Chapter 74

Under the blood-red, dim sky, black ashes danced in the air, carried by howling winds, and scattered across the lifeless land.

Within the remnants of ruins, four figures wrapped in gray cloaks moved swiftly through what was once a bustling city, eventually stopping in a shadowy corner.

"My Lords," Aray spoke while keeping a vigilant watch on the surroundings, taking out a map marked with various symbols. This map, filled with all sorts of markings, was their lifeline in this post-apocalyptic world, with many of these marks representing dangers or restricted areas, information gathered at the cost of his comrades' lives.

Drawing a path across the map, Aray addressed the three people before him, "We are about to enter the hunting grounds of the Demon Species. From here on, we need to slow our pace and proceed cautiously."

Aray reached into his waist pouch and pulled out three packets of a black substance, handing them to the group.

"This is the feces of the Demon Species. If we carry this, it will help mask our human scent. Moreover, if a Demon Species approaches, we need to hold our breath and remain completely still. There is a chance that we might be able to fool their senses."

The three accepted the black pouches from Aray, and even though they had been dried, a faint, lingering odor wafted from them. Sharing a glance, Kazuma Satou was the first to stuff the packet into his pocket. After all, having slept in stables for so long, a bag of demon feces was hardly a big deal.

Infinity silently tucked his packet into his sleeve, while Luo Xiaohei sniffed it briefly before reluctantly putting it away.

This was the second day of their mission. Initially, they had planned for Xiaohei to use his spatial abilities to quickly bring them to the Beastmen's base. However, when Xiaohei used his power, the energy fluctuations and spatial waves attracted the attention of other species. In this world, where every recognized species was a creation of the gods, their sensory abilities, while not enough to fully grasp spatial abilities, were still sensitive enough to detect unusual activity. This nearly caused the team to fail their mission right at the beginning.

With no other choice, they decided to travel on foot, using their internal energy while relying on the chat group's concealment, moving like ghosts without leaving a trace.

As an ordinary human, Aray was carried by Kazuma throughout the journey, guiding them while avoiding being left behind.

After memorizing the landmarks from the map, Kazuma hoisted Aray back up and they proceeded to stealthily move through the ruined city, Infinity and Xiaohei following close behind.

At the center of this nameless city, demon creatures roamed, hunting for any edible prey. Their massive bodies created a cacophony of noise as they moved across the broken streets.

In one shadowed corner, the four paused, watching a massive demon creature stalking the street. It seemed to have picked up on something and was searching around the vicinity.

Infinity gently gripped the sword at his waist. With a sweep of his divine sense, he confirmed there were no other demon creatures nearby. He stepped out of the shadows.

This world was filled with powerful beings, and as outsiders, they were concealed by the chat group from being directly detected by the strong entities of this realm. However, if they released their energy externally, it would leave traces of their foreign aura. As a demigod, Infinity's energy had reached a level of purity that even a slight release would be like a firefly in the dark, impossible to miss.

PS: If you ask why there were no issues in Teyvat… well, it's because the ones capable of detecting such auras are on their side now. Also, Teyvat had long been exposed to otherworldly beings. Furthermore, the Spiritualist techniques share some similarities with Teyvat's elemental system. As long as he didn't recklessly unleash his domain, it wouldn't be noticed.

Gripping the sword's hilt, Infinity drew his blade. A flash of light cut through the dim street, slashing through the demon's body before vanishing.

Sheathing the still-pristine sword, Infinity nodded at the three emerging from the shadows. He pulled up his hood and continued onward.

Behind them, the large demon creature collapsed. A thin slit had appeared on its head, and its entire body crumpled to the ground like an emptied sack.

The group continued in silence, maintaining a careful pace. Along the way, other demon creatures occasionally discovered their presence, only to be dispatched by a swift sword strike that obliterated their nervous systems, leaving them lifeless on the ground.

Using only his physical strength and swordsmanship, Infinity led the group through the demon-infested ruins without leaving any trace of energy.

As evening fell, they entered a dense forest.

Kazuma, Infinity, Luo Xiaohei, and Aray continued their rapid advance. For ordinary humans, reaching this location would have taken a month, assuming they even survived the dangers along the way. It would take a team of elite humans at least three months to make it here safely.

With countless dangers from natural disasters to hostile entities, every step was fraught with peril. For Aray, it was still surreal that after Riku disappeared for a month, he returned not only with power that should have been impossible for humans to obtain, but also with powerful allies.

These new companions possessed extraordinary abilities that matched the powers of higher species. And yet, as Riku explained to him, most of them were also human—allies who had come to help them change this twisted world.

Speeding through the blurred trees, Aray strained to keep his eyes wide open, using his goggles to keep track of their location.

"Stop!"

Aray growled, halting the group abruptly. He pulled out the map from his bag and addressed the three, "We have reached the vicinity of the Beastmen's settlement. From now on, we must be extremely careful."

"Beastmen have incredibly strong bodies, and the 'Blood Beasts' among them possess physical strength that defies physical limits."

Looking nervously towards the increasingly dense forest ahead, Aray whispered, "Without using your mystical powers to hide yourselves, this will be a battlefield suited to the Beastmen. Their physical capabilities vary across different clans."

Kazuma chuckled, showing a hint of a smile, "Don't worry. We're here for negotiations, and Xiaohei and I refrained from using energy only to prevent leaving traces that might expose us to higher beings."

With a sly grin, Kazuma softly laughed, "In fact, some amount of mystery can work to our advantage here. Especially with my Steal ability—it will lend credibility to what we say."

"Besides, Xiaohei already set up a teleportation point outside the forest. This is the Beastmen's domain, and Infinity has been monitoring for any other higher species. The Beastmen may sense magic, but like humans, they aren't linked to the Spirit Circuit. Though they may find our abilities unfamiliar, they can't identify them."

"Once negotiations are done, Xiaohei can teleport us away, ensuring our safety while adding to the air of mystery."

"Kazuma-nii, who taught you all this?" Luo Xiaohei asked, nudging Kazuma curiously. As a long-time chat group member, Luo Xiaohei knew Kazuma wasn't the type to come up with such analysis on his own.

"Hey, can't it be that I thought of this myself?" Kazuma pouted in response, but seeing the teasing look on Xiaohei's face, he sighed, "It was Riku. He just sent me the instructions."

"By the way, Aray," Kazuma continued, hoisting Aray onto his back again and looking around cautiously. He whispered, "Do the Beastmen have fox girls, cat girls, or dog girls?"

"Eh?"