Chapter 185: The Main Line Finally Begins to Return

The young adventurers were stunned; the "High Priestess," whom they could never easily see in the past, was actually so "friendly."

This casual high-tier divine spell, Greater Healing, bathed the narrow living room in holy light, making it resemble a temple on earth.

The centaur knight Parna, shrouded in silver light, propped herself up with a face full of disbelief; she felt her loss of vitality restored!

The wounds were itching (sensation returning); with just some follow-up treatment, they would heal completely.

Although the healing ability of the Shadow Pantheon is at the bottom among many pantheons, how could the effects of a Tier Five Divine Grace spell cast personally by a "Chosen One" be poor?

Even a high-ranking knight bearing grave injuries could be pulled back by this divine spell, let alone a "little one."

Continuous recovery abilities suit the battlefield better, but under current circumstances, they promoted the female knight's stable recovery; however, her spirit had been shaken.

"Didn't they say this landlord is a degenerate, a fallen species needing our protection?" This discounted rent also entailed the duty of being a bodyguard and courtyard guardian.

This did not simply mean they would ensure his absolute safety; that was impossible in the current world.

Rather, their honor and reputation were tied to the courtyard's safety; if anything happened, they would track it down, serving as a threat.

In the eyes of adventurers, the landlord, who appeared and disappeared like a dragon showing only its tail, should be a retired warrior with some savings, now a weakling needing protection.

But now, seeing a Dark Elf High Priestess of obviously high status acting so friendly, this was an extremely "realistic" race.

Parna recalled the priest grandpas she had met and the Dark Elves who looked down their noses; could these two extremely difficult-to-deal-with "types" combine to become friendly?!

"No, this landlord is very special." Feeling her body condition recover, Parna finally had the energy to seriously observe the house owner her group had never met.

"Uh, full plate armor?" At first glance, Parna, also a heavy armor enthusiast, was stunned.

She then surprisingly discovered that beneath this gray cloak, the outline seemed to be full plate armor.

This was clearly wrong; the movement and posture were too gentle, as if wearing ordinary cloth clothes, with absolutely no stiffness or restriction of wearing armor.

And setting that aside, this person actually wore heavy armor inside his own home.

"I heard this one retired from the battlefield; how many battlefields must one have experienced, how many ambushes and backstabs suffered, to cultivate such habits and instincts... Wait, didn't he degenerate?"

And the small scales on Li En's cheeks, along with the small horn on his forehead, clearly indicated the situation had changed.

Didn't that mean us, who moved in under the identity of guards, would look very awkward? Just looking at the other's movements while wearing armor as if it were nothing, he should be a quite remarkable great warrior.

The situation Parna observed; just this single movement of lifting a heavy weight as if it were light was an opponent she absolutely could not defeat.

"... Seeing you successfully complete your evolution again is truly delightful." The Dark Elf noble lady offered a friendly congratulation, thoroughly verifying the reality that the situation had indeed changed.

The two "big shots" did not mind the onlookers; after a polite chat, they went upstairs to talk privately.

In the living room, the adventurers and the elf maids, who were stopped from following, stared at each other with wide eyes.

Parna particularly noticed those footsteps that made the floorboards groan and twist in pain, confirming the landlord was definitely not a paper tiger.

"The scent of a Black Dragon... the evolved form of a Black Dragon." And that was the Dark Elf noble's maid, who smelled the scent on Li En.

"It must be that one from the Xia Luofen family. Tsk tsk tsk, that fellow thought he was invincible as a great warrior and a great priest; his dragon was slaughtered. I heard the scar on that dragon's head was from this man's blade."

"I heard that foolish eldest daughter mocked him on the spot and got backstabbed. Utterly stupid." Dark Elf culture never mocks the ambition of traitors, only scoffs at the stupidity of those who get backstabbed.

For Dark Elves, matters involving family authority and conspiratorial backstabs are hot topics.

The rumor that the foolish Third Family Dragon Knight had his brain eaten by the Main Brain and his dragon eaten by the knight has spread among all the families.

And their idle chat also vaguely revealed reverence for Li En; for Dark Elves, results are what matter most; a victorious conspirator deserves everything... Also because conspiracy theories are ingrained in their minds, they view all victors as conspirators.

This is one of the Dark Elf philosophies that Victoria hates most, but it is also why Li En, as a "strong one," received respect, and why Victoria and others under his protection could break free from the constraints of Dark Elf society.

The two "big shots" did not talk for long; they came down after a dozen minutes, but from their cheerful conversation, it verified the guess that they were on equal footing.

This scared the group of rookie adventurers even more; they had just learned from the maids that the Dark Elf noble was the sister of the Elf City Lord.

