"Right now, only the elevator in Section A03 is operational. But Mr. Audem, do you really want to go down?" The foreman spoke while his gaze roved between the old dwarf and Romantic.
He led Audem deep into the mining tunnels, with a dozen soldiers trailing behind them. Kulan had never returned, and Ogins was scared out of his wits. Audem was his last hope, so when the old dwarf appeared before him and requested to go down to the mining area for a look, he was overjoyed.
As for Romantic?
The clerk, grasping for the last straw, didn't even notice the person beside the old dwarf. Since the dwarf was willing to save him from fire and water, wouldn't it be his freedom to choose to bring his illegitimate daughter down?
Hearing the foreman's inquiry, the old dwarf snorted through his big nose, "Nonsense, what else would I be here for?" He glanced back at the terrified soldiers—it was clear the horrifying rumors of the mine had already scared them. The old dwarf said, "If you don't want to go down, you can stay up here."
The soldiers visibly heaved a sigh of relief. "But what should we say if our lord asks?" soone asked.
"What does that have to do with ?" The old dwarf said gruffly. He didn't want to bring these soldiers down if it wasn't necessary. Who knew if the monster rumors were true? Many people had reportedly seen the monsters, and there might be so truth to it. Though the old dwarf had so skills, they weren't anything exceptional. "Just make sothing up; I won't expose you."
The soldiers finally nodded. "You're a great person, Mr. Audem," they all said.
The group soon arrived at the elevator. Miss rchant looked around curiously. If there weren't so many people around, she might have even wanted to touch it. But as she hesitated, the old dwarf had already dragged her onto the elevator.
The foreman didn't follow this ti. "Mr. Audem," he said, "I won't see you off. Be careful."
The old dwarf snorted, "Naturally, you humans are truly cowardly."
Everyone's expression turned peculiar, except the foreman, who tried to maintain his composure. "Mr. Audem, do you know how to operate this machine?"
"Nonsense."
The old dwarf impatiently pulled a few levers on one side, and the elevator rumbled to life. It slowly descended, soon leaving the foreman and soldiers on the upper level. As the elevator descended, the surrounding scenery transford into rapidly descending rock walls, and the air beca increasingly stifling.
Without outsiders around, Romantic beca noticeably more lively. She tried to touch the surrounding rock layers but was quickly grabbed back by the old dwarf. He glared at her and said loudly, "Do you have a death wish?"
"Sorry!" Miss rchant apologized at a speed that would go down in human history.
At that mont, the elevator crashed to a stop on the rock layer below. Both of them swayed. The old dwarf raised his torch and looked around; the fourth level of the mining area was as narrow as ever.
He thought for a mont and extinguished the torch.
But he quickly realized a problem—he hadn't brought a Lighting Crystal. He could still go back up with Romantic to find those people; they probably had sothing similar. But Audem snorted; he wasn't willing to lose face like that.
Besides, dwarves naturally had the ability to see in the dark, so he decided to press on.
"It's pitch black," said the girl's voice from the darkness, her eyes gleaming.
"Shh!" Audem sniffed the air. The atmosphere beca thin upon entering the fourth level of the mining area, and he dared not use open flas. "Just follow ," the dwarf said.
"Why not use so light?" Romantic asked.
"Because this is underground, and air is precious down here."
"Lighting Crystal?"
"Don't have it."
"But it's so dark."
"It can't be helped!"
"Romantic wants light."
"Keep your voice down—" The old dwarf's words stuck in his throat as he felt a soft glow light up behind him, illuminating the surroundings.
He rubbed his eyes, almost thinking it was an illusion.
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