Chapter 1090: The Tunnel Expedition [part 2]
Ellis stared in complete shock as the boy walked forward. Abyss Tyrant, who had been behind them moments before, was now beside him.
Ellis looked at him; he looked back, his lustrous black face indifferent.
Ellis sighed and faced forward, quickening his pace. He caught up to Erik and addressed him in a low tone.
"Look, maybe we got off on the wrong foot, okay? But I really didn’t mean to irritate you in any way."
Erik didn’t respond for a second, then finally said in an indifferent tone:
"Of course you didn’t—you’re not smart enough to."
Ellis frowned and stopped.
"Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?"
Erik paused for a moment and turned back.
"Your actions keep confirming my evaluations of you. I heard you’re from the Dark Continent too, and you’ve been around Northern for a long time. However, I’m disappointed. I guess I somehow expected his companions to be strong-willed like Sage Annette, or at least strong like Master Vida or Sage Helena... but you... it’s evident that all you did while you were with him was pester around."
At this point, Ellis wore a dark and wounded frown.
"Okay, okay, now I know there’s a grudge brewing somewhere. I’m sorry—did I offend you before? Did we have any run-ins in the past?"
Erik faced him with a dark and disturbing frown.
"You keep annoying him. Please, can you just maintain silence until we’re done with what we’re supposed to do?"
Ellis would be lying if he said he wasn’t shocked and confused.
Erik treated him as though they had some unsettled disagreement.
And he could say for certain that this was the first time they were properly meeting like this, even though they were both from the Dark Continent incident. In fact, Ellis remembered that Erik used to lead a group that was in charge of going out to slay monsters and procure food.
But he’d never seen him around much, so that particular memory was hazy—he wasn’t sure and had even planned to ask.
But Erik was making it damn near impossible to have a conversation with him.
"Fine, if that’s what you want."
Both continued forward without a word to each other. Silence settled in the underground, and their echoes rang clearly through the tunnel.
After traveling a considerable distance, Erik knelt down and touched the ground. Then he finally spoke to Ellis.
"What I need from a scout is the ability to sense what’s in the perimeter. I’d like to know how much distance we need to cover to pass Drywall. Do you think you can do that, or something close to it?"
Ellis’ eyes blazed with a cold white light.
"We’re still within Drywall..."
He paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes.
"It will take approximately fifteen to thirty kilometers to leave the city’s perimeters."
Erik frowned in mild shock and turned his head to Ellis.
"You can tell that accurately? No one should be able to do that."
Ellis chuckled smugly.
"I agree with you. But no one has been able to figure out why they’re called The Blind’s Song."
Erik’s eyes widened slightly.
"Your true name?"
Ellis grinned inwardly.
’That’s the face I like to see, you fool.’
"Yes... my true name."
Erik lowered his head, slightly confused.
"How does one even manage a feat like that? Isn’t that something only Paragons can do?"
Ellis raised his head, gazing deep into the tunnel’s darkness.
"Apparently not. It’s also not something proud weaklings who only know how to commune with stones and lifeless things can do."
Erik frowned.
"I don’t commune with anything..."
Ellis cleaned his ear with his pinky finger as the nerd spoke. He removed the finger and blew the dirt off lazily—just a casual gesture.
"I guess it’s the other way around then—they commune with you. That’s why your usefulness depends on circumstances. I’m useful all the time. Just so you know, cunt."
Erik stared, frowning.
"Are we done here, or do you still want to fondle the ground some more?"
Erik slowly stood up and turned to Ellis, eyes blazing like he was ready to jump him.
"I don’t appreciate your words."
Ellis gestured to his face.
"Look at me—where is it written here that I give a fuck? Ellis, brother, do I look like I give a damn?"
Erik adjusted his glasses and frowned deeply.
"I don’t appreciate using words I don’t find meaningful, and it sounds crude, so I’m just telling you."
Ellis chuckled mockingly.
"Ha! Guess the intelligent one isn’t so intelligent after all. Wouldn’t you call that another jaw-dropping irony, huh? Hermit?"
Erik shook his head and walked away.
"You don’t hesitate to go leaps and bounds to show me how unintelligent you are. It’s soothing to watch."
"At least I’m not the one who needs cities to actually have defense mechanisms to be useful. Tell me—were you actually useful in the Dark Continent? Because I never really heard about you. Or were you just some guy running with the crowd, being saved by the frontliners?"
"Speaking with you is pointless."
"Tsk!"
Ellis clicked his tongue irritably, and they continued in silence.
They checked another tunnel, then another and another, all in silence except for when Erik asked whether they were still within the city’s perimeter and Ellis would answer after scanning the area.
The tunnel was a strange and interwoven maze, starting from a particular point that looked like a channel of chambers—entering each chamber revealed another tunnel.
Every time they retreated from a tunnel, they entered another chamber. There were eight chambers total; they had inspected seven and were now retreating to check the last one.
Ellis’s gaze was fixed on the ground as they walked the channel. He had summoned his own light long ago and was walking independently.
Then he noticed something as they moved forward. The ground was hardened rock, but beneath that surface, he could see traces of thin metal rails buried deep into the stone.
He didn’t pay attention to it at first, but finding something interesting made his eyes subconsciously trace the pattern until something clicked in his consciousness, and he suddenly stopped.
They were just at the entrance, about to emerge from the seventh chamber, so his sudden halt made Abyss Tyrant stop as well, which in turn made Erik stop.
Adjusting his glasses, Erik turned back.
"What?"
Ellis stared at the ground with a dark frown.
"Since you commune with the ground, you’d probably know, but... isn’t it strange that there’s metal buried in the rock? And it’s really long too—as if something’s supposed to travel along it."
Erik frowned.
"What?"
At that moment, both heard a cold, bone-chilling screech that echoed endlessly through the tunnel like the wail of something ancient and hungry.
They locked eyes, and Abyss Tyrant’s gaze sharpened.
"We should get out of here quickly."
Ellis suggested.
"Yeah, I totally agree."
Erik complied.
They quickly stepped out and now stood before the last chamber, wondering whether to venture into its depths or retreat entirely.