Despite daily maintenance, cleaning, food, and salaries for servants, it costs about one hundred gold coins every month.
But compared to being able to travel between the two cities in an instant through teleportation magic, this little money is really nothing.
"Master. According to your request, I have arranged for the servants to clean the cellar and the secret room first. As for the general cleaning of the rooms on the first and second floors, it may take two or three days. However, the master bedroom has been cleaned and is almost habitable. Finally, there are the weed-covered yard and garden. We need to wait until next spring to start planting some flowers and plants."
Elvis Haring, the butler who looked to be around 40 years old and always maintained a serious and meticulous image, took the initiative to come to Zuo Si to report on his work progress.
As a registered member of the Stewards Guild of Waterdeep, his grandfather had even served a noble for decades. He knew very well what his job was, and also understood what kind of attitude and service would satisfy the employer to the greatest extent.
"Well done. Just keep going at this pace. I probably won't be staying here most of the time anyway. Oh, by the way, this is a draft for 1,000 gold coins. You can exchange it at the temple of the goddess of wealth later and use it for daily expenses."
As he spoke, Zuo Si took out a bill of exchange with an anti-counterfeiting mark and handed it over.
Since Waterdeep had a very mature guild system, he had no worries that the other party would secretly run away with the money, or do something to enrich himself.
Because every registered member of the guild will have a very clear resume, and even evaluations of his or her work ability and attitude from previous employers.
Its level of detail is comparable to that of a headhunting company's investigation of a senior executive of a large company in modern society.
Ives had worked for more than one employer since he was twenty-five.
Almost all employers gave him full marks for his work.
And the reason he was fired was mostly because his employer left Waterdeep and no longer needed a butler.
In fact, not only the butler, but also the male servants, maids, dog trainers, gardeners, cooks, and guards were all hired through the guild without exception.
Waterdeep is different from Askatla.
The latter is ruled by a group of wealthy merchant classes, so naturally they will do their best to suppress various guild forces to prevent them from causing various troubles after they become bigger, thus affecting business prosperity and trade profits.
In the early days of the establishment of the former, the political situation was extremely turbulent and chaotic, which forced people from all walks of life to form groups to fight for their own interests.
Over time, an extremely advanced guild system developed.
Here, you need to find the corresponding guild to hire a butler, to buy real estate, you need to find the corresponding guild, and to hire servants and guards, you also need to find the corresponding guild.
All guild organizations will not only provide clients with the talent and services they most urgently need, but will also strive for better salary packages for employed members.
If an employer beat, assaulted or abused a servant, the guild would not hesitate to step forward and seek justice for the victim and a large amount of compensation through legal or illegal means.
It is for this reason that Waterdeep has become a place of miracles in the eyes of many kind and righteous people.
At least here, employers and servants, nobles and commoners, are equal in law and social status.
Apart from being able to retain private armed forces of no more than seventy people, the nobles of Waterdeep have basically no other privileges.
You have to know that even in the commercial empire of Amn where the feudal system has begun to gradually disintegrate, a noble can still decide the marriage and even the life and death of his servants in his own territory.
They can punish their subordinates for stealing and making mistakes at will, even if they just stole a few gold coins or accidentally lost a few sheep while grazing.
Similarly, these people can also marry the beautiful maid who has served them for many years to a Calishite merchant whom they do not like at all, but is willing to pay hundreds of gold coins as a "bride price", even if the merchant may turn the maid into a slave after returning.
This is the case in Amn, let alone those countries and regions that still practice feudalism and slavery.
So Waterdeep is at least at the forefront of the entire Faerun continent in terms of law, and it can even be said to be quite humane.
“Thank you very much for your trust. Please rest assured that I will keep a detailed record of every expenditure.”
Ives quickly took the bill of exchange and bowed deeply.
He originally thought that it was quite good for him to get two or three hundred gold coins as operating funds after just joining the company.
After all, trust takes time to build.
But now, I have directly obtained funds that are enough to last for ten months to a year.
"As for the daily management and cleaning, you can handle it as you wish. I only have one request, and that is that no one is allowed to approach the secret room in the cellar."
Zuo Si issued the death order in an unquestionable tone.
Because a spellcaster is often the most vulnerable, least protected, and most susceptible to attack at the moment of teleporting over a long distance.
He didn't want any unexpected situation to occur because someone was too close to the teleportation point he set up.
"Understood. I will go and inform all the servants right away."
