After putting all the surviving enemies into the Dungeon, I climb on Ragnar's back to continue the journey, I want to get out of here before more enemies get close, after all, I don't know if these are the only ones or if there are more of them scattered around.
For hours our trip was very smooth, as the weather was cloudy today, I took the opportunity to make everyone fly above the clouds, which was a good idea at the beginning.
But soon the clouds turned dark and the lightning tried to attack us from below, the attacks were random with no kind of pattern to anticipate.
"Why always with me?" (I)
"This is interesting, so stop complaining, master." (Ragnar)
"How cute..." (Hinata)
"I admit the landscape is beautiful, but also deadly." (I)
"You say that, but these rays can't seriously injure you, at most they can kill someone in Grade S and maybe seriously injure someone in Grade SS." (Ragnar)
"Even if you don't get hurt, getting hit still hurts, plus there's a lot of lightning." (I)
"Tell that to Byakko who is eating the rays." (Ragnar)
"One of the two pure elements he possesses is thunder, for him, this place is a pool full of food." (I)
I look close to me where Byakko is always throwing herself in the highest concentrations of lightning while laughing.
Kira had all her hair standing on end due to the electricity surrounding her, Byakko seems to have forgotten about her on her back due to the excitement of the moment.
p Ibuki was using the lightning to train his dodge while flying and Karina was using her sword to cut the lightning that was going towards him, it looks like she is training too.
"Everyone is so diligent with their training." (I)
"Yes, it looks like everyone at Dungeon has gotten used to the daily training." (Ragnar)
I can no longer tell if the negative lucky number I have is correct or not, first an ambush and now an upturned lightning storm?
I know this is a world full of magic and crazy things, I myself have seen crazy things for a lifetime, but I never imagined seeing something like this.
"< Storm Accumulator >" (I)
I create a magic circle in front of me to use thunder element magic, a transparent square appears in front of me in time to block dozens of lightning bolts that were coming my way.
The rays do not collide with the transparent square, when they get close they are attracted and absorbed by the square, this spell only serves to accumulate rays, I learned this spell a long time ago, but it is almost useless in combat and in daily life, at least it served for something now.
I look at the square the size of my head that has multiple spokes inside, it was a little interesting to see that.
The trip went very smoothly until nightfall, Ibuki and Karina got tired from their training, Ibuki was unconscious clinging to me while drooling and Karina was sitting behind me using my head as a pillow as she is taller than me.
Kira had her clothes in tatters, her skin was half burnt and her hair was standing on end, her eyes were showing a cold anger as she sat on top of a Byakko with a battered feline face, now he is behaving and avoiding diving into the rays.
The lightning storm we went through was very big, it took us many hours to get out of there, now that night has fallen I was looking for a place to spend the night, I was going to set up a makeshift camp before entering the Dungeon to see the prisoners.
----------
After we found a good place to rest, I let Freya, who had left the Dungeon, prepare some food for everyone while I went to talk to Lilith.
To my surprise, I found Lilith drawing on a large sheet of paper smiling, but as I got closer I noticed the disturbing things she was drawing.
"What are you drawing Lilith?" (I)
"I was just imagining ways to get revenge, treating everyone the same seems wrong, besides being boring." (Lilith)
I look at the drawings again and thank the Gods for being someone free from people's revenge, with the exception of the bastards of the Church of Light.
"(She can be quite creative when necessary apparently...)" (I)
I call Lilith for a walk around town, I wanted to see the changes she's had lately while talking to her.
"What did you think of the imprisoned people or creatures?" (I)
"They have a strong Aura of Vengeance, but it's not directed at them, it seems to originate from them somewhere else, other than that I didn't feel any Aura of Vengeance directed at most of them." (Lilith)
"Does that mean that two of them have this Aura of revenge directed at them?" (I)
"Yes, two of them, one is with Elsaris and the other is with Lilian who insisted on helping, so she took one of the enemies Nix captured and took it away." (Lilith)
"Did Rakan take a look at the transformed?" (I)
"That old man had such a big smile that I thought he would tear my face from smiling so much." (Lilith)
"I could even see Lyra running to join Rakan, she said there was a strong smell on the transformed bodies and she's been studying these things." (Lilith)
As I walked I was surprised that those people weren't all evil with those appearances, before sending them into the Dungeon I checked their bodies, they were all artificial.
I could see meters transplanted into some of them and also that their bodies were not in harmony, those that transformed a second time and lost their humanoid form were even worse.
I also used my identification skill on them while they were weaned, I needed to know if my suspicion was right, in the end, I found out I was right, they are Kimeras created by someone.
After a little chat with Lilith, I left town heading to the place where the prisoners are being held, when I arrived I noticed that both Elsaris and Lilian were locked up while working on their interrogations.
I didn't want to interfere, moreover, I didn't want to know the methods of a continental black market leader and a Vampire spy for a Demon Empire with hundreds of years of experience in the business.
I thought about giving the girls time to get the information they wanted to get, I knew the two of them would tell me as soon as they found out anything important.
Thought I'd check out the temple and come back later.
----------
Pov Lilian:
"You fool." (I)
"You have any idea how close you came to dying." (I)
I was in the locked room with one of the prisoners, as soon as I heard that we have captured unknown enemies I came to offer to help, that's because I know a lot about this continent and I might be able to find out more about these enemies who are said to have tried to attack us.
But when I arrive I see a familiar face, so I pull him into a room while Elsaris takes one of the transformed ones, as soon as I closed the door I let go of this idiot and punch him in the nose.
"The master belongs to the group of people who kill first and ask later, could you be dead." (I)
"I know, I was really scared when that Dragon claw came out of my shadow, I thought I was going to die." (Horn 2)
"What are you doing here?" (I)
"Before anything..." (Horn 2)
He runs over and gives me a hug, as always a very caring person, a shame someone like being in this dark line of work.
"Good to see you again, Mom." (Horn 2)
"I heard a few days ago from you, Horn 3 left a message for me" (Horn 2)
"Are you in the middle of work?" (I)
"Finishing a job, I would ambush these people during the attack, after which I would come back to report the completion of my mission before resigning." (Horn 2)
"Was it undercover?" (I)
"Yes, it's been 1 year." (Horn 2)
Sigh
"I didn't imagine they would be defeated so quickly, I didn't even have time to act, I was going to kill the other man with me the moment I was captured." (Horn 2)
"How far were you from the conflict?" (I)
"About 200 or 250 meters." (Horn 2)
"So the Holy Son and the others knew about Vice from the start, that's probably why Nix was sent to capture you and the other man." (I)
"Now let's have a long talk, I want to know more about your mission and if you know anything about these people who attacked us." (I)
"It all began..." (Horn 2)
----------
Pov Zenos:
1 month later.
Close to Venon Fortress City.
I was in line to enter the city this time I didn't enter using a carriage, I entered Ragnar who hid his horn and wings, but even so, his appearance was magnificent and caught the attention of many.
It doesn't take long to get through the queue, I pay the city entrance tax and head straight to the mansion I bought in this city when I was here for the first time.
As soon as I stepped into the city I could feel the eyes on me, everyone was hiding and watching me, I didn't like it, but there was nothing to be done about it.
I try to ignore these people watching me as I go straight to the manor, there were Elves in the mansion that will be my connection to the Poison Forest where the Elves village was where I needed to go.
When I got to the front of the door, people in the shadows hiding appear in front of me bowing.
I look at them and I realize that they are all Elves, they must be the ones who were here in the manor and will serve as a liaison to take us to their village.