Sequence adventurers roaming between two worlds

Chapter 78 Approaching Challenge: The Avatar of Darkness (4k words)

Wild Boar Tavern, first floor lobby.

Rachel, a girl with long, straight black hair, sat in the corner, tilting her head slightly as she looked at the approaching knight in the lake and the young adventurer beside him. A slightly helpless expression appeared on her face: "Andrei, your habit of making friends everywhere hasn't changed at all, even after leaving the provincial capital."

Faced with his "friend's" complaints, the blond, blue-eyed youth laughed heartily: "Rachel, Mr. Leo is no ordinary man."

""

"He is a rare and outstanding adventurer."

Rachel felt helpless about her partner, who was impeccable in every other respect except for his excessive enthusiasm for making friends.

He praised every friend he brought along without reservation.

But in recent years, very few have truly deserved such high praise from him.

Despite thinking this in her heart, the girl with long, straight black hair still nodded slightly to Leo and greeted him.

The moment she nodded, she felt a slight chill and frowned slightly, but after confirming it was probably just her imagination, she relaxed her brow.

"Don't worry about her, Rachel is just naturally quiet, she's actually a very nice person."

Andrei patted Leo on the shoulder and gestured for him to sit down.

Leo nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the quiet, long-haired girl.

His black hair and black eyes gave him a strong sense of familiarity.

If Leo hadn't sensed the threat as well as she did, he would have thought she was a student.

"Two Bronze-rank professionals —"

Leo was amazed.

Sending a Bronze-rank hero to provide support was already quite an exaggeration, but unexpectedly, there was another one.

He looked at the skill he had just "stolen".

【Lightless Steps Iv.3】: A bronze-tier skill for the hero class "Twilight Assassin" that allows for short-distance traversal using shadows.

Skill Effect 1: Agility bonus +1.5

Skill Effect 2: Maximum distance shadow traverses +3 meters (based on [Hand of Thieves] level, only 50% + 20% of the effect can be achieved).

(Miracle Bonus), totaling 70% effect, the same below), the first attack after the Shadow Crossing ends, deals an additional 30% Shadow Erosion damage.

Each time it is used, if it is used again within a short period of time (within 10 seconds), the Shadow Power required will increase by 100% compared to the previous use.

Two Bronze-tier Heroic Professionals!

Leo was amazed.

If he weren't afraid of the two of them noticing, he really wanted to take more from them to try and create the strongest skill combination.

"Oh, gentlemen, do you know Mr. Leo?" At this moment, Yotsuba, who came to deliver the food, looked surprised when she saw the three people sitting at the same table.

"Miss Yotsuba, good day." Andrei bowed slightly with his hand on his chest, his attitude remaining unchanged even when facing a tavern waitress.

Rachel, standing to the side, smiled gently and said, "They really do look alike."

"Huh?" Yotsuba, holding the tray, looked puzzled.

"Although she looks a bit young, her face is exactly the same as that of Senior February."

Rachel's voice was filled with deep nostalgia.

February?

Upon hearing this address, Yotsuba's eyes lit up with delight. Forgetting all about maid etiquette, she quickly stepped forward: "My lord, do you know my second sister? How is she doing?"

"I haven't seen her or received a letter from her for over a year since she went to the provincial capital for further studies."

Her voice was tense.

"February is doing well." Rachel gently shook her head, comforting Yotsuba: "She's currently busy conquering a large dungeon and can't go out to deliver messages."

"It's alright, it's alright." Yotsuba breathed a sigh of relief.

Leo, standing to the side, was quite surprised.

Unexpectedly, Yotsuba and Mika have an older sister who looks similar to them.

Indeed, he had met the three sisters, Wu Xue, Si Ye, and San Hua. Although they differed greatly in terms of figure, their faces were quite similar.

Following this naming pattern, they probably have an older sister, right?

Leo couldn't help but voice his curiosity.

Yotsuba thought about it for a moment, then shook her head: "Mother said that we do have an older sister, but—"

"She disappeared in an accident shortly after she was born."

"Nobody knows where she is now, or if she's still alive—"

Feeling a bit down, the maid quickly changed the subject: "Anyway, it's just the four of us sisters now."

"Since you two are old acquaintances of my second sister, then let the shop treat you to breakfast today!"

After saying that, she turned and left without waiting for Rachel to refuse.

"————" Rachel lowered her hand that she was about to raise, and smiled helplessly: "Miss Yotsuba is really energetic, completely different from Senior February's personality."

Leo remained silent.

