"We found the gravekeeper."
"Strictly speaking, we found the information about the gravekeeper."
"You all should know that the church also has corpse retrievers. We will hire a fleet to salvage bone fragments in some determined areas to estimate the time when the next wave of blood will arrive."
Theo, Luca and the others nodded slightly, while Hitzfeld wondered what the blood tide was.
"One day they fished up a sealed box... It was about seven feet long and very heavy. After prying it open, they found a pile of rusty iron plates with words engraved on them. That was part of the information about the grave keeper."
"The gravekeeper is real?" Theo shifted his body unconsciously. "So the legend of the nine knights is also true? What names did you learn up there?"
"The specific information cannot be disclosed any more." Agor interrupted, "Okay... Marianne... stop talking. This is the secret we were supposed to keep."
Posturing.
Xia Yibing was extremely unhappy with him.
Agor clearly had countless opportunities to interrupt Sister Marian, but he didn't. Apparently this was all planned. The Church and the Governor's Office were secretly collaborating to arouse the curiosity of everyone present.
Damn... Considering that the captain is also here, they are not planning to gather everyone here to explore some knight's tomb, right?
Maybe this is really possible.
What she can see, people like Luca can see too.
But after all, they are the "Nine Knights".
The blood origin myth is noble and mysterious. It is the oldest myth and legend in this lost land. It is not far away from them. Countless fantasies and legends are continued and born on this basis.
Even if they knew they were being plotted against, so what? After all, it was the temptation to become a god... Not everyone could remain rational and indifferent. At least some people here couldn't help themselves.
"You have a plan, right?" Theo pressed. "You have confirmed the existence of the grave keepers, even their appearance and names... Have you found one? Where is it now?"
“Don’t worry, Theo.” Luca drank water slowly—yes, that’s right, he only drank water like Hitzfeld. “If they had everything ready, you wouldn’t have heard this secret.”
"We do need your help." Agor knew it was time to be honest. "We found out the information about the gravekeepers. Yes - we also used it to understand the direction they fled. You probably can't imagine that they escaped from the Kingdom of God."
"Escape? Why escape?" Theo frowned.
"Because they stole the bones." Agor paused before answering seriously, "They stole the bones... right under the nose of the Kingdom of God... Everyone who knew about this died in the chaos, so this secret was buried in the sea of blood."
Hitzfeld's brows jumped.
She always felt that this statement sounded familiar.
"They even massacred an entire city to prevent the news from leaking out." Agor smiled. "The Gray Fog Sea hadn't spread that far back then... That city... The land next to it should still be outside, in our hometown."
This is just short of naming names...
The girl resisted the urge to look back - she knew how important this information was, and she also knew that if she showed any abnormality at this juncture, these people would immediately suspect that she knew some secrets.
"As for that sea area... after consultation and discussion between us and the corpse-retrievers' union, we finally decided on several of the most experienced captains."
Agol sighed and patted Captain Xiude's body with his hand. "That's where you escaped death. Yes, that's where you heard the Brain Eater singing, Mr. Xiude."
The captain's face turned pale.
He understood everything, but that was why he was in despair.
He originally thought that as long as he could find a big shot of a high enough level to intercede for him, he would still have a chance to extricate himself from this vortex.
But what did I hear today? The reason why he was chosen was the result of the transaction and negotiation between these big men!
Of course, they might not know my name at that time - they certainly disdain it! Thanks to Miss Hitzfeld, I can sit here and learn the truth... But will they let me go for this?
impossible.
He knew it too well... What kind of secret was the Tomb of the Nine Knights? Apart from other things, he had heard so many things about it. Who would feel at ease if he didn't go with them?
"I'm sorry, Captain." Agor muttered in a low voice, "I made you spend so much effort... I even asked Miss Hitzfeld to prepare a gift for me, but how can I put it... Please believe me, believe me, Agor, I will never let anything happen to you, and I will definitely let you return safely."
The captain didn't say anything, he just ignored the words.
"Don't disbelieve me~" The burly host was unhappy. He waved his hand and said, "Maybe everyone at this table will have to go with you. We still have three days to prepare... maybe I will go with you too?"
This is too blatant.
The captain's eyebrows twitched violently, wondering if his statement of collecting the incense tax and leaving was all a lie?
That means he takes this operation seriously enough... maybe I can really come back alive?
