Chapter 318: The Confident Nigun; It's Not Necessarily a Good Thing for Her to Follow Me
The atmosphere instantly turned cold.
"Seven-Colored Scales" Kōkosh lightly lifted his snake head. The dazzling scales on his face faintly reflected light as his scarlet snake pupils looked down upon the three humans before him.
This alliance with the humans was, in a way, a move born of desperation.
"Sigh."
Kōkosh of the "Seven-Colored Scales" sighed deeply in his heart.
Individually, their demi-humans were strong, but they were no match for that Death Knight and the powerful magic caster who controlled the undead. A great number of demi-humans and even entire races had died at their hands, only to be turned into undead.
Unable to deal with these two enemies, they could only cower in a corner.
Gagaran had gone to request aid from the humans, a move opposed by many of the surviving Demi-human Tribes, but Kōkosh of the "Seven-Colored Scales" could only silently acquiesce.
He held the attitude of grasping at straws.
He didn't think the humans would care about the life or death of the demi-humans in the Abelion Hills, much less believe that the Sacred Kingdom possessed the power to defeat that formidable magic caster.
However—
The humans actually came!
Instead of feeling pleasantly surprised, Kōkosh of the "Seven-Colored Scales" felt a deep-seated suspicion and vigilance.
The fact that these humans were here could only mean one thing: they were confident they could defeat the enemy!
The humans actually possessed such power?
Under these circumstances, how could Kōkosh of the "Seven-Colored Scales" possibly allow this human woman before him to easily approach the demi-human gathering place.
Seeing the atmosphere grow increasingly tense, Tang Zheng turned to Gagaran. "This is different from what we discussed at the start."
"We're here to provide support. Perhaps there have been issues between humans and demi-humans in the past, but now our common enemy is the undead."
Tang Zheng knew that this was the right time for him to communicate with Gagaran to break the rigid atmosphere.
Gagaran was also somewhat displeased with Kōkosh of the "Seven-Colored Scales." The Human Faction had just been attacked; how could he be so antagonistic at a time like this?
"I also think it's inappropriate," Gagaran said.
"In that case."
Kōkosh of the "Seven-Colored Scales" flicked his forked red snake tongue. He did not refute them, but instead continued along the same line of thought, "That mysterious magic caster hasn't appeared recently. I'm worried a more dangerous situation might arise."
"That's why I'm a bit anxious."
"If that's the case, then esteemed humans, you can rest here for the time being. We will also station ourselves here to prevent another attack by the undead."
Following this, the two sides once again exchanged words, probing each other.
But Kōkosh of the "Seven-Colored Scales" never relented on the matter of bringing Tang Zheng and the others to the demi-human gathering place.
In the end!
The discussion concluded with a strong start and a weak finish, with both sides clearly distrusting each other completely.
Tang Zheng, Kelart, and Nigun headed back towards the human forces.
"Leader Tang, thank you for your potion."
Kelart's cold expression vanished as she spoke with gratitude, "If it weren't for your healing potion, my sister... In any case, I will report your merit to Her Highness the Holy Queen."
"Also, please don't take my sister's words to heart. She has a very direct personality and doesn't actually hold any ill will toward you personally."
"As long as Captain Remedios can recover, that's what matters. She's an indispensable part of our combat force."
Tang Zheng gently waved his hand. "The problem now is the Demi-human Faction, and what our next move should be."
"Heh!"
Captain Nigun sneered, a cold glint in his expressionless eyes. "We've basically figured out the enemy's information. The evil organization Zuranon, aside from its Alliance Leader, has the Twelve Apostles under its command."
"The two who appeared earlier are two of the Twelve Apostles."
"Given that they sent two of them and also deployed a Death Knight, I suspect the other members of the Apostles are not in the Abelion Hills."
At this moment, Captain Nigun finally shed his usual taciturn demeanor, revealing a cold and ruthless appearance.
"Leader Tang and Captain Kelart should have also seen the Death Knight's performance."
Captain Nigun's black eyes looked at the two of them.
These two before him!
Kelart, needless to say, represented the Sacred Kingdom.
The one Captain Nigun truly needed to take seriously was this leader of the adventurer team, Free Will.
It was the first time he had seen a method capable of summoning two Fourth Tier angels!
Captain Nigun was incredibly surprised. Even with his power, he could only summon one.
Fourth Tier angels were high-tier angels!
Especially the Dominion Authority, with an offense-to-defense ratio of three to seven, it was the monster with the strongest defense among summoning magic of the same tier.
