However, Mithra couldn't simultaneously master "Ki-Siphon Hand" and "Pyroflux," two relatively advanced Ki Miracles.
"Ki-Siphon Hand" lacked a living subject for proper practice. Redwyn mentioned his school had white mice and rabbits that could be used, but the conditions within the mine were simply insufficient. To even attempt it, she would need to venture out for hunting.
As for why "Pyroflux" remained unlearned, the reason was even more straightforward: a severe shortage of alcohol.
This was genuinely unavoidable.
So, under Mithra's typically unexpressive gaze, a profusely sweating Redwyn produced yet another Ki Miracle he hadn't previously disclosed.
[Ki Conduction: Miracle of Ki. Releases intense Ki, drawing objects within a certain radius towards oneself, irrespective of whether they are living or inanimate.]
[—This is the Ki of avarice.]
In essence, this was a temporary measure to mollify Mithra's frustration.
Nonetheless, Mithra was largely satisfied. Having absorbed so much new knowledge and technique at once, she recognized the need to dedicate more effort to their mastery. Having three functional Ki Miracles became one of her immediate objectives.
Meanwhile, Safin continued to assist Mithra with her literacy and broadened her understanding of the Dream Nexus. Redwyn, seizing these opportunities, would brazenly join their sessions. Safin voiced no objections; in fact, she often found herself curiously inquiring about how the history of the Dream Nexus was presented in the Enchanted Realm.
Approximately one week elapsed.
Redwyn's once vibrant, youthful attire was now thoroughly soiled from his earlier skirmish with Mithra. He hadn't bothered with a proper cleaning for the entire week, feeling as though he had devolved into a wild man.
His initial reservations had significantly diminished, and he had now largely adapted to life in this peculiar environment. Humans, indeed, possessed remarkable adaptability.
The only reason he kept track of the passing days was, naturally, because Redwyn still possessed a watch.
Redwyn himself had yearned to return home almost from the second day, but he hadn't dared to voice it.
Today, Mithra returned from her hunting, miracle practice, and hammer technique training, and immediately sought out Redwyn: "Lead the way. I'll take you back."
Redwyn, somewhat sleep-deprived and still a bit dazed, hadn't fully processed her words but quickly reacted: "Really?!"
"Yes," Mithra confirmed with a nod, then cast a glance at Safin.
Safin returned her nod: "Be cautious, especially when passing through the town. Because this child intruded carelessly earlier, they will likely be quite vigilant."
"You take care as well. Don't perish before I return," Mithra stated.
"Since you've agreed to my terms, I will endure until you retrieve the item," Safin replied with a faint smile.
After a few simple preparations, Mithra and Redwyn departed the cave and made their way out of the tunnel.
Before their departure, Safin provided Mithra with a black hooded cloak. Wearing it felt almost weightless. Mithra, accustomed to living bare-chested in the tunnels, found it subtly uncomfortable to put on what loosely passed for clothing once again.
Walking through the winding tunnel passages, Redwyn, in response to Mithra's probing questions, began to explain how he had arrived at this remote location.
"Not long ago, in a small town at the foot of Gross Mountain, one of our people from Earth managed to establish a new Transmission Point. This made the area quite active, attracting numerous Earth inhabitants to explore. As for Gross Town itself, I overheard an old man mentioning it while I was wandering in this city, so I decided to try my luck..."
"Just by yourself?"
"Uh, well, it sounded like a hidden quest, so I wanted to try it alone, hoping for some serendipitous discovery..."
"It seems you treat this place like a game," Mithra remarked dryly.
Redwyn hesitated, unsure how to respond.
Because, indeed, Earth, to a significant extent, regarded the affairs of the Dream Nexus as a game. The primary reason was its striking similarities to one.
There were concepts like extra lives, conveniently placed Transmission Points, and the ability to travel unconditionally between realms.
The Dream Nexus provided too many parallels to Earth's virtual experiences; it was entirely natural for Earth inhabitants to perceive it this way.
