The black and white magic that was enough to terrify anyone with keen perception disappeared without a trace like a drop of water merging into the sea.
It was as if it had never appeared, without even a trace of excess energy ripples escaping.
Only Rita herself knows that she is probably the only one in the Holy Dragon Continent who can extract such a perfect "gift" through time.
And it has been perfectly encapsulated within this surging core of life.
She casually threw the Blood Vine Heart back to the almost collapsed Great Shaman.
"Here, take it! This is the 'tribute' you prepared for the little prince. There is no time to waste."
Rita's tone was as relaxed as if she was talking about the weather. She stretched her body, stood up from the animal skin throne, and glanced at the orcs below who were silent as a mouse.
"Oh, by the way, seeing how pitiful you all are, I'll give you another piece of information for free." As if she had just remembered, she pointed in the direction of the tribe's outskirts, "There are six... well, they could be considered mercenaries, right? They're heading towards you.
"The target is probably this precious heart in your hands. If you don't want the little prince's 'gift' to be stolen, you'd better prepare as soon as possible..."
Before she finished her words, Rita's figure was like a phantom blown away by the wind. In the blank gazes of the orcs of the Deadwood Tribe, it faded away silently, as if it had never appeared.
Only the faint scent of the witch lingering in the air proved that the suffocating feeling of oppression just now was not an illusion.
…
A few miles away from the edge of the Deadwood Tribe, above a depression covered with rotten leaves, the air fluctuated imperceptibly, and Rita's figure reappeared.
She stretched lazily, as if she had just been taking a walk.
The ruby-like amber eyes narrowed slightly, seemingly casually looking in a certain foggy direction of the Lor Swamp.
And that was exactly the route that Mark's team was rushing towards.
A hint of playful and slightly disdainful chuckle spread across her lips.
"Heh, can you young fools successfully get this 'gift'?"
She seemed to be mumbling to herself, her fingertips unconsciously twirling a strand of her red hair. "The new recruits we've brought in are really becoming more and more useless. They can't even be stumbling blocks in my way. You little brats have gotten in front of me so quickly... Tsk, they've really attracted a group of incredible young people!"
Her eyes instantly became sharp and dangerous, like a female leopard locking onto its prey, and the laziness completely disappeared.
"Whatever." Rita snorted softly, a hint of cold interest on the corner of her mouth. "That bastard Yingyi doesn't want to work, so I have to do the hard work. Since we're here... I'll just play with you guys for a while."
As soon as she finished speaking, her figure slowly merged into the humid air of the swamp like a phantom, leaving only the faint cold breath that drifted away with the wind.
…
The cold night wind swept through the Deadwood Tribe on the edge of the Lor Swamp, carrying with it the stench of rotting branches and soil.
Team Mark's figures were like sharp blades blending into the shadows, silently approaching the mission target.
"Something's wrong." Monica's wine-red eyes scanned the darkness. The faint light of the [Ring of Truth (IX)] was almost gone, and only a calm voice echoed in the four people's minds, "It's too quiet. The map shows it's a medium-sized tribe, and there's not even a secret outpost on the periphery."
Enzo's already short body was even lowered slightly, his dark skin glistening in the dim starlight. He gripped the huge rune forging hammer tightly and growled in a deep voice:
"Fuck! Did those green-skinned guys run away because they knew we were coming?"
The mysterious smile on Mark's face also faded, and his brows were furrowed.
He stopped and closed his eyes. His mental power spread out into the tribe like invisible tentacles through the Soul Harmonizer's keen perception of the fluctuations of life and soul.
After a few breaths, he suddenly opened his eyes:
"Empty! The entire tribe... there's no sign of life! No orcs, not even large living livestock!"
Anna's eyes flashed with confusion. "Run away? But the intelligence said they just successfully performed a blood sacrifice and obtained the 'Blood Vine Heart'. Why would they suddenly evacuate?"
"Go in and take a look!"
Mark made a prompt decision. The cross necklace flashed in his hand, and the heavy giant cross sword was already in his hand.
The four of them maintained their battle formation and cautiously stepped into the tribe's territory.
The scene before him immediately confirmed Mark's perception.
The animal-skin tents still stand in rows, and the rough stone totem poles and campfire stands remain in their place.
In the fire pits in front of several tents, the firewood was still crackling and burning, with warm yellow flames dancing, as if the owners had only left for a short time.
However, inside the tents and living areas, the weapons, personal belongings, and even the thick animal skins that should have belonged to the orc warriors had all disappeared without a trace.
Only some messy traces were left on the ground, as if they had been swept away or dragged in a hurry.
An eerie silence hung in the air, broken only by the sound of the wind and the crackling of the campfire.
"What the hell..." Enzo stepped on the soft mud with his huge paws and looked around. "Moving is like being chased by a dog? They didn't even put out the bonfire?"
He spat, and smashed his lava fist into a piece of dead wood nearby, sending wood chips flying.
Monica squatted down, her fingertips brushing over a mark that had clearly been dragged by a heavy object. She quickly checked the insides of several tents and spoke in her usual calm voice:
"The evacuation was extremely hasty, but very orderly. Large items couldn't be taken away, and all the supplies and weapons were cleared out. In some tents, there wasn't even time to fully process the freshly prepared dinner. This shows that they received the news very urgently and acted almost immediately."
Her fingers brushed against the rough animal-hide curtain at the entrance of a tent, and her identification magic spread out, trying to capture any remaining scent.
She frowned slightly. "There's a very faint... strange residual magic... not orcish, nor wood-type... as if... it's been forcibly dispelled by some higher-level power?"
She shook her head uncertainly.
Mark's cross sword was planted on the ground, his face gloomy enough to drip water. "This Rotten Ivy Alliance leaks information like a sieve! They just gave us the mission, and the target ran away right after? And he ran away so cleanly?
"Either someone deliberately sold the information to the orcs, or someone within the alliance wants to kill us and let other teams take advantage!"
At this time, he couldn't help but think of what the thief said, "six teams of people robbing."
They galloped all the way, prepared for a tough battle, but the enemy just slipped away. It felt more painful than fighting a tough battle.
Just as the four of them were inspecting this strange empty camp, doubts arose in their hearts and they directed their anger towards the Rotten Ivy Alliance.
"kill!!!"
"Don't let them get away! The stuff is inside!"
"Surround them! Don't let any one go!"
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