Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 319 - 31 - Vertical Shaft_1

Chapter 319: Chapter 31 - Vertical Shaft_1

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Catherine and Vivian, followed by their somewhat nervous maids, walked into the building in front of them. The building was only one storey high and seemed to have a large footprint from the outside, suggesting multiple rooms. However, upon entering, they found only one large hall supported by columns. In the center of the hall lay a 30-meter wide vertical well, reaching down to 300 meters, the edge of which was fixed with a crystal energy elevator by metal rods and cables. Vivian gave it a try and found it surprisingly well-maintained, despite the Shadow Hand still using the entry point to their former headquarters. The girls reached the bottom of the shaft by the elevator, where they found a door to one side. Using the key left by Passion, they opened the door, and the unparalleled architectural prowess of the Goblin Empire was finally laid before them.

What lay behind the door was a vast space made of metal, at the center of which was another vertical shaft extending downward. Unlike the previous shaft, which was clearly of recent construction from the Fourth Epoch, the interior walls of this shaft were made of silvery-white goblin metal, which, like all other goblin constructions, had withstood the test of time without a hint of damage. Running close to the inner wall was a four-meter-wide metal staircase that spiraled downwards to the limit of one’s sight. Looking down over the handrail, all one could see was a pitch-black chasm, the inky depths of which seemed to roil and churn ominously, as if gazing into the abyss of hell.

"Are you ready?" Catherine, resting her hand on the door of the metallic space, asked the two maids solemnly, "are you nervous?"

"A bit." Despite growing up in the dark alleys, Pansy and Mimosa had never faced such a peculiar world before. Their steadfast will, honed by the constant struggle against their own kind, succumbed in the face of this unknown fear. Not attempting to hide their fear, they said with trembling voices, "This is our first time dealing with such things, of course we’re nervous."

"Why did you feel the need to tag along if you’re nervous?" Vivian, head down, stuffing her pockets full with countless bottles of crystal, asked without looking up, "You still have time to turn back."

"Thank you for your concern, Miss." Pansy bowed at her waist, both her hands resting on her thighs, "But we need to follow you down."

"Did Passion and Indulgence threaten you?" Catherine asked the question both had sensed but had not dared to ask.

"No, they didn’t threaten us, they tempted us, with an offer we couldn’t refuse." Pansy answered with a wry smile, "This morning, the two of them promised that if we could help you guys get out of here safely, they would help us find a job outside that could support us, a work where we wouldn’t be shunned for being from the City of Innocence. This is an offer no commoner in the City of Innocence could refuse."

"So, you don’t want to stay here forever either." Catherine sighed.

"Who in their right mind will want to spend their lives in this city?" Mimosa, the younger of the two who was slightly more outgoing and braver, interjected, "Sometimes I think it’s better to starve or freeze to death outside, than to be murdered brutally inside the City of Innocence. But those are just passing thoughts, we don’t have the courage to venture out and die. But finally, an opportunity seems to have presented itself. While it might be risky, everyone knows the more significant the danger, the greater the benefit. How could we not seize such an opportunity?"

"They anticipated that you wouldn’t refuse." Catherine glanced at the backpack behind the two maids, "so they prepared a share of supplies for the both of you?"

"Yes, thirty days’ worth of food and water, along with sleeping bags and some daily necessities." Pansy responded, "Our physical strength only allows us to carry this much."

"That should be enough." Catherine nodded, "since you’ve made your choice, you need to follow us now. If we’re in danger, don’t panic, just stay close to me, this is the safest way to handle the situation. Lastly, while I will try my best to help if you’re in danger. However, in the face of adventure, anything could happen, so if I can’t..."

"Then we aren’t fortunate enough to live a comfortable life outside." The sisters responded without any sign of panic, as if it was a matter of course, "The fact that you’re willing to help us is more than we could have asked for."

"Ready?" Catherine finally turned to Vivian.

With a soft "tap", Vivian lightly tapped her magic staff on the ground, and a high-consuming Crystal Energy lamp on the floor brightened up instantly, shedding light on the entire interior of the cylindrical building. Frowning, Vivian glanced at Catherine, tilted her head to ponder, then switched off the high-consuming lamp, and took out a regular Crystal Energy lamp she had brought herself. Although the light from the regular lamp was significantly weaker than from the high-consuming one, only illuminating roughly ten meters around them, the professionals’ vision was keen enough to clearly see areas further than ten meters away, albeit a bit blurry.