Yet, even with these apparent conveniences and "extra lives," when it was genuinely time to perish, death remained absolute.
"When you infiltrated the town, what was the situation like?"
"The streets were deserted. Occasionally, I'd spot a few stumbling pedestrians, and I sensed something was amiss, so I didn't dare approach them. But I was still discovered and pursued by a patrolling Believer. Most Believers' strength is quite ordinary, though; I can handle one or two," Redwyn replied.
"Have you killed anyone?"
"Yes, I have," Redwyn answered matter-of-factly.
Mithra turned her head and looked at him intently.
Redwyn seemed a bit puzzled: "What's wrong?"
Mithra shook her head: "Nothing. If necessary, we might have to fight our way out. Be prepared."
Redwyn hastily nodded in understanding.
They exited the tunnel.
The weather today was still bleak, overcast. Dusk was beginning to settle.
And upon stepping out, Mithra and Redwyn immediately found themselves in an awkward predicament.
Directly below them, on the mountain path, stood a formidable team.
The townspeople, their foreheads visibly tattooed with bizarre purple eye patterns, carried torches and various makeshift weapons. Mingling within their ranks were a colossal bear and several rabid dogs, their mouths foaming and eyes ablaze with madness.
Several Believers led this procession, each adorned with various spiritual mediums. Their potent inspirations could be distinctly felt emanating from them.
Mithra and Redwyn stood at the tunnel entrance, looking down directly at this menacing assembly.
"What the hell..." Redwyn expressed his utter dismay with the simplest of words.
He could perhaps handle one or two, but this wasn't merely one or two problems, was it?
Mithra's face remained impassive. She was accustomed to frequently encountering all sorts of misfortune, yet she remained unfazed. Her bad luck, she believed, would eventually transform into good fortune, and those who brought her ill will would ultimately suffer far worse.
First, she cast Calmness.
Ding~.
Opposite them, a Believer spoke in a deep, resonant voice: "Target sighted."
"Resolve it quickly. This is a critical period; manpower is scarce. Don't cause any unnecessary complications," a voice commanded from within the team.
Only then did they notice an armored figure, dressed as a knight, holding a long, straight sword. The armor on his body displayed somewhat crude yet distinct modifications, with an eye pattern prominently engraved, clearly denoting his identity.
That long, straight sword also bore similar eye patterns, incredibly dense, an "art" to be avoided by those with trypophobia.
"Yes," the speaking Believer affirmed, then pointed a finger directly at Mithra.
"Woof, woof, woof!" The rabid dogs, agitated, barked furiously and charged forward.
The colossal bear roared close behind, followed by a bewildered group of townspeople.
Redwyn's legs trembled uncontrollably.
"What are you zoning out for? Run," Mithra instructed, after touching her left hand to her legs to apply Vitality, only then realizing why the young man was still standing there dumbfounded.
Redwyn snapped back to reality, slapping his hands together to cast Vitality as well, swiftly applying it to his legs. With enhanced vigor, he took off running.
But after running some distance, he turned around and found that Mithra hadn't followed!
Instead, he witnessed Mithra thrust her hand into her own abdomen, blood gushing forth, as she forcefully pulled out the massive stone hammer from within her flesh.
Redwyn, who had been wondering where Mithra hid such a large stone hammer not long ago, was utterly stunned. This scene was far too shocking.
Whoosh!
A Ki totem suddenly flashed in Mithra's left hand.
Object Manipulation!
Crimson Ki enveloped the stone hammer. Mithra forcefully swung her left hand, and the heavy stone hammer instantly flew out, batting away a dog that was closing in from the side.
Her left hand made a grasping motion in the air. Mithra broadly swung her left arm, and the hammer soared through the air, charging powerfully, directly scattering the approaching force, which had been somewhat organized, into complete disarray.
Except for a few bears that remained relatively intact, most of the dogs and humans fell to the ground, unable to get up.
One dog found an opening, successfully closing in on Mithra, opening its blood-soaked mouth to bite Mithra's neck.
