Chapter 311: Foreigner Unlock Progress Begins

Chapter 311: Chapter 311: Foreigner Unlock Progress Begins

Lance strode into the infirmary.

In front of the rearmost sickbeds, he saw Felix, his face ashen.

And on a waterproof tarp at Felix’s feet lay a mangled body.

The body was completely gone from the waist down, the stump charred black. Only the upper half remained, still twitching faintly.

Lance recognized the owner of the remains at a glance—the Half-Elf Blast Master who had once killed him with an explosion.

It was also the first time Lance had seen such blatant agitation and fury on Felix’s face.

"Can he be saved?"

Felix clenched his fists and turned to look at the team’s Priest, who was casting a Healing Divine Skill on Grom.

He had to keep this Half-Elf alive.

’I’ll use the cruelest methods to pry the hiding spots of the other members of the Crimson Bell of Death from this trash’s mouth, and then I’ll hunt them down and kill every last one of them!’

Felix had never been so furious.

The lives of over ten thousand people, the blood and effort of countless individuals over the past dozen-plus days—they had been on the verge of seeing the light of dawn.

But because of this pack of rats hiding in the gutters, everything had fallen apart in the area under his command.

Helplessness and rage intertwined, tearing wildly at his chest.

He gasped for air, his chest heaving violently. If he couldn’t find an outlet, he felt like he might actually explode.

Just then, a broad, strong hand gently patted his shoulder.

"Don’t waste your energy trying to save him."

A calm voice sounded in his ear.

The next instant.

SHLICK!

A thin, crimson-gold crystal spear, radiating astonishing heat, materialized out of thin air without any warning. Moving too fast to react, it pierced straight through Grom’s massive head, pinning him firmly to the waterproof tarp on the ground.

Grom’s body convulsed once, then fell completely still.

The Priest, who had been in the middle of casting, jumped in fright.

Felix was stunned.

He turned his head to look at Lance, who was standing beside him.

When he saw Lance’s face clearly, an immense wave of self-reproach and guilt instantly overwhelmed Felix.

"I... I’m sorry, Lance."

The Noble Knight lowered his head. "I messed up. I failed to clear that area."

"It’s okay."

Lance looked at Felix’s bloodshot eyes, a gentle smile appearing on his face.

"You’ve already done very well, Felix. You brought everyone back alive."

This sincere reassurance, however, only made the guilt in Felix’s heart weigh heavier.

He would rather Lance beat him senseless or curse him out to his face; that might have lightened the burden on his conscience, even just a little.

"Leave the rest to me," Lance continued.

Those words made Felix snap his head up, his eyes filled with astonishment.

But Lance offered no further explanation. He turned and strode out of the infirmary.

Standing in the center of the camp, Lance surveyed his surroundings.

Every face was etched with despair.

News of the mission area’s complete collapse had already spread through the camp like a plague.

A collapse of that magnitude... even if they organized all the Professionals to start digging frantically right now, it would be too late.

And there were less than thirty hours left until the deadline for the Summer Crown.

The mission was, for all intents and purposes, a failure.

What awaited them was the merciless purge by that Heroic Spirit Species.

The deathly still scene in the camp now stood in stark contrast to last night’s banquet, which had been filled with laughter and cheerful chatter.

"Big Brother, does this mean we can’t go home?"

A small figure walked up to Lance’s side.

Lilia reached out a chubby little hand and grabbed the corner of Lance’s clothes, her voice thick with unshed tears.

Lance looked down and saw the little girl’s face was etched with misery.

Her big eyes were brimming with tears, looking as if they would overflow at any moment.

Lance bent down and gently picked Lilia up.

Feeling the familiar warmth of Lance’s embrace, the little girl could no longer hold back.

Fat tears streamed down her cheeks, quickly soaking the front of Lance’s shirt.

Though she was young, she could still sense the emotions of those around her.

She had a feeling that many of the people who lived here...

The fat Chef who secretly gave her candy every day.

Big Sister Nieve, who always fought with her for Big Brother’s attention.

And Bazzer, who told her adventure stories every night.

Even the green-haired Viters, who brought her a few shiny Demon Crystals every time they met.

And Brother Felix, who promised to take her to the Royal Capital for a grand feast someday.

All of them, just like the mother who was already a blur in her memory, would leave her forever.

And so, the girl’s sorrow was especially overwhelming and real.

Lance gently patted Lilia’s back, his voice soft.

"Lilia, didn’t you tell your dad that Big Brother is a Hero?"

Lilia stopped sobbing and lifted her small, tear-streaked face, looking at Lance in a daze.

Lance reached out and wiped the tears from the corners of the little girl’s eyes, his smile growing even gentler.

"What kind of Hero would let a little girl who believes in him cry so sadly, right?"

"I promise you."

"I’ll get everyone out of here safely. Not a single one will be left behind."

As he spoke, Lance held out his right pinky finger.

Lilia sniffled, hesitated for a moment, then extended her own slender pinky and hooked it tightly with Lance’s.

"Then... will you get hurt, Big Brother?"

Lilia asked worriedly.

"Of course not."

Lance burst out laughing, the sound startlingly loud in the oppressive atmosphere of the camp.

"I’m very strong, you know."

He set Lilia back on the ground and gently ruffled her hair.

"But before I take everyone out, I have to go clean up a few biting rats."

After saying this, Lance straightened up, his gaze fixed on a direction in the distance.

That was the direction of the Crimson Bell of Death’s temporary camp for the day.

’First, I’ll go kill those bastards who caused all this destruction and blow off some steam.’

’As for what comes next...’

’Since the standard route for clearing the area has failed due to the collapse, and the Heroic Spirit Species is about to take control of the Underground City...’

’The solution is simple.’

"If I can’t clear this by following the rules..."

"Then I’ll just hunt a Heroic Spirit."

As Lance made his decision, a message appeared on his system panel.

[When you no longer choose to be a bystander, but decide to merge into the torrent of this world’s destiny.]

[The Foreigner is delighted for you.]

[Let’s go raise some hell!]

[Foreigner Unlock Progress: 1%]

...

「Meanwhile.」

In a spacious cavern dozens of kilometers from the public safety camp.

This was where they had placed the Metal Firebowl for the day.

The four remaining members of the Crimson Bell Squad now wore the foulest of expressions.

They never would have imagined that this final opportunity, planned at great cost, would end in such a disastrous fashion.

Their original plan had been perfect: wait for Felix’s team to enter the final area, then use the controlled Grom, having him use his Specialty to trigger a chain detonation of the bomb array.

They would have buried the main force alive, along with the entire area.

As long as Felix’s team was wiped out, progress toward clearing the Underground City would be completely halted.

According to the Underground City’s achievement evaluation, such indirect kills caused by altering the environment would also count toward their effective kill score.

That way, they could have secured first place in the rankings and completed the mission their organization had given them.

But.

That Felix from the Golden Lion Cross was far more cautious than they’d anticipated.

Not only did he send out multiple scout Mages as he advanced, but he even spared no Magic Power to cast Geological Detection Skill along the way, managing to discover the Alchemy Bombs buried beneath the rock strata ahead of time.

Seeing their plan was exposed, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and detonate the bombs early.

And the series of events that followed spiraled completely out of their control.

First, there was Grom, who had been on the edge of the explosion.

Not only was he not blown to bits, but the blast wave actually threw him right into the retreat path of Felix’s group, and he was captured alive.

Although Grom’s mind had long been riddled with holes by the Evil God Power and he couldn’t have given up any valuable information even if captured...

...another surprise sent a chill down the spines of Cassis and the others as they contemplated their coming escape.

The Underground City’s reaction to the explosion!