The Hero Turned Into A Potato And The World Fell To Ruin

There was only one road from Swirling Mire City that led to the front lines.

Following the main thoroughfare of the city to its very end, one would find a spiral staircase leading to the lower levels.

There were always guards stationed there, allowing only enlisted earthwalkers to pass through.

According to Guoguo, they had previously saved a young earthwalker who was enlisting. With his help, Nox and Shelo managed to find the relevant authorities, claiming they wanted to help fight the otherworldly army and do their bit to protect the world. With that, they managed to get in.

But for the present group, there was no need to go through such trouble.

They didn't seek out anyone or make preparations; they simply walked down the main road toward the entrance of the spiral staircase.

When the earthwalkers guarding the entrance were about to stop them, they met Calidora's gaze.

Right away, the guards immediately withdrew, returning to their original posts as if they hadn't seen anything, allowing the group to pass through and enter the spiral staircase.

"Though I've experienced it many times, Sis Cali's ability is still so impressive…" muttered Guoguo.

"Of course, she used to be called the Holy Dragon Maiden." Yaine laughed, nudging Calidora with her elbow. "Right, Holy Maiden?"

"Don't call me that." Calidora smiled wryly. "That was just a nickname in school. Mervant was called the Shadow Blade Tyrant back then, too."

"Pfft," Osar snorted, quickly waving his hands in apology toward Mervant. "Sorry, I didn't mean anything. That name just makes me crack up every time."

Mervant's lips twitched in annoyance, and in a flash, he disappeared again.

Everyone was used to it by now and continued on. The spiral staircase leading deeper into the underground was just as dark and unlit as the one connected to the surface.

But unlike the old and damaged upper staircase, this one was intact, complete with handrails on both sides.

To be on the safe side, Yaine didn't use the glaringly bright Daylight spell for illumination. Earthwalkers were sensitive to warm light, which would attract attention.

As an alternative, she held a lantern filled with the glowing crystals that Osar and Girunini had retrieved from the mine. Though dim, a fully filled lantern could sufficiently light their way in this enclosed dark environment.

Still…

Perhaps it was the insufficient light or something else, but the further they descended, the more uneasy everyone felt.

It seemed like something was hiding in the darkness around them, but whenever they stopped to check, they found nothing.

After a while, everyone started doubting themselves, wondering if the darkness was playing tricks on their minds.

This was especially so for Liu Ji. While he might be right at the front leading the way in his desert manifestation form, he was extremely nervous, fearing something might suddenly jump out and take a chunk out of him at any time.

Even if he knew that he probably wouldn't suffer any damage should something really bite him, fear didn't work this way.

He had always hated the sort of horror games where everything was pitch black and required the player to use a night vision scope to see.

It felt exactly like that right now.

As Liu Ji steeled himself and carefully made his way down, he suddenly felt something slippery underfoot.

He looked down and saw some sort of jet black alien monster beneath his right foot. The monster slowly raised its head, grinning eerily with a face full of eyes.

Then, it opened its mouth, revealing rows and rows of sharp teeth.

Liu Ji lost himself for a moment and suddenly found himself standing on a dark reef in an abyss, with the creature's massive jaws engulfing him from above.

"Liu Ji! Liu Ji!"

"Argh!" Liu Ji shuddered, snapping back to reality to see Calidora standing in front of him, looking worried.

"Ah? This…" Liu Ji looked around blankly, realizing he was still on the spiral staircase, standing on solid ground, with no monsters or a dark abyss in sight.

Seeing him come back to his senses, Calidora sighed in relief and turned to Yaine. "Phew, it's the same mental influence Osar experienced, but stronger…"

"Mm." Yaine's brows furrowed as she asked in incantation, "Liu Ji, what did you see?"

"I just…" Liu Ji paused, trying to remember, but was suddenly unable to recall the vivid images in his mind.

"Eh? Wait." He rubbed his temples, trying to recall the scene, but it felt like a fading dream, disappearing the more he tried to grasp it.

"Dream suggestion. Tsk, how troublesome," Yaine muttered. "Cali, keep a close eye. They must have noticed us by now."

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In a dimly lit underground chamber, a priest in black robes standing before a statue opened his eyes.

Interesting, he thought. I expected a decent mage, but there's also a competent illusionist. Well, the rest are just trash…

And since they're trash, there's no need to keep them, he thought, glancing to the side.

Ten soldiers, freshly trained, stood in a row, awaiting to receive their blessings.

The first seven were all robust Earthwalker warriors, selected from the best young Earthwalker soldiers that came of age.

The last three were peculiar—a scrawny earthwalker in the smallest sized armor yet the most enthusiastic, his eyes shining with fervent admiration.

The next was even smaller, unable to fit any armor, wearing a helmet and a cloak as a makeshift outfit.

The last was a great contrast; a tall female with a unique lofty aura. Despite the crude armor, she looked like a valiant knight.

"Two outsiders, and both good fodder," the priest mused. "Coincidentally, there are two groups of outsiders now. Heheh, wouldn't it be fun to make them kill each other…"