Mithra tugged with her left hand, and the hammer quickly flew back from behind the dog's head, directly smashing the dog's skull before returning to Mithra's grip.
An opposing Believer seized the opportunity to sneak closer. A dense pattern of branching leaves, representing a large tree, flashed on his necklace. It was a wood inspiration totem.
But his point of transmission didn't seem to be the more common hand, but rather...
The Believer opened his mouth wide and aimed directly at Mithra.
A fierce gust of wind roared from his mouth, carrying withered leaves that swirled directly towards Mithra.
["Falling Leaves": Miracle of Wood. Although originating from wood inspiration, it is a manifestation of wood leading to the Wonder of Wind.]
[—Wind stirs leaves, leaves ride the wind.]
Mithra felt herself collide with an invisible, resilient barrier, and the pervasive "Falling Leaves" severely hampered her vision.
Her normally acute senses were also significantly disrupted by this whirlwind.
The other Believers seized the opportunity to close in. One conjured a fireball and hurled it, another, after condensing a "Rock" totem, forcefully unearthed an outrageously large stone from the ground and flung it. Several others, not invoking any specific miracles, simply charged forward, relying on sheer physical prowess.
Mithra faced such a siege without a flicker of change in her expression. Amidst the chaotic disturbance, she first cast "Calmness."
Ding~.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
A Ki-enhanced throwing knife sliced past, deftly deflecting the trajectory of the massive rock.
Mithra was momentarily surprised to glimpse Redwyn, who had actually circled back, but her original counterattack plan remained undisturbed.
Facing the escalating siege, she advanced rather than retreated. Her hammer served as a shield as a Ki totem flashed in her left hand, and a fierce surge of Ki rapidly coalesced within her palm. She then lunged directly towards the nearest Believer, who had intended to approach under covering fire.
"Ki Conduction!"
The potent Ki acted like a vortex, seizing the opponent's body.
An irresistible force dragged him forward, his neck now firmly grasped in Mithra's hand.
She then held the individual aloft, effectively using him as a human shield.
Before the opponent could even begin to struggle, all manner of ranged attacks rained down upon the unwilling shield behind him.
This Believer perished on the spot. Of course, under such concentrated firepower, Mithra herself sustained some damage, but it was evident that the completely disfigured human shield had absorbed the vast majority of the incoming assaults for her.
Her injuries rapidly regenerated. Mithra stood up, nonchalantly brushing dirt from her hair.
However, the Believers who had initially planned to engage in close combat hesitated.
They hesitated, but Mithra did not.
"Ki Conduction!"
Another person was dragged over, but this time not as a shield. Instead, his head was directly grabbed, and then the hammer swung with crushing force.
A perfectly executed smashing motion.
The human head shattered.
"Ki Conduction," direct targeting.
Whoever it targeted, met their end. Their comparable Vitality meant these Believers simply lacked the capability to counter Mithra while being restrained by "Ki Conduction" at close quarters.
Redwyn also contributed by eliminating several Believers along the way, but the growing pile of corpses beneath Mithra's feet made him break out in a cold sweat.
Indeed, he had provoked a true force of nature.
She had only learned the Ki Miracle a mere week ago, and now she was already frighteningly proficient.
Redwyn's own speed at condensing Ki totems was slightly inferior to Mithra's, and his "Ki Conduction" proficiency was also lacking. Currently, his true specialty remained high-precision "Object Manipulation."
More importantly, after closing the distance, her powerful close-quarters combat ability, that hammer technique, simply did not seem like something someone so young could wield. She systematically smashed the heads of these dog-headed individuals, with patterns that never repeated.
Soon, the remaining Believers no longer dared to approach. Occasionally, a bear or dog that attempted to close in was casually dispatched by a few swift hammer blows. Mithra walked leisurely over the corpses, advancing towards the knight.
The knight had initially only intended to observe, but after a brief period, more than half of his men lay dead. At this point, he had no choice but to draw his sword and confront Mithra directly.
