The night was dark, and the Port Belen air was filled with the salty sea breeze and the unique mixed smell of the port. Li Wen was hiding in the shadows across the street from the church, her figure completely obscured by her cloak. The conversations of the wealthy businessmen had faded away, but the content of their words echoed repeatedly in Li Wen's mind.
The first is the sailor who "comes back from the dead." In this world, death is the end. Except for a few special path abilities under the gods, only some restricted and extremely costly spells or potions can change the fact of death. However, it is almost unheard of to call it a true "resurrection".
Of course, this is before players show up.
For example, the so-called "immortality and resurrection" in Eternal Life Blessing Cult's promotion, such as the experiences of those sailors, sound surprisingly like the player's resurrection mechanism in the game. This seems to directly indicate that the core members of Eternal Life Blessing Cult, or at least the tools they use to display "miracles", are likely to be players.
The second is that kind of abnormal intelligence ability, which can accurately predict business trends, and even grasp the handle that can capsize other people's fleets. This is not the ability of an ordinary sect leader. Does this mean that the leader of the divine religion must be an extraordinary person, and he is also an extraordinary person with the ability to predict and divination?
Finally, there is Eternal Life Blessing Cult. They are also looking for the sea area that is suspected of sealing Soul Lord. This is almost impossible to be a coincidence. What is their purpose? Is this related to the incident that released Soul Lord in the previous life? In other words, is the bold player who released Soul Lord also a member of the cult?
Li Wen stood in the shadows, her thoughts surging like a tide. Her main goal in coming to Port Belen was to investigate the clues of Soul Lord, hoping to find information related to the corrupted original book. Now, the two clues of the submarine ruins of Eternal Life Blessing Cult and Black Reef Bay clearly point to the same goal.
She now has two choices. The first is to find a ship to go to Black Reef Bay. Sea Chart of Fu Qingyan has provided precise coordinates. However, the sea area is said to be extremely dangerous and dense with reefs, and there is a lack of reliable ships and guides who are familiar with the local hydrology. The risk is extremely high; the second is to investigate Eternal Life Blessing Cult. This organization has grasped clues about Black Reef Bay and may know more about the Soul Lord seal, and may even be closely related to that Soul Lord.
Knowing their details may help them get to Black Reef Bay, or it may reveal their possible dangerous intentions. However, the internal risks of direct contact with an organization with unknown capabilities and means are equally difficult to estimate.
After weighing the pros and cons, Li Wen believes that Eternal Life Blessing Cult is currently actively exposed and active. Their interest in Black Reef Bay makes investigating them particularly urgent. If the cult takes action before she goes to the ruins, it may have unforeseen consequences.
Li Wen's eyes penetrated the night and locked tightly on the silent building. She had to find a way to contact the leader of this religious sect. Even if it didn't work, she would have to capture a core member to ask for information.
So without any hesitation, Li Wen's fading figure was like a ghost, flying silently towards the church.
She landed lightly on the eaves on the side of the church. The concealment ability given to her by Retrograde in Shadow allowed her to blend in perfectly with the night. The church windows were blocked by thick curtains, but there was still a faint light shining through a gap at the edge. She approached cautiously and peered in through the gap.
The interior of the church was much simpler than she had imagined. The gray stone walls had no decorations, the floor was paved with rough wooden boards, and several rows of benches were arranged neatly. At the front was a simple wooden podium with a huge red cross placed on it. The entire space was illuminated by several oil lamps, and the light was dim and swaying.
After confirming that there was no one inside, she opened the window and sneaked in silently.
After landing, Li Wen observed again. At least there was no one guarding the chapel's worship hall, and no one was doing any prayer-related work here. It was as if the chapel was just a decoration.
This was unusual. At least not long ago, she saw many people entering and leaving the church.
Li Wen began to check one by one along the wall, and soon found a wooden door leading to the underground in the corner behind the cross, and faint and fuzzy voices were coming from inside.
She came to the door quietly and listened. Several people were talking inside the door, their tone was urgent and nervous.
"The ship is ready and can set off at midnight tomorrow at the earliest." A hoarse male voice said, "But the water conditions in Black Reef Bay are too complicated. If we don't want to capsize halfway, we'd better need more time to prepare."
"There is no time." Another voice interrupted him coldly. This voice sounded younger, but with undoubted majesty. "The leader has given an order and must arrive at Sunken Horn within three days, ahead of everyone else. In other words, the ship must be shipped tomorrow."
"But that sea area is too dangerous." The hoarse voice continued to argue, "The boat sent for reconnaissance last time has not returned yet. We-"
"Enough! I don't want to hear you continue to quibble." The young voice shouted sternly, "Your family members have also been blessed by Cult Leader, right? Why, are you thinking about disobeying him and us just after receiving the benefits? The leader has foreseen everything, Investigation Bureau's lackeys have already reached here, we must hurry up, the ship is bound to leave at midnight tomorrow."
After a moment of silence, the hoarse voice reluctantly responded, "Yes, I will take care of everything."
Li Wen was about to continue listening when heavy footsteps came from behind her. She looked back and found a tall figure standing less than three meters behind her.
"I just said why it is so noisy at night. It turns out there are flies flying in."
It was a Highland Race man, more than three meters tall, with gnarled muscles and a layer of skin as rough as a mountain rock. He wore a white robe embroidered with a red cross, and a huge battle ax hung on his waist. The most eye-catching thing was his eyes, which had no pupils and the entire eyeballs were turbid white, but they were staring straight at the location of Li Wen.
"Intruder." Highland Race said in a low voice, his voice was like two stones rubbing against each other, "I wonder if anyone has ever told you that it is best not to believe in the sense of security that the night brings."
Li Wen was shocked. These sons of the mountains and descendants of giants have bodies as tough as the earth and have amazing adaptability to the environment, especially their senses. It is said that even in the harshest plateau environment, Highland Race can track prey with weak airflow changes or extremely subtle sounds, and can even lock onto the presence of prey in blinding snowstorms.
It seems that this rumor is true.