49 The Lurking Enemy
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〖Prison Star Calendar〗
〖Year 187, May 12〗
〖9:13 AM〗
〖Countdown to Confession Death: 29 days〗
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The sky of the Abyssal Empire is perpetually obscured by clouds and mist.
The dim firmament veils the land where demons roam freely.
Among the myriad demonic beings, there is a human who stands only second to one demon.
No one knows the true name of this human, but his title is renowned throughout the demonic realm.
He is known as "The Eternal Winter Lord," the supreme existence even to the "Singular Demon God - The Unutterable Name," who reluctantly grants him some face.
The Eternal Winter Lord always wears a fearsome mask, and when asked, he claims it to be the "Stone Mask," a symbol of his "Dark Determination"...
But no demon has ever truly understood what he means.
At this moment, the Eternal Winter Lord, adorned with the stone mask, paces back and forth in the Pantheon of the Abyssal Empire. He has just realized that something has deviated from his expectations.
-(It has been seven days since the "Singular Demon God" was teleported to Wildforest, yet there has been no confirmation from the "Malevolent Deity's Camp" regarding the additional rewards. This means...)
The Eternal Winter Lord stops in his tracks, realizing that his plan has failed. The "Singular Demon God" was unable to kill the "Deathbound" who had crossed over to the Prison Star world this time.
Recalling the situation when the "Singular Demon God" returned on May 5th, the Eternal Winter Lord vividly remembers the words spoken: "A simple flame easily consumed them."
But in reality, the target did not die.
This means that the "Deathbound" drawn by the "Benevolent Deity's Camp" managed to grasp the situation upon entering the Prison Star world, design a scenario that deceived the "Singular Demon God" into mistakenly believing they had succeeded in killing them, and successfully escape.
-(Is there really no way to avoid this instant death upon landing...)
-(I thought it would continue to be easy as I have already killed 57 Deathbounds in succession...)
The Eternal Winter Lord sighs.
"Can't these new players just land and be done with it...? Always causing trouble."
While sighing, the Eternal Winter Lord quickly resumes his steps. He likes to pace while contemplating, even carrying his food bowl and walking, or pausing mid-urination to pull up his pants and continue walking.
Before long, the Eternal Winter Lord reaches a conclusion. The biggest problem now is the inability to identify the identity of this particular Deathbound.
Due to the Deathbound's location in the Kingdom of Wildforest, far from the Abyssal Empire and separated by the frontline of the Alliance of Humans, the Eternal Winter Lord is unable to dispatch a large force for an extensive search and annihilation.
His only means to assassinate the Deathbound is by enlisting the teleportation ability of the Singular Demon God. However, the "special restrictions" on this teleportation ability require him to confirm the Deathbound's identifying features and approximate location before using it without negative consequences.
Considering that even the Singular Demon God had been deceived, it is unlikely that the subsequent actions of the Deathbound will easily reveal their identity as a traveler.
The task at hand for the Eternal Winter Lord is to set a trap that forces the Deathbound to reveal themselves. Once the identity is established, the location can be pinpointed, and he can once again rely on the formidable power of the Prison Star world, the "Singular Demon God - The Unutterable Name," to eradicate them completely.
Yes, the Eternal Winter Lord is a staunch supporter of the theory "Break a butterfly on a wheel". He is not someone who would naively send underlings slightly stronger than the enemy to be mere experience points.
If he's going to kill, then he must truly indulge in slaughter.
—(I cannot allow these "Deathbound" individuals with their "Abilities" and "Curses" to grow.)
"Heavenly Ghost, Earthly Ghost, listen and obey." (In the language of the demons, the same applies.)
With a light command from the Eternal Winter Lord, two ethereal demonic figures immediately "emerged" from the ceiling and floor. One was a falcon-like demon with feathered wings, while the other was a serpent-like demon with glowing evil eyes.
"First order: Establish 'Adventurers Guilds' in the main cities and towns of the Wester Kingdom, following the model of the 'Quest Guild.' Those who undertake missions shall be referred to as 'Adventurers.' Pay close attention to individuals exhibiting the characteristics of traversers and maintain surveillance on them, reporting any findings immediately."
"Second order: Vigilantly observe the sudden emergence of powerful newcomers in the Wester Kingdom, especially those without family or background. Additionally, treat equally those individuals who are considered crap of the crap, like those with 0 magical energy. Maintain surveillance and report any discoveries promptly."
"Third order..."
At this point, the Eternal Winter Lord pulled out a map from his pocket and examined it for a few seconds. When he saw the Sandrift Gorge near the Ira Village and the Ira Forest, an idea suddenly formed in his mind.
—(Speaking of which, there's an old crafty bastard from the evilkinds who often resides there... Although he's a worthless individual, for those "Deathbound" who have just entered the Prison Star world, he can be considered an incredibly formidable enemy.)
"Third order: Keep a close watch on Swarerock in the Sandrift Gorge of the territory controlled by Lord Azure Lizard. Once he is killed, immediately track down and report information on the killer and all participants."
"These are the three orders. Go now."
"Heavenly Ghost, acknowledge."
"Earthly Ghost, acknowledge."
The Heavenly Ghost and Earthly Ghost disappeared silently, just like the way they appear.
In the Temple of Myriad Demons, only the Eternal Winter Lord remained.
He removed his mask and, realizing that he still had to devise next month's strategy for the Abyssal Empire's military, felt a sense of weariness.
However, he immediately slapped his cheeks, revitalizing himself.
"The passing of days and months, I am not to be left behind."
The Eternal Winter Lord glanced at the engraved character "T" on the palm of his hand, reinvigorated himself, and departed from the Temple of Myriad Demons.
·
At the same time, in the depths of Ira Forest, Tyler was contemplating where to bury this cursed box and the ruby.
The so-called box and ruby referred to the spoils Tyler obtained from the leader of the Crimson Cloud Bandits, Wolf: the "wooden box containing a red gem," and the "Pigeon Blood Ruby - Phylia."
Through his appraisal ability, Tyler could see the description of the "Pigeon Blood Ruby - Phylia": "A stone that brings both hope and calamity."
Up until now, Tyler hadn't seen any trace of "hope," but "calamity" was clear as day.
Tyler didn't know how Wolf acquired this "Pigeon Blood Ruby - Phylia," but once he got hold of it, Wolf met his demise at Tyler's hands.
If it weren't for the precognitive death scene ability of his Divine Eye of Transcendence, Tyler would have also died three days later on May 15, 187 - at precisely 1:14 p.m. - due to the "Pigeon Blood Ruby - Phylia."
To Tyler, it was a cursed stone.
(Where should I bury it...)
As Tyler pondered, Silly Nissen interjected.
(Silly Nissen: How about-o the underground-o cave where you set a trap-o to kill the bandits before?)
(Tyler: What a foolish suggestion. That place is too obvious, and with such a large hole, who wouldn't be tempted to explore it for hidden treasures?)
Even if he thought as hard as he could, Tyler wouldn't choose that underground cave. However...
(Hold on...)
If it weren't for Silly Nissen's reminder, Tyler might have forgotten something crucial.
The sudden chill running down his spine propelled Tyler to rush towards the entrance of the underground cave. However, he arrived a moment too late.
Looking at the appraisal information of the footprints near the entrance, Tyler felt the urge to slap himself.
The appraisal information displayed for those footprints was:
"Undead - Wolf's Footprints."