"Miracle of Ki, truly potent. So young, yet already so adept in various techniques... Is it because of your eyes?" the knight uttered, his voice muffled beneath his helmet.
"You know these eyes?" Mithra paused, her query sharp.
"Ah, yes. Everyone here knows them. It's truly a misjudgment on our part. Perhaps the dark, squalid tunnels concealed your beauty? Those magnificent eyes are indeed what we aspire to, what guides us..." The knight held his straight sword at his side, the blade obscuring half his face.
His posture stiffened for a moment. Mithra recognized this as likely a form of formal address or etiquette.
What he had just said was...
Lost in thought, the knight suddenly lunged forward with a wide stride, thrusting his straight sword with incredible swiftness. Mithra leaned sideways, barely evading the strike. Her hammer deflected the knight's sword, then followed through, aiming for his chin.
The knight, however, moved with agile footwork, quickly re-establishing his balance. He retracted his straight sword, deftly parried the hammer, then adjusted the blade and thrust forward, targeting Mithra's eye!
Mithra raised a foot, kicking the opponent's sword hilt. After disrupting his stance with the kick, she closed the distance using a close-range Ki Conduction.
But her opponent immediately reversed his grip on the sword. Following the pull, his close-range flurry of punches and kicks intensified. Mithra found herself unable to defend effectively, instead being overwhelmed by the knight's ferocious barrage.
Mithra struggled to block, enduring most of the punches directly, then forcibly seized her opponent's punching wrist.
While the knight quickly reversed his grip on the straight sword with his other hand, Mithra's hammer, in her free hand, also began to glow crimson.
Thud!
Bang!
The straight sword pierced Mithra's abdomen. Simultaneously, the stone hammer flew from her hand and struck the knight's head, sending him staggering backward. The sword that had just pierced her flesh was also violently yanked out.
Mithra's body trembled slightly, but she ignored the searing wound in her abdomen and continued her charge. At the same time, her left hand recalled the stone hammer, intent on giving him no quarter.
Protected by his tough helmet, the knight was merely dazed, with only a visible dent appearing on his headgear.
Seeing Mithra approach as if utterly fearless of death, he quickly rose, pulled something from his chest, forcefully squeezed it, and lightly wiped the substance onto his sword.
In an instant.
Slice!
Mithra's left hand, cleanly severed by a pale blue sword energy, flew off, falling limply to the ground.
"Ugh..." This intense pain from the severed limb finally caused Mithra to pause momentarily, her eyes widening slightly in shock.
Redwyn, engaged in combat with several Believers in the distance, was momentarily distracted, glancing at Mithra's situation. Seeing this, he was instantly aghast.
What was that just now!?
Sword energy?
Mithra gasped, mentally casting Calmness...
Her left hand was severed. She couldn't cast miracles until regeneration was complete!
Although she had mastered quite a few miracles, and her combat strength with the hammer was astonishing at her current level, she hadn't yet begun to extend her miracle transmission points to other body parts.
The opponent exploited this critical weakness, even specifically targeting Mithra's left arm, a vulnerable area that Vitality found difficult to fully cover.
With the severed limb exposed, flesh and bone rapidly grew. But starting from the arm, an uncontrollable, excruciating pain felt like sturdy nails repeatedly piercing and twisting the wound.
Mithra's cold sweat streamed down. Her body trembled even more violently, her mouth twisting into a grimace.
The knight advanced, eager to seize this opportunity and secure his victory.
Unexpectedly, Mithra swiftly pivoted, her right hand snatching the stone hammer that had fallen beside her. The rhythm of her movements suddenly became erratic and unpredictable. The knight's sweeping longsword repeatedly cut through empty air. Mithra, almost dancing, wielded the hammer with her right hand in an elusive manner, her footwork proving exceptionally difficult to anticipate.
Clearly, having lost an arm, her balance was compromised, and her body felt unfamiliar. For the immediate future, her combat prowess likely couldn't exceed half its usual strength. Merely maintaining steady footwork would be an impressive feat for a skilled warrior, yet Mithra seemed to have effortlessly shifted her fighting style and stabilized, offering the knight no clear opportunity to press his advantage.
