"But... are you really going to go in through there?"
In Hun Yuan's mind, Majestic Iro was among the top three most powerful known NPCs that players could interact with on the entire official forum.
Ranked first was the Undead Monarch who had triggered the undead scourge, Broken Sword Knight had once posted about the glorious deeds of this Undead Monarch.
Just from the fact that the Radiant Empire had already lost over half its territory to the undead's offensive, and the neighboring nations were struggling to hold their borders, no NPC could shake the Undead Monarch's position at the top anytime soon.
But Majestic Iro was no less impressive. A being beyond Transcendent, a golden, thick thigh of legend, just plucking a single hair from that leg would be enough to feed them.
The longer Hun Yuan stayed in Glory, the more shaken he became by what this so-called game truly was. Naturally, he understood how proud and terrifying an existence like Majestic Iro could be.
What he didn't expect was that, after they smuggled the goblin out of Risel City and Iro learned they had a secret passage leading into the city, the powerful boss didn't say a word, he simply told them to take him in.
To Hun Yuan, this was completely incomprehensible.
This was a being beyond Transcendent! Why would he willingly stoop to such lowly means?
That's right, crawling through a sewer, in Hun Yuan's eyes, was something these proud NPCs would rather die than do.
Now, facing such a bizarre NPC, he was truly baffled.
Li De turned and glanced at Yor behind him, then gave a slight nod. "Lead the way."
Hearing this, Hun Yuan stopped hesitating, bent down, and slowly crawled into the abandoned sewer.
"Yor, this concerns the survival of the Graymount Tribe. You need to persuade your people."
As Li De stepped into the sewer, he slightly turned his head, his tone solemn as he looked at the goblin Yor, who had remained silent the entire time.
"I swear upon my name as the ruler of the Dark Pact, the goblins will be safe.
I will do everything I can to get you out."
Upon hearing this firm promise, Yor's previously anxious expression visibly relaxed.
Ever since he had asked Li De for help yesterday, he had been deeply uneasy.
Although Li De had agreed to rescue the goblins after receiving the Divine Artifact fragment, that kind of promise wasn't binding, and Yor had no way of knowing what Li De's true intentions were.
Just as he was hesitating, Li De revealed an earth-shattering secret, he had already planted a mole within the beastmen. As long as the goblins followed his plan, he could guarantee their safety.
But Yor knew all too well, if they followed this route, the fate of the goblins would fall entirely into Li De's hands.
If this mysterious vampire harbored any ill intent, the goblins would be completely wiped out.
But... if he refused? Did he have any other options?
After much careful thought, Yor found himself disheartened.
Aside from Li De, they had no other reinforcements.
No one would risk their lives to rescue a group of goblins surrounded by hundreds of thousands of beastmen, not even if he could offer a Divine Artifact fragment!
Those with the guts didn't have the strength, and those with the strength wouldn't even give him the chance to present his bargaining chip.
If Yor had any other choice, he would never place the fate of his people in the hands of a vampire.
But Risel City was becoming more dangerous by the day. Maybe in ten days, no, five, no, even three, the city could fall.
If Risel City's military couldn't stop the beastman onslaught, what hope did a bunch of goblins, whose homeland had already been taken, have to survive?
So if they didn't choose the vampire, their extinction was guaranteed. If they did choose him, there was at least a sliver of hope.
Although Yor knew his decision was bold and perhaps foolish… he had done his best.
This was the choice of the Goddess of Fate. The goblins had no other path, they could only follow where destiny led them.
Li De was unaware of the goblin's inner turmoil. Plop, he turned and leapt into the abandoned sewer. The pitch-black environment had no effect on him at all; everything was perfectly clear to his eyes.
The air wasn't choked with the stench of sewage. Instead, it carried the musty scent of an old, neglected building. The occasional breeze drifting through the tunnel showed that the air inside wasn't stagnant. The ground was dry, with no trace of moisture.
Creak... creak...
The thick layer of moss underfoot had long since dried out. Stepping on it produced a crisp crunch. The sewer was just wide enough for two people to walk side by side, though slightly hunched.
Ahead, Hun Yuan, Thunderhands, and Cheng Kun held torches and magic lamps as they led the way. Their warped shadows, illuminated by the faint light, added a touch of horror to the atmosphere.
Li De positioned Yor in front of him to prevent any accidents involving the goblin.
The sewer, built of stone, was long and winding, occasionally broken by collapsed sections. It was the perfect setting for a horror movie, sealed, eerie, and dark.
After about half a sun-hour, unexpectedly, no trouble had arisen. Everything proceeded smoothly.
"Your Majesty, we've arrived."
With Hun Yuan's voice from the front, Li De stepped onto a clearing about ten blades above the ground. Looking up, he could still see the luminous moon in the sky.
Green moss covered the rock walls around the circular shaft. A rusted iron ladder led upward.
"Yor, go up with them."
"Yes, Your Majesty~"
The goblin quickly began climbing with help from the three players. Watching Yor's clumsy movements, Li De's mouth twitched slightly, and he cast a Dragonscale Shield over the goblin. He didn't want this guy falling to his death in such a pathetic place.
After feeling the shield on his body, Yor clearly perked up. His courage surged rapidly, and after giving Li De a grateful smile, he swiftly and nimbly climbed out.
Li De looked around carefully, confirmed there was no danger, and followed him up to the surface.