CHAPTER 45: WITHIN SEVEN STEPS, I HAVE THE ADVANTAGE

Wayne dry-heaved but threw up nothing. He wiped the saliva from his lips with his sleeve, his disgust for the Geocentrism Sect reaching its peak. Whether for the greater good or personal grievances, he, Wayne, would never tolerate the Lord of the Void from this day on!

He wanted nothing more than to set the tentacles ablaze now, but he didn’t dare to act rashly before rescuing Isabella.

He suspected the tentacle’s main body to be the Underground King the followers spoke of. Judging by the tentacles’ massive size and the unknown point of origin, he concluded that the Underground King had to be enormous, matching the intelligence he’d gathered beforehand.

The Underground King and the underground tunnel’s entrance. It was no coincidence that both were at the chicken farm.

Moreover, the chicken farm, the sect’s headquarters, and the town hall being aligned was clearly part of a grander scheme...

“Isabella was right. If Windsor’s intelligence agency could tell that something was wrong with the Geocentrism Sect, it means that they have been a problem for a long time.”

He gritted his teeth. The egg-laying tentacles indicated that the Underground King was directly beneath the chicken farm. Once the massive monster stirred, the entire town would be annihilated.

He didn’t know how strong the Geocentrism Sect’s mages were. He had to rescue Isabella—only she could deal with the sect.

***

The tunnel’s entrance was located in the back of the chicken farm. Compared to the complex underground terrain, its surface entrance was deceptively unassuming. A hastily constructed large warehouse concealed the deep fissure, guarded by four followers who immediately stopped anyone who approached.

He spotted a gun holstered at their lower backs. Time was running short, and he had no better option; he had to bite the bullet and push forward.

“You, stop right there. It’s not evening yet. You can’t go in.”

“I know, but the situation has changed. We’re under attack. I’m here on the Bishop’s orders to interrogate the prisoners and find out where their accomplices are. Let me through, or I can’t answer to the Bishop.” Wayne glared coldly at the guard. “You, open the door and lead the way.”

“But the Bishop’s orders were that no one was allowed inside. I really can’t let you in...”

The guard seemed a little intimidated by Wayne’s assertive attitude. Anyone this arrogant had to be one of the Bishop’s trusted confidants. Moreover, Wayne had brought Bishop’s orders. If he stopped him and ended up damaging the sect’s interests, wouldn’t the Bishop punish him?

Sensing his wavering resolve, Wayne pressed harder by grabbing the guard’s collar and glaring menacingly at him. “Bastard, if we didn’t both have absolute faith in Lord of the Void, I’d report to the Bishop to have you sacrificed to the Underground King tonight. Open the door. This is above your pay grade.”

His aggression and haughtiness overwhelmed the guard’s doubts. Not daring to block him further, the guard waved for his companions to open the door and personally lead the way to appease Wayne’s anger.

Such was the pattern of an underling—not seeking merit, but avoiding mistakes. It was a difficult role to play in every way.

The underground tunnel was more complex than Wayne had expected. Passages led in all directions, making it look like a mine at first glance. Electric wires had been set up along the route for lighting. A hidden passage opened, and boundless darkness flooded out.

He found himself standing on the edge of a cliff, looking over an unfathomably deep abyss. Something massive seemed to be crawling in the darkness. Whenever wind and waves roared, large patches of blue light flickered. The flickering spots existed not only in the depths of the abyss but also all over the cliff walls. With a rough scan, he made out traces left by wandering tentacles.

The Underground King was far bigger than he had ever imagined, and it had more than eight tentacles. Compared to the starfish in the town hall, this had to be its ancestor.

A walkway had been built along the cliff’s edge, thoughtfully equipped with railings to prevent followers from accidentally falling into the abyss. Wayne silently gave the construction crew a thumbs up and followed the guard ahead.

The walkway ran about five hundred meters long, ending at a turn into a hollowed-out rock wall, which led to a massive underground courtyard with tight security—more heavily guarded than the Geocentrism Sect’s headquarters.

Without a familiar face leading the way, Wayne could never have broken in.

In the center of the underground courtyard stood a circular pool with fist-sized stones built into a pyramid, topped with a golden statue. It wasn’t large, about ten centimeters tall. Reflecting the lights, it emanated a glow that made one breathe heavier just by looking at it.

It was dazzling, undoubtedly real gold.

Wayne stared intently, but the glare made it impossible to see the statue’s true appearance. He could only make out a twisted humanoid form wrapped in tentacles.

