Kaylon emphasized the words “Myriad City” and “distinguished guests” with deliberate, heavy slowness.
Ronid seemed completely oblivious to the warning in Kaylon’s eyes, his expression remaining composed.
He simply gave an elegant, slight bow, performing a flawless noble greeting.
“To meet the two of you here is truly an unexpected twist of fate.”
He looked up, his eyes behind the lenses showing a measured amount of admiration as he looked at Amelia. “I am Ronid Finley, the Deputy Captain of the Silver Heart adventure team, responsible for magical support.”
“If I may be so bold as to ask, are the Lady and Master also here to explore the lower layers?”
Bai Xuan felt a stir in his heart when he heard the name Silver Heart.
Barend had mentioned this adventure team from Blackcreek Town before, specifically noting the captain’s plate armor that could withstand the heavy blows of an ogre.
He couldn't help but steal a few extra glances at the finely forged armor Kaylon was wearing.
Kaylon seemed to notice Bai Xuan’s gaze.
He turned his head, shifting his focus to this young man standing within the Mulan family’s ranks, whose tattered clothes were so out of place with his surroundings.
Finding an opportunity to change the subject, he immediately asked, “And this gentleman is...? When I visited... submitted the dungeon intelligence before, I don't believe I saw him.”
Amelia naturally turned sideways, her small hand gesturing toward Bai Xuan. “This is Bai Xuan, a new friend I just made here!”
Bai Xuan met Kaylon’s scrutinizing gaze.
He gave a slight nod and said politely, “Captain Kaylon, I have long heard of Silver Heart’s great reputation. Seeing you today, it is indeed well-deserved.”
This honest remark, which didn't sound like mere flattery, clearly softened the tension in Kaylon’s face caused by Ronid.
He then nodded back to Bai Xuan. “So you are the Lady’s friend. Since that is the case, if you ever have any reasonable business in Blackcreek Town that requires assistance, you may find me at our headquarters.”
“Within our capabilities, Silver Heart is willing to provide some convenience.”
Bai Xuan was somewhat surprised but didn't show it, responding politely, “I thank the Captain for his kindness.”
But Ronid’s attention never seemed to leave Amelia.
He spoke again, his voice becoming even softer as he gazed sincerely at the girl. “Miss Amelia, I wonder if I might have the honor of inviting you to dinner once we return to Blackcreek Town?”
“I know a restaurant in town with excellent desserts that might suit your palate.”
His words were warm, and his gaze lingered on Amelia’s face and exquisite dress a bit longer than necessary.
However, he remained within a boundary that wouldn't immediately cause offense.
All his underlying emotions were suppressed tightly behind those gentle, calm eyes.
But in Amelia’s special vision, the colors and lines swirling around this man named Ronid presented an extremely uncomfortable texture.
Beneath that seemingly peaceful aura, thick and turbid dark hues constantly tried to surge up.
They were then forcibly suppressed by him, mimicking a normal shape.
This was not the first time she had seen such a distorted spectrum.
At certain banquets in the capital, the noble sons who swarmed around her, their eyes hiding calculation and greed, often emitted a similar nauseating aura.
She took a soft breath, and when she raised her purple eyes to look at Ronid, her face was filled with a worldly innocence and a hint of confused naivety.
“Dinner?”
She tilted her head slightly, her pink hair sliding over her shoulder.
“But Father and Sister Anna both said I shouldn't go out to dinner alone with a gentleman I’ve just met.”
After saying this, she acted as if she had lost interest.
She turned to grab Anna’s sleeve and asked in a clear voice, “Anna, let's hurry back! I want to eat the cookies you brought. Is there any honey flavor left?”
Behind Ronid’s gold-rimmed glasses, his pupils contracted slightly, and his breathing rhythm suffered a nearly imperceptible disruption.
Yet the smile on his face didn't change at all; it even became more gentle and indulgent, as if he were looking at a naive little sister.
This pure and seemingly guileless rejection was like a feather lightly scratching at the most distorted itch in his heart.
Instead, it incited a stronger impulse to defile and control her.
“Alright, alright.”
Banner’s annoyed voice cut in.
His tall frame moved half a step forward, his orange shoulder armor nearly touching Ronid.
He didn't bother beating around the bush and said directly, “Why do you talk so much? We’re in a hurry.”
The muscle at the corner of Ronid’s eye twitched slightly.
