Chapter 442 Underground Maze V (1/2)
Rhode's guesses were proven to be true after the trio entered the ruins entrance. In the huge underground cave, the remains of the Undead Soldiers were scattered visibly under the burning pale flames. It was apparent that there was a fierce, long battle.
”Why would there be traces of battle?” Anne curiously asked after noticing the hideous sight. She gripped her shield tightly and scanned the surroundings vigilantly as they progressed. ”Did someone come in earlier than us, Leader? What should we do?”
”Let's see who has the guts to do so,” Rhode answered without turning around. ”I think Barter isn't one who would do such things behind our backs. But I can't confirm it either. Although adventurers and mercenary groups may have stumbled upon this dungeon, they can forget about snatching this mission away from us.”
Although Rhode said it confidently, his expression showed otherwise. At this moment, they entered the tunnel through the entrance of the underground city. Rhode was expecting various kinds of undead creatures, however, there were all kinds of corpses instead. This definitely wasn't something that ordinary adventurers or mercenary group were capable of achieving. Only powerful guilds could deliver such standards: this discovery wasn't good news. If there really was a guild that entered before them, there would only be two possibilities. The first possibility would be the Purple Lily Guild and the second possibility would be a guild from the other regions. However, Rhode felt that the latter was impossible. The Liberty Wings had been forcefully disbanded and they had no reason to be here. The Sky Sword Guild suffered huge losses in the Midsummer Festival and it didn't make sense for them to bring trouble on themselves. But, what should I do if it was Cole Falcon or Purple Lily?
Rhode lifted his head and gazed at the city ruins. It was unlike the underground chamber below Eagle City. This entire city had sunk into an underground cavity. The roof over the city was an arc-shaped cave wall, and the pitch-dark, bottomless abyss below the city was clearly evident under the illuminating flames. If it weren't for the thick stelae supporting the city from below, perhaps the city would have submerged into the darkness of the abyss entirely.
However, this abandoned city wasn't painted in total darkness. Lanterns hung on the eaves of the buildings and both sides of the main street were lit with flames. Those flames represented the burning flames of dead souls. The flames weren't warm and were avocado in color. However, even so, this forgotten city was brilliantly lit. Looking from afar, it seemed like this city was functioning normally.
However, there was total silence.
Rhode slowed his pace as he moved deeper into the city through the granite street. The remains of Undead Soldiers were everywhere. However, for unknown reasons, Rhode was somewhat familiar with the wounds on them.
It was too strange for this place to be this quiet.
Rhode beckoned for the young ladies behind him. He refused to believe that a guild was capable of breaking through the non-stop waves of monster attacks. And if there was such a battle going on, the entire city must have been filled with war cries. Furthermore, Rhode knew about Barter's earth-shattering battle techniques that could even tear the entire city down. It wasn't Barter's nature to act like an obedient child when he entered someone's home quietly.
”Follow me,” Rhode gestured.
This city ruins weren't much different from what he recalled. The path to the central area had been buried in the ruins completely and it was impossible to climb over them. The solution was to head towards the supplementary road in the north or the alleys hidden behind in the buildings. With Rhode's experience, he quickly found the road that would lead to their destination in the shortest time possible. As Rhode led the others around the corner and entered the alley, he abruptly stopped. Anne widened her eyes curiously and exclaimed softly.
A man dressed in a thief outfit laid on the wall with his back towards the trio. Sharp sword blades had pierced and nailed his body to the wall and even death wasn't able to rescue the Thief from the terrors that overtook his face.
Rhode sucked in a deep breath and approached the Thief cautiously. More doubts arose in Rhode's mind as soon as he examined the corpse. ”That's odd. He doesn't seem like someone from a guild.”
Rhode searched the corpse from head to toe. The headwear, belt, earrings, daggers, and boots didn't reveal anything that he wished to see, like a guild badge. A guild badge was mandatory for every guild member. The badge was capable of displaying one's identity and rank, and most importantly, it strengthened one's sense of belonging in the guild. Furthermore, almost every badge was unique and this was to avoid identity thieves. Ever since Starlight was established, Rhode had modified the badges. The Starlight Badge was shaped in a quadrilateral star with a white halo around it. Without a doubt, badges came in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Rhode's badge was a ring on his finger while Gillian's was a pair of star-shaped earrings. As for Anne, her badge was embedded on the surface of her shield. With these marks, anyone could recognize which guild they belonged to at a single glance.
However, there were no indications of this Thief belonging to a guild at all. His dagger and armor were low-grade equipment purchased from merchant shops and usually, these equipment were common in solo mercenaries or those in small groups of three or four.