At this moment, everyone immediately felt a clearer sense of the warm aura surrounding Elise.
She had indeed advanced to Level 2 Classes!
"Elise, youâre advancing way too fast."
"Itâs only been a few months, and youâve reached Level 2!"
"Not at all!" Elise was instantly a bit embarrassed, but she was clearly happy and excited by everyoneâs praise, her cheeks flushed.
In fact, the opportunity for her advancement this time stemmed from the separation from Raine and the others in the hidden passage.
For a priestess girl always hopeful to adventure with companions and rich in adventurous spirit, the impulse to become stronger was so intense when she was arranged to stay at the rear due to her own strength.
On the day she returned to Mill Town, Elise found that the Healing Truth Mantra, which she could never quite master, unexpectedly reached a new level after several practice sessions.
Even more delightful was that her Classes Level naturally progressed to Level 2.
"Elise, youâre truly a genius!" Laisa hugged Elise.
Next came another round of congratulations from everyone.
Half an hour later.
After the barmaid cleared the nearly empty plates from the table, Benest took out a map from his pocket and slowly spread it out on the dining table.
This naturally drew everyoneâs gaze.
What Raine saw was a central oval structure, with main passages on its left and right sides, and winding paths resembling tiny capillaries along the passages.
The main passageways and the central area were marked with several skull symbols, some large, some small.
"Is this the map of the Valley of Dead Water Wild Boar Peopleâs lair?" Sulfur Vine blinked in surprise.
"Yes." Benest nodded with a smile, "I made this after receiving the latest intelligence yesterday."
"Tut, tut, things have been ongoing at the Valley of Dead Water for nearly two months; why hasnât the Kingdom deployed a regular army for cleanup?" Laisa looked at the complex map, clicking her tongue, and asked.
"Quite the contrary, they did send one. Previously, the city defense forces of Bornberry dispatched a team of several hundred elite troops for cleanup, but they suffered heavy casualties."
Hearing this, Raine was stirred and said, "Is it because these winding passages are so narrow, making it difficult for the Kingdomâs regular army to form a battle formation?"
"Indeed." Benest chuckled, nodding approvingly at Raine, and continued, "The Wild Boar People individually have strong power, skilled in using heavy weapons. If the Kingdomâs armored elite cannot form up their battle formations, itâs hard to launch an effective attack."
"On the other hand, as the lair of the Deadwater Wild Boar People, the Valley of Dead Water hosts a large number of Wild Boar People. If they cannot quickly crush the Wild Boar People in the branch passages, reinforcements arrive swiftly."
"By the way, hasnât the Association issued tasks to Silver Level Adventurers nearby? Perhaps the Silver Level Adventurers also cannot resolve the Valley of Dead Water issue?" Elise asked.
"So far, no Silver Level Adventurer Squad has intervened."
"Silver Level Adventurer Squads are rare; even cities like Bornberry and Dorne City do not have resident Silver Level Adventurer Squads."
"The closest big city with a stationed Silver Level Adventurer Squad, if Iâm not mistaken, is Winterless City at Sword Bay."
"However, even if contacted, the main force might be out on tasks, and itâs uncertain when they will arrive."
Listening to Benestâs introduction, Raine nodded.
He had fully realized the impact of the cityâs scale on Adventurers.
For instance, the Adventurerâs Association in Mill Town offers only two types of First Level Magic Scrolls, while the Dorne City branch evidently faces no such issue.
Similarly, various skillful masters like Armor Forgers, Alchemists, Weapon Masters, Grand Mages, Trainers teaching Class Skills, etc.--the higher the cityâs tier, the greater their numbers.
For example, if Raine wants to learn a First Level Identification Spell right now, he canât find a related trainer in Mill Town; he has to go to Dorne City.
"Right, Benest, does the large skull symbol in the middle represent a Mind Flayer? What do the other skull symbols stand for?"
"Are they enemy leaders?" Laisa pointed at the map markings, curious.
...
Meanwhile.
Outside Bornberry.
Within the thornwood near the Valley of Dead Water.
The night sky filtered through the towering thorny creepers, casting starlight. The campfire on the ground emitted the crackling sound of bursting thorns.
A group of five sat around the campfire, varying in height.
This place was already quite close to the habitual activity area of the Deadwater Wild Boar People, with massive vines coiled like serpents densely surrounding the area.
As a heavily saline and alkaline area, only the salt-resistant plants known as Deadwater Thorns can survive here, and over centuries of growth, they gradually covered this region of the Valley of Dead Water.
Itâs said that initially, these plants named Deadwater Thorns did not exist here.
Only after the Wild Boar People migrated here a thousand years ago did a Great Druid plant the first special thorn seed, leading to the current appearance.
This marks the original origin of Deadwater Thorns.
"Hey, weâve come all this way, yet still no sign of the Wild Boar People?" A human Shield Warrior sitting around the campfire sighed.
"By logic, given the proximity to the Wild Boar Peopleâs lair, we should have encountered patrol Wild Boar People by now."