Chapter 59: Light and Dawn (I)

Ember awoke from his meditation to find the narrow lair empty. He scanned the entire crevice, only to find none of Dawn's belongings either.

"Did she sneak off on her own, thinking I'm too much of a burden?" he mumbled, standing up.

Either way, she couldn't have gone far. He swiftly collected his bags, exited the crevice, and glided down the wall.

Using Blitz Steps, he dashed off to his right, hoping she had chosen the same direction. His choice wasn't random. Most of the basilisk's screeches had come from the opposite side, so Ember wagered she wasn't foolish enough to venture that way.

After a couple of hours of meditative rest, Ember felt his strength returning, though it would likely take a few more hours to reach his peak condition. Still, he could cast his spells at full force. It was only when utilising his skills that his body faltered. Even so, he had no problem dispatching a small pack or two of goblins on his own. He also had no issue using Blitz Steps at two-thirds capacity.

His biggest worry had been the hidden injuries his potions couldn't mend completely. Thankfully, Dawn's healing had already resolved them all. Her life attunement might simply be too powerful. Now that he could think clearly, he believed even his elder sister, with her class, would need a significant amount of time to restore him. It wasn't just about mending wounds, but about recognising every defect and carefully restoring it, as even a single misstep might have worsened his condition.

Dawn really hadn't gone far. Only after covering a couple of miles did Ember catch sight of a slender silhouette gliding beneath the archway in the murky darkness. Ember swiftly accelerated to chase after her. She wasn't moving at her highest speed, likely trying to minimise any disturbance her movement might create. Besides, only a fool would exhaust themself by running at full speed when there was little reason to rush.

Compared to her silent steps, Ember bolted along heavily. Even when he tried to reduce the noise, it wasn't possible with how Blitz Steps actually worked. Before he could close even half the distance between them, he alerted Dawn. Her head turned, the staff in her palm flaring with a blistering light.

"Wait, wait!" Ember raised his hands in surrender. "It's me."

She glowered at him, but the intensity of mana in her staff subsided, leaving only a calm glow that illuminated the surrounding area as Ember joined her.

Dawn crossed her arms over her chest. "Why are you here?"

"The air is fresher here compared to that lair. Don't you think?" He scratched his head.

Dawn pursed her lips, turned back, and darted off in the same direction. Ember sprinted after her without taking offence.

"So, were you here for some fresh air as well?" he asked, running by her side. "Or sneaking off despite the agreement we made?"

"There was no agreement. I was too lazy to waste my breath."

"Come on. You think it's a good idea to venture here alone?"

She shot him a contemptuous glance.

"Of course I'm talking about myself," Ember said with an awkward smile. "You might have nothing to worry about against the goblins or that basilisk, but I'm in such poor shape that even a gust of wind may blow me off my feet."

"Then you're in luck," Dawn snorted. "There's no wind blowing here."

"But there's a hungry basilisk running wild somewhere around here."

She shook her head. "I have told you before," she said with an even tone, "that tagging along with me might be more dangerous than you finding your way out alone."

"I am very bad with directions," Ember said shamelessly.

Dawn was truly soft-spoken. She didn't waste her breath on him and simply carried on, increasing her pace. Compared to him, whose footsteps kicked up stones, splinters, and debris, her lithe form seemed to drift through the air without resistance, hardly causing any disturbance.

"So, you are from House Killjoy?"

He had suspected as much from her expertise, but it was best to confirm it, if only she would respond.

Dawn remained tight-lipped and steadfast on her path, completely disregarding his attempts at small talk.

Receiving no response, he stopped pestering her and brought out a vial of fasting potion. Although it wasn't quite time for supper yet, he didn't think he would be able to cook anything any time soon, considering how deep into the subterranean region they had travelled.

Feeling the cold, bitter liquid trickle down his tongue, Ember couldn't help but grunt in distaste.

At least it will solve my need for sustenance for the day.

After a moment, he spoke again. "Where are we going?"

"If you don't want to follow, go your own way," Dawn said without looking back.

"I'm just asking." Ember asked hesitantly, "Do you know exactly where we're going? I have a rudimentary map of the upper region of the goblin lair. Would you like to take a look?"

She replied with silence. Judging by how confident she seemed, she likely had something better to rely upon. The only thing to worry about was that she appeared to be moving deeper into the cavern system instead of trying to find a way out.

"There could be more goblins in there," he reminded her.

Since she didn't reply, he decided to be the kinder one and do the talking for both of them.

"I mean, I'm not afraid of them, but it is something to consider."

Yet despite travelling another half a dozen kilometres, they found only abandoned goblin camps with no sign of their occupants. They might have withdrawn after hearing the ravenous screeches of the mammoth basilisk.

Finally, after a while, Dawn slowed enough to spare him a glance.

"Since you're bullheaded in following me, I feel there's a few things I need to clear out." She cleared her throat. "Firstly, I am not going out of the subterranean goblin lair through the conventional way. And I don't know how many days it will take before I come out of here. I'm likely to meet creatures as dangerous as the basilisk you spoke of. So if you want to live or prioritise your safety, following me is probably not the best option."

Ember's eyebrows knitted together. "Noted," he said, "though I don't understand why you are so keen on venturing into the dangerous part of the lair alone."

Dawn hesitated for a moment before saying, "I have a mission."

"What kind of a mission?"

The girl clicked her tongue in irritation, not divulging that information.

"Is there anything more?"

