NABC Chapter 546 - 536: Even the Great Dao Is Gone
Chapter 546 - 536: Even the Great Dao Is Gone
Scout Puki quickly bounced through the woods, waving its tentacles and effortlessly slicing two overconfident Slimes in mid-air.
Lin Jun was impressed by the sheer number of Slimes in this area.
Feeling neglected, they would likely strip the forest bare within three to four months.
It was uncertain whether the increased concentration of magic power brought by the mist was a temporary phenomenon or a permanent change, but at least for now, there’s no sign of it declining.
The mist itself was a complete mystery; to this day, Lin Jun hadn’t figured out the pattern of its advance and sudden retreat.
As a scout specialized Puki, it was very fast, though far away, it was the first to arrive.
Puki landed steadily on a broad, horizontal branch, below which the ground had a freshly made small crater, surrounded by charred wood chips and metal shards.
Is this... A blast arrow?
It wasn’t that Lin Jun could see through everything, but simply because he was quite familiar with these items; blast arrows were one of the common tools of adventurers.
However, besides this explosion crater, there were no other battle remnants on the scene, making it very strange for a single blast arrow to explode here.
Switching between several perception skills alternately, discoveries were immediately made.
Further away, an Enchanting Demon was stealthily moving away.
Nearby, a mixed team of humans and Demon Race was cautiously approaching the explosion site; they were very close and would soon arrive.
And right in front of us...
Scout Puki’s mushroom hat tilted slightly.
Not far away on another lush branch, a dark green Slime almost blended entirely into the surrounding environment, calmly lurking in the shadows.
The key was that Lin Jun’s initial use of [Magic Perception] hadn’t detected its presence at all!
Only by switching to the more physically reliant [Sound Wave Detection] did its outline become apparent!
And its panel was also unusual:
[Status: Subordinate]
This status tag only appears on the panel of individuals controlled by the [Subordinate Control] ability.
Just like the Scout Puki controlled by Lin Jun, its panel also has this status.
Fellow traveler!
The other two parties were already irrelevant; in Lin Jun’s view, there was only this Slime.
Puki and Slime faced each other across the branches.
The wind ceased, the forest fell silent.
Scout Puki’s tentacles drooped slightly, and its center of gravity lowered.
The surface of the dark green Slime across from it rippled almost imperceptibly as it quietly gathered energy.
A dry leaf freed itself from the branch, spinning and wobbling as it drifted toward the gap between the two.
At the moment the leaf tip touched the ground!
The Slime’s body contracted, releasing pent-up energy in a sudden burst, transforming its entire body into a dark green arrow, viciously striking towards Puki!
No feints, no diversion, only direct assassination.
Foolish!
Despite the Slime’s swift action, Lin Jun reacted in time.
The Mushroom Cannon, ready to fire, blasted towards the target that couldn’t change direction mid-air!
However, the expected sight of Slime being blown into pieces with its juices splattering did not occur.
Mid-air, the dark green Slime stretched itself into a hollow tube, allowing the Mushroom Cannon to pass right through the middle!
All of this happened in the blink of an eye.
Puki retreated swiftly using the recoil from the cannon blast, yet it was ultimately a half step too slow. A corner of its rounded mushroom hat was shattered by the fast-moving Slime, sending mycelium fragments flying.
In the first round, Scout Puki was unexpectedly at a disadvantage.
The damage on the mushroom hat was quickly dyed a layer of dark green, evidently from the toxic liquid accompanying the Slime’s body.
However, Puki was always immune to most poisons.
Without hesitation, Lin Jun swung the tentacle blade, directly targeting the opponent’s core.
The Slime refused to show weakness, its liquid body likewise transforming into several sticky tentacles in fierce opposition.
When the nine cultists drawn by the explosion hurriedly arrived, they were greeted by a scene beyond the scope of their understanding:
The two "Venerables" were fighting from the branches down to the clearing beneath the forest, where the grass and trees they passed were either silently sliced by sharpness, shattered by a magic cannon, or rapidly withered by splashes of dark green venom.
"A Slime... and Puki?"
