NOVEL FROG Chapter 250-257
Chapter 250: Rebirth
p>”Avengers Alliance? Why would you think of such a strange name?” Hathaway asked, baffled.
“We had yet to name the Alliance… But that sounds alright.”
Marvin gave a hollow laugh. “We can still think of the name, I only said that casually.”
If these Legends gathered together, they would really be a huge power. During the game, there was the lack of a force of Legends gathering together. They all fought their respective battles and were ultimately annihilated by the gods.
And Marvin, as a player, knew the advantages of fighting as a group.
Regardless if it was the Shadow Prince, the Crimson Patriarch, or Diggles and his Decaying Plateau that they just took care of, all of them were the results of powerhouses fighting together.
This was why he tried to win over all kinds of Legends that he met ever since he transmigrated.
If they truly formed an Alliance, even if the Great Calamity happened, Feinan’s situation would be substantially different.
“I’m not feeling too good, I need a place to rest.”
O’Brien was indeed a bit pale. His gaze landed on that well-behaved Legend Barbarian as he asked “Hey, does your place have some alcohol?”
After these words, all the Legends focused on the Barbarian.
The Barbarian was startled, but after a long time, he replied, “There… There is.”
…
A hot flame was burning in the fireplace in a spacious wooden house.
Snowflakes flew outside the window, but the room temperature was quite pleasant.
The Legend Barbarian lived in this snowy area all his life but he had never seen so many Legends. This guy treated his guests very sincerely, bringing out all the good wines from his cellar.
O’Brien, Constantine and the others didn’t act polite and directly started drinking.
The group of lively people got together, and Marvin once again carefully recounted his experiences.
But regarding his return, he changed his story a bit, only saying that he was lucky and found the Celestial Stairway.
No one looked further into it. They all had their own secrets, and they were friends with Marvin and naturally could see his potential.
In such a short time, Marvin’s strength had increased once again, directly reaching 4th rank. This was simply something outrageous.
From Constantine, Owl, and the others, Marvin learned what had happened after he entered the World Tree Domain.
The Great Elven King really came to save them.
But what shocked Marvin was that the Great Elven King apparently got injured during the rescue. Owl and the others didn’t know what happened exactly, but they knew how severe the Great Elven King’s injury was from the fact that Ivan headed west alone to look for a medicine that could cure injuries from Divine Power.
This was a possibility that Marvin had completely overlooked.
‘Seems like I’m still not thinking things through enough.’
After they finished speaking, Marvin inwardly shook his head.
The Great Elven King’s injuries were a very frightening matter. Before, he was in perfect condition to welcome the Calamity, which gave Feinan stronger protection.
But now because of Marvin’s plan, even though they destroyed the Decaying Plateau, one of the strongest powerhouses in Feinan had suffered a serious injury. Marvin wasn’t sure if it was worth it.
Furthermore, Inheim was on the brink of death because of the combined sneak attack of the Shadow Prince and the Plague God. Right now, Sky Fury was accompanying him as he was healed by Mother of Creation.
This was also something Marvin hadn’t anticipated.
He originally thought the Legend Monk was the safest one. After all, his Perception was extremely high and his body was tyrannically strong.
Marvin wouldn’t have thought that the one that got injured would be him!
But then again, if it was another Legend suffering from the combined sneak attack of these two gods, it would have probably ended in death!
The plan ended up with no deaths, which could be considered as fortunate.
The bottles of alcohol were quickly consumed as they chatted idly.
Marvin didn’t drink much, but in the previous battle with Madeline, the overwhelming Night Monarch’s remnant power had poured into his body, using a lot of his energy. Then it was followed by the reunion in the snow, where he was beat up by his old friends. His tense body soon fell asleep.
…
At midnight, he opened his eyes. He was a bit dazed, but slowly became more clear-headed.
The flames in the fireplace were still keeping the place warm.
A few men were lying around.
O’Brien… This guy claimed he could still stay sober after a thousand cups, but in reality, he collapsed after drinking some.
Shadow Thief Owl and Constantine were lying down together. It seemed like they were evenly matched.
And that strange old man and the Legend Barbarian were lying down on another side.
Endless Ocean and Hathaway didn’t drink a lot. It seemed they each found a room to sleep in.
There were actually quite a few rooms in the Legend Barbarian’s wooden house.
At that time he clearly felt a peculiar sensation.
He opened the door, puzzled. And a wave of cold rushed over, even making him sneeze a few times!
Snowy wind blew outside the door as Marvin struggled to walk a few steps.
The cold helped wake him up a bit.
“Your cold resistance isn’t too high yet, you shouldn’t come out like this.”
A gentle voice echoed behind his back.
Marvin smiled and turned around.
Hathaway.
She was standing on the roof of the Barbarian’s house, apparently waiting for something.
Marvin leapt up and nimbled landed on the roof.
Around Hathaway was a cold protection boundary. He leaned closer and naturally didn’t feel the cold anymore.
“Do you feel it too?” Hathaway looked toward Marvin.
The latter faintly nodded.
There was a strange and mysterious feeling, as if something important was about to happen.
At that moment, bright radiance burst in the sky!
There were meteors!
“Meteors?” Hathaway squinted, looking at the distant sky as light streaked across the night.
“How many?” Even if Marvin had the Night Monarch’s blessings, his eyesight was still limited, and he didn’t have a Legend scouting spell, so he didn’t know how many meteors there were.
“A total of seven,” Hathaway quickly answered. “They all landed in the west.”
Marvin was silent for a moment. “West, Rocky Mountain.”
Hathaway looked at Marvin in surprise. “How did you know?”
She was using a scouting spell to calculate where those meteors landed, but how did Marvin know?
Marvin didn’t open his mouth, shaking his head instead.
It seemed the trip to Rocky Mountain had already become urgent!
He was delayed because of the White Deer matter, but now he had to quickly go!
Because if he wasn’t wrong, those seven meteors each represented a Source of Fire’s Order!
Three of them fell in the hands of the three Fate Sisters.
The eventual whereabouts of the other four were unknown.
A Source of Fire’s Order was the best way set up and maintain a country when the chaotic mana flooded Feinan!
If White River Valley wanted to survive this Calamity, he had to get one!
…
West, Rocky Mountain, Chaos Ground.
“Sis, look! Meteors!”
A young purple-haired girl pointed at the meteors in the sky that turned into blazing balls of fire as they plunged towards the uninhabited western area of the Rocky Mountain.
“Booooom!”
A violent earthquake shook all of the inhabitants of Rocky Mountain!
“Those aren’t common Meteors; each is a Source of Fire’s Order.”
At that time, a plump lifeform came out. It sat on Kate’s shoulder and solemnly said, “Those are very important things…”
“Ah… Since it’s that important, Ding, help me fight over it,” the young girl said.
Ding’s expression grew more serious. “But I don’t have any fighting strength!”
“Then what should we do? Big Sis went to grab that Black Dragon and told us not to leave this place.” The young girl frowned.
Kate patted her younger sister’s head. “It’s fine, Lorie, I’ll go.”
“But Big Sis said that before we advance to Legend, we can’t leave the Chaos Ground.” Lorie tightly pulled on Kate’s hand. “I heard there are many bad people outside.”
Kate smiled. “You stay here with Ding. My strength is already quite good, I believe I’ll advance to Legend sooner or later.”
“I’ll personally get those Sources of Fire’s Order.”
…
On the edge of the Chaos Ground, a Black Dragon was craftily running away!
A delicate silhouette was chasing her, unwilling to let go.
Frightening spells were continuously sent over one after the other.
Despite the Black Dragon having a high resistance to Magic, she was covered in cuts and bruises by these frightening spells!
It showed that the Fate Sorcerers’ spells were very powerful.
The chase kept going for a while as the Black Dragon was trying its best to escape. In the end, she relied on her own craftiness and her understanding of Rocky Mountain’s topography to successfully flee!
The Fate Sorcereress was very dissatisfied as she stood on a peak!
She had let her escape!
This damn Dragon! She kept causing trouble in the periphery of Chaos Ground, destroying the order personally established by the Fate Sisters.
“Seems like I need to post a notice to look for an expert Dragon Slayer with a good understanding of Dragons,” she grumbled to herself.
At that time, seven meteors streaked across the sky, quickly flying over her head and landing in the western part of Rocky Mountain!
She could feel a majestic power from them.
‘How could it land there…’
‘That’s a place no one dares to go. It’s rumored that countless Ancient God’s bodies are buried over there…’
‘Forget it, catching that Black Dragon is more important!’
