Noticing the murderous look in Seraphina's eyes, John gave her a smile and diverted his gaze.
His expression remained unchanged, as if nothing had happened.
Loving beautiful women was in a man's nature, and John never denied or hid his fondness for them.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have spent all his savings on women.
Of course, he only had eyes for beauties...
As time passed, the duo neared the dungeon's exit.
The level of the monsters gradually decreased, eventually leaving only level 2 or 3 weaklings.
Seraphina had since put away her staff and ceased to act.
These creatures were too slow to pose any threat, and the pair brushed past them.
By the time the monsters reacted, John and Seraphina were already far away.
There were many exits in the dungeon, typically located around the perimeter, and Phantom Ruins was no exception.
To leave, Seraphina and John had to traverse half of the Phantom Ruins.
They moved swiftly, and soon, the shadow of the dungeon exit loomed into view.
It was a gate made of a special metal, suspended in mid-air, with a white, glowing mist that obscured what lay beyond.
This gate, endowed with the power of teleportation, was the same one through which John had initially entered the dungeon and would now serve as their means of departure.
Without hesitation, they stepped through the portal.
John experienced a flash of light before his eyes.
When he came to, he found himself back at the bustling market of adventurers, the sky having shifted from night to a dull gray.
Breathing in the not-so-fresh air, it felt to John as though a century had passed, despite it being only two days.
When he first entered the Phantom Ruins, he was a newly awakened Level 1 rookie.
But now, emerging two days later, he had become a seasoned Level 10 veteran.
Truly, the world is full of unexpected changes.
John was lost in his thoughts when a sudden commotion nearby snapped him back to reality.
"Everyone, form a line and undergo inspection one by one!"
The realization dawned on John that a lengthy queue had formed outside the dungeon's teleportation gate, surrounded by a group of bodyguards clad in black suits.
Flanking the gate stood four awakeners in bronze armor.
The speaker was one of them.
Their faces hidden behind helmets and bodies erect, they held long spears upright, exuding a formidable aura indicative of warrior-class awakeners.
Among these four, one was comparing the faces of the awakeners exiting the dungeon with a portrait in hand, while another maintained order, scrutinizing each individual.
"Everyone, halt and submit to inspection," commanded the figure in bronze armor, leaving no room for refusal.
They forcibly checked everyone leaving the dungeon, and any hint of dissatisfaction or resistance from those being inspected was met with immediate threats of violence.
The sheer presence of these individuals was enough to reveal that they were at least bronze-tier, if not silver-tier awakeners.
Though many awakeners were disgruntled by the overbearing demeanor of these individuals, they contemplated calling upon their own powerful backers for support.
However, upon learning that these were the guards of House Carter, everyone opted for silence, ceasing their resistance and quietly complying with the inspection.
To the small town of Stellarburg, House Carter of the imperial capital was a colossal entity.
There were very few in Stellarburg who could afford to offend House Carter, especially among the lower-tier awakeners, which explained why House Carter dared to blockade the dungeon so brazenly.
The incident involving Lucas had already spread throughout the imperial capital, turning House Carter into the butt of jokes among the upper echelons.
The heir of the illustrious House Carter, humiliated in a low-level dungeon by an unknown assailant, forced to kneel and slapped repeatedly, became a source of mirth for many.
The incident became an indelible stain on House Carter's reputation.
Their only recourse now was to find the cloaked assassin and make him pay for his actions, in a bid to salvage what little dignity House Carter had left.
Hence, Lucas's measures were extensive.
Upon their emergence, John and Seraphina immediately caught the attention of the four House Carter guards.
One of them made a beeline towards the duo.
Seraphina glanced at John and noticed his calm demeanor, devoid of any perturbation.
The fact that House Carter's personal knights were mobilized to seal off a low-level dungeon underscored the depth of their determination to eliminate John.
Only she knew that the man beside her was the root cause of this entire ordeal.
She couldn't help but admire his mental fortitude, showing not the slightest hint of fear.
Such were the thoughts running through Seraphina's mind.
Noticing Seraphina's gaze, John smiled at her.
He had anticipated Lucas's attempts at retaliation and was mentally prepared, thus not surprised by Lucas's actions.
With no one but Seraphina aware of his guilt, and confident in his ability to extricate himself even if she were to betray him, John remained unfazed.
The House Carter guard in bronze armor approached them, bowed respectfully, and said, "Miss Seraphina, Master Lucas has instructed that you need not undergo inspection. Please, come with me; he is waiting for you in the carriage."
Seraphina snapped back to reality and replied calmly, "No need. I'll return on my own. Please extend my thanks to Lucas for his kind offer." With that, she prepared to leave, and John followed her lead.
At that moment, the House Carter guard stopped John, saying, "I apologize, Miss Seraphina may leave, but you must be inspected."
John and Seraphina halted in their tracks.
John looked at the guard with a half-smile, but before he could speak, Seraphina coldly said, "This is my friend. Are you sure you want to inspect him?"
Her voice was icy, causing the House Carter guard to shiver and break out in a cold sweat.
Well aware of Seraphina's identity as the daughter of Stellarburg's lord and Lucas's admiration for her, the guard nonetheless shook his head and apologized,
"I'm sorry, this is a directive from the head of the House in the capital. Except for a few special individuals, everyone exiting the Phantom Ruins must be inspected. I ask for Miss Seraphina's understanding."
The guard was clever, not invoking Lucas's name but the direct order from the head of House Carter, making it difficult to refuse.
However, Seraphina was unyielding.
Her demeanor grew even colder as she retorted, "So, because you have no choice, my friend must be inconvenienced? Is this how House Carter teaches its servants to act?"
Feeling Seraphina's displeasure, and as the House Carter guard was at a loss for what to do, a voice that was smooth yet made John and Seraphina feel repulsed spoke up:
"Miss Seraphina, please don't be angry. It's my fault for not instructing my servants properly, causing them to inadvertently offend you and your friend. I will make sure they are duly reprimanded upon my return."
Hearing this voice, John's eyes narrowed slightly.
It seemed fate had a way of bringing enemies together; he hadn't expected to encounter this individual here.
As he looked, the path through the crowd of black-suited bodyguards slowly opened up.
Lucas, dressed in a pristine white suit, handsome with a refined and gentle demeanor, made his way through the crowd.
His face bore a warm smile, showing no signs of the previous day's frenzy.
If not for a hint of darkness in his brow, one might think nothing had happened at all.
Addressing Seraphina in a soft voice, Lucas said,
"Miss Seraphina, I had thought you would have returned yesterday. I reserved the best suite and extraordinary foods that replenish vitality at the Stardust Inn for you, hoping you would accept this small token of my appreciation."
Those around them cast envious glances towards Seraphina.
The Stardust Inn was Stellarburg's finest hotel, where even a standard suite was beyond the reach of ordinary people, not to mention the incredibly rare extraordinary foods.
It was clear Lucas had put great thought into this.
Seraphina's expression remained unchanged as she replied,
"Thank you for your kind intentions, but I am quite tired now and wish to return and rest as soon as possible. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."