Soon, Yotsuba delivered three deluxe breakfasts.

However, just as the three of them were eating, hurried footsteps approached from the entrance of the Wild Boar Tavern and finally stopped at their table.

Leo raised his head.

What came into view was Miss Sanhua, panting heavily.

Her chest heaved like a mountain range, and her forehead was covered in beads of sweat.

"Mr. Leo, you're here too—"

Her gaze first fell on Leo, and then shifted to the two bronze-level adventurers, Andre and Rachel: "My lords, the guild leader has urgent business with you. Please come immediately."

Upon hearing this, the two exchanged a glance, then immediately stood up, ignoring their unfinished breakfast, and sped off towards the guild.

"What happened?"

Leo looked at Sanhua and said in a deep voice.

Generally speaking, unless it's an emergency, the guild won't have the receptionist actively looking for people.

Sanhua looked around, then leaned close to Leo and whispered, "Something's happened—Mr. Leo, do you remember the abandoned mine you went to support Captain Gomon not long ago?"

Leo nodded.

He was deeply impressed by the Black Rock Mine.

It was there that he first faced a terrifying bronze-level monster.

And it was precisely because Miss Sylvia was trying to save him that she was struck by "Dark Devour" there.

Sanhua continued in a low voice, "Not long ago, the team the guild sent there to conduct a follow-up investigation lost contact."

"Afterwards, Lord Sekoda, the Hand of Shadows, personally went to investigate and discovered that the abandoned mine was once again filled with monsters!"

"Some of them are even monsters that shouldn't be on the outskirts of Silvermoon Forest, including some big ones with a challenge level as high as 4 or 5."

"Furthermore, their leader is suspected to be a bronze-level monster!"

"The guild speculates that [Darkness] may have used high-energy ore deep within the Blackrock Mine to conduct a special teleportation, sending monsters that originally inhabited the inner and even core areas of the Silvermoon Forest there!"

"And these monsters have now poured out of the mines and are heading towards White River Town!"

"This is... a beast tide!"

Leo's eyes narrowed.

【Darkness】It took a considerable amount of effort to trap Sylvia, the only Bronze-level adventurer in White River Town, in the "Darkness's Bite," so it certainly wasn't for fun.

Its purpose was to eliminate the strongest fighting force in Baihe Town during the subsequent beast tide attack on the city.

Without the Azure Silver Sword Maiden, the adventurers in White River Town are utterly powerless to resist the beast tide led by the Bronze-level monster.

But what is the purpose of [Darkness] doing this?

Without Baihe Town, how would it help to break free of the seal?

"Miss Sanhua, I'm going to the guild."

Leo left those words behind, with half a steak still in his mouth, and rushed out of the tavern.

On the top floor of the guild building, inside the guild leader's office.

Just as Lake Knight Andrei and the long-haired girl Rachel finished listening to Branch President Lucas describe the beast tide, they met his serious gaze.

"Gentlemen, do you know anything?"

Lucas stood up and braced himself on the desk with both hands.

"According to the guild's past records, [Darkness] has never been this crazy, even when they were causing trouble when the dungeon was about to open and the seal was weak."

"It was just routine support, but the province sent two Bronze-rank hero professionals."

All of these factors combined make me suspicious.

Upon hearing his words, a look of apology appeared on Andrei's face. He glanced at Rachel beside him, and seeing that she did not object, he said, "I'm sorry, President Lucas."

"It's not that we want to hide it, but this matter involves a wide range of people, and the president has instructed us to try not to disclose it to the outside world."

""

He shook his head helplessly: "But given the current situation, it's no longer acceptable to keep it from you."

"The reason why [Darkness] is acting so recklessly this time is because if it cannot break free from the seal during the opening of this dungeon, it will never have another chance."

Ok?

Lucas frowned. "What do you mean?"

Having already said it, Andrei naturally didn't mind explaining it more clearly: "The underground labyrinth has a time limit for its existence."

"This timeframe is typically five hundred years."

"When the five hundred years are up, the underground labyrinth will collapse and fall into the deepest part of the Ether Realm."

7

"By then, [Darkness] will truly have no chance of breaking the seal."

"So this time, it's bound to go crazy."

"Whether it's before or during the opening of the underground labyrinth."

"This is also the main reason why the president of the Asian Federation sent me and Grandma Rachel to come and provide support."

"But now it seems that the madness of [Darkness] is just as we initially predicted."

"It triggered a beast tide, which crashed into the villages and towns surrounding the Silvermoon Forest. Its purpose was presumably to destroy the sealing nodes set up by the towns, thereby further weakening the sealing's penetration, and ultimately breaking through the seal."

