Chapter 48 – The Journey of Escape Begins

This was a moderately deep tunnel, its walls carved with faint, indistinct magical runes. Even with the runes’ sound-dampening effects, Punk’s keen ears—inherited from the Ancient Elves—could faintly hear the screams and roars of fleeing refugees being mercilessly slaughtered through the soil above. These voices, seemingly filled with endless sorrow and resentment, added a layer of gravity and unease to the already dim and oppressive tunnel.

No matter how unwilling they were to retreat in such a disgraceful manner, and no matter how much guilt they felt toward their comrades in Kenora City, all the soldiers rationally understood there was no alternative. As the “elite” force tasked with protecting the princess as their top priority, they could only choose to firmly remember the shame of defeat, grit their teeth in silent vows to one day return and avenge their fallen comrades, and then… quicken their retreat and continue their escape!

All the soldiers, including the Old Mage walking beside Punk, wore expressions of clenched teeth and burning rage. Yet Punk remained as calm and detached as ever. His focus was entirely different from that of the “Princess Guard.” While “strolling” through the long tunnel, he ordered the System to meticulously analyze the subtle magical fluctuations embedded in the tunnel’s rock. Soon, the analysis revealed that these seemingly simple fluctuations, when gathered together, formed a “runic circuit” that appeared chaotic yet was coherent and self-contained.

Closing his eyes lightly, Punk could faintly perceive that the entire team’s magical fluctuations, Battle Aura vibrations, heat, sound, and life signals were all completely absorbed by this invisible “runic line,” with no information escaping outside the tunnel.

“How much this interconnected runic arrangement resembles flowcharts from Earth!”

Carefully examining the data analyzed by the System, Punk felt that this “retreat into the tunnel” had yielded considerable inspiration and insight. If the principles behind these runic combinations shared common ground with computer programming on Earth, did that mean… magical arrays could potentially be deciphered or even… hacked?

Unfortunately, his soul’s level was still too low, and many of these inspirations had to be shelved in “future plans,” unable to be practiced or explored.

Time always passes quickly when pondering questions. Unconsciously, the tunnel’s exit was now within sight. Watching the soldiers ahead file out one by one, Punk had no choice but to set aside his curiosity and research on the magical array, activating full alertness to prepare for the “escape” journey ahead!The tunnel exit emerged within a forest—specifically, the woodland south of Kenora City that farmers called “Old Nike.” This name was well-earned: not only was it ancient, predating the establishment of the Kamos Kingdom, but it also perpetually accumulated thick mud. This was due to the prevalence of “Haike trees,” which released vast amounts of water stored in their roots during droughts to moisten the soil. As a result, the area was essentially a bog of aged muck. These Haike trees weren’t natural evolutionary products; they were originally created by an inept druid as “eco-friendly irrigators.” However, their excessive watering led to swampy conditions like those in Old Nike, prompting balance-seeking druids to swiftly abandon the once-trendy creation. Yet, the resilient Haike trees still sporadically thrive in humid regions, with Old Nike Woodland being a prime example.

Exiting the narrow tunnel, a ground almost entirely covered in moss came into view. The moss blanketed the pervasive sludge, giving the woodland the appearance of a synthetic turf field. In the distance, a few trees resembling coconut palms with massive roots swayed on the “lawn,” their flexible trunks bending at angles utterly unbefitting of trees, almost like rubber artifacts. Additionally, several “small flowers” emitting pink specks of light stood quietly “rooted” in the moss. The entire woodland exuded an aura of tranquility and warmth…

But this was certainly not the true face of Old Nike!

Stepping lightly on the muddy ground, nearly three centimeters of muck churned up from under Punk’s shoes, mingled with decayed leaves that looked decades away from producing petroleum. Still, he lifted his foot from the stinking, viscous mud with satisfaction. It had to be admitted—Mainaixi had a keen eye for retreat routes. This muddy terrain posed little obstacle to professionals but served as an insurmountable “speed bump” for ordinary soldiers. Regular troops couldn’t conduct searches here, and the enemy’s few squads of professionals were insufficient to comb through the vast woodland. Thus, the boggy landscape significantly reduced the risk of detection.

Safe as it was, the environment was undeniably hard to endure. As the marching troops churned the mud, waves of rot—sealed away for who knows how many years—wafted up all at once. The stench was so overpowering it seemed to envelop the entire woodland. Princess Nasia, who had never endured such foul conditions, repeatedly fluttered her delicate, pale hands before her petite nose to ward off the odor—though it was, of course, futile.

Punk, however, found these trivial smells tolerable. His mind was preoccupied with weighing the pros and cons of leaving immediately to vanish without a trace versus staying with the group.

He stroked his smooth chin, carefully deliberating the advantages and disadvantages of each choice.”If I leave the main group now… there’s a small chance of running into Prince William’s troops searching everywhere for the princess. I have that ‘glorious’ combat record on the city walls—even if ordinary soldiers forget me, those professionals won’t. If I end up in close combat alone with those troops who are probably going mad searching for the princess… the danger level would be extremely high!” At this thought, Punk’s eyebrows twitched slightly again. He was no Lü Bu—fighting three heroes alone would be tough enough, let alone a whole group… that would be sheer suicide!

But if I continue following this fleeing group until we reach Dillon Kingdom… admittedly, the chance of encountering enemy pursuit forces is higher this way. Still, at least there’s the Princess Guard—a bunch of “loyal” Apprentice-Level meat shields to absorb the damage. As long as I stay in the back and focus on dealing damage… the danger would be significantly reduced…

For a moment, even Punk found it hard to decide…

(End of Chapter)