CHAPTER 574: CHAPTER 389: SORROW HELD BACK

At the closure of the Sain Dungeon, many people are often kicked out in an instant.

Adventurers in Yilushier and the Casas Underground Tomb will be teleported to the teleportation gate located near the Royal City.

At this moment, quite a few adventurers have already appeared near the teleportation gate, and the number is still increasing. Those with a sound mind will immediately walk away to prevent being knocked over by newcomers.

As for why it’s emphasized as those with a sound mind, it’s because there are many who aren’t.

"Quick, someone over there has collapsed, hurry and treat them!" Two people dressed in warm-toned church robes, clearly believers of the Holy Light Church, ran to place a fallen adventurer onto a stretcher.

"Hehehe, hehehehe..." The adventurer lay there giggling foolishly, with small flames still burning on them. The believers, seeing this, immediately shouted:

"This person is burned by Sin Fire, send them to the Intermediate Care Room for mental healing!"

Adventurers emerging from the Dungeon might not necessarily all be healthy. Just like you can’t simply assume that those who haven’t entered the Resurrection House are all unharmed, hence, the Resurrection House dispatches staff to wait near the teleportation gate to take back those who aren’t dead but clearly have problems.

Most Resurrection Houses within the Kingdom are operated by the Holy Light Church, and it’s no different in the Royal City. Midnight is precisely when the Resurrection House staff are busiest.

A qualified Resurrection House worker needs to be vigilant, ready to discover any injured person at any moment, because if they are late...

"Look quickly, there’s an injured person over there, get over there quickly!" A Holy Light believer had just shouted out but hadn’t had time to act before seeing several people dressed in red church robes running over to surround the injured adventurer, swiftly taking them away for treatment.

Seeing this, the Holy Light believer stomped their foot angrily and cursed, "Damn it, again snatched away by the Starfire Church, everyone, don’t slack, hurry and grab them!"

Hearing his words, the Starfire Church people turned and flashed a mocking smile.

Lately, as an emerging popular church, the Starfire Church has been challenging the authority of the Holy Light Church in various domains, even extending their hands into the business of healing adventurers.

No wonder the Holy Light Church has been dispatching more and more believers to the teleportation gate recently, to snatch patients.

A Holy Light believer couldn’t stand it and went over, pointing at the Starfire Church people, shouting intensely, "Do you have a license to practice medicine approved by the magistrate? I tell you, what you’re doing is practicing medicine without a license, do you understand?"

"Healing Magic doesn’t count as medical skills, right? I didn’t prescribe any medicine," the Starfire believer replied unflinchingly, "We’re just doing good voluntarily!"

"Damn it!" The Holy Light believer couldn’t help but curse.

"You’re cursing? The Holy Light God will punish you!"

"Get lost, pagans stay away!"

A commotion ensued, finally ended by the groaning of the newly appeared adventurers.

In the eyes of both sides indignation named competition was burning brightly, each one spurred to save people, definitely not wanting to lag behind the pagans!

"Look, that giggling little girl must be burned by Sin Fire, let’s hurry and save her!"

Both sides focused on a seemingly unusual adventurer and rushed over.

"Hey hey, stop for a moment, your gaze is no different from beasts." Just then, a chain blocked both sides’ path. With a flick of a black robe, a proud figure in tight leather clothes was revealed, Luluwo stopped the believers from both sides and said helplessly:

"That child is my friend, she’s fine, not a thing wrong at all, you all should hurry and save others."

The Holy Light believer scratched his head, "Giggling there doesn’t count as nothing wrong?"

"Nothing wrong..."

"Really don’t need me to do a Holy Light Silence Technique on her?"

"Really nothing wrong!"

Finally managing to send away the overenthusiastic believers eager for performance, Luluwo sighed wearily and turned to the girl who’d been foolishly giggling—Elsa.

"What are you standing there giggling for, you’re being thought of as mentally b..."

Her complaining words were not yet finished when she suddenly thought of something, her smile became gentle again and she asked, "Did you see what you wanted to see? I was worried that the time was too short for you to see it, seems I was worrying for nothing."

Elsa finally reined in her smile upon seeing someone approach and nodded.

"The giant Blacksmith is still over there, right?" Luluwo said with a perceptive expression.

Elsa nodded again, though she only saw the bottom half of the giant Blacksmith, it was good to see he was still there.

She remembered the giant Blacksmith in the Painting World would occasionally sleep lying down, probably when she just saw him, he was sleeping soundly.

At that moment, she suddenly took out her purse, the coins inside jingling.

She grasped her purse with both hands, trying hard to utter a sentence, but internally felt it might go against the image she always maintained, until her face reddened, and all she managed to say was, "Please, please..."

"Please spare some money?" Luluwo teased.

Elsa quickly shook her head and pointed to the bustling tavern.

"I got it, an invitation!"

Luluwo "Oh-ho," bent down to wrap an arm around her shoulder, teased with a laugh, "First time I’ve seen you make an invitation, delighted after seeing what you wanted? That giant Blacksmith is pretty significant in your heart, huh?"

