Chapter 161: Subtle Hints

Before leaving Starling City, Elder Seville made a point of releasing Aron from behind the black gate.

"Since we are cooperating again, I must show my sincerity. I will release all of your companions. This time, you should be able to trust me, right?" Elder Seville asked Irving with a smile after freeing Aron.

Although Elder Seville's treatment had somewhat improved Irving's condition, his voice still sounded weak.

"I think it's unnecessary to dwell on these matters. Since our next target is the Benevolent Sanatorium, let's get going quickly."

"If you're in such a hurry, then I'll take your advice! We'll be on the same plane, so you better not try anything. If this plane crashes, we'll all die," Elder Seville warned Irving before departure.

Despite Irving's poor condition, Elder Seville had a feeling that Irving still had some tricks up his sleeve. Irving did not respond to Elder Seville's warning.

Elder Seville then led everyone onto a large plane. It took only a few minutes for the plane to take off from Starling City's airport and arrive at the airport in the City of Warding. However, it would take about an hour or two to reach the Benevolent Sanatorium from the City of Warding's airport, and the group would have to travel in separate cars.

Elder Seville remained highly vigilant during the journey. He sat in a car with Vicky. His purpose was to have a contingency plan—if Irving had been faking his injuries, Elder Seville could use Vicky's life to threaten him.

However, Elder Seville's precautions seemed somewhat unnecessary. All the way to the Benevolent Sanatorium, Irving made no other moves. He simply kept glancing at Benjamin and Anna.

Anna found Irving's behavior quite odd. She could sense that he wanted to convey some important information to her, but she had no idea what it could be.

Benjamin, on the other hand, kept a serious gaze fixed on Irving. His face was expressionless, making it impossible for anyone to discern what he was thinking. Consequently, no one could tell whether Benjamin had understood the meaning behind Irving's looks.

Elder Seville had always kept a keen eye on Irving's subtle maneuvers.

However, he didn't stop him, because he believed that Irving's actions might reveal some information that Irving had previously withheld from him.

Upon arriving at the Benevolent Sanatorium, the group headed straight to its courtyard. The state of the sanatorium was much the same as when Elder Seville and the others had left.

In front of everyone was a massive cavern. This enormous void was located right beneath the foundations of the Benevolent Sanatorium.

"We should be able to find the Smith family artifact once we enter the underground area, right?" Elder Seville asked Irving coldly, turning his head back.

Irving nodded in affirmation.

"In that case, you'll come with me. And Vicky, as a descendant of the Smith family, should also accompany us," Elder Seville declared.

His strategy remained the same as before. He led the way with Vicky and Irving. If they encountered any unforeseen dangers, he could use Vicky and Irving as shields. This way, they could protect him from immediate threats. Moreover, if they found any crucial information, Elder Seville could ensure that no one else besides the three of them would learn of it.

As they advanced through the underground area, everyone was extremely tense.

The underground chasm had changed significantly since they last saw it. Previously, it had been empty, but now it was filled with flickering energy crystals.

Irving and Elder Seville both realized that these energy crystals were manifestations of chaotic energy. This meant that the unknown space deep underground had been continuously emitting chaotic energy since they left.

"Don't you have something to say to me now? Didn't you promise to give me additional information once we got here?" Elder Seville pressured Irving as he walked ahead.

Irving, still weak, replied, "I can't give you that information yet. You need to enter the unknown mysterious space first."

Elder Seville was very dissatisfied with Irving's answer. He felt as though he was being led into a massive trap. However, he couldn't back out now, as doing so would render all his previous efforts futile.

Caught in a conflict of emotions, Elder Seville had no choice but to press on. As he walked, weighed down by his thoughts, Irving kept making eye contact with Vicky, blinking repeatedly.

Vicky, confronted with this situation, reacted similarly to Anna. She had no idea what Irving was trying to convey. However, being more familiar with Irving, she quickly deciphered some crucial information from his looks.

Vicky soon realized that Irving could actually recover to his best condition very quickly. The moment she understood this, she connected all the previous events. It became clear that everything Irving had done was merely to set a trap for Elder Seville! Vicky finally pieced it all together.

In that instant, Vicky turned around to search for Benjamin.

Benjamin was the only person Vicky felt she could trust besides Irving. She wasn't sure if Benjamin was aware of the situation, so she felt it necessary to give him a hint.

Their eyes met for just an instant. Although Benjamin didn't fully grasp Vicky's message, he understood that she was signaling him to be ready for a fight. And that information was sufficient for him.

After another half-hour of walking, the group finally reached a narrow passage. Elder Seville turned around to look at the people behind him. He had brought many people along, but the narrow passage could only accommodate one person at a time, meaning not everyone could go through at once.

"I, along with Vicky and Irving, must enter the passage. I can take three more people with me. I'll choose two members of the Night Blades, and Vicky can select the last person," Elder Seville announced, his focus remaining on Irving.

Sensing a conspiracy, Elder Seville was determined not to take anyone recommended by Irving. In fact, he didn't even want Irving to speak.

Elder Seville quickly chose two members of the Night Blades. When it was Vicky's turn to choose, she hesitated slightly. Her gaze lingered on Benjamin, Anna, and Aron for a long time.

Finally, under Elder Seville's urging, Vicky chose Benjamin.

"It seems that in times of crisis, you still trust the loyalty of your family," Elder Seville remarked, not particularly surprised by Vicky's choice. He had anticipated that she would pick Benjamin. In fact, if she had chosen someone else, Elder Seville might have grown suspicious and refused.

"Now that we've selected who will enter the narrow passage, let's proceed," Elder Seville said, pushing Irving to the front.

"Although you're not in the best condition, you've been here before, so it's most logical for you to lead the way," Elder Seville explained with a smile.

His explanation was somewhat redundant. He held absolute control at this point, and he knew Irving wouldn't attack him until he had the right opportunity to carry out the plan with the Smith family ancestors.

Behind Irving was, of course, Vicky, and behind Vicky was Elder Seville. Following them were two members of the Night Blades, Benjamin, and another member of the Night Blades.

Elder Seville's arrangement was very strategic. He placed Irving at the front to shield against any unexpected dangers that might arise. Elder Seville himself positioned between Vicky and the Night Blades members ensured he wouldn't be attacked from all sides and could always use Vicky as a hostage if needed.

Benjamin was sandwiched between the two Night Blades members, making it difficult for him to take any action without being stopped by them.

Thus, the group entered the narrow passage, leaving everyone else outside.

Once Elder Seville and his party disappeared from sight, those left in the cavern began to feel increasingly anxious. The Night Blades members started discussing whether they should retreat outside.

"Do we really need to stay here? This place seems incredibly dangerous. We should move back outside," one of the Night Blades' squad leaders suggested. S~eaʀᴄh the NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"But Elder Seville instructed us to wait here. If we leave recklessly, wouldn't that be going against his orders? If he finds out, he won't let us off easily," another Night Blades squad leader said, sounding a bit worried.

"I think Elder Seville's actions won't be swift. So, let's temporarily retreat and reassess the situation later," suggested the third Night Blades squad leader.

After some time spent discussing, the Night Blades members ultimately decided to leave the cavern. As they departed, they took Aron and Anna with them.

After all, these two were members of the Angel Guild, and the Night Blades members always kept a close watch on them.

Just as everyone exited the cavern, the crystalline formations of chaotic energy inside began to emit a brilliant light. Within these crystals, a figure gradually became visible—the figure of the Smith family ancestor. This ancestor was a virtual persona created by the Smith family's artifact.

His presence signified that the artifact was still in an activated state.