Chapter 156: Something's Off
Staring at the blood-red moonlight in the sky, Matthew's expression was somewhat dazed.
He kept feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.
Matthew shook his head slightly, pushing aside distracting thoughts and transmitted the "coordinates" from his memory to Yaya.
Matthew hadn't shared this information openly at the camp, naturally to conceal the source of the intelligence.
Some things can't be made too obvious!
However, unexpected things can sometimes happen quickly.
Just as Yaya was about to descend, she seemed to sense something and suddenly said:
"Wait a moment, there's someone below."
Having been taught by Matthew himself, Yaya's way of handling things gradually became more like his.
She didn't like to rush in blindly; she preferred to plan carefully before acting.
Upon noticing the figures below, she quickly shared the information with Matthew.
More than ten people were gathered around a mud pit with a diameter of about three meters.
They were huddled together, not discussing anything, but rather stabbing each other, playing out a scene of frequent infighting.
If the people below knew that Adam Smith had offered a 5000-gold coin reward for finding the entrance to the ruins, they would probably fight even more fiercely.
The attackers had come prepared, striking with deadly intent, mostly aiming for vital points.
The four or five people on the other side, unprepared, were quickly cut down, leaving only one who was now running away at full speed.
Originally, Matthew had no interest in them. If not necessary, he didn't want to reveal that he knew the location and coordinates.
After all, in the future, when he knows a lot of information, it would be hard to explain without a reliable source, which could arouse suspicion.
But there are always exceptions.
The faint voice coming from the leader of the pursuing group caught Matthew's attention.
"Capture her, sacrifice her!"
Sacrifice!
Upon hearing these two words, Matthew's mind immediately conjured up images of many disgusting individuals.
An inexplicable fury surged through him.
He didn't hesitate for a moment, signaling Yaya to descend.
Matthew was eager to find out if these troublemakers had already extended their influence into Bay Territory!
Running for her life, Felicity was filled with regret. The sudden death and betrayal of her companions gnawed at her heart like a venomous snake.
The other party's unabashed intent to "sacrifice" only deepened Felicity's fear.
"Our bloodline is special; we must be careful to keep it secret and not let others know..."
She thought of her mother's careful reminders, never expecting that the ones to betray her would be childhood playmates!
Felicity remembered the savage expression on the face of the person who had pierced the captain's heart, filling her with an overwhelming sense of strangeness and panic.
They had gone to great lengths to lure them into the Misty Swamp, all for her!
Whoosh!
A faint sound of something cutting through the air came, and sensing danger, Felicity twisted to dodge.
She suddenly felt a shadow descend.
A tough white web sealed off all her escape routes.
Level 2 Spell—Web!
"No...!"
Felicity desperately swung her short sword, the green light in her eyes growing more intense.
The tough web was actually torn open by the short sword, but after delivering that strike, she felt completely drained.
She stepped into nothingness and her entire body "thudded" into the soft mud.
With her head throbbing in pain, Felicity saw the figures running towards her and instinctively gripped her short sword tighter.
"Even if I die, I won't let these bastards succeed!"
Whoosh!
A dark light suddenly flew toward her, striking her precisely.
She felt her whole body relax, an overwhelming fatigue washing over her like a tide, her eyelids growing heavy.
"This is... Level 2—Sleep..."
"Roar...!"
A thunderous roar suddenly descended from the sky, and the terrifying sound waves quickly spread.
Felicity's mind instantly cleared, the drowsiness swept away.
A massive pressure fell upon her, making her body tremble uncontrollably.
In the depths of her emerald eyes, the green light flickered stubbornly.
A huge shadow, accompanied by a sweeping wind, descended.
Not far away, the faint sounds of screams and the cracking of bones echoed.
Felicity had a vague sense that the ruthless and inhuman thugs from earlier were being mercilessly slaughtered by some terrifying entity.
She struggled to her feet, wisely choosing not to flee.
The other party could fly!
Steeling herself, Felicity forced herself to look over.
She saw a silver figure as fast as lightning, accompanied by a wail of anguish, fly towards her.
Her legs trembled involuntarily, but she stood firm.
The imagined attack and pain didn't come. Felicity watched in disbelief as the figure tilted its head, sizing her up. She couldn't help but murmur:
"A dragon!"
"Ah...!"
The piercing scream snapped Felicity out of her daze, and she saw Yaya dragging a figure towards her with her claws.
Felicity instantly recognized the figure—her cloaked employer, a cruel and evil spellcaster!
"I'm sorry I'm late."
The calm and gentle voice brought Felicity back to her senses. She looked up.
A tall figure, cloaked as an Arcanist, lightly landed in front of her. He didn't look at her, but rather at the spellcaster writhing in pain.
Name: Smart Krian
Identity: Baron of the Northern Mountains of Falsik, Deacon of the Bloodmoon City of the Pale Church.
Race: Human
Class: Level 6 Occultist
Challenge Level: 8+!
Talents: None.
Specializations:
Intermediate Specialization—Mobile Casting LV1: Increases the success rate of casting spells while moving by 20%.
Intermediate Specialization—Occult Camouflage LV3: Conceals evil aura, undetectable by intermediate-level detection spells.
Intermediate Specialization—Dark Knowledge LV2: Can comprehend and learn dark knowledge.
Legacy: Intermediate Legacy—Bewitching Hearts: Gain +5 when lying, deceiving, or ambushing.
Attributes:
Strength: 7
Dexterity: 11
Constitution: 8
Intelligence: 12
Perception: 9
Charisma: 14
Luck: -3 (Calamity)
Evaluation: Fool who has succumbed to darkness!
Surprise!
Matthew felt quite surprised!
Following his principle of sparing no cultists, he hadn't expected to catch a genuine one!
"The Pale Church, an old acquaintance!"
If the Pfizer Merchants' Guild was an enemy Matthew despised and was happy to make a mortal foe,
Then the Pale Church was something Matthew wanted to destroy utterly, grinding each of its members to dust!
This was an evil church that worshipped death!
They often carried out horrific massacres and sacrifices in various places to worship certain dark spirits or perform some inhumane rituals.
Naturally, Matthew had clashed with them before, suffering considerable losses and learning a lot about them.
The only regret was that Matthew didn't know much about the inner workings and strongholds of the Pale Church.
But now that he knew the Pale Church had a base in Bloodmoon City, Matthew was more than happy to "make contact."
Extending his hand, under Felicity's curious gaze, he placed it directly on Smart's head.
Smart let out even more horrifying screams, his survival instincts driving him to shout:
"Don't kill me, don't kill me! I can give you gold, give you enchanted gear!"
"If you kill me... you'll be cursed..."
"The Pale Church will hunt you endlessly!"
Unfazed, Matthew chuckled lightly, watching the specialization progress bar steadily rise, and said indifferently:
"That suits me just fine!"