The two priests didn’t relax because a Puchi appeared before them; instead, they became even more vigilant.
The reason was that the Hand of Passage realized the harm of Puchis earlier than other factions!
Initially, it was just cultists active near the Mushroom Capital failing consecutively or simply vanishing without a trace.
For the Hand of Passage, this wasn’t a very serious problem.
They attributed it to the outstanding ability of the Mushroom Capital’s City Lord Faer, reducing activities in that vicinity.
But soon, they found the situation deteriorating.
Centered on the Mushroom Capital, cultists active in more and more surrounding areas disappeared one by one, as if someone was hunting them.
But strangely, the Kingdom’s officials showed no attitude toward this at all, as if the matter had nothing to do with them?!
When the Hand of Passage realized the disappearance of cultists was related to the range the fungal mat spread to, the Hand of Passage had to withdraw from the Kingdom’s territory on a large scale.
Holding the Return to Death Ritual within the Empire this time was actually a helpless move.
The original plan was to collect enough sacrifices in the occupied area of the West Coast to hold the ritual. That way, even if discovered, neither humans nor demons could mobilize enough forces in time to interfere with the ritual.
However, the appearance of the fungal mat and Mushroom Tribe forced them to choose a new site.
Adding the incomplete oracle obtained by the High Priestess this time.
Puchi, very likely, was the greatest enemy the Hand of Passage had to face!
The Cat-person Priest attacked first; several stone bullets condensed from the rear and shot over.
However, the Puchi’s round body had already dodged to the side before the stone bullets left the ground!
[Combat Instinct LV2]
Almost simultaneously, an elastic mycelial tentacle popped out from the Puchi’s direction, the target being Kruger, who was about to cover the Cat-person Priest’s movement.
The Lizardman Priest roared low. The dim shield around his body emerged again, bouncing off the incoming tentacle, emitting a muffled impact sound.
One demon, one cat, one mushroom tangled into a ball in this forest clearing.
Kruger’s attacks were heavy and powerful, possessing a sturdy faith shield; the Cat-person Priest moved ghost-like, skillfully using earth magic to attack or defend; while the Knight Puchi, although having a round body, possessed amazing flexibility and agility, taking the initiative by relying on endless skills.
Neither side could determine the winner in a short time.
However, once the two priests wanted to leave, the Knight Puchi would always find ways to intercept the clumsier Kruger.
In the distance, moving torchlights lit up in the forest. It was Canggu and his troops rushing to support after dealing with the Empire officer.
In desperation, Kruger had to throw the package containing materials to the Cat-person Priest. He himself found the right timing, relying on the shield to charge forcefully in front of the Knight Puchi, braving several wounds to grab one of the Knight Puchi’s legs.
Simultaneously, the Cat-person Priest tacitly shot out a mass of darkness—power of death.
This mass of darkness was exactly the same as the darkness used by the High Priestess to attack the Demon King back then, just not as overwhelming.
However, the instant the Puchi was grabbed, flames spewed out from under the mushroom cap, enveloping Kruger who didn’t deploy the shield in order to grab the Puchi.
[Flame Breath LV3]
“ROAR AHHHH!!!”
After a heart-rending howl of pain, the one blocking in front turned into a thoroughly scorched Kruger.
The Cat-person Priest hurriedly retracted the power of death, avoiding killing her teammate with her own hands.
The Knight Puchi’s severed short leg was recovering at a speed visible to the naked eye. One tentacle wrapped around Kruger’s head, whose original appearance was almost unrecognizable, slowly lifting his scorched black body facing the Cat-person Priest.
From the end of another tentacle, a sharp bone spike extended, hovering over his jugular artery.
Clutching the package tightly, the Cat-person Priest watched this scene, hesitating momentarily.
However, the heavily injured and dying Lizardman, unknown where he got the strength, suddenly shouted:
“Run!”
In the next moment, the bone spike pierced through his body, and the shout stopped abruptly.
The Cat-person Priest’s body trembled violently, but she didn’t lose her reason because of her companion’s sacrifice.
“Damn it, meow!”
Looking back one last time at Kruger’s scorched body, she then turned and leaped away a few times, completely merging into the deeper and denser dark forest in the distance, disappearing.
Unfortunately, a cat-person escaped.
But the problem wasn’t big. The cat-person was a latecomer and didn’t know much about the layout of the Giant Beast Bone Field.
And the Lizardman who knew relatively more, as well as that group of Empire soldiers, had all been dealt with.
The Knight Puchi stood quietly in the center of the scorched earth. Its round mushroom cap drooped slightly, aiming at that scorched black lump of meat at its feet that could barely be distinguished as a lizard form.
Shaking gently, some shimmering spores fluttered down from the edge of the mushroom cap, covering Kruger’s scorched broken scales and exposed tissue.
Lin Jun acted with measured force. This Lizardman named Kruger still had a sliver of health left and hadn’t died completely.
Of course, if left alone, he would die in a few minutes anyway.
But rarely capturing alive an existence suspected to be a high-level member of the Hand of Passage, naturally had to think of a way to get some intelligence about these cults out of his brain.
As for the remaining Hand of Passage remnants… if he could root out this group of annoying guys thoroughly in passing, it would naturally be a good thing.
But right now, the transfer ritual in the Giant Beast Bone Field was the more important matter.
Before that, news must be blocked as much as possible for a few more days. Any action that might attract excessive attention needed to be postponed, let alone personally leading people to continue pursuing deeply.
Letting the Hand of Passage remnants add some trouble to the Empire to distract attention was fine too.
However, just when Lin Jun was dealing with Kruger and rarely not “watching” the Yellow Codex.
Deep in the basement of Count Bona’s mansion, the teleportation magic array unused for a long time lit up on its own without warning!
Hum—
The air was distorted, emitting a low muffled sound. A figure solidified on the teleportation array.
He wore a set of deep purple formal attire that looked magnificent but revealed strangeness in details. Tailored appropriately, but wrapped tightly from the neck down, even hands wearing silk gloves of the same color as the formal suit.
A wide-brimmed hat was pressed very low; the shadow cast by the brim completely covered his face.
Without any attendants, just alone like this, descending here abruptly.
He didn’t pause in the slightest, as if returning to his own home, walking up the stairs casually.
On the walls on both sides of the corridor, the painted early warning and trap magic arrays had no reaction at all.
Just like this, he entered as if no one was around, going all the way up, finally arriving at the Count’s study, finding the nervous Count Bona and the Holy Codex held in his hands.
“Sensed the unnatural mental field here from far away. I was guessing, could it be you messing around with something here.”
“Sure enough!” He extended a hand wearing a velvet glove, palm open, posture casual. “Little Yellow, I came to pick you up.”
[Lord… Lord Demon King?!]
(End of Chapter)
