Chapter 618
617 Trap
Chapter 618, Section 617: Trap
In the giant beast bone field shrouded by the spiritual field, a group of outsiders who suddenly break in will stand out.
The search team led by that officer was like that, as was Kurug, who was disguised as a mercenary.
They inquired about the magic circle in the bone field, and this was quickly noticed by some local residents. Under the influence of the spiritual field, the news that "several groups of unfamiliar faces were inquiring about things they shouldn't be inquiring about" was passed on to Count Bona through specific channels.
Upon receiving the intelligence, Yellow Book almost immediately realized that the Crippled Party of the Dead might have really panicked and fled to the vicinity of the Giant Beast Bone Field.
These three outsiders with ulterior motives are very likely to be scouts sent by the other side to explore or search for resources.
Since real cult members have come to our door, it saves us the trouble of preparing, and this reduces the number of loopholes.
So it stopped Bona's plan to use a group of prisoners as the murderers of the search team, and instead had him deliver the three men's information to the officer, while preparing manpower to reap the benefits.
……
In the original excavation site, workers moved around like ants, carrying the collected materials.
Kurug and two cultists hid in the shadows, watching the makeshift warehouses made of logs and thick canvas in the distance.
There were scattered guards around the warehouse, but they didn't seem very vigilant.
They had previously tried to purchase the necessary materials from the market and even the black market, but ultimately with little success.
Forcibly seizing the temporary warehouse at the excavation site became the only option.
Whether they can find enough materials in the warehouse is uncertain, but doing so will definitely expose their location and attract a raid.
But the high priest's situation no longer allowed him to act slowly and secretly.
Before the operation, Kurug lowered his voice and gave his two accompanying cult members one last reminder: "Remember, rush in, take only what's on the list, the faster the better. Once you have what you need, don't worry about anything else, immediately retreat along the original route back to your hideout. If you alert the guards, I will buy you time to hold off all the pursuers, understand?"
The two demon cultists exchanged a glance and replied firmly in unison, "Understood!"
……
Kurug pushed open the heavy log warehouse door. Outside, two guards who had been dozing off while leaning on their spears were now slumped on the ground, their necks twisted at bizarre angles.
The warehouse was much more spacious inside than it appeared from the outside. Rows of rough wooden frames and stacked crates filled the space. Kurugshi and the two cultists behind him immediately split up to search.
The initial search caused Kurug immense anxiety.
It wasn't that he was afraid of being discovered or pursued afterward; what he feared most was that the materials they needed wouldn't be there, and then everything would be in vain.
Fortunately, good news soon followed.
"Found it, the main root of the Blood-Weeping Vine!"
"I've also found the giant beast's bone marrow!"
"Great!" Kurug was thrilled.
Just then, in several shadowy corners of the warehouse that appeared to be filled with clutter, and above the thick beams above their heads, several soldiers crouching in pre-drawn concealment magic circles pulled the triggers of their crossbows.
The crossbow bolts were incredibly fast, aimed directly at the vital points of Kurug and his two companions!
The moment the sound of something cutting through the air rang out, the power of blessing within Kurug surged, forming a thin but tough dark gray light shield around his body. Several crossbow bolts crashed into the light shield, but were all deflected.
But the other two followers did not have that power.
The crossbow bolts struck their vitals almost simultaneously, pinning them to the wooden frame. Dark red blood quickly soaked their black robes, and after a few twitches, they fell silent.
The heavy shelves were pushed aside, and a squad of fully armed Imperial soldiers filed out, quickly taking up advantageous positions. Their enchanted crossbows were once again cocked, aimed at the only survivor, Kurug.
“A trap…” Kurug’s face turned grim.
The leader was the officer who had previously visited Count Bonne.
He walked forward steadily, his gaze sweeping over the two corpses on the ground before finally settling on Kurug, whose dark gray aura remained, making him appear as if facing a formidable enemy. "It's a pity," he said. "If we had used explosive crossbow bolts, we could have taken you all down in this round."
However, he was just saying it casually; after all, this place belonged to Count Bona, and the materials in the warehouse were quite valuable.
In order to capture three cult members, they blew up someone else's warehouse along with a large amount of supplies... This is unreasonable and illogical.
