CHAPTER 60: GET OUT FROM THE CAVE

Shaan’s mouth opened slightly as he watched Nalira walk back toward him after defeating the giant plant so effortlessly. Incredible. Her speed far surpassed his own, and of course, He knew it must be the result of her intense training, and that’s a good thing.

"Shaan, you should take this." She took out several pieces of dark crystal that she had obtained when defeating the giant plant. "You deserve this."

[You received 5 dark crystal shards from Nalira]

"Shaan... what’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" Nalira frowned her brow. "Is there something wrong?"

"Oh, no, no. It’s nothing. Thank you, Nalira." Shaan quickly took the dark crystal shards from her hand. "It’s just... I was wondering about the skill you used. How could you move so fast?"

"... Dash. An ability that concentrates all your mana power in your legs to accelerate your movement," Nalira explained briefly. "This ability can be used by all Daemonists and works the same as the Mana Enchantment, but it drains a lot more mana."

’Dash? I’ve never heard of that before.’ Shaan was silent for a moment. ’Maybe when she has some free time, I’ll ask Nalira to teach me. That skill would be incredibly useful for me.’

"Shaan, where’s Chelsie?" Nalira looked around. "Wasn’t she with you earlier?"

"She was," Shaan nodded. "But I told her to stay behind and protect the courier from any dark creatures that might show up."

"The courier?" Nalira is silent for the moment, trying to digest Shaan’s words. "Who?"

"Just come with me. I’ll take you to meet Chelsie and the courier I told you about," Shaan walked in front of Nalira. "Come on, Nalira."

Shaan then led Nalira to a large rock where Chelsie and the courier were located. As they got close, Chelsie spotted them and immediately stood up, rushing toward them.

"Shaan! Lira!" Chelsie called out with a worried expression. "Are you two alright? Are you hurt?"

We’re fine. Thanks for asking," Nalira said with a gentle nod. "Just a few scratches, but nothing serious."

"Oh, thank goodness," Chelsie sighed in relief. "Alright then, let me help treat those wounds."

"Thank you, Chelsie," Nalira smiled. "Your help means a lot to us."

"Uhmm... It’s nothing," Chelsie stammered, her face turning red. "I’m just doing what I can."

"Oh, right. How’s the courier? Is he alright?"

Chelsie nodded. "Yes, he’s fine. He’s hiding behind this rock," she explained. "I also told him not to come out. I just don’t want him to get hurt."

"Good job, Chelsie. I knew I could count on you."

"The courier? Who is he?" Nalira asked.

"Oh, right. Looks like you haven’t met him yet." Chelsie grabbed Nalira’s hand excitedly. "Come on! He’s a really kind person, and I’m sure you’ll like him."

"...Alright." Nalira nodded. "Are you coming with us?"

"I’ll catch up in a bit. There’s something I need to check first."

"Oh, okay." Chelsie nodded and walked off, leaving Shaan behind.

Shaan slowly turned his gaze toward the cave’s exit. This time, the vines that had blocked the path earlier had changed. Their green color had faded into a brittle brown.

"I need to tell the others," Shaan muttered. "They’ll be glad to hear this."

He quickly made his way back and reunited with the group. He explained that the vines blocking the cave exit had dried up, and now they could leave much more easily.

"Good. I don’t think we should waste any more time here."

"Yeah, I agree with Lira," Chelsie said, nodding. "I just don’t want another terrifying creature to show up while we’re still stuck in this place."

"Agreed. Totally agreed," the courier chimed in, following a few steps behind Nalira and Chelsie. "Hey, ladies, wait for me!"

After several minutes of walking, they finally reached the cave’s exit. Just as Shaan had predicted earlier, the vines blocking the way had died. At first, Shaan planned to cut through them with his blades, but Nalira had already used her fire skill to burn the entire mass down to ashes.

’Yeah... I guess that’s a much more efficient way,’ Shaan thought as he slowly sheathed his dual short swords. "Now we can finally get out of—"

Shaan, silence for the moment. One by one, the black mushrooms he had seen earlier began to release a strange gas. At first glance, nothing about the gas seemed unusual. But the moment it touched nearby plants, everything shriveled up and disintegrated. Worse still, the gas spread quickly and moved toward them.

"Oh, no way."

"Shaan? What’s wrong?" Chelsie furrowed her brow when she noticed him stop. "What’re you faced look tense?"

"Po-Poison gas. We have to get out of here. Right now!"

Hearing Shaan’s warning, everyone rushed forward and sprinted toward the exit. They ran as fast as they could and finally made it out of the cave. Without wasting any time, Shaan turned to Robin Hood. "Shoot the entrance—now!"

Robin Hood immediately drew an arrow and fired it straight at the cave’s entrance. Within seconds, the rocks shifted and collapsed, sealing the entrance completely.

"Ah, finally," Shaan exhaled deeply. "Good thing we got out just in time."

"Yeah, I... I agree," Chelsie said, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "At least we’re safe now, and the poison gas is trapped inside."

The courier straightened up and gave them a respectful bow. "Thank you for saving me. I owe you my life. To repay you, I’d like to help. So... what do you need?"

Chelsie glanced at the others, then started to speak. "Uhmm... actually, we’re looking for a certain place. But we haven’t been able to find it."

"A place? What kind of place?" the courier asked with interest. "I’ve worked as a courier for a long time, and I know almost every location around here. Maybe I can take you there."

"Well, we’re searching for the location of—"

"Hold on," Nalira suddenly interrupted. "Why should we believe you? How do we know you’re not trying to mislead us?"