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Chapter 67: The Observer in the Shadows (Bonus)

To be honest, when Nickles first laid eyes on the somewhat silly girl before him, he felt a bit dismissive.

This kind of rich girl, who clearly had never faced the rough edges of society and had run out from her sheltered life, usually had a hazy understanding of her own abilities. They liked to act tough, charging recklessly into situations and bringing their family’s ideals into the harsh outside world, especially showing a lack of reverence for true horrors.

Generally, it would take a few harsh lessons for them to wise up; one misstep, and they could lose their lives in the process.

Especially when he heard that this Miss Edwina, despite being seriously injured and nearly exhausted, insisted on tagging along with the expedition, such thoughts became even more pronounced.

In Nickles’ view, the right course of action would be to admit her role as an injured party, just like that Miss Natalie, and to rest quietly instead of causing trouble.

But Edwina’s previous remark had caught Mr. Fierce Wolf off guard.

She… could actually comprehend the profound gap between herself and an absolute powerhouse?

Sky rank was a position of significant power within both the United Kingdom and the Holy Empire; even he only grasped his own naivete after encountering those two. Could it be that Miss Edwina had faced something terrifying as well?

Curiosity piqued, but such experiences are typically traumatic secrets people prefer not to divulge, so Nickles wouldn’t probe further.

Eventually, the two merely exchanged smiles, feeling a mutual kinship born of shared suffering.

The team cautiously advanced, clearing out any stragglers along the way, until they reached a somewhat perplexing location.

The experimental ground of the Throne of Immortality.

Because Natalie had expressed earlier that this was where the cult’s high-level forces were most concentrated and eerie, the two had given it a wide berth.

Now that the tides of battle had turned, Edwina would inevitably lead the main force to what was clearly the enemy’s nest.

However…

Liliya stepped forward, staring at the large hole that seemed to have been blasted open by some immense force, her eye twitching slightly.

Even a fool could guess who had the power to do such a thing at this moment, and who was in conflict with the Throne of Immortality.

Looks like she had paid a visit ahead of time.

Ugh, couldn’t they open the door in a slightly more conventional way? If she hadn’t been forewarned, this would be terrifying.

“Cough… well, we can go in. This may be an important location for our enemies, so be cautious and remember not to destroy any critical evidence or clues.”

Under the princess’s command, the shadow guardians and adventurers, stunned by the sight, cautiously squeezed through the giant hole into the experimental site.

Thus, they encountered a chaotic scene—debris from the battle lay strewn about and the room was filled with bodies that seemed to have been violently torn apart by some horrible power.

“What the…”

Edwina, Nickles, and several adventurers approached the most conspicuous sight—a massive iron door deeply embedded into the wall, with what looked like a “meat bun” trapped between the wall and the door.

Nickles tried prying at the iron door with his sword to see if it was solid.

Not a budge.

There was no doubt that this thing must weigh tons; not even a legendary warrior would be able to lift it, let alone smash it into the wall like this…

Mr. Fierce Wolf wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, unable to fathom what kind of terrifying creature had invaded here before them.

The priestess wouldn’t tell Nickles that she was also going to join this siege, and Liliya, the informed princess, was certainly tight-lipped.

But even without knowing, confronted with such bizarre sights, visions of that slender pair of master and servant flashed uncontrollably in Nickles’ mind.

If it was that blonde girl, perhaps she could indeed…

“Oh my god, come quickly! What could have happened to these three people to meet such an enemy…”

A shrill shout from Miss Holy Knight, mingled with fear, jolted Nickles’ heart, and he quickly hurried over to Edwina with some companions.

There lay three seemingly ordinary cultists, strikingly embedded into the wall by some unknown force.

But what was truly baffling was that, despite being undead that couldn’t truly die without having their heads severed, these three remained whole but had lost all sign of life.

Their eyes were wide open, reflecting lingering horror and confusion, as black blood oozed from every corner of their bodies, causing them to appear almost deflated.

“Holy crap!”

Nickles moved in for a closer look, only to be horrified by the gruesome truth, nearly dropping his sword in shock.

These three had been reduced to pulp inside, their bones and organs turned to mush, just leaving behind a thin layer of skin!

Even the seasoned high-ranking adventurers took stock after checking, their faces pale as they hastily stepped back, clearly shaken.

This place was terrifying—not just the bizarre and incomprehensible sights, but the chill pervasive in the atmosphere, constantly gnawing at the hearts of those present.

What kind of powerhouse had slaughtered the enemies here before them? Were they friend or foe, and would they return?

And the only one aware of the truth—some princess—and the two legendary figures who had sensed something, all had strange expressions, their eyes twitching incessantly.

That guy was, as always, just unreasonable.

Fortunately, most of the materials had been preserved; Liliya quickly skimmed through them and grasped the situation, discovering children imprisoned in several large iron cages in the corners for experimentation.

Upon simple verification, the expedition confirmed that they were the children of citizens from the royal capital who had mysteriously gone missing.

Although the situation had become somewhat odd due to someone’s interference, as long as they visited the prison Edwina mentioned to liberate the remaining people, this mission would be deemed a success.

The remaining forces of the Throne of Immortality outside would be fully captured or eliminated by the knight order.

But… why hadn’t they seen the throne?

While she let out a sigh of relief, Liliya also felt some confusion; she had come prepared to find at least one throne here, bringing along all the legendary and elite forces she could mobilize.

Yet factually, despite some troubles along the way, they had encountered few sky or even legendary-level powerful foes.

Could it be that Vilyric had taken care of it ahead of time?

It was quite possible…

This should feel like good news, yet for some reason, the princess was gnawed at by a lingering sense of unease, and once they entered this room, a slight chill ran down her back, as if something was watching her with ill intent.

Just then.

“Ah!!!”

A piercing scream shattered the tense and orderly search, sending hearts that were already in their throats racing; everyone immediately drew their weapons, directing their gazes toward the source of the sound.

It was a boy who had just been rescued from a cage, clearly awake, yet for some unknown reason, he lacked energy and couldn’t even manage to speak.

Upon his call, the experimental ground erupted into a series of wails and cries. Subsequently, all the children saved from the iron cages slumped down, lifeless, no longer able to emit a single breath.

“P-Princess! What in the world is happening?!”

Edwina, frantic, cast a healing spell on one of them, but it was utterly useless.

Not just her; even the adventurer priests of earth or sky tier in their group were unable to rouse those children, who displayed no external injuries yet had ceased to breathe.

Finally, the inexperienced Holy Knight could only pin her hopes on the same young but already highly respected princess.

Liliya, her expression grave, knelt down to closely examine the state of the child in Edwina’s arms, and then whispered to Fiery Blossom and the seemingly empty figure beside her.

“They’re all… dead…”

Simultaneously, the sense of being watched thickened, causing the princess to feel as though she had fallen into an icy cellar.