A forest inside a cavern, illuminated by mystical purple light, made Riven, someone who usually ignored natural beauty, feel overwhelmed by the sheer grandeur of the place.
Crystals were scattered across the ground. The group picked up a few, as these types were quite rare even for the Azula family. Though their exact properties were unknown, their rarity and beauty alone made them very valuable.
Unlike the others, Sora, or rather Riven, frantically scavenged them. Ignoring the looks from those around him, he tried to carry as many crystals as possible.
About 30 meters behind them, Baz stood still. He didn't pick up any crystals, only staring intently at the group. This made Lan shiver slightly, and she nudged Sylvie.
"Syl, you don't think that guy is holding a grudge against us, do you?"
Sylvie felt a pang of sadness. She hadn't yet recovered from the shock of learning about Baz's true nature, but she gently comforted Lan.
"You don't need to worry. We outnumber him, and he won't dare do anything reckless."
Suddenly, Riven interjected casually between the two girls.
"I feel like this situation isn't that simple. There is a possibility he was framed."
Riven's certain attitude didn't seem faked to gain favor; it was as if he truly believed Baz wasn't the culprit. Sylvie asked curiously.
"Why are you so sure?"
Of course, it wasn't him because the thief was Riven himself, but obviously, he couldn't say that. He looked up at the ceiling as if reminiscing about the past.
"I am the one who had the most contact with him. I believe he is not that kind of person."
Hearing this, Sylvie felt even more goodwill toward Riven. She herself found it hard to believe Baz had done it, but the evidence was clear. Based on what she had seen, Baz had often made things difficult for Sora, yet giờ Sora was standing up for him. He truly was a generous man who didn't dwell on small matters.
[Ding! Gained the trust of 1/4 members.]
"Gotcha. I don't know if I gained Sylvie's or Lan's trust, but either one is good."
When everyone turned back from their conversation, Baz had disappeared. They didn't pay it much mind, thinking he had simply left.
As they moved on, they collected various items along the way. Suddenly, both Riven and Sylvie collapsed. This time, Riven wasn't acting. He felt as if he had lost access to his body. Had the poison sunk that deep? Riven thought.
Lan rushed to support Sylvie. Canis approached to cast a healing spell, but Riven lunged and pushed him down, causing both to fall. Riven wasn't heavy, but being pinned by a youth in his prime was certainly not a pleasant experience for Canis.
Canis shouted in pain.
"Sor... sorry!" Riven gasped.
This man, for some reason, wanted to kill him. If Canis knew Sylvie was linked to Riven and still wanted to kill him, it meant he didn't care about Sylvie's life at all. Nếu the priest tampered with the healing and caused Riven to die, he would likely blame it on the toxin.
According to the RPG Dungeon's analysis, the poison had been slowed significantly by being shared with Sylvie. It would take at least 20 more hours to kill them, but if Canis acted, they would die instantly.
Earlier, Riven had used Snatch to reinforce a punch to the man's lungs during the fall. If he weren't already weakened, Riven might have collapsed Canis's lung or caused sudden death with that blow.
Canis could only sit there and heal himself, unable to do anything to the two. Farrdin finally finished lighting the campfire.
[Primal Blessing: Health regeneration over time and debuffs reduced by 50% when near a campfire.]
Riven felt better and quickly stood up, pulling Sylvie up as well. After the group finished recovering, they continued their journey, not just to find the Heavenly Heart Wood but also the antidote for the poison to save Sylvie.
Riven leaned closer to Canis.
"Sorry, I couldn't control myself back then."
The trademark smile remained on the priest's lips, but this time Riven didn't find it friendly at all. It was nauseating.
"It's fine. Let's consider it a special way of getting to know each other."
Riven thought this man was quite difficult to deal with. He wasn't a brainless type like Baz. The best way forward was simply to increase his level as much as possible.
Although the man had a magic amplifier, he was only a Level 12 Priest. Riven was confident that as long as he matched or exceeded that level, he could easily handle him. He didn't dare try to pickpocket anyone else, as his success with Baz was due to the man's lack of guard, and everyone would be highly alert after the underwear incident.
The group stopped abruptly at Farrdin's signal.
"Why are we stopping? Is there something ahead?"
Farrdin turned to Riven to test his ability. "Sora, do you see it?"
Riven nodded slightly. "There are many hidden traps here, at least 10 different types."
Riven's claim of being a Scout wasn't without reason. The Night Owl skill didn't just allow him to see in the dark; it made his surroundings sharper. Even the smallest details didn't escape his eyes.
Furthermore, these traps were strange. They seemed to intentionally reveal certain details rather than being completely hidden, more like a challenge than a lethal trap.
Farrdin patted his shoulder as a sign of recognition. He was slightly surprised that Riven saw at least 10 types while he only saw 8. However, since Riven's class was Scout and he was a Hunter, he felt it was understandable for Riven to be stronger in his specialty.
"I'll lead the way. Everyone follow. Sora, you give directions. You're better at this than me."
"Up, down, left, right..."
In the process of guiding Farrdin, Riven noticed his experience increasing steadily. But how could this be? This was the work of a Scout, and he was a Thief. He had many theories, but he guessed he didn't fully understand the mechanics of the RPG Dungeon yet.
