Chapter 326: Pearl, Listen to m....
"Where are we going?" Arlyne asked as she followed Asher Eli and Pearl Harper, who were walking hurriedly ahead of her.
"To find the Dungeon Portal...." Eli responded.
"I see..." Arlyne nodded, quickening her pace to catch up with the other two.
"How many hours passed since we entered the dungeon?" Eli questioned, curiosity etched on his face.
"It's an S-Rank Dungeon, Eli. Compared to other dungeons, S and S+ Dungeons are different.... They have this unique difference called Time. While other low-rank dungeons maintain a normal time period according to our Terra World.
S-Rank Dungeons cannot be sure.
If we spent one hour here, then our world might have already passed one year or even ten years. But there's also a chance that our world might have only passed a single second..." Pearl explained with a deadly serious expression, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of their current surroundings.
"..." Eli's face suddenly darkened, teeth clenched, and a dangerous glint passed through his eyes, hinting at the weight of this revelation.
"'S+' Rank?" Arlyne asked, her curiosity now piqued, given this new piece of information that had eluded her in her non-royal status.
"That... well, let's not talk about it," Pearl replied with a worried tone, suggesting that there were facets better left unexplored.
Arlyne nodded, acknowledging the complexity of their situation and the layers of knowledge that only time and experience could unveil.
"I have only one question, though." Eli abruptly halted, his gaze fixed on Pearl with indifferent eyes as he posed the query,
"Why would someone go out of their way to trap me instead of teleporting me directly here?"
"..... That's not possible because we are in another dimension, so normal teleportation is not possible," Pearl shook her head, drawing attention as she took out a golden bead and explained, "These Life-Saving Artifacts are the only things that are able to teleport between dimensions!"
Eli's eyes lingered on the golden bead, a realization dawning on him. He had witnessed royalty using similar beads during the Dungeon Walker incident.
"So, as long as one possesses this, they could teleport between the Dungeons?" Eli sought further clarification.
"Yes, but it's not a capability granted to just anyone. The beads are exceedingly rare, and crucially, one must register their soul crystal's frequency into them. This ensures that upon breaking, they can return to the previously marked position," Pearl explained, underlining the intricacies of this extraordinary transportation method. She added, "It won't work on the Soulless."
"...." Eli stared contemplatively at the golden bead then he tried reaching out for it, Pearl instinctively jerked it away, concealing it from his grasp.
"Don't you dare!!" Pearl snapped at Eli, as if she could sense his intentions.
"Pearl... I just want you to get out and inform..."
"I am sorry, but I won't leave like a bystander, just like last time!!" she declared with unwavering determination, a vivid memory of being compelled to leave etched in her mind, watching her friends suffer....
She won't do that again!!
"Pearl, Listen to m--"
"I don't hear you~" Pearl covered her eyes and whistled, her resolute stride continuing forward.
Eli sighed, his gaze shifting to Arlyne.... Catching him staring, she sighed and offered,
"Even if she returns to her castle, she won't wake up very soon. The body requires time to regenerate from the other dimension, which takes long, so she might be unconscious for a full day... it might be futile."
"Tsk," Eli clicked his tongue in frustration when faced with the numerous restrictions. Turning to Pearl, he asked, "So, there isn't really any device that could help us directly teleport into the dungeon?"
"No, there is this new advanced device, but it's exclusively under the Head Master of Nex Academia, and no one else has authorization, not even the council members," Pearl replied with a serious expression.
Eli's eyes turned slightly dangerous as if he removed one person from his list.... That was, of course, HeadMaster.
There was no way that the HeadMaster didn't know about bomb blasts because he basically had his eyes on the entire Nex Academia so Eli thought the HeadMaster was also part of their plan...
Just because Asher Eli speaking friendly but that never meant he believes in others... He always questions everything and everyone...
"I see..." Eli nodded, absorbing the information as they continued their quest for the Dungeon Portal.
However, as they progressed, an unusual calm prevailed. Surprisingly, they encountered no monsters, not even the formidable Thunderbonii Monster... as if a storm had passed, leaving a tranquil aftermath.
"Sigh, where the hell is that? We've been searching for more than hours!!" Pearl shouted in frustration, her impatience evident as she directed her gaze at Eli.
Eli knew he needed to pick up the pace, or the race might turn into a total disaster for him... Despite the pressure, he couldn't ignore the signs of fatigue etched on both girls' faces.
Their legs were undoubtedly weary, especially Pearl's. Being a mermaid, she thrived in watery environments, yet they found themselves surrounded by a patchy and dry landscape. Actually, Eli marvelled at her resilience, observing her walking without showing any distress on her face.
'That's a princess for you...!' Eli thought, acknowledging Pearl's determined spirit. He sighed and glanced at the sky, noting its darkening hues even though there was no discernible sun.
'I guess time is totally different here...' Eli mused, contemplating the peculiarities of their current dimension. 'I am not sure what is happening there, but based on the time we've spent here, I think it's almost time for a match... that is if it's the same time.' Eli's mind raced with various possibilities.
He wanted to use the gift he received from Rock but he wasn't sure about it.
After a minute of contemplation, he looked at the two fatigued girls and suggested, "Well, let's take a rest.
"... Are you sure?"
".... You might lose the race?"
Both girls asked simultaneously, expressing concern for Eli's race.
"Hehe..." Eli chuckled at their simultaneous inquiry and then teasingly remarked, "Are you guys worried about me? I feel really touched.
Come and let me give you a warmful hug!!"
"!!!"
"!!!"
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Both girls flinched, caught off guard by Eli's unexpected suggestion, and then glared at him with beet-red faces. Just as they were about to shout at him, a sudden burst of sound interrupted the moment.
'Spark, Spark'
A lightning sound echoed above their heads.
They slowly looked up at the sky and, in unison,
"""FUCK!!"""