Chapter 982 Prepare an Escape Route <TOC> Chapter 984 Balalaika
Translator: SumTLMan
Angel could perceive a hint of concealed wrath in Sanders’ speech.
As the turmoil within the Abyss had already shown the first signs, everyone was in a state of self-preservation. Was Angel truly choosing this moment to come to the frontline?
Especially considering that not long ago, Sanders had just driven away Sumesh. No sooner had he collected himself, than another trouble arrived. At least when Sumesh came to the Abyss, he had the capability to protect himself. Angel’s presence on the frontline, on the other hand, seemed nothing short of reckless.
Sensing the edge in Sanders’ tone, Angel quickly changed the topic, “I came to the Abyss because there was something I needed to discuss with Mentor…Ahem, we’ll talk about that later. Actually, there’s been a bit of a situation here…”
“A situation? What happened?” Sanders was currently at the Silent Shore, albeit a distance away from Angel’s location.
“I can’t explain it all at once. I’ll let Master Bruen tell you.”
Bruen? Sanders paused. Was it the same person who was wholly dedicated to reviving the evil deity and was a troublesome follower of the dark faith? How did Angel end up in cahoots with such a dangerous character?
While he was pondering, he heard an unfamiliar male voice on the other end.
“Phantom Master, I am Bruen, the alchemist of this Frost Moon’s supply team.” Bruen briefly introduced himself and amidst the sudden cold tone of Sanders, he recounted the situation in the cemetery.
After listening to Bruen’s explanation, there was a long pause from Sanders. After a while, he finally said, “You just said that inside is a place of rest?”
“A Tomb Knight indeed claimed as such,” explained Bruen, before continuing, “Sineva’s intention is for Phantom Master to find a stable space outside, then we can join forces inside and outside, building a bridge…”
Before Bruen could finish his sentence, Sanders interrupted him, “The shop in the place of rest, what’s it like?”
“It’s a small wooden cabin with lights on, there’s no door but a door fence. The cloth above the fence has the Abyssian word for ‘liquor’ written on it.” Bruen furrowed his brows as he described the tavern and then switched topics, “Phantom Master, the spatial shift…”
“What’s the name of the boss in the tavern?” Sanders cut him off again.
Seeing Bruen’s somewhat impatient expression, Angel immediately interjected, “Mentor, are you talking about the woman in the tavern? She didn’t mention her name, but the knight who is currently fighting with Lady Sineva mentioned that she despises humans.”
Sanders once again descended into silence.
Glancing at Bruen, Angel posed his question: “Mentor, what are your thoughts about Lady Sineva’s proposal?”
“No need to worry about this; just focus on protecting yourself. I’ll be there shortly.” With these words, Sanders ended the call.
The luminescent glow on the essence blood gradually dimmed.
Bruen rubbed his temples, exclaiming, “So, we are done without even strategizing?”
Angel shared his dismay.
At this moment, Madeline and Velite had returned to Duchess Bel’s back. Currently, Sineva and the knight were engaged in a fierce battle while the other knights and the skeletal army merely skirmished on the sidelines, not truly joining the fray. If they were to stay at the heart of the battle, they would only cause complications for Sineva.
Moreover, they noticed that Angel seemed to have established contact with Sanders. Therefore, they returned to gain some insight into the situation.
“Why do you look so grim?” Madeline asked Bruen, her confusion apparent, “Has something gone wrong with Phantom Master as well?”
“No, not exactly, but…” Bruen shook his head, recounting his previous conversation with Sanders.
After listening, Madeline’s expression mirrored her mentor’s confusion. From the rumors she had heard, Sanders was not supposed to be the type of wizard who would end a conversation so abruptly.
However, Velite conjectured, “Phantom Master was especially interested in the woman at the tavern in the Resting Ground. I wonder, could he know something?”
Velite’s words caused the group to fall into contemplation.
Angel had previously held the same suspicion. Even when they could not confirm whether the woman was indeed the tavern’s proprietor, Sanders had clarified her identity, which certainly seemed unusual.
Could he, indeed, be familiar with this place?
But “Resting Ground”—they had never heard of it, had they?
As they mulled over their doubts, the ongoing battle continued unabated. Sineva, having activated her bloodline form, saw her combat power surge anew.
Originally cursed and reduced to a fraction of her full potential—barely reaching the level of a first level true knowledge wizard—there still existed disparities in strength even among true knowledge wizards. Among their peers, bloodline wizards held a high position.
Following the eruption of Sineva’s bloodline formation, even though her power is still restrained due to the curse, its prowess could now rival a second level true knowledge entity.
The opposing knight, whose power is established at the level of second level true knowledge, appears to be evenly matched with Sineva at the moment.
However, as time goes on, and as the energy draining battle ensues, the early signs of exhaustion are becoming apparent in Sineva.