Ivis didn't ask the reason, but chose to obey directly.
As an experienced professional butler, he knew one thing very well, that is, to control his mouth and curiosity and not to pry too much into his master's privacy.
Without a doubt!
Zuo Si was very satisfied with the professionalism displayed by this middle-aged man.
Similarly, he also understood why, although they were both large trading city-states, Baldur's Gate was suppressed by Amn, while Waterdeep was able to always maintain its advantages in the fierce trade competition.
The powerful mage group is certainly a very important reason, but in addition there is the enviable talent pool of Waterdeep.
There are a large number of professional training institutions and colleges in the city, which can continuously supply the city with talents from all walks of life.
Enlightened systems and relatively fair laws will continue to attract those who desire to escape oppression and slavery and gain dignity.
This means that Waterdeep has never been truly defeated by the merchants of Amn in terms of culture, art, magic, and processing technology for various high-value-added products.
Although there are major problems with governance capabilities and ruling methods, the society has always maintained confidence and vitality.
No matter what race, as long as you are willing to abide by the laws of Waterdeep, you may be accepted and become one of them.
This can be seen from the large number of adventurers, mercenaries, merchants, and craftsmen from all over the world in the city.
"It really is a glorious city. No wonder everyone describes it as a land of miracles." Zuo Si sighed slightly.
The more he got to know Waterdeep, the more he could feel the unique charm of this city.
If I hadn't met Bernard by chance, perhaps settling down in Waterdeep would have been a good choice.
You can also go to the "Underground City" every now and then to fleece the crazy wizard Halaster Blackrobed.
After setting up a teleportation point in the underground secret room and placing some magic traps, mechanisms and alarms near the only entrance, Zuo Si comforted Isadora a little and asked her to stay at home. Then he took Davian and started checking in at various famous places in Waterdeep.
These include the "curiosity" shop on the east side of Sword Street, near the southern part of Seldus Street, which specializes in selling various badges, coins and other small items;
The "Golden Key" store on Warrior Road, which sells locks and keys;
Haramba's Lute and Harp, the largest musical instrument store in Waterdeep, is loved by many bards and music lovers; Olhazan Gem, a store managed and operated by the top leaders of the Gem Craftsmen Guild, with countless rare and expensive gems on the shelves;