She thought for a moment, and finally gave up on checking out the meteors.
…
North, the Barbarian’s wooden house, in a quiet room.
After closing the door, Marvin slowly took out a scroll page.
On the scroll was a blank space, and it looked like there was nothing there.
He slowly took out a golden quill, used his dagger to cut his thumb, and dipped the quill in blood.
He drew a strange rune on the scroll.
Then, some inexplicable connection was established between him and the scroll.
Words appeared on the scroll. Marvin didn’t understand what exactly it meant.
He only knew that the chapter name was [Rebirth].
“Come out. My servant.” Marvin softly called out.
Soon, an elegant silhouette appeared on that page of the Book of Nalu.
Under the effect of a mysterious power, that person unexpectedly jumped out of the page and condensed into shape!
“How may I serve you, My lord.”
Madeline gently smiled.
The previous evil appearance seemed to have already disappeared, as if she had undergone rebirth.
Chapter 251: Dark Hole
p>The Book of Nalu, a book full of mysteries.
Each page of the Book of Nalu contained endless possibilities.
It might turn one crazy, but it also might grant one unimaginable benefits.
Marvin kept a cautious attitude toward the Book of Nalu.
This was also the reason didn’t read the 3rd page of the Book of Nalu, [Destruction], when he obtained it.
Because the danger from [Destruction] was far greater than that of [Rebirth].
The Book of Nalu could take over one’s mind and make that person mad. But it was different when that rune appeared in her eyes.
That was a contract.
The rune Marvin just drew on the Book of Nalu represented a law of the God of Deception.
Marvin formed a mysterious resonance with that page of the Book of Nalu. In other words, he temporarily became the owner of the page of [Rebirth].
Thus, he was able to call out Madeline.
Marvin already inferred the ins and outs of the matter: Madeline actually didn’t have the aptitude to advance to Legend. Even with the help of the Book of Nalu, she still couldn’t cross this barrier.
But the woman’s ambitions and desires constantly pushed her to seek the advancement.
Under the pressure of the Heavenly Deer and the Underworld, she made a crazy decision!
She opened the Book of Nalu and made a contract with it.
She would obtain power from the Book of Nalu, and advance to Legend. And the price was half her soul.
That rune was one of the runes for a contract, which Marvin recognized.
Thus he hesitated, but still decisively killed Madeline.
That was the most evil part of Madeline, or in other words, the evil side of River Shore City’s City Lord. And the one remaining in the Book of Nalu was the kind side.
Right, even an evil existence would also have a kind side. And Madeline’s kind side wasn’t small.
Otherwise she wouldn’t be River Shore City’s City Lord.
The Madeline who had been summoned by Marvin from the Book of Nalu had all her previous memories.
There were only two differences.
First, her physical body was attached to the Book of Nalu, so she would have to completely obey Marvin. But from her actions, it looked like she actually liked it.
In a sense, Madeline originally showed some wickedness, like an overbearing queen. And the current Madeline displayed respect and kindness.
She would meekly obey Marvin’s orders and be very delighted to do so.
Second, her strength had somewhat declined.
Even if she was still a Legend, she was probably the weakest Legend Wizard.
She was half dead after all.
Marvin’s actions stemmed from a lack of better options. Madeline had signed a contract with the Book of Nalu after all, which guaranteed her doom.
He was already doing his best to help her.
After all, becoming the owner of the Book of Nalu was risky. Thankfully it was [Rebirth]. He had already passed this chapter’s test, so he dared to become its owner.
If it was [Destruction]… He certainly wouldn’t dare.
Regardless, Madeline’s death and rebirth was actually good news for Marvin.
He could use her to control River Shore City.
Although he had killed Madeline in front of many of River Shore City’s people, they could always explain that they had joined hands to put on a show whose goal was… obviously to handle hidden enemies. As for what the enemy was, they could randomly pick one when the time came.
In any case, no one would dare to go against Madeline’s might in River Shore City, especially since she was the genuine City Lord.
After dealing with this, Marvin saw the extremely lovely Madeline wanting to stick to him and he hurriedly put her back in the Book of Nalu.
This matter… It was better if Hathaway didn’t see it for now.
After all, he didn’t know how to explain it right now.
…
Next day, after everyone woke up. Marvin quickly handled some matters.
First was to give the Time Molt to Owl so the latter could pass it over to Inheim. Marvin had faith in Mother of Creation’s healing abilities. Inheim would surely recover.
And Time Molt was a treasure that all gods coveted. Keeping it was like lighting a fire in the darkness. It was better to hand it over to reliable people.
Second was to give the Red Dragon’s corpse from the Thousand Paper Crane to Constantine.
Constantine’s friend, Master Harvester Wall, was waiting for him in [Wooden Fort], a city in the southern part of the snow field. He apparently had an independent workshop there with ten assistants working for him. Something like harvesting a Dragon required patience and it was better to do something like that in the North’s cold climate.
Marvin trusted Constantine. Since a Master Harvester would take care of it, this Red Dragon’s body would be taken care of perfectly. When the time came, he would get his share.
Constantine hurriedly rushed south when he got the Dragon’s corpse. He would return to White River Valley after dealing with this matter, as per his agreement with Marvin.
After all, the current White River Valley was different from the past.
Following Marvin’s rise in reputation, more and more people started paying attention to this mystical piece of land.
A Legend powerhouse was needed to oversee it.
Daniela clearly wasn’t enough.
And the others would split up to deal with their matters. Legends were also very busy after all.
O’Brien would go eastward, as his fight with the Molten clan wasn’t over. Although he had removed the Molten Overlord’s head, it was said that there was an evil force with equivalent power emerging from a large crevice in the North. He had no choice but to go deal with it.
As for the Azure Matriarch, completely dealing with her in the glacier wasn’t possible, because it was a field where the World Ending Twin Snakes’ power kept flowing. He only managed to rip off a few heads, and they would eventually regrow.
Shadow Thief Owl would go look for Inheim. Endless Ocean needed to report this matter to the Migratory Bird Council.
Lorant and Hathaway would return to the South.
Lorant was very grateful for Marvin’s actions, especially saving his children.
He gave Marvin a badge showing that he was an honored guest of the Bai. He could get the Bai clansmen to help him in the Saint Desert.
Marvin didn’t hold back after getting the badge and directly wore it.
After all, he could certainly use it. The Bai clansmen were numerous and spread through the entire Saint Desert. He might need their help at some point.
Or at the very least, he could take less detours.
Furthermore, most of the people in the Assassin Alliance were Bai clansmen. Even if the Assassin Alliance didn’t have a Legend Powerhouse overseeing it, quite a few Legend Assassins came from of the Assassin Alliance, so there was a bit of a relationship between them.
This network might come in handy in the future.
…
After this short reunion, it was time to leave.
After Marvin bid farewell to everyone, he once again rode Hathaway’s magic carpet, hurrying as fast as lightning toward the White Tower.
Hathaway still ignored the polite White Tower Wizard and directly used the long-distance Teleportation Gate.
The two soon returned to the Ashes Tower.
“Actually, I had something I wanted to talk to you about…”
At the top of the Ashes Tower, Marvin began talking when Hathaway suddenly interrupted him. “There is a very important spell I’ve been studying these days.”
“Don’t run around everywhere if you don’t have anything important.”
“Okay.”
She instantly opened a Teleportation Door and quickly ran away.
Marvin froze, before forcing a smile.
He actually wanted to ask about what Hathaway saw in the 6th page of the Book of Nalu.
He was very concerned about this.
But Hathaway was acting strangely, so he didn’t have the chance to ask.
He could only leave the Ashes Tower alone and return to White River Valley.
…
In the Ashes Tower, Hathaway quietly sitting on the soft sofa.
Her gaze was bright, but somewhat blank.
“He definitely wanted to ask what was the meaning of that kiss, right?”
“I avoided him this time, but how should I answer next time?”
“Ahhhhh… It’s so annoying!”
The 16 years old girl suddenly stood up.
She went to a secret room in the Ashes Tower and lifted a red cloth.
Behind was an old-fashioned painting, and on the painting was a kind old lady.
“Mother…”
A blank expression settled on her face. “Why did the curse of the Anzed Witches have to happen to me?”
“Why can my body only cycle through three different shapes?”
“I thought everything would clear up after I advanced to Legend. But now I am even more lost.”
“I can’t see the path ahead…”
Of course, the painting was unable to answer.
After a moment, she silently replaced the red cloth on the painting…
Not noticing the tear drop seeping out of the old lady’s eyes in that last second.
