Chapter 88: Strong Assault (II)

Chapter 88: Strong Assault (II)

"I'll be joining you for this mission," Alex announced as he addressed the group of mercenaries in front of him. He had already learned from others that this was the "Rainbow Light" mercenary group, a well-known and respected force in the northern region. Of course, hiring such a group didn't come cheap.

But for the temple, any problem that could be solved with money wasn't a real problem.

If they could deal with the Six-Armed Snake Demon by throwing money at it, Alex had no doubt that the temple would crush the creature with sheer wealth.

Alex had taken a quick look at the mercenary group earlier and found that their composition was quite reasonable. The middle-aged man standing before him was their leader, followed by three similarly dressed warriors. Then there were two giant figures, likely barbarians native to the north—fittingly, their class was also barbarian.

In addition to these, the team included a small, agile rogue, two archers—one of whom was an elven archer—and a mage.

Even from a gamer's perspective, Alex had to admit this team was strong. They had tanks, damage dealers, and crowd control; the only thing they were missing was a healer... Speaking of which, where was Fina?

"I'm here, Sir Alex," came the voice of the priestess, who walked over, holding her staff. Alex realized that her presence seemed rather faint. Ever since Stone and the others had arrived, she had disappeared without a trace. In fact, even Alex had momentarily forgotten about her. But now... well, at least he remembered in time.

"Let's move out," Alex ordered after a quick headcount. The mercenaries merely nodded and quietly followed him as they made their way toward the ruins.

This wasn't how things were supposed to go.

Looking at the silent mercenaries following behind him, Alex felt a bit disappointed. He had expected this moment to play out like the typical novel trope—someone should have stepped forward to question his capabilities, and then he could respond with a display of skill, earning their respect with a dramatic face-slapping moment. Though Alex knew it might have been a waste of time, he had mentally prepared for it.

But... none of that happened. These mercenaries didn't follow the script at all. The leader hadn't even voiced an opinion, just nodded his approval and agreed without hesitation!

Reality, it seemed, wasn't as dramatic as fiction. Or maybe he just wasn't cut out to be a protagonist?

Reflecting on it, Alex had to admit that the arrogant rich kids who strutted around the streets like in novels didn't really exist in real life. After all, anyone who acted like that would have ended up in trouble long ago...

Oh well, no time for theatrics. They had a mission to complete.

As night deepened, the ruins ahead were shrouded in deathly silence under the cover of darkness. The pitch-black surroundings made it impossible to see anything, and to make matters worse, they couldn't light torches to illuminate the way. After all, aside from them, the only ones here were the cultists. The cultists could light bonfires and hold their twisted rituals without worry, but if Alex and his group did the same, it would be like police officers blaring sirens while trying to catch criminals in hiding.

The cultists were, of course, incredibly cunning. From the center of the ruins, Alex could clearly see the fires they had lit. But according to Nymph's radar scans, many eyes were also lurking within the surrounding ruins, keeping a close watch.

Alex had to admit that these cultists were patient. Winter nights were bone-chillingly cold, especially in a place like the Dark Swamp, where the cold cut even deeper. Alex and his group were fortunate to have the protection of Fina's "Cold Resistance" spell, sparing them from the biting cold, but the cultists weren't so lucky.

Cultists weren't just followers of the wrong faith—they had abandoned order, which meant they couldn't use magic or skills like the world's regular practitioners. They had to seek power through other means, such as signing contracts with devils from hell or using hellfire like the destruction mage.

This was why, despite his disdain for Charles, the bald-headed leader of the cult, the destruction mage still relied on him for power. After becoming a cultist, no matter how powerful they had once been, they lost access to their previous abilities. They could no longer use order-based magic or skills...

In other words, while Alex and his group enjoyed the warmth of the "Cold Resistance" spell as they leisurely advanced through the icy night, the cultists were huddled in the ruins, shivering in the cold as they kept watch.

In a sense, their fanaticism and loyalty were undeniable.

Unfortunately for the cultists, their fanaticism and loyalty were useless in the face of advanced technology. Ikaros could easily scan the life signatures of the cultists and even accurately mark the range of each of their fields of vision.

As a result, Alex's journey quickly transformed from a "ten-person ruin expedition" into a "commando stealth mission." Under Ikaros' guidance, he led the mercenaries through the perimeter undetected, avoiding the cultists' patrols and steadily advancing toward the center of the ruins.

Meanwhile, the destruction mage's patience had finally worn thin.

Something felt wrong.

He stared into the dark wilderness outside, clenching his fists. The message from his servant had explained that the foolish mage had been delayed by a wolf attack in the forest. However, the destruction mage wasn't entirely convinced by this excuse, and as more time passed, his unease grew. While that idiot was indeed foolish, he would never pass up such an opportunity. Was there something else going on?

The destruction mage grew restless at the thought. He had once been a mage—specifically, a prophecy mage. If it had been before, he could have used his magic to quietly peer into the future and uncover the changes. But now, he had lost that ability—no, he had forsaken that ability.

As a prophecy mage, the futures he glimpsed were so heavy that they suffocated him. He had realized, in despair, that the future was immutable, inescapable fate. No matter what choices one made, they could never alter the ultimate outcome. It was this grim realization that had driven him to abandon the path of order and join the forces of Destruction.

If the future couldn't be changed or escaped, then he would rather see everything obliterated.

These memories of the past only briefly stirred in his mind, causing no great waves of emotion. Those days had never been pleasant for him. He had once naively believed that, with the power to foresee the future, he could control his destiny. But in the end, he had discovered that ignorance was, at times, a far greater bliss.

"Begin the ritual immediately."

With that decision made, the destruction mage acted swiftly. He turned to look at the altar behind him, where the shattered statue of the Six-Armed Snake Demon had been pieced back together and placed on display. A faint, sinister green glow emanated from the statue's surface. Under this eerie light, the cracks in the statue seemed to be slowly healing.

Before the statue floated a ring—the very same one that Charles had handed to the destruction mage earlier. Now, it too was glowing faintly with a greenish light...

"You, come here."

The destruction mage extended his hand, gesturing to the nearby cultists. Without hesitation, they stepped forward, their expressions cold and emotionless, as if devoid of any free will.

"There's been a slight complication. We need to start the ritual now."

The destruction mage offered only a brief explanation before issuing the order.

"Prepare the sacrifice."

"Yes."

The cultists immediately nodded without question. The leader strode up to the altar and picked up the ceremonial dagger.

But just as he was about to proceed, the destruction mage suddenly turned his gaze toward the sky.

There, in the heavens, he saw a radiant, holy light streaking through the darkness like a meteor, plunging directly toward him and his group.

Enemy attack!!

(End of the chapter)

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