Chapter 70: This is a Staff

“Fourth Sword, Rain Curtain!”

As poisoned arrows came pouring down, the Soul, standing on the ferry shuttle, remained unfazed. He swiftly drew another slender sword from his waist and tossed it upwards into the air!

In an instant, that sword split into two, then into four, transforming into a multitude of swords filling the hall like a rain curtain, cutting through most of the falling poisoned arrows with sheer force.

The few that slipped through were deflected and knocked away by the Shadow People’s weapons, causing no real threat.

Vilyric curiously glanced at the sword that had just performed the grand feat, which then reformed into one and returned to the Soul’s hand.

Clearly, this was also a high-quality magical item, but could a purple-grade item really achieve such a feat? This guy has seven swords; could they all be above this level?

If that’s the case, this Soul must have a pretty deep background. High-level gear isn’t something you can just buy with money or power in this world. Ordinary purple gear might be attainable, but the stronger stuff requires luck.

Just look at a certain legendary adventurer who, despite being broke, only had a short bow that was above purple grade while their armor had to be acquired by scrounging.

After removing the barrier above her and Mona’s heads, Vilyric shook her head as she looked up at the ceiling. She was actually planning to cover the entire hall with it, but since someone was more eager to show off, plus it seemed the Shadow People didn’t need to protect themselves particularly, she let it go.

It seemed she was right; the Ghost Thieves were indeed lurking above.

“Miss Vilyric?”

“Yeah, leave it to me.”

The little princess, also realizing the danger from the volley of crossbow bolts, opened her mouth. There was no need for her to explain in detail. The black-haired girl nodded and pulled a gorgeous and holy priest’s staff from the void. Cradling the blue-haired girl lightly in one arm, she grasped the staff by the end and threw it upward with all her might!

“Boom! Bang!!!”

The metal ceiling, obviously made of special materials, was instantly smashed open by the spinning priest’s staff, creating a massive hole several meters in diameter, and sending several robbers crashing down with it.

“Ahhh!!!”

“Help, help, boss!”

Puff puff puff puff puff…

The dying screams of the poachers went unanswered as they fell, faces filled with despair, straight down onto the ground studded with sharp spikes, instantly impaled, spraying forth crimson blood. They didn’t even have time for the poison smeared on the ground to take effect before their fragile lives flickered out completely.

“What the hell! What is this? That’s reinforced with Ink Steel! Run, run, run!!”

“Up!”

From above, chaotic curses and frantic footsteps echoed as the team from the Grim Reaper’s Scythe, composed of the four with the strongest mental fortitude, reacted first. Along with a dozen Shadow People nearby, they dashed through the hole into the second floor, the clang of weapons clashing erupting like a sudden orchestra.

Vilyric raised her hand, catching the Eternal Staff – Heart of the World, which spun several times in mid-air before returning to her. Feeling a bit awkward under the strange gaze from the blue-haired girl in her arms, she turned her head slightly away.

“What are you looking at me like that for… This isn’t just a melee weapon disguised as a staff; it’s just a bit sturdier than normal. I rarely do violent things like this; it’s just that the suitable person didn’t show up…”

Mona twitched her lips, managing to smile perfectly in sync.

“No… actually, I’m just surprised to see a Descender in action for the first time. It feels quite fresh. Uh, judging by Miss Vilyric’s words, does that mean you don’t usually fight much?”

“Of course! You can tell just by looking at my outfit, right? I’m a priestess, the type to save lives. In the past, someone even praised my rich medical ethics~”

“Uh…”

More and more Shadow People poured into the second-floor battlefield, and the clashes above grew increasingly intense and frantic. The little princess quickly shut down a conversation that left her unsure of what to say and pointed towards the ceiling.

“Um, Miss Vilyric, let’s hurry up there. This group is probably just Ghost Thieves sent to delay us; we can’t let our guard down.”

“Is that so…”

The black-haired girl nodded and flapped her wings, carrying Mona as they flew to the center of the second floor.

To ensure the safety of the follow-up personnel entering the second floor, a large space had already been cleared around the area where Vilyric smashed through the ceiling. Those Ghost Thieves seemed to realize the disparity in strength and were retreating rather than staying to fight.

But just at that moment, the sounds of battle outside began to settle down. The door was kicked open, and a large group of Shadow People in black surged in, joining forces to completely cut off the escape route of the poachers.

Watching one Ghost Thief after another get slaughtered or captured, Vilyric couldn’t help but curiously tilt her head towards the blue-haired little princess, who had regained her footing.

“Little Mona, did you know the enemy would ambush us in the hall from the very beginning? Is that why you deployed some men to go directly to the second floor? Did you foresee the future again?”

“How could that be… That was just a precaution. Anyone with a bit of common sense knows you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket. The Ghost Thieves would definitely set up an ambush in the estate, and our combat strength far exceeds this rabble. Spreading out our forces effectively avoids getting caught in fixed traps.”

“I see.”

Vilyric silently nodded.

While it might seem like a simple principle, as Mona said, their group’s strength was indeed far superior to the Ghost Thieves. Not to mention any priestess, even just the four from the Grim Reaper’s Scythe would probably blow those thieves to smithereens in a direct confrontation.

This world will never lack for clever people, but maintaining sufficient caution while in a position of absolute advantage is truly rare.

The one-sided battle soon came to an end.

If Vilyric hadn’t been there, Mona and her team could’ve had to wait for the Shadow People who stormed the second floor to defeat the enemies, deactivate the traps, wasting a lot of time and potentially encountering some minor troubles. But that priestess’s flying staff disrupted the Ghost Thieves’ defensive plans in an unreasonably effective manner.

From the few captured Ghost Thieves, Mona learned that they were indeed ordered to intercept the approaching assault team, and the true leaders and critical supplies of the Ghost Thieves had already quietly transferred through a secret passage.

As for what “critical supplies” referred to, it goes without saying.

That said, the Shadow People responsible for searching managed to find over three hundred unconscious foreign girls and a large amount of valuable goods that were difficult to carry in the warehouse and dungeon, their combined value roughly indescribable.

The reason those abducted girls were unconscious was simple: some of the Ghost Thieves had set poison gas and similar things in the house before they left.

According to the testimony from the captured Ghost Thieves, this was a kind of toxin that wouldn’t kill immediately, but without the correct treatment within a specified time, vital signs would reach an irretrievable state.

Moreover, there was no antidote for this poison, and the longer it was delayed, the more severe the aftereffects became.

The Ghost Thieves clearly did this to slow down the pursuing team, raising their chances to escape.

It really fits the despicable image of poachers who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.

The priestess couldn’t help but sniff in disdain internally.

   

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