It was a dark and profound underground passage.When Kai and Qi first entered, the passage clearly sloped downward into the earth. However, after turning several corners and advancing a certain distance, it began to extend vertically upward, with no end in sight.
Without a flying magical beast like Qi to ride on, climbing this passage would have been extremely difficult for Kai, who was only an apprentice. Fortunately, Qi could barely maintain flight in the two-meter-diameter passage. Moreover, Qi's night vision was far superior to Kai's—even when there were protruding rocks in some parts of the passage, it could avoid them in time. In the darkness, Kai only needed to grip the feathers on Qi's neck tightly.
"Goo, which direction should we go next?" Qi asked Kai at a fork in the passage. Nearly half an hour had passed since they entered the underground passage, and a fork with two paths had appeared before them. In response to Qi's question, Kai pointed to the right path and said, "Let's go this way."
"Goo-goo." Qi spread its wings and continued flying forward with Kai. By this time, the temperature in the underground passage was noticeably higher than when they first entered, and the air had become much stuffier. Kai could even smell the sulfur carried by magma. However, since they had been moving upward for most of the latter part of the passage, even if magma came surging from behind, it should not catch up immediately.
On one hand, there was the threat of magma approaching from behind; on the other hand, they were eager to find Kai's mentor, Lina, and the others to reach a safe area. Therefore, both Kai—who was stifled by the surrounding air and temperature—and Qi—the injured owl—were gritting their teeth to hold on.
It was not until half a day later that the quiet, endless underground passage finally revealed its end. Qi struggled to fly out of the passage with Kai. What appeared before them next was an unfamiliar, dark underground space for both of them.
This underground space seemed quite vast. Although it was not as large as the area around Menzoberranzan, when Kai looked as far as his eyes could see, the height of the top of this space was probably twenty to thirty meters. The distance ahead was shrouded in darkness, and numerous caves and small branch passages were scattered throughout the dark space in front of them—yet Kai had no idea which one he should take.
As soon as Qi flew out of the underground passage, it collapsed and fell to the side. Kai also fell off as a result, and the sharp stones on the ground left a bloodstain on his cheek. With its slightly long beak hooked open, Qi panted and asked in a low voice, "Where should we go next?"
At this moment, Kai ignored the tingling pain in his cheeks and all over his body. He raised the black handle in his hand and checked it again, but this time he shook his head in disappointment and said, "I don't know what's wrong. I haven't received any signal from the mentor since two hours ago. We don't know what's going on around here, but I think we're temporarily safe. Let's rest first." Qi nodded slightly and closed its pair of yellow eyes.
Three days had passed since Kai and Qi flew out of that underground passage. Over these three days, their physical conditions had recovered a little. Kai had used low-level healing potions to treat his minor injuries and restored his mental power and magic through meditation. Qi, on the other hand, had eaten a small piece of the Level 2 energy crystal that Kai had given it. However, the energy contained in a Level 2 energy crystal was so enormous that the amount Qi ate this time was less than one-fifth of what it had eaten three days ago.
For magical beasts, more energy crystals were not necessarily better. Forcing oneself to eat too many could lead to various drawbacks, even the danger of self-explosion.
"Besides energy crystals and potions, is there anything else that can speed up your recovery?" Kai couldn't help but ask Qi beside him as they sat by the campfire. Kai had thought that magical beasts would have recovery techniques similar to the meditation used by magicians, but this turned out not to be the case.
"If I can get enough fresh blood prey to eat, it should speed up my recovery," Qi replied, lifting its eyelids slightly.
Fresh blood prey… Over the past few days, Kai hadn't seen a single living creature that could move—let alone a magical beast or enchanted creature. The environment here was quite different from the area around Menzoberranzan. In the end, Kai had only found a few types of edible underground moss. For the past three days, mushrooms had remained the main food for both him and Qi…
Suddenly, Kai, who was stirring the mushroom soup by the campfire, remembered something and perked up. Then, under Qi's stunned gaze, he took out a huge white egg—half a meter in diameter—from his spatial ring. This egg was naturally Kai's treasure from the world (Yellow Sand World) and was presumably laid by the giant sand worms. Besides this huge white egg, Kai still had many smaller sand worm eggs in his spatial ring.
