Ryu's cry of joy mixed with shock still echoed in the dark underground tunnel. "Ba... Bacchus-dono! Ta... Taurus-dono!" The appearance of the two giant comrades from Ashwind Post in such a place and situation was far beyond his imagination. It was like a light shining down into the darkness he was facing.
Bacchus, whose giant hammer still emanated a dense and formidable brown aura of earth and stone from its head, lowered his weapon upon confirming it was indeed Ryu. His trademark wide grin immediately appeared on his face. The tension from the recent battle vanished completely. "Hey! It really is little Ryu! I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me! Or maybe these crazy wolves put a hex on us!" He laughed loudly in his usual style before quickly striding towards Ryu. "What are you doing hiding in a pitch-black rat hole like this?! And who's this little lady? Don't recognize her face, and she doesn't look too friendly either." He glanced at Raven, who was still in a defensive stance, with his typical mischievous but deeply wary eyes.
Taurus, the mountain-like man who had just used his bare, rock-hard fists to crush the last Tunnel Wolf's bones moments ago, joined them silently. But his calm and cool eyes scrutinized Ryu carefully, assessing the young man's physical and mental state. "Are you alright, Ryu?" His deep voice held a hidden relief, though his exterior remained stoic. "Your wounds don't look good. And why are you in such a dangerous and complex tunnel? What happened during your journey?"
The tense atmosphere from facing an unknown power (for Raven) and the surprise began to ease as Ryu nodded joyfully and gratefully. "I... I'm alright... but I almost didn't make it." He looked at Raven with grateful eyes. "This is Raven-san... she saved me from a critical situation a while ago in Siren's Haven. If it weren't for her, I probably..." He paused, not wanting to think about what might have happened.
Raven lowered her twin pistols slightly as she saw the situation was somewhat under control, but she remained wary. She assessed the two giant men before her. The power she sensed from them was truly extraordinary, especially from the man named Bacchus with his strange hammer that seemed to be coated in some kind of energy, and the man named Taurus with his seemingly superhuman physical strength. "Nice to meet you," she said briefly in her usual flat tone, but there was a hint of curiosity about Ryu's two companions.
"But what about you two... how did you get here?" Ryu asked with profound curiosity. He was both overjoyed and surprised at the same time.
Bacchus laughed loudly again, proudly thumping his chest. "Hahaha! It's because we two were so worried about you we couldn't stand waiting at the village anymore! After Elder Eldrin received that strange message with bad news about the route you took, he looked terrible. He kept muttering to himself about having a bad feeling about you. Finally, he decided to send us two, the village's top fighters (second only to Leader Kiana, of course, haha!), to find you urgently. The Elder has a lot of 'special routes' and 'secret information' that others don't know about, let me tell you! So we managed to track you, using both the Elder's information and our warrior instincts, until we stumbled upon this pack of crazy wolves about to attack someone up ahead. So we had to teach them a lesson about who's who!" He said, brandishing his hammer heroically.
Taurus added in a more serious and composed tone, "Elder Eldrin was really worried about you, Ryu. And so were all of us at the village. It wasn't right for you to carry such a dangerous mission and travel alone in enemy territory. We should have come with you from the start." A hint of guilt showed in his eyes.
Once they were alone in a slightly safer area (after Bacchus and Taurus had dragged the Tunnel Wolf corpses to a corner of the tunnel and quickly scouted the surroundings for good measure), the four began to exchange detailed information. Ryu recounted his journey into Siren's Haven, his fierce and near-fatal encounter with "Fenril," one of the Seven Hunters, at the deserted warehouse by the docks, the help he received from the mysterious informant "Shadow Fox," and Raven's appearance to save him in his direst moment. He then told them about meeting the Spark Faction in this tunnel and the crucial information he had obtained from Shadow Fox and the Spark Faction about the "target list" of the Seven Hunters. Most importantly, he revealed that Da Vinci, the young man from another land with incredible "Artificer" powers, was a primary target of the Nebula Empire and might be connected to an "ancient prophecy" about "The Awakened" who would change the fate of the world.
Upon hearing the whole story, especially the danger of Fenril, the Nebula King's intervention (which Raven might have elaborated on), and Da Vinci's importance, Bacchus and Taurus both had visibly tense and shocked expressions.
"Fenril... the Seven Hunters... and the Nebula King himself had to give orders?" Taurus murmured, his voice filled with deep concern. "The situation is far more serious and complex than we thought. And it seems our foreign companion... Master Da Vinci... is indeed crucial to our fate and perhaps the fate of this world."
