Stalagmite Forest.
The atmosphere was a little awkward.
Roger had no idea what was on Kane's mind, and he remained silent.
The dark elf girl, on the other hand, took the initiative.
She no longer lowered her voice. Her natural voice was as clear and crisp as an oriole's:
"My name is Ke Yi. May I know your name?"
"Kane."
Roger had somehow blurted out the name of his deceased old friend.
"So, Kane, you were afflicted by the Bloodline Curse just like me. It seems the Gray Dwarves who died at your hands were no small number."
Ke Yi's tone grew more familiar. "Are you willing to come with me and kill the Gray Dwarf Great Prophet?"
Roger's eyes narrowed slightly. "The Gray Dwarf Great Prophet?"
"Yes."
Ke Yi nodded. "The very Gray Dwarf you can see through the curse."
"He sacrificed all his blood relatives to curse us to death."
"If we want to lift the curse, we have to kill him."
"I just tested your skills, and you passed with flying colors. If we join forces, our chances of success will be much higher."
Roger gave a slight nod.
"So, you agree?"
Ke Yi asked.
"Of course." Roger smiled. "I know nothing about the Underground City. Having another companion couldn't be better."
"You must be a native of the Underground City, right?"
Ke Yi nodded. "I came from Band City. To resist the Gray Dwarves' constantly expanding forces, I've lived around White Moon City all these years."
"I know this area very well."
Roger clapped his hands.
"Perfect."
"Since we have a common goal, let's set off now!"
"This curse has left me unable to eat or sleep. Every extra second is unbearable."
"Lead the way."
Ke Yi put away her scimitar and glanced at Roger again before saying casually:
"Okay."
"Follow me. Don't get left behind!"
With that, her figure flashed, and she shot toward the depths of the Underground City at tremendous speed!
Roger loosened his joints and quickly followed.
Stalactites of varying thicknesses flew past at a frantic pace.
A silent chase unfolded through the tunnels of the Underground City.
Amid hurried or steady breaths, countless undercurrents of fierce struggles remained concealed.
At last, Ke Yi came to a smooth stop.
Roger slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.
"The Gray Dwarves ahead are yours."
Ke Yi suddenly said this.
The next second, her figure twisted, and she vanished from Roger's sight just like that.
Roger curled his lip.
He drew the Green Cicada Sword with his backhand and crept forward quietly.
There was a narrow stone chamber ahead.
A sentry consisting of six Gray Dwarf soldiers stood inside.
They appeared extremely lax in their vigilance.
Having killed more than eight thousand Gray Dwarves, Roger knew these monsters' traits like the back of his hand.
Without any unnecessary movement, he lightly tapped the ground with the tip of his right foot.
His entire body flew forward like a graceful butterfly.
By the time the Gray Dwarves realized an enemy had invaded, the Green Cicada Sword had already tasted blood.
He smoothly executed Cloud Mist Step.
Roger easily sealed three throats with three swords, instantly killing half of the Gray Dwarf soldiers.
Then he rolled on the spot and adjusted his position.
Before the others had a chance to react, he thrust out three more consecutive strikes.
In the span of a breath,
he sheathed his sword with his backhand and rose calmly.
The six Gray Dwarves on the ground still retained their body heat, but not a trace of breath remained.
"One second slower than I expected."
Ke Yi slowly appeared, her tone carrying a hint of insincere, tsundere-like pride:
"Stop showing off. We're about to reach the core area of White Moon City."
"I know a path that can bypass the city's defenses and approach the Temple District where the Great Prophet is."
"Come with me."
Roger followed her.
They bypassed several heavily guarded sentry posts and reached deep underground along a small path.
Along the way, Roger asked several questions.
Ke Yi answered every one of them.
First was the history of the Underground City.
According to the dark elf girl's account,
the Underground City where the Gray Dwarves lived was called "White Moon City."
White Moon City had been built on top of an ancient ruin.
That ruin was protected by an incredibly powerful restriction.
For decades,
the Gray Dwarves had been trying to break through that restriction and uncover the secrets of the ruins, but they had never found a way in.
