Night falls.
A crescent moon is veiled by thin clouds, its faint light casting an eerie glow on the pre-dawn darkness.
The Darkness Scripture, moving like phantoms in the night, silently departed from the vicinity of E-Rantel.
Throughout the entire process, the soldiers stationed at the city gates remained oblivious, merely feeling a slight drowsiness and stifling a yawn.
Once they were completely clear of the Kingdom's border city, the group, led by the God-Human Captain, underwent a sudden shift in demeanor.
"Pick up the pace!" The God-Human Captain's deep red eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke softly without turning his head.
The Darkness Scripture was the Theocracy's clandestine unit. Had it not been for the Magic Tree's premature awakening, which had drawn the Adventurer's Guild's attention, they would not have appeared in the Kingdom's E-Rantel, but would have headed directly to their destination in the Tove Great Forest.
"Hasten!" The Four Elements, his gloomy face emerging from beneath his black hood, was the first to chant, as a faint blue light appeared beneath their feet. He then chanted again:
"Flowing Wind!"
Invisible currents of air were stirred, forming swirling gusts that gently lifted their bodies, reducing their weight.
"Ha~, accelerate!"
Infinite Mana, appearing as if he hadn't woken up yet, listlessly raised his wrinkled sleeve, his drowsy movements not slowing him as he quietly chanted in succession:
"Greater Agility!"
Layers of magical light enveloped everyone present once more.
The next moment.
— Whoosh!
With a burst of speed, the ground beneath their feet stirred up a whirlwind, and they vanished from the spot, transforming into black arrows and rapidly advancing towards the Tove Great Forest.
Within the Darkness Scripture, there were two magic casters who had stepped into the Hero Domain, and they also possessed the means of teleportation.
Using teleportation magic would seem much more convenient!
However, teleportation required the caster to have previously visited the destination. Without a precise location, they could only move in the general direction.
With so many people present, even if two of them knew teleportation magic, transporting everyone to the destination in one go would consume a significant amount of mana.
From E-Rantel to the Tove Great Forest, even by carriage, would take the better part of a day!
Yet, with the magical enhancements, the God-Human Captain and his group arrived at the forest's edge in less than 20 minutes!
"Lady Kerry."
The God-Human Captain's feet crunched on the decaying leaves as his sharp gaze swept across the dense, inky forest ahead. Turning his head, he inquired, "Should we take a short rest?"
"Ho ho." Kerry's wrinkled face broke into a smile, a bead of sweat emerging from the crevices of her forehead. She gently shook her head.
"This old woman is old, but not so old that she needs to rest after walking such a short distance."
"The Destruction Dragon Lord has just awakened. To prevent further unrest and unnecessary consequences, the sooner we resolve this, the better."
She had once been an existence who had stepped into the Hero Domain, but with age and declining physical strength, her power was no longer what it once was.
She was indeed somewhat fatigued, but it wouldn't have much of an impact. Besides, it wouldn't require this old woman to fight.
Kerry's aged, rough hand gently stroked the true divine artifact, a qipao-style garment adorned with golden, mysterious patterns. A deep worry flickered in the depths of her eyes.
"The existence of the God-Humans" was the Theocracy's ultimate strength in protecting humanity. The God-Humans, who had inherited the bloodline of the Six Great Gods and undergone ancestral reversion, had already surpassed the realm of "strength."
Therefore!
All information regarding the God-Humans was sealed by the Theocracy, because if this matter were to leak, it could lead to dire consequences, potentially sparking a battle with the remaining True Dragon Lords.
Further, even the Theocracy could be affected and destroyed, and humanity would face a cataclysmic disaster!
"The Destruction Dragon Lord's premature awakening has already caused an impact. It would be fine if it only circulated within the Kingdom, but if the Council State were to notice..."
Kerry's mind was on high alert as she silently thought, "This mission to capture the Destruction Dragon Lord, carrying the true divine artifact... I hope I'm just overthinking things."
In any case!
The sooner they dealt with the Destruction Dragon Lord, the lower the risk.
Seeing that Lady Kerry was fine, the God-Human Captain chuckled softly, nodded, and waved his arm, preparing to set off again.
"Captain," the Four Elements said with a brief hesitation, suddenly speaking up.
"Hmm?"