"Sand worms are acidic in nature. I can only eat their dried skins and can't swallow them directly. This giant egg should have inherited the characteristics of the sand worm species, so it's hard for me to eat directly. But for you, as a magical beast…" Kai said, looking at Qi beside him.
Qi's throat clearly made a "gurgle" sound. Then it said, "Then I'll give it a try…"
A month later.Kai and Qi were walking side by side through the dark underground space, still unsure of their way out. Qi's recovery had been going well recently—most of the wounds on its body had scabbed over. Only the severe wound near its heart would not heal in a short time; besides requiring special treatment later, it also needed a long period of rest.
Kai's condition had also improved. The latest data on his crystal ball showed:
Mental Power: 53Magic Power: 50Constitution: 17
Compared to when Kai had just returned from the Yellow Sand World, his mental power and constitution had increased by one or two points each. Kai guessed that either the values he had gained after returning from the Yellow Sand World were not his limits and he still had room for improvement (which gradually reached the peak during this month), or the dangers and hardships he had experienced had stimulated the development of his physical potential. Regardless of the reason, the increase in both mental power and constitution was ultimately a good thing. If he could maintain this momentum, he might be able to reach the quasi-magician level before he turned forty. In his former Dark Magic Academy, this speed of promotion would have been enough to rank among the top.
"Goo-goo, are you sure the direction we're heading now is correct?" Qi asked Kai.
"A week ago, I received a few faint signals from the mentor. Although I don't know why the signal was cut off again, the direction is definitely this way," Kai nodded. What came into view was a dark, jagged, and complex cave. It was a dark cave sloping downward, and the sound of dripping water could be faintly heard—suggesting that water was gathering inside.
As they continued to move deeper into the cave, Kai conjured a small fireball in his hand to provide light. He could have used the "Light" cantrip, but he chose the Fireball Spell to ensure he could respond promptly in case of an emergency. The damage to his Shield Ring and Invisibility Cloak was indeed one of Kai's biggest losses at the moment. He also kept his Acid Staff hidden in his arms, ready to deal with any crisis at any time. Meanwhile, the black crystal bracelet that Lina had given him was now worn on his right wrist.
Qi's night vision and ability to sense danger were far superior to Kai's. After all, it was a quasi-level magical beast, with strength comparable to a quasi-magician—only the severe wound near its heart had greatly reduced its current strength.
The two continued to walk deeper into the cave. After turning countless corners, a middle-aged man in a black robe suddenly appeared behind a huge rock. He was half-collapsed there, with obvious injuries on his body.
The moment he saw the man in the black robe, Kai couldn't help but exclaim excitedly, "Mentor?!" Without hesitation, he rushed forward. Qi also let out a few "goo-goo" calls and flew over with him. Unlike Kai, who immediately lifted Modesto's body, Qi landed on the huge rock and cautiously surveyed its surroundings. If even Modesto—a formal dark magician—had been injured, any danger present would probably be beyond their ability to resist.
"Is that you, Kai?" In response to Kai's call, Modesto slowly opened his eyes. His face looked much older than Kai remembered, and his complexion was even paler. Under normal circumstances, such a drastic change would never happen in just a few years. The reason for Modesto's aged and weak appearance must be related to the severe injuries he had suffered.
"Mentor, it's me! What happened? Why are you here? Where are Senior Brother and Senior Sister?" Kai helped Modesto sit up and asked anxiously. Modesto's kindness to Kai was second only to the protection and help he had received from his girlfriend Lina in his early years. Although he had only studied under Modesto for four short years before being sent to explore the Yellow Sand World by the academy's orders, those four years had been the fastest period of growth in Kai's life. This growth referred not only to the simple increase in magic power and mental power but also, more importantly, to the acquisition of knowledge and the improvement of his resources and status within the academy. Without Modesto, there would be no Kai as he was today. Even Kai's narrow escape from the Yellow Sand World had relied on the many magical devices Modesto had given him and the function of that black handle.
