"Not use your name?"
Caitlin was no mere figurehead; her eyes flicked and she instantly grasped Howard's intention.
She chuckled softly, "Seems like you are not just anyone... then what should I call you? Darling?"
Seizing the opportunity, Caitlin launched her offensive, her face lit up with a playful smile, "After all, you possess such an extraordinary demeanor, no one would believe if I said you were a servant."
Howard hadn't expected Caitlin to be so audacious.
A twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth as he said, "Just avoid using my name, everything else is up to you."
"Then... darling, shouldn't we act a bit more intimate to avoid raising any suspicions?"
As she spoke, Caitlin's hand gracefully wound around Howard's arm, fluid as a swimming fish.
Howard cast her a sidelong glance, exerting a slight force to break free before diving into the water.
Following their awakening, every individual had seen a boost in their physical capabilities, including a remarkable ability to hold their breath.
Even those untrained in swimming could survive in water for a period.
Howard, who had grown up in an orphanage and was no stranger to swimming or climbing trees, kept his eyes open as he followed the figures before him, heading deeper into the water.
After swimming a full minute, Howard came upon a curtain-like flow of water.
Watching the figures rush past the current, Howard did not hesitate and followed suit.
Swoosh —
The moment he crossed the water stream, he heard the sound of wind in his ears.
To his astonishment, he seemed to have left the water flow.
Looking around, he found himself in a grotto.
Glyn's elves team was already meticulously exploring within the cavern.
After a careful survey, Howard discerned no fewer than five tunnels deep within the cave, four engulfed in darkness while only one was illuminated by torches hung along its path, consequently drawing everyone's attention and gathering them at its entrance.
At that moment, Howard perceived a strong wind from behind, signaling Caitlin's arrival next to him through the water curtain.
She whispered, "Darling, be careful, the space rift here has disappeared!"
Everyone present was awakened, possessing extraordinary hearing abilities that allowed them to catch Caitlin's words even from a distance, prompting a look of alarm to cross Glyn's face.
They were all aware of Caitlin's stature as the most brilliant talent in their academy, someone who had even single-handedly defeated the second and third best in their grade during practical exams.
Even Glyn had to admit to being slightly inferior to Caitlin in terms of ability.
A formidable force and a woman of unrivaled beauty, Caitlin had garnered the affection of numerous students.
Unfortunately, not a single man had managed to capture her favor.
Glyn hadn't expected Caitlin to be whispering to a young man.
However, Glyn held no interest in Caitlin; he was merely surprised to see her smitten, harboring curiosity and even admiration towards Howard.
After all, a man who could win over Caitlin was certainly no ordinary individual.
"The space rift has disappeared?"
Howard furrowed his brows slightly. He had never heard of a space rift being able to move on its own.
"Yes," Glyn explained, "If the Extraplanar beings aren't killed, they can hide the space rift. Otherwise, upon spotting the rift, we would naturally be on guard knowing the proximity of Extraplanar entities."
"Some Extraplanar beings, seeking to ambush us more effortlessly, will opt to conceal the rift."
Caitlin nodded seriously, "Originally, it was just a suspicion, but now it appears that the Extraplanar being that has descended possesses considerable intelligence, perhaps belonging to the human race."
The term "human race" was a generic term.
Many planets or planes harbored the existence of humans, yet sadly, even among their own kind, slaughter ensued upon contact.
Essentially, individuals residing in distinct worlds harbored no desire to witness the destruction of their own realms.
Hearing the conversation between Caitlin and Glyn, Abby and other members of the elite team displayed confused expressions.
They had merely heard about the existence of space rifts from their academy instructors and were unaware that Extraplanar entities could also be of the human race.
This revelation induced an increasing tension among them.
"Last time, we arrived at this cave entrance and discovered the space rift. Fearing the overpowering strength of the Extraplanar entities within, we agreed to retreat from the Ruins first and to regroup before engaging in battle," Glyn voiced.