As far as Captain Nigun knew, the number of people who could defeat a Dominion Authority was extremely limited.
Clementine, that powerful and arrogant monster, couldn't easily break through the defense of a Dominion Authority.
Even if his innate ability, "Summon Monster Enhancement," boosted the power of a Fourth Tier angel, it couldn't compare to the might of Tang Zheng summoning two at once.
The other party was also a genius alchemist!
Such strength definitely belonged to a powerful individual who had stepped into the domain of heroes.
In the Slane Theocracy, he would have no problem serving as a captain of a Scripture Unit, and might even be recruited into the Black Scripture.
A genius and powerhouse like that.
Captain Nigun naturally placed Tang Zheng on an equal, or even higher, footing than Kelart.
"The Death Knight is indeed terrifying, but since we can suppress it for a short time, its threat to us is not that great."
Captain Nigun continued, "Therefore, the real threat is actually the Alliance Leader of Zuranon. It's fine since that group of demi-humans knows their location."
"I will deal with the Death Knight!"
An expression of surprise appeared on Kelart's face. This was not feigned, but genuine astonishment.
She was surprised by Nigun's sudden declaration, and she also understood the hidden meaning in his words.
The Theocracy had actually allowed him to carry an item beyond standard specifications!
Although Kelart had long suspected this, hearing Captain Nigun indirectly admit it still made her expression tremble.
Tang Zheng's eyes flickered.
This didn't quite match the attitude Captain Nigun had been showing. Did he change his initial plan after the brief exchange with the demi-humans?
After speaking, Captain Nigun offered no further explanation. With a cold and arrogant expression, he strode away, returning to the Sunlight Scripture unit.
Quietly watching Captain Nigun's back.
"Leader Tang, you don't seem too surprised?" A faint smile touched the corners of Kelart's long, narrow eyes as she spoke softly.
"Surprised?"
"I just had a few suspicions, that's all."
Tang Zheng gave a carefree smile, appearing somewhat nonchalant, yet not lacking in curiosity.
"I know Gazef from the Kingdom. He's a commoner genius who defeated all his opponents in the Royal Tournament through his own ability."
"He should have received a knighthood, but due to the nobles' obstruction, the King created a new title and position of 'Warrior Captain.' To compensate Gazef, he was specially permitted to use a National Treasure."
"It's a very powerful—even unimaginably powerful—magic item."
Having said this, Tang Zheng looked at the hard-to-read Kelart before him and shrugged his shoulders.
"Since the Kingdom possesses such a powerful item, your Sacred Kingdom and the Slane Theocracy should have them as well."
"You know, I'm an Adventurer, and adventurers are always curious about legendary or special things."
Hearing this, the smile on Kelart's face seemed to widen a fraction. "This must also be the reason why Leader Tang is participating in this extremely dangerous mission, isn't it?"
Tang Zheng didn't speak, wearing a noncommittal expression.
"Ha."
Kelart chuckled lightly, lifting a long, slender, pale finger to gently tap her chin. "Truly a dangerous gamble driven by a morbid curiosity."
"I was also a bit uncertain at first, but since Captain Nigun has said so, Leader Tang can rest assured from now on."
"Even without the demi-humans' assistance, we can eliminate the enemy!"
As Kelart finished speaking, her tone was firm.
In the brief conversation with Captain Nigun just now, both sides had already decided to exclude any intervention from the demi-humans.
"I hope so."
Tang Zheng didn't seem to fully grasp the situation, instead changing the subject. "Captain Kelart, I suppose your abilities aren't limited to fourth-tier magic, as the rumors claim?"
Kelart gazed at the black-haired youth before her, smiled brightly, and flicked her long brown hair. She walked back towards her unit with a light step, saying, "My thanks to your team for bringing their bodies back intact."
Watching Captain Nigun and Kelart leave one after another.
"Honestly."
"One after another, so full of confidence."
Tang Zheng's expression returned to calm.
If it weren't for the "Spiral of Death" ritual and other plans, such as making proper contact with the Slane Theocracy, he couldn't be bothered to play house with these people.
When Tang Zheng returned to the human encampment, he saw the 51 corpses of the paladins arranged in the very center.
The skin of ten of the corpses had already turned a grayish-black, a clear sign of becoming undead, while the other corpses remained as they were.
Immediately after, Tang Zheng noticed Enri sitting not far from the corpses, hugging her knees. Pondering for a moment, he walked over.