Praise be to Fasellos, your gift is truly too potent.
Instructions for using a hammer after an amputation were included. It even detailed one or two methods for wielding a hammer while crawling.
However, this alone was still insufficient to defeat this knight.
Aside from the sudden, bizarre sword energy just now—which Mithra's highly enhanced senses hadn't even registered, as if all her perceptions were momentarily blocked—there was also her injury.
Regarding Mithra herself, an injury of this caliber—a severed limb—required a significant amount of time even for Lebionce's accelerated regeneration. Having been severed from the upper arm, it had only regrown to the elbow thus far.
Her crucial hand would still take a long time to regenerate, during which no miracles could be cast.
Fortunately, Mithra habitually cast "Calmness," and its current duration was certainly sufficient.
But her other miracles were about to be fully expended, especially "Vitality." Without "Vitality," how could an unarmored individual hope to defeat a fully armored knight?
In short, it was still a matter of stalling for time…
[Cost: You have lost your left arm.]
[Compensation received: Hand of the Abyss (Left).]
[Jungo's Signature: Hee hee hee hee hee—]
Mithra froze.
Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle—
Suddenly, she felt an intense, agonizing itch from her regenerating arm, eclipsing the pain. Then, the regenerating wound was covered by a viscous black liquid.
The black liquid continuously flowed and dripped from the wound, causing both Mithra and the knight opposite her to momentarily freeze.
What was this thing?!
But Mithra quickly grasped a crucial insight.
The knight dared not approach. After a moment of hesitation, he once again retrieved an item from his chest.
This time, she clearly saw it was a pulsating eye.
He crushed it, then reapplied it.
That mysterious longsword emitted a pale blue light. Mithra's senses momentarily failed to perceive the sword.
Swoosh!
The sword energy rapidly approached, but this time, the originally viscous, slowly flowing liquid suddenly transformed into several tangible tentacles, wildly thrashing around Mithra.
The pale blue sword energy was shattered. Mithra's eyes fixed directly on the knight, tilting her body and aiming the bizarre arm at him, focusing her mind.
The tentacles docilely restrained themselves, then pierced forward like arrows!
The knight couldn't react in time. His armor, as flimsy as paper, was easily pierced. From behind him, the tentacles surged forth, gnashing and overtly bloodthirsty, seemingly in a state of high excitement. Yet, at Mithra's silent command, they skillfully retracted.
Mithra's gasping grew increasingly intense. Wielding this mutated arm, she perceived a cacophony of strange, peculiar voices in her mind.
Prayers, it seemed like the sounds of fervent prayer...
Suddenly, the excruciating pain in her left hand subsided.
[Left hand has recovered. Hand of the Abyss (Left) has departed.]
[Jungo's Signature: Heh heh heh heh heh—}]
This newly acquainted old companion was quite the character.
The ominous blackness in her hand completely vanished, and the previously overflowing, unknown substance was gone.
Mithra inspected her newly regenerated left hand, clenching and unclenching it. It felt perfectly fine. Meanwhile, her severed left hand, lying not far away, had automatically disintegrated and vanished.
Then, she abruptly turned her head, surveying the few remaining living townspeople and Believers around her.
...
All of them were dead.
The open space in front of the tunnel had just borne witness to a brief, brutal conflict—an eruption between two seemingly innocent youths, fanatical cultists, and townspeople who had been indoctrinated by the cult.
Ultimately concluding with the fortunate, if grim, victory of two seemingly innocent youths.
Truly heartwarming, one might say.
Redwyn looked at Mithra with even greater apprehension.
This individual was absolutely a newly awakened Wandering God! A monster disguised in human flesh!
He began to seriously doubt whether bringing Mithra back to Earth made him complicit as a "guided party" to something far more sinister.
Amidst his profound self-doubt, Mithra, however, was calmly strolling through the carnage, meticulously picking and choosing among the corpses as if she were at a well-stocked supermarket.
