Chapter 3: The Crystal Tear That Made Her Grin
What should I be doing now?
Lyle stood blankly in the street.
Having no hobbies or entertainment, he'd never thought about what to do outside the library.
He bought two buns from a street vendor and munched while thinking.
"How long do you think it'll take them to reach the 45th floor?"
Lyle turned his head and saw a girl with wine-red hair.
She wore a light blue gradient dress with a thin, sheer fabric. Her almond-shaped face was delicate and beautiful.
This was Belice, the adventurer and leader of the Crystal Tear adventurer group.
She was also competing for a spot as a Mythical Adventurer Group.
To Xia, she was the biggest imagined rival.
Lyle often saw her at the market when selling his dungeon loot.
She usually looked very guarded, so it surprised him when she approached him first today.
"I don't know," Lyle said with a shake of his head.
Belice frowned. "You can't say?"
"I really don't know."
Lyle gave a wry smile. "I've already left Moonlight Bloom."
Belice was taken aback. "Seriously?"
Lyle nodded.
Xia was probably still wondering why he'd gone so crazy today.
Belice felt a mix of emotions.
Whether for strategic reasons or personal interest, she had studied Moonlight Bloom thoroughly.
Countless people died in dungeons every day.
Crystal Tear's progress had outpaced Moonlight Bloom—this was fact.
But Moonlight Bloom's failure rate was still zero.
That was a terrifying number.
It meant that every time they entered the dungeon, they gained something of value.
"You look like you got kicked out, huh? Tsk…"
Lyle smiled bitterly. "It's nothing to be proud of. No need to keep bringing it up."
Belice thought for a moment. "Come grab a drink with me. Got time?"
Lyle hesitated.
"Don't worry—your beloved Lady Xia never leaves her place at this hour."
Belice smirked.
…
…
Belice ordered a pitcher of beer and brought two large mugs.
It had been a long time since Lyle had had a drink.
The three young ladies never let him drink.
They said having a man drunk at home wasn't safe. Plus, the smell of alcohol was gross…
Heh…
Belice downed half a mug and leaned back comfortably in her chair. "There's something I've always wanted to ask. On the 43rd floor, that crystal corridor swarming with tens of thousands of lava lizards—how did you get through so fast?"
Lyle thought for a second. "Lava lizards are obsessed with red berries. I threw some off the cliff while we walked through the corridor. They all jumped off like dumplings."
The two stared at each other.
Belice's face showed clear disbelief and confusion.
Along with a storm of mixed emotions.
Lyle scratched his head awkwardly. "I thought of it after spending three days in the library. Xia even got mad at me, said I was wasting time."
Belice's pretty eyes widened, looking a bit cute: "What library?"
"The adventurer's notebook from the library, the thirteenth layer, the sixth book, the fifteenth page."
"Someone saw the Lava Lizard leaving the Crystal Corridor, frantically eating red berries in the eastern forest of the forty-third layer, even ignoring itself..."
Belis interrupted him, "A notebook? Who's stupid enough to read those dense adventurer diaries and last words?"
Lyle was silent for a moment, "I've almost read them all."
Don't you guys ever use guides? Don't you research monster ecology?
Lyle was puzzled, "Isn't this something a scholar should do?"
Belis twitched her mouth, "It's exactly because even you think that way that Xiya doesn't appreciate it... our scholar just hides behind us, telling us the weaknesses of the Lava Lizard, where the armor can be heated with fire, where the sword can be used to cut."
"There's a lot I don't know."
Lyle sighed as he took a sip of beer, feeling a chill, "It's all in the academy's textbooks, but you can't even see them if you want to."
"But our tactic is to kill one by one. Hmm, according to that top student, it's safe and steady."
"Any problem with that?"
"We killed them for fifteen days. Now, every time I see a lizard, I feel nauseous. I just want to poke my eyes out."
"...."
Belis drank quickly, slightly tipsy, her face tinged with red: "This is what a top student from the academy is like, Lyle. Do you know I've dreamed of having you? You're really the most imaginative scholar I've ever met."
Lyle hesitated for a moment.
Actually, he wasn't really clear on how other scholars did things.
Everyone kept their thoughts to themselves.
He had never gone to school.
He could only figure things out by himself.
Did they all just rush through things?
Was I the only one messing around?
"Lyle, I actually want to invite you to join the Crystal Tear Adventurer Team."
Belis propped her chin with her hand, her beautiful red pupils clearly showing desire.
"Me?"
Lyle was puzzled, "Didn't you just get a new scholar? I heard from Xiya that they're a top student."
"What top student? He's just a wolf that can't be fed."
Belis looked irritated, "Every time we earn something from the dungeon, I have to give him forty percent, and he's constantly harassing my female team members. What's so great about two years of studying?"
Lyle sighed as he held his cup, "Education is important. There are many books I want to read but can't."
Belis said seriously, "I've studied the 'Moonlit Bloom.' To be honest, I might understand you better than Xiya does. Your decisions and plans are really imaginative."
"Thank you, but I'm afraid."
Lyle shook his head, "I want to rest."
"Do you really like Xiya?"
Lyle smiled bitterly, "You think that too?"
To be honest, Xiya was really cute.
Now that I think about it... I kind of want to see her regret and despair...
Lyle's expression changed slightly, realizing his thoughts might have been off.
He quickly patted his face.
"Everyone thinks that."
Belis had drunk too much, her eyes blurry: "Actually, you're really good-looking, and you're nice too. Now that we're no longer enemies, I find that I kind of like you. Really, those three young ladies are spoiled by you."
"Talking about this is meaningless. I've already quit."
Lyle shook his head.
Adventuring wasn't just about swords and magic.
So Lyle naturally took on all the darkness and heaviness behind this beautiful façade.
But he never said this.
There was no need for it now.
Belis clinked her cup with his: "Not worth it."
As a scholar, he played both logistics and servant.
He sold materials and crystals in the marketplace, sometimes not even having time to eat, just munching on buns.
When he went back, he had to bring beautiful cakes for the three young ladies and hand over large amounts of gold coins, so they could buy pretty clothes and equipment.
He'd done enough.
If I had such a scholar, I would probably be grinning even in my dreams, right?
But it was a good thing Lyle left the Moonlit Bloom.