Chapter 181: Entering the Lava Zone, Alarming the Slane Theocracy
By Amnesty L
Upper Earth Month, Day 22.
Night fell, and points of starlight twinkled against the deep canopy of the sky. As one drew closer to the Angelicisia Mountain Range, the temperature in the mid-air began to drop.
A black figure flew swiftly under the cover of night.
Tang Zheng had already changed out of his white priest's robe and into a black cloak. In his hand, he carried the unconscious Quinn Esai, flying toward the depths of the mountain range.
From a distance, he could already see a fiery red glow within the northern part of the Angelicisia Mountain Range.
This was the seventh day after the Gray-robed Mage's death, and the third day since Tang Zheng had entered the Angelicisia Mountain Range.
His magic power had completely recovered, and even the depleted magic power in the Orb of Death had been partially replenished.
Tang Zheng chose the interior of the mountain range as the place to deal with Quinn Esai. Since the Slane Theocracy could pinpoint locations, the environment of the Great Swamp was nowhere near as complex as that within the Angelicisia Mountain Range.
This would further serve to confuse and mislead them.
"Seven days have passed. I wonder if the Slane Theocracy has noticed anything unusual," Tang Zheng murmured to himself, feeling the cold wind in the air.
*Whoosh!*
A black shadow shot down from the sky. It was a monster roughly the size of a normal human, but with the wings and talons of an eagle—a harpy.
It was one of the most dangerous monsters in the skies above the Angelicisia Mountain Range.
Faced with this sudden attack, Tang Zheng's flight did not pause for a moment. Just as the harpy was about to reach him, a magic greatsword appeared in his palm, flashing with a cold glint in the darkness.
It cleaved the harpy in two!
[Experience Gained: 1211]
[Experience Bar: 82907/120000]
Tang Zheng's figure sped past the harpy, which hadn't even let out a cry. Under the cover of night, he continued flying toward the north side of the mountain range.
He used physical means rather than magic, not only to conserve magic power but also to avoid attracting the attention of the powerful beings that resided in the Angelicisia Mountain Range.
At this moment, even Tang Zheng himself did not know which faction's territory in the Angelicisia Mountain Range he was currently flying over.
The Dwarves? The Digging Orcs? The Frost Dragons? Or the Frost Giants?
If he hadn't mastered flight magic and had to enter the Angelicisia Mountain Range on foot, he couldn't imagine how much time would have been wasted.
In the human world, any of these factions would be considered a top-tier existence, not to mention the powerful Frost Dragons and Frost Giants.
Although the Dwarves appeared weak in the anime, as a race that excelled at weapon crafting, any of their fully equipped units could easily overpower human elites.
As for the Digging Orcs, their racial traits granted them immense resistance to physical attacks. The level of the Digging Orc King, in particular, had reached 38Lv, placing him in the "Aberrant" domain.
If the Slane Theocracy were to dispatch people into the Angelicisia Mountain Range, they would have to send the Black Scripture. If any of the other five Scriptures charged in recklessly, they would likely face annihilation should they provoke any one of these factions.
"Almost there. Is this the Great Fissure?" Tang Zheng looked down. Aided by the moonlight and stars, he could clearly see a vast, bottomless valley fissure below.
The place he was headed for was the Lava Zone within the Angelicisia Mountain Range, which was already located in the depths of the mountains.
With his high-altitude perspective, he could see it clearly, so he wasn't afraid of flying in the wrong direction.
The Great Fissure was not far from the eastern capital where the Dwarves resided.
What interested Tang Zheng most about the Dwarves was the rune script they possessed. However, he had more important matters to attend to right now, so he merely glanced down before flying over the Great Fissure.
A blinding, fiery red light began to fill his vision.
Heatwaves, carried by the flowing air, rushed toward him like ocean waves.
Flying high in the sky, Tang Zheng had just entered this Lava Zone when he felt the air temperature rise sharply.
In particular, the collision of the hot air in this region with the cold air from the outer mountains created a considerably chaotic airflow.
It even affected Tang Zheng's stable flight, forcing him to descend rapidly and land in the Outer Area of the Lava Zone.
*Ssss~ Ssss~*
The moment he landed, his feet made contact with the scorching rock, producing a sizzling sound.
"Such astounding heat. And the magic power seems to be denser here than elsewhere."
Feeling the searing air around him, Tang Zheng winced and took a few steps back. In just a moment, a layer of sweat had already formed on his forehead.
"This place will do."
He first surveyed his surroundings and, seeing no other creatures in the area, nodded in satisfaction.
