Agatha protected the small flame in her hand and took another step, heading deeper into the second waterway.

In fact, she had lost her sense of time, and even her perception of everything around her had become blurred. She could no longer remember how long she had been trudging in this damp and cold place, how many monsters she had killed, and how many wounds she had sustained in the process. For a period of time, she even forgot her own name and why she appeared in this sewer.

But when the green flame danced in her palm, she would always regain her sanity and remember the only and ultimate mission -

【Take the fire and send it to the nests of heretics. 】

A cold wind blew from the dark corridor ahead, and the wind seemed to carry layers of whispers and roars. Agatha's body shook. She sensed the presence of malice in the wind, and she carefully hid the flame in her hand within the tattered inner layer of her black clothes.

We must hide it well and not let the heretics find out.

She raised her head and looked into the depths of the darkness, seeing countless shapeless shadows swaying in the wind. The gas lamps on the corridor walls had dimmed to the point where only a tiny glow like fireflies remained. Dirty black mud seeped out little by little from the surrounding ceilings and pipe grilles, squirming, aggregating, and taking shape, making a sickening murmur.

Agatha lifted up the cane that was covered with scars just like her own. For some reason, she felt full of strength again, and the annoying feeling of fatigue had quietly disappeared.

She slammed her cane on the ground, her eyes fixed on the blasphemous and filthy things surging in the darkness. The end of the cane hit the ground, making a roar like the sound of a huge bell.

“Boom—”

The elevator creaked, and the car sank shakily into the depths of the mine. The guard who was on guard at the edge of the elevator car suddenly raised his head and said to his comrade beside him with some doubt: "Did you hear any sound just now?"

"It seemed like a thump," another guard said doubtfully, and then subconsciously turned his head and glanced at the gatekeeper standing in the middle of the car, "Just like... just like..."

It was like the sound of the gatekeeper striking the "death knell" with his cane before the operation to purify the heretics began - he wanted to say it, but didn't say it out loud.

Because the gatekeeper is here, she is resting with her eyes closed.

Agatha opened her eyes, as if she had heard the conversation of her subordinates. She glanced around, then silently walked to the edge of the car surrounded by guardrails and looked down.

"Gatekeeper," the guard who had spoken earlier came over and said hesitantly, "There seemed to be some noise coming from below just now. Could there be someone else moving in the mine?"

"We are the only ones here," Agatha said without looking back, "Don't pay attention to the noise just now."

The subordinates retreated temporarily, but Agatha still looked at the endless and hazy darkness below.

This is the boiling gold mine, the largest vertical passage leading to the lower excavation area. Even deep in the mountain, fog... is still everywhere.

Normal fog would certainly not be able to spread to such a place, but these strange fogs were obviously the result of supernatural powers. They seemed to penetrate everywhere as if they had consciousness, and in areas with dim lights and deep underground, the fog was filled as if it appeared out of thin air.

The mine elevator creaked and continued to descend in the hazy fog. Occasionally, dim groups of light could be seen moving upwards around - they were gas lamps and electric lights installed in the vertical shaft. They looked so weak that when viewed through the fog, they were as small as the faint light of fireflies.

But in any case, the equipment in the mine is obviously still functioning - the ventilation system, power pipes, lighting system, lifting equipment... are all operating normally.

Of course, one must be extra careful when using machinery and equipment at times like this. Agatha sent a priest to check the condition of the elevator before deciding to use it - a safer option would be to use the stairs and ramps in the emergency passage to go down the shaft, but that would be too time-consuming and physically demanding.

"I hope this thing doesn't break down when we get up there," a young Guardian soldier muttered quietly, "The freight car and track that crashed out of control on the hillside before were really impressive."

"Can't you say something nice at a time like this?" Another older guard frowned, "Everyone is on the elevator - if you're really nervous, just jump off. There will definitely be no problems during free fall."

"No, no, no, I was just saying it casually. This thing looks very solid and stable, there will definitely be no problems..."

At this time, another nun with short hair heard the conversation between the two warriors and came over to say, "But I heard that there is a female judge in the distant city-state of Plande who can jump directly from the cliff to the rocky beach to kill the 'offspring'. She will definitely be fine if she jumps from here..."

