CHAPTER 992: CHAPTER 185: SOMETHING IS CHANGING

Storm Corner.

An ocean-going ship from the Vena Ice-Free Port docked at the makeshift harbor.

The tribunal squad, disguised in clerical robes, dragged a giant wooden crate off the ship, joining several caravans among the bustling crowd.

They chose a caravan with the loosest inspections. But when paying the fare, a caravan attendant circled behind them and kicked the wooden crate with dirty boots.

The caravan attendant ignored the angry glare of the nearly two-meter-tall guy and raised his chin, asking, "What’s inside?"

The squad leader Hogte’s hood turned toward the caravan attendant standing too close to the crate: "Goods for a client."

"Open it for inspection."

He patted the crate again, intending to return to the caravan.

A burly figure, barely concealed by the clerical robe, blocked his way.

The caravan attendant fearlessly reached out to push the burly figure: "You want to cause trouble on our turf? Commoner—"

A sharp whistling sound cut through the air as the burly figure tensed.

A blade slashed through the crate, leaving a trail, and the caravan attendant screamed, clutching the three fingers he lost.

Bastus appeared with two of his men, one of whom was a lean monkey-like servant playing with several blades.

"What happened?"

Bastus, draped in beast fur, asked his other subordinate.

"These commoners were buying tickets, Weir asked to open it for inspection, and then... Lord Hesma cut off his fingers..." the subordinate fearfully replied.

Bastus’s vulture-like cold gaze fell on the four black-robed figures, sensing their... anger.

"Do you plan to resist?"

The squad leader Hogte stepped forward: "Inside are goods we prepared for a distinguished guest, it cannot be opened."

Bastus silently watched them, the atmosphere oppressively terrifying. After a moment, he spoke in a deep voice, "Bring the probing worm."

The lean monkey servant left, and only then did the fingerless subordinate dare to clutch his hand and return to the caravan.

"Fool, are you tainting the reputation of my caravan?"

Bastus’s seemingly calm words made Weir shiver, enduring the severe pain as he explained, "Sorry, boss... I thought they were suspicious... How could commoners carry such a big and heavy crate?"

After a few seconds of silence, Bastus waved impatiently, "Go stop the bleeding, delay the departure and you’ll become the new meat pig."

Sweating profusely, Weir ran off, brushing past the lean monkey Hesma, who was holding a grotesquely enlarged maggot.

Hesma carried the probing worm towards the crate, and squad leader Hogte stopped his members from making any moves, allowing him to inspect the crate and then conveniently retrieve the blade.

"No problem, master."

The lean monkey Hesma returned to Bastus’s side, sycophantically saying.

Bastus, arms crossed, gave them a cold look, "Don’t cause trouble, and don’t bring trouble. Not everyone is as lucky as that Exorcist."

"Exorcist? That Excellency Lulian?"

Scholar Lanna suddenly asked.

Bastus bared a grim and unfriendly smile: "Of course, everyone here knows that Exorcist once rode my caravan and was saved by me from the Weird Leader."

"Boss Bastus only gave the Exorcist a horse, it was he who led away the Weird Leader and saved the caravan, and me."

The bandaged figure beside him suddenly croaked.

Bastus’s smile vanished, angrily scolding: "When you were a meat pig, your tongue should have been ripped off."

"Was he colluding with the weird ones back then?" Captain Hogte muttered to himself.

Bastus’s attention shifted from the bandaged man, his cold eyes scanning Captain Hogte impolitely from head to toe before turning away.

"I’ve got nothing to say to the Vena people."

With the trouble resolved, the tribunal squad rented a truck, loading the wooden crate onto it and waiting for the caravan to set off.

The tribunal knights witnessed the chaos of the Barren Lands, but it was just the beginning. As they left the convoy and entered the old sewers, their trials were just commencing.

Turbulent and bloody side paths, ubiquitous strangeness, hordes of heretics, leaders who control the rules—

To the tribunal knights, whose creed was to purify the world, this place was like the hell depicted in priestly visions.

They struggled to control their emotions, adhering to the Bishop’s commands.

"One day, humanity will stand upon the earth once more."

Captain Hogte told his members, and himself as well.

...

The mine shaft extended nearly twenty miles, leading to or passing outside Dark Star City.

Lu Li and the others chose the latter option.

Riding in the mine car cost 10 Shillings per pair, 10 Shillings for one person.

After paying everyone’s fare, they sat in the train-like joined mine cars, pushed slowly by a stone creature until a downhill appeared ahead.

The accelerating screech of the iron rails continued for several minutes before the view suddenly brightened.

The mine car entered the area where Dark Star City was located.

Seeing the Dark Star City ahead, Lu Li was reminded of the ancient underground.

Likewise supported by rock pillars, the underground world without end, and a giant city, perhaps this too was one of the lost cities that the previous generation built to avoid disaster.

Here, too, was called the City of Endless Night by some.

Countless beams of light protruding from the city testified to this, striking the rock ceiling above.

The people in the mine car gazed at the magnificent Dark Star City in a trance, possibly entering the city, but not yet.

The long mine car slowly passed by the distant Dark Star City, and after half an hour, entered another deep mine shaft, reaching the end.

The subsequent mine shaft was incomplete, and a few miserable worm creatures with pockmarked surfaces were digging through the rock.

Due to the arrival of Lu Li and the others, they paused their excavation, provoking the taskmaster’s minion to strike with a pickaxe.

"They want you to save them."

The leader suddenly emerged from the hood, lying on Lu Li’s shoulder, speaking.

Perhaps because of the cooperation on the Ailen Peninsula, the worms saw Lu Li as someone they could turn to for help.

After a brief contemplation, Lu Li approached the taskmaster’s minions.

Like rat men from a fantasy novel, the minions became uneasy with the approach of the heretics. The taskmaster leader, with a bald tail, greeted them.

Learning that he wanted to buy these worms, the taskmaster leader set a price of 50 strange currency coins.

A high but worthy price.

But the taskmaster leader then hinted that if he was willing to bribe them with 30 strange currency coins, they could take the worms for free.

Ultimately, it cost 30 strange currency coins to buy the worms, and once the rat people taskmasters retreated, Lu Li left the mine shaft with the captured worms back to the side path.

The worms were severely injured, unable to dig through the Insect Path any further, which was why the taskmasters easily abandoned them.

Lu Li let the worms dig out a nest to rest, then sealed off potentially troublesome exits for them, continuing on his journey.

"You’re... changing."

Ophelia commented on Lu Li’s actions.

Compared to when they first met, he seemed a bit different... better now.

"That’s right! I really like this Mr. Luli!" Puxiu enthusiastically wagged his tail; this was exactly the Exorcist he envisioned. Bishop Jone didn’t understand, but joined in with praise.

Lu Li said nothing, quietly continuing on his way.