In such a special high-temperature zone, ordinary creatures couldn't get close. Only monsters naturally resistant to extreme heat could survive here.
Tang Zheng had no fire resistance or related magic, so he could only stay in the relatively cooler Outer Area.
Looking up, he could see the flowing Magma Sea in the distance, radiating intense heat. That was the center of this Lava Zone.
Logically, a high-altitude mountain terrain like the Angelicisia Mountain Range, perpetually covered in ice and snow, shouldn't have magma.
However, this was a world influenced by the power of magic. Any strange or unusual place was more or less related to magic, such as this Magma Sea before him.
It seemed there was a natural portal beneath the Magma Sea, connecting the magma here with magma from a distant region, which resulted in this abnormal situation.
*Thud!*
Tang Zheng threw the unconscious Quinn Esai onto the ground. The searing ground jolted Quinn Esai awake.
"We can negotiate…"
Quinn Esai reflexively leaped up from the ground, a trace of terror in his red eyes as he looked at Tang Zheng.
"Charm Species." A glint of magic power flashed in Tang Zheng's eyes.
Quinn Esai's expression froze, and he stood dazedly on the spot.
"Explain the ability 'Stargazer Far-Sight' in its entirety," Tang Zheng asked indifferently.
"'Stargazer Far-Sight'... the members are skilled in detection magic... Their innate ability is..." Quinn Esai began to speak haltingly, his face starting to twist and contort in a struggle.
He had already answered two of Tang Zheng's questions several days ago; this was the third.
Hearing Quinn Esai's explanation, Tang Zheng narrowed his eyes slightly. His caution was indeed correct.
The innate ability of Stargazer Far-Sight could greatly enhance detection-type magic. Even ordinary detection magic could display an ability far beyond its normal tier.
"Ahhh!!"
Before Quinn Esai could finish speaking, he let out a blood-curdling scream, spat out a mouthful of blood, and collapsed to the ground, dead.
[Experience Gained: 13512]
[Experience Bar: 96419/120000]
"This kind of special magical technique is truly bizarre." Watching Quinn Esai die immediately after answering the third question, Tang Zheng's eyes flickered.
He glanced at the experience value; it was a bit lower than what the Gray-robed Mage had given.
"Quinn Esai's level is actually lower than the Gray-robed Mage's." Tang Zheng was a little surprised, but then he recalled that his opponent's expertise was controlling Magic Beasts in combat.
"Raise Dead!"
Tang Zheng waved his hand and cast the magic.
At that very moment!
Elsewhere, in the Slane Theocracy.
In the Temple of the Earth God, where Quinn Esai was stationed under his hidden identity, the hall's floor was paved with white marble.
The surrounding walls were carved with sacred and ancient murals depicting six figures battling various Demi-human Races, exuding an indescribable sense of mystery.
Aside from the floor, the entire temple was decorated in a tea-brown color scheme, making it obvious which of the Six Great Gods it was dedicated to.
The candlelight flickered!
An elderly man in tea-brown divine robes knelt before a statue inside the temple. He was the Cardinal of the Temple of the Earth God.
*Boom!*
Suddenly, an airwave erupted out of thin air.
A figure with black hair, dressed in simple armor, appeared as if by teleportation behind the Cardinal of the Earth God.
The Cardinal, who had been praying with a devout expression and closed eyes, snapped his eyes open. Before he could even turn to look behind him, a serious voice rang out.
"Quinn Esai is dead!" the black-haired youth said.
The Cardinal of the Earth God's back stiffened for a moment before relaxing again. He rose unhurriedly, his aged voice speaking softly, "Do not be rash in any matter. It will affect your judgment."
"Given your status, it is not appropriate for you to be here."
The Cardinal turned around, a kind expression on his wrinkled face as he looked at the black-haired youth behind him. He bowed slightly, showing a measure of respect, then said gently, "Although we have placed some restrictions on your actions, as the Captain of the Black Scripture, you do not need to report to us on the matter of using resurrection magic."
"The situation now is that Quinn Esai cannot be resurrected!"
"Among those who killed Quinn Esai, there is a magic caster who also possesses resurrection magic."
A note of anxiety had crept into the youth's tone.
The Cardinal of the Earth God's composed expression changed abruptly. Even his half-lidded, gentle eyes widened, and a vicious glint flashed in their depths.
"You will do nothing. I will go inform the other Cardinals and Stargazer Far-Sight."
As soon as the Cardinal of the Earth God finished speaking, he strode away.
(end of chapter)