Chapter 68: The Basement

Ian watched as Beiqi and Lu Fei used their Teleportation Scrolls and vanished right under his nose. 

Instinctively, he thought about the Teleportation Scroll he had handed to Lillian before setting off.

“I wonder if Lillian has already joined up with Yiserin and the others.”

The Passage to the Central Region shimmered before his eyes. 

Once he passed through it, he would leave the Desert Region behind and enter the Central Region.

According to the map, the Central Region was a gigantic Palace. 

Although the number of Demons there was fewer than in the Desert Region, their quality was much higher. 

The points gained from killing Demons in the Central Region were also greater than those in the southern desert.

Ian took out the map again and looked at the three red dots in the Northern Area, which had already merged together. 

However, the red dot in the Central Region remained stuck in the same spot as before.

“This isn’t right.” Ian frowned as he stared at the map. 

“After all these days, the positions should have shifted at least a little, but this red dot hasn’t moved an inch.”

Ian had a bad feeling: “Could it be that she’s trapped somewhere?”

The more he thought about it, the more plausible his theory seemed. 

But how could he rescue her? 

If one of Yiserin’s group was trapped, going in himself would be useless.

If it was Lillian trapped, couldn’t she just use a Spatial Scroll to escape? 

Why would she waste so much time inside?

No matter what, Ian refused to give up searching for her. 

After all, they were teammates.

“Your Highness, shouldn’t we go in now?” Kars approached Sophia with a slight bow, speaking respectfully.

“Hmm, no time to waste. Let’s go in first.”

No one objected to Sophia’s suggestion. 

After all, they all had teammates scattered in the Central Region. 

Once there, they could reunite with them.

Sophia led the group from the front, casting Ian a glance before stepping into the teleportation array.

Ian didn’t hesitate either and followed right behind her.

Suddenly, a dizzying sensation overwhelmed Ian’s entire body, making him feel as if the food he had eaten over the past few days was about to be thrown up.

When the dizziness subsided, before him lay a magnificent, colossal city. 

Ian felt as insignificant as an ant standing outside the city walls.

“So this is the Central Region?” Ian muttered to himself.

He looked at Sophia standing in front of him and decided it was best to say goodbye properly, since she had taken care of him these past days.

“Your Highness, I’m going to search for my teammates now. Let us part ways here.”

Sophia nodded, “Go ahead. I won’t keep you. If you ever need anything in the future, feel free to seek my help.”

Ian understood Sophia’s promise was because he had saved her, but he had no intention of asking her to do anything for him.

“Thank you, Your Highness, for your kindness. I dare not trouble you.”

Upon hearing Ian’s response, Sophia frowned slightly, seeming displeased, but she said no more.

After exchanging a few simple words with Sophia, Ian set off toward the red dot indicated on the map.

“Your Highness, where should we head next?” Kars, arriving late, asked Sophia.

Sophia glanced briefly at Kars and replied, “I think this is where we part. You can go find your own teammates now.”

“But what about Your Highness’s safety?” Kars called out anxiously, unwilling to lose any time with Sophia.

“I can take care of myself. I don’t need you following me around. Besides, if I left my safety to you, I’d probably be dead already.” 

Sophia turned and walked away, leaving no room for Kars to argue.

Watching Sophia’s retreating figure, Kars knew he had made a terrible impression on her.

“It’s all Ian’s fault. Yes, it’s his fault. If it weren’t for him, why would the Princess dislike me so much?” Kars frantically made excuses for himself, oblivious to his own shortcomings.

He glared fiercely in Ian’s departing direction.

“This should be it.” Ian stood before a small Palace, holding the map in his hand.

According to the map, the red dot’s position was right here. 

But since the red dot hadn’t moved at all, Ian worried he might get trapped inside.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Ian pushed open the heavy Palace doors. 

The hinges creaked, as if untouched for years.

As the doors swung open, a dark, damp air mixed with a foul stench rushed out.

Before him was a dilapidated throne, flanked by several humanoid statues holding Swords. 

The first words that came to Ian’s mind upon seeing the statues were “majestic” and “untouchable.”

“Is anyone here?” Ian called out cautiously. 

His voice echoed through the vast, empty Palace, but no one answered.

“Strange, the map clearly shows it’s here.”

“Could this map be fake?” Ian wondered, looking again at the red dot perfectly overlapping his position, then at the desolate Palace surroundings.

Before he could investigate further, Ian suddenly felt the ground vanish beneath his feet and his body plunged downward.

“Not good, I must have triggered a trap.”

“Boom!”

With a loud crash, Ian landed hard on his backside—in a basement.

Ian looked around. 

This was a circular Secret Room, spacious enough to hold several hundred people. 

What surprised Ian even more was that two familiar figures were already in the basement.

They were Lillian and Veronica.

“Ian, you came too. Since you’re here, then we can give it a try.” Veronica turned around, her long pale pink hair cascading like a waterfall. 

Her tight pink-and-white uniform accentuated her graceful figure.

“Give it a try?” Ian was utterly confused.

“I… Ian, you’re here.” Lillian hurried over to his side. 

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. But where exactly is this place? And what does Veronica mean by ‘give it a try’?”

“I… I don’t know either… about this place. As for the plan… you should ask her. I can’t explain it.”

“Let me explain.” Veronica stepped forward, her expression serious. 

“There’s a formation here that requires all three of us standing on it to activate. As for what happens after activation… we don’t know.”

After speaking, Veronica glanced over at Ian and Lillian. 

She wondered when Ian and Lillian had gotten so close.