"Kill!" The officer waved his hand, and the soldiers fired their crossbow bolts again.
While using his dark gray light shield to defend himself, Kurug did not forget to take the materials he found from the two dead cultists during the intervals between his dodges.
In terms of individual strength alone, the diamond-level officer opposite him was no match for Kurug.
But at this moment, he was surrounded by hundreds of well-trained and well-coordinated imperial regulars, with crossbows, blades, and mages who had not yet made a move.
In the distance, more footsteps approached, clearly reinforcements on their way, all of which made Kurug dare not linger in battle. However, when Kurug finally managed to break out of the warehouse, he was met by mages who had been waiting for him.
"Earth Bind!"
"Touch of Ice!"
Despite his desperate struggle, Kurug was inevitably bogged down in place by the well-prepared Imperial soldiers.
"Meow--!"
"what?!"
The two mages, who were focused on casting spells, felt the ground beneath their feet churn violently. Before they could react, the solid ground suddenly turned into waves of earth, instantly engulfing them!
The soil was rolled up and compacted, leaving only two slightly raised mounds and half of the staff sticking out.
At the same time, a petite and agile figure burst out from the edge of the churning earth!
She ran on all fours, her running posture like that of a real wild beast, so fast that she left afterimages.
As she ran, the ground rumbled, and earthen walls rose up, just high enough to shield her from the incoming arrows and magic.
In the blink of an eye, the figure had darted to Kurug's side.
At this moment, her hood slipped slightly, revealing a pair of light-colored cat ears that were trembling slightly from vigorous exercise.
"What are you doing here?!" Kurug asked in surprise.
"The High Priest briefly awoke and said there's a powerful spiritual field here!" The cat-person priest spoke rapidly, her amber vertical pupils fixed on the approaching enemies. "I was worried something might happen to you, so I came!"
"A mental field?!" It was as if lightning had struck Kurug's mind.
Yes, that's why I had that lingering sense of unease after entering this place!
The cat-person priest let out another short "meow," and magic surged into the ground, causing a bridge made of mud to emerge and extend beyond the excavation site.
"Stop them!" came the officer's roar as soldiers tried to rush forward to destroy the earthen bridge or block their way.
"Rise!" The cat-person priest gritted his teeth, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
As she urged it on, more earthen walls and sharp stone spikes suddenly rose up on both sides of the earthen bridge, temporarily blocking the pursuers.
Without hesitation, Kurug scooped up the cat-person priest, who was somewhat exhausted from continuous spellcasting, and ran wildly along the earthen bridge.
The officer, enraged, swung his sword and smashed the earthen wall in front of him. He led his elite guards out of the earthen barrier, but the two figures had already run far away.
"Bastard!"
At this point, Count Bonne's troops finally arrived.
The leader was none other than Cang Gu, the former mercenary captain.
His soldiers rushed into the battlefield in a somewhat "panicked" manner, seemingly trying to coordinate an interception.
"Why are you so late?" the officer asked angrily, but quickly suppressed his emotions and took out a communication crystal from his pocket. "You go after them, I'll send a signal right away..."
puff!
Before he could finish speaking, a short blade with a blood groove pierced through the gap in his chest armor without warning, penetrating his heart and leaving a half-inch blood-stained tip protruding from his back.
The officer froze, and the communication crystal slipped from his limp fingers, falling into the dust.
He turned his head in disbelief, his eyes reflecting Cang Gu's cold face so close to his, and hearing the roars and screams of his men who had been suddenly attacked.
"You...you all..." The officer opened his mouth, blood gushing from the corner of his lips, "How dare you...betray...the Empire..."
Cang Gu twisted his wrist sharply, and the short knife twisted inside his internal organs, completely extinguishing any chance of life.
"Empire? No, we're just cleaning up all the uninvited guests."
At the same time, the cat-person priest, who was being carried by Kurug, suddenly shouted a warning: "Watch out! There's something ahead, meow!"
"What?" Kurug didn't find anything, but he still immediately shielded the two of them with a protective barrier.
The next moment, the shield vibrated, forcing Kurug to stop in place.
Before the two priests, a round figure slowly emerged from the air.
"Is it...Puji?"
(End of this chapter)