Chapter 1128 The Mechanism of Defense <TOC> Chapter 1130 The Weeping La Sutherland
Translator: SumTLMan
What Nythotep referred to as a secret passage was in truth not quite a subterranean passage.
Indeed, not a single door exists leads to this underground passage.
In order to gain access to this underground passageway, one would need to tear through the earth itself.
Iadase was well aware of the subterranean network, yet he also knew that the entire maze was inscribed with runes. A slight disturbance could trigger a backlash from these runes. These were runes put in place by the Cruel Scholar. Should a backlash occur, even if it doesn’t result in death, it would certainly bring unbearable discomfort to Iadase.
The section of passage that Nythotep spoke of, free of rune hubs, was entirely new information even for Iadase.
“Follow me, this passage is not in the vicinity of the Void Obelisk, but at the fringe of the Shadow Mist Zone,” explained Nythotep as she took the lead.
On hearing this, Iadase’s heart fluttered with joy. The fact that it was not near the Void Obelisk meant they were unlikely to encounter any powerful beings. The shadows at the periphery of the Shadow Mist Zone were more like sentinels with relatively low power.
While leading the way, Nythotep exchanged information with Iadase.
“Komodo has taken those two idiots’ blood cocoons to the Demon Blood Pool, they should be safe for now.” The Demon Blood Pool, while dependent on La Sutherland for existence, actually dwelled in an alternate dimension. Even if human wizards were to locate it, it would require a substantial amount of time. Unless they possessed the ability to instantly destroy countless alternate dimensions at the same coordinate, much like the earlier Chaos Magic Cannon, but Nythotep was confident that the human wizards could not possess many of such capabilities.
After briefly explaining the situation, Nythotep inquired, “The birth of the Shadow Mist Zone was due to the breach of the basement seal. Do you know who did it?”
“Only Iuppiter is capable of such a feat, but he has no reason to break the basement seal. That’s why I worry; could a human have tricked Iuppiter?”
Iadase’s response mirrored Nythotep’s own thoughts almost entirely, yet she couldn’t help but remain puzzled, “If it was indeed the work of humans, how could they find Iuppiter within the Void Obelisk? And with numerous barriers within the Void Obelisk, any human intrusion would be instantly detected by Iuppiter.”
“Everything will only become clear once we’ve entered the Void Obelisk,” sighed Iadase.
“No matter if it was Iuppiter’s doing or not, this entire incident must be linked to that fool!” Nythotep grumbled with a grimace. The so-called seven seats of the Void Obelisk were filled with fools, imbeciles, and arrogant beings. Sometimes she even questioned whether she should continue to stay in La Sutherland.
With their minds filled with thoughts, they moved forward.
Suddenly, Nythotep twitched her nose, “Do you smell the stench of blood?”
“I do. Isn’t it quite normal?” Iadase was puzzled. It had detected the scent of blood several times while traversing the Shadow Mist Zone and didn’t find anything unusual… In fact, it would be odd if there was no smell of blood in the demon city.
“It’s the scent of demon blood,” said Nythotep, “Judging by the intensity of the smell, it seems it’s not long since death occurred.”
“Not long ago, it must’ve been the demons outside who entered the Shadow Mist Zone to explore and were slain by the shadowy figures,” Iadase recalled. When previously questioned, these external demons revealed that a considerable number had ventured into the Shadow Mist Zone, yet none returned; they were most likely killed by the shadows.
Nythotep suddenly halted, her gaze drawn towards a specific spot, and gradually moved towards it.
A pool of blood stained the ground. The smell of blood she had previously picked up originated from here. Beside the puddle, a trident was embedded in the earth.
“Even if the shadows killed them, how is it that among all the demons who ventured here for exploration, not a single corpse is to be seen?” As Nythotep spoke, she pulled out the trident. There wasn’t a scratch on it — what did this imply?
A scene flashed across Nythotep’s mind: A demon, cautiously treading into the Shadow Mist Zone, was preparing to investigate the surrounding anomalies when it was swiftly murdered by a shadow. The demon’s trident was hurled into the air, spinning several times before plunging into the ground. Upon the demon’s death, a surge of fresh blood flowed from its wounds, staining the soil…
This picture was a conjecture, a filling in of the gaps by Nythotep. However, given the current environment and circumstances, it was likely accurate. What was peculiar, though, was that while there was a pool of blood and a trident present, where was the demon’s corpse?
Nythotep’s words made Iadase pause. Since his arrival in the Shadow Mist Zone, he had indeed not seen a single demon corpse, yet the scent of blood was intermittently detectable.
“Could it be that these shadows also corrode corpses?”
Nythotep shook her head, a spark flashing in her eyes, “No, haven’t you realized the true nature of these shadows?”