The two guards were silent for two seconds, then said in unison: "...Is that still a human?!"

"I just heard that..."

The soldiers were talking, which would not affect their subsequent actions, but it could dilute the tension brought about by the continuous descent in the darkness - the guards were also human beings and they also needed to relax their nerves.

Agatha had her back to them, neither joining in nor stopping her subordinates - she just listened quietly, with a faint smile on her face.

Contrary to what many people think, the gatekeeper who usually appears serious and steady is actually always peaceful and tolerant towards his subordinates.

At this moment, the sound of tightened cables and friction of the braking system came from all around, interrupting the communication between the guards.

The elevator car began to slow down and gradually stopped in an open and cold place.

"This is the traffic point on the first level," Agatha looked around and saw the nearest support structure, lighting system, and the slightly messy mining equipment on the nearby open space. The mine workers who evacuated in a hurry obviously failed to take everything with them, and traces of the chaos could be seen everywhere. "Where is the traffic map?"

"Here," a pastor immediately stepped forward and handed the gatekeeper the traffic map he brought from the Mining Affairs Bureau when he set out, "We are now at the No. 2 shaft."

Agatha took the blueprint and compared the surrounding environment with the data while walking down the elevator. At the same time, she recalled the information she had obtained from the mine manager before going down the mine: "The underground road vehicle leading to the excavation area has stopped operating. The only way to get to the excavation area is to walk. Follow the red route signs. There will be a ramp leading to the mining operation surface 150 meters away."

She raised her head and checked the situation around her again.

"Check the surroundings first, set up a safe point, and then go deeper."

The subordinates got busy. The guards went to confirm the safety of each traffic checkpoint. The priests and nuns began to carry out a simple purification of the open space around the elevator and set up altars and sacred objects.

Agatha was walking around casually.

She stopped in front of a transfer box that had fallen to the ground and had not been taken away in time.

The transfer box was made of iron with a tin partition lining inside. The lid was not fastened and had been broken open after it fell to the ground, so the contents could be seen inside - some ore that had been broken into small pieces.

The ores have a dim metallic texture, and on the dark skin you can see light golden lines that look like blood vessels.

"It should be the sample for inspection that is prepared to be taken up with the shift change personnel." A middle-aged guard came over and judged with experience.

Because they needed to investigate the mine conditions, about half of the subordinates Agatha brought with her this time were guards who had been on long-term missions in the Boiling Gold Mine area. Although they were not professional miners, they had some experience with the conditions here.

"Boiling gold ore?"

Agatha's expression was serious. She used her cane to fiddle with a few pieces of ore that had fallen on the ground. Then she bent down, picked up a piece and examined it carefully.

After a moment, she handed the ore to the middle-aged guard and said, "Check it out."

"It's a good quality ore. It looks like it only needs a simple crushing and screening before it can be sent to the furnace. However, I'm not sure about the yield... I need professionals."

Agatha frowned: "That's it? No problem?"

"I don't see any problem, it's just the ore," the guard said calmly, and then asked with some confusion, "Do you have any questions?"

Agatha silently picked up a piece of boiling gold ore, and looked at it for a long time before she spoke softly: "What I am going to say next is just a guess, but it is also confidential - only the personnel participating in this operation can know it, and they must know it after going down the mine."

The guard standing opposite her was slightly startled, but the next second, a solemn and serious expression appeared on the warrior's face.

Surprised, but not panicked; unexpected, but not at a loss.

Because every priest who is qualified to follow the gatekeeper to perform missions - whether they are guards, nuns or priests, have been selected by the church. They have all sworn an oath and signed a contract under Bartok's watchful eyes.

Everyone is fully aware of the uniqueness of his or her mission, and knows how strange and tricky the events that the gatekeepers need to handle personally will be. In these operations deep into the darkness, anything may be confidential. Things that were ordinary one second may become taboos that must be isolated from the civilized world the next. Even the people participating in the operation may become part of the "secret" at any time.

After all, some things, even if you just "know" them, will leave eroding cracks in the real world; even if you just leave an "impression" in the mind of the person involved, it will cast a shadow on future loss of control.

Agatha looked up and saw that the temporary altar and holy relics had been set up and the safe point had been established.

"Everyone, gather - I have something to announce."