Seeing Modesto again filled Kai with excitement. Despite being twenty-four years old, he still acted like an immature junior in front of his elders. His nose tingled, and he quickly took out the last few low-level healing potions from his spatial ring, trying to apply them to Modesto's wounds.
Here, Kai showed a certain naivety. As a formal magician, Modesto would have treated his own body immediately after sustaining such severe injuries. The serious wounds that even Modesto couldn't heal would never be cured by the mere low-level healing potions in Kai's hands. However, in the face of Kai's sincere gestures and flustered movements, the originally sinister look on Modesto's face softened slightly.
After opening his eyes, Modesto let out a soft sigh and said to Kai, "Stop. Ordinary healing potions won't work on me. Besides the external injuries, what's really draining my life force is poison."
"Poison?! You're poisoned? What on earth happened?" Kai couldn't help but ask again.
This time, with Kai's support, Modesto—now leaning against the rock—slowly began to recount what had happened outside after Kai entered the Yellow Sand World.
There was no need to elaborate on the battle between dozens of dark magicians in Shadow Valley and the suddenly attacking Holy Tower magicians—it had been a battle between beings of Level 1 and above. Modesto was no weakling among Level 1 dark magicians, and with the support of many magical devices, he had not been seriously injured in the Battle of Shadow Valley. Later, he had also led Zoro and Phil—his two disciples who had withdrawn from the Yellow Sand World—back to Menzoberranzan. Most of Modesto's injuries had been sustained after returning to Menzoberranzan.
This was because the Holy Tower magicians on the surface had intensified their attacks on Menzoberranzan and even recruited many knights of Level 1 and above to assist in the battle. Meanwhile, the mysterious and powerful academy director had been chased deep into the underground by a Holy Tower magician of the same level and two other Level 3 knights—his fate remained unknown. Thus, the fall of Menzoberranzan had ultimately become inevitable.
However, the poison in Modesto's body…
"It was Dils, the Level 1 dark magician, who did this! I never expected that after failing to explore the Yellow Sand World, she would choose to attack me! But she won't be doing well either—I injured her severely by detonating multiple magical devices at close range. Even if she doesn't die, she's probably crippled by now!" Modesto sneered coldly.
That sneer made Kai suddenly feel that Modesto was not the weak, aged magician leaning against the rock, but still a powerful dark magician in control of formidable strength. Having such a mentor was enough to put one's mind at ease. But could Modesto's injuries be cured? And what about the poison in his body…
In addition to learning the truth about his mentor's injuries, Kai also obtained general information about his senior brother and senior sister from Modesto.
It turned out that when the dark magicians of Menzoberranzan had decided to break out, they had identified three routes. One route was led by Vice Director Martin and Ms. Jonny—they had been the first to move out, with the strongest strength, but were also expected to face the greatest resistance. Another route was taken by ordinary dark magicians who had no deep roots in the Dark Magic Academy; they had broken out directly from the city in all directions. Though not strong, they had the advantage of large numbers and wide dispersion—if lucky, they might have a chance to break through.
The last route was an secret passage taken by Modesto and other dark magicians who were injured but had established foundations and backgrounds. Very few dark magicians in Menzoberranzan knew about this secret passage—even Modesto had only learned of it from Director Martin shortly before their departure. All those eligible to enter the passage had one thing in common: they were all from the Western Islands. Vice Director Martin seemed to want to regroup after returning to the Western Islands, and even though the city was on the verge of falling, he had promised Modesto and the others many benefits, which he would fulfill once they returned to the Western Islands.