As an individual driven purely by inspiration, accumulating appropriate inspiration mediums was, for her, truly paramount.
Her stroll eventually brought her back to the knight's corpse.
For the first time, she took note of his sword, picked it up, and examined it closely.
[Sword of Night Devotion: Common material, yet a straight sword hosting fragments of a special Wandering God's miraculous trace, weapon of the Nightborne Knight. By crushing and smearing fresh eyes as a sacrifice, it can manifest the power of miracles. It is said that by using this weapon to hunt the Eyes of Night, one can perceive that Wandering God at the culmination of the hunt.]
[— "Blade of the Unseen: Miracle of Divinity. Amidst the blossoming power of the 'Night Hunter' miracle, no one can discern the shadow of the blade."]
After confirming its properties, Mithra directly plunged the sword into her own body, integrating it into her personal Weapon Forge.
Whether it would be needed or not, she would store it first.
Mithra found herself developing a distinct preference for pursuing and collecting such unique weapons.
This was likely an influence of Fasellos's cost, but Mithra saw no contradiction. She had few truly distinct hobbies anyway, so she might as well make this one her own.
Next, she resumed her search, and in the small pouch the knight carried, she discovered several fresh eyes.
These were the necessary sacrifices for manifesting the miracle attached to the sword.
Miracles could be attached to items; Safin had indeed mentioned this before. Yet, Mithra hadn't anticipated that the very first miracle-imbued item she acquired would be intrinsically linked to a Miracle of Divinity.
"Night Hunter"—the description seemed to allude to the title of that elusive Wandering God.
Mithra lightly touched her eyelids, then gazed up at the completely darkened sky. "It seems the significant figures didn't just place me here randomly."
Combining this revelation with the Nightborne Knight's previous words, their organization was actively hunting the Eyes of Night. Even that unknown Wandering God, whose title was "Night Hunter," appeared to be at odds with the Eyes of Night.
Safin had only recently warned that these eyes might bring considerable trouble within the Dream Nexus. Mithra hadn't expected trouble to manifest so swiftly...
No, rather, it was likely that the behind-the-scenes arrangements made by the powerful entities were precise and perfectly timed.
Their gifts were certainly not bestowed without careful consideration.
Regardless, a silent "thank you" was in order. Mithra mentally affirmed her commitment to hard work.
This was merely a brief prelude.
Redwyn's internal struggle to rationalize his predicament ultimately failed to yield a satisfactory reason, and he still found himself compelled to guide Mithra from his heart.
He desperately wanted to go home.
And this town truly harbored significant power, as evidenced by the sheer number of people gathered there and that formidable knight. In his heart, he felt incredibly fortunate that he hadn't encountered such fierce pursuit during his initial, careless intrusion.
However, the path back was not necessarily guaranteed to be safe.
Redwyn was filled with overwhelming regret. He truly shouldn't have embarked on this journey alone. No, he shouldn't have come at all!
Mithra, on the other hand, spent a moment contemplating the incident with her severed arm.
When her left hand was lost, the activation mechanism of the exchange system seemed to operate somewhat differently from the usual "Big Boss Rewards."
The descriptive text was precisely what she had seen when she first transmigrated.
It implied that because a certain cost was incurred, compensation was subsequently provided.
Right, during the introductory phase, the powerful figures behind the scenes had already stated that she would receive additional compensation after bearing some initial costs. The "reward mechanism" came later.
It was just that she hadn't encountered such an opportunity before.
But now, the loss of her left arm had triggered it.
If other limbs or organs were lost, could they also activate this mechanism?
However, the loss of an organ was genuinely painful. That level of agony was still somewhat intense for Mithra. She felt it was unnecessary to deliberately inflict such suffering upon herself.
Besides, given that a knight had just severed her arm with a broken sword, Mithra felt confident that future opportunities for missing limbs would certainly not be lacking.
She believed it was prudent to reserve some anxieties for the future.
