"It appears that we have no alternative but to find our way back, Mr. Kenley." Midway through her words, Daina distinctly felt a sudden heaviness in her body, and a lingering intense pain surged forth.

  "What's the matter?" Kenley inquired immediately. As he spoke, Kenley also experienced a sudden jolt, feeling as though countless ants were scurrying within his body. With the return of his concentration, the pain once again asserted its dominance over his body.

  "It's the 'Terror of the Black' from earlier." Kenley promptly retrieved an intermediate-level potion and consumed it.

  "What exactly is the 'Terror of the Black'?" Daina was already half-kneeling on the ground, with large beads of sweat trickling down her cheeks, clearly indicating her profound suffering.

  Kenley had no choice but to recount the matter of the Black Sheep Knight employing a peculiar dark magic when severely wounded, upon which Daina finally comprehended.

  "It seems that the Black Sheep Evil God capitalized on that ritual to descend its projection. It intended to draw us through the teleportation portal to a territory belonging to the Black Sheep Heresy," Daina enunciated her speculation slowly.

  Kenley extended the potion."Here, drink this first!"

  Glancing at the potion proffered by Kenley, Daina hesitated momentarily but ultimately accepted it.

  "Thank you."

  At that moment, Kenley finally beheld Daina's visage beneath the helmet. Previously, Daina had always been attired in her knightly garb and donned a helmet, obscuring her appearance, but now he had the opportunity to see it.

  Daina gradually removed her helmet, and her long golden hair cascaded down like a waterfall. Her exquisitely delicate features bore a resemblance to Guinevere's, sharing about five parts of similarity, and her pupils were of the same turquoise blue hue.

  However, in comparison to the youthful Guinevere, she exuded a more mature and authoritative air. In particular, her shapely nose conveyed a sense of dependability.

  Kenley couldn't help but conjecture whether, if Daina were to don noble attire instead of her knightly regalia, the feminine charm she would exhibit would rival that of her sister.

  Sensing Kenley's gaze, Daina averted her face."It is rather impolite of you to stare at me like this, Mr. Kenley," she said, deliberately emphasizing his name.

  Kenley offered a resigned smile. It wasn't that he was driven by lasciviousness; rather, he was simply consumed by curiosity. After all, Daina had always worn a helmet, and he had never before laid eyes on her features, so it was only natural for him to feel a sense of intrigue.

  "Apologies. It's just that it's difficult for anyone to envision that the esteemed Knight Captain of the Christophon family would be such a striking beauty. Anyone would inevitably be intrigued," Kenley retracted his gaze and refrained from looking around.

  Daina cast a sidelong glance at Kenley."What? Do you hold the belief that only men are capable of serving as Knight Captains?"

  "Certainly not. I harbor no prejudice against any woman. At the very least, in reality, there are numerous women who have left a profound impression on me and possess formidable strength, such as the Sword Saint, Lord Roland," Kenley responded.

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  "You've had the privilege of meeting Lord Roland?"

  "Yes, I have."

  "I see..."

  Daina refrained from delving deeper into the topic. She rose to her feet."I've recovered quite a bit. We need to devise a plan to return to the surface. Do you have any suggestions?"

  Kenley glanced at the miniature map. Fortunately, the location was indicated on the map, and this place was designated as the Crystal Nest.

  What an odd name... Generally speaking, only lairs of malevolent creatures are named with terms like 'nest'. Could there be malevolent creatures within the Crystal Nest?

  Kenley had no recollection of the Crystal Nest, yet he had visited similar locations. For instance, the lair of the Fire Dragon in the Doomsday Volcano, which was replete with red sphenoliths.

  Wait a moment...

  Kenley seemed to have an epiphany. Could this place be a dragon's lair?

  The corner of his mouth twitched, and he hoped that he was merely overthinking it. Dragons were at the very least monsters of the Silver rank or higher, each possessing astonishing prowess.

  In the later stages of the game, players encountered numerous dragon-slaying instances. The dragons within these instances were all equipped with formidable skills and remarkable strength. When embarking on the exploration of dragon lair instances, which instance didn't pose a challenge that kept players stuck for several days?

  "I believe that we should first search for a way back," Kenley could only suggest.

  "Mm."

  As they walked, the two of them observed their surroundings intently. Unlike Daina, Kenley possessed a miniature map, enabling him to discern the general layout of the entire Crystal Nest. It seemed that they had been descending continuously.

  However, if they were to turn back, it was a dead end, and there were no alternative routes available.

  This is truly peculiar...

  During their journey, Daina suddenly posed a question."Mr. Kenley, what prompted you to consider making Her Highness Tia your Holy Servant?"

  Kenley was taken aback."You're familiar with the concept of Holy Servants?"

  "My sister informed me about it," Daina replied.

  So that's how it is. It seemed that Guinevere had recognized Tia's identity as a Holy Servant upon their initial encounter.

  "At the beginning, it was primarily to augment my strength, given that Tia possesses exceptional magical talent," Kenley stated frankly.

  "Oh? I had assumed that you harbored some peculiar predilection," Daina remarked with a hint of mockery in her tone.

  "Indeed, to others, it might seem as though I have some strange proclivity. However, as time passed and we accumulated more experiences, Tia and I fell in love," Kenley was completely unfazed by Daina's skepticism.

  "I can discern that. The way she looks at you is distinctly different," Daina was not in the least surprised by Kenley's candor.

  "What about you, Lady Daina? Have you never experienced love?" Kenley inquired casually.

  "Me?" Daina fell silent for a moment and then said,"I have dedicated my entire life to the Christophon family. I have never given any consideration to matters pertaining to emotions."

  "That's truly a pity, Lady Daina. Only when you have savored the sweetness of love will you come to understand that it is an unparalleled force," Kenley said.

  "What? Do you intend to instruct me on how to fall in love?" Daina suddenly asked with a hint of amusement.

  "I was merely expressing my thoughts. I have no other ulterior motives. Please don't misunderstand, Knight Captain," Kenley waved his hand.

  As Daina walked, she suddenly fell silent. For some inexplicable reason, a hint of melancholy clouded her eyes.

  Kenley stole a glance at Daina and thought to himself, surely she isn't that vulnerable?

  Thus, he added,"Lady Daina, supposing you were to entertain the idea of falling in love, is there anyone in reality who makes your heart skip a beat?" Kenley decided to employ the tactic of diverting the topic to prevent Daina from dwelling on the matter.

  Daina evidently hadn't anticipated that Kenley would divert her attention in such a manner. After a moment of contemplation, she said,"My love has long since perished."

  "Perished?" Kenley was taken aback.

  "That implies, Knight Captain Daina, that you once had a romantic relationship," Kenley posed a crucial question.

  She merely nodded slightly, and her resolute countenance betrayed a sense of weariness and experience.

  Kenley was on the verge of saying something more, but his eyes caught a movement. A dot of light appeared on the miniature map. The Ring of Life had detected signs of life!

  "Silence!" Kenley immediately pressed himself against the wall at a corner. Startled, Daina composed herself and closely followed Kenley's side.

  "Have you discovered something?" Daina asked.