There is "Falantal's Medicinal Materials" which purchases and sells spices, herbs, poisons and precious magical plants; and finally there is the armor shop opened by Hillmo, the most famous armorer in the North.
It is said that it would cost at least four to six thousand gold coins to have this master customize a set of steel plate armor.
And at this price, you can buy a pretty good low-level enchanted armor.
In addition, Zuo Si also visited the "Crawling Spider" tavern mentioned by Imogen.
Of course, I was just driven by curiosity and wanted to see what the place that makes countless people linger looks like.
I have to say, this tavern, which was specially built in the style of the Underdark, is indeed unique.
无论是那些从脖子到脚下全部套着宛如丝袜般黑色半透明紧身衣，走路总是扭动腰部和屁股，鼻子以上位置戴着黑纱面具的年轻女侍者，还是周围环境中略显昏暗的灯光，都足以让那些慕名而来的男性心跳加速、荷尔蒙大量分泌。
再配上酒精对于大脑产生的影响……
此时此刻，要是某位女侍者在做出一点跳动性的动作，亦或是在耳边来一句充满诱惑与暗示的低语。
客人们很快就会失去理智，迅速掏空自己口袋里最后一个硬币，只为能跟女侍者进行一些“深入浅出”的亲密交流。
但完全没有受到荷尔蒙影响的左思发现，“爬行蜘蛛”酒馆的食物和酒水价格都贵得惊人。
一顿简单的饭菜居然要一个银币，酒水不仅同样昂贵，并且质量非常差。
但考虑到愿意来这里消费的人，基本也不是冲着酒水和食物来的，所以价格昂贵几倍也在情理之中。
等走出酒馆的时候，天色已经完全黑了下来。
左思站在仍旧繁华热闹的街道上，饶有兴致问身边龙裔骑士：“你觉得这家酒馆如何？”
“哈哈哈哈！相当不错。尤其是那些女侍者，有时候热情的让我有点喘不过气来。”
戴维安大笑着擦了擦脸上和脖子上大量红色唇印，迅速将头盔重新戴好。
很显然，有着高大身材和健壮体魄的他，不仅轻而易举便赢得了女侍者们的欢迎，甚至额外体验到免费的特别服务。
尤其是那双仿佛巨龙般的竖瞳，让不少有特殊癖好的女人感受到了前所未有的刺激，纷纷主动投怀送抱。
激烈的碰撞声与喘息声，哪怕隔着一堵墙都能够听得一清二楚。
“伱现在还有足够的体力进行战斗吗？”左思笑着调侃道。
戴维安不加思索的回答：“当然！自从成为龙裔之后，我还从来没有体验过疲劳是什么感觉呢。”
“既然如此，那下一站我们就去杜南的哈欠之门旅馆，见识一下深水城最著名的景点——地脉迷城。”
左思稍加考虑后便迅速做出了决定。
因为制作一张备用的地牌，一直都是此次深水城之行最重要的任务。
就这样，两人穿过错综复杂的街道跟小巷，很快便在一个不起眼的角落里，找到了这座深水城唯一不加以限制，且对所有人公开的地脉迷城入口。
除了这个地方，码头区的蓝色美人鱼酒馆地窖井、深水城城堡地下酒窖、还有暗影骑士酒馆地下不为人知的暗道，都可以直达地脉迷城的不同层面。
但相比之下，还是“哈欠之门”旅店的入口相对安全一点。
就像伊莫金提供的情报一样，这里每天进进出出的冒险者数量最多。
因此一般来说几千米之内的怪物和陷阱早就被清理得干干净净。
至少不用担心刚下去就遭到可怕怪物的伏击。
尽管“哈欠之门”旅馆的位置并不算好，但里边却始终客满为患。
大量的冒险者、吟游诗人、渴望寻求刺激的年轻人聚集于此。
几乎每隔一段时间，就会有人花费一个金币抓住绳子，进入到地下伸手不见五指的黑暗迷宫入口，去寻找隐藏在里边价值不菲的财宝。
偶尔也会有冒险归来的幸运儿支付一个金币，让店主将其从下边拉上来。
与出发时的士气高昂不同，回来的人大多都垂头丧气。
不少队伍出发的时候是四五个人，但回来的时候就只剩下两三个乃至一两个。
至于那些没能回来的，不用问也知道肯定是死在了迷宫中。
毕竟类似的情况几乎每天都在发生，大家也早都见怪不怪。
一些正计划进入迷宫的小队，则会趁机花点钱替这些失败者买酒、买食物，从对方口中尽可能多的打听一些情报，以便在自己抵达那个区域后有所准备。
除此之外，还有大量的“乐子人”开设赌局，赌刚才下去的冒险小队是否能够活着回来。
总之，“哈欠之门”酒馆是一个典型鱼龙混杂的场所。
在这里没有什么善良与邪恶、秩序与混乱的斗争。
有的仅仅只是一群为了财富和名声敢于豁出性命的贪婪冒险者。
“真是个不错的地方。”
左思显然很喜欢酒馆内的氛围，还有那些毫不掩饰自己内心之中欲望的客人。
站在吧台内的旅店老板杜南听到这句话，立刻咧开嘴露出了骄傲的笑容：“那是当然！我向你保证，在深水城没有人比我更了解地脉迷城，也没有比我更懂冒险者需要什么。这些顾客有一半以上，都是冲着我冒险时闯出的名气来的。”
“所以你就这样眼睁睁看着他们一个接一个的进入地脉迷城中去送死？”左思意味深长的反问道。
“冒险总要付出代价。更何况，这是他们自己的选择。在费伦，想要获得名声跟财富就得拿命去拼。毕竟不是什么人都像您一样幸运，可以得到神明的垂青成为拥有强大力量的选民。”
在说这番话的时候，杜南故意压低了声音，避免被旁边其他客人听到。
很显然，他已经认出了左思的身份。
毕竟这家伙可不是普通的酒馆老板，同样还是一名实力相当强悍的战士，曾经进入地脉迷城探险并成功带回了庞大的财富。
另外根据传闻，他还跟昔日一起冒险的队友，眼下深水城秘密领主之一的“放债者”，是关系非常要好的朋友。
