Ye Fan, disguised as a guard, followed closely behind the mining convoy, where many of the slaves who lagged behind were being slaughtered without rcy. At that mont, a rock ca crashing down toward one slave’s head. Ye Fan reacted instantly, shattering the stone with a single blow and causing quite a commotion.
The Vanguard Leader imdiately ordered, "Rest here for thirty minutes, then we will proceed!"
"Yes!" the group replied, hurriedly sitting down to rest.
The slaves were pitiable. They yearned to rebel, but alas, they were too weak and found themselves on the brink of utter despair. Ye Fan sat down with the others. There are so many people here, no one will recognize . Just then, a water flask was offered to him. Looking up, he saw it was a frail-looking guard.
"Thank you!" Ye Fan said, taking the flask and drinking from it.
A nearby slave accidentally brushed his head against the frail guard’s foot. The guard responded with a vicious kick, sending the slave crying out in pain.
"Stop hitting him," Ye Fan interjected. "To beat him half to death over sothing so trivial, how can you bear it?"
The slender guard paused and looked at Ye Fan. "You must be new."
"How do you know?" Ye Fan asked.
"Because I was once like you, with a heart full of compassion. But you’ll find over ti that no one sympathizes with these slaves. Killing one of them ans nothing to us guards. Eventually, I beca just like the rest, my heart long since grown numb and cold.
"It’s as if from the mont they beco slaves, they are destined for our abuse. We bully them, and they are bullied by us—it’s just following the Heavenly Dao!" he added with a disdainful sneer.
Ye Fan pressed, "So, you’ve beco one of them, taking pleasure in tornting these slaves? Do you feel no guilt?"
"Guilt?" the guard scoffed. "It’s better not to have such a thing. You feel guilty for them, but who feels pity for you? That’s life."
Ye Fan fell silent as the guard continued, "I’ve been at this mine for ten years. In that ti, I’ve seen too much life and death. I’ve grown numb. Perhaps coming to the mine was a mistake for you."
"There’s no such thing as a mistake," Ye Fan said. "I chose this path myself. Since I chose it, I must see it through to the end."
The guard laughed, a scornful, mocking sound. "Give it a year, and you’ll regret this decision. For us, this path is already at its end."
"Why?" Ye Fan asked, only half-understanding.
"Because we were unfortunate enough to be selected for the Vanguard," the guard explained. "Look at these people, guards and slaves alike. Don’t they all seem deeply burdened?"
Ye Fan glanced around and saw it was true. Their spirits were crushed by an oppressive weight that bordered on despair. He nodded, unable to deny it.
"Exactly," the guard said. "Because any of us could die at any mont."
Ye Fan asked again, "Why?" He already knew a little, but he was certain there were more secrets yet to be uncovered.
"Because we are the Vanguard. We clear all obstacles ahead, which makes our job the most dangerous. No Vanguard has ever erged from the darkness."
"What lies ahead?" Ye Fan asked.
"Nothing much," the guard responded. "Just so ancient monsters lurking in the Dark World, born from the ore veins here. The veins are valuable, but also fraught with danger. That’s the duality of it. It’s incredibly dangerous, yet we have no choice but to press on."
Ye Fan nodded. He was shocked. To think there were so many terrifying monsters within the ore veins... This is the price of greed.
The frail guard continued, "Young man, cherish the ti you have left. You never know when the Death God might co for you. At least I’m luckier than you. I’ve already lived ten years longer than you have here," he said proudly.
But Ye Fan replied, "That’s not necessarily true. Who can say who will live longer? By your own admission, you’ve spent the last ten years living aimlessly.
"But from this mont on, you have no idea who will survive. The ti we have left is what truly defines the aning of life," he finished with a small smile.
The guard laughed too. "You’re an interesting person! It’s a pity your wit won’t be enough to save you here."
Before they could say more, the Vanguard Leader shouted, "Ti’s up! Let’s move!"
At his command, everyone quickly got to their feet and headed deeper into the darkness. Inside the cavern, Ye Fan lost all track of ti. Everything was shrouded in black, their way lit only by torches. Soon, nurous skeletons appeared on the path ahead, terrifying the slaves and guards alike, but Ye Fan remained perfectly calm.
The thin guard he had been talking to remarked, "You have a very steady disposition. It’s clear this isn’t an act."
"Only after you’ve faced a true Hell do you realize that death isn’t actually that frightening," Ye Fan replied. "For these slaves, death might even be a release."
"They don’t have a disposition like yours," the guard observed, glancing at the slaves. "All I see in their eyes is fear upon fear."
Ye Fan nodded.
They walked for what felt like another day. Ye Fan, asuring the passage of ti with an internal clock, estimated they had been traveling for nearly two days. Along the way, they crushed countless bones underfoot. It feels like these mountains are being completely hollowed out.
Suddenly, a roar echoed from deep within the cavern, jolting Ye Fan. Panic filled the faces of everyone around him, including the guard he had been speaking with. So this is the monster they were talking about!
"Don’t panic!" the Vanguard Leader commanded. "Form the Array! Slaves to the front!"
The guards quickly complied, herding the wailing slaves forward to act as a human shield. Their cries of protest were ignored as the guards advanced in a semicircle. No one knew what awaited them in the dark depths of the cave, but they all felt that death was not far off.
Ye Fan activated his Heavenly Eye, peering into the gloom. In the darkness, he saw pair after pair of glowing green eyes.
The group of over fifteen hundred people, including both guards and slaves, trembled as they advanced. The cave was so vast and empty that their entire party seed insignificant within it; the cavern walls were at least five kiloters away on either side.
Finally, a ferocious roar shattered the darkness. A monster charged out, instantly tearing three slaves to pieces as it rampaged through their terrified ranks. Other slaves tried to retreat, but they were cut down and slaughtered where they stood.
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