He maintained his smile and bowed to Banner. “I was forward, Master Banner. I was merely captivated by Miss Amelia’s radiance and lost myself for a moment.”
“I look forward to having an opportunity to make up for my offense in Blackcreek Town.”
“Ronid.”
Kaylon’s voice intervened. “The Lady and Master have important matters to attend to. Any delay is not something you can afford.”
He didn't give Ronid another chance to speak.
He turned to Amelia and bowed again, his posture lower than before. “My apologies for taking up your time. Please, after you.”
As he finished, he stepped aside to clear the path, while sweeping a stern gaze over his team members.
The members of Silver Heart instantly and silently backed away to both sides of the mine tunnel, opening a passage.
Amelia nodded, not looking at Ronid again, and walked forward with light steps.
The guard with the red gauntlets quickly moved to the front of Amelia to keep watch.
Anna followed closely by Amelia’s side, her calm gaze sweeping over the Silver Heart group, lingering on Ronid for a split second.
Banner protected the other side, with Bai Xuan following slightly behind.
Just as Amelia passed in front of Ronid, she subconsciously avoided the distorted light that disgusted her.
As it happened, this made her move closer to Bai Xuan, who was following behind.
This subtle movement of avoidance and drawing closer to another young male fell into the peripheral vision of Ronid’s lowered eyes.
The perfect smile on his face didn't change in the slightest; he only adjusted his glasses.
But in the moment the lenses reflected the light, the gaze he shot toward Bai Xuan revealed a brief, cold malice.
The two teams crossed paths.
The Mulan family group quickly disappeared around the bend in the tunnel ahead.
It wasn't until the sound of their footsteps and the glow of their magical illumination had completely faded that Kaylon’s straight back finally relaxed a little.
He spun around abruptly, his metal boots scraping harshly against the gravel.
He stepped right up to Ronid, his gauntleted hand violently grabbing the front of the man’s mage robes and hoisting him upward!
Caught off guard, Ronid’s feet nearly left the ground, and his gold-rimmed glasses went crooked.
The refined mask on his face finally shattered, revealing a look of shock and fury underneath.
“If you want to die, don't drag the entire Silver Heart down with you!”
Kaylon’s voice squeezed through his teeth, low, raspy, and filled with suppressed rage.
“Where are those filthy eyes of yours looking? What are those disgusting thoughts in your head?”
“That is the Mulan family! Do you have any idea that the old man following them might be watching from the shadows nearby? If you want to become a pile of shredded meat in this tunnel, I can accommodate you right now!”
With a powerful swing of his arm, he slammed Ronid hard against the nearby rock wall!
Thud!
Ronid’s back hit the uneven rock squarely. He let out a muffled groan as his glasses fell off completely.
He staggered to find his footing, slowly bending over to pick up his glasses and put them back on.
The front of his robes was left with clear wrinkles and the pressure marks of Kaylon’s metal gauntlet.
He didn't look at Kaylon immediately but kept his head down, slowly smoothing out the fabric with his fingers in a meticulous motion.
When he looked up again, that unsettling smile was back on his face, though cold malice swirled deep within his eyes.
Kaylon stopped looking at him and growled at his silent team members, “Move! To the seventh layer!”
With that, he shouldered his spear and walked with heavy steps toward the entrance to the next layer without looking back.
The other adventurers exchanged uneasy glances and silently followed.
No one spoke; the only sounds in the tunnel were the messy footsteps and the clanking of armor.
Ronid fell to the back of the group. He carefully smoothed his cuffs, his gaze fixed on the direction where the Mulan family had disappeared, the smile on his lips deepening.
He whispered to himself, his voice so quiet only he could hear: “The more delicate and fragile the flower... the more it needs careful tending, doesn't it?”
He straightened his glasses and followed the team as if everything that had just happened had never occurred.
...
The group’s pace toward the upper layers was fast, as Banner was eager to return.
Amelia also seemed to be preoccupied with some thoughts and lingered less along the way.
As they ascended the layers, other adventurers began to appear within the tunnels.
These people mostly moved in groups of three to five, bearing the characteristic wear and tear of the dungeon and cautious expressions.
Whenever they crossed paths with Bai Xuan’s conspicuous team, those adventurers would quickly avert their eyes.
They either pretended to observe the rock walls or looked down to check their equipment.
No one wanted to make unnecessary eye contact with this noble group dressed in fine clothes and protected by elite guards.
The gap created by strength and status acted like an invisible wall in this dim underground world.