Magicians like Kaelthas from the plantation didn't even know about the secret passage—they were merely cannon fodder to cover the retreat of the dark magicians on the other two routes.
"Fortunately, before leaving, due to my injuries, I temporarily entrusted your senior brother and senior sister to Ms. Jonny's care. Otherwise, they might have also fallen victim to that poisonous woman's cruel schemes!" Modesto said in a cold voice. Although Modesto's injuries were severe at this time, and Kai noticed that his eye sockets had turned somewhat black due to the poison invading his body, the hatred and malice he displayed toward Dils—the Level 1 dark magician—when speaking were extremely intense. This was the anger after being betrayed. It was ironic that before this, Modesto had even custom-made a magical device specifically for Dils. Yet Dils had clearly not appreciated Modesto's kindness; instead, after failing to explore the Yellow Sand World, she had turned her greedy gaze to Modesto—a wealthy formal dark magician.
"Mentor, weren't there other dark magicians traveling with you? Didn't any of them step in to stop this?" Kai couldn't help but ask.
Modesto looked a little surprised that Kai would ask this question, but he still shook his head and replied, "The secret passage had many branches. After entering it, most of us dark magicians went our separate ways. Since Dils and I had a mutual defense pact in the past, we ended up traveling together. What a pity—I should have signed a magic contract with her back then. With the constraint of a contract, even if that woman had turned against me, she would have had to suffer the backlash of the contract." Modesto said sinisterly.
However, magic contracts were rarely used among dark magicians—they preferred to uphold the principle that "strength is paramount." Presumably, Dils had taken advantage of Modesto's serious injuries and relaxed vigilance to poison him through some means. If Modesto had been at his peak, Dils would never have dared to act recklessly.
Kai still remembered the battle in which Modesto had completely suppressed Kaelthas, the Level 1 dark magician. In terms of personal combat power, Modesto—equipped with many magical devices—would have been capable of confronting any peak Level 1 creature. Equipment was also a part of one's strength.
The anger and malice Modesto expressed toward Dils caused him to aggravate his injuries. A fit of coughing erupted, and Kai even saw Modesto cough up some black blood.
Kai had actually wanted to ask his mentor about Ferrara—the formal dark magician—and her disciple Lina. But seeing Modesto's agitated mood and poor physical condition, he held back. First, he helped Modesto move to a more spacious and dry spot deeper in the cave.
"Mentor, please sit here for a moment. I'll go boil some water and make you something to eat," Kai said to Modesto.
Modesto should have had items like nutritional potions on hand—in fact, more than seventy percent of the potions Modesto had were once made for him by Dils. This had been the foundation of the mutual defense pact between the two dark magicians. But nutritional potions were not real food after all; even Kai had grown tired of them, let alone his mentor. Since Kai couldn't treat the poison in Modesto's body, he could only make some food to try to make Modesto feel more comfortable. Besides, Modesto had been on the run for days, and he didn't dare to take the potions Dils had given him anymore—so his body had long been weakened by exhaustion.
However, the life level of a formal magician was fundamentally different from that of a magic apprentice. Formal magicians could easily live for hundreds of years, even up to a thousand years. In contrast, magic apprentices—even with all their efforts—could only live for a maximum of over a hundred years. Therefore, although Modesto would feel hungry, he did not need to eat every day or every few days like Kai did.
Seeing Kai busy by the campfire filled Modesto with a trace of comfort. But at the same time, there was a hint of complexity in his eyes—as if he was thinking about something.
When Kai finally brought a bowl of steaming hot mushroom soup (sprinkled with seasonings) to Modesto, the aged dark magician forced a faint smile on his wrinkled face and said to Kai, "It tastes good. It seems your senior sister wasn't exaggerating when she praised you before."
In response to Modesto's compliment, Kai smiled shyly.
…There was no concept of day and night in the underground world. Not long after finishing the meal, Kai helped Modesto lean against a huge rock to rest. Kai himself was also exhausted—he had barely had a good night's sleep in recent