The next morning arrived with the soft, pale glow of lichen lanterns filtering through the small windows of the guest house. The underground village had its own version of "dawn" a gentle brightening of the luminescent crystals embedded in the cavern ceiling.

Adam woke up first, sandwiched between two warm bodies. Ignis was sprawled across his chest, snoring softly with occasional small flames flickering in her hair. Lilith slept elegantly on his other side, one arm possessively wrapped around his waist, her silver-white hair spread like silk across the furs.

He carefully extricated himself without waking them, got dressed, and stepped outside to get some fresh air.

A few minutes later, Lilith and Ignis began stirring. Lilith sat up gracefully, stretching like a satisfied cat, while Ignis yawned widely and rubbed her eyes.

"Morning already...?" Ignis mumbled, still half-asleep.

As the three of them stepped out of the guest house, they immediately noticed Isolde standing not far away near the central clearing. The vampire princess was unusually quiet, her pale cheeks carrying a faint but noticeable blush. Her crimson eyes avoided direct eye contact with Adam.

She was pretending to inspect her Crimson Blossom Crown in a small reflective surface, but her posture was stiff.

Adam cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Morning, Isolde."

Isolde flinched slightly before turning around. Her voice came out a little too calm.

"...Good morning."

The silence stretched for a second too long.

Lilith, noticing the tension, smiled sweetly though there was clear amusement in her crimson eyes.

"Did you sleep well, Isolde?" she asked innocently.

Isolde’s cheeks darkened further. She shot a quick, sharp glance at Adam before looking away again.

"The walls here are... thinner than expected," she muttered, almost under her breath.

Ignis tilted her head, still oblivious. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Adam rubbed the back of his neck, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah... about last night. I hope we didn’t disturb you too much."

Isolde didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she turned and started walking toward the central clearing where breakfast was being prepared by the villagers.

"...Let’s just eat. Azrynn said she’ll meet us after breakfast."

Lilith leaned closer to Adam and whispered teasingly, "She definitely heard everything."

Ignis finally caught on and grinned widely. "Ooh! Isolde listened to us last night?"

Adam sighed deeply.

"This is going to be an awkward day..."

The group eventually joined the Dark Elf villagers for a simple but hearty breakfast, mushroom stew, flatbread, and cured cave boar meat.

After a relatively quiet breakfast, the group gathered near the edge of the village where Azrynn was already waiting with a small pack of supplies. The air felt heavier as they prepared to leave the safety of the pocket dimension.

Adam looked at Azrynn and asked directly, "How exactly do you know the routes through the Wasteland? From what I’ve heard, it’s practically impossible to navigate."

Azrynn adjusted the strap of her bow and nodded solemnly.

"The Wasteland is filled with layers of powerful illusions and spatial distortions. Most areas are thick with deceptive mist and shifting paths. We Dark Elves have developed... unique methods to determine our location using ancient star-mapping runes on special crystals, sensing faint mana flows from the temple’s barrier, and relying on generational knowledge passed down through our hunters. However, the deeper you go, the more chaotic it becomes. Directions lose all meaning. Even the best scouts can get lost forever."

She paused, her yellow eyes serious.

"If the Abyssal Bloom truly exists, it is almost certainly in one of the deeper, more unstable regions."

Lilith crossed her arms, her expression calm and confident.

"Relax. We have the Compass of Desire. As long as we head toward the deeper parts, the compass should guide us. We won’t be wandering blindly."

Ignis, who had been munching on a leftover piece of flatbread, tilted her head and looked at Azrynn with genuine concern.

"Azrynn... are you sure it’s okay for you to come with us? It sounds really dangerous. You don’t have to risk your life for this."

Azrynn offered a small, determined smile.

"It’s no problem at all. In fact, I want to go. As a Dark Elf... I wish to atone for the sins of my people. We were once a noble race, but many of us fell into darkness."

Isolde, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke up. Her voice was cool and sharp.

"Noble? Dark Elves who slaughtered others for blood sacrifices and power aren’t noble at all."

A heavy silence fell over the group for a moment.

Azrynn lowered her head slightly, but her voice remained steady.

"You’re right. That’s exactly why I want to atone. Not all of us participated in those horrors, but enough did. If helping you find the Abyssal Bloom and protecting my village can even slightly repay those debts... then I will gladly walk into danger."

Adam observed the exchange quietly before nodding.

"Understood. Then let’s move. The sooner we find the Abyssal Bloom, the better."

After final preparations and saying their goodbyes to the Elder, the group left the safety of the Dark Elf village.

The Wasteland stretched before them, an endless expanse of jagged rocky canyons, swirling purple-black mist, and shifting shadows. The ground itself seemed to breathe, with faint ripples of illusion dancing across the landscape.

Azrynn took the lead, her movements careful and experienced as she guided them along what looked like a faint, barely visible path.

Adam walked beside her and activated the Compass of Desire. The artifact glowed softly in his hand, its needle spinning for a moment before locking firmly in a straight direction pointing deeper into the most unstable part of the Wasteland.

Azrynn glanced at the compass and her expression turned serious.

"That direction... yes, it’s pointing straight toward the deeper zones," she said quietly. "The illusions get stronger the further we go. Space itself starts to fold. We must stay extremely alert. One wrong step and we could be separated or trapped in an endless loop."

Lilith stayed close to Adam, her silver threads faintly visible around her as a precaution.

"Understood. We follow the compass, but we don’t blindly charge in."

Ignis looked excited but also slightly nervous, golden flames flickering around her shoulders.

"Got it!"

Isolde remained silent, but her Crimson Blossom Crown pulsed softly, ready for danger.

Adam kept the compass in his hand, its needle steady.

"Lead the way, Azrynn. We’ll watch your back."