Chapitre 71: Chapter 71: Deep in the Jungle
Chapter 71: Deep in the Jungle
"I really didn't expect that Sister Ikaros could be so powerful…"
Walking through the dark forest, Fina still seemed to be in a state of disbelief. She gazed around in awe, not knowing what to say. As a spellcaster, she could clearly sense the magical aura surrounding them. In Fina's eyes, the intricate barriers formed by the intertwining magical energies were so close, almost within reach.
Ordinarily, being inside such a massive chain of barriers would mean they'd be detected the moment they stepped in unless the entire barrier was destroyed. However, Fina could feel that these barriers were still functioning, yet they completely ignored their presence, as if the two of them were the true masters of this barrier.
The thought that this was all thanks to the petite and adorable girl made Fina feel even more amazed, leaving her at a loss for words.
"Yeah, I didn't expect it either."
Hearing Fina's remark, Alex shook his head. To be honest, he hadn't initially held much hope for Ikaros's abilities. First, she was a Silver-ranked summon, which was basically the bare minimum. Second, her timid demeanor when she first appeared had left Alex a bit disappointed. Generally, people like that weren't particularly strong. But… sheesh, this girl sure knows how to break the rules!
She could even hack into magical barriers, yet here she was, pretending to be a helpless little rabbit!
Alex truly couldn't imagine what kind of world Ikaros came from. With her abilities, how could she live so cautiously, even willingly becoming someone else's slave?
Thinking of this, Alex glanced up at the treetops. Ikaros wasn't with them; as an artificial angel, she could fly. Alex had assigned her the task of aerial reconnaissance. What's more, the little one even had invisibility, which put Alex more at ease. After all, if Ikaros encountered any danger and he couldn't help, it would be troublesome.
"Shh!"
At that moment, Alex suddenly stopped in his tracks and gestured to Fina beside him. Fina quickly crouched down and gripped her staff tightly, positioning herself next to Alex.
Soon, they heard footsteps approaching. A group of figures clad in black robes emerged from the depths of the forest. They carried no weapons, but the sulfuric smell coming from them betrayed their identity.
Cultists.
"The master's orders must be followed."
The cultists didn't notice Alex and Fina nearby and continued their low conversation. Their voices weren't particularly loud, but for Alex, whose senses were as sharp as a Zerg's, it was as if they were speaking right next to his ear.
"But isn't this happening too quickly? We worked so hard to capture these temple dogs…"
"For the master's plan, these things are unnecessary! Don't forget our task and mission! The master just sent word; he has reached an agreement with that lord. As long as we deliver these captives to the lord as promised, that's all that matters. We don't need to concern ourselves with anything else!"
"But can we really trust that mage?"
One of the cultists asked gloomily. Hearing his words, another cultist let out a cold laugh.
"He's a traitor. We don't need traitors. Only the Twilight Legion, that group of fallen, filthy idiots, would value someone like him. But for our master, his power is necessary. If that foolish mage thinks he can gain power through a deal, then let him enjoy this brief, beautiful dream. I believe once that lord arrives, he will realize what his choice truly means."
At this, the cultists broke into a series of sinister laughs before turning to leave.
"Such blasphemy…"
Listening to the cultists, Fina gripped her staff tightly, her expression filled with anger. Alex narrowed his eyes, scanning the surroundings. Perhaps due to the magical barriers, the cultists hadn't bothered to hide their actions, and their vigilance was low. Nevertheless, Alex managed to gather some useful information from these "dedicated NPCs."
Clearly, these cultists hadn't attacked the outposts on a whim but had planned it well in advance. It seemed they were transporting the captives here to deliver them to someone. As for the purpose of these captives, it was likely for a sacrifice—a cultist's favorite ritual.
Additionally, the cultists mentioned something important: a mage was working with them, possibly a traitor. But that wasn't Alex's main concern. The most crucial piece of information was the secret the cultists had revealed.
Their master had made a deal with a certain lord.
"Ikaros."
With this in mind, Alex tightened his grip on the invisible chain in his hand and muttered softly. Soon, Ikaros's voice came through to him.
"Yes, Master, what can I do for you?"
"Can you scan the area and locate the captured temple warriors?"
"Of course, no problem. Please wait a moment... I've found them. The scanner has detected twenty-three disarmed humans in the northwest corner, guarded by ten soldiers."
"And what about the mage?"
"It seems he is not in the camp. I didn't detect any energy fluctuations from him."
"Interesting."
Hearing Ikaros's report, Alex's lips curled into a slight smile. He then explained the situation to Fina, who furrowed her brows upon hearing it.
"So, what should we do next?"
"In any case, we should first rescue those temple warriors. There are too many cultists here for just the two of us to handle alone."
Of course, Alex wasn't being entirely truthful. If he unleashed the Lich King or Kerrigan, he could simply overwhelm them with sheer numbers. After all, who could rival the Scourge or the Zerg in terms of numbers?
But given the current situation, Alex preferred not to use those two. As for the temple warriors, even though they had been captured, they should still have some combat capability. They might not be able to take on the mage, but dealing with ordinary cultists shouldn't be a problem.
With Ikaros acting as an aerial radar, it was easy for the two of them to avoid the cultists' patrols. Perhaps due to their overreliance on the outer magical barrier, the cultists hadn't even considered the possibility of intruders.
As a result, their internal defenses were almost nonexistent. Alex moved around as if he were strolling in his own backyard, and even Fina got to play the role of a top agent—mainly because their opponents were so useless.
It didn't take long for the two of them to sneak into the area where the temple warriors were being held. The scene was rather pitiful. In the firelight, Alex could see that the warriors had been stripped of their armor, left with only thin garments. Each one was tightly bound with iron chains.
The chains were strange, with a rusty, dark red appearance that made them look fragile, as if an ordinary person could easily snap them. Yet, the temple warriors were utterly powerless, lying on the ground with empty eyes, as if all the life had been drained out of them.
"What happened to those guys?"
Seeing the temple warriors sprawled on the ground with a defeated look, Alex was stunned. He had expected them to at least show some resilience, but instead, they looked like they were waiting to be slaughtered.
"It's because of the Chaos Shackles, Mr. Alex."
As a cleric, Fina quickly identified the problem. "Those are shackles forged with chaos energy, specifically designed to bind the followers of order. Once bound by the Chaos Shackles, they cannot exert any of their powers."
"I see."
Hearing Fina's explanation, Alex understood. It was basically a physical version of the "Child of Chaos" debuff. It seemed these cultists weren't entirely incompetent after all; they had some tricks up their sleeves from fighting the temple for so many years.
Now that he knew why the temple warriors were so weakened, the next step was figuring out how to rescue them. With this in mind, Alex poked his head out, using the firelight to scan the surroundings.
Compared to other areas, the guards here were a bit more vigilant. There were ten cultists keeping watch, all dressed in robes, standing still like statues in the firelight. If Fina hadn't assured him that they weren't undead, Alex might have suspected that they were some kind of undead creatures.
But regardless, they had to take action.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Mr. Alex? The enemy isn't weak."
Fina asked nervously as she watched Alex prepare for battle. The cultists reeked of sulfur, and each one had power comparable to that of the knight Conan. This meant that every one of these cultists was at an elite level.
Fina wasn't worried about one or two, but there were ten of them, spread out across the area. If something went wrong, they could quickly be surrounded by a swarm of cultists.
"Don't worry, leave it to me."
Alex drew his Void Sword from his waist and nodded at Fina before looking ahead, slightly crouching.
In the next moment, Alex's figure disappeared completely from Fina's sight.
(End of this chapter)
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