This way, when she did inevitably lose a limb later, she would still harbor some hope rather than simply enduring the pain.
Hmm, having thought this way, she had already begun to anticipate future scenarios of being beaten beyond recognition by skilled adversaries.
She only hoped she wouldn't end up as an unrecognizable mess.
Did those powerful figures hear that?
"Mithra, we're almost there." At this moment, Redwyn's voice pulled her back from her introspective reverie.
Mithra looked ahead, seeing that after following the winding road downwards, a quiet town was indeed nestled below.
The town wasn't particularly large. From a high vantage point, one could discern its outer limits, yet its internal architecture was surprisingly dense. Such a construction style in a mountainous region was rather typical, but outsiders venturing inside would easily become disoriented.
"I likely entered along the outer perimeter over there; I didn't delve deep into the town," Redwyn explained, pointing towards the town's edge, where faint tracks of ore carts were visible. It was probably one of the standard mining transport routes.
"Going directly through the town would be walking straight into a trap. And if you want to circumnavigate it, there are only two paths. The ore cart track offers the best visibility and is the fastest. Taking the opposite route means traversing the mountains, and that's quite a distance. It's getting dark now, so I don't really recommend it," Redwyn analyzed calmly this time.
Although he seemed like a reckless youth when they first met, a closer observation revealed some surprisingly good qualities about him.
Was it that he was inherently quite capable, or was the Enchanted Realm's education system simply excellent?
Mithra inquired, "Were you discovered on that track when you infiltrated?"
"Ah, yes," Redwyn obediently nodded.
"Then, for safety's sake, we shouldn't take that path. After all, having garrisoned this town for so many years, they undoubtedly know this area better than us. They would also anticipate that being the easiest escape route," Mithra reasoned.
Redwyn concurred: "But fumbling through the mountain paths would also be very troublesome. They have dogs and even bears. In the difficult mountain terrain, we could easily be surrounded."
"So, isn't the answer obvious? We go through the town."
"Huh?" Redwyn, still perplexed, was momentarily stunned by her statement.
"We already know that the primary enemies we might face are those Believers and the knight. As for the townspeople, dogs, and bears, these are only problematic when they gather in large numbers. However, if we navigate through the town, in this complex urban environment, their ability to pose a significant threat in pursuit is actually quite limited. After all, something like a bear can't move flexibly through a town."
"But wouldn't going through the town significantly increase the probability of encountering Believers and the knight? That's their stronghold."
"If we encounter them, we encounter them. We'll simply eliminate them. Can't you handle one or two yourself?"
"Uh… alright," Redwyn stammered, momentarily speechless. He thought for a moment and conceded that her logic was sound.
Mithra, relying on her keen eyesight, observed the town from the hillside for a while. After selecting a relatively straightforward path, she led Redwyn, hugging the shadows, towards the town.
Upon getting closer, they could see streaks of firelight illuminating the town.
Townspeople, holding torches, patrolled the streets. Occasionally, they could also spot a few cloaked Believers leading these patrols.
The patrol routes weren't particularly dense, leaving many gaps. Led by Mithra, Redwyn vaguely followed closely, and after a period of deep infiltration, they truly remained undetected.
Redwyn, marveling at their good fortune, also kept pace with Mithra.
To separate here would be perilous.
Ahead, a wide main road emerged. More individuals patrolled here. Mithra had no choice but to halt, taking cover in a narrow alley, cautiously observing their movements.
After a period of careful observation, seeing no immediate opportunity, Mithra subtly signaled to Redwyn, pointing towards the open area.
Redwyn nodded, then looked down beside him and picked up a broken half of a wooden barrel. After a moment of focused cultivation in his hand, a Ki totem briefly flashed, and he then cast "Object Manipulation."
Red fluctuations enveloped the fractured wooden barrel, sending it soaring into the air, over the rooftops, and flying off into the distance.
Thump!
In the stillness of the night, the sound of the wooden barrel hitting the ground was distinctly clear.
Immediately, the patrolling teams reacted, all converging towards the source of the noise.