Since he had brought her away from Carne Village, Enri had not really experienced a normal adventurer's mission; she had simply helped him handle the sale of some potions.
And this was the first time she had experienced seeing someone she knew get killed.
"Lord Captain."
Hearing the familiar footsteps and seeing the white robe appear in her vision, Enri lifted her head, her eyes red.
Seeing the bloodshot whites of her eyes and her weary cheeks, Tang Zheng gently walked over and sat down beside Enri. He slowly comforted her, "It's alright. Cry if you want to cry."
"Enri is not crying."
Enri stubbornly lifted her eyes, but her lips were pressed tightly together.
A brief silence passed.
Enri suddenly turned sideways and buried her face in Tang Zheng's lap. Her whole body trembled uncontrollably, yet she never let out a single sob.
"There, there."
Seeing his white priest robe getting wet, Tang Zheng raised his hand and gently stroked Enri's chestnut-gold hair.
"Sleep for a while. Maybe they'll come back to life."
"Enri... is not a child," Enri hugged Tang Zheng's crossed legs tighter, muttering in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
First, she had endured a long night's forced march, then a battle that started at dawn. Even physically strong warriors like the paladins were exhausted, let alone Enri, who was just an ordinary person.
A short while later, Enri's trembling shoulders stilled, and she fell asleep.
Tang Zheng didn't move, letting Enri rest on his lap as he calmly watched the resting paladins and the group of exhausted priests in the distance.
An evil spirit hound stood behind Tang Zheng, wagging its tail as it sat on the ground.
The Green Leaf Witch also stood quietly to the side. Her bright yellow pupils glanced at the sleeping Enri and flickered slightly, her face remaining expressionless.
"She's only fourteen years old."
"The Village Chief of Carne Village and her parents entrusted Enri to me, probably thinking it was a very good choice."
"Perhaps I've been a bit too focused on my goals."
Tang Zheng's voice was soft, his tone melancholic. "Her following me away from Carne Village might not have been a good thing. The future..."
Tang Zheng did not continue.
"Master, Enri decided to participate in the mission herself," the Green Leaf Witch responded calmly. "It is the honor of a lifetime for her to be able to follow you."
Tang Zheng shook his head almost imperceptibly.
Night gradually fell!
Kelart, who had been inactive all this time, now walked up to the rows of corpses, looking at the remains of these paladins.
Her entire body began to release intense fluctuations of magical energy. A sacred white light surged, making her whole body look as if it were draped in a holy garment of light.
This commotion instantly drew everyone's attention. Especially in the dim night, the sacred light was so bright that even the demi-human faction, stationed not far away, could see it clearly.
"Fifth Tier Magic—Raise Dead!"
Kelart began to chant.
A blue magic circle condensed above her head, transforming into a faint, thin pillar of light that shone down on one of the paladin corpses.
Amidst the incredulous and shocked gasps from the Sacred Kingdom's side, the chest of the deceased paladin began to rise and fall violently. The next moment, he abruptly sat up from the ground, gasping for air.
"He's resurrected?"
"He's really resurrected!"
"Lady Kelart actually knows resurrection magic!"
"I've never heard of this before!"
"…!"
A torrent of noisy discussions erupted.
The fact that Kelart could command fifth-tier magic was clearly a rather secret piece of information within the Sacred Kingdom.
Remedios, whose injuries had already healed, saw the astonished looks on the faces of the paladins and priests. She crossed her arms, looking as if they were making a big fuss over nothing.
She turned her head.
Remedios's gaze quickly scanned the crowd for a certain figure. She soon found Tang Zheng, a hint of pride showing on her cheeks.
It was like a child wanting to show off.
However, when she noticed Enri resting on Tang Zheng's lap, Remedios's expression turned cold.
"Such an ill-mannered brat," Remedios snorted coldly.
Kelart didn't stop. She continued to cast resurrection magic, reviving five people in a row before finally stopping.
On the demi-human side, Kōkosh of the "Seven-Colored Scales," "Beast General" Hector Weiss, and Gagaran stood at the outermost edge, looking in the direction of the humans.
"What is that?" "Beast General" Hector Weiss felt the immense power contained within the holy light, appearing astonished and uncertain.
"Fifth-tier 'Raise Dead.' To think that woman also possesses such power!" Gagaran was equally stunned and amazed.
Kōkosh of the "Seven-Colored Scales" didn't speak, his scarlet snake pupils flickering.
He felt more and more that the demi-humans of the hills had been far too arrogant and had gravely underestimated the power of the humans.
(end of chapter)