Liam’s boots splashed in the pools of stagnated water. Tiny droplets constantly leaked through the top of the tunnel and provided sustenance to the plants growing out of the cracks in the walls. A pulsing ball of light floating over his head penetrated the unnatural darkness, casting light over the surroundings. Despite the still air, the plants swayed whenever he passed by.

“Who in their right minds would dig tunnels underneath the river?” Jade complained. “A single fault is enough to flood this place and kill everyone.”

The structure wasn’t wide enough for everyone to walk side by side, so they walked single file. Jad had to bend down to avoid hitting her head on the ceiling.

“I think it’s the dwarves. We’re close to their border, aren’t we?” Liam said.

“Dwarves may be midgets, but they don’t build small structures. If you’ve ever seen their halls, you would understand. They’re large enough for giants to walk freely. Someone has to tell them building larger things doesn’t make them appear bigger. Instead, they’ll look smaller.”

“You’ve seen them before?”

“I haven’t traveled to their kingdom if that’s what you’re asking me. You’ll understand what I mean when we reach Rodich.”

“I don’t think it’s dwarf construction either,” Dunn said. “Their ability to work with stones and metal is unparalleled. The artisans and craftsmen present in their race represent the pinnacle of what the other races try to achieve. I don’t think they’ll make such a beginner mistake in constructing this place.”

The design of the tunnel made it hard to invade the place, but it also made it harder for the defenders to escape. The deeper parts of the facility sloped downwards, making it a bad choice when built over a water body.

“Whoever dug this place must’ve done it before the river even existed,” Liam said.

Despite the growth of moss and plants on the walls, the place didn’t have insects or small animals. The place was ominously silent. No matter how hard he tried, the sound of footsteps rang long and hard within the tunnel, forcing Liam to cast a sound barrier spell.

Dunn watched the swaying plants. “It’s a bit eerie, isn’t it?”

“Where do you think we are?” Jade hissed. “The Rose Gardens? It’s an old broken-down structure the criminal’s using as his hideout. Of course it would feel eerie.”

“Keep quiet and pay attention.” If Liam left those two alone, they would keep arguing all day.

She fell silent for some time. “Do you think they followed us inside?”

He didn’t have to ask her who she meant. “No.”

A part of Anya’s plan revealed itself the previous night. She gathered a large group of evolved, none of them local. Every one of them was strong and experienced, nothing like Caleb’s gang. He expected at least some of them to enter alongside them, but Anya was content with letting him face the danger. With the help of the town guard, she wanted to comb the surface and find the exits of the underground structures. It wasn’t bad as far as excuses went, but her real objective was evident.

“Fuck! She’s deliberately targeting us, isn’t she?”

“It’s obvious,” Dunn said.

“Why though? Don’t tell me” —she glared at Dunn— “Did you tried to hit on her? You flirt with every girl you see.”

“Will it kill you to shut your mouth?” Dunn snarled. “You only speak nonsense and for clarification, when did you see me flirt with anyone?”

“A lot of times. You only stopped after Ioriel beat you to a pulp.”

Dunn clenched his teeth and glared at her. “I never flirted with every girl I met. Weren’t you the exception?”

Jade laughed. “Of cour….. Wait, what’s that supposed to mean?”

Liam ignored them and thought about Anya’s objective. He was sure she targeted him because of his family. If he returned home, the Shurin kingdom would gain a powerful asset, and many people in the Theocracy wouldn’t want it to happen. Alisha was the outlier, giving him the freedom to return home, but Anya was doing everything she could to prevent it.

If she thought he was powerless because he was within the theocracy, she had a nasty surprise waiting for her.

The tunnel opened up into a spacious hall. Atleast, that’s what he assumed it was. The same signs of age and damage marred the walls. It had six paths leading in different directions, and none of them were lit, making him unable to peer through them. The hall was the only place that was lit in the tunnels. A jewel present in the center of the ceiling bathed the room in a soft blue glow.

The moment all three of them stepped into the room, a change occurred. The ground between them erupted, trying to split them, but Liam noticed the trap and pulled his friends towards him. Before he could react, the entrances closed and the ground swept over them. It swallowed everyone, but didn’t crush them and rather transported them underground.

It spat them in an immense cavern. Each pillar in the hall needed ten people holding hands to encircle it and thirty such beams supported the cavern. Every single one was damaged to an extent, while five of them only had the foundations left. A soft blue glow similar to the one in the previous room illuminated the cavern.

“Welcome!” A stranger wearing a black cloak greeted them. “I’m Egrepo, and I’ve been wanting to meet you for some time now. Initially, I planned on talking to all three of you individually, but it doesn’t matter.”

Liam scanned him with mana vision but didn’t notice anything outstanding. Judging by the mana flow, he should be one of the weakest evolved he ever saw. Still, he didn’t take it easy as Egrepo must have a basis for his confidence.

“Now that you’ve met us, would you like to surrender?” Jade asked. “It would save us a lot of trouble.”

Egrepo chuckled. “Your friend didn’t seem to have told you everything.”

“I hope you liked the gift I sent you,” Liam said. Both of his friends stared at him; Dunn with a questioning look, and Jade with a promise of pain.

“I left a trail of breadcrumbs, allowing him to understand Anya’s plan. Since she considers us to be expendable, there’s no need to be polite.”

“Doesn’t it mean they’ll also know our movements?” Jade asked.

“It doesn’t matter. They were tracking us the entire time.”

“Your friend is right,” Egrepo said. “You’ve caused quite a lot of trouble for some people. Many of them believe your presence in Rodich will cause them trouble and put a large bounty on your heads.”

“Can I talk to the people who want me dead?” It was one of the main reasons he went along with Anya’s plans. It was high time he found out what so many people were fighting over. “I’m sure you’ll be satisfied with the price, and I can come with an agreement with the other party.”

“I don’t know if you can honor your words and I don’t care, but going beyond the bounds of my contract will damage my reputation, and I can’t have that.” Egrepo clapped his hands and a hulking figure appeared from the shadows. “It’s easier and safer if you’re dead.”

Jade unsheathed her ax and shield. “Looks like negotiations broke down. What next?”

Liam smirked. “Egrepo believes he has the upper hand. Let’s kill that thing behind him, and we can renegotiate.”