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n“What I could disclose, I’ve already made clear. What I cannot, you could ask me a million times, and I would remain silent.”

n“Don’t think Howard can provide any insights; he’s the youngest among us, knowing nothing substantial.”

nTwo smiled, that same unnervingly non-human smile, like an overly intricate doll that induces disgust rather than admiration.

n“Moreover, should you cross certain lines, I will intervene. As the ‘eldest brother,’ it’s my duty to ensure everyone’s safety.”

nHaving said that, Two stood up, paused, and then added, “Anything else you wish to say? I’ll be taking a rest soon. Although this awakening went smoothly, there are still minor issues I need to address.”

n“Remember, you owe me two favors—one for taking a life and another for saving one.”

nAfter pondering for a moment, Nula realized there was only one thing left to do.

n“Send my regards to your brothers.”

n“They will be pleased. After all, it’s been a long time since Howard has been intimate with a girl.”

nWearing that bizarre smile, Two’s golden pupils suddenly extinguished, and its body swayed, refocusing its gaze.

n“What happened? Did we succeed?”

nHoward was back.

nMoments ago, it felt as if he was trapped in a pitch-dark box, an absolute void without a sliver of light, devoid of sound, touch, and even the sense of time was elusive.

nThis signified “Two” taking over his body, leaving him uncertain to whom the body truly belonged.

n“Your reckless plan actually worked,” Nula said with a look of someone who had narrowly escaped disaster.

n“I really don’t understand what you were thinking, charging in without any preparation! What if you had died? We only had one shot at this!”

n“But we succeeded, didn’t we? Besides, in such desperate ventures, it’s all about the moment’s courage. What use is more preparation when you only have one chance? Whether it’s a 5% chance or a 95% chance, what difference does it make in a situation like this?”

nDead or alive, you only know once you try.

n“Alright, alright, you survived, so you have a point,” Nula waved her hand, unwilling to argue with Howard.

nThe recent appearance of Two had left her completely drained.

nFacing a non-human entity, even knowing some of its habits, Nula still couldn’t guarantee her own safety.

nLike when it “consumed” those people’s bodies, Nula was affected too.

nThough in the end, Two intervened to save her, the danger itself hadn’t disappeared.

n“The plan did go smoothly. The guy hiding inside you took care of everyone. We can now walk out of here without any hindrance.”

nNula walked up to the iron door, placing her hand on it.

nWith a muffled sound, mana infiltrated the door, easily compromising its structure.

nWith a loud crash, the heavy door fell to the ground.

nOutside, not a soul was in sight, just two long spears lying on the ground.

nNula took the lead, stepping outside first, with Howard following close behind.

nThey exchanged glances before continuing on.

nNot a soul was in sight; the corridor maintained an eerie, deathlike silence.

nThis quiet persisted all the way to the vicinity of the hall, where they stopped at the corridor’s exit.

nThe hall lay ahead, yet still, no sound was heard.

nThroughout their walk, they encountered only scattered weapons on the ground, without any signs of living activity.

n“It seems that entity cleaned up quite thoroughly. Well, it almost cleared me out as well,” Nula remarked, glancing back at Howard and signaling with her eyes before stepping out of the corridor ahead of him.

nNo battle ensued.

nHoward followed, stepping into an empty hall.

nOnly a long table remained, with small carts neatly parked to one side.

nThe materials on the table were undisturbed, with tools scattered across the table and floor.

nThe scene felt unsettling, prompting Howard to shift his neck uncomfortably.

n“This… How did that entity accomplish this?”

n“I don’t know,” Nula shook her head.

n“I never left that room with it. First, it drained the mana from the entire underground stronghold, then it ‘consumed’ all the bodies.”

n“Consumed…”

nHoward’s complexion turned grim.

nRegardless of who it is, hearing about someone using their own body to consume people is unsettling.

nGiven Two’s description, Howard might not even be human.

n“Of course, not directly with its mouth,” Nula added with a shrug.

nShe herself had been quite disturbed by the ordeal, and Howard seemed even more troubled now than she had been.

nShe had at least witnessed some of the facts, but Howard’s imagination might be concocting something even more grotesque.

