Chapter 371: Setting Off 1
Looking at Ann-Rue’s corpse, Garen raised and waved his hand. With a whoosh, an invisible pair of jaws immediately swallowed up the entire corpse.
"This is the perfect way to dispose of bodies, huh." Satisfied, he turned around and left the secret room.
After that, it was time to consider Obscuro’s reaction.
Killing an Elemental General-level spy would evidently be dealing a huge blow to Obscuro’s plans. But they probably didn’t know for sure who killed her, and Jess’s and Ann-Rue’s crystal balls were shattered on the same day at the same time, so they would probably think both Generals were killed at the same time.
He had no way of gauging their general reaction, but Garen wasn’t too worried about their revenge. While the Kingdom was still the Royal Alliance’s territory, Obscuro wouldn’t dare to make a careless move.
Putting aside the Secret Service’s strong teams in charge of the Kingdom’s safety, these were just the forces lurking in the dark, there were still the national departments on the surface, and the strongest of them, the branch of Silver Knights, was also based in the Kovistan Kingdom. There weren’t many members in this powerful and mysterious squad, but each member was definitely the cream of the crop. Together with the Secret Service, one in the dark and the other in the light, they were top-grade guards in charge of the entire Kingdom.
Garen wasn’t very familiar with the last one, the Geometry Service, but it was an even more mysterious department. What techniques they had in there, what power, nothing at all was known.
The three departments had their own duties, like three countries within a larger country, and each had a territory of their own. They represented the alliance of power between the high nobles in each country. They were the most basic of the Royal Alliance’s roots.
But even he could get rid of Princess Ann-Rue in the blink of an eye, so it was still better to be careful with these things.
"In the Kingdom now, the three departments, Obscuro, and members of the royal are all mixed together, so the situation is rather complicated... Right now I’m in the Secret Service, so Obscuro probably wouldn’t dare to make an obvious move. Besides, they don’t know my identity either, so there shouldn’t be a problem. Now I should first go on quests to increase and fill up my attribute points, so first I’ll have to reach the level of the Nine Headed Hydra."
He settled his heart, with his hidden ability.
Putting aside the Eight Headed Dragon on the surface, which was a Form Four Totem and had unique, powerful abilities, there was also the true form he hid away deep, that was an even stronger existence. There was no need at all for him to worry like he used to.
On the other hand, there were the two precious heirlooms Ann-Rue was talking about, one was Absolute Protection, resting on the king’s finger, the Endor Heirloom. The other was a forged heirloom, it was definitely a lot weaker in power, but it should still be pretty decent. After all the Ultimate Heirlooms were the second level items, if they were worth so many people forging them so whole-heartedly, their power naturally wouldn’t be weak.
He was indeed somewhat tempted. But once he remembered the mixed up powers in the Kingdom now, he decided that it was best not to get involved before the situation cleared up.
"Forget it, I’ll just mess around in the Secret Service for a while for now, I better not join in the assassination matter, I’ll just focus on getting my potential points." Garen made his decision, and didn’t think any more of it.
After that, he quickly went to the Villa Ann-Rue mentioned, and saved Lala, who was kept there.
He didn’t try to explain anything to her, and Lala seemed very calm as well, this girl seemed to have gotten calmer over her journey with Garen.
Returning to the estate quietly, Garen returned to his consistent lifestyle from before. Waiting for his time to go on a quest to arrive.
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Deep in the Kingdom’s Palace, in an extravagant white bedroom.
The number one concubine was a cold woman with a slender figure and golden curly hair. Right now, she was wearing a tight white dress, revealing her perfect curves as she stood in front a huge dressing mirror.
The two maids behind her were arranging her golden hair into cylindrical curls, layering these curls and weaving them into beautiful cylinders that looked like gold jewelry.
The large amount of long golden hair was woven into curls, bouncing occasionally as Concubine Delouse moved.
"Your Excellency, Lady Red Chrysanth’s Derivator was destroyed." A maid moved her lips, but her voice went straight into the First Concubine’s ear. She lowered her head and combed the golden hair, as though she was completely focused and had no other thoughts.
Delouse narrowed her eyes.
"What happened? What about Theta? Wasn’t he guarding Red Chrysanth?"
"Theta is dead. Everyone around Red Chrysanth was attacked at the White Bird Tower at about ten in the morning today. Red Chrysanth’s whereabouts are unknown, the rest all perished in the line of duty." The maid picked up a black forehead crown and put it on for the concubine.
Delouse mused slightly. "Red Chrysanth’s Derivator was destroyed, and I just received the news that Jess’s Derivator is broken as well. It can’t be a coincidence. Inform Black Sky, find out what actually happened."
"Yes."
"From now on, don’t tell me about the Military matters, just send it directly to God Cloud’s side. Be careful, make sure that old man Veska doesn’t notice."
"Understood. The Defense Minister went patrolling at the front lines today." The maid winked, and smiled.
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Several tens of thousands of kilometers away from the Kingdom, in a pitch-black underground cave.