Look at other people and pay close attention to their reactions.
Sister Marianne and Liangchi are obviously in cahoots with the Governor. They had discussed it long ago, so the only people to pay attention to are Luca and Theo.
Neither of them refused outright.
There are still three days left anyway, and they all said they would go back and take some notes, at the very least - to make some preparations for this operation.
"And what about you, the Honorable Hitzfeld... um... Master?"
Agor was very happy with the expected result and turned his attention to new goals.
"I hope you'll consider it, too." The girl said frankly, "Our hometown is in the interior of God's Kingdom. We've been away for so long, and we're eager to go back, so if there's no more intelligence support..."
Agol's lips twitched, and he quickly said, "Oh, don't be like that... I think I understand what you mean. If you don't mind, we can talk alone tomorrow..."
hum-
At this moment, a sudden change occurred.
First there was a loud buzzing sound caused by air vibrations, which at first sounded like it came from the horizon, but it soon spread to nearby areas and fiercely hit the entire villa.
slam-la-
All the window panes shattered at the same time, and the window sills made of twisted bones burst into fragments... All the candles in the hall were completely extinguished at the same time, and the entire banquet hall suddenly became the same color as the night, highlighting the gorgeous colors of the outside world approaching.
That is light.
Purple, blue, aqua.
Like the rippling light waves on the seabed, layer upon layer of halos filled the window, and one could vaguely see something moving outside.
The guests were still in a panic the last second, but when they saw the phantom light, their eyes became dull again and they gradually stopped making any noise.
But this is obviously not a good thing.
Before the candlelight went out, Hitzfeld noticed Agor's face... It was not just pale, it was filled with surprise, fear, excitement, and despair.
Maybe it's the mysterious attraction, she can read so many emotions.
So she immediately realized that this was definitely not a prepared "stage play". Obviously, the host had no preparation at all. It was just a pure accident.
It was a surprise that was enough to make Agor and even local strongmen like Sister Marian feel despair.
To be honest, Hitzfeld didn't know what was outside.
It is true that she is a master of mystery, but the mystic files she received are outdated - to use jargon, she probably belongs to the XP system, while the mysticism of the Elsa continent may have advanced to w7 or even w11.
So it was possible... When something she didn't recognize appeared, she immediately whispered in the dark, "What is that?"
"'Purple Aurora'."
She heard Sister Marian's trembling voice.
"'Purple Aurora' is one of the dangerous places... and it is one of the very few dangerous places that can move autonomously."
"It is alive..."
"I don't know why it's here..."
Dangerous place?
Xia Yibing's pupils and heart were shaking at the same time.
She thought of many possibilities, but she never thought that the thing outside could be a dangerous place?
"Don't make any noise." Agor's low voice sounded.
"Listen to the Governor." This is Theo.
"'Purple Aurora' is a dangerous creature with little intelligence. Although it can understand, it doesn't like to talk or communicate... Don't let it know you're still awake. It will leave on its own when it's full..."
At this point, the purple light outside the window became brighter.
Theo immediately shut his mouth.
Hitzfeld could see his quivering bald head against the purple background, and she also saw many shadows swaying outside, like coral... the tentacles of coral, extending in with swaying halos, pulling people away with an invisible and intangible force.
One... Two...
In just the blink of an eye, nearly thirty people were dragged away.
This scene came and went quickly. When she blinked again, all the purple light disappeared.
The candles lit up again, and people's eyes became clear again. They looked around and couldn't understand why so many people were missing.
“That’s how it is here.”
Agor finally breathed a sigh of relief, looked to both sides, and made a joke amid the noise.
“Risks and opportunities coexist.”
"No one knows...what will happen to me tomorrow."
Chapter 103 The Lost City of Kings: Oujin City 5k
The banquet ended because of the sudden attack of "Purple Aurora".
The death of so many people is a small matter - for Inian Port, or for the current human world in Aisha Continent, 100 people being abducted in one night is nothing, not even enough to be a topic of conversation, but it would be different if they were abducted by the "Purple Aurora".
So everyone was in a hurry to say goodbye and leave. Some had to go back to inform the subordinates or their families, and some had to mobilize their troops despite being drunk to prevent that damn evil place from making a comeback.
