BXBX NOVEL Chapter 103: The Explorer's Role
Medusa shook her head gently, "This is not your fault. In truth, none of us noticed anything amiss with the blind old man.
If he hadn\'t willingly exposed his true identity, we might have continued following him deeper into the mine. Who knows, he might have led us to that place where all the dead are destined to go."
Medusa wasn\'t merely offering comfort to Charles.
Given that Charles\'s abilities were constrained by The Pale Mask, Medusa considered herself the strongest among the group.
She believed that she should have detected the blind old man\'s peculiarities beforehand.
Failing to do so, she felt she had significantly neglected her duties.
Upon hearing these words, Little Green intended to add something, but Charles promptly stopped her.
"Taking the blame now serves no purpose. What we need to focus on is escaping from here as quickly as possible. The longer we stay, the more our lives will be gravely endangered."
Charles\'s words naturally garnered unanimous agreement from everyone.
However, the paramount issue remained: how exactly were they supposed to get out?
Neither Medusa nor Little Green possessed navigational skills.
Despite their formidable strength, it was inconceivable for them to escort everyone all the way to the surface. After all, they were currently far too deep underground.
Charles himself had an exceptionally strong spatial awareness.
But under the constraints of The Pale Mask, his spatial awareness failed to reveal a path leading to the surface.
Moreover, even if Charles were to remove The Pale Mask, the enhancement to his spatial awareness would be minimal.
This is because The Pale Mask restricts Charles\'s strongest abilities, and spatial awareness is among his least utilized skills.
While Charles and the others were mired in their predicament, Eck suddenly approached them and said, "Perhaps I can offer you some assistance."
Charles and the others turned their gaze towards Eck.
At that moment, Eck took out his notebook. Pointing to a simple diagram he had drawn on its pages, he began to explain.
"I\'ve documented every place we\'ve passed through in this notebook. Although my notes aren\'t extremely detailed, I, as an explorer, can guide you out of here."
Eck\'s words brought great relief and joy to Charles and the others.
"I knew having you join us was an exceptionally wise decision," Charles remarked, smiling as he patted Eck on the shoulder.
"Although I am an adventurer myself, I am not nearly as specialized as you. So, I\'ll leave the navigation to you from here on out; I have full confidence that you can lead us to safety."
Charles had immense trust in Eck.
Since encountering Eck, his actions had consistently aligned with Charles\'s expectations. Eck\'s demeanor was indeed that of an Overlord with only average strength, just an ordinary human with no extraordinary capabilities.
Eck felt slightly embarrassed by Charles\'s praise.
"Rest assured, I\'ll get you all out of here," Eck responded.
With those words, Eck took the lead and began to walk ahead of the group.
Eck wasn\'t lying; he indeed found a route leading to the surface. However, the path he discovered seemed different from the one they had initially taken.
As Eck and the others neared the surface, they were suddenly greeted by the sounds of commotion above.
"It sounds quite lively above us. Are you certain we should return to the surface right now?" Eck asked Charles and Catherine.
At that moment, only a steel plate separated them from the surface. Once they passed through it, they would be back above ground.
Charles didn\'t immediately respond.
He needed to ascertain precisely which area of the Rock Fortress was above them.
If they resurfaced directly in a zone teeming with Serpent Empire guards, they would be captured instantly, which would severely disrupt Charles\'s subsequent plans.
After observing for a while longer, Charles finally identified the area above them.
It turned out that the space above was the backyard of the inn where they had previously stayed. Passing through the steel plate would bring them back to their former lodging.
"It seems the earlier commotion was caused by the Serpent Empire guards searching the inn. The noise has subsided, so we can proceed to the surface promptly," Charles declared.
After making this statement, Charles decisively pushed open the steel plate.
He then emerged into the backyard of the inn.
The backyard was arranged rather simply, featuring just a well and a few clotheslines, along with several piles of miscellaneous items. It was evident that the innkeeper did not prioritize keeping the backyard particularly tidy.
The ground was covered with a thick layer of yellow sand. Even within the confines of the Rock Fortress, such a substantial amount of sand seemed rather excessive.
"How long has it been since the innkeeper last cleaned his backyard? Has he completely forgotten about it?" Johann muttered to himself upon witnessing the scene.
Eck shook his head. "There\'s no way he could forget about his backyard, especially since there\'s a well here. The water in the inn must be drawn from this well."
While Johann and Eck were conversing, Charles approached the well.
He first took a sniff at the well\'s opening and immediately noticed something peculiar about its scent.
Under normal circumstances, a well in the desert should have a somewhat murky odor. However, the well before him exuded a remarkably fresh and invigorating aroma.
Such pristine water would typically only be found in the Serene Forest.
After inhaling the scent for a moment, Charles\'s expression changed dramatically.
He perceived that there seemed to be something within the well.
Charles took a few steps back and directed his gaze toward Medusa.
Medusa understood Charles\'s implication. She proceeded slowly towards the well, and at the very moment she reached it, Medusa directed her eyes down into its depths.
At that moment, Medusa activated her curse ability.
If there truly was a monster lurking within the well, it would have already been afflicted by her curse. However, there appeared to be nothing inside the well.
After scrutinizing the well for a while, Medusa turned back to Charles and spoke.
"Master, there are no monsters within the well. The scent emanating from it is indeed peculiar, but this might be due to the well being directly connected to an underground river," Medusa suggested.
Charles\'s expression grew even more grim upon hearing the words "underground river."
"It\'s possible that the skeletal lizard, which set the trap for us earlier, emerged from a well connected to the underground river. The gradually fading apparition it showed us was likely just a mere illusion," he speculated.
Charles did not believe that the skeletal lizard would reveal its most powerful abilities without encountering significant danger.
Charles suspected that everything the skeletal lizard had done previously was merely to mislead them.
"If this is indeed the case, what should our next course of action be? If we enter the inn, the innkeeper will undoubtedly cause a huge commotion,"
Eck voiced his concern after listening for a while, still unclear about their next move.
Hence, he straightforwardly posed a question to Charles
Upon hearing this, Charles allowed a cold smile to play at the corner of his lips.
"Of course, we must enter the inn. And to be on the safe side, we need to eliminate the innkeeper," Charles declared.
The words spoken by Charles left both Eck and Johann utterly astonished.
"Are you absolutely certain about this course of action? If the guards from the Serpent Empire arrive at the inn afterward, how will we explain ourselves?" Catherine questioned before Charles could respond.
Without hesitation, Medusa interjected.
"If such a situation arises, we will simply eliminate them all. Their strength is not particularly formidable, and we won\'t be staying here for long anyway."
Eck and Johann, upon hearing Medusa\'s remarks, began to reassess their opinion of her.
They no longer saw Medusa as merely fearsome; in their eyes, she had transformed into a merciless demon.
Sensing their thoughts, Medusa deliberately cast her gaze toward Eck and Johann.
"What is it? Do you think what I said was wrong?" Medusa inquired, her tone chilling and sinister.
Instantly, sheer panic flashed across Eck and Johann\'s faces as they heard her question.
"Of course, there\'s nothing wrong with what you said! We will act according to your plan! We will work together and first kill the innkeeper. If we do encounter the guards from the Serpent Empire, we will eliminate them as well," they stammered.
With a smile, Medusa turned back to Charles after hearing their response.
"Master, I have persuaded everyone. Let us commence our actions immediately. I am eager to return to the inn\'s room for a proper rest."
Charles nodded in agreement, and without further delay, the group proceeded to enter the inn.