The tear of an Anzed Witch.
…
Marvin hurriedly returned to White River Valley.
After confirming that everyone was in good health, he secretly summoned Madeline and had her return to River Shore City.
Regardless how complicated the process would be, it already wasn’t his problem anymore. He believed that even the kind Madeline would easily be able to regain control of River Shore City.
After staying two days in White River Valley and learning that everything was going well, Marvin once again gave a reason and quietly left.
Anna and the others felt helpless about it.
But they also believed Marvin certainly had his reasons for leaving like that.
The only thing they could do was properly build this territory and carefully protect it while Marvin was away.
…
Three days later, in the Assassin Alliance secret ground.
“Sir, have a nice trip.” A black clothed masked man told Marvin, “Sire High Priest already made proper arrangements. You can enter the Dark Hole at any time.”
“But by all means, please be careful. The Underdark is a lot more vicious.”
Marvin faintly nodded.
He then squeezed into that pitch black cave.
He could faintly hear the roaring voices of monsters living in the depths of the earth!
His blood was boiling!
__
T/Reminder: Just in case, Witch is simply the female counterpart of Wizards. It has no negative meaning there. We simply use Wizard as a staple term unless it’s specifically specified Female Wizard in the raw.
Chapter 252: Hot Spring
p>Shadow Valley, hidden training ground.
In a dense forest, a stiffly moving training dummy kept walking.
These training dummies were products of alchemy and were used to imitate a real person’s movements.
A green radiance flickered on their bodies.
If they noticed an enemy approaching, the green radiance would turn red.
This meant the mission failed.
A black cloud slowly floated over in the green sky.
In a shrub, a small silhouette followed that floating black cloud and quietly began her actions.
A few minutes later, the black cloud finished passing over the forest.
And Isabelle’s silhouette could gradually be seen, exiting the forest.
A military instructor was waiting for her at the exit.
He silently calculated the time and even with great effort, he still couldn’t hide the shock on his face.
Sixteen low-level training dummies were all dispatched in seven minutes, and no alarm was triggered!
This strength is not what a 1st rank little girl is supposed to have?!
Then again, he had overseen countless Assassins taking this test before, so even though Isabelle’s display was shocking, it wasn’t unprecedented.
But what the military instructor didn’t know was that the little girl hadn’t used the Hammons’ unique abilities because of Marvin’s words.
She instead relied on her own Assassin talents to accomplish the training.
If she used the Hammon abilities to get rid of these training dummies, she wouldn’t even need half a minute!
This was what made her most frightening.
“First training, passed. If I had to give you a mark, it would [Excellent],” the military instructor said in a heavy voice.
Isabelle looked up. “Why not [Perfect]?”
The military instructor’s mouth twitched. “Because in the previous training camp, you injured too many promising trainees. Some of them even began to have a shadow in their heart. They might never have the confidence to be an Assassin again.”
“That isn’t my fault,” Isabelle contended calmly, “They slandered Lord Marvin. They said he died. I should have killed them.”
The military instructor frowned. The little girl’s tone was dull, but it gave a strong pressure.
If not for the extremely strict orders from the higher ups, he would properly teach a lesson to this little girl who didn’t know how high the skies were.
Unfortunately, he could only imagine doing so.
The little girl’s background was pretty huge. It was said that she was closely related to the mighty Viscount Marvin.
“Well. Let’s call it a day.”
“In any case, you are all from the same batch of Apprentice Assassins, so you need to help each other.”
“Go look for Lamar, he has something to give you. It’s something given to you by Viscount Marvin.”
Isabelle’s eyes suddenly brightened. “A gift from Lord Marvin?”
…
Marvin was cautiously progressing through a gloomy cave.
After the initial excitement dulled, Marvin began to stabilize his state of mind.
He knew he had to stay patient.
He was someone that liked taking risks. For many, darkness meant fear. But for Marvin, darkness meant endless possibilities.
He had repeatedly adventured to the cities of the Underdark in the past, usually alone.
He liked that feeling of solitude.
And the danger of the Underdark would excite him even more.
This was a place full of dangers.
You had to be cautious, or else you wouldn’t be able be able to leave the Underdark… Alive.
Marvin kept going forward. In less than half a day, he had already avoided a Carnivorous Plant, a Trapper and a Myconids tribe!
This was completely due to the Night Walker’s innate skill.
Darksight made him like a fish in water in the Underdark. This was more reliable than the Drows’ Infrared Sight.
Myconids tribes couldn’t be underestimated. A fight with those Fungus-men would never end. Their fighting strength was average, but they would easily attract the other monsters in the vicinity.
As for the Trapper and the Carnivorous Plant, they were very frightening lifeforms.
Trappers loved to pretend to be a flat part of the road, but if you accidentally stepped on them, you would find yourself standing in a devilish mouth!
It was similar with the Underdark’s Carnivorous Plant.
These lifeforms were extremely frightening and Marvin wouldn’t take the initiative to provoke them. He didn’t come to the Underdark for an adventure, but to reach his destination, Rocky Mountain.
If he went through the Saint Desert, even if he had a first rate guide, it would still take about a month to arrive to Rocky Mountain.
Marvin chose this path because it would greatly cut down the time.
Naturally, the dangers would also greatly increase.
In the Underdark, the strong preyed on the weak.
But the good news was that even if the path he chose was part of the Underdark, it was quite far from the true Underdark.
That underground river in fact directly crossed the Saint Desert.
In short, it was still safe as long as he stayed vigilant.
…
Following the small path of the Dark Hole, Marvin walked for approximately six hours before finally hearing the sound of water.
He followed the path he remembered and cut through a small cave.
In this process, he inadvertently disturbed a Poison Lizard’s hunt and had to draw his daggers and fight.
A bit later, Marvin got rid of the Poison Lizard with his exquisite Blade Skills, not a single drop of poison falling on his body.
This was the benefit of fighting experience.
Naturally it was also due to his high Dexterity and his Demon Hunter Steps.
After killing the Poison Lizard, Marvin safely arrived at that underground river.
The river was actually very narrow, it was more of a rapids than a river.
This was also the reason it was safe.
If it was really a large underground river, there might have been terrifying [Aboleths] or other big underwater Aberrations.
These monsters weren’t something Marvin wanted to come across at the moment. They were usually very troublesome because they were natural stalking predators. Even the early warning abilities of the Ranger and Night Walker classes might not be enough if they launched a sneak attack.
Marvin smoothly reached the river bank.
This small river would keep him company for a week. This would be a very boring period.
But it was a lot better than trudging through the desert.
He took a small golden bull from the Void Conch and then silently chanted an incantation.
In a flash, the golden bull became bigger and was more or less the shape of a small boat.
This was one of the golden bulls Marvin obtained from the Hidden Granary. He had asked the nameless alchemist to add a shrinking and enlarging ability to it. He hadn’t been too hopeful about the result, but that guy unexpectedly succeeded.
Moreover, it was an enchantment that could repeatedly be used.
The food in this golden bull’s belly had already been emptied so Marvin used it as a means of transportation. It would be very handy on the river at the very least.
He softly put the golden bull on the river and then hopped on!
Under the acceleration of the river rapids, the golden bull boat hurriedly drifted forward, and in a blink, it was already far in the distance!
…
The golden bull proceeded down the underground river while Marvin maintained his vigilance.
When tired, he would use the Wishful Rope to tie it to a rock and find a hidden place to rest and take a nap.
When hungry and thirsty, he would eat rations and drink water.
Marvin hadn’t experienced days like that for a long time.
He cherished the memories of these solitary adventuring days. Even if it was dull, it made him more clear-headed.
Although there weren’t huge monsters around the underground river, there were still many smaller monsters roaming about.
Fortunately the river was quite fast and Marvin whistled past them before they could react.
The only trouble Marvin met was a Behir drinking on the river bank.
(T/N: Great serpentine monster with twelve legs and an electrical breath, often mistaken with a wingless blue dragon.)
That guy was directly blocking Marvin’s path.
Marvin originally thought there would be a hard fought battle, but he hadn’t thought that the guy would hesitate and let him off.
It spoke a few words in Undercommon, which Marvin didn’t understand, and then cleared out of Marvin’s path.
Marvin surmised that this guy let him off mostly because of his Dragon Slayer title.
It was common knowledge that Behirs abhorred all Draconic lifeforms, and Marvin’s body appeared to have the aura of a dead Dragon.
Perhaps because it felt that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” it didn’t make things too complicated for Marvin.