Since the High Priestess is a true "Goddess," and the landlord is of equal status to her...

"The Princess mentioned just now is also real; is it Princess Dai Niya?"

Li En smiled and saw off the visiting Dark Elves; turning back, he originally expected to see the young people ecstatic, celebrating the little one's recovery... instead, he saw the adventurers forcing themselves to look calm with rigid expressions.

Li En thought for a moment and roughly understood what had happened. He smiled, shook his head, and went upstairs again.

There is no point in saying anything now; let time make them familiar with each other... I happen to have a commission on my side that might use this group.

Although they cannot become Li En's "thigh" as Shaliman planned, "claws and fangs" are never too many.

On Dimon's side, he also plans to intervene in the underground ruin exploration industry; indeed, some skilled hands are needed to help.

And some things developed faster than expected; when Li En came downstairs again, he saw Miss Lana among a group of young people, listening to them tell stories, with the slight sense of constraint almost gone.

The little one is very likable; a girl of this age who is not only not mischievous but also pure, cute, and lively, truly a dream treasure.

"I punched the head of that Manticore back, roared at it 'Come find an equal opponent,' and it put down that girl and charged at me..." The Shield Dwarf happily told his adventure story, but if one-third of it could be believed, this dwarf would be considered honest.

But the little one listened with sparkling eyes, constantly waving her little fists; it seemed she not only believed it all but also wished she could fight personally.

Seeing Li En come down, they were not as constrained as before; they had gotten quite a bit of information from the little one, such as "the friend is a good person," "the friend is a Paladin who specifically fights bad guys."

And the identity of the Paladin and the child's trust made the young people feel much more at ease... Paladins can even use their face to get the best discounts from most merchants; while bearing constraints far beyond normal people, they naturally gain others' trust more easily.

Li En found a spot in the living room, took out a magic book, and silently flipped through it.

In the rental contract, the living room is obviously a shared area; and the landlord's attitude also seemed to imply he did not intend to break the contract, which made the adventurers sigh with relief.

"You... are also a part-time spellcaster?" Li En looked down; the gnome illusionist lifted her small face, full of surprise.

Paladin and Mage might be the two most distant professions.

"Mm, just started learning not long ago," Li En replied with a smile, which also made the others sigh with relief.

It seems this big shot must have degenerated and is retraining, planning to take the spellcaster path.

With someone starting the conversation, it became much easier to chat, especially since they noticed Li En was unexpectedly young... "Ah, you are fifteen years younger than me," the surprise came from the gnome mage who looked like just a child.

Li En's relaxed and casual attitude was the key to breaking the stiff atmosphere.

Li En was also surprised to hear about another world from their mouths... The adventurer circle has too many interesting anecdotes not to be told to outsiders.

Some information included the distribution of underground magical beasts and the prices of various materials.

Li En also surprisingly discovered that these young people were far more cautious, even overly conservative, than he expected.

The situation in games where "after I finish this wave, I can basically replenish supplies and heal" does not happen in reality.

On the contrary, most adventure teams operate without injury and in safety; if casualties do occur, especially severe ones, or if the team's capabilities reveal obvious weaknesses, they will often retreat immediately.

"Adventure stories and novels are too fake. What 'no retreat even with severe injuries'? We aren't Paladins. Uh, I don't mean that. Anyway, we prioritize survival first. After doing this for so long, this time counts as the most severe injury we've taken." Li En thought for a moment, and indeed, if adventurers fought to the death without retreating, there would be no need to praise the bravery and loyalty of Knights and Paladins.

Nobles and the Wang Zu favor Knights and Warriors because these professionals are the most skilled in battle and the most willing to fight; they even crave war and glory, viewing them as opportunities for advancement.

But many wild adventurers may spend their entire lives facing various Demon Beasts as their main opponents, at best adding low-intelligence races like Goblins and Ogres.

It is precisely because these teams habitually exercise caution (hunting only when safety is assured) that most of them withdrew safely during this disaster; if they had been accustomed to "using even the last bottle of potion," they would likely be dead inside by now.

Of course, there was also some bad news; for instance, Li En heard traces of Evil God cultists' activities in the underground ruins.

Not the "Beast Cult," but the true Evil God and its followers; the situation seems to be becoming increasingly complicated.

"Can you take me along to play next time you go out?" Li En, in casual conversation, raised his request with interest.

He had indeed developed a bit of interest in that so-called underground ruin.

Considering the "Deer" that is turning over in the underground ruins, there are some things that cannot be bypassed; perhaps it is time to go and see for himself.

(End of this chapter)