Hitzfeld and his party also bid farewell to the Governor's Mansion, declining the Governor's invitation to stay overnight with the invitation of "discussing in detail tomorrow". The girl stood under the villa and looked up at the sky, vaguely catching a glimpse of some ragged and slender shadows rising up.
"It should be an iron chain." Captain Xiude led Billy and her group closer quickly. Seeing them looking up at the sky, he couldn't help but explain to her, "It's used to guard against ferocious beasts. It should be useless against the Purple Aurora."
"The body of 'Purple Aurora' is hidden in the clouds. According to my own speculation, I think it should be a kind of atmospheric creature." Another sentence came from the back.
Everyone turned around and saw it was Luca.
Luca Pilarchon, the chief of the Blood Mage Guild, is also the most powerful and most prestigious blood mage in the vicinity.
In theory, he has the most profound knowledge in certain areas. Due to the special nature of his blood and bone magic, it is even beyond that of the blood butchers who kill people all day long. Therefore, the captain was in awe when he saw him.
"I once saw the Purple Aurora from a distance." Luca smiled, "It wasn't in Inian Harbor... It was still daytime, and the gray fog blocked the road. I guess the one I encountered was in a bad mood, and it sucked up all the gray fog nearby. We were able to catch a glimpse of its general appearance from thousands of feet away. It was really shocking."
"How is it?" Hitzfeld asked immediately.
Luca was stunned - he was just expressing his feelings, and he didn't intend to really share his experience with them.
If it were only Hitzfeld and the female attendant, he wouldn't care, but as the saying goes, you have to treat people of their level according to their level. There are a bunch of untouchables and sailors staring at them, so what qualifications do they have to understand?
So Hitzfeld's question was very interesting both in terms of intention and timing. If she wasn't planning to endorse these people...
Well, this doesn't look like it.
Luca didn't think from the bottom of his heart that Captain Xiude and his group were worthy of a master incense maker. You know, due to environmental factors, the status of a master incense maker in the royal capital was no worse than that of a blood mage like him.
If this wasn't the reason, then the only possibility was that she was really curious.
She was curious and couldn't wait to know, so she could be casual about it. All the etiquette and restrictions were unimportant to her at this moment.
It sounds complicated, but it can be summed up in one sentence: the yearning for knowledge overrides everything.
“Looks like a cloud,” Luca whispered.
If his mortal enemy Theo was here, he would immediately notice that he looked at the girl with a kind look, as if he was looking at his best student. "It was invisible and intangible... there was only a huge, tumbling cloud twisting there... you couldn't see the light clearly at that time, you just felt that it was a lively cloud. I have to say it was fortunate that it was in a bad mood, because the character of 'Purple Aurora' tends to be childish. If it was in a good mood, it would probably blend itself into the gray fog and sneak up on us. By the time I realized something was wrong, it would definitely be too late..."
He said it lightly, but the group of people who listened were terrified.
Although they have never traveled long distances on land due to their profession, they can imagine that if a long sea voyage encountered heavy fog, everyone was working as usual to pull the sails and tie the ropes, but no one knew that there was a giant monster following them all the way...
Well, just by imagining this, many people broke out in cold sweats. Looking at their expressions, they are likely to have nightmares tonight.
Luca was still trying to scare them. "The way atmospheric creatures eat people is a secret. The limited records show that they will form a ring above, creating a vacuum suction inside. They will use the powerful suction to sweep up everything in the covered area - whether it is rocks or creatures, and then grind them all with their hidden sharp teeth... This process will probably last for a few minutes, which means it won't be long before it spits out the remaining debris."
There was a cry of surprise from not far away, and everyone turned to look over there, just in time to see some scattered debris... Pink and scarlet skeletons fell from the top of that area, and smashed into pieces on the bricks.
Luca raised his eyebrows and stretched his hand in that direction. At this moment, his rootless fingers extended out like a rubber whip, wrapped around a long leg bone across dozens of meters and pulled it back from the pile of corpses.
"From Avensong." He sniffed the bone and began to nod, pointing it at the night sky above. "It hasn't left yet... but it doesn't dare to come down. 'Purple Aurora' is afraid of fire. It won't be a problem if we light all the torches."
Before parting, he produced a snow-white letter from somewhere and handed it carefully to Hitzfeld.
"Your qualities are the only ones I have ever seen in my life. I can feel that there is some mysterious power hidden in you."