"The enclosure of darkness is divided into two layers, inner and outer."

"Inside is the Ya Yin Yue Maze itself; outside is the Qiu Ya Sealing Barrier."

"Now, the Silver Moon Labyrinth is on the verge of collapse, and its own power has fallen to its lowest point ever."

"Therefore, the main force of the enfeoffment has become the external enfeoffment barrier."

"There are a total of nine sealing nodes around Silvermoon Forest. Three large and six small."

"The guild in Baihe Town has three major sealing nodes."

"There are two small enclosed nodes, located in two other large villages around Baihe Town, namely Oak Village and Windmill Village."

"The other two sealing nodes on the other two Fangpus have also been assigned corresponding support personnel by Captain Naji."

Leisheer, who was standing to the side, took the beggar's hand and analyzed in a calm voice: "As long as all nine nodes of this sealing barrier are destroyed within an hour, it can quickly heal by storing energy."

Andrei took a deep breath: "Damn it, since [Darkness] has stirred up a beast tide, it must have launched an attack on the three major sealing nodes simultaneously."

"Our mission is simple: just hold the three key points in this area, namely the large one and the two small ones."

"In this way, even if the other two large sealing nodes of the Fangpu Seal are breached, the sealing barrier will return to its original state after one hour."

Leisheer added, "If we lack the capability, then at the very least, we must safeguard the core node of Baihe Town's milk powder business."

The beggar's meaning is quite clear.

If things truly become unmanageable, Oak Village and Windmill Village will be abandoned.

The people living in these two villages will become prey for the beast tide.

"The question now is, what exactly is the scale of this beast tide that Fangpuyin is experiencing?"

Lucas was stunned. A few seconds later, he said in a low, hoarse voice, "According to preliminary reconnaissance, there are at least three bronze-level monsters and thirty or more iron-level monsters. As for the number of ordinary monsters, it is difficult to estimate."

Upon seeing this beggar, the expressions of Andrei and Reisel on the opposite side also turned serious.

Bronze-level monsters are not to be underestimated. Even though they are hero professionals and can fight against a small team of the same level by themselves, each person can only deal with one bronze-level monster at most.

What should I do with the one that still has milk left?

Bronze-level monsters, if not entangled by an opponent of the same rank, would be utterly crushed by Archer when facing Iron-level or lower monsters.

Geng Ling said that there were also a large number of Iron-level monsters, as well as ordinary monsters.

"With our strength, we can only protect two sealing nodes at most right now," Rachel said calmly.

Andrei's expression was tense.

He was determined to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors and become a noble knight of the lake, but at this moment, the cruel separation between reality and ideals made him feel deeply powerless.

He longed to say something inspiring like, "Leave this to me," but he knew he couldn't.

The silent air grew heavy, pressing down on the hearts of the three.

At that moment, a voice came through the crack into the office and into the ears of the three people.

"I think I might have a way to protect all three sealing nodes."

"Squeak—"

The office door was pushed open, and under the watchful eyes of the three people, Leo strode in.

"Leo?"

As the person threw the object at him, Lucas, who was about to utter annoyed "What can you do?", swallowed the words back.

Regardless of the amazing record of the newcomer who led the team to defeat the Black Iron-level monster when Ya Gang joined the guild.

Later, Asia was defeated by the wolves and rescued by the Goblin Squad.

All of this proves that Leo is an excellent adventurer who excels at "breaking the rules".

"Kid, tell me, what's your plan?"

Hearing Lucas say this, Andrei was quite surprised.

He was surprised that Guild Master Lucas valued this adventurer, whom he had just met that morning, so much.

Reseer, standing to the side, also showed surprise in her eyes.

Meeting the differing gazes of the three men, Leo smiled: "It's very simple."

"Is the beast tide no less than having three bronze-level monster leaders?"

"Then we will also send out three bronze-level adventurers."

Lucas frowned: "My current strength is insufficient to fight against bronze-level monsters. Even if I fight desperately, I cannot win, and I cannot even delay them."

"Of course, I'm no less impressive than you, Chairman." Leo shook his head, his smile unchanged. "Have you forgotten Miss Sylvia?"

"But she is trapped in the 'Dark Devouring' and is currently in a coma—" Lucas finished speaking, but was interrupted by Leo.

"What if I said I could exorcise the 'Dark Devourer'?"

Facing Lucas's wide eyes, Leo confidently declared, "Guild Master, I want to fight the [Darkness] clone."

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