Chapter 536, Section 535: The Abandoned Church (Thanks to the guild leader, Dada's Frost Moon)
When death was imminent, Mengya was genuinely...cowardly.
"I'll talk! I'll tell you everything! I'm willing to do anything! I just beg you gentlemen to spare my worthless life!" She blurted out in fluent, almost accent-free universal human language, which surprised Vera and the other two.
They had been prepared to use a precious scroll of written words for interrogation, but now it seems they can save that effort.
Mengya tried to open her already watery eyes wide, making them appear even more pitiful in fear and pleading, and stared straight at Vera, attempting to evoke even the slightest bit of pity in the human before her.
If that scimitar continued to be held to her neck, she would be terrified.
"Watch out for the charm!" Fei Yin rushed forward and threw a small pinch of disturbing powder at Meng Ya's eyes.
"I didn't! I didn't use charm! Ouch!!! My eyes!" Mengya immediately forgot about the knife at her neck, covered her burning, stinging eyes with both hands, and curled up on the ground, rolling around in pain.
“Feiyin, she definitely didn’t use her charm ability,” Vera said.
"I've never seen a real seduction before. The way she looked at you, I thought..." Fei Yin retreated somewhat awkwardly, muttering softly.
After this experience, Mengya never dared to look anyone in the eye again.
Her red, tearful eyes were fixed on the ground, her body trembling slightly from pain and fear, afraid of causing any further unnecessary misunderstandings.
The interrogation went very smoothly, and she confessed everything in one go when questioned.
Not only have two teams of human adventurers gone missing in this area, but some demons have also disappeared nearby. She and her goblin partner, Stinky Fish, were sent to scout the situation.
Although their strength was not outstanding among the demons, they were excellent at infiltration and reconnaissance. Unexpectedly, they were caught off guard and suffered a setback this time.
They did find some clues, but this also led to the exposure and arrest of the stinky fish.
"A cult..." This was somewhat unexpected for Vera. They had thought the only enemies nearby were demons, but they hadn't expected there to be a third party. "Then why don't you go back and get reinforcements immediately?"
"They should be starting the next round of sacrifices soon, and the reinforcements probably won't be able to save anyone in time..."
"So, you originally planned to go and rescue them yourself?" Vera subtly moved the scimitar in her hand back almost an inch.
Mengya keenly noticed this subtle change, and her survival instincts made her immediately follow up, her tone becoming even more earnest: "Yes...yes, but I'm too weak. I'm just anxious, I don't know what to do at all..."
As expected, Vera did not immediately pull the blade back.
Although it was still very close to her, the extreme pressure of the blade pressed against her skin and death looming at any moment was finally relieved for the time being.
Fei Ling's fingers never left the arrow nocked on the bowstring. She turned her head and glanced at Meng Ya: "What, do you demons also value 'friendship'?"
Now that she was at their mercy, Mengya dared not refute, and could only force a smile that was more like a grimace than a cry.
Based on the information provided by Mengya, the group found the group's trail without much trouble.
An abandoned church, used as a temporary base, stands abruptly on a relatively flat clearing deep in the mountains.
From a distance, one could see a few figures dressed in black robes moving in and out of the dilapidated doorways and walls. Among them were human silhouettes as well as demonic horns or tails, a mixed race that certainly fit the characteristics of that cult.
“Strange, there’s no sign of a church here on the map.” Felix unfolded the leather map scroll he carried with him, ran his fingertip across the area, and confirmed that there were no building markers.
Vera, carrying Mengya in one hand, carefully observed the outline of the distant building and whispered, "Perhaps it's one of the remnants of the mist."
It's not uncommon for the terrain to be altered or for buildings to appear or disappear out of nowhere after the fog dissipates.
A rough estimate suggests that this group of cultists entrenched in the church numbered at least thirty, with varying levels of strength, mostly between the bronze and silver ranks.
This discovery put the three of them at ease and relieved a lot of their pressure.
Fei Ling and Fei Yin turned their gazes to Vera, awaiting his decision.
Vera pondered for a moment, her gaze sweeping over the church: "Since they haven't performed the next sacrifice yet, Anton and the others might still be alive. If we turn back now to ask for help, it might be too late. Based on what we've observed so far, we might be able to handle this group of cultists. But remember, if we encounter an enemy we can't defeat, we must retreat immediately. Safety first."
"And what about her?" Fei Ling twisted her wrist, and the arrow she had been holding was pressed against Meng Ya's neck. "Kill her."
“I’ve told you everything! Didn’t we agree…” Mengya’s sobs and pleas were tightly covered by Feiling’s other hand, and the arrow on her neck pressed down even harder.
Vila stretched out his hand and gently grasped Felix's wrist, which was holding the arrow.
Seeing the questioning look in Fei Ling's eyes, he explained, "Saving people requires timing; she's still useful."
He then patted Mengya on the shoulder, whose face was flushed with fear: "We can try, within our means, to rescue your goblin partner. But you'll have to help out too."
Mengya nodded vigorously.
Finally, she took a burst arrow from the quiver and carefully ran into the depths of the woods.
"What if she's actually in cahoots with the cult and is just putting on an act?" Felix asked, staring at the succubus's receding figure.
“Then she will definitely try to notify her companions.” Vera took out a packet of powder from her pocket and handed it back to Feiyin. “I left tracking powder on her. If she tries to return, Feiyin will find out.”
Fei Yin took the bag of powder and nodded vigorously.
“If she can successfully detonate the exploding arrow and attract some of the cultists’ attention, we will have achieved our goal. If the arrow does not detonate,” he turned his gaze to the two sisters, “it will prove that everything she said before was unbelievable, and we will immediately withdraw our report.”
Although he desperately wanted to save Anton, Vera was more responsible for the safety of the two sisters, Feline and Feline.
If the risks significantly exceed expectations, he will have no choice but to seek assistance through a more prudent approach.
Vera didn't give much thought to whether Mengya might be carrying an instant remote communication device.
The kind of expensive equipment, usually with tight magical locks, would never be given to a minor character like her with mediocre strength.
Meanwhile, many thoughts churned in Mengya's mind.
After escaping Vera and the other two's control, she did consider fleeing the place.
But then the rotten fish would be beyond saving.
She didn't have the courage to single-handedly infiltrate a cult's hideout to rescue people.
But she still had the courage to make a big commotion from a relatively safe distance.
While it's uncertain whether Vera and the others will actually keep their word, at least... it gives that stinky fish a glimmer of hope...
"I...I've done right by you!"
In the end, she did as Vera said and activated the Explosive Arrow at a distance that was neither too close nor too far from the abandoned church.
Boom!
A dull thud echoed through the forest, startling a flock of birds into flight.
Not long after, there was movement in the direction of the abandoned church.
Nine cult members emerged from the broken gate and cautiously headed toward the direction from which the explosion had come.
After confirming that they had gone far away, Vera and her two companions quietly made their way toward the church.
Further away, on the outskirts of this mountain forest, a scout had just blasted a nasty slime to death with a single shot, even stomping on it a couple more times to completely crush its core before stopping, completely disregarding the slight corrosion.
Vibration Sensing LV10
Even though it was almost impossible to hear anything here, Puji still sensed the explosion through the vibrations.
Without much hesitation, the scout leaped lightly and disappeared into the forest.
There are more than one scout in the occupied area; wherever there's trouble, it's always good to take a look.
(End of this chapter)
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