Of course, Marvin still thought that the main reason was still those three Lizards’ bodies on the ground.
Rashly starting a battle against an enemy of unknown strength was clearly not wise.
Marvin luckily averted a battle once again.
Behirs were very troublesome lifeforms. Their skin was sturdy and unless Marvin turned into an Asuran Bear, he probably wouldn’t be able to harm it.
And in the Underdark, the Asuran Bear’s fighting strength would be limited.
…
After about a week of travel, Marvin left the river, put away the golden bull, and then followed a path on foot.
Rocky Mountain was already very close, but even if it was only the outskirts of the Underdark, there were still monsters roaming about so he still had to be cautious.
And the hot spring Marvin had planned to visit was also in the vicinity.
This hot spring had mystical effects, and could substantially improve his Constitution. Marvin knew that what gave this hot spring its effects was that fragment of [Earth Crystal] at the bottom of the water.
From Marvin’s previous experience, after a human soaked in the hot spring for some time, he could raise his Constitution by one or two points.
Such a benefit was hard to come by.
It was a pity that this hot spring wasn’t easy to access.
There was a Hook Horror family occupying the surroundings. Their leader was an elite variant female Hook Horror.
Marvin previously had a battle of wits with her and it took him a long time to take care of her.
But he came prepared this time, so it should be a lot easier.
He silently checked the path, having activated his Listen skill for a long time.
At that moment, Marvin heard an ear-piercing sound!
Chapter 253: Hook Horror
p>The subtle sound kept getting closer.
Marvin knew this was the scraping sound of a Hook Horror’s legs when moving on stone walls.
Only with a sufficiently high Listen skill could he notice the Hook Horror before it found him.
Marvin silently listened for a while, quickly concluding, ‘Only one, probably dispatched by the group to hunt.’
‘A common Hook Horror shouldn’t be too hard.’
But Marvin didn’t treat it lightly. This kind of lifeform was a very frightening predator of the Underdark. It had a vulture-like head with bony hooks in place of hands, and their legs were thick and solid with sharp claws. Hook Horrors walked on two legs and could also climb cliffs. The very hard carapace layer on the back made them the natural enemies of rogues!
Ordinary Thieves might not be able to break through a Hook Horror’s defense at all.
They would be blown away by the hooks and might lose their lives.
Though Marvin had experience fighting them, he still wouldn’t treat it lightly.
After thinking through this, he took a tied wild boar out of the Thousand Paper Crane and threw it on the ground.
The wild boar was still alive! This was one of the profound mysteries of Origami.
It could only struggle in vain due to the bindings.
This kind of struggling would be easily detectable and attract the Hook Horror.
After setting everything up, Marvin used Hide and concealed himself on the side.
Hook Horrors had an unusual ability that let them find the location of an enemy using high frequency sound waves.
But Marvin hid behind a huge rock, which would be enough to ward off the sound waves.
Soon, a shadow quickly appeared at the end of the cave.
A lone Hook Horror.
Marvin held his breath. He wouldn’t have a lot of opportunities, because only the head and the heart were weak points of the Hook Horror, but to reach these spots, he would have to face the frightening hooks. Only by grasping the perfect timing could he settle the issue relatively safely.
…
The Hook Horror soon found the struggling wild boar.
Its exceptional intelligence stopped it from immediately rushing forward. Instead, it began to evaluate this prey’s strength.
It had never seen such a strange lifeform before.
This boar was brought in from the surface by Marvin, and the Underdark didn’t have a similar lifeform!
Or if there had been one, it must have already become extinct from being unable to adapt to the terrible environment.
The Hook Horror seemed to hesitate.
Marvin was waiting for this!
He quietly took out a sphere and gently let it roll over.
It was such an unremarkable movement, but it was still noticed by the Hook Horror!
It suddenly spread its sharp hooks and pounced over toward the sphere.
But a burst of light suddenly spread from the sphere!
[Sun Sphere]!
It contained a great amount of Sun magic and was the bane of many underground lifeforms.
The Hook Horror couldn’t escape on time and wailed.
It crazily swung its hooks at the sphere out of fear.
But then, the Sun Sphere exploded!
“Bang!”
The noise echoed through the cave.
The bursting energy wildly filled the cave and the Hook Horror’s forelimbs melted and were paralyzed. It frantically raised its head, trying to avoid being harmed by the Sun magic.
Three seconds later, the energy inside the Sun Sphere ran out, with only sparks remaining in the cave.
The Hook Horror was seriously hurt and tried to flee.
But at that time, Marvin finally made his move.
This was the time!
Night Boundary was quietly activated. Marvin’s silhouette was just like a demon, appearing on the Hook Horror’s escape path!
His daggers cut the Hook Horror’s forelimbs as if he was cutting through tofu!
A simple dodge and he avoided the Hook Horror’s counterattack with its beak. The next second, Marvin’s daggers ruthlessly slashed at the Hook Horror’s neck!
The Hook Horror wasn’t a match for the two daggers after being grievously injured by the Sun Sphere.
After a handful of seconds, it lost its head to Marvin!
But the sound of fighting already spread out.
Marvin soon heard rustling noises.
At least three Hook Horrors were rushing over, and they didn’t bother covering their tracks, instead rushing to provide assistance to their companions.
‘Half a minute at most.’
Marvin sneered, this was exactly what he wanted!
He didn’t take care of the Hook Horror body and went back to hide behind the huge rock.
In his hands were two more Sun Spheres!
This was part of Marvin’s plan, hiding behind the rock to evade the Hook Horrors’ perception, and then crazily throwing money at them!
That’s right, he was basically throwing money at them.
If a Wizard was here, he would be strangling Marvin while cursing him for wasting resources!
Using Sun Spheres like that?!
This was an item used to increase the strength of Sun magic for Priest and Wizards
But in Marvin’s hands, it was merely a consumable.
It was used as a grenade!
The crafting process of each Sun Sphere was very complicated, requiring the cooperation of a high level Alchemist and a high level Wizard.
It was to the point that in the entire South, no more than a hundred Sun Spheres came out of the Three Ring Towers and other Wizard organizations each year.
Marvin used his relations with Hathaway to buy six Sun Spheres from the Ashes Tower and Craftsman Tower.
Each Sun Sphere cost 1000 Wizard golds!
And this was a discount to give face to Hathaway.
The six Sun Spheres cost six thousand! Marvin bought it on credit.
Each Sun Sphere was worth two [Dragon Tooth] Artillery Shells.
But Marvin didn’t regret it.
He would normally avoid Hook Horrors, but he had to eradicate this particular family of them.
Spending a lot of money for that hot spring was worth it.
Not only would it raise his Constitution, but he would also get fragment of Earth Crystal!
In any case, Marvin was already deep in debt, so he didn’t mind adding a few more expenses.
Money, and fighting strength.
In a way, one was linked to the other.
Especially with Wizards, Alchemists, and other such professions.
In the past, he was a loner. A loner could be wealthy, but it couldn’t compare with that of the Overlord of a territory. Marvin, with his territory as a foundation and a gold mine as a guarantee, could borrow money very easily.
…
The Hook Horrors’ footsteps could be heard approaching and the monsters soon appeared, one in front, two in the back.
One of them was clearly taller than the others.
This was the female Hook Horror, which the leader of the entire Hook Horror family.
These lifeform lived in a matriarchal community and usually a female Hook Horror would lead a few male Hook Horrors.
Marvin clearly remembered that this nest of Hook Horrors had four members, the female and the three males. He just gotten rid of one of the males, leaving the other three members.
Thus, he unhesitantly used those two priceless Sun Spheres and then drew back!
The next second, just as Marvin anticipated, the Hook Horrors subconsciously used their hooks to break the spheres!
The Sun Spheres weren’t able to handle their hooks and were punctured.
The Sun Sphere in itself was a very unstable Alchemy item, so if a hole appeared, the Sun energy inside would burst out!
Light filled the cave.
Marvin mentally counted and when he felt it was a good time, he took advantage of the dissipating Sun energy to dash out like lighting, under the wailing of the three Hook Horrors!
He would naturally reap the harvest after spending so much money!
…
The four Hook Horrors gave Marvin close to 10000 exp. This experience was really easy to get due to those Sun Spheres.
In the past, Marvin had an annoyingly long fight with that female Hook Horror. After dying once, he managed to find a flaw and kill her.
That time was when Marvin was at his lowest.
Remembering about it, he really suffered from working alone back then…
Now that he had started anew, the rich and overbearing Marvin would immediately reverse the situation and simply sent the whole Hook Horror family on their way.