Raven, who had been listening silently and observing everyone's reactions, added in a flat but firm tone, "From my direct encounter with him, let me tell you, Fenril isn't just strong. He has terrifying hunter instincts, and the power he unleashed at the end... it was beyond anything I've ever faced. If their King hadn't interrupted, I'm not sure I would have made it out alive."
Bacchus gripped the handle of his giant hammer so tightly his veins bulged. His eyes blazed with anger. "If any of those Seven Hunter bastards dare to even touch Ashwind Post or our companions... I'll smash their heads into pulp with this Earthen Hammer! There won't be enough left for them to report back to their master, just you watch!"
After assessing the entire situation, they all agreed they had to return to Ashwind Post as quickly as possible to inform Eldrin, Kiana, and Da Vinci of this critical news and prepare for any threats that might arrive at any moment. Having Bacchus and Taurus, with their incredible skills and extensive combat experience, join the team made Ryu's return journey seem immensely more hopeful and safer.
"Alright!" Bacchus exclaimed, his voice enthusiastic and full of energy. "Now that we, the top fighters of Ashwind Post (plus this fierce gun-toting lady), are all together, there's nothing to fear anymore! Let's go! Back to the Elder, little Kiana, and that young Sage Da Vinci! I can't wait to see the faces of those Seven Hunters and find out how tough they really are!"
They decided to continue using the underground route recommended by Kairo of the Spark Faction, as it was likely still safer and faster than traveling on the surface, which was teeming with Nebula soldier patrols. Ryu used the "Astra Navigator" he had received to lead the way, with Bacchus and Taurus acting as vanguards, scouting ahead and clearing the path. Raven, who had decided to accompany them (for reasons she hadn't fully disclosed, but she seemed quite interested in the "Artificer" and the story of Ashwind Post, and the "symbol" on the piece of cloth she had found still lingered in her mind), provided support and long-range reconnaissance with her sharp eyes and silent movements.
The journey of the "four comrades" (though some had just met and weren't yet close) began anew. The atmosphere this time was completely different from when Ryu had to flee alone. There was more relaxation from Bacchus's periodic teasing (who was often scolded by Taurus's glares when he joked inappropriately), but they all remained cautious and alert. The warrior instincts in everyone were still fully active.
However, the journey through this dark and secret-filled tunnel didn't seem to be as smooth and easy as they had hoped.
After traveling for about half a day, as they were approaching a point on the map indicated as a crucial intersection leading to a path closer to Ashwind Post, Taurus's instincts, who was leading with firm yet silent steps, suddenly blared a sharp warning!
"Stop!" He raised his hand, signaling everyone behind him to halt immediately. His tall figure blocked the passage, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly as he peered into the darkness ahead. "I sense something unusual... there's 'movement' ahead... and it's not the kind of beasts we just encountered."
Everyone in the group fell silent instantly, trying to listen intently to their surroundings. Ryu took a deep breath, trying to catch any unusual scent... and then he sensed it! A faint smell of burnt metal and machine oil he recognized from past experiences... the smell of... Nebula Empire's machinations!
Before anyone could say a word!
"Intruder life signs detected! Pattern not found in database! Prepare to engage and apprehend immediately!"
A cold, emotionless, and chilling synthetic voice echoed from the shadows at the end of the passage ahead! Simultaneously, several red lights flashed in the darkness, revealing the outlines of a new group of enemies!
The forms of at least three or four "Upgraded Mechanized Hunter-Killer Patrol Units" of the Nebula Empire emerged from the intersection! They resembled medium-sized mechanical spiders, looking much sleeker and more dangerous than the ones Da Vinci had previously destroyed. Their six legs moved quickly and silently on the uneven tunnel surface. Their bodies were clad in strong, pitch-black metal armor. On their heads, multiple heat sensors and infrared lenses swiveled, searching for targets. And most terrifyingly, high-energy machine guns were mounted beneath their bellies, and sharp metal claws tipped each leg, ready to tear apart anything in their path! It seemed they had been sent to patrol this secret route and had accidentally stumbled upon Ryu's group!
"Damn it! How did they get here!" Bacchus cursed, annoyed, gripping his hammer tightly, his veins bulging. "This tunnel is supposed to be a secret!"
"Looks like our 'secret' isn't a secret anymore," Raven murmured tensely, her twin pistols instantly raised in a combat stance. "And judging by their looks... these aren't just ordinary patrol units."
Taurus stood facing the mechanical monstrosities, calm but exuding a pressure ready to explode. "Everyone, get ready... It looks like we'll have to 'clear' our own way home."
The situation tensed instantly. A direct confrontation with the Nebula Empire's mechanized forces in such a confined and narrow space was something they had always tried to avoid. But it seemed fate had led them to another dangerous test. The fight for survival and the protection of crucial information... was about to begin!
[End of Chapter 24]