They continued onward.
As they prepared to converge on the other side of this void, another problem arose.
The issue had been imperceptible from a distance, but as they arrived at their respective paths' ends, they discovered a transparent wall blocking their way and dividing the corridor ahead into two.
Ronald was the first to look up.
Is this thing... of the same kind as the one above us?
"Dwayne, how is it on your side?"
"No problem here. How about you?"
At the same time, Dwayne and Celia began shouting through the wall.
"Do we regroup, or do we go on separately?"
"Let's try going on our own first!"
"If we lose contact for over half an hour, we'll return the way we came and start together again!"
After all, the team was a support team, and their ultimate purpose was to explore the relic.
So, when making the decision,
Both chose the most efficient method of dividing their ways and had also made basic contingency plans.
And so, just as Ronald was thinking, 'Here we go, the typical horror movie or adventure film scenario where the team splits up, and then one side meets its crisis.'
Their team had also completely divided.
On one side, while Megan was ostensibly the center, in reality, Ronald and Costate dominated as they also led Celia and one guard.
On the opposite side was Professor Dwayne, who took absolute leadership, along with three other guards.
This division was somewhat unbalanced.
After all, all of the casters were concentrated on one side.
But because of certain issues of face and atmosphere, those within the team who might have cared about this imbalance didn't raise objections, and the ordinary members were unaware, so the decision was settled.
At the beginning of their entry into the corridor, the two parties could still see each other's positions through the transparent wall.
But after progressing about a hundred meters,
The distance between the two groups gradually grew, and the figures on the other side quickly became blurred under these circumstances, eventually losing all contact.
It was then that Celia in the team took the initiative to stand up.
The adventurer had a pocket watch with him and made sure to wind it tightly to check the time.
After completing these actions, Celia discreetly glanced at Costate as he put away his pocket watch.
Then he quickened his pace and directly went to the forefront of the five-person team.
Taking up the role of the scout.
The atmosphere in this part of the team was actually somewhat gloomy.
Ronald and Costate spoke little, Megan, in awe of the two, didn't dare to talk, and Celia in front had no intention of speaking out.
That left one bewildered guard.
He would glance at his companions back and forth as he walked, finding the atmosphere exceedingly strange.
Fortunately, this discomfort did not last long.
After about five minutes, Costate suddenly said,
"Sir, the path we're on is elevating."
"According to the current trend, in another seven minutes, we should reach the altitude we were at when we entered by the waterfall."
"Elevating?" This discovery also piqued Ronald's interest.
One should know that according to 'local flavor,' people in this world like to bury their treasures underground, a factor Ronald had personally experienced on several occasions.
Is the difference between Entrode and Greid so vast?
Even the architectural style has changed from subterranean to surface-level?
Meanwhile, Celia, who had already entered exploration mode, clearly had more on his mind.
He did not hesitate to believe Costate's words.
Then he quickly pulled out his pocket watch:
"We've now spent five minutes and sixteen seconds, leaving us with less than ten minutes from the previously agreed time. If there's something important to be found, we better pick up the pace now."
"Right, let's hurry then."
When Ronald spoke, his words carried the highest level of authority within their five-person team. Almost immediately after his voice fell, the other three, excluding the ordinary guards, began to jog.
Meanwhile, the sole remaining guard's face was devoid of choice.
With such companions, naturally, there were no other options.
The accelerated pace wasn't overly dramatic.
Thus, precisely one minute before the estimated time, the scenery before the group of five suddenly opened up.
—They indeed returned to the surface.
—And right in front of them was a lush valley.
The sunlight filtered through the clouds and cast its rays below, and though it was the winter season, the valley still maintained a verdant landscape, with birds and insects even visible moving around.
From a higher vantage point,
Moss and vines climbed the surrounding rocks and soil, within which one could vaguely make out the outlines of some dilapidated buildings.
It seemed Ronald and his team were headed in the right direction.
This place was clearly a long-abandoned ruin, and as they entered, there were even signs of explosive damage left by a previous exploration team at the entrance.
As they gazed around at the scenery, strikingly different from the tunnels they had just traversed, Megan couldn't help but ask:
"Is this the relic of the so-called 'Mud People'?"
"It's the Nicars," Seraphiel immediately corrected. The source of thɪs content is 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹~𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮~𝚗𝚎𝚝
Suddenly, a call for help came from their right.
The clear enunciation left no doubt about the caller's identity; Ronald and his team exchanged glances and immediately headed towards the source of the voice.
A horrifying scene quickly unfolded before their eyes.
Near the edge of the valley, a young girl lay at the corner of a cliff, her lower body completely buried by the soil in the corner. She was practically sprawled on the ground, with a backpack that had been opened in front of her along with numerous signs of struggle.
Just witnessing this scene made it all too clear what had happened before.
The trapped girl couldn't escape and had no choice but to overturn her belongings in such a posture before finally struggling in desperation.
At that moment, the girl calling for help spotted the figures of Ronald and his team approaching.
The young girl's eyes scanned and instantly locked onto Megan:
"Uncle Megan, it's me, please save me!"
"Something's pressing down on my body, I can't get out!"
"Ina? What happened here?"
"Where are the others who came in with you, and what have you encountered?"
Megan recognized her as a member of a previous exploration team.
Seeing her current condition, he immediately moved toward Ina.
After all, she was a companion from the same camp, Megan had no reason to remain indifferent to her suffering.
"I advise you best not go over there and make contact with her!"
Ronald reminded Megan from behind.
The reason was quite simple—
Because in his Reconnaissance Magic specifically for humans, there were only five humans around...