CHAPTER 203: BENEATH THE EARTH

The ground beneath them was damp, and the air was heavy with moisture.

Wherever this place was, it must have been deep beneath the earth, the heat from below made the air uncomfortably warm and sweat began to form on Shiao Yi’s forehead.

The rough terrain was covered with moss and scattered stones.

The strange plants grew around them some seemed similar to the grass on the surface, while others were unfamiliar, their colors muted in the dim, glowing light of the underworld.

From the high ridge where they stood, Shiao Yi could see no trace of towns, villages, or even a single house.

The vast underground world below seemed to belong only to roaming magical beasts and magical creatures.

When he looked down over the edge, he saw a deep river flowing swiftly far beneath them.

It must have been underground water bursting to the surface and carving its own path.

At the very least, water wouldn’t be a problem here.

"For now, let’s head toward that wall, the closest one we can see from here," Shiao Yi said, deciding on their destination.

He pulled off his heavy jacket.

Wearing a thick spring coat down here felt like being trapped in a sauna.

He then removed his vest, leaving only a cream-colored shirt with a wide collar.

The shirt was made of fine silk, it was soft smooth and clearly expensive — a gift from Dominic.

It wasn’t coarse linen or breathable cotton like what he was used to.

When Dominic had chosen it for him, Shiao Yi had tried to refuse. He didn’t need something so costly. But Dominic had been stubborn.

"I don’t want anything rough to hurt your soft skin, Shiao Yi," he had said with a smile so gentle and warm it could melt vanilla custard.

How could anyone say no to that face and voice? Damn it. Shiao Yi had told him a hundred times that he wasn’t some delicate girl, but Dominic never seemed to listen.

Now, even Dominic took off his long coat that reached his knees and unfastened the metal clasp at the high collar of his knight’s uniform.

"Yeah, you look hot just standing in that," Shiao Yi muttered. "No one else is here make yourself comfortable."

Dominic loosened his collar and gave a small relieved smile. That simple act, the hint of bare skin at his collarbone, the casual ease in his posture, that damn charming smile made Shiao Yi’s chest tighten.

Does he even know what that does to people? he thought, flustered. Good-looking men really are unfair.

Behind them, a mountain wall rose like a barrier, and on one side, there was only a steep cliff. The only direction left to go was down.

So, with no path to follow, the two of them began their descent, they’re walking side by side through the strange endless underground world.

Shiao Yi had heard that staying too long in this world filled with miasma could have harmful effects on Dominic.

The thought made him deeply uneasy.

Just imagining Dominic turning into a magical beast or magical creatures made panic rise in his chest.

"Isn’t there any way to prevent it?" he asked desperately.

Dominic must have noticed how serious Shiao Yi looked, because he paused and began thinking carefully.

"A strong flow of magic can repel miasma," Dominic said after a moment. "I’ll keep magic surrounding my body at all times. That way, the miasma won’t be able to seep inside me."

That meant he would have to constantly use extra magic power.

Wouldn’t that exhaust him?

If his magic ever ran dry, things would become even worse.

Shiao Yi couldn’t hide his worry and Dominic immediately gave him a soft reassuring smile.

"What kind of face is that, Shiao Yi? This much is nothing for me. Don’t underestimate my magic power."

"I understand... but don’t push yourself too hard," Shiao Yi said quietly.

Even so, he couldn’t stop worrying. He decided that he would keep a close eye on Dominic’s condition at all times.

They keep walked for hours until they’re across the rough rocky wasteland.

Just when Shiao Yi thought they couldn’t descend any farther, a forest suddenly appeared before them.

Until now, they had only seen moss and small plants clinging to stones, so the sight of tall trees growing thickly together felt strange and out of place.

Did this mean they had finally come closer to the surface?

"This place gives me a bad feeling," Shiao Yi muttered.

He didn’t want to go inside.

The trees grew so close together that the forest beyond looked dark and eerie, as if ghosts might be hiding in the shadows.

"But we can’t move forward unless we go through it," Dominic said firmly.

Shiao Yi hesitated while staring into the dark forest. Then, suddenly, a strange question came to his mind.

This was an underground world there was no sun here. How could these trees be alive and green?

He looked up at the thick canopy of leaves, wondering if they could really do photosynthesis.

The faint glow that filled this world surely wasn’t enough.

Unless... maybe light wasn’t needed at all.

Perhaps as long as they absorbed magical energy, they didn’t need sunlight to survive.

If that was true, then this world really was beyond all reason a place where even nature followed the rules of another reality.

"Shiao Yi, standing here won’t solve anything. Let’s go," Dominic said firmly.

Without hesitation, he stepped into the forest.

Shiao Yi had no choice but to follow after him.

Although the trees looked tightly packed, there was just enough space between them for people to walk through.

There was no a mass of bushes, small trees, and plant that was usually growing under the big trees in the forest and the ground was dry making it surprisingly easy to move forward.

Deciding to go straight ahead, they continued deeper into the forest.

All the trees seemed to be of the same kind. Their trunks were smooth almost slippery to the touch and their leaves grew high above blocking most of the dim light. Lower down, the thin vine-like branches tangled together in all directions like some kind of web.