所以消息比较灵通并不值得大惊小怪。
左思打量这个已经长出小肚腩的壮汉，微微感叹道：“说白了，还是侥幸心理在作祟。
我敢打赌，凡是敢进入地脉迷城的人中，有百分之九十以上都认为自己对于这个世界而言是特别的。
就算遭遇强大的怪物也能化险为夷，然后带着价值不菲的战利品平安归来。
殊不知，抱有这种想法的人往往是死的最快的那一批。
至少我在刚成为学徒的时候，绝对不会进入地脉迷城这种遍布可怕怪物、陷阱的地方。”
杜南深以为然的点了点头：“我完全同意。其实只要观察一下那些进入地脉迷城冒险者的准备情况就知道，哪些完全就是去送死，哪些则有可能活着回来。”
“你觉得现在旅店内哪支冒险队伍的准备最充分？”
左思用眼角余光扫过大厅内形形色色的冒险者，几乎一眼就锁定了那些装备和佩戴魔法物品最多的人。
因为通常来说，持有魔法物品越多的队伍，往往就意味着职业等级更高、冒险经验越丰富。
当然，也不排除某些富家子弟弄了一身强大的魔法装备，只为外出冒险寻求刺激。
毕竟冒险者群体的成分一直都非常复杂，甚至偶尔还会遇到变形成人类或者精灵的巨龙，亦或是某个国家的王子、公主。
“您这是要进入地脉迷城？”杜南有些意外的问了一句。
左思漫不经心的点了点头：“没错。我准备找个队伍一起下去，你有什么好的推荐吗？”
“看到坐在右侧墙角的那一桌了吗？ 为首满脸胡子的矮人叫做鲁格，是个相当厉害的防御者。
据说曾经在战斗中，用手中盾牌成功挡下了火巨人的全力一击。
他旁边女性半身人盗贼叫蔻拉，不仅擅长侦查、开锁和拆除陷阱，而且悄无声息潜行到怪物身后割开它们的脖子。
最后那个背着鲁特琴、有些放荡的男人叫克尔斯，是个等级不低的吟游诗人，对于幻术魔法相当拿手。
现在，他们正在寻找一位治疗者，不管是牧师还是德鲁伊都可以。
另外，这支队伍已经多次进入过地脉迷城，最高纪录抵达过地下十层，是一个相当不错的成绩了。
如果你感兴趣的话，可以去跟他们谈谈。”
杜南迅速给出了自己的建议，并没有想要打探眼前这位塔洛娜选民进入地脉迷城的目的。
身为资深冒险者的他比任何人都清楚，如果想要长命百岁，最好就少去掺和跟神祇和选民有关的事情。
不然的话，很有可能连怎么死的都不知道。
“谢了！”
左思直接掏出一百金币仍在吧台上，作为给旅店老板杜南的介绍费，然后便站起身径直走了过去。
警惕性非常强的矮人鲁格眼见有人靠近，立刻放下酒杯质问道：“有事？”
“我听说你的队伍正在寻找一个治疗者？”
左思直截了当表明了来意。
“没错！我们的确需要一个治疗者。不过可不是新手，而是至少能够施展三环神术的牧师或者德鲁伊。”
鲁格也同样干脆利落的说明了招募的标准。
由于来到费伦已经有相当长一段时间，再加上营养非常充足，左思的身高也从最初的一米三出头，猛窜到一米四五，看起来跟那些吃得不太好的平民十四五岁的少年相差无几。
Although they will still be looked down upon for being too young, at least they will no longer be treated like children.
What's more, three-ring magic means at least reaching LV5.
This level is also the minimum prerequisite for entering the underground maze and coming back alive.
If you fail to reach this level, you may die at any time even on the easiest first level.
Zuo Si chanted the spell directly in front of him and successfully released a divine spell.
moment!
Including the dwarf defender, halfling rogue and human bard, they all instantly felt an invisible force field enveloping them.
"Three-ring spell [Anti-Evil Circle]! He's a priest!"
Kels, the only bard in the team with the ability to identify spells, quickly and accurately said the name of the divine spell in a tone full of surprise.
This spell has the same effect as [Protection from Evil].
But the difference is that it can be effective on all friendly targets within a three-meter radius, and it lasts longer.
"Really? Are all the priests who can cast three-ring spells so young nowadays? Or does he have halfling or dwarf blood, so he just looks smaller?" The halfling Korra widened her eyes in surprise.
But Luger didn't care about that. He just stretched out his rough big hand, grinned and said, "Welcome to join the team. I think we can start to talk about the distribution of spoils in detail."
After all, people with healing abilities are definitely a scarce resource among the vast number of adventurers.
