepower drastically reduced by half.
The loss weighed heavily on Xin’s shoulders, casting a shadow over their once-promising journey through the labyrinth.
In the face of this devastating setback, a grim dilemma presented itself: should they abandon their venture into the third level and start anew?
The thought loomed, a tempting escape from the risks and dangers that lay ahead. By forfeiting now, Victor and Rever could avoid any death penalties, preserving their progress in the game.
Perhaps this challenge was the very reason numerous guilds had failed to conquer this dungeon.
[Grey Smoke: Forge ahead without me. It pains me to admit it, but you’re only one level away from the end. Explore and uncover what lies ahead. We cannot afford to abandon all our invested resources and time here]
[Red Dragon: How did you die? I thought you are strong!]
[Grey Smoke: I fell against a powerful boss. Even for someone like me, facing it alone is too much]
[Red Dragon: Whatever. Anyway, Grey Smoke is correct, Lord Schrodinger, push forward. Gather vital information and secure as many treasures as possible. We must make this sacrifice count in the end]
"What’s the plan now?"
Xin jumped in surprise, realizing Midnight Duchess had silently appeared behind him.
"Have you been lurking there this whole time?"
Midnight Duchess’s grin was concealed beneath her cloak, her eyes glinting mischievously.
"Should we keep pushing forward?" she asked after a beat instead.
Xin sighed internally. "We don’t have much choice. It’s what Red Dragon and Grey Smoke wanted."
"Perfect." Midnight Duchess beamed beneath her cloak. "Don’t worry, I’m more than enough to clear the third level for us."
"Do you even know what the third level is like?" Xin asked, a glimmer of hope in his voice, sparked by her confidence.
. Midnight Duchess grinned wider. "Not a clue."
". . ." Xin groaned. He should’ve known she was just pulling his leg.
She crossed her arms, smirking. "But Grey Smoke biting the dust? Classic. I bet he fell into a trap."
"That can’t be," Xin protested innocently. "He has Shadow, the trap-sensing expert. There’s no way he’d fall for it."
Midnight Duchess opened her mouth to retort, but then Yuzuro finally arrived, looking utterly disheveled with tears and snot streaked across her face.
"Everyone!" Yuzuro abandoned all pretense of dignity and sprinted forward, embracing Xin. "I-I’m so relieved you’re okay!"
Midnight Duchess swiftly peeled Yuzuro off Lord Schrodinger, a barely concealed angry vein popping on her head. "You’re alive, Hikari?"
Yuzuro was so overjoyed to be alive that she completely missed the sarcasm in Midnight Duchess’s tone, her face lighting up in sheer gratitude.
"Yes! Oh, thank goodness! I thought I was a goner for sure!" Yuzuro exclaimed, her eyes wide with panic. "It’s all thanks to Xi–I mean, Lord Schrodinger’s golems! Without them, I might have really died out there!"
Midnight Duchess clicked her tongue in annoyance, while Xin wondered if he was the lucky one. It seemed Yuzuro had taken the spotlight.
Yuzuro wiped her tears and stared at their blank faces. "W-what? Why are you guys surprised I made it out of that dungeon?"
Xin and Midnight Duchess exchanged a glance before blurting out simultaneously, "We thought you were a goner."
Midnight Duchess added, "And honestly, I thought you’d be the one to die, not Grey Smoke. But hey, it all worked out in the end, right?"
"How cruel!" Yuzuro shouted, dramatically slumping to the side. "How can you think that way? I’m part of the group too!"
Xin said with a stoic face as he tried to comfort her, "Sorry, it’s just that, you’re the healer. We kind of assumed that you’re dead," he uttered without any remorse.
Yuzuro stared daggers at him. "I don’t want to hear you say that with that unfeeling face of yours. Why do I feel like you guys already assumed I’m dead before I even set foot in that maze?
"I admit I’m weak, but it’s not right to gang up on me like that. Aren’t I one of your comrades too?" Yuzuro muttered to herself, seemingly lost in her own world of existential crisis.
"Should we proceed to the next level?" Midnight Duchess asked Lord Schrodinger.
Xin nodded while the two were waling ahead, leaving Yuzuro on the floor.
"Hey! Are you ignoring me?" Yuzuro hollered, chasing after them at a comically speedy pace. Her indignation was matched only by her determination not to be left out.