The leading cultist leader rubbed his eyes, almost unable to believe the absurd scene in front of him.
The ones causing such explosive commotion were these two... low-tier demons?
Puki aside, the various incidents over the past year had somewhat changed people’s impression of Puki, but what was with this Slime?
Are these low-tier demons lining up to start making a comeback?!
Slash!
A severed dark green tentacle flew over, striking the tree trunk next to the cultist, splattering a few drops of viscous poison.
The leader reacted swiftly, dodging just in time, but another cultist behind him wasn’t so fortunate, having several drops land in his wide-open eyes.
"My eyes! Hot! So hot—!!!"
The man screamed as he fell to the ground, clutching his face tightly, while the remaining cultists had no time to help, because the two fiercely battling demons were getting closer and closer.
A Mushroom Cannon narrowly missed by the Slime landed on the unlucky cultist, ending his suffering.
Faced with two clearly unusual battling demons, the cultists hadn’t intended to get involved, even if it meant losing a companion.
However, the battle circle kept moving until, inevitably, it engulfed them as well, turning into a melee.
...
The chaos of the melee and the waves of magic power drew Mengya back again, even though she had already hidden far away.
She cautiously peeked out, surveying the forest area that had turned into a chaotic battleground, feeling it’s absurd.
All she did was fire an explosive arrow... how did it turn into this situation?
However, she noticed a cultist, seemingly with an injured arm, taking advantage of the chaos to crawl away, abandoning his companions, and fleeing clumsily in a direction slightly deviating from the church.
Clearly an unsteady willed individual.
Mengya’s eyes shifted, hesitated for a moment, then quietly followed.
...
Meanwhile, inside the abandoned church.
The church’s structure wasn’t complex, but the space was quite large.
Vera hid with Fei Yin in the corner shadows, while Fei Ling nimbly leapt onto the beam, silently moving forward.
Vera and Fei Yin pressed closely against the shadow of a thick stone pillar, holding their breath and focusing their attention.
Fei Ling, like a feline, used the high, crisscrossing and broken wooden beams and dome shadows to silently move forward, eventually landing on a ledge overlooking the hall below.
The church’s original altar area had been thoroughly transformed, the floor engraved with a large and intricate circular array, the grooves deep and dark, filled with magic materials.
Seven or eight humans were bound tightly with ropes, placed at the array’s edge like livestock awaiting slaughter, most in a state of unconsciousness or semi-consciousness.
Fei Ling’s gaze scanned swiftly, soon identifying Anton among them.
This adventurer captain who had once helped them now lay with eyes closed, pallid faced, chest heaving slightly, seemingly still alive but clearly not in good shape.
And in the shadow closer to the wall, she also saw a Goblin.
Perhaps thinking a mere Goblin posed no threat, the cultists hadn’t even bothered to knock it out.
As a result, it was the only offering fully conscious and most terrified among them.
Its mouth seemed to be stuffed, struggling uneasily, eyes wide with terror, staring at the center of the array.
Its mouth was tightly stuffed with a filthy rag, producing muffled whimpers, eyes wide with terror, fixated on the figure in the priest robe.
The priest presiding over the ritual wore a light blue and white priest robe, soft in texture, simply yet solemnly designed, unlike the cultists shrouded in black robes.
The hood hung partially down, revealing her delicate profile and jaw.
Under the firelight, her face appeared serene, even carrying a compassionate, loving expression for all beings.
Those unfamiliar with the attire of the Bright Church could easily mistake her for a legitimate clergy serving the light.
At this moment, she tilted her head slightly, her slender hands gracefully clasped in front, chanting a prayer.
As the last syllable fell, she slightly raised her gaze, looking past the mottled shadows towards where Vera and the others were hiding.
Her voice remained gentle: "Lost travelers, there is no need to hide. The goddess does not turn away any child suffering in this world. Come forth, the ritual conveniently has a vacancy."
If Lin Jun were present, she would recognize this cult priestess Jini, whom they had once encountered, who had sacrificed nearly the entire adventurer party.
After a year, she had now reached Diamond Level.