The God-Human Captain was visibly surprised, his red eyes darting in the darkness as he turned to face the Four Elements. He didn't ask anything, but simply stared at him in silence.
The others wore expressions of surprise, more of them were puzzled, wondering why the Four Elements, who was usually so taciturn, would speak up at this moment.
"Oh my~" Clementine reached out from within her chest robes, lightly flicking a button with one finger, staring at the Four Elements with curious strangeness, "Is there some action on the adults' side that I don't know about?"
Facing the gazes of everyone present.
Sweat beaded on "Four Elements'" forehead, especially under the God-Human Captain's gaze, which made him feel a sense of chilling dread.
However.
The thought that even Killing Death had fallen at that man's hands greatly reduced the pressure in his heart.
"It's like this, Captain."
"Four Elements" respectfully bowed, slightly lowering his head to conceal the panic in his eyes:
"The information provided by 'Astrology Thousand Miles' and the Kingdom's subjugation force tentatively indicates that the Destruction Dragon Lord has not fully revived."
"The Destruction Dragon Lord's true combat power and abilities are even more unclear. I personally think, should we leave a member on the periphery as backup or to prepare for special circumstances?"
As soon as he said this.
"Astrology Thousand Miles" raised a finger and pressed it against her eye socket. She thought this was a good idea, and her eyes glanced at the Captain's position.
However, the Captain still had the final say!
"Proceed as planned..."
The God-Human Captain said coldly, a hint of disdain flashing across his face. He had no interest in making any boring arrangements.
The Destruction Dragon Lord was a good opponent, worthy of a challenge. Moreover, with the existence of a True Godly Artifact, there was no possibility of failure.
"Additional arrangements, huh..."
An old and gentle voice suddenly rang out, interrupting the God-Human Captain's words: "A cautious idea."
"Elder Kerry?" the God-Human Captain asked.
"What do you think, 'Darkness Scripture'?" Elder Kerry asked with a smile in a soft voice.
"In that case, let's leave a member on the periphery," the God-Human Captain frowned, slightly annoyed, and said: "'Four Elements'."
Even though he felt it was an insignificant matter!
The God-Human Captain still made the most reasonable arrangement. Among the entire Darkness Scripture, only three were the most mobile.
"Four Elements," "Infinite Mana," and "Heaven and Earth."
The former two had mastered teleportation magic, while the latter was a pure assassin-type powerhouse. However, if unexpected situations really arose, the two who had mastered teleportation magic would have more ways to respond!
"Infinite Mana?"
Given this lazy companion's personality, if there were no outsiders present, he would definitely choose to slack off.
Among the three, "Four Elements" was the most suitable.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The God-Human Captain and his group entered the forest and disappeared, leaving only "Four Elements" behind, stationed on the periphery of the Tove Great Forest.
Until everyone's figures completely disappeared from perception.
"Phew, it's a good thing there were no mistakes." "Four Elements'" tense nerves relaxed, and a bitter smile appeared on his gloomy middle-aged face as he deeply exhaled.
"Why would the adults make this arrangement?"
"Four Elements" silently muttered to himself, unable to understand.
Inside the forest.
The crisp sound of dry branches and leaves rubbing against each other was drowned out by the occasional chirping of insects and the roars of wild beasts.
Flap flap~
A sparrow-sized bird, completely blended into the night, glided between the trees, stopping on its own after flying a certain distance.
Banshee Bird!
A monster summoned by a 2nd-tier magic beast.
It doesn't have the aura of a monster itself, and it's the same as ordinary birds, very fragile, but it can synchronize its vision with the caster.
Abelion Hills.
Deep inside, starlight twinkled.
Tang Zheng felt the cool breeze in the valley, slightly closed his eyes, and leaned against a temporary wooden chair, quietly observing.
The Banshee Bird wasn't summoned by him, but by a Shadow Clone, and even the Shadow Clone wasn't by his side.
Instead, he deliberately teleported to the human border.
The Banshee Bird first transmits the images it sees to the Shadow Clone, and then the Shadow Clone transmits the images to Tang Zheng, forming a completely independent single-line connection!
Remote sensing magic like "Astrology Thousand Miles" is useful, but it is easily affected by anti-detection magic, or even noticed.
This method is safer!
What Tang Zheng was wary of wasn't the Theocracy.