Especially in places like the Underworld, which are particularly prone to injury and poisoning, it is definitely an indispensable member of the adventure team that wants to explore deeper.
As for those guys who just gathered a group of warriors and one or two thieves and were eager to go down and die, they couldn't go too far before becoming food for various monsters and beasts.
"Don't be impatient. Before we talk about this, I have one additional request, which is to bring a guard of your own."
As he spoke, Zuo Si pointed at Davian who was left next to the bar.
The poet Kels followed the direction of his finger and soon saw the Dragonborn Knight and the extremely conspicuous red scale armor on his body. He exclaimed in a slightly shocked tone: "Red... Red dragon armor?!"
"What?"
The dwarf was also startled. He quickly turned around to look and immediately opened his mouth subconsciously.
You have to know that any warrior who can wear this level of armor is either a tough guy who has participated in dragon slaying, or someone with strong financial resources and a deep background.
What puzzled them even more was, what was Zuo Si's identity to be able to use such a person as a guard? For a moment, the three people in the team began to exchange glances.
About a minute later, Luger, the team leader, cautiously asked, "If you don't mind, can you tell me the purpose of your entry into the underground city?"
"I want to find the magic network node hidden in the underground maze."
Zuo Si stated his purpose openly.
Because there is nothing to hide.
He believed that many mages and warlocks had searched for this magic network node, hoping to gain powerful strength from it, or to peek into the deeper mysteries of the magic network.
"Besides being a priest, you are also a wizard?"
Kels was very keen to notice the large number of magical items equipped by Zuo Si.
Especially the ram ring and magic storage ring worn on the fingers, anyone with a little ability to identify magical items can easily recognize them.
"That's right."
Zuo Si gave a straightforward and affirmative answer.
Not only that!
He also deliberately revealed a little of the Holy Emblem of the Goddess of Magic that he had obtained from Khelbourne before so that the other party could see it.
As expected, the sharp-eyed halfling thief Korra saw this and immediately made a veiled gesture to her two companions.
The poet and the dwarf also quickly noticed this, and their originally nervous mood immediately relaxed.
After all, everyone in the entire continent of Faerun knows that the new magic goddess Midnight is on the good side, so her priests are generally not bad people.
Besides, it sounds logical that a priest of the goddess of magic would go to the underground maze to look for the nodes of the magic network.
Finally, after a short silence, the team leader Luger stood up and said, "No problem, we agree. Since you brought a powerful guard with you, and you are both a priest and a mage, you can do the work of two people. So the spoils will be divided in two. The three of us will take half, and you and your guard will take half."
"That's fair. I'll do as you say." Zuo Si agreed without hesitation.
The reason why he chose to join the adventure team instead of forcing his way in alone relying on the large number of summoned creatures in the cards was because he saw that the other party knew the way.
You have to know that the underground maze is not just an ordinary huge underground maze.
The mad wizard Halaster Blackrobed used his powerful magical powers to transform it into a "mystery lock" similar to the elves' high magic.
When inside the Underworld, almost all teleportation and prophecy magic will be completely ineffective.
Even spells such as expelling alien creatures were banned.
This means that whether you are going in or out, you can only rely on your own feet.
At the same time, there is no way to predict what kind of monsters and traps are hidden ahead, or where the entrance to the next level is. The only thing to do is search bit by bit.
At this time, if there is an adventure team that knows the way to lead, it can naturally save a lot of time.
After the terms were agreed upon, the impatient dwarf Ruger immediately decided to set off.
After paying a gold coin, the innkeeper Dunan personally turned the lifting device and sent down a group of five people plus a little devil who remained invisible at all times.
When they arrived deep underground, Zuo Si, who was very sensitive to magic, instantly felt that the surrounding environment was filled with unimaginable and amazing energy.
Through the supply of these energies, a large number of protective spells are attached to the walls surrounding the maze, the ceiling above, and the ground under the feet.
It is estimated that even if magic or high explosives were used to destroy it, it would be completely repaired in just a few seconds.
Obviously, the mad wizard Halaster Blackrobed had taken into account the existence of the "Kick-the-Door Group", so he directly blocked the possibility of adventurers demolishing the wall or digging directly on the spot in order to take a "shortcut" to reach deeper levels.
Although Zuo Si could destroy these defenses through the Creator's power, he was not sure whether his speed of destruction could be faster than the speed at which the Underworld City could repair itself.
