Chapter Thirty-Seven: An Unexpected Visitor

Everything happened far too quickly.

Before Elise could recover from the dazzling white light, she saw the armored warriors stride forward, clashing with the goblins in a furious melee. They swung their swords and shields with practiced ease, and in no time at all, they slaughtered the goblins, leaving not a single one standing. The goblins, clearly unprepared for such a sudden ambush, shrieked in terror and fled after only a brief resistance.

Only then did Elise allow herself to relax, taking the opportunity to scrutinize the newcomers.

They wore uniform armor and heavy helmets, wielding steel shields and swords engraved with strange patterns that resembled emblems. About a dozen had appeared before Elise; aside from four or five fully armored warriors, she saw a middle-aged man clad in white armor holding a flail, and three others in leather armor, carrying bows and daggers. Their attire was neat and coordinated, unmistakably marking them as members of the same organization. After chasing off the goblins, they immediately formed a defensive formation, remaining vigilant and edging closer to Elise—though in truth, she wished they would keep their distance.

Moreover, upon seeing them, Elise’s own alertness rose sharply.

These people gave her a distinctly ominous feeling...

“Miss, are you alright?”

The goblins were soon completely routed, and only then did one of the group remove his helmet, revealing a shrewd, capable face and a bright, sun-like smile as he looked at Elise. He spoke in fluent common tongue, and upon hearing him, Elise’s heart sank; she was now nearly certain of their true identity.

They were humans.

“No, I’m not hurt... Thank you...”

With that realization, Elise lowered her head, speaking softly. She had a gentle, delicate face, and given her solitary plight, it was all too easy to win others’ sympathy. Seeing her demeanor, the warrior’s expression softened.

“No need to worry. With us here, those monsters from the depths won’t harm you. Beautiful lady, may I ask your name? And which team are you with?”

“This...”

“Please wait a moment, sir.”

As Elise hesitated, the man in the white robe stepped forward. He fixed a scrutinizing gaze on her, examining her from head to toe. Feeling his stare, Elise lowered her head, biting her lip in anger. His look was not lewd, but carried an indescribable strangeness and discomfort.

He seemed unaware of her displeasure. Instead, he raised an emblem in his left hand, loudly chanting a few praises. Immediately, the emblem emitted a pure white light, enveloping Elise. The glare made her squint, and magical energy began to gather in her palm, ready to strike at any moment—it seemed this was the same white radiance she had witnessed earlier.

After several seconds, the man put away the emblem and nodded to the warrior.

“She’s clean, sir—not one of those evil subterranean creatures.”

“I know that,” the warrior replied, a little annoyed, but he nodded apologetically to Elise. Her expression shifted slightly; she lowered her gaze and said nothing more. Noticing her discomfort, the warrior hesitated, offering a wry smile.

“My apologies, miss. You understand, the Underdark is nothing like our world—danger lurks everywhere... By the way, where are the others? Why are you alone? Can you tell us what happened? Perhaps we can help.”

“I... I don’t know.”

Elise could only offer vague answers. She shook her head, murmuring a few incomplete phrases.

“I just kept running and running...”

“Do you remember which route you took?”

“That... I can’t recall.”

“I see. Please come with us. We’re about to return to our base, and it’ll be safer together. We’re already deep in the Underdark... By the way, you’re quite lucky. Earlier, we ran into a squad of evil duergar here. Had we not been alert, we might have fallen into their trap...”

While he spoke at length, Elise said nothing aloud, but her bright eyes glimmered with a strange light—it was clear she had found the killers of those duergar.

“Captain!”

Just as the warrior was about to say more to Elise, another voice called out from nearby, causing him to turn in that direction.

“What is it, did you find—”

His words were cut short, for at that moment, Elise acted.

With a soft hum, her slender figure erupted in a fierce blaze of crimson magical fire, roaring toward the warriors. The nearest one had no time to react before the flames engulfed him, his screams echoing as he fell.

“You—!!”

The others were shocked, but Elise refused to waste her hard-won opportunity. She raised her right hand, unleashing a cold, dark ray brimming with negative energy that pierced the middle-aged priest in white. It sealed his unfinished incantation on the far side of death, death’s fire consuming his organs from within, bursting from his eyes and mouth in a violent eruption.

All this transpired almost simultaneously, leaving the rest bewildered, unable to comprehend how the girl they had just rescued could so swiftly transform into a terrifying avatar of death. But there was no time for questions—Elise had already launched her attack.

As a high-level mage, Elise’s power was beyond dispute; in the dungeon, she had been hindered only by elemental opposition. Now, facing living foes, she showed no mercy. Her gaze swept the area; she stamped lightly, and magic fire burst from beneath the thieves’ feet, enveloping them completely. Meanwhile, her hands traced a circle in the air, and dozens of dark red magic missiles shot forth, striking the remaining warriors like a storm. Sparks erupted where they landed, flames growing ever fiercer and joining into a blazing inferno.

In the blink of an eye, everyone who had stood there now lay on the ground, either dead in the magical fire or writhing in agony, their deaths imminent. These flames were no ordinary fire—they were pure negative energy, released in whatever form Elise chose. For those struck, their effect was no different than death’s touch.

“Demon!!”

Only one warrior survived, sheltered by his comrades and spared the worst. He managed to evade Elise’s attacks and, with a furious shout, launched a counterattack.

He moved swiftly, his sword’s arc simple, direct, and quick—the distilled essence of a veteran’s experience. There was no distance left between him and Elise; nothing could prevent the blade from striking her. Elise had no time to cast another protective spell.

But perhaps she didn’t need to.

With a soft click, Elise’s extended fingers effortlessly caught the descending blade. Although the warrior clearly used all his strength, the sword didn’t budge; her slender, pale fingers held it fast, like iron pincers, halting any further movement.

“Damn you! Monster!”

Feeling the dreadful power, the warrior cried out in despair. But Elise was quicker than he could imagine; with a twist, she snapped the blade with a sharp crack, then flicked her fingers, sending a flash of cold light piercing his throat. The unfortunate man clutched at his neck in desperation, his eyes wide as he stared at Elise, mouth open as if to speak—but he collapsed before uttering a word, lifeless.

“Hah...”

Only now did Elise finally exhale. She glanced at the corpse on the ground, then flicked her cloak. Flames leapt from her sleeve, consuming the warrior’s body until nothing remained but a heap of black ashes.

Yet her expression was far from relaxed. She walked over to another pile of ashes, reaching in to retrieve something buried within. After examining it, her expression shifted; she shook her head, then turned toward another passage of the cavern.

No matter what, she had to inform the lord of the dungeon as soon as possible!