Chapter 362 - Taking Risks Alone
Chapter 362: Taking Risks Alone
Just as the 300 men team was about to enter the Tias Mountains, a soldier beside Vincent could not help but ask Vincent, “Sir Vincent, where are we going?”
Vincent replied calmly, “Just this morning, a mysterious Dark Elf almost killed the son of the City Lord and even fought with the City Lord. Our mission is naturally to find the traces of that mysterious Dark Elf!”
The soldier immediately asked again, “Then why must we enter the Tias mountain range to look for him?”
Vincent continued, “Because no matter how arrogant a gangster is, after fighting with the City Lord, he would not be able to escape unscathed. He would not dare to continue staying in the city. Therefore, escaping into the Tias mountain range is his best choice!”
The soldier finally nodded and no longer had any problems with Vincent.
For a City Patrol Office to suddenly appear out of nowhere, all the soldiers could not help but have the same thought. This guy, who was not very strong and looked very unfamiliar, must have used some kind of relationship to rise to power. If they followed such an officer, they knew that they would not have a bright future.
At that moment, Vincent did not care what the soldiers were thinking. His gaze was fixated on the mountain range in front of him. The main purpose of him going to the Tias mountain range was to find the whereabouts of Angelina and the others and to get in touch with them.
Vincent had obtained a lot of useful information in Devil Flame City. However, he did not know what his other teammates have gained on their end.
Vincent continued to lead his men into the dense forest for some distance before suddenly stopping. He said to them, “Everyone, spread out. Maintain a formation of ten men in a team and explore the surroundings. Please observe the surroundings carefully to see if there are any footprints, the aura of the Demon Race, and traces of blood. If you find anything, do not act by yourself. Report to me in a timely manner!”
“Yes!”
The group of soldiers replied in unison and set off separately.
However, after seeing their lazy expressions, Vincent knew that these soldiers would not find anything for him. However, this was no longer important to Vincent!
After all the soldiers had dispersed, Vincent lowered his head to look at his own shadow. At that moment, his shadow had become darker than the average person’s. It was completely blocking the grass below.
Vincent said softly, “Come out, there’s no one around!”
The shadow under Vincent’s feet slowly floated out and the figure stood up. It finally condensed into Ebenezer.
“Master, how did you find me?”
Vincent said with a smile, “By observing and by observing carefully!”
Ebenezer scratched his head. He listened to the sound of the tree trunks around him continuously. He asked with a smile, “Looking at Master’s current appearance, you’ve gained quite a bit of status in Devil Flame City, haven’t you?”
Vincent nodded and said, “City Patrol Officer. This position is neither too high nor too low, but the power I have is very practical! How are you guys doing? Are Avril and Angelina alright? Have the two elves been rescued?”
Ebenezer nodded and said, “Both master’s lovers are doing very well. It’s just that the two elves are pushing their luck!”
Vincent frowned slightly and asked, “What do you mean?”
Ebenezer then told Vincent about Horace’s request. He said, “Master, don’t you think that these elves are too greedy? We came to help them out of goodwill, but they want to use us to kill Andre and help them take revenge!”
Vincent lowered his head and thought for a while. He then said, “It is hard to win the trust of the elves with our sudden appearance. Moreover, Andre’s strength is indeed quite strong. It’s understandable that they want to make such a request. Are they nearby now?”
Ebenezer shook his head and said, “Horace has a safe house, but it is not nearby. I went back following the marks that were left behind. The elf girl, Andy is recuperating. Horace is hiding in his room and does not want to show his face. Master’s lovers have been waiting for your news!”
Vincent sighed awkwardly, “What a pity. I actually came out this time to ask for a knife from Avril. Looks like I’ll have to give up for now!”
Avril’s ability was weapon proficiency. She had a storage ring that specialized in carrying all kinds of weapons. As Dave wanted to learn how to use a knife from him, and Vincent also intended to teach him, Vincent had to find a decent knife for him.
Ebenezer hurriedly replied, “I have one!”
Vincent looked at Ebenezer in surprise and asked, “You’re a shadow demon, why are you carrying a knife?”
