Chapter 393, Strange Village
Until leaving the island.
Only then did they inform everyone about the details of the mission.
Even though two deputy stewards were leading the team this time, the other squad members still felt somewhat tense.
"Understood!" The squad members nodded in response.
"Alright, everyone can get to their tasks. Divide patrol times between the two squads to ensure the safety of the ship," Sheila Grey continued.
"Understood!" The two squad leaders nodded again before exiting the cabin.
The ship's navigation was handled by specialists.
Yet the guild's squads still needed to ensure safety at sea.
Once the squad members had left,
Wu Heng asked, "Any news on the Cursed Sword?"
Sheila Grey leaned back lazily, her exaggerated chest seemingly about to burst out of her armor.
She said, "There's news. It's said the last user possessed a rare item that could block an attack once. Now, no one knows where this item is."
"Oh, no wonder," Wu Heng nodded.
In other words, the last user
used another rare item to block the Cursed Sword's attack.
And a rare item capable of blocking attacks must be incredibly valuable.
Also, very difficult to obtain.
"Have you encountered cults before?" Sheila Grey propped her chin on her hand and asked again.
Wu Heng thought for a moment and replied, "I killed a wanted criminal, an elder of the Divine Punishment Sect."
"The Divine Punishment Sect probably doesn't count as a cult, at least not one completely wanted by the guild. The elder you killed must have done something to warrant being placed on the wanted list," Sheila Grey said.
At the time, Wu Heng didn't know why Bagdong was wanted either.
It was the then-captain "Otruluk" who casually mentioned "cults," which Wu Heng remembered.
"I'm not sure. Anyway, he was quite strong."
Sheila Grey continued, "When we arrive, we'll only be responsible for investigation. If there's truly a cult or any danger, it'll be up to the local city guard to handle it."
"Alright, I'll follow your lead. I'm just here to assist."
"The strongest assistant, right?"
"Of course not!"
The two chatted for a while before leaving the meeting room.
Each returned to their cabins.
...
Entering his assigned cabin,
Two skeleton attendants stood guard at the door. Wu Heng released "Xiaoxiao" and "Glenda."
The two wraiths curiously examined the cramped and swaying space.
Glenda asked, "Why are we out at sea again?"
Xiaoxiao added, "This room is so basic."
"The guild assigned me an external investigation mission regarding a cult," Wu Heng explained the mission to them before continuing, "I'll need your help scouting when the time comes."
Glenda nodded. "Alright!"
Xiaoxiao floated in the air and said, "Finally off the island! I want to see what's out there."
"Feel free to explore the ship, but remember to stay invisible and avoid being seen by others," Wu Heng said as he sat at the desk.
The two wraiths agreed and vanished, roaming around the ship.
Wu Heng, meanwhile, took out the skill book he had acquired that day, [Lightning Beam], and began reading.
[Lightning Beam] belonged to the evocation category of skills.
It transformed and shaped energy to unleash lightning in a designated direction.
It was a straightforward and effective means of harming enemies.
He carefully read through each page.
When he finished the last page, a system notification appeared.
[Skill unlocked: Lightning Beam.]
Wu Heng felt a surge of joy.
Not only had he learned a new skill, but it also confirmed that his ability to unlock skills through reading remained functional.
The failure with [Mansion Spell] must have been due to some other issue.
He'd look into it later.
As night fell, Xiaoxiao and Glenda returned.
One floated in the air reading a book, while the other watched cartoons on a tablet across from Wu Heng's desk.
Wu Heng went to bed to rest.
...
Two days later in the morning,
The ship docked at the port of Lopez City.
The squad members took a carriage directly to the local guild.
After meeting with the local steward, who provided a brief overview of the situation,
They were assigned to Deputy Steward "Endel" and two guild investigators to accompany them to the village in question.
The road to the village was rugged, flanked by dense forests.
The carriage moved slowly.
Endel, a bearded man in his forties, appeared to be a warrior based on his weapons and armor.
