Chapter Sixty-Three: The Eye of Evil

Wherever the eye could see, darkness enveloped everything.

Dim flames flickered endlessly, struggling to carve a luminous path through the pitch-black gloom. At the front marched a warrior, one hand tightly gripping a massive axe, the other raising a torch high, striding boldly ahead. The low, resonant thud of steel boots striking the floor echoed through the corridor, sounding all the more jarring in the silence.

“Hey, lighten up, man!”

Hidden in the shadows beside him, a rogue shot a disgruntled glare at the barbarian warrior by his side.

“This is the Underdark, damn it, not your collapsing hovel back home. Could you possibly tread any lighter? I don’t want to worry about monsters being drawn by your footsteps when I can barely see a thing in this pitch black!”

“Haha, I can’t wait to take on those monsters!”

Ignoring the rogue’s warning, the barbarian flashed a cruel, confident grin.

“I’ve taken down an entire pack of winter wolves before! I’d like to see if there’s anything in the Underdark more fearsome than those beasts!”

“You’re the most terrifying thing here!”

Faced with the barbarian’s bravado, the rogue turned away, shooting a venomous glare at his comrade.

“If you don’t shut that mouth of yours, which is bound to get us into trouble, I doubt we’ll make it out of this tunnel alive! Open your eyes, look at where you’re stepping—that’s not rough terrain, it’s a smooth brick road. We aren’t strolling through the soft, leisurely Twilight Forest; we’re in the Underdark! Damn it, could you use what little brain you have—if it’s even the size of a fingernail—and close your foul, reeking mouth so we can avoid a bit more trouble?!”

“You—…”

“That’s enough, shut up!”

Before the barbarian could clench his fists and teach the unruly rogue a lesson, a voice behind them cut off their quarrel.

“Both of you, quiet. This is the Underdark, and it’s our first time here. We cannot be too careful… All right, tidy up, let’s keep moving. Stay alert…”

“Thud!”

The captain hadn’t finished speaking when a sound of something falling echoed from behind, prompting everyone to instinctively turn back.

“Damn it, I told you—… Where’s Joel?”

At the rear, the warrior named Joel—who was supposed to guard the back—had vanished, leaving only a dropped torch still glowing on the ground. It seemed the sound had come from that torch, yet its owner was nowhere to be seen.

“Hell!”

Seeing this, the rogue jumped back, pressing himself against the wall, his gaze darting nervously around. He had no time to complain about the fool beside him; in the Underdark, treasures abounded—but so did dangers, far more than riches. Now, the rogue felt they had strayed too far from the main group; perhaps retreating to the base for a rest would be wise…

This was his final thought, one he never got to share. As he opened his mouth, a sharp, silent tail descended from above, wrapping around his neck and severing his windpipe without mercy. His scream became nothing more than a gurgling sound, and in the next instant, his body was swiftly hauled upward, vanishing into the darkness, never to be seen again.

“Careful, careful! Everyone, defend yourselves and watch all sides!”

The barbarian, oblivious to the rogue’s disappearance, gripped his axe tightly, shouting for the others to stay alert and prepare for defense.

But it was already too late.

When the enormous shadow leapt down from the ceiling, burying them completely, their only companion was the desperate wails and screams of despair. The torch cast its light on twisted, struggling silhouettes, then was snuffed out in a cold, blood-scented gust.

Soon, the Underdark returned to serenity—its eternal, unbroken silence.

[The enemies invading the dungeon have been completely eliminated. The Lord has gained 125 experience points.]

“A drop in the bucket.”

Glancing at the sudden system notification before him, Jenn shook his head, then closed the prompt with a snap.

“These humans are relentless, and their experience points are pitifully low. Can you believe it, Enoya? A whole squad of humans is worth less experience than five bear goblins!”

He made an exaggerated, helpless gesture.

“I expected the Order to send someone formidable, but instead they give me this worthless lot? All these days, and my experience bar has only climbed a tenth? Honestly, I’m starting to wonder if building a dungeon above ground was a colossal mistake. This isn’t a garbage dump—these bastards together don’t even have three hundred gold coins! That’s just ridiculous! Their only use is feeding the Xenomorphs, at least my lovely pets can get a meal upgrade.”

