After the fog dissipated, the mountain peak next to Bansy Harbor revealed its true appearance. The crimson moonlight allowed Klein to quickly find the cave on the top of the mountain.
Before that, he had discovered a trace of battle. There were more than ten headless "corpses" of Zombie lying on the ground. Some of them were scorched by lightning, some died of Purification Bullet, and the remaining half were swallowed by Cursed Black Flame.
Lightning and Extraordinary Bullet belong to Mandated Punishers, and Black Flame is naturally the masterpiece of Angel. It seems that she has launched a short-term cooperation with Mandated Punishers to deal with the cultists... Klein analyzed and looked into the cave.
He didn't have Dark Vision, and Spirit Vision didn't find anything, but the divination staff search for Donna a few minutes ago did point to the cave. Therefore, Klein did not hesitate too much. Instead, after being fully prepared, he held up the lantern and cane and got into the narrow cave.
Fortunately, although the cave was winding, there were no forks. He quickly followed the smell of blood and the sound of conversations to an open cave.
Under the light of several ceremonial candles, a bloody and strange scene unfolded in front of Klein.
There was an altar splattered with blood in the center, surrounded by dark red complex symbols and patterns, headless monsters and their disembodied heads on the ground, a few corpses covered in windbreakers in the corners, a sobbing girl with her head hanging down, and three men wearing shirts and vests.
When the three men heard the footsteps, they all turned around, and the revolvers and the flashing Wooden Staff were aimed at Klein.
It was Mandated Punishers... Seeing the uniform attire and the Sealed Artifact that could obviously release lightning attacks, Klein did not try to fight, but obediently raised his hands to show that he had no weapons in his hands.
"I am from Captain Erlan, Erlan Cagg."
Before leaving White Agate and coming to support Angel, the captain once told him that if he encountered any doubts from Mandated Punishers, he could imply that he was in the same group as Aierlan.
This means that I am MI9's informant, and Loen Military, especially the navy, has a good relationship with Church of Storms... Klein observed the expressions of the three Mandated Punishers, and sure enough, the middle-aged man who took the lead relaxed a little, and the Wooden Staff he held in his hand was hanging by his side.
"I heard that his ship docked in the evening. I'm sorry that this happened to you, but fortunately, the matter has been resolved." The middle-aged man took a few steps and said in a deep voice, "My name is Dodge, the captain of this team."
"Gehrman Sparrow."
Klein put down his raised hands and responded, scanning the entire cave again, recognizing Cecil lying on the ground but still breathing, and Donna squatting next to her, but Angel was not seen.
"Aierlan should have told you, don't understand things you shouldn't understand, it will be good for your life."
Seeing Klein looking around, Dodge was a little dissatisfied and his tone became serious.
"Sorry, I was just entrusted to find them," Klein pointed at Donna and Cecil, "Also, there should have been a young woman who came to the top of the mountain ten minutes ago. She has blond hair, a long trench coat, about eighteen years old..."
Halfway through, Dodge showed a clear look.
"She did come and we worked together briefly to resolve the issues here."
"Where is she?"
Klein asked.
"This is the biggest problem at the moment," the Mandated Punishers captain showed an embarrassed expression. "Five minutes ago, she disappeared from the altar together with... the body of the cult leader."
"Devotee's Tomb, Lamp Tomb... over there is Great Chapel Tomb, one of the largest tombs on this floor."
Holding White Candle in one hand and pointing to the darkness in the distance with the other, Pierre used Intisian to introduce the tomb chambers he passed one by one.
Angel discovered another difference between the current corridor and Stone Chamber and when she first arrived: they all have their own names, engraved on rusty metal nameplates, some are Intisian, and some are simply simple drawings expressing the name, such as the tomb with thorns and shields carved on it, and "Thorns and Shield Wall Tomb" written on the road sign.
Yes, there are road signs.
Angel followed Pierre wordlessly, like a tourist being taken around a scenic spot by a tour guide. They walked with him through tombs with different names, large or small, passing corpses of different shapes, and followed the direction marked by the black line above their heads, towards the exit.
This place is far bigger than I thought. On the way I walked, there were at least a thousand corpses in the tomb chambers and corridors. But Pierre said that this is just a corner of the third floor. It would take a day and a night to see them all...
The more she looked, the more shocked she became. At first it was because she didn't know how to get from Bansy Harbor to Intis's Trier, but soon it turned into emotion at the scale of this Underground Catacombs.
"Hey——"
The student Trier University who was leading the way suddenly let out an exclamation and fell straight forward.
Angel had quick eyes and quick hands, and grabbed the careless Pierre, holding down the candle he was about to let go of.
"Thank... thank you!"
Pierre first expressed his gratitude, and then looked down at his feet. He found that he had tripped on a hand bone that had reached the middle of the corridor at some point, and he was about to kick it away angrily. But then he remembered that there was a beautiful girl watching beside him, so he suppressed his anger and gently pushed it aside with his legs.
How did you get to the third floor alive if you were so careless...Angel always feels that if he doesn't follow Pierre, he will quietly disappear into this Underground Catacombs within half an hour, just like his forgotten companions...