Bai Xuan could feel some quick, passing gazes lingering on him.
The contrast between his tattered outfit and the luxurious clothing around him was too jarring.
Those gazes were filled with brief curiosity, but then they retracted as if avoiding trouble.
In this place, curiosity was often accompanied by risk.
They soon reached the 1st layer.
When they stepped out of the exit, which looked like a massive fissure in the mountainside, the view suddenly opened up.
It was a vast plateau situated between steep mountain walls. The fissure behind them was bottomless, exhaling the cold air of the underground.
Not far from the exit, a bustling cluster of buildings clung to the rock walls.
It was a market composed of wood and stone structures. It wasn't large, but it was fully functional.
Guards in leather armor holding halberds stood at the entrance.
The market was noisy, with adventurers carrying rucksacks or pulling small trailers coming and going.
Stalls were lined up along both sides of the packed dirt road.
Some people simply spread a piece of rough cloth on the ground, displaying mineral crystals, monster materials, or strange artifacts covered in dirt brought up from the lower layers.
There were also proper shops selling supplies and equipment.
A two-story wooden building with a wine cup sign was likely an inn.
Next to it was even a weapon shop with a slightly larger storefront, hanging a sign with a crossed shield and sword.
“This is quite convenient,” Bai Xuan thought.
Compared to returning to Blackcreek Town, resupplying and turning in tasks here would clearly save a lot of time.
He saw that many adventurers had significantly better equipment and moved with a seasoned silence; their levels were likely not low.
Figures at Lv.4 or Lv.5 were not rare, usually surrounded by other team members.
They looked at the Mulan family’s group with calm rather than fear.
This Glayde Dungeon, which could produce various materials, indeed attracted more powerful people seeking their fortune.
His gaze was drawn to a relatively orderly stone building in the center of the market.
The sign of the Adventurer’s Guild was nailed to the wooden door.
Though it couldn't compare to the branch in Blackcreek Town, its presence here already spoke to the value of this location.
A thought quickly took shape in Bai Xuan’s mind.
Instead of going back to face high-interest loans, it would be better to take tasks directly here and earn more money.
The rewards for dungeon tasks were usually higher, and if he turned back now, he would waste at least two days traveling.
He might not even find a suitable commission.
It was better to settle down here, use the resources he had just obtained to increase his strength, and earn money at the same time.
The team took a short break at the edge of the market.
Bai Xuan walked up to Anna and stated his decision.
“You want to stay?” Anna looked at him, her tone calm, seemingly not surprised.
“Yes.”
Bai Xuan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the busy market and the guild sign in the distance.
“I need to accumulate experience as quickly as possible, and... I need to earn some money. This place suits my needs better.”
Amelia leaned over, her pink hair looking soft in the market’s ambient light.
“Is big brother not going back to town with us?”
“Not for now,” Bai Xuan told her. “I have things I must handle myself.”
Amelia’s small face showed clear disappointment, but she soon brightened with a smile again. “Alright then!”
“But big brother must take good care of yourself. Don't end up looking as pathetic as before!”
She turned to Anna and tugged at the maid’s sleeve. “Sister Anna, the reward! You have to give big brother the reward we promised!”
Anna looked at her young mistress with some helplessness.
She then took out a slightly heavy small coin pouch and signaled a guard to bring out a staff, handing them both to Bai Xuan.
The coin pouch felt heavy in his hand.
Anna said, “There are six gold coins here. According to the rates for adventurers in Blackcreek Town, the highest reward for a similar task would be no more than two.”
“The extra is a token of the Lady’s appreciation.”
Bai Xuan took the pouch, his fingertips feeling the outlines of the hard metal.
Six gold coins—it far exceeded his expectations.
Next, he looked at the staff.
The shaft was made of a light-colored hardwood, polished smooth and comfortable to hold, and it was very light.
The head of the staff was not the usual sphere, but an elegant curved arc with a clear light-blue magic gemstone embedded in the side.
The entire staff had no unnecessary decoration, its lines simple and practical, consistent with the Mulan family’s understated but high-quality style.
【Whispering Staff: The shaft has been treated for lightweighting and mana flow. Provides a stable grip. Slightly increases spell power and casting stability; moderately increases casting speed.】
Good stuff.
It was much stronger than the one he had lost before.
Bai Xuan almost immediately thought that if he sold it, he might be able to gather a large portion of his repayment.
But as the thought arose, Anna’s voice came over.
Rate on N.U.