Hook Horrors’ bodies had nothing valuable, so Marvin casually chopped down some scales and then used Night Tracking.
With this skill, he could follow the Hook Horrors’ trail to their nest.
And the hot spring was in their nest.
…
Some clean white eggs were arranged in the dark nest.
These were Hook Horror eggs. But they had no value besides being edible…
Marvin collected the eggs because he wouldn’t pass on something that could be used.
After fumbling around the edge of the nest, he finally found that hidden spring.
It was called a hot spring, but in fact it was more of a small deep pool of water whose temperature was quite high. At the bottom was the fragment of Earth Crystal, but he needed to go down very deep to be able to get it.
Naturally, he had made proper preparations.
He had an expensive underwater breathing potion, along with two spares.
He changed to lighter clothing and drank down the potion before jumping in the hot spring.
He had to grab that fragment of Earth Crystal first.
…
A small scouting team walked down a small dark path.
“There is a nest of Hook Horrors in front, we will take a detour,” said a sweet-sounding female voice.
The other men nodded in succession.
This was a group of Dark Elves!
They were simply called Drows.
The Drows lived in a matriarchal society, so the captain of the team was a woman.
But at that time, a drow reported, startled, “I saw Hook Horror corpses!”
“Hook Horror corpses!?”
The captain was shocked. “Which power could actually kill off this Hook Horror nest?”
“Wait… According to the traces the attacker was alone!” the male draw observed.
The woman was silent for a moment before decisively ordering, “Greg, Amir, follow me. The others, search in the surroundings.”
“Check for traces of any suspicious lifeform!”
Chapter 254: God Domain
p>Dark Elves were relatively strong lifeforms in the Underdark.
Out of all the humanoid lifeforms, Dark Elves had the best physical abilities, far exceeding the Wood Elves, Sea Elves, and other Elven races.
This might be because the Underdark was a vicious place that followed survival of the fittest.
The Dark Elf scouts were naturally elites among elites.
And Raven was able to become this squad’s captain. Though she wasn’t at the 4th rank yet, most 4th ranks weren’t her match!
She brought two subordinates and quickly checked the Hook Horror corpses.
Even if Marvin was very cautious and tried to leave as few traces as possible, caves and underground areas were the Dark Elves’ home!
Soon, they slowly found their way into the Hook Horror’s nest!
‘Seems like those four Hook Horrors were part of the same nest.’
‘To kill them all, and alone, this must be the work of an expert.’
‘From the marks on the bodies, it seems he used curved daggers… Could it be an expert from [Dark City]?’
Raven considered this, silently pondering.
It was highly possible that it was someone from the same race, but that might not necessarily be good.
Killings among Dark Elves of different clans were very common, and would sometimes even happen within the same clan.
Dark City was that Evil Eye’s domain, while Raven’s lord followed another lord.
Both sides were like fire and water.
‘No good. This operation was ordered by Leader Clarke. We must keep it confidential.’
‘Twelve scouting parties were dispatched at the same time to quietly wipe out the humans at the surface.’
‘Only in that way would our surprise attack be effective. But if information leaked…’
Raven didn’t dare to think about it.
Clarke’s fury was something these poor Dark Elves wouldn’t be able to handle.
…
“The other side is a master and there are traces showing that he broke into the nest.”
“He might still be in the vicinity.” A subordinate reported in a low voice with a vigilant expression.
Raven nodded.
She muttered something and then looked at the scattered treasures and equipment in the Horror Hook’s nest.
These things were most likely left behind by adventurers who were killed by the Hook Horrors, and they were very valuable in the Underdark.
That person actually didn’t take them?
Raven’s heart moved and she suddenly ordered, “You two, report this matter to Lady Tess.”
“Leave this place to me.”
In the Dark Elven hierarchy, women had the power to command, especially when it was to men.
Those two Dark Elf Fighters didn’t raise an objection and turned away to leave.
Light shone in Raven’s eyes. She slowly walked to the hot spring and stripped herself naked!
Then, she immersed her mesmerizing body in the spring, surprisingly deciding to soak in it.
…
In the depths of the water, Marvin still fumbled around.
He was at least twenty to thirty meters from the surface and the underwater breathing potion had a time limit, so he had to quickly find that fragment.
The bottom of the pool was very muddy, making it very difficult to find anything there.
Marvin kept groping around, searching for the fragment for more than an hour, and still didn’t even see a shadow of it.
Fishing around for something in water had always been a troublesome matter.
The underwater breathing potion was effective for two hours, and then the gills formed would disappear.
At that time, he wouldn’t be able to just freely breath in the water anymore.
‘Have to move faster. I know it’s definitely around here.’
He once again went to a corner and began to grope about.
There were all sorts of things in the mud.
Fine pearls, a twig from who knows where, also a rusted ring, and many more worthless stones.
Marvin once again slowly searched and finally found something strange!
He cleared away a spot of mud and revealed the corner of a chest.
The fragment of the Earth Crystal was in this chest!
Marvin quickly dug in the mud and soon excavated the treasure chest.
Those people arduously searching for an Earth Crystal would have never thought that one piece was calmly laying at the bottom of this pool of water, resting for who knew how many years before it was dug out by Marvin.
The treasure chest wasn’t locked, so Marvin impatiently opened it underwater.
A small crystal box was inside the chest. In the middle of the crystal box, there was a light yellow fragment.
This was the Earth Crystal, and it had boundless power.
This piece of an Earth Crystal could supply energy to a Wizard Tower for three hundred years.
And a completely intact Earth Crystal could build an entire tower made of earth.
This was one of the key elements for an [Ancient Refuge].
Even if Marvin hadn’t thought that far, he would have to get his hands on them before considering it.
If he could really establish an Ancient Refuge in White River Valley before the Great Calamity, then maybe even the gods wouldn’t be able to do anything to Marvin.
…
Marvin collected the Earth Crystal fragment, including the small crystal box.
The reason it had remained undiscovered for so long, was due to this special crystal box hiding its aura.
It was also valuable and worth keeping.
At that time, two lines flashed on Marvin’s logs.
[Your body soaked in the Earth Spring for some time, increasing your physique.]
[Strength +1, Constitution +1]
Marvin was pleased.
Even if he was a bit regretful that his Constitution only rose up by one point, his Strength increase made up for it.
After all, he knew of some ways to increase his Constitution, but he knew fewer ways to increase his Strength.
He could feel his body slightly changing under the effect of the hot spring.
This was the power of Earth.
His Strength went from 15 to 16 and his Constitution from 13 to 14.
This meant he could use two attribute points on Dexterity, which Marvin immediately did, pushing his Dexterity to 28!
The distance to 30’s [Godly Dexterity] was only two points now.
And 30 was the dividing line between mankind and gods. 30 was the limit of ordinary humans.
To go further, one needed a Divinity, a Divine Fragment, and Divine Power. It wouldn’t be possible without all three.
Thus, this 30 point dividing line was called the [God Domain]
Mortals could only look up.
But nothing was absolute. Marvin knew that becoming a god wasn’t the only path to power.
In this world, there were still many techniques that could break through mankind’s boundary.
During the 3rd Era, those hidden powerhouses didn’t leave Feinan because they chose a different path.
They didn’t want to break this limit through ascending to godhood.
Ascending was only one of the simplest paths.
The existences who became gods might have had regrets during those endless years.
They chose a simple path, but they paid for it with their freedom!
Thus they longed to break through the shackles of the Astral Sea, break through the seal of the Universe Magic Pool, and rushed to an even taller pinnacle.
To put it simply, everyone needed freedom and something to keep them busy to survive.
And at the core of this was desire.
…
The underwater breathing potion was going to run out soon.
Marvin silently swam up.
But he suddenly stiffened in the water!
He noticed something!
A Dark Elven woman!
Completely naked!
From Marvin point of view, the Dark Elf’s lower half was soaking in the hot spring. She hadn’t closed her legs, leaving them a bit spread out.
Thus, Marvin could see everything.
Her dark skin was fully exposed in front of Marvin…
‘Indeed… A… Dark… Elf…”
He inwardly complained about his bad luck. He actually met a Drow so close to the surface!
Normally the Dark Elves were a well-organized race that wouldn’t run around, right?
This path was one of the hidden paths leading to Rocky Mountain.
Why did they come here in the end?
Marvin thought of countless reasons, but before he could come to a conclusion, he found that his gills had already begun to atrophy!
‘Fuck!’