True nature? The visible form is shadows, while their mental perception reveals a multitude of shapes — isn’t that their true nature?
Nythotep shook her head again, “These shadows, they all carry the essence of that Demon God.”
Iadase froze for a moment before his realization hit like a thunderbolt! He had felt a sense of familiarity when he saw the Abyss Dragon earlier, and now, pointed out by Nythotep, he understood the root of this familiarity!
The Abyss Dragon’s essence was identical to the aura radiated by the Void Obelisk, to the point that the Abyss Dragon by the Obelisk seemed to blend seamlessly with it!
And the Void Obelisk itself exuded the power of——Rune Literature!
Could it be that all the shadows here were in fact Rune Entities?
Iadase had visited the Sin World, where he witnessed wizards using modified rune cards. These rune cards sealed various entities, including extraordinary beings.
How similar to the situation in the Shadow Mist Zone!
Moreover, considering that the Cruel Scholar personally arranged the basement of the Void Obelisk, everything started making sense!
“They’re all runes!” When a rune shatters, if the node is undamaged and there is sufficient energy, it can resurrect — which also aligns with the depiction in the mural.
“Indeed, their essence as runes makes them even more formidable,” Nythotep exclaimed. The Void Obelisk has stood for untold years, and the mechanism at its summit has absorbed an unimaginable amount of void energy. The copious energy is enough to perpetually resurrect these runes until they exhaust any invader to death. It must be said, this is undoubtedly a work of the Cruel Scholar.
Realizing that these shadows are runes, the previous problem becomes a stalemate: runes certainly don’t need the bodies of demons, so these demon corpses must have disappeared due to other factors!
Nythotep and Iadase exchanged a glance, “Could it be that this external factor is the cause of the appearance of the Shadow Mist Zone?”
“Could it have been Iuppiter’s doing? Iuppiter seems to have a habit of consuming demon corpses, right?” Iadase posed the question.
“Even if that fool eats demon corpses, he would choose those with tender meat.” Nythotep scoffed, “For instance, the Panaces Succubus who’s busy cosying up to titans outside.”
Mentioning Hai, Iadase’s face fell.
Nythotep did not continue to provoke Iadase. Among the seven Great Demons, Iadase probably had the clearest understanding of reality. However, just like Eudecernos, he was obsessed with the Panaces Succubus.
“An external factor definitely exists, and it’s this external factor that caused the anomaly of the Void Obelisk. However, what this external factor actually is, is currently difficult to determine. We will only be able to ascertain it once we enter the Void Obelisk,” Nythotep paused, “We’re almost there, the passage without the rune node is just ahead.”
Nythotep and Iadase stopped behind a building.
They halted because on the ground corresponding to the passage, two shadows were lingering nearby.
The destination was a domed building. To break through the ground and enter the tunnel, they had to infiltrate this domed building. However, those two shadows were atop the dome of the building.
Embarking on an undetected venture into the building seemed a task nearly impossible, akin to silently navigating a nest of sleeping dragons.
“Nythotep delineated, “We must address these two shadow entities and decisively at that.” Following the spell cast by Iadase, they shut their eyes, employing their mental senses to perceive the true form of these ethereal silhouettes.
While these entities remained shrouded in darkness, their power and energy fluctuations remained undetectable. Only upon viewing their actual form through mental sense, could an assessment of their strength be made.
What took them by surprise was that these shadowy presences represented an Abyssal native and an eagle.
The image of the Abyssal native was an aged man, bearing the weight of countless seasons. He sat cross-legged on the rooftop, eyes shut, garbed in an antiquated robe, with a wooden staff resting in his hand.
The eagle seemed no different from an ordinary one, save for the handcrafted feathered crown it wore atop its head.
“Eh, I can’t discern his aura?” Iadase was fixated on the native, noticing the eagle at his side seemed complementary to him, much like the leopard-riding native they’d previously encountered.
When Iadase glanced back at Nythotep, they found her features knotted in worry, a picture of brewing tension.
“I can’t sense his aura either.” Nythotep was clear-headed. The Cruel Scholar wouldn’t leave ordinary runes behind, so the absence of the native’s aura signified something extraordinary about him.
“Can a native be this powerful?”
“Drop your prejudice. Did you ever think that a half-demon could become a Lord?” Nythotep sneered. “Also, the Cruel Scholar’s runes must have a real basis. This native might be a figure from before the gods’ downfall.”
“Your words carry weight. Yet instead of speculating about his might, why not test him firsthand?”
As Iadase and Nythotep began devising a strategy, Nythotep suddenly said, “Have you noticed? That eagle… it seems to be watching us.”
Chapter 1128 The Mechanism of Defense <TOC> Chapter 1130 The Weeping La Sutherland