VIP Chapter 336: On the Verge of Breaking Out
Afternoon, Three O’clock—
Posinota Town. The sound of a speeding carriage’s tires broke the tranquility of the town’s rest this afternoon.
“We’re here—the Dust Bone Corridor is right here!”
Iaar peered out from the magnificent carriage that looked like it belonged to the Royal Family. On the still speeding carriage, her ears flapped in the wind blowing from the front.
“We’re really here.”
Next, Liya, standing on her tiptoes and squeezing beside Iaar to peer out, clutched her hat in her hand, anxiously searching for the entrance to the Dust Bone Corridor in Posinota Town.
“Empress—since you’re already here, we don’t need to announce ourselves to enter the Dust Bone Corridor, right? We can just barge in?”
Then she asked Treya in the carriage.
“Normally, you cannot. For this Dungeon, I’ve ceded more control to the Adventurer’s Guild, but…”
Treya bent slightly and poked her head out with the other two.
“Driver, please drive directly to the entrance of the Dust Bone Corridor. If there’s any problem, leave it to me. I’ll explain it directly to Carver.”
“Okay… okay…”
The carriage sped towards the Dust Bone Corridor even faster.
But…
From afar, the carriage had to stop.
Because the entrance to the Dust Bone Corridor, as far as they could see, was already a sea of people, and it was blocked off with various signs. Even a royal carriage couldn’t pass through.
If they really wanted to enter, their only option was to walk.
“Is it just me, or is something… not right here?”
Iaar was the first to get off the carriage and strode forward, using her shield to carve a path through the crowd.
“It’s not right. There are a bit too many Adventurer’s Guild management personnel around.”
Liya followed closely behind Iaar, using her shield as cover, observing the small space.
“And… those should be the Radiant Knights’ mages. Although their captain isn’t here, I can still recognize them. That figure wrapped in robes is their mage…”
Treya was a bit taller, and from her vantage point, she could already see the people in the distance.
The crowd at the entrance of the Dust Bone Corridor was even denser.
The Adventurer’s Guild personnel guarding the entrance of the Dust Bone Corridor.
The S Rank rescue team, fully equipped, at the entrance of the Dust Bone Corridor.
These phrases, when put together, seemed to have become synonymous with “trouble.”
“Everyone, please calm down. We were caught off guard by an incident like death.”
The Radiant Knights’ S Rank mage, Ande, stood on a raised platform, loudly maintaining order to the crowd below.
The crowd below consisted not only of Adventurers but also many Merchants who followed the prosperity of Dungeons—especially Merchants who seemed to be holding Dust Bone Corridor specialty goods.
“D… Death…”
Iaar’s eyes widened as she heard the word, and she stopped in her tracks.
“You… don’t suddenly stop. Achoo.”
Liya bumped into her fluffy tail and sneezed.
“It might not be what we… think it is. Don’t rush, let’s finish listening to what he has to say first.”
Treya remained calm, watching the mage on the platform from afar. He didn’t look “sad” and even had a hint of schadenfreude on his face.
“We were planning to tackle this Dungeon, which had an accident before, this afternoon! What a shame, we didn’t expect an accident to happen before we could even enter the Dungeon.”
“Can you give us Merchants an explanation first? Is it that this place is gone today? Won’t the Adventurer’s Guild compensate us? This Dungeon was projected to last for a month! We’ve already rented our houses!”
“Exactly, exactly!”
“Such a dangerous Dungeon should not exist. As for compensation, these Merchants can apply to the Guild later.”
…
“Our team is missing only this important material from the Dungeon. It’s hard to find desert-type Dungeons in the middle of winter, can you make an exception and let us in?”
“Who are you people, thinking about your materials even when someone has died?”
“I’m truly sorry. An accident has occurred, and we are considering everyone’s safety. We cannot make any exceptions for anyone.”
…
“Since someone has died, it’s your responsibility! Why aren’t the deceased’s information and cause of death being disclosed? Can’t the Adventurer’s Guild provide even this much transparency?”
“Well said. If you don’t disclose it, how can you prove that this Dungeon is dangerous?”
“We’ve been here for so many days, exploring for so long, and we haven’t encountered any problems. The deceased Adventurer must have been the one with the issue!”
“This… the deceased should be respected. The Adventurer’s Guild has always respected the privacy of the deceased. I’m afraid I cannot disclose it.”
…
The three of them stood outside the crowd, stretching their necks. Liya even used a bit of levitation magic on top of standing on her tiptoes, trying to catch even a little information about the accident and the deceased from the chattering crowd.
But, unfortunately, they truly heard nothing at all.
The Adventurer’s Guild did indeed have a tradition of not disclosing information about victims in Dungeons. Even if the deceased had family, they would be informed privately. In most cases, even the handling of the bodies was very discreet.
Of course, whether this was out of respect for Adventurers or for other ulterior motives was another matter.
The crowd, unable to get the information they wanted, gradually dispersed. First, it was the local residents who came to watch the spectacle, then the Adventurers eager for materials and the involved Merchants, and finally, the reporters who wanted to write a major news story for the day.
In the end, only the three of them remained standing there, desolate.
“The person who died… could… could it be Young Master?” Iaar asked cautiously.
“Don’t, don’t believe it yourself first! What disgraceful things are you saying!” Liya was the first to refute Iaar’s words.
“It’s impossible. Clearly… clearly ‘fate’ can be broken…”
—Perhaps someone related to the deceased.
“They’ve… cordoned it off. Are we still going in?” Iaar asked.
“It’s fine, with me here, no one will dare to stop me.” Treya was very confident.
“Then let’s go!” Liya took a step forward.
But…
The possibility that the three of them knew, the one that connected “Dust Bone Corridor” and “Death,” was likely…
At this moment, from their perspective, from the street to the side facing the main entrance of the Dust Bone Corridor, a person walked by unhurriedly.
Her long black hair fluttered gently in the wind. In this cold season, she wore only a vest on her upper body, draped with a thick overcoat, as she walked along the windswept small path.
She was carrying a box in her hand.
Whether one had met her before or only seen her in newspapers, anyone could recognize this woman with her unique style of dress—
“Shuna?!”
The three of them shouted her name in unison, the name of the person they had always considered an enemy.
Iaar, with her superior reconnaissance skills, was the first to raise her shield and charge towards her.
Liya didn’t move, but she spun her staff in her right hand, aiming it at Shuna.
Treya drew her sword from her waist and rushed forward half a meter in advance.
No matter what, she must be—the last person to come into contact with Will!
Author’s Note: The author was hit by a motorcycle on the way home… going to the hospital now. This isn’t a cliffhanger, I just can’t write for now.