Suddenly, the silver color on the walls of the cave wriggled, dripping down like sticky liquid, and landed with a few splatters.
These silver liquids wriggled slowly, quickly becoming a complete humanoid shape, looking like a clear human figure made of mercury.
It had no features, its face was flat, but its figure and all that were properly shaped, so it looked just like a silver statue.
This was a woman’s figure with large breasts and long, long hair. She walked slowly to the center of the cave.
"Respected His Excellency God Cloud, Delouse sends news, two of the Elemental Generals had their Crystal Derivators destroyed at the same time, so she needed to ask people from Black Sky to investigate this matter.
She was the only person in the cave, there was absolutely no one else, but then a sound came from the cave ceiling.
The silver cave walls actually started wriggling and bulged into a huge silver face. It was a man’s clear face, only its eyes were two dark and empty holes.
"I already know about this. The people from Black Sky have made a conclusion, Kovistan will temporarily be under the Elite Department and Delouse to handle, those two are both dead. Someone actually dares to publicly attack my people. Anya, which generals are closest to the Kingdom these days?"
"There’s Sindre in charge of Kevita Area, and there’s Ariel, who’s fighting with the national department of Silver Knights now. Add Delouse, and that’s all the existing power we have in Kovistan." The silver woman replied respectfully. "In order to raid the Geometry Service’s Blood Tower, we incurred heavy losses this time, three generals were weakened and died."
"But the situation in Ender has been completely stabilized, hmph! That Blood Tower fellow, if it weren’t that I’m at a critical moment now and can’t get away… The situation now is very complicated, Ann-Rue had no ability to resist whatsoever, and Jess had disappeared since Iron Tank City, her Derivator was always being used by an outsider. To the Black Sky, we the God Cloud Military Department have become a laughing stock! Our own General’s Derivator was being used by an outsider for so long and we had no idea."
The silver face grew darker.
"But to be able to kill Ann-Rue without getting even a scratch, this person must have more than Spiritualized power, they probably have the Fourth Form. you send Demetrius over, Sindre and Ariel will be the captain, that thing doesn’t have to be returned for you, just go over there and destroy the fellow impersonating Jess. I allow her to mobilize all the power there as long as they’re outside the plan. Also, Black Sky will send you some information and characteristics of the killer."
"I will convey your wishes immediately." The silver woman bowed lightly, and dissolved into a puddle of silver liquid with a patter.
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Several days later, Kovistan Kingdom
Behind the Kingdom, leaning closely beside the tallest building, the clock tower, there was a grey-black stone cliff.
The cliff was covered with a dense green forest. When seen from afar, it was like swathes of green moss covering the cliff.
Amidst these dense trees, beside a clear lake, there were several figures in black.
Amongst them were an elderly, a child, two young girls, and two young men. There were six people in total.
The golden noon sunlight shone down from above the forest, reflecting truly golden sunlight on the surface of the lake, so much that it was slightly blinding.
The six of them wore uniform black dresses of armor, wearing hoods so their faces weren’t clear, only revealing their different figures and a little bit of skin.
"Have everything with you?" Old Man asked softly. "The place we want to go to this time is somewhere the Black Prince will certainly cross. At the same time, other than this quest, we have another newly-arrived quest, we need to settle then on the way. Nineheads, you say it."
A young man with balanced proportions nodded his head, it was a gently smiling Garen. His long blonde hair leaked slightly out of the hood, while his face was completely hidden in the shadow of the hood. Like the others, everyone’s faces seemed slightly blurry and distorted, it seemed to be an automatic effect of the armor.
Garen cleared his throat.
"Yesterday there was more news from upstairs, it came from the Deputy Director.
In the area where our quest is, an upper noble sent out an SOS, they hope we can go lend them a hand, we just need to kill the monsters surrounding him."
"More upper nobles again, how troublesome." One of the two girls, Kitten, pursed her lips disinterestedly. "Every time we go for a quest, we need to help someone on the way, they really do take us for free labor!"
"It’s on the way anyway, we go straight to our destination, and then come straight back, it won’t take any time. The other party only has two people."
Garen smiled.
"I’m fine with it." Red Umbrella crossed his arms over his chest, and was even yawning.
"I’m the same as Big Bro Red Umbrella." The Kid always followed Red Umbrella.
As for Fox, she usually didn’t speak.
"Then it’s decided." Old Man took out the map, and spread it open. He pointed at a newly added red dot with his finger. "Remember this place, when we’re there we just need to clean up the monsters there as we go. Let’s give this to Kid. Anybody have any objections?"
"Whatever, Kid needs more quest points now anyway, I’m fine with giving it to him." Kitten’s tone was decent for once.
Nobody else had any other opinions.
"Then thank you, big brothers and big sisters." Kid smiled as he thanked them.
Garen glanced at Kid curiously. This little fella who was only half his height couldn’t have been older than thirteen or fourteen, yet he had such good connections within the team.