“Lord of the Void, please allow this humble and insignificant servant to offer you the most sincere praise...”

The guard bowed deeply at the statue from a distance. Wayne quickly followed suit and offered his humble praise. As soon as he said the words, he felt the statue responding to him. A whisper reached his ears, the bizarre, evil, sacred, and pure tones merging to lull all listeners into a trance.

Bad news: his sanity points were dropping rapidly.

Good news: he had so many points that the drop didn’t make a dent.

As he’d said before, after the torment inside the Gate of Truth, ordinary mental corruption could hardly shake his will and mind.

The guard was likely corrupted if his expression was anything to go by. His faith in the Lord of the Void was absolute and fanatical. Wayne mimicked him, twisting his facial muscles and tugging the corners of his mouth, making half of his face and his eyelids twitch.

He looked like he had suffered a stroke for at least ten years.

His acting was so convincing that he aroused no suspicion whatsoever. Following the guard to the eastern side of the courtyard, he entered another hidden door, leading straight to a prison.

Two followers guarded the prison. Learning that Wayne had come on the Bishop’s orders to interrogate the prisoners, they immediately granted passage. The defense was quite lax. They assumed that someone who had come this far could not have been an intruder, but one of their own.

Wayne took a candle and entered. There weren’t many prisoners—about ten or so. Each was tied to a stake by ropes, arranged in neat rows. He ignored the unfamiliar faces, but two of them almost made him gasp in surprise.

Hood and Wesley!

Both of their heads were tilted as they muttered incoherently like the other prisoners, their minds unclear due to mental corruption.

You two are still alive?

Wayne was amazed at their luck. It seemed that good people would sooner or later be rewarded for their good deeds. Wonderful, he would enjoy endless good fortune in the future, too.

However...

He didn’t see Isabella. All prisoners here were male, and none were particularly hefty.

“Ahem!” He coughed into his fist and said to the nearby guard, “What’s going on? Where are the female prisoners being held?”

The guard gave him a knowing smile. “You came too late, sir. The female prisoners had all been used and sacrificed to the Underground King. We haven’t caught any new stock yet.”

Oh, you’re courting death!

“That’s not what I’m asking! Do I look like that kind of person?” Wayne narrowed his eyes and added the guard to his kill list, demanding coldly, “I’m asking about the intruder from two days ago, an overweight woman. You surely haven’t gotten so desperate that you would use her, too.”

“You must have misremembered. There was no intruder like that two days ago. The only one we caught that day was him.” The guard pointed to Hood. “Hood, a detective from Enrod. The old guy was quite good at hiding. We almost let him slip away.”

Wayne was stunned. If Hood had been caught two days ago, where would Isabella have gone? Unbelievable. If, and he did mean if, Isabella hadn’t been caught, then what was the point of all this effort he put into reconnaissance and infiltration?

He remembered Silvia’s words: Isabella was an experienced mage, and her silence had to mean that she had discovered something and was thus lying low and waiting for the chance to deliver a fatal blow.

“You really haven’t caught an overweight woman?” He slapped his forehead, hoping that he hadn’t wasted his time.

Please tell me you’ve caught her. Please tell me you and the boys have dealt with her.

“We haven’t.” The guard shook his head. “If there were such a person, she would be an important prisoner known only to the Bishops. I wouldn’t be privy to the information, and she wouldn’t be held here. These are all tonight’s sacrifices.”

Wayne nodded, pondering how to get the prisoners out safely. It was then that the wooden door opened, and a voice came through: “Regarding that obese woman, I may be able to give you an answer!”

A middle-aged man wearing a burlap robe walked in. He had a powerful build and a powerful voice. The hood he wore concealed his facial features. The flickering candlelight reflected off two rows of cold white teeth. His slightly curved lips seemed to be praising Wayne for finding his way here, or it was more likely to be mocking him for walking right into a trap.

Wayne’s heart clenched. Danger!

“Bishop Sean.” The guard bowed respectfully, bending down in deference.

Wayne bowed as well, clinging to his role.

There were four Bishops and one Archbishop at the Geocentrism Sect. The five made up the sect’s leadership. He assumed they were all powerful mages. Being cornered by one in their underground lair...

His heart sank. He wondered how likely he would be able to embed his opponent in an earth wall.

Well, not very likely.

How about merging with the Book of Greed and transforming...

He reached for the pistol at his lower back. He had borrowed the artifact from one of the maids for protection. He felt somewhat more confident with the divine weapon of the Church of Science at his side.

Within seven steps, I have the advantage!