No, did they really come together? Could it be that... there were actually more people, but on the way to the third floor, they accidentally fell down or accidentally extinguished the candles, and the number was reduced along the way, and then forgotten, until only two people were left in front of me?
Angel Such an idea popped up uncontrollably in his mind.
She subconsciously looked at the hand bone that tripped Pierre, and was surprised to find that it was back in the middle of the road, as if it had never been stepped on or kicked away.
It's so weird here...
"We'd better get out as soon as possible, your candle is already half burned."
She stopped Pierre who was trying to continue introducing the tomb and said.
"Okay," Pierre was a little unfinished, but did not refuse, "The exit is not far away."
This time the two of them quickened their pace and soon followed the black line to a small square. Unlike the corridors and other tombs filled with corpses, the floor paved with gray bricks was extremely clean, with no dust at all. It seemed like someone was cleaning it frequently.
There are two stone pillars standing in the center of the square. They are old and have mottled surfaces, but the abstract strokes Sun and the triangle filled with gear levers engraved on them are still clearly visible.
The signs of Sun Holy Emblem and Triangle Holy Emblem...Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun and Church of Steam are indeed Intis...Angel further confirmed his location through the stone pillar.
Unlike Loen Kingdom who believes in Evernight, Storm, and steam Three Great Churches, the main beliefs of Intis Republic are Eternal Blazing Sun and God of Steam and Machinery.
"Praise the Sun!"
When Pierre walked past the Eternal Blazing Sun stone pillar, he stood upright with his legs, opened his arms and surrounded Sun upwards, making a posture of hugging Sun, which was not a sincere prayer.
"Be careful with your candles."
Seeing that his movements were somewhat performative, White Candle in his hand was almost lying horizontally, and the candlelight was flickering, Angel quickly reminded him.
"It doesn't matter. The gatekeeper said that candles are not allowed to go out or fall down, but I have never seen anything happen to my classmates or acquaintances."
Pierre is a little unimpressed.
That's because the person whose candle went out disappeared, and you immediately forgot about him, so naturally you won't think that anything happened to anyone...
Angel shook his head slightly and stopped trying to reason with this person.
I just hope he doesn't "play it off" before he takes me out of Underground Catacombs... She prayed to the passing God of Steam and Machinery stone pillar without any sincerity at all.
White Agate at the foot of the mountain is docked tightly at the pier. The windproof lantern hanging on the mast is swaying slightly like twinkling stars as the breeze and waves blow and beat.
Klein glanced expressionlessly at the edge of the cliff, turned around and walked down the mountain.
Donna, whose clothes were stained with blood and whose face was still stained with tears, followed him closely, but soon slowed down and fell behind.
He had no choice but to hold back his anxiety and stop waiting for the girl to catch up.
After Mandated Punishers captain Dodge learned what happened, Klein did not stay too long in the cave. He was eager to return to White Agate, enter Grey Fog Space for more detailed divination, or directly contact Crimson Star to find the location of Angel.
Ordinary divination has no effect on her with Hidden Holy Emblem and Magician Pocket Watch... What is she doing with so many Mystical Item... Klein complained in her heart.
He knew that this mentality was not right, so he quickly adjusted.
Because he was taking ordinary people with him, Klein did not rush through "Flaming Jump" like going up the mountain, but walked down the path full of gravel and weeds.
"Uncle Sparrow, Siren Miss, have you returned to the sea?"
As they approached the bottom of the mountain, the girl who had been silent asked in a low voice.
"I don't know either."
he replied coldly.
Frightened by his tone, Donna's eyes filled with tears again.
Only then did he realize that he was not facing a pirate worth 3,000 pounds, or an adult who could put aside his emotions and refine the key content, but a sixteen-year-old girl who had just witnessed a cultist murder her peers, and even almost died herself. Klein squeezed out a smile and added:
"She is just tired and has gone back to rest. Maybe you can see her at White Agate when you get up early tomorrow morning."
Hope so...
He turned around and continued walking toward the dock.
Donna also wiped away his tears and followed closely behind.
One tall, one short, one in front and one behind, the two people quickly approached White Agate until the candlelight from the porthole revealed the patrolling Sailor on the deck.
Klein Suddenly found a figure slowly walking out of the sea on the beach next to the pier.
Under the moonlight, this figure seems familiar...
His heart tightened, and he quickened his pace and walked towards White Agate. He even threw away Donna behind him and started running.
Hearing the footsteps, the figure turned his head, and the dreamlike scales on his face gradually disappeared, revealing the extremely familiar face of Klein.
"Siren Miss!"
Before Klein could speak, Donna behind him recognized the other person, cheered, ran quickly, ignored the wet clothes, and threw himself into the other person's arms.
Angel, whose strength could overwhelm Klein, could not withstand the impact of the girl at this time. She took a step back to stabilize her body. She first slowly hugged Donna, and then looked this way with her purple eyes, looking at Klein.
"Why are you here?"
The tone in her tone was not joy, but confusion.
Hey, I changed the last two paragraphs a bit