Moreover, doing so would easily attract the attention of the "Mad Wizard" himself, so it was no longer within the scope of consideration from the beginning.
In addition, some strong interference made many prophecy spells completely ineffective.
"Sure enough, they used the energy overflowing from the Rubik's Cube nodes..."
Zuo Si muttered something in a low voice that only he could hear.
Through personal experience, he finally realized how ridiculous it was to mistake the Underworld for an Elf Labyrinth.
Because the maze constructed by the elves is essentially a reweaving of the rules of the magic network within a certain range around them at the cost of high-level wizards voluntarily sacrificing their own lives (permanent death, unable to be resurrected).
Building a maze large enough to cover an entire elven city often means sacrificing more than a dozen high-level wizards.
Considering the scale of the underground maze city, if it were an elf maze, it would probably take the death of a dozen or even dozens of people to be enough.
However, the Mad Mage took a different approach. He used the energy overflowing from the nodes of the magic network to perform permanent enchantments at certain distances, creating an effect similar to that of a maze.
It is conservatively estimated that such a huge project would have taken at least several hundred years of construction day and night.
To put it in simpler terms, the Elf Maze is like a top-notch magic work that was produced in one go using a 3D printer without any flaws, while the Underworld Maze is more like a rough imitation that was carved out bit by bit by hand.
"I'll be the first, Korra will be the second, Kels will be the third, Soth will be the fourth, and Davian will be the last."
The dwarf Luger quickly made arrangements as the team leader.
Although most places in the ground maze are spacious enough, it is not a problem to accommodate five people passing side by side.
However, in order to avoid being caught in traps or ambushes by monsters, experienced adventurers will still keep team members at a certain distance from each other.
In this way, even if one of them encounters an accident, the others can rush to rescue quickly instead of being caught in one fell swoop.
As the saying goes, professional matters should be left to professionals.
Zuo Si obeyed the leader's order very straightforwardly and followed at the end of the team with the Dragon Knight.
Since this was not the first time they entered the underground maze, the three original members of the team were already familiar with the route.
Soon they were weaving through the intricate tunnels, avoiding places where the monster bandits might gather.
If you accidentally bump into someone, the dwarf will wave his shield and axe to attract the opponent's attention, giving the stealthy thief an opportunity to attack from behind.
Or he could signal the bard to cast illusion magic to confuse the enemy, and then have Davian wield the flaming sword to kill him.
In short, there is basically no need for Zuo Si to take any action.
After all, the priest's magic is precious and needs to be used in the most critical places.
In ordinary small-scale encounters like this, it is basically best to save as much as possible.
Otherwise, once the priest has used up all his healing spells, the team must stop and find a relatively safe place to rest.
Anyone who knows a little about the underground maze knows how risky it is to rest in such a place.
After about an hour, the five people successfully reached the entrance to the second floor.
Looking at the still fresh body of the manticore on the ground, the poet Kels couldn't help but whistle: "Great! Looks like someone has helped us get rid of this threat first."
"Who could have done it? Those rookies who came down earlier?" Korra squatted down and checked the wounds on the body.
It turned out that the cause of death of this monster was a half-meter-deep cut in its stomach, with blood, internal organs and intestines scattered all over the ground.
Weapons that can cause this kind of wound are basically either double-edged axes or two-handed swords.
Anyone who can kill a manticore with one strike using this weapon cannot be a weakling.
"Damn it! It's Deathstalker Warren!"
Ruger's face changed drastically when he saw the evil energy emanating from the wound.
"Death Hunter?" Zuo Si showed a curious expression.
The dwarf explained through gnashing teeth: "Warren was originally a dark guard serving the god of tyranny, Bane, and has always been known for his insidiousness, cunningness, and cruelty.
But after Bane's death during the Year of Troubles, he went completely insane.
Constantly wandering between the Underworld and Skull Harbor, hunting all living things he can see.
Any adventuring team that encountered him would almost certainly be massacred.
According to one survivor, it appears the creature would rip out the hearts of those it killed and eat them.”
"Then should we take another route? If we enter the second floor from this entrance, there is a high possibility that we will run into Warren." Korra suggested in an uncertain tone.
But Ruger thought for a moment and shook his head: "No. The other way down is too close to the camp of the dark elves. I would rather fight Warren with real weapons than face those insidious and cunning drow."
"I also think it's better to go down directly. After all, the strength of our team has improved a lot this time, and there is no need to be afraid of the Death Hunter. And if we can kill him, we can get an extra reward of 30,000 gold coins when we go back." Kels' eyes flashed with greed.