He wouldn’t have more than three minutes left.
But Marvin didn’t dare to rashly go up.
This female Drow seemed to be just taking a bath, but she was actually hiding a curved dagger in her hand!
She had definitely found something and was pretending to relax to loosen the enemy’s vigilance, trying to seduce him.
But what she hadn’t expected was that her enemy would be hiding underwater… Checking her out.
Her limbs were far less relaxed than her expression.
If she detected a slight movement in the air, her curved dagger would immediately flash!
This was an expert!
Marvin immediately came to a conclusion.
The Drows in the Underdark roamed in large numbers. Marvin was most afraid of being entangled with these guys.
Who knew how many more Drows were waiting in ambush outside the pool?
This was extremely annoying for Marvin.
But since things reached this point, he didn’t have a choice.
He discreetly let out the air in his lungs and quietly swam over.
Soon, he arrived under the female Drow’s body.
The latter’s attention was still focused on the walls and the cave’s surroundings. She was very patiently listening for sounds of movement.
As for this hot spring, she didn’t pay any attention to it. Most lifeforms in the Underdark were cold-blooded, so very few would be interested in a hot spring. No monsters would roam in a hot spring.
But at that time, a hand suddenly grabbed her ankle!
The Drow was frightened. Before she could let out a sound, a strong force dragged her underwater.
Between splashes of water, she suddenly opened her eyes and looked at the shadow swimming beside her body.
She firmly thought of grappling with the opponent, but Marvin stepped on her face as a result!
She was sent further down due to Marvin’s stomp!
And using this push, Marvin quickly rose up. Pressing both hands on the floor, he propped himself up.
At that time, he hadn’t forgotten to snatch that Drow’s dagger. Without a dagger, that Drow would be less dangerous.
Then, he unhesitantly broke into a run!
Right, fighting Drows in the Underdark, could there be any outcome other than death?
Even a Night Walker wouldn’t dare to fight too many Dark Elves in the Underdark!
Chapter 255: Chaos Ground
p>Marvin quickly moved through the dark damp cave.
He rushed even faster.
This area was close to the surface and adventurers would often come here to clear stuff out, so there shouldn’t be anything that could threaten Marvin.
In fact, that nest of Hook Horrors had more or less been ruling over this area.
Now that they were killed by Marvin, there shouldn’t be any more monsters nearby that were able to threaten him.
Thus, he quickly ran with no restraint.
That Dark Elf didn’t chase.
It might be because Marvin snatched her dagger. A Dark Elf warrior who lost her weapon would not dare to rashly pursue.
In short, Marvin very luckily managed to escape from a Dark Elf scouting party.
After a long time, he reached the exit of the cave.
Fresh air could be felt outside the cave as Marvin rushed out. He had to adapt to the dazzling sunlight.
He closed his eyes, and after a moment he opened them once again.
The area in front of him was an incomparably beautiful fertile land!
Two wriggling rivers flowed down from the north on the smooth plain. A large amount of cultivated fields filled every corner of the plain.
There was a small village under this mountain, and some plain houses were scattered around the fields.
People came and went from the small village.
In the distance, there was a high mountain from which a white steam could be seen drifting all day long.
It was a volcano.
Rocky Mountain.
…
Marvin quietly left the cave. On this mountain there were many similar holes.
Adventurers who wanted to enter apparently had to pay a fee.
But Marvin coming out of this relatively remote cave didn’t interest anyone.
He slightly adjusted himself and used Disguise.
This was the surface, and even if it was a forsaken land disdained by the South Wizard Alliance, it also was on the edge of mankind’s civilization.
Since the events of the Decaying Plateau, Marvin understood that almost all of Feinan now knew him, and that naturally included Rocky Mountain.
In this era where information normally travelled with some difficulty, Marvin’s reputation was extremely high.
Without Disguise, people would instantly recognize him.
In order to make his actions easier he had to change his appearance, so he took that identity he used in River Shore City.
Masked Twin Blades, plus a cloak.
It’s not like his reputation as Masked Twin Blades could have spread this far.
Marvin hurried down the mountain and intended to enter the small town, but he met with trouble.
“What? Protection fees?”
Facing two large guys with nasty gazes, Marvin was a bit surprised by what they wanted.
“Could it be that this isn’t the Three Sisters’ domain?”
The two men were tall, with their upper bodies bare, and they held long blades in their hands. They looked extremely fierce.
Upon hearing Marvin’s sentence, the two men looked at each other and one of them frowned. “You are a subordinate of the Three Sisters?”
…
In the quiet darkness, faint light was emitted from the ceiling of a cave.
Those were gems with radiant properties.
In the entire gloomy Underdark, besides a few luminescent plants, only these gems could guarantee a light source.
“… Lady Tess, these were the results of the investigation.”
“Apart for that one accident with Raven, the other groups successfully accomplished their missions,” a sweet voice reported.
That was a female Dark Elf whose appearance seemed quite fiery. She seemed to be rejoicing at Raven’s misfortune, even though she was also a captain like her.
‘This time, even if Lady Tess likes you, she shouldn’t be able to find a reason to cover for you, right?’
She couldn’t have expected that Lady Tess, who was shrouded in a cloak, wouldn’t pursue this matter.
She said in a low voice, “A human from the world above was able to get rid of four Hook Horrors, including that variant elite Hook Horror. This kind of expert might not necessarily be someone that a scouting party can take care of. He chose to escape only because he didn’t wish to become our enemy. Raven’s decision to not pursue was correct.”
“That human isn’t that important. In any case, we have to start our surprise attack before dawn tomorrow.”
“But before that, we need to do a final scouting.”
“This time, I’ll only send the most elite experts, two people at most.”
Lady Tess’ sight focused on that female Dark Elf who gave a report earlier, and on Raven. “You two, are you prepared?”
The two women successively nodded.
“Go look at Lion, and check whether those humans are really unable to withstand a single blow. Look at their military defenses.”
“But do remember, these advanced Shapeshift Scrolls I bestow upon you will only work for six hours.”
“You need to carefully handle your work, and you must not alarm the humans’ experts!”
“You know the result of failure!”
Lady Tess clearly used a heavier tone for that last sentence. Raven and the other Drow deeply buried it in their minds.
Lady Tess slowly said, “The [Underdark Winter] is coming early, and we are already running out of food. Leader Clarke told me to guide our path.”
“Those stupid people from the world above would have never expected that we’ve already united under Leader Clarke and found a new path to the surface.”
“They are bound to be exterminated, and we will obtain a new life.”
Under her enchanting voice, countless red eyes shone in the boundless darkness.
This was the effect of the [Eye of Fear]!
Numerous shadows gathered in the endless darkness.
The Drows were merely a part. There were Quaggoths, Kobolds, Gnolls, Kuo-toas, and a few Duergars!
These lifeforms that always saw each other as mortal enemies were finally united.
A disaster was quietly brewing.
…
The humans on the surface were still unaware.
Even Marvin, was unable to consider the meaning of that scouting party’s proximity to the surface, because of those two idiots before him.
He realized he was in trouble.
When he came to Rocky Mountain in the past, this place had already been unified and had formed a country.
The Three Fate Sisters were the rulers of this place, but it wasn’t the case at the moment!
The current Rocky Mountain, despite the beautiful scenery and the fertile lands, was still occupied by all kinds of powers!
This place was truly a chaos ground; it was the place where people were banished to from the civilized human countries!
For example, after The South Wizard Alliance banished the Sorcerers there, they kept sending people who committed heinous crimes to that place.
Because of the Bai clansmen and the Saint Desert, very few people could cross the desert and return to civilization.
Thus, it became a criminal paradise over time.
Currently, many powers were still rampaging in Rocky Mountain. The group of the Three Sisters actually had some reputation and could contend with the other two big powers, but this was also something recent. Everything was due to the eldest sister, Jessica, awakening her own bloodline and becoming a frightening Fate Sorceress.
In short, the current [Three Sisters] were still a power in development.
Their headquarters was Hope City under the Rocky Mountain, not this small Lion Town.
In fact, this town was currently under the control of a power called [Golden Lion].
The place was close to the Underdark and where the adventurers gathered. The strong mixed with the weak, but under the supervision of Golden Lion, the order was still pretty decent.
As long as one didn’t go out at night.
The small town welcomed all customers and adventurers, and the only people who weren’t welcomed were the Three Sisters’ people.
Thus, after he subconsciously muttered that sentence, all the people in the surroundings looked at him strangely.
Even though the two tall guys didn’t make a move, a group of people soon came out of the town!