"Haha, Vivian, you’re amazing." There was a genuine joy in Catherine’s voice: "That move made me feel so thrilled that I could cry."

"After all, they’ve already given us these supplies. The more crystal we save, the more we earn. Is that what you’re thinking?" Vivian shot a glance at Catherine and, ignoring Catherine who was drunk on the thrill of having saved a significant quantity of illuminating crystals, handed the lamp in her hand to Pansy and passed an identical one, but in a switched off state, to Mimosa, "Take these lamps, one each. Pansy, you’re in charge of illumination for the whole journey. If one of you two gets separated, don’t panic. Keep your lamp lit and stick to the wall. We’ll follow the light and find you. Okay, big sister, everything’s ready."

"Phew." Catherine collected herself, took a deep breath, and closed the door to the metallic space resolutely but slowly. The light from the outside world was now completely blocked and their Crystal Energy lamps became the only source of light in the world. "All right, let the adventure begin. Let’s do this."

"Ting ting ting." The tinkling sound of metal collisions echoed in the gloomy sewers. The silence amplified such slight noises, making them unusually clear. Using the light from the Crystal Energy lamps, the four of them slowly descended down the metal stairs, disappearing from the earth’s surface little by little. Looking up and down, they couldn’t see the end of the stairs in either direction. The world seemed to shrink into an endless downward passage, where the four climbers were the only life, moving onward without end in this dark space.

There was no wind, no dripping water. The only sounds in this silent world were the faint footsteps of the three women and the sound produced by Catherine’s metal shin guards clanging against the metal stairs. The echoes produced by the cylindrical space overhead gave an illusion of unseen people trailing closely behind the four women, leading them deeper into the abyss.

"I, I’m a bit scared," Mimosa trembled as she whispered, but in the silent and empty environment, her soft voice resonated loudly, causing her legs to buckle.

"Anyone would feel unnerved in this kind of environment, no matter how strong-willed they are. Claims of not feeling nervous are nothing but bluffs," Catherine sighed as she comforted, "For adventurers who frequently explore various relics, we have many ways to alleviate such tension. Talking is the most common one. Not only can it dispel unease, but it also keeps your companions aware of your situation and position. Of course, the downside is that enemies can also be aware of your situation and position, so this method is prohibited when enemies are nearby."

"But you all seem so calm," Mimosa tried to alleviate her nervousness by speaking up, "Have you experienced this kind of environment before?"

"Yes, we have, and it was much worse than this," Catherine recalled with a smile, "At least we have you two holding the lamps now, so we have visual reassurance. We were in a situation that could have turned dangerous at any moment, so everyone had to be ready for a fight. Holding a lamp while advancing was inconceivable, and we had to rely on very faint light to observe our surroundings. We were practically stripped of our vision."

"Just thinking about it is scary." Pansy also joined the conversation," Do you adventurers often face these kinds of situations?"

"Hmm, not really," Catherine replied, "The work of adventurers varies, and those requiring us to delve deep underground are usually for relic searches or explorations, because ancient relics are often buried deep underground. As for other work, we hardly ever delve underground. But we did have an underground adventure a few months back. It was a good learning experience. After all, compared to naturally formed, hostile underground caves, these man-made buildings are like heaven."

"We should have almost reached the bottom." Vivian, who’d remained silent all this while, hadn’t actually lost herself in her usual contemplation. She suddenly spoke up, "Though it’s unlikely that there’ll be magical beasts and cleaner puppets in such vertical shafts, it’s still better to stay alert."

"This soon?" Catherine looked down along the metal railing, and sure enough, there was a flat metal floor less than twenty meters below them, "Wasn’t it supposed to be eight hundred and forty meters? Even if you add the initial three hundred meters of the vertical shaft, it’s just over four hundred meters, right?"

"That’s a construction habit of the goblins, at least according to the books," Vivian replied, "When goblins build vertical shafts, they break it into sections every hundred meters if it’s too deep, using a short horizontal passage between the two vertical shafts so they aren’t in a straight line. The intent behind this isn’t clear, but it is said to be related to the building’s weight, to prevent collapse due to excessive weight."(The novel "Adventure Diaries of Yarra" will have more fresh content on the official WeChat platform. At the same time, there’s a 100% lottery prize for everyone! Open WeChat now, click the "+" in the top right corner to "add friends", search for "qdread" and follow. Hurry up!)(To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to recommend it on qidian.com. Your support will be my greatest motivation. Mobile users can read it on m.qidian.com).