Chapter 30: Smooth Return

Inside the dim cave, the flickering torchlight stretched the busy silhouettes of several figures, casting them onto the rough walls. Kaelin held open the seemingly ordinary leather Storage Bag with both hands, while Raine, Matthew, and David quickly stuffed their loot inside, piece by piece. The circular opening, over half a meter in diameter, seemed connected to an endless void. Whether it was heavy fangs, bundles of back spikes, or massive slabs of meat, everything they shoved inside vanished without a trace, as if instantly snatched away by an invisible hand.

Raine watched the bundled black fur disappear into the bag last, once again marveling at the wonders of a Magical Creation. It felt just like tossing dirty laundry into a washing machine, except the opening before him was a bottomless pit.

"We shouldn't delay. Let's leave immediately," Raine said decisively once Kaelin carefully secured the Storage Bag to her leather belt. "The stench of blood here is too strong. Sooner or later, it'll attract unwanted company."

The group nodded in agreement, quickly gathered their belongings, and hurried out of the cave. The party of four soon regrouped with the other two at the entrance. Although Basement Rat still looked a bit pale, his spirits had improved significantly. Gavin, meanwhile, hobbled over to Raine and Kaelin, holding out a large bouquet of pale purple plants like he was offering a prized possession.

"I saw you gathering these bellflowers earlier," Gavin said, scratching his head sheepishly. "Basement Rat and I looked around nearby while we were resting. These things are hidden pretty deep, so we only managed to find fifteen of them."

Raine accepted the bundle of perfectly intact Calming Bellflowers and exchanged a glance with Kaelin. They could both see a flash of joy in each other's eyes. Combined with the ones they had harvested earlier, it was exactly fifty plants—the exact amount needed to complete their commission! This undoubtedly brought their trip to a perfect conclusion.

"Thanks for your hard work, you two," Raine said. He handed the Calming Bellflowers to Kaelin to store away, but just as he was about to express his gratitude, Matthew eagerly blurted out the news that they would receive a share of the loot. As a result, an overly excited Basement Rat and Gavin ended up profusely thanking Raine instead, looking so happy they were on the verge of tears.

With dusk approaching, the light filtering through the trees grew increasingly dim, and a damp, creeping chill began to permeate the air. Not daring to linger, the group immediately set off at a brisk pace toward the outskirts of the forest under Raine's guidance. To speed up their progress, the burly David volunteered to carry the injured Gavin on his back. Basement Rat, despite suffering from multiple cuts and bruises, fortunately had no severe leg trauma and barely managed to keep up with the team's pace.

About halfway through their journey, the sky turned completely dark. The shadows of the surrounding trees swayed in the night breeze, as if concealing countless pairs of prying eyes. The entirely unfamiliar path left Matthew and the others feeling incredibly anxious. They kept their eyes glued to Raine's blurry figure ahead of them, terrified of falling even a single step behind. They weren't even sure if this route would actually lead them out of the forest. The tall figure holding the torch ahead of them was moving far too smoothly. He never stopped to get his bearings, nor did he check for any markers. It was as if he knew this massive forest like the back of his hand.

Kaelin quickly noticed the anxiety plaguing Matthew and his companions. "Don't worry, you can't go wrong following that guy," she said, deliberately lowering her torch a fraction to cast bizarre, shifting shadows across her fair, delicate face. "You, on the other hand, had better keep up. If you fall behind, you'll be left here to feed the Goblins."

"U-understood!"

Her "comforting" words had quite an Effect; their previously hesitant footsteps noticeably quickened. They watched Raine weave rapidly through the nearly identical trees as if strolling through his own backyard. Sometimes he bypassed a patch of thorny shrubs; other times he stepped across an imperceptible stream without making a single splashing sound. His certainty and confidence, coupled with Kaelin's occasional "comforting," soon completely dispelled their bewilderment.

Even though night had completely fallen and they were still not out of the woods, the group successfully avoided all danger zones thanks to Raine's near-perfect route planning. Any occasional "roadblocks" were easily dispatched by Kaelin, aside from a single spider that Raine casually finished off himself.

After another two hours of trekking, the warm lights of Mottled Town finally pierced the forest's darkness and entered their line of sight. Everyone couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. The entire party had returned safely.

At the entrance to Mottled Town, Kaelin found a quiet corner and retrieved the agreed-upon portion of the loot from the Storage Bag. She handed over a full one hundred and fifty pounds of meat and half of the sharp back spikes to Matthew and his three companions, who thanked them profusely.

After bidding farewell to the group, Raine and Kaelin quickly returned to the familiar Return Inn, where they were greeted by bustling voices and long-lost warmth. Under the curious and surprised gazes of the other Adventurers, Raine and Kaelin hauled the remaining slabs of meat over to the bar. On their way back, the two had already discussed how to handle this portion of their spoils.

A weary smile appeared on Raine's travel-worn face. "Lady Basha, it's really inconvenient for us to carry all of this around. We'd like to ask the inn to cook some of it for our meals over the next few days. You can keep the rest as payment. What do you think?"

Lady Basha looked at the mountainous pile of fresh meat, which faintly shimmered with Magic Power, and a hint of imperceptible surprise flashed through her eyes. She reached out and pressed down on one of the cuts, feeling its firm elasticity, then looked up at the weathered Raine and Kaelin before giving a brisk nod.

"A very fair proposal," she replied in a steady, mild tone. "This meat is of excellent quality. I will handle it properly. For the next few days, you'll have more than enough to eat. We will calculate the remaining value afterward."

Lian quietly peeked out from the kitchen. Upon seeing this scene, her clear eyes instantly went wide. Her gaze darted rapidly between Raine and Kaelin. Mr. Raine's Cotton Armor was stained with dried blood and mud, while Sister Kailin's signature burgundy ponytail was somewhat disheveled, the new scratches on her Leather Armor clearly visible. Both of them bore an unconcealable exhaustion and weathering, yet they shared an indescribable sense of mutual understanding that only comes from surviving a perilous ordeal together.

She could almost picture it: deep within a gloomy cave, Mr. Raine using precise Arrows to defuse a crisis for the red-haired Sister Kailin, while Sister Kailin used her swift Sword Techniques to stand guard in front of her "important person." So this wasn't just a "poignant love story"—it was a "romantic adventure story" too! Shocked, she covered her mouth and quickly ducked back into the kitchen. She needed time to digest all this. She felt like she might just be able to write a novel!

The two adventurers didn't linger on the first floor for long and soon headed upstairs.

"Shall we go to the Guild together tomorrow morning to settle the commission?" Kaelin asked as she handed the black fur back to Raine in the narrow hallway.

"Let's meet at the usual spot," Raine said, waving a hand to temporarily bid her farewell.

Returning to his cramped but familiar room, he stripped off his gear, feeling every muscle in his body protesting with an aching soreness. He fetched some clean water and wiped the blood and grime from his body. The cold touch slightly refreshed his mind, but an intense wave of exhaustion continued to wash over him like a rising tide.

He didn't even have the energy to study that mottled ring. Almost the very second his head hit the pillow, his heavy eyelids fluttered shut, and his consciousness quickly sank into a dreamless dark. This day's thrilling adventure had simply drained too much of his mental energy and Physical stamina.