These people wore simple and crude equipment, but they rushed over anyways. Among them, a crippled, tall and thin man coldly looked at Marvin. “If you are looking for trouble, I advise that you go somewhere else. Lion doesn’t welcome the Three Sisters’ people.”
Marvin inwardly bitterly laughed, and calmly answered, “I’m not a subordinate of the Three Sisters, I’m only a traveller passing by.”
“I thought of resupplying in town. Can’t I?”
An expert sized Marvin up for a bit and warned, “It better be like this!”
“If you are a spy from the Three Sisters, our people will beat you into a pulp.”
“If you want to enter town, you can. But you have to pay the protection fees.”
“Otherwise…”
“Clank!”
Two silvers were directly thrown out by Marvin.
“Enough?” Marvin said in a heavy voice.
The crippled man grabbed the two silvers and coldly replied, “That’s fine.”
He immediately got out of the way, and Marvin calmly walked in.
“Get two people to tail him.”
“Report to me at all times,” the crippled man softly said to his subordinates.
…
Daytime was very short in Rocky Mountain.
Marvin quickly moved through Lion Town. He didn’t stroll around for long before the sky became dark.
As for those failures tailing him, he simply ignored them.
Since he was now a 4th rank expert, Marvin wouldn’t be afraid unless the ones making a move were Legends.
And Lion was a mess made up of bandits without any discipline.
Marvin came to the conclusion that wiping them out might be a problem, but safely escaping wouldn’t be an issue.
Lion was on the border of Rocky Mountain, but it was still somewhat lively.
What Marvin needed to do was to quickly find information about the meteors that had landed.
Thus, he strolled around the business district for a while.
Finally, he found a relatively bustling tavern and went in.
Marvin sat at the counter for a moment and then ordered a cup of the famous local fruit wine, but the wine’s taste was quite sour, so Marvin drank it without enjoying it.
As Marvin sat there, he couldn’t help sizing up the customers approaching the tavern.
At that time, an enticing voice echoed by his ear, “Can I ask you to buy me a drink?”
A hot blonde with blue eyes.
Her clothes exposed a large and enticing bosom, constantly swaying in front of Marvin’s eyes. This was a stunning sight.
Marvin shrugged and took out a few silvers before throwing them on the counter.
“Get us enough to drink.”
Chapter 256: Hera
p>Seeing Marvin confidently throw around that many silvers, the blonde beauty’s eyes immediately shone.
Her eyes couldn’t help but faintly look up, apparently thinking of something.
The bartender on the side kindly cautioned him, “Hey, friend, this woman isn’t as good company as you think.”
The beauty immediately cursed. “Go pour the drinks.”
Marvin faintly smiled.
Soon, a strong bubbling drink was served.
The beauty seemed very thirsty and quickly drank half a cup.
“I am Hera.”
After taking in half a drink, Hera’s fair skin slightly flushed.
Her eyes became more and more blurred.
“I don’t think I have seen you before.”
“Call me Robin.” Marvin casually said a name.
In any case, he currently looked like a middle-aged man. Shapeshifting Sorcerer’s Disguise was very powerful, as good as most Appearance Changing Masters.
“Oh… Mister Robin is quite generous.”
Hera squinted. “Don’t you think it’s a bit noisy here? I know a quiet place where we could chat.”
Marvin faintly frowned.
He was unable to make sense of this Hera’s intentions.
He naturally knew why the bartender had warned him. At first he thought she was a common prostitute… If that was the case, Marvin wouldn’t mind trying to get some information from her mouth.
But from Marvin’s observations, this woman apparently hadn’t worked in that kind of industry for long.
She also seemed a bit strange.
But Marvin couldn’t figure out exactly what he found odd about her in such a short time.
In short, Hera was definitely not as simple as she appeared to be.
“I like lively places.”
Marvin lightly laughed. “Let’s stay here, okay?”
Shock flashed through Hera’s eyes.
In general, travellers coming from another place would have to cross the entire desert. They had to hold it back, especially men.
With a sexy beauty throwing herself at him, that guy still refused?
Did that guy notice something? Or was he simply a waste with a useless thing?
But she stayed calm and chuckled, “Let’s stay here then.”
“But don’t you think you are a bit incompatible with this place?”
She looked to a side where two men sneakily threw glances at them from time to time.
Golden Lion’s trash.
Marvin simply ignored them.
“Don’t bother about them,” Marvin softly said. “I heard that some time ago, meteors fell in the vicinity of Rocky Mountains, was that true?”
Hera’s complexion immediately changed. “You also came for this?”
“Sorry, I can’t keep chatting with you. Golden Lion ordered the information not to be spread, no one can talk about the meteors in Lion Town.”
Marvin frowned.
Suddenly, a few sturdy guys rushed in the tavern!
Hera looked at them and immediately let out a low cry. “No good, my enemies arrived.”
“See you next time, handsome.”
After saying this, she lowered her body and nimbly left Marvin’s side before disappearing into the crowd, escaping toward back door in a mere instant.
“She is in there, grab her quickly!”
Those two people loudly shouted, but Hera’s escaping skills were truly too strange. In mere instants, she absconded from the bustling tavern.
They didn’t catch up.
One of them had good eyes and had noticed her and Marvin drinking together.
Thus, they immediately encircled him.
“Customer, I already told you that Hera wasn’t good company,” the bartender said while rejoicing.
Marvin faintly laughed, and lightly pushed Hera’s cup forward. “Help me take care of it.”
The bartender nodded.
The next second, a hand roughly reached toward Marvin’s shoulder!
“Hey, stranger, what is your relationship with Hera?!”
But to his surprise, Marvin’s body nimbly dodged the palm, making him directly smack the counter.
“Bang!” The man felt extreme pain in his hand.
“I’m not related to Hera. She asked me to buy her a drink, that’s all.”
Marvin spread both hands, displaying an innocent appearance.
The four people had a bad gaze. One them said, “Hera owes us a great sum of money.”
“Since you agreed to buy her a drink, you should definitely be willing to pay in her stead.”
“Hey, since you are a stranger, I will give you a way out.”
“Give me one Wizard gold and I’ll let you go.”
Marvin couldn’t help but laugh.
He looked at the bartender. “Is she their partner?”
Marvin had seen many swindling tricks like this.
The bartender smiled. “No. But I am with them. We are a gang.”
“Obediently pay up and I’ll see to it that you don’t go home without anything left.”
“So it was like this.” Marvin slowly turned his body. “Okay, but if I hand over the money, you have to let me go.”
“Why waste time? Quickly hand over the money otherwise I’ll crush you like an egg!” yelled one of the big men.
He apparently wanted to threaten Marvin.
But with this, Marvin who had originally wanted to solve this peacefully sneered.
Then, he moved just like lightning!
“Bang!” He dashed like a cheetah and his fist landed on the first man’s belly!
That guy immediately stooped down on the ground, his face extremely pale!
Marvin took advantage of this and used the man as a pivot as he swung around kicking out!
Two guys were kicked in the head and fell to the ground, wriggling in pain.
As for the last one, he just had the time to pull out a dagger before a gun was pointed at his head.
“If you don’t want your head to explode, then stop talking shit,” Marvin said very lightly. “I suddenly don’t want to give you money, what do you think about it?”
Silence reigned in the tavern.
Everyone, including that bartender, was shocked.
This stranger’s skill was so frightening!
“He is a Sha!”
“Market Scuffle, and a pistol.”
“A Sha expert, how rare…”
…
Marvin knocked down three sturdy guys in a few seconds, and the remaining one had a pistol against his head.
This poor guy could swear that he didn’t even notice when Marvin drew his pistol!
The other side’s speed was simply too terrifying.
They had never met such a frightening Sha clansman.
Even if a pistol’s attack power was pretty average, if the head was hit like that, the resulting scene would be quite spectacular.
That man’s complexion was already pale, and he was sweating all over.
Marvin calmly smiled.
This was the result of an extremely high Dexterity along with Sleight of Hand.
His reaction speed was very intimidating. Most Thieves wouldn’t have this kind of skill, let alone these second rate 2nd ranks. In front of Marvin, they were nothing.
“Great… Great Sir… We… We are only collecting debts…”
That man whimpered while shivering, “We mistakenly targeted the wrong person… Since you aren’t related to Hera, we will leave immediately…. Leave immediately.”
Marvin ignored him, instead making another move.
“Woosh! Woosh!”
Two darts hit those two restless pieces of trash in the corner.