"It's nothing compared to your Golden-Silver Island. The roads here are all dirt," Endel said with a smile before adding, "About five days ago, a house in the village was found to contain an altar and a human corpse. Initial investigations suggest it was a live human sacrifice."
A live human sacrifice?
Wu Heng frowned slightly.
In this world, gods existed. Back in Blackstone Town, "Yazde" had tried to seize his body using the power of an evil god.
However, these deities didn't seem as powerful as rumored, or perhaps they couldn't directly influence this world.
Because of that event, Wu Heng had specifically researched related materials.
According to guild archives, most cults were fabricated by cunning individuals to deceive and manipulate people for their own goals.
"What deity?" Sheila Grey asked.
Endel shook his head. "We don't know. The investigation didn't uncover that."
Sheila Grey nodded, glancing at Wu Heng.
A corpse would have been helpful.
With a necromancer like Wu Heng on their side, identifying the perpetrator would have been straightforward.
"We'll take a look when we get to the village."
"Alright."
The carriage continued, and the village came into view.
The village was less primitive than expected, with houses of stone and wood and clothes drying on lines made from fine fabrics.
The carriage approached slowly.
An elderly man with a long beard walked up to greet them, scanning the group with a smile. "Welcome, esteemed guests."
Endel introduced him. "This is the village chief. The villagers here have little contact with outsiders. Talking to the chief will make things smoother."
"Alright," Sheila Grey nodded. "Take us to the altar and the body."
"Oh, of course. This way, please," the chief said, gesturing for them to follow as he led the way into the village.
As they entered, several figures suddenly emerged from the village entrance.
They approached the carriage and began searching it.
Through his "Eagle Eye" spell, Wu Heng observed everything.
He didn't stop walking, but his brow furrowed slightly.
These people were rummaging through a guild carriage.
It didn't seem like theft but more like an inspection.
In Blackstone Town, commoners would address guild members as "lords."
Even in the chaotic Rentam City, gang leaders avoided provoking guild members.
Here, however, the villagers didn't show much reverence for the guild.
...
The cult's site was on the left side of the village.
The room was empty except for a clay statue in the center. Vaguely humanoid, it looked like melted wax.
The air carried a stench of decay and rot from long unventilated conditions.
Black, rusted chains surrounded the statue, and the floor bore dark red bloodstains.
Circular wax marks suggested candles had been lit during the ritual.
All evidence pointed to this being an altar.
"Search the area and record everything," Sheila Grey instructed.
The squad members spread out, examining the room.
Wu Heng didn't have much to investigate and merely glanced around.
Sheila Grey turned to the village chief. "Where's the body?"
"The body was burned," the chief replied.
Endel frowned. "Burned? Didn't we tell you to preserve it?"
"Esteemed guests, given the weather, we couldn't preserve it. The stench and rot risked attracting disease, so we burned it," the chief explained anxiously.
Sheila Grey glanced at Wu Heng, feeling a bit helpless.
If there had been a body, Wu Heng could have performed necromancy.
Identifying the killer would have been a one-step process.
Now things would be more complicated.
Sheila Grey motioned for the chief to leave, while the others continued investigating.
"Any findings?" Sheila Grey asked Wu Heng.
Although she had taken the lead thus far,
Wu Heng remained the strongest in the group.
Not just personally—
His skeleton servant "Keramu," at level 17, was the highest-level entity in the team.
Wu Heng shook his head and said softly, "Nothing so far. Be wary of the villagers."
Sheila Grey's eyes narrowed before she nodded.
The two investigators continued documenting their findings.
Yet no significant clues emerged.
"Esteemed guests," the chief returned and said, "We've prepared dinner and vacant rooms. If you'd like, you can rest for the night and resume the investigation tomorrow. The matter is serious, but it hasn't directly harmed the village, so there's no rush."
"Alright," Sheila Grey considered for a moment before agreeing, glancing at the sky.
The group headed outside.
Suddenly, commotion erupted nearby.
A disheveled figure burst out, screaming as they ran wildly to the other side.
"Stop right there! I'll beat you to death!"
Several figures holding wooden sticks gave chase.