The second campaign against the abandoned settlement is about to begin, and the team is ready.
Consumable supplies, such as torches with flaming runes, throwing knives with flaming runes, and food, are in ample supply.
They still took the same route the expedition team had taken back, but this time there were fewer people going through.
"The remaining Dark Erosion Beasts, the ordinary individuals, suffered heavy casualties in the last extermination."
They are not a concern. When the fighting really starts, a small group of people can be used to eliminate them.
The two most troublesome leader-level Dark Erosion Beasts cannot be defeated simply by overwhelming numbers.
A siege might deplete the two monsters' stamina, but for the settlement, human lives are paramount. In this battle, quality over quantity is the key to victory.
Evan was also in the team. He had already proven his strength, and his power, which was stronger than Vilia's, was the reason he was able to kill the Dark Erosion Beast.
Less than a minute after entering the passage, they were already far from the gathering place. The light behind them dissipated, and darkness gradually enveloped the entire group.
Fortunately, they did not get lost. Every so often, a warrior in the group would take out a torch and use his supernatural power to activate the runes on it.
Rune: Fire
"call……"
It was just an ordinary stone, but under the power of the runes, it burst into flames, illuminating the surrounding environment. The expedition team only needed to follow the map they had explored to reach their destination.
"These torches are indeed very effective."
Evan watched the blazing stone. The Fire Rune ensured that this normally non-flammable material would burn, but the price was that the stone would be gradually annihilated.
Based on his sense of time, Evan estimated that they had been walking for about ten minutes, and the rock had become less angular than it had been at the beginning.
"This is the power of runes. Although the fire is rather useless and ordinary stones are not very useful to us, when the two are combined, they become an indispensable core resource for going out on missions."
After all, this was Evan's first time leaving the settlement, and Vilia quietly explained the situation to him.
During their conversation, they came to a fork in the road, paused briefly, and chose the left path.
That's the purpose of a map. The underground environment is interconnected and not unlike a maze. If you accidentally go the wrong way, you might get trapped here until hunger and exhaustion break you down.
Evan also saw the description on the map: if he took the right fork in the road, he could reach another settlement that was quite far away.
"Countless tunnels form the veins of our lives; we thank the people of those past eras..."
Vilia was an old hand, but every time he walked through the underground passages and saw the man-made marks along the way, he couldn't help but sigh.
In the previous eight eras, humanity was much the same as it is now, digging underground tunnels to connect settlements. Although they perished, the legacy they left behind made life much easier for the people of the Ninth Era.
"And those books, their knowledge can save us from many detours."
They stopped to rest once along the way, and their food consisted of the dry rations they carried with them. They could choose between sweet or savory flavors, and they didn't have to worry about water.
Everyone would carry enough water for more than two days, and one in ten people would carry a bucket filled with a large amount of pure water. Veria also told Evan that if they saw some plants along the way, it meant that there was an underground river nearby, from which they could also draw water.
Before the battle even began, Evan learned a lot about survival through his first time venturing out.
"Of course, even if you are capable enough, it is still not recommended to go out alone. Teamwork can minimize the risks of exploration..."
"Good news, everyone. The two leader-level Dark Erosion Beasts are fighting again."
If all goes well, if we go now, they should be at a truce.
Half an hour before reaching their destination, a scout who had arrived ahead of time and was lingering on the edge of the abandoned settlement brought good news.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com