Elsa nodded vigorously like a pecking chick. In fact, she had wanted to emulate how Luluwo and the others would boldly proclaim "I’m treating today!" after returning from a dungeon exploration, but in the end, she was too shy to say it out loud, always feeling she couldn’t be so bold.

"Since it’s your first time treating, having just the two of us would be too quiet. How about I call everyone over and we have a little celebration party?"

The little sponsor had no objections and was even quite looking forward to it.

With Luluwo’s incredible efficiency, the crusade team members who had started to leave gradually gathered back in a not-quite-full tavern, where they ordered a sumptuous feast.

Everyone was very satisfied and happy with this celebration party. People became more familiar with each other, and even those adventurers who were not very acquainted with Elsa chatted quite well.

Eating food, drinking wine, making friends, and chatting—this was a normal and happy life for Elsa.

By the end of the night, as people in the tavern began to disperse, some crusade members checked the time and said:

"Without realizing it, we’ve drunk for so long. The Dungeon must be about to open again. Does anyone want to join me for an adventure?"

After fighting bosses intensely the whole day, then drinking all night without sleep, and leaving the Dungeon for just three hours only to head back in, these adventurers were practically supermen.

Watching from the side while drinking, Gong Qiying considered whether to plant more Torina Lotuses in the Dungeon so the adventurers could get some sleep. If they suddenly died, it would also be a loss for the Dungeon.

Ceder knocked on the table and shook his head, saying:

"I suggest none of you enter the Dungeon today. Rest well for at least a day. Everyone’s been burned by the Sin Flames, right? These flames have a significant impact on the mind. Many cases have proven that even after extinguishing the Sin Fire, one’s mind tends to weaken more easily for a period."

"Alright, let’s listen to the president."

The celebration party ended, and everyone gradually dispersed. After Elsa settled the bill, she naturally followed Luluwo’s footsteps, heading back to the Skyrim Strategy Group’s camp, which Luluwo didn’t find unusual.

While walking on the main street, the early-rising adventurers were already on their way to the Teleportation Gate when suddenly a rough voice called out from behind.

"Captain Gus, are you really here?"

Elsa turned around, a hint of panic and guilt flashing across her face, "Sa, Saville?"

"It’s Caville. Captain, you always get my name wrong..." The burly man who had stopped her corrected helplessly: "I feel like I haven’t seen you in the group for a long time. What have you been busy with these days? Everyone’s been missing you."

"From the Light Eagle Group?" Luluwo couldn’t help but ask.

"Yes, it’s my Charging Team."

Just as she was about to say something, the burly man named Caville shook his head and pointed to his plain clothes, saying: "I’m not with the Light Eagle Group anymore, I quit."

"Eh?" Now it was Elsa’s turn to be stunned.

"It’s not just me, Henry, Sami, Hans... they all quit too. The captain personally agreed and even gave us this." He took out a badge, with an engraved eagle in the center embedded with a gem of deep red unknown material. "Said it was a memento."

"Why?" Elsa couldn’t help but ask.

"Hmm... there’s no special reason," Caville said, stroking his beard. "There aren’t any wars now, so we’re useless. All day in the group, doing nothing, I was practically going moldy. Sure, getting paid for not working is nice, but if you do nothing for too long, you’ll waste away. So, I’m planning on going back home and using the money I’ve earned over the years to help my dad open a farm. That was my wish when I joined."

He suddenly whispered: "Besides, the atmosphere in the group has been a bit... uncomfortable lately. Since I’m not needed, I might as well leave."

After a brief chat, Caville left Elsa with a piece of cloth with his address on it, smiling as he said, inviting her to come visit him anytime and promising to serve his best home-brewed beer.

Watching his departing back, Elsa couldn’t help but fall into silence.

"From the sound of it, things aren’t going too well over at the Light Eagle Group," Luluwo asked: "Want to go back for a visit, just to take a break? Maybe check in on your Charging Team, before everyone disbands and never meets again."

Elsa hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded.

"I’ll go tomorrow morning."

She tossed and turned in bed all night, unable to sleep.

The next morning.

In front of the Sain Dungeon’s Teleportation Gate.

Elsa cautiously looked around, tiptoeing toward the Teleportation Gate as if trying to avoid people.

"Caught you."

Luluwo’s voice came from behind, and she said helplessly:

"Didn’t you say you were going to wrap things up at the Light Eagle Group today? Why are you at the Sain Dungeon again, still too shy?"

The young girl’s face flushed with embarrassment, muttering: "I, I’m still a bit worried about the giant. Without seeing the whole picture..."

"Pop," Luluwo flicked her forehead, "That’s an excuse, I can tell. You just don’t want to go back, right."

"..."

"Alright, fine then."

She gave Elsa a gentle push, saying:

"I’ll go with you to check on how the giant blacksmith is doing. After that, you must go to the Light Eagle Group."