It was clear that those two guys intended to rush out to report this matter to Golden Lion.
The darts didn’t hit any vitals, but they were smeared with a strong anesthetic. They could only struggle for a few instants before they went numb.
After finishing this, Marvin withdrew his pistol.
That man displayed an ugly smile. “Thank you…”
But before he could finish his words he was elbowed in the stomach and ended up sprawled on the floor.
Marvin turned to the bartender and reached out his hand.
The bartender immediately returned him the cup Hera had used and quickly explained, “Even if I’m part of the same gang, I don’t work in their business.”
“Relax, young man.” Marvin laughed. “I don’t plan to smash this place.”
After saying this, he didn’t stay and directly sped away, suddenly disappearing from the tavern.
He was as fast as a whirlwind, and even the adventurers in the tavern didn’t clearly see him leaving!
“An expert of at least the 4th rank…”
The bartender gulped as shock flashed through his eyes.
Lion hadn’t been visited by such an expert in a long time.
It truly wasn’t tranquil these days.
…
Night Tracking was quickly activated.
He once again put on the mask and cloak as he quickly rushed through Lion.
The faint red line representing Hera showed that she had almost left the range of Night Tracking.
‘She hid very quickly,” Marvin sneered to himself as he sped up.
Marvin was racing through the night. No one could be faster than a Night Walker in the darkness!
Twenty minutes later.
In a corner of Lion town, outside an apparently abandoned small house in the poor district.
Marvin calmly landed on the ground.
Hera was very thorough, having circled a few times around Lion Town before stopping.
This place should be her hideout… Or maybe, home?
Marvin unlocked the window and could see a faint light.
He used Stealth and quietly climbed in.
After going through the window, he caught sight of a twenty year old woman. She had some nice curves and looked average. She could be considered a decent looking woman at best.
“Come, Guy, mommy returned,” the woman softly said.
A plank moved aside, exposing a hole to the basement. A kid about 3 to 4 years old obediently crawled out and threw himself in her chest.
A happy smile appeared on her face.
“Mommy earned a lot today.”
“I can buy you many tasty things.” As she said this, she weighed a wallet in her hand.
That wallet was surprisingly Marvin’s wallet.
But Marvin didn’t really mind, he didn’t care about such an amount of money.
In any case, he knew he would be able to track Hera down.
But he hadn’t thought he would find such a skilled swinder like this Thief in such a setting.
‘A pretty good skill to change one’s appearance,’ Marvin thought.
…
“We can only get some soup tonight.”
“There are quite a lot of enemies trying to catch mommy outside.”
“Drink up, okay?” The woman carried the young child and gently said.
But she was shocked to hear a voice echo from behind her.
“I have some milk here.”
Chapter 257: Information
p>She abruptly turned, only to see a haggard middle aged man standing behind her.
She hadn’t noticed him coming in!
“You…”
Hera had a bitter expression on her face, her hands clinging to that cute boy.
“Miss Hera. I didn’t expect us to meet again so quickly.”
Marvin took out some milk from his rations and cordially handed it over. “You are called Guy?”
“A child at this age needs a lot of nutrition.”
The little Guy was a very lovely boy. He had the same golden hair as his mother.
In a place as chaotic as Rocky Mountain, pure blonde hair was very rarely seen.
Hera was a bit dazed. She didn’t accept the milk, protecting Guy behind her instead.
She had a wary expression. “You… What are you after?”
Her eyes were full of confusion and panic.
If she was alone in her hideout, she could still escape. But it would be very difficult while carrying a child!
This man called Robin was surprisingly skilled.
She had been hiding in Lion for quite a while. Golden Lion’s people wanted to catch her but they were deceived by her Appearance Changing skill.
But she hadn’t expected to be seen through by a stranger.
This caught her completely unprepared.
…
“What I am after?”
Marvin laughed. “My purse is in your hands, isn’t it? And you ask me what I am after.”
An awkward expression appeared on Hera’s face, as she hurriedly threw the wallet back to its owner.
“I didn’t take anything inside,” she said. “If all you came for is this, then you should be satisfied.”
Marvin caught the wallet and then walked to the table on the side, and gently set the wallet and the milk on the table.
“I think you need these things more than I do.”
Marvin moved back and looked at Hera.
Hesitation appeared on her face. “No one would take pity on a thief and swindler.”
“Obviously… That is, if she isn’t a single mother in difficulty.”
Marvin’s expression was very sincere. “It’s not easy to live in this place. A former noble lady was forced to disguise herself to roam at night and steal a small amount of money to support herself. Such a change isn’t something an average person could handle. Many people would choose to end their lives. And you not doing so was because of him.”
His sight landed on the small boy.
Hera took a deep breath and said, “Listen, Mister Robin, I have no interest in your speculations. I don’t know how you found out about our origins and family background. But since you are so skilled, if you have a bit of pity in your heart, could you let us off?”
“I have no intentions of making things difficult for you,” Marvin grimly said, “I’m only making inquiries about the meteors.”
“Seeing you, you aren’t actually afraid of going against the Golden Lion’s people, right?”
Hera hesitated and eventually clenched her teeth, “Okay.”
“I’ll tell you all I know about the meteors’ fall.”
“But you still need to help me do two things.”
Marvin frowned. “Two things? Isn’t that a bit much?”
Hera’s eyes were very calm. “Believe me, no one knows more than me about the meteors in all of Lion Town.”
…
Marvin and Hera ultimately came to an agreement.
They had a simple discussion in her rough house. After some time, Hera trusted Marvin and gave that jar of milk to the little boy.
Guy drank it very happily.
He would look at Marvin from time to time with round eyes, but would return to immerse himself in his milk when Marvin looked back at him.
A very shy little boy. Marvin found it cute.
Hera’s request was very simple.
She needed protection.
Her eyes were very sharp, and for Marvin to be able to track her here, he must definitely be an expert among experts.
And tonight, she had an information deal with an employer.
As for the contents of the deal, she didn’t divulge it. She only said that the other party was very frightening.
And Hera would reap a large sum of money from that business deal. This money would be enough for her to bring that small child out of Lion, this place where crooks mixed in with the honest folk.
She could leave for Hope City in the center of Rocky Mountain with him.
That was the city established by the Three Sisters.
“In fact, I already wanted to go to Hope City. The order there is a lot better, and the people are also a lot friendlier.”
“The Three Sisters’ power and potential far surpass Golden Lion.”
“Unfortunately, I’m not skilled in anything other than stealing and changing my appearance. I don’t want to steal from good people, so I need to do this deal first and then I’ll be wealthy enough to open a shop in the Three Sisters’ Hope City. Regardless of the business, it should be able to raise a little kid, right?”
Hera quietly described her goal.
Hope filled her eyes.
Even though she had removed her appearance changing skill and her looks could only be considered decent, Marvin felt that this Hera was a lot more beautiful than the beauty he met in the tavern.
Marvin accepted her request.
Protect her during the business transaction, and then send the mother and child to Hope City.
Afterwards, Hera promised to tell Marvin everything about the fall of the meteors.
Regarding the business transaction, Marvin had asked a bit, but Hera’s lips were sealed.
But when Marvin asked about the other side’s strength, Hera hesitated a bit before answering, “More or less 3rd rank… In fact, I’m not very sure. She is very fast and I only saw her make a move once.”
“Three 2nd rank class holders, all subordinates of the Golden Lion, were killed by her in an instant.”
“She only took five seconds.”
Marvin faintly nodded, more or less getting an idea.
As long as she wasn’t a Legend, everything would be fine.
Legends didn’t just grow like weeds, and Marvin had already met quite a huge amount of Legends. If he met a few more Legends around Rocky Mountain, Marvin would start to wonder if he had a [Legend Attracting Halo] or something stuck to his body.
The deal would take place at ten in the evening, near a discarded barn in the northern part of Lion Town.
Hera then coaxed the little boy and made him once again enter the cellar.
The obedient little child followed Hera’s instructions.
Hera cautiously checked the hiding areas around the house and then left with Marvin.
…
The night was very cold in Rocky Mountain.
Branches chaotically swayed in the wind.
Hera was alone outside the barn, tightly holding a scroll tied with a hempen rope while cautiously looking around.
Marvin was already in stealth, hiding nearby.
If there seemed to be a problem with the deal, he would quickly rush over to Hera’s side and protect her from anything unexpected.
This kind of protective task was something that was quite common in the game, and Marvin was quite good at it.
A nimble shadow appeared in the darkness.
Marvin squinted for a moment, and then was startled.
“It’s her?!”