"Now that the space rift has vanished, there's a high probability that the Ruins have been occupied or hidden by the Extraplanar entities. The danger in this expedition into the Ruins comes not only from the Ruins themselves but also from these Extraplanar beings. Everyone must remain vigilant!"
"Especially you newcomers. If you encounter danger, you must call for me immediately."
"If something happens to you, it would mean that I have entirely lost face for our academy."
At this, Glyn even burst into laughter.
It seemed like a joke, yet Abby and the other classmates grasped the gravity of the situation; if they weren't careful, Glyn genuinely wouldn't be able to save them.
Fortunately, they were all exceptionally gifted awakened individuals, not fearing the danger but rather anticipating it with eager hearts.
They weren't foolish, understanding naturally that only through experiencing real battles could they grow.
And this was precisely why Glyn brought them into the Ruins.
"Stop the chatter," Caitlin said as she moved forward, holding onto Howard's arm, her expression serious. "We have five paths to choose from. Which one should we take?"
"Obviously, the one with torches," a student named Hulles suddenly suggested. "With the flames, we can at least see clearly where we're heading. Even if there's danger, we can see it and respond accordingly."
"But what if it's a road to death?" Glyn shook his head, "It might be better to choose from the other four paths. This is the only path illuminated with torches, clearly a trap designed to lure us in."
Caitlin nodded, signaling her agreement.
Suddenly Abby interjected, "Since we are worried about the potential dangers, why not throw some stones in and see what happens?"
At Abby's words, Caitlin and Glyn exchanged a look.
"Yes, the Ruins have existed for tens of millions of years, it's impossible for there to be living people inside. Even if there are traps, they could only be triggered through the most basic gravity sensing," Caitlin reflected aloud.
"We can totally use stones to probe these four paths!"
Glyn scanned the surroundings and abruptly walked towards a stone table nearby.
The next moment, with a shout, he unleashed a silvery-white lightning from his right hand.
Bang!
Almost instantaneously as the thunder burst forth, the stone table shattered, scattering fragments across the ground.
Witnessing this, Howard couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly.
This fellow, able to unleash skills without a weapon, demonstrated a robust physique.
He must be in the special class!
Bending down to pick up a piece of stone, Glyn quickly returned to the passage adorned with torches, slightly flexing his wrist as he flung the stone out.
The stone landed on the blue stone brick of the passage, bounced up, and hopped towards the next brick, resembling a stone skipping across water.
Everyone's gaze was firmly fixed on the piece of stone.
Suddenly, just as the stone crossed over five blue stone bricks, a burst of flames surged out from beneath the bricks.
Boom!
A blistering heat erupted, and even Howard and others, standing a good distance away from the mouth of the passage, felt an unbearable heat enveloping their skin.
Looking again, the stone that had been on the brick was gone, reduced to ashes in the fierce flames.
"Hisss, such powerful flames, capable of incinerating a stone instantaneously. It wouldn't be a hard task for it to burn us alive," Glyn muttered, his eyebrows furrowed deeply while Hulles, who had previously suggested the strategy, was trembling uncontrollably, unable to stand firm.
"This path is indeed dangerous. Let's check the next one."
Glyn had anticipated this, showing no extreme surprise.
He picked up another stone and tossed it into the dark passage on the left.
Due to the darkness, everyone could only rely on the sound of the stone hitting the bricks, unable to see clearly.
Moments later, as a terrifying gust of wind blew out, followed by the ceasing of the crisp sound, a deathly silence pervaded.
Everyone realized that this path too, was a dead end.
As Glyn continued to probe the safety of the passages, the group of students was fraught with tension.
Howard, on the other hand, was wearing a smile.
A group of people who had looked down on his talent had nobly joined the elite team, only to end up pathfinding for him in the end!
Should they encounter a monster, those students would even have to join forces with Glyn to confront the beast.
All Howard needed to do was watch; wasn't this a beautiful arrangement?
He wondered what kind of psychological turmoil they would experience once they realized they were essentially paving the way for him.