“Look, those people have already ‘lurked’? Sneaky…” Ron muttered to himself.
"Outer perimeter security? Captain Kyle is being too cautious. It would be so much easier to just purify it directly!" Darren said somewhat unwillingly.
Rex winked at Jim: "See? I told you the Holy Light gentlemen like to set up a formation and push hard."
Jim chuckled: "Letting them go ahead and draw fire is fine, it'll give us a chance to... uh, I mean, to do some reconnaissance!"
As night fell, the putrid swamp was filled with nauseating smog and an even stronger stench of death.
Both teams arrived at their destinations as scheduled.
As planned, Kyle's team built a solid line of holy light at the edge of the swamp. Emilia's protective spell formed a pale golden halo, while Ruby began to chant a purification prayer in a low voice.
The soft light dispelled the surrounding miasma of death, and the commotion was indeed quite significant.
Just then, from the depths of the mud, several dark figures, like water flowing into the night, silently slid in.
It was Mark's squad.
Rick and Jim led the way, using their extensive experience and dark vision to avoid the mud traps.
Monica's shadow affinity makes her almost become part of her environment.
Enzo had exited the extreme mutation state and reverted to his dark-skinned dwarf form; in the darkness, only his row of large white teeth could be seen.
Anna's elven senses were alert to energy fluctuations that did not belong to necromancy. After discussion, they determined that clearing away necromancy should only be one aspect of this mission.
The key is to find and capture the people in the Rotten Vine Alliance.
Although Mark and Kyle did not communicate directly, they had already assigned their respective tasks.
Only those at the bottom are competing with each other.
Mark provided support from the center, his holy light restrained yet ready to erupt at any moment, while Little M on his shoulder stared with wide-eyed eyes, her seven-colored light flickering in the darkness.
As they went deeper, they soon discovered something unusual.
The center of the swamp was not a naturally formed gathering of the undead, but rather showed signs of being dug and arranged!
Some broken artifacts bearing the insignia of the Rotten Vine Alliance were scattered nearby.
More importantly, Little Mu keenly sensed a faint abyssal aura, which seemed to be trying to guide and strengthen the necromantic power of this place.
"Something's up!" Jim gestured, pointing to the dim, vengeful spirits swaying uncertainly in the mud.
They didn't seem to intend to attack the intruders; instead, they appeared to be deliberately blocking Mark and his group's path, preventing them from continuing their investigation.
Just then, the holy light purification from the outside seemed to stimulate something deep within the quagmire.
A sharp roar rang out, startling several "drowning vengeful spirits" whose forms were twisted and exuded intense resentment.
Enveloped in a thick miasma, it suddenly lunged at Ruby, who was maintaining the purification ritual!
"Ruby, watch out!" Kyle reacted quickly, his Judgment Light erupting instantly, a blazing white sword beam slashing towards the vengeful spirit charging at the front.
Emilia also hurriedly strengthened her protective measures.
But the vengeful spirits were incredibly fast and numerous, and it seemed the poisonous miasma and claws were about to reach Ruby.
"Roar!" A roar that seemed to come from the depths of the earth exploded out!
The short, stocky Enzo burst out of the shadows on the flank like a cannonball, his warhammer, burning with dark flames, slamming into a vengeful spirit and shattering its soul!
At the same time, Monica's figure appeared like a ghost on Ruby's other side. A dark, curved blade flashed with a cold light, and the dagger, wrapped in shadow magic, easily severed the claws of another vengeful spirit.
Anna's arrow pierced the poisonous miasma silently, embedding itself in the vengeful spirit's body. The accompanying natural power and the necromantic power within the spirit interfered with each other, causing it to momentarily succumb.
Mark raised his hand, and a condensed, almost tangible shield of holy light instantly formed in front of Ruby, blocking the final onslaught of the poisonous miasma.
The sudden and powerful assistance left Kyle's team, especially the "second-generation saints," dumbfounded.
“You…you all…” Ron was speechless for a moment, looking at Enzo, who stood in front of him like a god of war, and Monica, who was as ghostly as a ghost.
A glint of satisfaction flashed in Kyle's eyes. Compared to the others, how could he and Ruby possibly be ambushed?
The reason for revealing a flaw was to let Mark's team show their strength and make his young men from the Holy City realize that there are always people more capable than you.
Regardless of where these people will go in the church in the future, at least while they are in this unofficial team, they cannot let their differences affect the mission of the Thirteenth Holy Knights!
The thought flashed through his mind only for a moment, but his face quickly regained the seriousness befitting a commander, and he said in a deep voice:
"Don't get distracted! Focus! We've alerted the enemy. Quickly clear out these stragglers and prepare to advance deeper!"
Ruby looked at the holy light shield blocking her way and Monica, who was sheathing her dagger beside her, with a complicated expression, and whispered, "...Thank you."
Although she had convinced herself, Ruby still couldn't be as composed as Kyle.
She felt that after returning from this mission, she might need to go to the confessional in the Holy City Cathedral to reflect on her actions and confirm that her faith remained steadfast!
Monica simply nodded slightly, her figure disappearing back into the shadows.
Mark walked up to Kyle and said in a low voice, "There are traces of a ritual set up in the center, remnants of the abyss, and this."
He tossed Kyle a piece of metal covered in mud, with broken edges but still bearing the mark of the Rotten Vines.
"It looks like something left behind during a hasty evacuation. However, there's something inside that's catalyzing the undead, and it needs to be removed."
Kyle took the metal plate; it was icy to the touch, and the abyssal aura emanating from it made him frown.
"Understood. Let's work together and finish this quickly?"
“Hmm.” Mark nodded, their eyes met, and without a word, the unspoken understanding between the clergy was evident.
It was somewhat of a waste of talent for two high-ranking priests to work together to clear out a relatively small necropolis.
With the possibility that the members of the Rotten Vine Alliance had already escaped, the subsequent battle became a matter of efficiently clearing out the enemy.
Kyle's team's powerful group purification and frontal assault, combined with Mark's team's timely gap-filling and support, perfectly complemented each other.
After they rushed into the center of the mud and cleared away the surrounding vengeful spirits, they quickly found an altar with a bowl of fresh blood on it.
After Monica's examination, it was confirmed that the bowl of blood was actually the blood of an abyssal monster.
The group dared not be careless, so they entrusted Kyle and Ruby to purify and burn the bowl of blood simultaneously with holy light and holy flame.
This mission can be considered complete.
Compared to before Mark and Kyle joined, this mission was completed much more easily.
It turns out that the Grey Falcon Squad, whether it was Ron and his group or Rick and his group, finally realized that Lord Alfonso had delivered some powerful allies to them.
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