The Darkness Scripture group alone posed no threat to him. As long as he was willing, he could defeat this top-tier covert unit with his own power at any time.
Tang Zheng was concerned about whether the Magic Tree's premature revival had drawn the attention of the Platinum Dragon Lord from the Council State.
Given the Platinum Dragon Lord's personality, it was highly likely that upon noticing the Theocracy deploying the Darkness Scripture, he would, as in the original story, lurk in the shadows to observe them.
The Platinum Dragon Lord probably didn't know much about the God-Human Captain either.
The revival of the Magic Tree provided
an excellent opportunity to observe the "God-Human" and gather related intelligence.
Tang Zheng didn't believe the Platinum Dragon Lord wouldn't want to get his hands on things like the Six Great Gods' legacies and the World-Class Item, Alluring Beauty.
However, perhaps due to some agreement with the Theocracy and the Dark God Surshana, or limited information, the Platinum Dragon Lord hadn't taken any rash actions.
"Hopefully, my luck won't be too bad," Tang Zheng muttered to himself as he continued to observe.
-- Early Morning.
5:21 AM.
A sliver of light appeared on the eastern horizon.
The God-Human Captain and his team had arrived at the "Great Forest Rift" area, a wasteland deep in the northern part of the Tove Great Forest.
The ground, covered in withered tree ruins, was riddled with massive craters, remnants of the battle where Anri and the others resisted the Magic Tree's attacks.
"These marks are at least a hundred meters long each."
A burly man covered in white fur, codenamed "Human Strongest," held a massive black axe taller than himself, gazing intensely at the battle scars:
"To withstand such power is truly remarkable... this probably exceeds the scope of 'remarkable.'"
The praise was clearly directed at Anri, as Astrology Thousand Miles had informed everyone present about the events that had transpired there.
The other members, observing the remnants of the battle, fell into silence or contemplation, clearly immersing themselves in the fight and making deductions.
"The Kingdom is so corrupt, yet it faces one variable after another." The elderly Kerry, with his hands clasped behind his back and his upper body hunched, sighed.
It was obvious to everyone that
the rise of the Bahharuth Empire was inevitable, yet the Kingdom had produced three Adamantite Rank Adventurer teams and achieved a great victory in this battle.
This outcome
was not what the Theocracy wanted to see!
The elderly Kerry shook his head. Such troublesome matters were for those priest elders to worry about. What mattered now was the task at hand.
"Astrology Thousand Miles!" the elderly Kerry said.
"Yes, Kerry-sama – Life Detection, High Intensity!"
The half-rimmed glasses on Astrology Thousand Miles' nose emitted a faint pink glow, quickly locking onto a location ahead:
"It's there. The Destruction Dragon Lord hasn't fully revived, so its active time is short. There's a life sign there."
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The team members quickly dispersed, forming a circle to protect the elderly Kerry in the center, their eyes fixed on the front.
"Destruction Dragon Lord, huh... let me see just how strong you are."
The God-Human Captain cracked his neck, raised the somewhat dilapidated spear in his hand, and a fiery excitement flashed in his red pupils:
"We just need to attack that location, right?"
"Yes, Captain," Astrology Thousand Miles replied respectfully, clutching the pink handbag-shaped magic item tightly in his right hand, and cautiously said:
"The magic item you possess can cause devastating damage to magic seals, so it should be able to destroy the Destruction Dragon Lord's seal."
"Well... I can't judge the specific effect."
"Is that so?" The God-Human Captain smiled indifferently, a sharp glint in his eyes. He raised his right arm, gripping the spear in reverse, while a ring on his left finger emitted a beam of light:
"Magic Destruction."
"Full Power Projection Strike."
The light from the magic ring enveloped the entire spear, and the dilapidated spear transformed into a dark red streak of light, flying towards the location just indicated by Astrology Thousand Miles.
The team members instantly became vigilant, waiting for the Destruction Dragon Lord to be forcibly revived.
However!
In the next moment, a silver-white spear suddenly flew from afar, colliding with the spear that the God-Human Captain had just launched.
Boom!
A loud explosion echoed through the air.
Both spears were repelled by the force of the impact. The silver-white spear returned in the direction it came from, while the dilapidated spear fell to the ground, its shaft vibrating and humming!
The sudden change stunned everyone!
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