Dawn tilted her head, thinking for a moment. "Secondly, you have to listen to every word I say."

So listen only; I don't have to abide by them. "Anything else?"

"Shut your mouth when I ask you to."

Ember made a gesture of zipping his lips.

"You really are desperate, aren't you?"

He nodded exaggeratedly.

Soon, their small talk was interrupted by a very familiar piercing screech.

They exchanged a look.

"We should get moving," he said.

Dawn nodded.

"This way," she said, pointing to her left, the opposite direction from which the piercing screech echoed. It was still a good distance away, but considering how berserk and deranged the basilisk had become, it would be best to keep their distance for the time being.

"I am curious," she said as they moved side by side. "How did you manage to anger such a beast with your ability?"

"It wasn't me. It was a bastard from--" Ember frowned at her. "What do you mean by 'with your ability'?"

Dawn craned her neck, suppressing a smile. "Don't get me wrong. You seem skilled and agile, but from what I can tell, that beast would have killed you a dozen times over if you were to meet it head-on."

Ember stared at her slender silhouette drifting ahead, unable to answer.

"I'm not really looking down on you," she said. "It's how humans are. Without a class, or high-tier magic, any lower nine-tier Ascendants are nothing against a Silver-rank predator. Perhaps it would have been a different story if it were a toad or something of the same rank, but against a basilisk..."

She shook her head, finding no need to continue.

Well, Ember hated to admit it, but her assessment seemed spot on. Before encountering the basilisk, he might have believed he would stand a chance against a Silver-rank creature once he reached Tier 7 or 8. However, it was only after that deadly brush with the Goliath that he discovered the disparity between them was far greater than a mere difference in tiers.

"Don't be too disappointed," Dawn continued. "It was the difference between creatures of the Abyss and the people born of Zion. Whereas humans needed to meticulously develop their racial tiers, mana foundation, and class, an abyssal beast wouldn't have to worry about much. They simply had to kill and devour to grow stronger. Of course, at higher ranks they faced more restrictions than humans, elves, or other sentient races of Zion. Their potential is more dependent on their lineage and species. But some of those species are privileged enough to reach a certain rank with minimal effort.

"That basilisk, for example, Silver rank was the minimum it could reach in its lifetime, and Gold is where it lost all its potential."

Whereas Gold rank was a far-fetched dream for most humans.

"I really would have died if I faced it alone," Ember said, heaving a heavy breath. "But I was in a party. So I was only driven into a pit, tore a good number of my muscles, broke a few bones, and was poisoned."

"Then why don't you find your way back to your party?"

Ember wasn't so sure about that. For one thing, not all of them had survived, and for another, one of those bastards had thrown him into the maw of the basilisk. At the time, he had been under too much stress to think about it. But now that he considered it, it had likely been one of the Huan siblings.

Just thinking about it caused his blood to boil. Yes, there was some animosity between them inherited through their surnames, but he hadn't thought it ran so deep that they would simply push him to his death.

Ember knew it had more to do with their own survival than their grievances, but even then it wasn't something he could forgive. Had he been just a little less fortunate, he would already be in the serpent's belly.

No, he would repay them in full once he recovered and returned to camp.

"Don't tell me, they've all fallen." She froze, noticing the dark expression on his face.

Ember shook his head.

"I'm sorry," Dawn said. "There is little you could have done to save them."

"They didn't perish. At least not all of them."

The pair from House Oberon should have had ways to find safety. Moreover, the basilisk had targeted only him, giving the others some leeway to escape the underground lair.

Hopefully Zea is one of them.

"Um, that's better."

"Well, it's not a complete loss," Ember mumbled. "Although it broke my protective ward, as well as my bones and muscles, I gained some skills, not to mention some new skill prompts."

"That's usually how it is," Dawn said. "Most people die from such an encounter, while the few who survive awaken with new skills and greater mastery."

"You sound like you've been through something similar before."

"Not really, but I've seen many such cases."

"Well, it's my second time I survived a disaster," Ember said with a tight smile, "and both times I've gained some skill levels, even though all my future planning was thrown down the drain."

"Let me guess. You had to acquire some undesirable skills to survive those ordeals."

Ember stared at her blankly. Her guess had hit too close to home.

"It's not really difficult to guess," she said, the corner of her lips curling slightly. "Though you should feel some pride that you had the foresight to choose those skills when most others dither in panic."

Ember shook his head. "I wish I could take the credit."

Dawn tilted her head inquisitively.

Ember hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell her the truth. It wasn't as though it was anything sensitive. If anything, it was rather comical.

"In both of these instances, I seem to have unintentionally gained skills. The first time I acquired a mental skill to defend against psionic attacks, and now, Toxin Tolerance."

"Hmm," Dawn hummed contemplatively. "I've heard of such things occurring as well. As far as I know, acquiring something like Toxin Tolerance unintentionally isn't that rare. Usually, your body tends to develop a skill to combat toxins in your system.

"As for a mind skill, that's much rarer. It shouldn't be quite the same as Toxin Tolerance. I can think of two reasons why you may have developed such a skill."

Ember had been searching for an answer ever since he acquired the skill. He had searched through the archives and found nothing.

Dawn didn't answer immediately. Her head snapped around as a burst of light exploded from her body while something dark and powerful plunged towards them.

A surge of wind and mana dispersed with the clash, and he could finally make out a shadowy figure drifting through the gloomy obscurity.

"It's you."

I might add in something like night vision goggles in the final edit.

Another one coming in a couple of hours.