Endless Leveling Done Right! - Chapter 518

Chapter 518: The Nightmare That Wears A Crown [Part 2]
Within the darkness, a light hovered above the Hero’s head, bright enough to illuminate the path they were taking.

They were diving deeper and deeper into the cave, only stopping when they arrived at the dead end, where two people were leaning against the wall.

It was none other than the Cleric and the Sorceress of Sean’s party. However, the Elf Archer and the Spearman were nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, Alex noticed a foot sticking out in one of the blankets laid down on the floor.

“They’re dead…” Fran muttered, as if voicing out what Alex barely dared to think.

Fairies were very sensitive to life. Since Fran didn’t feel any life energy under the blanket, she realized that whoever the foot belonged to was already dead.

Ron, Medina, and Carlo looked at Sean, and the Hero sighed and nodded.

“Millie is dead,” Sean confirmed in a tired, aggrieved voice. “Jonas sacrificed himself to give us time to escape. However, I was seriously injured and the path was blocked by elite demons. We had no choice but to head east to escape their pursuit.

“This mist you see is Millie’s doing. She used the last of her life force to cast an elemental spell to hide us from our enemies. If not for her, we might also be dead right now.”

The Sorceress, Carla, and the Cleric, Rhea, looked very worn out as well. They had been in a constant state of fear and anxiety, not knowing if their enemies would be able to find their hiding place.

“Don’t worry. We will help you return safely,” Ron said firmly. “That’s the reason why we came here.”

Sean looked a bit hopeful after seeing the Adventurers whose skills he trusted. “Did you encounter any demons along the way?”

“No,” Medina replied. “I didn’t sense any Demons. But there were plenty of Beasts.”

Hearing her reply, Carla, and Rhea nearly wept because they could now see a chance to return safely.

“It took us four hours to get here. If we leave now, we can return before sunset,” Ron stated. “Let’s leave now while we still can.”

The Hero nodded and moved closer to the blanket that he used to cover his dear friend.

“Forgive me, Millie,” Sean said sadly. “I’ll bring you home now.”

He placed the dead elf inside his storage ring because that was the only way that he could give her a proper burial.

“I’m going to say this now, but there’s a possibility that we’ll encounter the creature that attacked us,” Sean said in a serious tone. “I have dealt it a serious injury, but it’s been weeks since our last encounter. It might’ve already recovered.”

“Just what kind of creature did you face to end up like this?” Carlo asked.

Sean lowered his head as if the mere act of saying the name of that monster made him want to bite his lip in frustration.

“Shade Reaper King,” Sean answered.

“Sh*t…” Carlo cursed.

A Shade Reaper King was a very powerful Shadow Creature. In fact, the monster that had almost wiped the Dawnseekers out in the past was only a Shade Reaper, a creature significantly weaker than a Shade Reaper King!

“No wonder…” Ron muttered. “But did your Holy Sword not work on it?”

“The Holy Sword can destroy all demons and evil creatures,” Sean replied. “But we didn’t face it alone. There were also Elite Demons during that encounter. Dealing with them all at once was extremely difficult. If not for my friends’ sacrifices, I wouldn’t be here speaking to you right now.”

“I understand.” Ron nodded, but he, too, was now extremely uneasy. “Hey, what are the chances that the Shade Reaper King is still somewhere out there?”

“The main reason why we decided to remain in hiding is because we are afraid to encounter it while we’re injured,” Sean explained. “As for whether it is still out there or not… Well, the odds can never be zero.

“But I’d rather take the chance to return while there is still light outside. Once evening comes, we will be at its mercy.”

Hearing the Hero’s words, the Dawnseekers decided that they shouldn’t waste anymore time in the cave.

The sooner they returned to the camp, the sooner they could escape that dreadful monster that could kill them one by one.

“We will lead the way,” Ron said. “Carlo, guard the rear.”

“Okay.” Carlo nodded.

The Hero Party and the Dawnseekers moved to the entrance of the cave. However, they didn’t leave it right away.

Medina took out her magical lyre once more and started to strum its strings.

Two minutes later, she stepped out of the cave, which was the signal for everyone to follow her.

Ron and Sean took the vanguard.

Alex, Fran, Clara, and Rhea were at the middle, while Carlo was at the rear of the formation.

Now that they knew of the existence of the Shade Reaper King, they walked much faster than normal, hoping to get away as fast as they could without alerting the monster to their presence.

Perhaps due to their traumatic experience, every sound, whether it be birds or beasts, made Clara and Rhea shudder uncontrollably.

Alex and Fran felt sorry for them, but there was nothing they could do about it.

The trip back wasn’t as smooth. A few beasts tried to ambush them through the mist. However, Medina had detected their presence in advance and informed Ron and Sean, who were both arguably the best swordsmen in their kingdom.

They made short work of these beasts and kept their carcasses inside their storage rings.

Both of them thought of leaving the bodies behind, but they realized that if they left a trail of dead beasts behind, their chances of being tracked went up significantly.

The Death Reaper King was not the only one they needed to be careful about. Elite Demons roamed these parts freely.

The Adventurers were so frightened that they wondered if their breaths or heartbeats were too loud.

An hour later, the party was making good progress when Alex suddenly got goosebumps on his arms.

The feeling of being watched made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. His Danger Sense, which he relied on the most, gave him a clear warning.

“Ron, someone or something is looking at me,” Alex reported. “My Danger Sense is also warning me.”

Upon hearing Alex’s words, the Swordsman immediately approached him.

“Where do you feel the danger coming from?” Ron asked, his voice extremely serious.

“In that direction,” Alex pointed at his left.

Ron looked to the left and even squinted, but the mist prevented anyone from seeing far. The swordsman turned to Medina for a second opinion.

“I don’t sense anything alive in the vicinity,” Medina said. “But I do trust Alex’s Danger Sense. Something must be out there, deliberately evading my detection spell.”

Ron didn’t think twice and moved Alex closer to Medina. “Coordinate with Medina and tell her where you feel the danger. She will then pick a path for us to follow.”

A good distance away, concealed by the mists, a Shadow Creature peeked from a tree and locked its gaze on the teenage boy who could, somehow, detect its presence despite its best efforts to stay hidden.