Chapter 315: Limitless Strength

Chapter 315: Chapter 315: Limitless Strength

And so, it was no exaggeration to say the Sunflower had earned it all by itself.

Fayestar, unaware of all this, thought Seraphina Sinclair was just being modest. Her gaze now held a hint of adoration.

Just as the atmosphere had started to warm up again, Alaric Hawthorn snorted coldly. He shoved Lyra Lowell aside and strode up to Seraphina Sinclair. He was about to say something, but the moment his eyes met Seraphina’s, he froze. His mouth moved, but no sound came out.

To the other two, Seraphina Sinclair’s expression seemed perfectly normal. Even Alaric, when he thought back on it, couldn’t recall anything out of the ordinary.

But looking into those eyes, he just had a feeling.

A feeling that warned him to shut his mouth.

Though he didn’t have enough time to consciously make a decision, his instincts had already moved faster than his brain.

The impulse to provoke or question her, which had been rising in his throat, was instantly doused as if by a bucket of ice water. It fizzled out completely.

Alaric Hawthorn opened his mouth, but in the end, all that came out was a vague "tsk." He sullenly averted his gaze, retreated to his original spot, and pretended to casually inspect the dim corridor.

Lyra Lowell and Fayestar exchanged a puzzled glance.

They had both noticed Alaric’s abrupt pause and retreat, which was a complete departure from his earlier behavior.

And Seraphina Sinclair, from beginning to end, had simply watched him calmly, the curve of her lips never changing, as if nothing had happened at all.

Lyra mentally raised his Evaluation of Seraphina Sinclair by a significant margin.

’No weapon, just carrying an enormous Sunflower. That appearance alone is conspicuous enough.’

’And now she doesn’t even have to speak, just a look is enough...’ Lyra silently completed the thought, his gaze toward Seraphina Sinclair now tinged with a hint of wariness.

’Alaric Hawthorn seems aggressive and threatening, but he’s all bark and no bite. Impulsive and quick to anger, his thoughts are actually easy to read.’

’Fayestar is simple-minded and quick to trust others. Her combat prowess is unknown, but at least her attitude is positive.’

’And this "Serafelle Sinclair," who only gave a single name, is without a doubt the most troublesome of my three teammates.’

Lyra’s mind raced, but a gentle smile quickly formed on his face.

He took a step forward, his gaze sweeping over the silent Alaric and the somewhat dazed Fayestar before finally landing on Seraphina Sinclair and the Sunflower in her arms.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat, speaking in a consultative tone. "It seems we’ve all gotten to know each other."

"The instance has already begun. Why don’t we start by exploring this corridor? Since this is a puzzle-solving escape, the clues are likely inside these rooms."

His suggestion was reasonable, and there really wasn’t a better option at the moment.

Fayestar was the first to respond. She pulled her longsword from the ground, gripped it anew, and nodded. "Okay. Which way should we go? I can’t see the end in either direction."

Alaric Hawthorn had also recovered from his earlier lapse. He puffed out his chest, seemingly trying to reclaim control, and said in a deep voice, "To be safe, we’d better not split up. Let’s pick a direction and explore together. I suggest we go forward."

Seraphina Sinclair didn’t object, merely giving a slight nod while holding her Sunflower in silent agreement.

And so, the four-person team began to move down the corridor.

The ground beneath their feet was slick and sticky, making a faint SQUELCH with every step, a sound that was exceptionally clear in the silence.

The mixed odor in the air seemed to have grown stronger.

Fayestar, holding Mimi, followed closely behind and to the side of Alaric Hawthorn, looking a little nervous.

Lyra Lowell walked in the middle, his sharp gaze scanning the door plaques and the cracks under the doors on both sides.

Seraphina Sinclair brought up the rear, her eyes studying the doors on either side. The doors were completely sealed, making it impossible to see what was inside.

After a moment of thought, she suddenly stopped. With her free hand, she gripped a doorknob, held her breath, and gave it a gentle push.

The door didn’t budge.

’Is it locked? Or is it just impossible to enter?’

Seraphina Sinclair randomly picked another door and pushed. It too remained motionless.

Fayestar, who happened to turn back at that moment, saw this. She curiously drew closer and asked in a low voice, "What’s wrong? Do these doors not open?"

Hearing this, Alaric Hawthorn and Lyra Lowell also stopped and looked back.

Seraphina Sinclair nodded, then tried another door nearby. It was also locked solid.

Lyra tentatively pushed a door beside him. It wouldn’t open either. He spread his hands and asked, "So, are these doors just for decoration?"

"Decoration?" Alaric Hawthorn sneered. He impatiently knocked on a nearby door, which produced a dull THUD THUD. "What decoration! Listen to that sound. It’s hollow behind it! There’s definitely a way through; we just haven’t found the right method."

He took two steps back, tightened his grip on his spear, and glared menacingly at the lock. "How about we force our way in? Or try to break the lock?"

Lyra immediately shook his head. "Don’t be rash. The instance prompt was ’puzzle-solving escape,’ not ’violent demolition’!"

His voice was laced with urgency; he clearly hadn’t expected the guy to resort to force so quickly.

Seraphina Sinclair hadn’t expected someone to be so impulsive either, but she didn’t say anything to stop him. She just held her Sunflower and quietly observed Alaric’s actions.

Alaric Hawthorn was clearly confident in his Strength and his weapon. He completely ignored Lyra’s warning, let out a low shout, gripped his spear with both hands, and aimed the tip at the lock, thrusting forward with all his might!

CLANG!

A piercing shriek of metal on metal rang out, sending sparks flying.

Alaric felt a jolt run up his arm as his spear was repelled by an immense rebound force. The door was left with only a faint white scratch, and the lock didn’t even have a dent.

"This..."

Alaric’s face stiffened. In disbelief, he swung his spear in a wide arc.

The result was the same. The door was unbelievably sturdy; his attack was like an ant trying to shake a tree.

Lyra sighed. "See? The system wouldn’t leave such an obvious loophole for brute force. These doors probably require a specific key or a specific event to be triggered. Even if you have immense strength—"

Before he could finish, KABOOM!

A tremendous, muffled explosion suddenly ripped through the dead-silent corridor, shaking dust from the walls.

The three of them jumped, whipping their heads toward the source of the sound.

It was Seraphina Sinclair!

At some point, she had walked over to another closed door. And the door in front of her...

The heavy door, which had only suffered a white scratch from Alaric Hawthorn’s powerful spear thrust, had burst inward as if it were made of paper-mâché. Splinters flew as the twisted door panel slammed against the room’s inner wall with an even louder echo, revealing a pitch-black space behind it.

The three of them stared blankly at the scene, taking a long moment to process what had just happened.

Fayestar turned her head to Lyra Lowell and repeated, "Even if you have immense strength?"

Lyra choked, almost unable to breathe. The gentle smile on his face froze solid. He looked at the mangled door, then back at Seraphina Sinclair—who was still holding her Sunflower, her expression as placid as if she had just casually opened a window—and for a moment, he was utterly speechless.