Though he was second in line, his nerves were extremely strained because his only life-saving item, the Death-Warning Necklace, was broken. This was now a one-life game with no room for error.
"Two steps straight, turn 30 degrees left, then crouch and sneak for another 2 meters."
Finally, the group successfully passed. Riven successfully leveled up to Level 10. His overall stats increased again, and he gained 1 skill point.
He had enough points to learn a new skill, but he wasn't in a hurry as there were many good options to consider. After this, everyone looked at him with different eyes, though the trust progress remained at 1/4.
Riven continuously drew symbols on the ground to guide those behind him. According to Riven, these didn't need to be erased because they would have to come back this way later.
"Wait, what does wait here mean?" Lan asked.
Riven explained. "Oh, I wrote that symbol to mean please wait a moment to calm down before continuing."
No one paid much attention to this because it seemed quite silly.
"This place seems more like an inheritance site than someone's tomb," Farrdin said suddenly.
"Indeed. This place seems never to have been excavated, and the traps here are more challenging than lethal."
Riven listened to the discussion and felt like he might have suffered a loss. This place was opened by his cubic necklace; could it be specifically for the holder of that necklace?
He looked around for a bit. "Sigh, without that clown, there's no one to cause trouble. It's a bit boring."
Restless, he decided to follow his heart. If others don't provoke me, I'll provoke them. Riven harmlessly approached Canis.
Seeing this, the gentle priest instinctively covered his chest. He was just a priest, not the thick-skinned type like Baz. Riven's punch had nearly knocked him out instantly. Though the wound had healed, the fear remained.
"Why does brother look so afraid of me? Didn't we get to know each other in a special way?"
As he spoke, Riven smiled and accidentally stepped hard on Canis's foot.
"Sora, your foot!"
A fake smile remained on Riven's lips as he pointed down at his foot. "My mistake. I was too careless."
As soon as Riven lifted his foot, he accidentally stepped hard on Canis's other foot, making him cry out in pain. Sylvie and Lan turned and saw Canis and Riven interacting, and sighed.
"Master Canis really can make friends with anyone. His communication skills are truly amazing."
Hypocrite. This dignified act will be exactly what keeps you from speaking out. Thinking about how this man almost killed him, Riven's blood boiled, and he applied pressure with his foot again.
This caused Canis to lose balance and almost fall backward, but Riven caught him, slinging an arm over Canis's shoulder like an old friend. The arm accidentally tightened, making it nearly impossible for Canis to breathe.
No matter how foolish Canis was, he clearly realized he was being targeted. He tried to push Riven's arm away but couldn't. Finally, Riven loosened his grip, fearing the man might lash out in desperation.
"That blue bracelet Master Canis had earlier was so beautiful. I wonder if you could lend it to me for a bit?"
A blatant provocation. This meant Riven knew he was the attacker. Canis turned to look at Riven, his face no longer friendly but full of killing intent.
"Don't look at me so affectionately. I don't like men. If you have that preference, you can ask Farrdin."
Canis pushed Riven away. He felt Riven wasn't as simple as he appeared. He had to find a suitable opportunity to eliminate him as quickly as possible.
Riven backed away, not continuing to play with fire. He understood he shouldn't cross the red line right now. His goal was achieved; he just needed an opportunity. Since you want to kill me, don't blame me for being cruel.
The two had unmasked each other. A battle was only a matter of time.
Riven continued to pick up minerals. Poor people had to take advantage of every minute. As they went deeper into the cavern, the frequency of the mystical purple light increased.
This feeling made Sylvie and Canis feel uneasy, while Lan and Farrdin felt nothing. In contrast to the two, Riven felt refreshed and familiar, like a soldier returning home after a long war.
His EXP suddenly increased automatically, albeit slowly, causing Riven to keep making guesses. At this rate, if he stayed here long enough, wouldn't he reach Level 20?
The group saw a black short sword with many red outlines emitting an evil aura stuck in the ground. It looked very eye-catching, forcing everyone to notice. Farrdin was the first to approach, but he couldn't pull it from the ground.
Riven thought his necklace was closely related to this place, so it was possible he could pull the sword. The others didn't stop him and stepped aside. Riven tried every way to pull the sword, applying tips like using full-body force instead of just arm strength, but he couldn't lift it.
It felt like it didn't belong to him. Seeing that, Farrdin signaled to continue.
"No matter how precious, it is just an old sword not worth wasting time on."
Nodding in agreement, after a while they reached a dead end. Before them was a giant stone Golem, 8 meters tall, guarding a narrow passage.
Seeing Level 24 appear above its head, Riven couldn't help but doubt the group's intelligence. Didn't they say the most dangerous thing here was a Level 20 Undead Wyvern? With that size, even if Farrdin went out, he would be crushed into meat paste by one hand.
On its chest was a pure shining gem, and the Ancient Golem hanging at Riven's waist began to twitch slightly, as if craving something.
The air became suffocating. If they turned back now, where would they find the Heavenly Heart Wood? Sylvie only came here as a last resort. Heavenly Heart Wood was a life-saving herb so rare that people usually used it for themselves rather than selling it.
Farrdin calmly analyzed. "With this size, I estimate this Golem is at least Level 20, equal to the Undead Wyvern. It is an inanimate object with low intelligence."
"With a proper strategy, it is not impossible to overcome."