Chapter 1191 - 545: The Responsibility That Must Be Borne

Chapter 1191: Chapter 545: The Responsibility That Must Be Borne

Who’s there?

Who is speaking!!?

"Who is it!!?"

The echo of Steven’s own panicked voice reverberated throughout the cave, causing dust to fall with the sound waves, settling on his hair.

Steven’s heart seemed gripped by an invisible hand, jolting him completely awake from a semi-conscious state.

Like a startled rabbit, he frantically twisted his neck, his eyes scanning urgently in the dim light, trying to locate the source of the voice from the twisted shadows of the rocks.

His right hand instinctively reached for his waist, but only touched an empty belt—his cherished dagger that he had used for years was nowhere to be found.

No, there’s no one!!?

["Oh? So nervous, are you?"]

In the extreme tension, the voice’s lazily relaxed tone and its detached calmness stunned Steven’s expression.

This voice he had certainly heard before, and it left a deep impression!

Quickly, he came to his senses completely, recognized the familiar voice, and his eyes widened dramatically.

"...Wait a minute, could it be, Lord Herbert!"

Upon confirming the identity of the voice’s owner, Steven’s taut nerves instantly relaxed, a feeling of post-crisis relief mixed with immense joy surged forth.

["Hmm, not too foolish, at least you didn’t call me someone else."]The voice carried evident amusement, seemingly quite satisfied with Steven’s reaction.

Herbert’s teasing made Steven smile awkwardly, instinctively scratching his head.

He, well, it’s not that I reacted quickly, I just hadn’t managed to think elsewhere yet... if it were a few seconds later, cough cough.

He felt secretly thankful, fortunately, fortunately.

Steven breathed a sigh of relief before realizing another subtle issue—so, where are you?

He supported his still sore body, barely stood up, tiptoed, and scanned the cave more carefully corner by corner.

The stalactites hanging overhead, the uneven ground beneath his feet, the slick rock walls on either side... Aside from himself, there was no second moving shadow.

Although the cave wasn’t small, it couldn’t hide a living person without being discovered.

Where exactly is Lord Herbert?

"You..."

Steven searched all around, but couldn’t find Herbert’s silhouette anywhere.

["Save your energy, I’m not beside you at the moment."]

Herbert’s voice rang out again, still clear as a whisper, directly entering his mind, further convincing him that the other was not "physically" present here.

"Then..."

Then how am I hearing Lord Herbert’s voice?

Although he wanted to ask this question, he sensibly kept silent.

Ask what should be asked, don’t ask what shouldn’t.

Steven opened his mouth, the sentence "How am I hearing your voice?" was almost blurted out.

But he swallowed his words back immediately.

This young Paladin was shrouded in mystery, some things were not for him to explore.

Knowing more isn’t necessarily good.

He switched to a relatively "safe" question.

"Lord Herbert, are you also trapped here?"

["You’re asking me? Do you know where you are right now?"]Herbert’s voice carried a hint of a strange retort.

"Uh, Misty Mountains?"

Although Steven was confused, his brain seemed stuffed with tangled threads, and scenes of bidding farewell to his wife in dreams kept flashing.

But having experienced something similar once before, he had gained some experience.

If nothing unexpected happens, he was probably back in the Misty Mountains.

["Yes and no, it’s fine for you to understand it like that."]

Herbert’s response was somewhat vague, not intending to elaborate on the differences in danger between the center of the Misty Mountains and the general area.

The very center of the Misty Mountains, of course, is also within the Misty Mountains, no difference at all.

"....."

Steven fell into silence for a moment, he wasn’t a fool, Lord Herbert’s slightly perfunctory tone made his heart tighten.

He instinctively felt that his current position was likely far more dangerous than imagined.

Guessing, probably it’s ominous.

He suppressed his inner unease, asked another key question.

"Lord Herbert, how did you find me?"

It was unbelievable.

The Misty Mountains were vast and perilous, and he was trapped within an unidentified cave; how had Lord Herbert accurately pinpointed his location?

["Why do you have so many questions?"]

Herbert wasn’t interested in wasting any more time, his tone carried a hint of impatience, directly interrupting Steven’s endless queries. ℯℯ𝑙.

["Alright, not enough time to explain too much, let’s save these irrelevant matters for later."]

His tone turned severe, carrying an undeniable urgency.

["Follow my directions quickly leave this damned place. By the way, do you remember the way you came in?"]

"...I, uh, might not remember anything."

A look of embarrassment crossed Steven’s face, he rubbed his temples vigorously, trying to dredge useful information from chaotic memories, but ultimately futile.

He only remembered encountering a powerful Magical Beast upon returning to the outskirts of the Misty Mountains, being chased in panic, and stumbling into a place that seemed like an entrance.

After that, it was all darkness and scattered fragments.

Steven scratched his head, looking rather embarrassedly he said: "I, I only remember the memories before entering the Misty Mountains, when I woke up, I was already here."