Cutting into the Giant's Temple

Li Ziran paid no mind to the teasing joke. If not for the stench wafting off the other man, he might even have found him somewhat to his liking.

Cavis, on the other hand, looked distinctly uncomfortable. His eyes kept scanning through the mist like a rat keeping watch for a night owl.

Especially whenever he looked toward the flames in the distance, his brows would furrow. Clearly, getting Wood out would not be as easy as imagined.

Just as Li Ziran was about to ask whether he needed help, Cavis suddenly braced himself against the wine barrel and gave a hard pull. The entire barrel, together with the Thorn Cross behind it, was yanked free. With a light rub of his palm, an identical illusion appeared in its place. He circled the barrel with a finger, and the barrel containing Wood shrank eerily. In less than a moment, it had shrunk to the size of his palm. A golden gleam rose from Cavis's hand as he closed it around the barrel.

"Follow me!" he said in a low voice, then walked into the mist.

Li Ziran followed close behind, afraid of falling behind. Yet Cavis was not moving quickly. Whenever they passed a burning flame, he would deliberately stop and wait, even repeatedly cautioning Li Ziran.

"Li Ziran, don't believe that old man's nonsense. This guy is a treasure of our Inquisition, but many Inquisitors who came into contact with him ended up as fertilizer in that rotten wine barrel of his. He's far more dangerous than the Ghostling haunting you. Remember what I said—don't feed him any organs. Not even one."

Cavis seemed to have suddenly become unusually talkative, and much of what he said revolved around Wood.

Li Ziran could sense some of it, but he did