Chapter 671
Chapter 102: Killing with a Borrowed Knife
At first, they were just attacking lone travelers, causing unnoticeable disappearances.
With this level of chaos, Kromans could barely suppress it using the organization hidden within the city. After all, in a massive city like West Capital, with a population of at least several million, losing one or two people occasionally due to various accidents was entirely normal. Even if reported to the Temple Knights, as long as the victims weren’t too notable, it wouldn’t have too much impact.
There was no helping it; after all, the Eternal Mage had instructed that “they should assist its actions as much as possible” before leaving. Moreover, Kromans didn’t have the guts to confront that monster directly; the Master of Changeable Shade didn’t want to end up like the Mask Monster.
Especially since that black and white mask brought personally by the Eternal Mage, which was attached to Chloe Louri, looked no different, but Kromans could sense that it was not the same. Behind it hid an ancient evil deeper and more boundless than darkness itself—one might be completely devoured with just a slight touch.
Consequently, day by day, as their unabashed attacks grew increasingly audacious, they finally ignited chaos across the entire city.
After that day, the original mask never returned to the base.
Thus, the situation had completely slipped out of Kromans’s control. Even the Saint of Bright Light, Yuna Summerfield, was alarmed, and in this scenario, a mere branch of the Throne of Immortality, with her single legendary force, could only feign death and pray not to be discovered.
With the city in an uproar, the Temple Knights were on high alert, and Kromans naturally didn’t dare to venture out for role-playing. Though she cursed those stupid masks in her heart, she could only gather the members of the organization and keep them hidden in the base, avoiding being caught in the crossfire of the city’s extensive manhunt.
However, a saying goes: misfortune never comes alone.
“What did you say?! Two strange winged people with four wings broke in through the front door?!”
Leaning on her lofty throne—exclusive to the leader of the base, clad in the signature black robe of the Throne of Immortality, with only her face and brown hair exposed, Miss Kromans held her head in disbelief.
Although she had sensed that ominous feeling of being watched earlier and quickly dispatched people to scout for information, she never imagined the enemy would arrive so swiftly… and so directly.
“Are you sure there are only two enemies? And where did the winged people get four wings? You idiots aren’t mistaking them, are you?”
Impatiently tapping the stone armrest with her knuckles, Kromans was racking her brain for a countermeasure.
Clearly, their base had been discovered. Regardless of which faction they belonged to, it was a troublesome situation for a hidden underground organization.
The options available were simple: fight or flee. If there were truly only two of them and no subsequent support, it might not be a bad idea to quickly take them down with full force.
However, the undead cultist who came running to report was trembling in fear.
“R-really only two people, Master of Changeable Shade! But those two winged ones… they’re complete super monsters! Many of our brothers couldn’t even fight back; they were killed the moment we faced them! I suspect they might not even be winged people!”
“One-hit kills?”
Kromans frowned inwardly but maintained a calm demeanor befitting a leader.
“Logically speaking, even the mightiest warriors should be caught off guard the first time they meet us from the Throne of Immortality. Does the enemy… somehow know the weaknesses of the immortals and come prepared against us?”
To this, the cultist could only shake his head in despair and gesture helplessly.
“N-no, I can’t say if they know or not, but Master, ‘slicing,’ do you understand? They don’t have any weaknesses or anything like that! And there’s another winged one that looks like a mage—it’s even crazier! Those large rocks falling from the sky turned people into mush!”
“???”
“Boom!!!”
During their conversation, another colossal explosion rang out above, causing the main hall, located deep underground, to tremble violently. Debris fell like confetti, and the supporting beams groaned under the strain, seeming like they could collapse at any moment.
“What’s happening… What in the world are these monsters? Are they not even going to pretend to act? Is Yuna that ** personally here?!”
“Master of Changeable Shade, it’s not the Saint of Bright Light; it’s the winged people! Both are winged beings with white feathers!”
“Of course, I know that! Can’t I just complain a little?!”
To be honest, after enduring so much pressure in recent days, Miss Kromans was on the brink of losing her temper.
Yet she was also aware; if the enemy could breach all the traps and defenses and kill their way through with just two individuals, their strength must be legendary or above. Even if she, the strongest in the room, stepped in, it would probably just mean delivering a meal.
After all, Kromans wasn’t good at direct combat. Though she was confident she wouldn’t easily die due to some unique abilities, in an actual fight, who could say for certain? What if they were like those Mask Monsters, possessing…
“Wait…?”
The sudden change in tone made the anxious cultists, waiting for the leader to make a decision, look up, hope written across their faces.
“Oh! Master of Changeable Shade, are you going to make a move?!”
“Move my ass! Do you want me to die already?!”
Ventilating her anger on the oblivious fool, Kromans then waved her hand, signaling the cultist to come closer, whispering.
“You… go tell the others on defense not to hold their ground. Fight and retreat, lead those two white-winged people toward… the area where those things are. Once they meet face-to-face, retreat through the secret passage and seal it off. Got it?”
Horrified, the cultist’s face turned pale.
“Uh… Master, you wouldn’t want to… but didn’t the first seat command us to conceal our presence and avoid drawing attention to those things? If we do this…”
“Crap! What time is it to keep things secret? The drawings are plastered all over outside! I don’t have time for this! If those stupid dog masks hadn’t been causing trouble outside every day, would things have escalated this far? I can’t believe our decades-old base just happened to be discovered today for no reason!”
As she spoke, Kromans lowered her voice further and pointed toward the ceiling.
“Moreover… if they really break through the base, do you think they won’t notice those things? This is just a preemptive guide to reduce unnecessary losses, got it?”
“Oh! I see! As expected of the master! Brilliant plan, brilliant plan!”
“Stop flattering me here! If you understand, hurry up and go do it! And get everyone ready, take what you can, destroy what you can’t, prepare to retreat. No matter what, our base can’t be saved…”
“Yes, yes, yes!”
The undead cultist, also cloaked in black, quickly turned and hurried out of the deserted main hall.
Watching him leave, Kromans’s façade—likely just a transformation resembling some girl—flickered with a hint of malice and hatred.
“Diemos Yang… old man, you’re quite something. I’ll remember this grudge; just wait for me…”