Chapter 617
616 Evil
Chapter 617, Section 616: Evil
Deep in the Black Forest, the thick, twisted roots of ancient trees intertwine with moss-covered rock layers, naturally forming a secluded area.
A simple concealment magic circle was set up nearby, which served as the temporary stronghold for the remnants of the Hand of the Dead.
The strong lizardman priest Kurug, the Hand of the Dead, carefully laid the unconscious girl in his arms onto a simple couch made of hay and a few soft animal hides.
His arms, covered in fine, dark green scales, were muscular, yet his movements were unusually gentle, as if he were holding fragile glass.
The plain white dress was now stained with dust and several dried, dark stains, and the bare feet peeking out from under the hem were sickly pale.
Even if one possesses the virtue of "spirituality," is able to hear divine pronouncements, and borrow the power belonging to the gods, the price is far beyond what a mortal body can easily bear.
First, the continuous infusion of the power of death during the large-scale sacrificial ceremony she presided over caused her soul to tremble from the violent backlash resulting from the forced interruption of the ceremony.
Then, in order to deal with the mysterious and powerful enemy who controlled the slimes, she had to use the power of death that she had been given.
Finally, in order to carve out a path to survival before the imperial army could encircle her, she squandered the remaining divine grace within her almost relentlessly.
At this moment, she was curled up among the animal skins, her breathing so weak that it was almost imperceptible. Even in her unconscious state, her brows were tightly furrowed in pain, and dark veins could be faintly seen appearing and disappearing under her skin from time to time.
Three priests stood around the couch.
Besides the lizardman Kurug, there was also Ginny, whose face was equally pale, and another companion whose face was always hidden in the shadow of a heavy hood, and whose figure was slightly slender and short.
A dozen or so cultists who had managed to escape with them gathered silently at the edge of the cave a little further away. Most of them were wounded and their armor was torn. Their eyes, looking towards the soft couch, were a mixture of relief at surviving the ordeal and deep worry.
The high priest was their only bridge to communicate with the gods and the core that united this surviving group.
Ginny knelt on one knee, hovering over the high priest's heart.
She didn't touch it directly; a faint gray halo lingered around her fingertips. After carefully examining them, she withdrew her hand, her expression turning even more grim.
“Your spiritual energy is overdrawn, and your body is being severely eroded by the power of death, slowly disintegrating from the inside.” Her voice was dry. “Conventional healing techniques or medicines are not only ineffective, but may also stimulate the power of death to accelerate its backlash. We must concoct a special potion that can neutralize the erosion of death and is rich in pure life force to stabilize the situation first.”
"What materials do you need? I'll go find them!" Kurug stood up without hesitation.
He was the only demon among the three priests, making him more suited to operating in the empire's controlled territory than either the human Ginny or the cat-person priest.
Gini quickly rattled off several names: "It needs the sap from the main root of a Blood-Weeping Vine that's at least fifty years old, and it has to be fresh... I still have some regeneration potions here... It would be best to also get some bone marrow or heart essence from a mature giant beast..."
Kurug wrote them down one by one: "I'll go to the giant beast bone farm in the north to buy them. I'll be right back. Until then, the High Priest is in your hands, Ginny!"
He turned to the remaining cultists and pointed to two who appeared to be less injured and were also demons: "You two, come with me. The rest of you stay behind and follow Priestess Ginny's orders."
"May the goddess's protection be with you... Be careful, meow." The cat-person priest, who was always hidden under his hood, said softly, his voice gentle and tinged with worry.
Kuruger nodded very slightly, his thick tail sweeping across the ground, then turned and walked out of his hiding place, leaving only the sound of his footsteps fading into the distance.
……
"A cult?" In the Earl's study, adorned with specimens of strange beast skulls, Earl Bona, after hearing the purpose of the visit from the weary diamond-ranked officer opposite him, laughed as if he had heard something outrageous. "You're joking," he said. "How could I possibly have anything like a cult here?" The officer remained unmoved by Bona's words, reiterating, "Your Excellency, we are not questioning your governance. Intelligence indicates that remnants of the Hand of the Dead may have infiltrated the surrounding area. Our visit is solely to request your assistance in conducting a search and capture operation within the city and the surrounding region."
"Oh...oh! I see!" Upon hearing that they weren't here to arrest him, Count Bona nodded hurriedly. "Cooperate, of course, fully cooperate! Eradicating the cult and maintaining the stability of the empire is the duty of us vassals! I will immediately issue orders for the patrol teams and local sheriffs to be at your command. If you need manpower or guides, just let me know!"
"Thank you for your cooperation." The officer saluted and left the study.
The moment the wooden door closed, Count Bonne's amiable smile crumbled like melting wax.
He practically sprang from his chair, rushed to the huge oak desk, frantically pulled open a hidden compartment, and took out the yellowed book.
"Lord Holy Scripture... what, what should we do?" He lowered his voice, his tone filled with fear. "They're not after us, they're after that pack of stray dogs... but what if, what if they accidentally discover something during their search..."
Under the long-term influence, Bona has become a completely loyal servant of the Yellow Book, but he still worries about his wealth and status.
Despite publicly claiming that the magic arrays being set up were "large-scale reconnaissance magic arrays for precise detection of the deeply buried remains of giant beasts."
But Bona himself knew that this explanation could only fool laymen.
If a decent magic array master were to conduct an on-site inspection, the clues would be easily discovered.
Even without understanding magic circles, if one carefully calculates the value of the magical materials recently brought into it, it is easy to conclude that "this magic circle is too expensive and could not possibly have been set up just to dig up some bones."
On the page, the text appears:
We must not let them investigate.
"Yes, yes! That's what I think too, but... how can we stop them? They're His Majesty's men, they have official warrants!"
[If the higher-ups want cults, we'll just give them a batch of cults.]
[As for those hunting dogs that have already begun their operation... hunting down vicious remnants of a cult is inherently a perilous undertaking, fraught with danger. It's common for them to be ambushed and die in battle.]
[And you, my dear Earl, though your rescue came a step too late, you have ultimately avenged them and killed all those cultists… You will surely receive some reward.]
“I…I understand, Lord Holy Scripture!” A ruthless and decisive glint flashed in Bona’s eyes.
……
Disguised as a mercenary, Kurug silently observed the city before him.
A strange feeling lingered in my mind, yet I couldn't find its source.
Suppressing his unease, he knew he didn't have much time; the High Priest was waiting for him.
They found the market in the city and searched for the materials they needed, but ended up with a terrible result.
"These materials were all transported into the bone field to set up a magic circle? What kind of magic circle requires so many precious materials?"
Elliott scratched his head: "That's strange. How come she turned into a fanatic just from going out for a walk?"
"I didn't proselytize either."
(End of this chapter)