A life-and-death friendship.
Today, Cole Garrison saw the true meaning of this word in Connor.
It means that even if you are captured by the demon king, I will risk my life to come and rescue you.
"You didn't have to go this far, brother Connor," Cole Garrison sighed, feeling complex emotions in his heart. "When the Sky Dragon was hovering in the sky, you should have flown away directly and returned to the capital to inform His Majesty and the military. It would have been better for us to die a good death. I never expected that you would...you would..."
He trailed off with a heavy heart. If they were still on the surface world, the Sky Dragon could still soar into the sky. But now that they were trapped underground, their chances of escape were slim.
"There's always hope," Connor said optimistically as he lifted his torch. "We're lucky; it seems like we haven't entered Nexus Citadel yet. Maybe we'll find a way out."
Cole Garrison shook his head in the dim light of the torch and tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace than anything else.
"It's difficult," he said. "The history of humanity's war against the demon king has lasted for thousands of years. Very few adventurers who enter dungeons manage to come out alive and unscathed. The dungeons are full of traps, monsters, and powerful guardians on each level. One careless mistake can cost us our lives."
Connor suddenly asked, "What about other members of Garrison's Guard?"
"Fortunately," Cole replied, "we charged forward in an orderly formation so everyone is close by."
"Good," Connor breathed a sigh of relief at this news.
After all, he hadn't had time to set up any traps or guardians yet.
If someone went ahead and scouted out their path only to come back reporting that there was nothing dangerous ahead...
Nexus Citadel would become a tourist destination for human adventurers in no time.
Thinking of this, Connor emphasized, "Everyone needs to be extremely cautious. This place is very dangerous. Inside the dungeon, I suggest we all hold hands like we did on the ship and sing songs to locate our companions. Don't wander around aimlessly, or we won't even know how we died if we trigger a trap."
"Understood," Cole Garrison ordered his team. "Everyone listen to Brother Connor's instructions. His orders are just as important as mine."
As the members of Garrison's Guard held hands and formed a chain, several strands of dark golden magic suddenly condensed into the form of an elderly human without warning.
Dangerous.
Although Cole Garrison couldn't fully gauge the opponent's strength, his instincts honed over years of military service made him react on impulse. The newcomer was powerful, more so than any strong person he had ever seen before. This was not a realm that ordinary people could touch; this was legendary.
He remembered reading in ancient texts that most dungeons were strictly regulated and hierarchical, with clear distinctions between superiors and subordinates. All guardians would stay put on their respective floors until they received orders from the demon king. Without the demon king's command, no one dared to act rashly.
In other words, this powerhouse standing before them might be only the guardian of the first level of Nexus Citadel?
No.
In fact, they hadn't even entered the first level yet; they were just wandering around outside the dungeon.
Was this outer circle guardian already so terrifying? What kind of existence was Nexus Overlord?
Cole Garrison took a sharp breath.
To his surprise, even the old man made out of dark golden magic gasped in shock and stared in Connor's direction while exclaiming repeatedly: "King...king...king..."
Cole Garrison took a few steps back and guarded in front of Connor.
"Shut up!" A loud shout rang out behind them.
It happened too fast for Cole Garrison to stop him; Connor dashed out with one step without hesitation. "You dogs serving under the demon king don't need to bark like mad! If you have guts, fight me one-on-one! Let's have a good fight!"
Cole Garrison was stunned. So were all members of Garrison's Guard. In Nexus Citadel full of danger and uncertainty, facing an enemy who was mysterious and unfathomable even to discern rank or status, Connor blurted out obscene language and challenged him head-on without any hesitation.
What kind of fool was he?
But logically speaking, this should not be the case. He was clever enough to outwit the abyssal fish and brave enough to fight against the Mist Tooth Wolf tribe. He was both wise and brave, not reckless. How could he?
No! Cole Garrison realized the reason for Connor's uncharacteristic behavior.
Connor was trying to sacrifice himself to save all of them!
Meanwhile.
Serence, who was originally happy to greet the king and about to kneel down, was also stunned.
Countless question marks floated in her mind.
Why are there so many people around the king?
Are they all servants recruited from the human world?
They don't look very strong, do they?
Was the king scolding me just now?
Did I do something wrong?
Is it because I didn't clean up well enough during the big cleaning? Or...?
Through Connor's subtle eye movements, Serence read the underlying meaning: it is not convenient for Nexus Overlord to move around in public. The king does not want to expose their relationship with Nexus Citadel in front of outsiders.
That's why he said "If you have guts, fight me one-on-one."
It means that they need a secret meeting.
Got it!
With that in mind, Serence turned into a purple mist and enveloped Connor's body. In the next moment, he seemed to evaporate on the spot and disappeared without a trace in the air.
...
Inside the Demon King's Palace.
"Your Majesty, I apologize for meeting you without permission and acting recklessly. I deserve to die a thousand deaths," Serence trembled with fear.
"It's fine," Connor sat on the bed.
The bed was covered with a soft mattress that still emitted a scent of sunshine when carefully sniffed. That was just how Serence worked: attentive, caring, and overly meticulous in matters of etiquette due to her respect for elders.
"Make sure to send the Shadow Army to watch them and don't let them enter the city," Connor said.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"In addition, have another group of people also arrived in the city?"
"Yes. Longlegs has led them to Howling Abyss outside the outer ring. It's up to you to decide their fate."
"Take me there."
Howling Abyss.
Nicholas Gates led his Crimson Standard Gang members with various weapons in hand, guarding a twisted formation on the ground and Mystic Flute, a black magic apprentice who had previously trained at Arcadia Academy, one of the most famous magic academies in Changfeng City. However, he was expelled from campus for illegally practicing dark magic and was hunted down by law enforcement officers. He then joined Crimson Standard Gang and became a core member using his dark magic abilities to accomplish great feats.
The "Mysterious Sound Formation" just now was his work.
Now Mystic Flute was drawing a "Through-Wall Formation." He realized that their current location wasn't at the core area of the dungeon but rather in the outer layer. Therefore, he attempted to escape through this formation.