Ke Yi guessed that the ruins were connected to a prehistoric civilization.
As for the specifics, she wasn't very clear either. She had never approached the ruins.
The second question concerned "martial arts."
Ke Yi said she had heard of martial arts, but had never seen them.
According to the oral accounts passed down among the underground creatures, martial arts were an extremely formidable killing technique.
In the era before the Cataclysm, only Adventurers who had endured countless trials were qualified to learn "martial arts."
The third question concerned Ke Yi herself.
Roger wanted to know how the Gray Dwarf Great Prophet had targeted her.
Ke Yi answered:
"Just like you, I killed too many Gray Dwarves and triggered the blood medium."
"As for why I killed Gray Dwarves... Heh."
"They say that a long time ago, the dark elves and Gray Dwarves were allies. But after the Cataclysm, the Gray Dwarves expanded underground without restraint for decades... Now we're mortal enemies."
Several hours later.
In the heart of White Moon City, near a bizarre Maze Cave.
"We're almost there."
Ke Yi spoke at a steady pace.
Roger nodded as well.
He could also feel that throbbing in his bloodline.
The Great Prophet was no more than five kilometers from here.
"This distance is about right."
Roger muttered under his breath.
"What did you say?"
Ke Yi hadn't heard him clearly, so she instinctively leaned closer.
Roger smiled. "I said, the curse on you is fake, isn't it?"
Without a word, Ke Yi suddenly leaped backward. A familiar tremor quickly appeared, and she was about to vanish from the spot.
But Roger's sword was faster! Before the dark elf girl's invisibility could take effect, the Green Cicada Sword pierced through her shoulder blade.
If Ke Yi hadn't reacted in time, that strike would have killed her!
In the blink of an eye,
Ke Yi retreated again and again.
Blood gushed from her shoulder blade, flowing without end.
"How did you discover it?"
Her voice was filled with shock and doubt.
"Wow, it really is fake? I was actually just joking to lighten the mood."
Roger suddenly turned cheeky and grinned.
The dark elf froze on the spot.
Seizing the opportunity, Roger struck again, but Ke Yi dodged it in a miserable scramble.
"Despicable."
The dark elf gritted her teeth in fury.
Roger put away the Green Cicada Sword. Since his attack had failed, he could only give up.
He sighed softly. "Your flaws are too numerous to count. I'll just point out a few."
"First, it was too coincidental."
"There are so many entrances to the Underground City, yet I happened to run into you as soon as I entered. Isn't that a little too coincidental?"
"Second, you tried too hard."
"Even if the Gray Dwarves and dark elves have become mortal enemies, repeatedly emphasizing that point in front of me only made me suspicious. You really didn't need to explain so much."
"Third, it was too awkward."
"When we were running just now, whenever I slowed down, you immediately reduced your speed by a great deal. Were you afraid I wouldn't be able to keep up?"
"That doesn't match the persona you created, does it? You may have realized that later, so you deliberately made your tone tsundere as well. I have to admit, your acting was passable, but the contrast between before and after was too great. Instead of helping, it only made things worse."
"Fourth, you lied."
"When I asked whether you knew martial arts, you said you didn't."
Ke Yi growled aggrievedly:
"I really don't!"
Roger looked apologetic. "Oh, then I wronged you."
"I know you've been listening to all my nonsense because you're waiting for reinforcements."
"But why wouldn't I also be waiting for the combat judgment to finish?"
The next second, he drew Red Moon with his backhand.
His figure erupted forward.
His momentum was like a thunderclap.
Under the dark elf girl's utterly horrified gaze,
he rose two levels in succession.
Extermination Order.
Eye Cut.
All in one fluid motion.
Red Moon's shadow danced like a waltz beneath the moonlit sky.
Ke Yi felt her breathing seize and a dull pain in her chest and abdomen. When she suddenly came to her senses, she realized that she had already been severed in two at the waist!...
You killed Ke Yi (Dark Elf/Elite) You gained 26 XP You gained 12 Xia Yin Value Extermination Order reward acquisition in progress... You acquired the skill—Shadow Cloak—from Ke Yi
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