[The Golden Sun Wood Tavern]
As one of only two taverns in Dumb Wind Town, the closest town to the Purple Crystal Dungeon, it was different from its counterpart that sold cheap booze and was filled all day with people from all walks of life. The cups in the Golden Sun Wood Tavern were always filled with aromatic and rich-flavored good wine.
Accordingly, the slightly higher prices meant that the patrons who came here were adventurers with some caliber.
However, today, the adventurers who were supposed to be sitting scattered around were strangely huddled on the right side, making the four people sitting alone on the left look like they had taken over half of the place.
After all, they were from the Diamond Level adventurer squad —— Silverthorn, with all members over Level 50.
It's not that the Silverthorn Squad was particularly domineering, just that anyone with a discerning eye could see their strange aura, and no one wanted to jinx themselves by getting involved at this time.
Everyone was drinking silently on the other side with a mix of cowardice and curiosity, hoping to catch a snippet of gossip to talk about in the coming days.
The most conspicuous member of the Silverthorn Squad was undoubtedly the half-dragon Gall, whose 2.3-meter height made him taller even when sitting down compared to a standing ordinary person. Coupled with a set of reinforced heavy armor, he looked just like a city wall.
In fact, he was indeed a city wall protecting his teammates, holding back the surging enemies innumerable times in battle to create a safe space for his teammates to output.
The only flaw was that Gall hadn't inherited the breath ability from his dragon mother; otherwise, spewing suddenly while blocking the enemy would have been an instant regret inducer for even a barbarian beastman warlord.
However, the words from this half-dragon's mouth at this moment held no air of bravado:
"It's all over, we probably can't stay in the United Kingdom anymore.
Boss, if you ask me, this mission is impossible anyway, we might as well sneak to the Archipelago while they're off guard.
There's no chance to run once we're out of the dungeon!"
Clang——
A sharp blade bounced off Gall's chest plate and landed on the table, as the Shadow Walker Night Owl played nonchalantly with another two blades in his fingers.
This elf who has slit the throats of countless demons with thrown knives was staring at their frontline with a look like he was seeing goblin excrement.
"Did you forget last time you almost puked your guts out just sitting two days on a riverboat.
And now you want to run to the Archipelago? You'd probably die on the way there.
Besides, the mission hasn't even started yet, and completing it would grant us a city!"
When Night Owl mentioned the city, his eyes glittered with light. Who knows why a thoroughbred elf would be so interested in gaining a human city.
"But you still have to complete it!
Saying we must bring the person back intact, but it's been half a month already!
Don't tell me you don't know what happens to the adventurers trapped in the Purple Crystal Dungeon but not dead yet.
At most it's the parasitic tree on the fifth floor, or the tentacle nest on the ninth floor, even if you bring them out their brains are mush, do you think the Duke would consider that 'intact'?
The best-case scenario is they've been snatched by wandering barbarian beastmen as reserve food by now, with their limbs probably mostly dismantled.
And we still have to pray she hasn't had a mental breakdown out of despair.
This mission is almost impossible to complete!
When the Duke comes personally for accountability, Night Owl, you could just shadowwalk away, while the three of us will be hammered to death!"
Can't blame Gall for fearing Duke Alama so much, even ten years ago when everyone here was still at Gold and Silver, Alama was already at the peak of human power at Level 70.
Don't look at them being all over Level 50 now, only a dozen levels shy of Duke Alama, but really, even if you tied them together, it would only be enough for the Duke, a full-level big shot, to warm up.
The gap between levels becomes more pronounced the higher you go, not to mention that a full-level old hand like the Duke likely has multiple high-level skills, or else he wouldn't have stood firm at the border against the Empire's pressure for so many years.
"Stop, stop, Gall, just stop it."
Seeing Gall about to continue preaching defeatism, the captain Nova had to interrupt him:
"It's still possible to rescue her after all. There's nothing to be done if her brain is damaged, but if a few limbs are broken, we'll just pump her with a Limb Regeneration Potion.
The risks are indeed high, but the rewards are substantial too.
How can we give up before even seeing the person?
Let's treat it as a gamble, and if we only manage to bring back someone who's lost their wits, then I'll go face the Duke myself, and you guys take the opportunity to escape."
In truth, Nova was also aware that the team warrior was stating facts. If it were 10 years ago, he would have chosen to run as well, drilling into the Western Islands or territories of Elf Dwarves, leaving Duke Alama helpless regardless of his strength.
But that wouldn't work anymore, the United Kingdom and Hermit Empire were embroiled in continuous disputes, and on the verge of outright war. At such a time, neither elves nor dwarfs would readily agree to let foreign powerhouse entrants in.
The only viable destination would be the Western Islands, since being human, he couldn't possibly run to the Hermit Empire and become a blood servant for those vampires.
Yet the islands weren't some paradisiacal place either; the expanding fog in the farther west kept devouring islands, and the slavers there were getting anxious. At this time, if a desperate diamond-level adventurer arrived, they'd definitely be coerced into holding back the mist under duress.
That job had a much higher death rate than exploring the dungeon.
Weighing it up, it would be better to gamble, gambling that they might save the Duke's daughter intact, or gamble that even if they only brought back an idiot, the Duke wouldn't end up simultaneously hammering them to death.
However, the squad wasn't an autocracy; in the end, it was up to the members to decide jointly.
"By the old rules, let's vote. I vote for going into the dungeon."
"I want to be a city lord!" Night Owl likewise cast his supporting vote.
"I still think we should escape right now." The half-dragon obviously didn't want to gamble.
"Ivan?"
The three looked at the fourth member of the team, Ivan Nets, who had been tinkering with something under the table the whole time and hadn't spoken.
The half-elf's short stature was almost swallowed by the edge of the wooden table, and when he was silent he indeed left little impression, but as the primary Caster Mage in the team, his opinion was equally important.
"Finally got it out!"
A damaged and deformed discarded Demon Crystal was tossed in front of them, alongside which Ivan eagerly took out a brand new B Level Demon Crystal and inserted it with a "clack" into an empty slot in his abdomen.
Ambient magic power surged in, channeling through the demon crystal into every limb and branch of Ivan, the violent magical torrent washing over every synapse, casting him into a dreamy daze.
"Ahh, oh."
The entire tavern heard the contented moan of the half-elf mage, and the others' gazes turned peculiar.
Night Owl tightly clutched the blade in his hand, resisting the urge to let it fly into the neck of this embarrassing teammate.
"This magic-addicted fool..."
Watching the Archmage across from him roll his eyes back and even start drooling, Nova felt nothing but a heavy heart dragging along a difficult squad.
"The mission can't be delayed, count it as 2 to 1, then, Gall, you carry Ivan on your back, we'll manage the first few floors, Night Owl and I will be enough."
Gall sighed, ceasing his opposition, merely extending a hand towards Nova.
"?"
"Magic Resistance Potion! Did you forget last time he almost sent us both off with a zero-distance magic burst on my back?"
"..."