Chapter 869: The Entity of Conflicting Contrasts (1/2)
Diana and Vardin took turns digging through the ground, extending the tunnel as a massive network was formed. When Diana dug at the front, Vardin would fill up their tunnel from behind. And when Vardin dug, Diana would fill up the other end.
This way, they moved forward in a small chamber. It was to ensure that no one would be able to track or stumble into their path. It was better to be cautious than to risk it all. After all, numerous bandit groups were still prowling about in the area.
”Sorry to spend this much of your Rank Two God Stones,” Vardin apologized as he grabbed another handful of Rank Two God Stones from Krune.
”Don't worry about it. Getting out safe is our main priority here,” Krune smiled as he responded, not feeling it was a waste to allow Vardin to use it. They were constantly expending Godly Energy to dig through the ground. Since they were in a sensitive area where they had to prevent barging into an underwater reservoir, nest, and so on, only the Silver-Winged Mouse couple were digging.
Only they had the innate racial instincts necessary to dig through without setting off any alarms and prevent the tunnel from caving in. As the rest of the group didn't have any work to do, Krune subsisted in helping them with his God Stones.
Rank Two God Stones had greater efficiency when used compared to Rank One God Stones. As they were pressed on time, he didn't skimp out on spending them. He didn't know how long it would take for his cultivation base to be permanently suppressed to the First Stage Godly Fusion Realm. With that, he didn't wish to take any chances.
Yulian neither interacted with them nor pitched in any God Stones, acting like it wasn't his problem. Then again, it seemed like he, too, had his concerns as he stared into a device from time to time, trying to see if it would work.
”I can't contact the guild,” Yulian sighed while saying.
”Is that usually the case in the Immortal Severance Zone?” Krune wondered.
”Indeed.” Xula took the chance to reply since she had nothing else to do after recovering from her injuries. ”Communications fail beyond a certain range in this region. That's why people act as relay stations here to transmit the messages to other relay stations and get the message across. Though, they're usually hunted by the bandits at first sight. So, they're usually in hiding. Only powerful organizations have the means to employ their services.”
After a moment of thought, Yulian sighed as he looked at Krune and said, ”Krune, if possible, I didn't wish to say this to you. But since the situation is currently beyond my understanding, I'll break my professionalism and tell it to you.”
”What happened?” Krune asked in response, surprised at the fact that Yulian decided to speak it aloud rather than transmitting the message through his Divine Sense.
Yulian replied, ”The Spirit Awakener Guild dispatched four teams to secretly tail you. Their task was to arrive at your rescue when your life was at risk. We were keeping in touch as I relayed your status to them at regular intervals. They were tailing 10 kilometers behind us.”
”But...” He sighed before continuing, ”Just some time ago, all communications were cut off with them. The four teams operated individually, but all of a sudden, I lost contact with all four.”
He then showed the device in his hands as he explained, ”This is a special piece of equipment made by the Spirit Awakener Guild capable of relaying the life force of an individual. We used this to keep track of the other party's condition. If in the chance I get injured or died, they would immediately know it and would move to reinforce you. Right now, all their life signatures have disappeared.”
”How could they die just like that?” Krune frowned as he asked, ”Did their life signature fluctuate before then?”
”It fluctuated for less than a minute,” Yulian nodded as he replied. ”But then again, the fluctuation was normal. It only seemed like they had sustained mild injuries from a small skirmish. So, I thought they had run into a minor bandit group and made quick work of it.”
”So, it's not wrong to assume that they were quickly suppressed and annihilated at the same time,” Krune nodded as he voiced out his speculations, sighing at the loss of lives. They had died trying to protect him. But other than that, Krune didn't feel anything. After all, he hadn't even met them before, so the thought of their deaths didn't register in his mind enough to affect his emotions.
”With that...” Yulian sighed. ”Just know that I'm the only one that would reinforce you in times of necessity.”
”I have no problem with that.” Krune nodded as he said, ”Until now, I moved with the thought that you were the only person who would guard me. So, it's the same either way.”
”Also…” Krune was just about to speak when his head shot upward, shouting hastily, ”Stop!”
Diana and Vardin stopped digging immediately, looking at Krune, only to see him frowning. Krune looked at Yulian, pointing upward as he asked, ”The place with a path towards the exit you talked about before is right above us, right?”
”Around 100 meters forward from here,” Yulian replied. ”Why? What happened?”
”It's for the best if we don't stop here and tunnel further. The place above ground seems to be a resting spot for a large bandit group. I don't know their exact numbers.”
As to how Krune was able to detect them from such distance in the Immortal Suppression Zone, no one asked him. They respected his secrets, not prying any further.
They were around 20 meters deep underground. As for how Krune could sense the surface, it was obviously through his Mental Energy scan. His cultivation base in the outside world was at the Second Stage of the God Foundation Realm. So, the range of his Divine Sense alone was around 30 meters.