500 Underworld’s… The Path Back Home (2/2)
The five of them paused midway, hearing the call. They flapped their wings slowly to balance themselves in the air while looking down to realize that Majestic Hero, Black God, and some of their winged subordinates were catching up to them from below.
More than ten winged Champions gathering mid-air near the top of the Tower of Hades was such a rare scene. They immediately drew the attention of the numerous players wandering inside the city.
***
”Haven't you decided to bring your men and go to look for Lich? Haha! Have you changed your mind and decided to go to the Underworld with us?” Seeing Majestic Hero chasing them from below, Subjugator couldn't help but tease them a little. But right after his joke ended, all five of them realized something was off. Majestic Hero and the others had long faces.
”What happened?” Subjugator turned serious and asked cautiously.
Majestic Hero first looked at him, then scanned the other four players. Finally, he fixed his gaze on Qin Ruo and Violet Orchid and asked, ”Please tell me you haven't put anyone into the Underworld.”
”What's wrong?” Qin Ruo nodded and repeated Subjugator's question. The grim look on Majestic Hero and Black God told him that they must have received some very important information. Most likely something to do with the Underworld and most probably not very optimistic.
Just as he thought, Majestic Hero was immediately relieved knowing that Qin Ruo's side had yet to enter the dangerous place. ”Luckily.”
”Just tell us already,” Violet Orchid frowned at them and said.
Black God took a deep breath and explained, ”We are unsure of the details either. But several members of mine who had entered earlier messaged me about their encounter. It seems that the condition in the Underworld is rather complicated. It's way out of our imagination!” He looked down at the NPC Champions as he spoke and lamented, ”Maybe they are right. It's still too soon for us to challenge the Underworld.”
Qin Ruo and four of his comrades looked at each other, baffled.
”Your men had entered the Underworld? What did they find? What actually happened? Can you please describe to us in more details?”
”Well, it's a long story…”
”Then take all the time you want. We have plenty of it.”
Black God stared at Qin Ruo and thought about his brothers who were sent to the Underworld first time by him. He nodded painfully and said, ”Alright! Let's go further up to avoid being heard.”
The eleven of them rose at the same time. Soon, the top of the Tower of Hades became a small dot, while the players around the Eternal Portal were not more than the size of an ant.
”Okay. Let's hear it out,” Qin Ruo urged Black God to speak up as soon as they stopped ascending. He wished to learn more about the Underworld, and since the Black Jail members had become the pioneers, he was more than eager to know about the actual situation inside. Moreover, this must be some vital information he needed to grasp judging by how nervous Black God and Majestic Hero were a moment ago.
”Um…” Black God expression was unreadable. He took another deep breath and groaned a little. His eyeballs floated around as he was organizing his thought, then he started, ”My brothers entered the Underworld in less than three minutes after the Spawn of Hades was banished from the city. Don't give me that look, I know we were too hot-headed then. Knowing that the Tower of Hades links directly to the Underworld, we thought we should go in the first time and perhaps earn a rare encounter or two before everyone else. Thus, after getting the necessary supply, I ordered one party to immediately travel down there.”
A rare painful and regretful look appeared on Black God's face at this point. He continued in a sorrowful tone, ”All ten of them!”
”After they went in, they were separated and turned up at different regions across the Underworld, alone…”
”Separated?” Qin Ruo and four others were utterly shocked. This was indeed shocking. Still, he was confident that each player of his current party was capable of surviving alone in the Underworld.
Black God continued grimly. ”I urged them to keep me updated on the situation around them as soon as possible. This was when, two of my men were killed!”
”Shit!”
Black God ignored the exclamation and went on. ”The environment they were sent to was rather plain. There was only a worn out single-way warp portal. No safe zone and no sign of other humans. Nothing at first glance, except the portal that was embedded with Mana Core. When they checked more thoroughly, they realized numerous words were carved on either the slates or ground near the portal. It was comprehensible and appeared to be dying testaments. I asked them to take a good look at it, and that was when they were killed mercilessly by Specters that were lurking nearby.”
”What?” Qin Ruo heart dropped listening to the unfortunate tragedy. He then heard Violet Orchid ask, ”What was written on those dying notes?”
”The contents were mixed up…” Black God shook his head, ”But my men said someone must have lived near the portal for a very long time. They could find all sort of things there and believed that those things were left for people who might show up later. Most of the lines were disconnected and insensible, but one content kept showed up in between the lines…”
”Which was?”
”It said, ”If you are still alive, find the man's bone and the road home. I beg you, bring our Warrior back to the Mythical Continent. Free them from this forsaken place and the forsaken spirits. Let their souls be in peace.
”If you are still looking for the right path, then please bring along our ashes. We will bless you from above so that one day, you may find your path back home.”