When in the bloodline formation, her energy consumption doubles, which cannot be replenished in the Abyss, posing as her greatest disadvantage. The Knight with the giant sword, on the other hand, remains steady at the same level, unaffected by the shackles of the Abyss. Hence, the longer the time dragged on, the greater his chances of winning.
Some time passed, and blood stains have already appeared on Sineva. Her fatigue is evident, and her strength seems to be waning.
Sineva turned her head to look at Duchess Bel above and asked Bruen with her eyes how things were going with Sanders?
Bruen didn’t know how to answer and could only manage a bitter smile in the end.
Seeing this, Sineva didn’t understand Bruen’s intention, but she already started contemplating an escape plan.
“Indeed, placing all hope on others is a foolish thing,” she thought.
Sineva, not in the mood to fight anymore, stopped confronting the knight directly and started to maneuver around, subtly indicating to Bruen to prepare to open the planar passage.
Bruen sighed. Initially, he had thought there was a chance of escape, but now it seems that hope is again elusive.
Despite his bitterness, Bruen had no choice but to follow Sineva’s plan.
Bruen set up the spellcasting materials, and as he was about to cast the spell, another message from Sineva came through.
“Release… Cthulhu?” Bruen looked over in surprise, shaking his head violently, “No, releasing it will cause a huge mess!”
Sineva sneered, “I’m not someone who only takes losses. Release it. If we manage to survive and leave, I will apply to Lord Mengke to give you another live tentacle of the ancient evil god.”
A look of hesitation appeared on Bruen’s face.
“If we die here, Cthulhu will also disappear with the shattered alchemy workshop. It would be better to release it now.”
Upon hearing this, Bruen made up his mind once and for all.
Taking a deep breath, a door materialized in front of him out of thin air.
However, just as he was about to step through it, a beam of light suddenly pierced the night, illuminating this eternally tranquil cemetery.
Bruen’s step faltered for a moment, and he looked up towards the source of the light.
A rift had appeared in the sky, through which the outside’s hazy, overcast atmosphere could be vaguely seen.
While everyone puzzled over the origin of this fracture, a silhouette leaped through it.
The figure landed gracefully, coming to rest atop a tombstone.
“The long-lost night, indeed the legendary place of rest,” a voice, deep and raspy, reached everyone’s ears.
When Sineva looked over, her pupils sharply constricted.
Dressed in a black suit, with a pure white inner lining and elegant short boots. Then there was the iconic cane and the cloak lined with a blood-red interior.
Even if his face was mostly obscured by the deliberately lowered brim of his hat, the outfit alone was enough to reveal the identity of the newcomer.
The famed War God of the Southern Region!
“Phantom Master” Sanders!
“You could have welcomed us from the outside, but instead, you came in yourself… really…” Bruen shook his head, lamenting.
Angel, who was by Bruen’s side, was also a bit puzzled, but seeing the familiar figure, the tension in his heart finally eased a bit.
“What’s going on? How did you get in?” Sineva looked up at the gradually disappearing rift overhead, her brow furrowed, “Didn’t Angel tell you about the situation here?”
Sanders took off his hat, revealing his greyish-green short curly hair and a maturely handsome face.
Instead of immediately answering Sineva, he glanced at the enormous Frost Cathedral on the back of the white bear not far away, where Angel was standing at the entrance.
With a soft sigh echoing in his heart, Sanders turned his gaze toward Sineva, “You ask why I ventured in?”
Sanders disembarked from the tombstone, pacing gradually toward the heart of the cemetery, “How could I pass up such a rare opportunity to visit the legendary place of respite?”
The legendary place of respite? A look of bewilderment spread across the faces of both Sineva and the rest of the group.
Before Sineva could pose her question, Sanders had already reached the cemetery’s center, an odd glint playing in his eyes as he observed a nearby tavern, still alight with dim, amber lanterns.
Sanders advanced another step, only to find his way obstructed by a shattered colossal sword.
The one barring his way was none other than the colossal sword knight who had previously fought with Sineva.
A deep voice emanated from beneath the knight’s helmet, “Extinguishing the humans here is the boss’s will. Now that another has appeared, you may as well join the brigade in eternal slumber here.”
A formidable force, paired with a cold light, erupted from the massive sword.
“Watch out!” Sineva couldn’t help but shout. Having endured the prior grueling battle, she was acutely aware that although the colossal sword was broken, the power contained within was by no means inferior to high-rank alchemical weapons! Combined with the knight’s own colossal strength, it could even cleave space itself!
Sanders, facing the massive sword before him, casually flicked it aside with his black wand.
The monumental force was bound to the tip of the wand. A slight touch, and the force conducted through the ground, inadvertently driving the surrounding skeletal army into the ground fissures.
Dust billowing, the vast disparity in strength was evident in just one move.
“I’ve heard that the place of rest also has its rules. The resurrected witch never refuses any walk-in business,” Sanders paused momentarily, arriving at the entrance of the tavern, “Am I correct?”
“Balalaika.”
Chapter 982 Prepare an Escape Route <TOC> Chapter 984 Balalaika