Chapter 440 Foreigner
Chapter 440 Foreigner
Nestled at the foot of the majestic Saratoga Castle, the Marian Lake reflected its towering spires, turrets, and ancient stone walls, creating a picturesque and hauntingly mesmerizing scene.
As evening approached, the mystical lake took on a somber tone. The rays of the setting sun bathed the waters in colors of pink and orange.
Occasionally, giant tentacles of an underwater magical creature would break the surface before disappearing back into the depths of the lake.
Seeing such a scene, Adam was taken aback. "Did you see that?!"
Daneli, who was walking beside him, looked in the direction the youth was pointing toward and asked in puzzlement, "See what?"
"I saw a giant tentacle waving at me!" Said Adam incredulously.
"A tentacle?" Daneli asked with a raise of his eyebrow. "Hmm, there is something like that here. There have been various reports of students seeing tentacles come out of the surface of the lake."
"So what is it?" Adam asked curiously. "An octopus?"
"No one knows." Daneli shrugged. "Could even be a squid or a cuttlefish."
Adam was speechless. What the heck? No one knows what that creature is? How strange…
"Anyway, what did you want to talk to me so urgently about?" Daneli asked as he glanced at the youth.
Adam first sensed the perimeter through his Sphere of Resonance. After making sure that no one was around, he whispered in a solemn tone, "I've found clues to a possible cult in Ravenfell."
Daneli's pupils constricted. He hurriedly waved hand signs and erected a formless barrier around them, one that would prevent any sound from leaking out.
Seeing this, Adam's lips twitched. This guy seems to be even more cautious than I am. Haa, that's good…
After setting up the barrier, Daneli stood on the spot and asked with an extremely serious tone, "Is it related to our mission?"
"…It's unlikely," said Adam as he pondered over it for a few moments. "But it's still a lead. I believe we should check it out."
"Tell me more about it," Daneli stated, his brows gradually creasing together.
Adam nodded before recounting the details of the intel that Rowan had gathered. After he finished explaining everything, Daneli was shocked, "You… visited the slums of Corvid and even hired an informant?"
"What the heck? Why are you looking at me like that?" Adam made a strange face. "Don't tell me that it never crossed your mind to recruit an informant."
"No, not that." Daneli shook his head. "I do have informants in a few of the noble households in the city. It's just that… I've never thought of gathering any intel related to our mission from the slums." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
"Heh," Adam sneered. "Beneath you, huh?"
"Of course," Daneli replied with a straight face. "Why would someone like me ever visit a lowly place like that?"
Adam was dumbfounded. Look at this damned princess… Should I just beat him?
"So the Children of the Red God, eh?" Daneli stroked his chin as he gazed at the calm surface of the lake. "I must say, it's a pretty catchy name."
"Hehe, indeed," Adam chuckled. "It's got a pretty good backstory as well."
"A former beggar had a vision of an ancient entity called the Red God who promised him salvation and prosperity?" Daneli asked with raised eyebrows. "It's either real or a very elaborately cooked tale."
"I'm more inclined to believe the latter," said Adam. He glanced at Daneli and added, "Let's check it out. Either way, hoax or not, I'm going to deal with that beggar."
"Oh?" Daneli was intrigued. "Are you telling me you can't stand those poor people being taken advantage of? Hehe, Adam, I didn't expect you to be that type of hero."
"Heh," Adam's lips curled up into a smirk and he joked. "Bastard, did you forget? I am the Black Vengeance."
He then turned around and sauntered back toward the castle. "Let's leave in three hours."
…
Within an unknown cavern that exuded an atmosphere of foreboding and mystery, the air was thick with tension and a palpable sense of unease.
Its vast expanse was shrouded in darkness; its cavern walls, rough and jagged, were covered in rough patches of phosphorescent fungi, emitting a ghostly glow and casting eerie shadows on the ground.
In the center of the cavern stood a large stone altar covered with mysterious items - dark crystals, bottles of blood, ancient scrolls, and ritualistic tools.
A small group of hooded figures stood around the altar, their faces hidden deep in the shadows of their hood. Their robes were dark, blending seamlessly with the surrounding gloom.
These figures spoke in hushed tones, their cold whispers echoing off the cavern's walls.
"So our plan failed in the end."
"I didn't expect there to be such a sudden development."
There was a brief period of silence in the cavern before one of the hooded figures spoke, "Shall we send a few people to deal with Brigham Flynn?"
"No, that would be unwise."
"A wounded tiger is still a tiger. We cannot risk it."
"Haa, even after we did so much to lure out the Herbalist Guild's leader, we still failed."
"Who would have thought that a mere Rank 2 Magus would be able to deal with the Blackroot Hemlock…"
These hooded figures were exasperated by the fact that thier plans had been foiled by the sudden involvement of this Magus who came out of nowhere.
They had meticulously made arrangements for the assassination of the Patriarch of the Flynn Family for years.
So much so that they even manipulated Lord Dawson into leaving the city so that no one would be able to cure the Patriarch.
But at the final stages, a young Magus had ruined their plans.
"Who is this kid? Do we know anything about him other than the fact that he's a grade 2 herbalist of the guild?"
"He's a foreigner and a graduate student of Saratoga Castle."
"Foreigner? Where from? Do we have information about the whereabouts of his family members?"
"Forget about it. He's come to the Empire from all the way beyond the Murky Mountains."
"I see…"
Another round of silence ensued before a hooded figure spoke in a frosty voice, "Since this Magus has dared to thwart our objective, we must deal with him."
"Send an assassin after him—no, send two just to be safe."
"Adam Constantine must die!"