Jenn’s complaints were well-founded. Since the Order began recruiting “heroes” to venture into the Underdark, more than ten days had passed, and these “heroes” scurried everywhere like rats, crawling into any hole they could find, turning the Underdark into chaos and confusion.

Luckily, Jenn had anticipated this. Before their arrival, he sealed the main dungeon passages with secret doors, leaving only a hidden route to satisfy their insatiable curiosity and urge to explore. And, with a touch of malicious amusement, he placed the maze’s other exit next to Brandon Stonefort. This way, those who managed to escape the tunnels wouldn’t feel empty-handed.

Jenn was certain Kadek now regretted sending forces to exterminate the goblins. If those indestructible pests were still around, they could have distracted the humans somewhat. But the goblins were gone, and after spending enormous resources to remodel and expand Brandon Stonefort’s second district, work had to be halted because of these damned, foolish, reckless bipeds. Jenn could imagine Kadek’s fury—he knew the construction teams outside Stonefort had already suffered attacks from humans more than once, and the results so far… were not worth boasting about.

“These humans are speeding up their exploration of the Underdark. Bix is worried they’ll find several hidden entrances to the dungeon. Should we strike first, teach them a little lesson? Verna can hardly wait to get involved.”

“No need, let them be.”

Jenn waved a hand, bored, at Enoya’s question.

“Unless those fools start digging, they’ll never truly enter the dungeon. As for Verna… I suppose her rapier is itching for action? Let her help the gray dwarves deal with the invaders, as long as she doesn’t stray too far from the Blackstone Watchtower. Otherwise, let’s stay still for now. Only fish with less than nine brain cells leap at every bait they see…”

He glanced once more at the map.

The forces of Black Onyx Fort had withdrawn; after several contacts with humans, they quickly retreated, apparently returning home. It was hardly surprising—faced with the aggressive humans, Black Onyx Fort was clearly outmatched. This was not their territory, and fighting humans here was not the best choice.

But Jenn had no intention of letting them go. He still needed Black Onyx Fort to help with his upcoming plans. Of course, before that, he had to wait patiently a little longer—though perhaps not too long.

With this thought, Jenn drew his gaze back and looked at the system panel before him. Soon, a line of information appeared.

[Spell research progress: 98.5%. Spell research is nearing completion.]

If there was one thing that mattered most since Elise joined the dungeon, it was her contribution to spell research. Naturally, Elise herself hadn’t taken this task upon her own initiative. But as long as she remained in the library, studying and researching magic, the system could automatically extract information to “evolve,” thus unlocking a brand new spell.

Only—what kind of spell would it be?

Watching the progress bar inch forward, Jenn felt a twinge of excitement and nervousness. In the dungeon system, spell outcomes depended on the researcher’s level, race, and other factors, yielding all sorts of bizarre results. Even Jenn couldn’t predict what surprises Elise might bring.

Fortunately, the answer would soon be revealed.

Time ticked by, and the system information crawled forward.

[Spell research progress: 99%. Spell research is nearing completion.]
[Spell research progress: 99.5%. Spell research is nearing completion.]

Finally, accompanied by a crisp “ding,” Jenn saw the system prompt he had been waiting for.

[Spell research progress: 100%. Spell research complete.]
[Acquired spell: “Evil Eye”]
[Evil Eye: This world is filled with unknown secrets, shrouded in the fog of time, leaving mortals trapped within, unable to see the path ahead. Only the most attentive can pierce the mist and discover the secrets and truth hidden beyond—consumes 500 mana, can probe a designated target, with a chance to obtain detailed intelligence.]

Evil Eye?

Jenn was stunned. Clearly, this was neither an offensive nor a defensive spell, but rather an auxiliary one… What use could this possibly serve?

As the thought crossed his mind, another soft “ding” sounded in his ear. Another line of system information appeared.

[Cucumbers are not just for eating; pull-up bars are not just for fitness; even an instant noodle tub has its own unique role in comforting the lonely. It all depends on how you see and use it—Task: Within three days, discover five uses for “Evil Eye,” and you’ll understand true delight. Reward: Special equipment “Omnibus of All Magic.”]

“……………”

Seeing this absurd task, Jenn’s lips twitched; he had only one thought.

Could this suicidal system be any more shameless?