Mithra and Redwyn found an opening and swiftly navigated through.
After traversing the main road, they appeared to enter a residential area. In some of the houses, Mithra could detect the subtle glow of concealed firelight.
After assessing the situation, Mithra then led Redwyn onward.
Suddenly, sounds of struggle and muffled impacts came from not far away.
"Ah!" A vague scream echoed.
Mithra and Redwyn immediately stopped, their senses on high alert.
"I said we could cooperate, but please release our child!"
"Please! Please… Ah!"
Another disturbance.
As the commotion spread, all the oil lamps in the surrounding buildings, which had shown some light, were extinguished.
Soon, the sounds subsided.
Mithra expressionlessly peered out, finding two Believers with several townspeople emerging from a room. They dragged two inert bodies, while one of the townspeople held a struggling child.
"Help! Help!" the child shrieked. One Believer, looking displeased, directly struck the child, knocking him unconscious.
"What, what do they intend to do?" Redwyn whispered, but the tremor in his voice was evident. He asked.
"Gouge out his eyes," Mithra stated casually.
Redwyn covered his mouth, remembering the corpses in the tunnel. Virtually all of them lacked eyes, a gruesome detail mirrored by nearly every resentful Cursed Being encountered there.
He took a deep breath, seemingly trying to compose himself, then cautiously peeked out.
Mithra noticed his observation of the group.
"What do you intend to do?"
"Just two Believers, a few dogs, and some townspeople. There's an opportunity," Redwyn looked at Mithra. "As long as we eliminate them swiftly, we can rescue that child."
"Your plan probably didn't include me, did it?" Mithra's tone was calm.
Redwyn pressed his lips together, slowly nodding. "I know this is complicated. If I cause a diversion, even if I cover you, you just leave. I've already told you the location of the Transmission Point. Simply follow the mountain road to find that city; you'll definitely locate it."
As soon as he finished speaking, Mithra nodded and said, "That's good then. Let's go, go kill people."
"Huh? No, I said I didn't include you..."
"If you had directly included me, I would have sent you alone. But since you didn't, I'm willing to assist you. Is there an issue?" Mithra's tone remained unruffled, leaving Redwyn utterly speechless.
After a moment of sputtering, he could only manage, "Thank you."
After confirming their target, the two prepared themselves.
Mithra first cast "Calmness" upon herself.
Ding~.
Redwyn once again cultivated for a prolonged period, condensing a Ki totem to enhance the power of his Ki Miracle.
Then, he swiftly leaped out from the alley.
Those who were preparing to leave were utterly unprepared. Redwyn suddenly spread his arms, clenching his hands tightly!
Suppression!
Intense Ki directly enveloped everything in front of him. The large-scale consumption of Senseforce caused Redwyn's brain to cramp painfully, but he successfully restrained this group of people!
Mithra stepped out, plunged her hand into her upper back, and abruptly drew her sword.
The "Mysterious Straight Sword" was pulled forth, dripping with fresh blood. With her other hand, she snatched a still-vibrant eye, crushed it, and then smeared its contents onto the blade. Simultaneously, feeling her body slightly weighted, she assumed a sweeping stance.
Blade of the Unseen.
Swoosh!
A pale blue sword energy swept across the area. Everyone caught in its path, paralyzed by the sudden inability to move their bodies, was instantly cut down.
Mithra, after one swing, quickly followed up, her free hand retrieving the stone hammer from her side. One hand holding the sword, the other the hammer, she swiftly targeted and dispatched the remaining dogs.
Redwyn, taking a deep breath, did not relax. He immediately cast "Object Manipulation," launching throwing knives to strike at any dogs Mithra hadn't yet dealt with.
Whoosh!
In mere moments, only corpses and slowly spreading pools of blood remained around them.
Mithra performed a flourish with her sword, then sheathed it, re-inserting it into her body from her shoulder. She then turned her head to Redwyn, who was walking over with his head covered:
"You're in charge of leading the way. Go."