Because in the previous few brief encounters, the powerful fighting power demonstrated by the Dragon Knights has far surpassed that of the dwarf defenders.
His amazing arm strength was so great that he could even smash an orc bandit's head with his shield.
Although Zuo Si did not take any action from beginning to end.
But with guards like this, their strength must not be too bad.
Coupled with mastering both arcane and divine magic at the same time, the improvement that can be brought to the overall strength of the team is absolutely unimaginable.
"Sos, which side do you support?" Ruger raised his head and asked.
In most adventuring parties, if there is a difference of opinion, the decision is generally made by a vote of all members.
Zuo Si spread his hands indifferently: "I don't mind, you guys make the decision."
Hearing this, Kels laughed immediately: "Ha! Now it's two to one. Let's go down and see if Warren is waiting for us on the second floor."
"Stop talking nonsense! Be smart! If you encounter a death hunter, don't hesitate to use your broken piano to play music to boost morale."
After saying that, the dwarf took a deep breath and led the way down the stairs.
Because he was born with dark vision, he quickly discovered the bloodstains left on the steps.
When they arrived at the second underground floor about two or three minutes later, everyone in the team was shocked by the bloody scene before them.
There were more than fifteen or sixteen bodies lying densely packed in a corridor that was about four meters wide, and each of them had a bloody hole in the chest.
It was obvious that his heart had been dug out.
"It seems that all the teams that will enter the Underworld City tonight are here except us."
The poet Kers walked up to a young girl in her twenties, looked into her eyes that still contained fear and despair even after death, and sighed helplessly.
It is not difficult to see from the scene that this is definitely a massacre with a huge disparity in strength.
Fourteen adventurers combined were unable to pose even the slightest threat to the Death Hunter Warren.
And all the dead were killed in one blow.
Some of them even had their necks broken by the enemy's hands.
"It's just their bad luck. Stop looking and go."
Ruger urged as he continued walking forward, stepping on the bloodstains on the ground.
He was apparently not as sentimental about death as the poet.
In other words, most adventurers have long been accustomed to living with death.
Not to mention a group of strangers, they probably wouldn't show much sadness even if a teammate died.
Just as the dwarf was about to reach the first fork in the road, a huge black shadow suddenly rushed out from the corner.
He didn't even have time to make any defensive moves and could only raise his shield to protect his body.
The next second...
Bang! The huge force directly caused Ruger's feet to fly back more than ten meters off the ground, and then he kept rolling on the ground like a ball, and finally stopped.
You have to know that although the dwarf looks only about 1.4 meters tall, his weight is quite amazing. He is basically a heavy mound of meat.
In addition to its great strength and low chassis, even ogres find it difficult to repel it head-on.
But now, the enemy who suddenly appeared could actually knock Ruger so far away, his strength attribute must be no less than twenty-six points.
Through the faint light provided by the torches on both sides of the wall, one can vaguely see that this is a man over two meters tall, with a strong build, and wearing a black full body armor.
In his hand he held a dark red two-handed sword stained with blood.
There is a skull-shaped mark on the hilt of the sword, which constantly emits a chilling black light in all directions.
It goes without saying that this guy is the instigator of the massacre, Warren, who is called the "Death Hunter" by adventurers.
Judging from the strength of the [Aura of Despair] emanating from him, he is at least a Level 15 Black Guard.
Especially the "magic sword" that has killed countless lives is no longer just an ordinary magic weapon.
In addition, in the long process of devouring the hearts of living people, it has also suffered some unknown curses and distortions.
He now looks like a monster. Both his appearance and his red eyes prove that he is no longer a simple human being.
"Praise Bane! You are the eternal and true God of this world! Please allow me to offer these humble souls to you as a sacrifice! The great God of Tyranny will surely return again!"
With a crazy-like shout, Warren suddenly attached a layer of evil dark energy to the sword, and then rushed forward directly, wanting to kill everyone.
Such a horrifying scene instantly made Kels change color. He immediately played the lute in his hand, and through this magical minor tune, he boosted the morale of everyone in the team.
This is a power unique to bards.
Although singing, dancing, and playing music during battle can feel pretty awkward.
But the magic effect is still quite good.
At least Korra, who was affected by the [Aura of Despair], no longer had the fear in her eyes.
(End of this chapter)