n“It converted all the bodies into mana, absorbing them directly.”

n“Just like a spider.”

n“Wrapping its caught prey with silk, then dissolving them with digestive fluids before sucking them dry with a straw-like mouth.”

nNula explained before Howard could ask, even though the details sounded slightly different from what he knew.

nBut the gist was clear to him.

nTwo had dissolved “everyone’s” bodies, including their personal belongings.

nThis “dissolution” clearly targeted the matter itself, irrelevant of whether the object was a living being.

nIn doing so, Two replenished the energy it needed, while also annihilating all the Eternal Flame cultists in the underground stronghold.

nA feat of greatness, no matter how one looks at it.

n“Let’s head up. If all that mana was absorbed by Two, the monster tide should have already dispersed,” Howard reminded Nula.

n“Even though you didn’t exert yourself in front of everyone, I walked back in blood-soaked clothes. The Rodel branch guild owes me more than a little.”

n“Money, money, money, is that all you think about?” Nula shot Howard a glance, surveying the empty hall.

n“But there really isn’t anything left to explore here, and detailed inspection and cleanup aren’t my job.”

n“Let’s return to the surface.” .𝘤𝘰𝑚

nAs she finished speaking, Nula took out a pouch of silver powder, beginning to prepare a spell.

nSeeing Nula intent on casting a teleportation spell again, Howard’s expression soured: “Do we have to use a teleportation spell? Isn’t there another way up?”

n“Another way?” Nula glanced at Howard, then continued to draw on the ground.

nThis time, she opted not to use elf runes to prepare the matrix but instead decided to meticulously craft one.

nWhile employing the elf language is more efficient, it also demands a significant consumption of mana.

nGiven the absence of immediate danger and no rush to reach the surface, she preferred to invest more time in preparing a self-sustaining matrix that could be utilized later.

n“Do you really think the Eternal Flame cult would leave an easily exposed entrance or exit?” Nula spoke without looking up.

n“I still haven’t figured out the exact location of this underground stronghold, but it likely isn’t outside Rodel City, considering all the teleportation circles set up by the Eternal Flame are for short distances.”

n“If they dared to create a direct entrance, do you believe it wouldn’t be discovered by someone leading the city guards here the very next day to ‘check the water meter’?”

nPreparing the teleportation matrix didn’t take much time.

nAlthough it wasn’t a simple matrix, it certainly wasn’t a challenge for Nula.

nTalking while sketching the shape of runes with silver powder, she easily completed the matrix, then infused it with mana, solidifying the entire structure into a cohesive whole.

n“Done,” Nula stood up, dusting off her hands.

n“It’s ready for use, just input mana. I’ve set the destination to my room in the inn. Who’s going first, you or me?”

nHoward eyed the matrix, which emitted a soft glow, its light pulsating like breathing.

nWith a determined step forward, he made his choice.

nBetter to face a short pain than a long one.

n“I’ll go first.”

n“You better not throw up in my room! If that happens, you’re cleaning the entire room as punishment!”

nUnder Nula’s skeptical gaze, Howard stood within the matrix, his facial muscles taut, his eyes filled with intense tension.

nDespite never fearing a deadly battle against more advanced magi or spellbeasts, Howard felt a profound fear before this simple level 2 spell matrix.

n“Activate!” Nula called out, with a wave of her hand, a stream of mana was injected into the matrix.

nThrough the transformation and processing of various runes, it became a force capable of tearing through space, erupting forth.

nA brilliant white light shielded Howard’s view, followed by that familiar sensation of the world spinning around him.

n…

nTime rewinds to a bit earlier, just after Two had awakened.

nWith a single stroke, Povet sliced through the neck of a green wolf, stepping forward in a lunge, his body following the sword’s motion, and with a reverse grip, thrust the blade into another green wolf.

nA double kill in one move, an action that would typically earn countless cheers under normal circumstances, but on this battlefield where life and death were the only concerns, no one had the spare energy to notice others.

nSurviving was all that mattered.

nCatching his breath, Povet scanned the battlefield, slowly adjusting his position, moving towards what appeared to be an even more dangerous area.

nVisit .

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