“When I was trapped in the Arena of Life and Death, I didn’t have any belongings on me so I had to collect whatever I could. Later on, I threw all the junk into my storage ring and could not be bothered to clean them up. Now that Master can use it, take it!” said Ebenezer with a silly smile.
He then took out a long knife from his storage ring. The blade of the knife was one palm wide and was very straight. It opened on one side. Its shape was very simple and looked a little heavy.
Vincent took the long knife from Ebenezer and held it in his hand. He said, “Although it’s just an ordinary long knife, it’s enough. There are excellent craftsmen in Devil Flame City. I can let them forge one according to the style of this knife. Okay, I’ll take it then!”
Ebenezer quickly said, “Why are you being so polite with me, master? Even if you want two of my arms, I’ll give them to you without any hesitation, let alone a knife!”
Vincent could not help but smile when he heard that. He replied, “Keep your arms on you. It’s useless even if I want them! Go back and tell Horace for me that I’ve agreed to his request. Just wait patiently for my news! However, the candidate that I have my eyes on to become the next City Lord of Devil Flame City is Dave, the son of Andre. I want him to know that!”
Vincent continued, “And if the time is right, I will facilitate a peace negotiation between Dave and the elves. No matter what kind of conflict there is between the Dark Elves and the elves, it is an internal matter between the elves. Unless it relates to those evil creatures, there is nothing that can’t be discussed!”
Ebenezer nodded and said, “Okay, I will go back and tell Horace. Before I get any news from master, if Horace dares to make any unusual moves, I will teach him a lesson for you!”
Vincent nodded and said, “Go!”
Ebenezer transformed into a black shadow and disappeared from the spot.
Vincent looked in the direction where Ebenezer had disappeared and could not help but smile. As he had contact with his teammates, he had a clear direction for his next move. He did not have to worry that his comrades outside the city would not be able to form a tacit understanding with him.
Just as Vincent was about to retreat, a shout suddenly came from the dense forest in the distance.
“Come here quickly, we found something!”
Vincent frowned slightly. He was worried that the soldiers would find the traces of Angelina and the others, so he quickly rushed over.
He saw a ten-man dark elf team huddled in front of a bush. They were lowering their heads and whispering.
Vincent walked up and asked coldly, “What did you find? You’re making a big fuss!”
The soldiers looked up at Vincent and quickly said, “Sir Vincent, we found the traces that you wanted!”
Vincent followed the direction of their fingers and looked down at the grass. He found a drop of black liquid on a leaf. It was the blood of the Dark Elves!
Vincent frowned slightly and asked the soldiers, “Are you sure that someone left this behind? And not because one of you is injured?”
When the ten soldiers heard this, they raised their arms and jumped around on the spot. They quickly said, “Sir, we are definitely not injured. This is definitely not from us!”
When Vincent heard this, he could not help but sigh in his heart.
He originally wanted to take this opportunity to meet up with his teammates, but he did not expect to really find traces of that mysterious Dark Elf. He really did not know whether he should say that he was lucky or unlucky!
However, regardless of whether Vincent had the confidence to defeat the mysterious Dark Elf at this time, just the Demon King’s Groan that he had on him was enough for Vincent to continue taking the risk to look for him!
Vincent ordered the crowd in a deep voice, “Immediately ask everyone to increase the search area and see if there are any similar traces nearby!”
“Yes!”
The group of soldiers who received the order began to disperse to inform others of Vincent’s latest orders.
After having a definite search area, the group of soldiers quickly made new discoveries. From time to time, someone would report the newly discovered bloodstains to Vincent.
Vincent turned his head to look in the direction of Devil Flame City. He then walked toward the nearest bloodstains in sequence. He soon simulated the escape route of the mysterious Dark Elf.
When Vincent reached the last drop of blood, he raised his head to look at the dark and deep canyon in front of him. There were tall trees and dense forests. Sunlight could not be seen there. He turned his head and said to the group, “Do any of you know the situation in this canyon?”
A soldier raised his hand and said, “Reporting to Sir Vincent, there are hunters from Devil Flame City who often go to this canyon to catch prey. The walls of the canyon are steep, and there is only one passageway at the entrance. Moreover, there is miasma in the canyon all year round. If you stay in there for too long, you will be poisoned. Therefore, even the most experienced hunter would not dare to stay in there for too long. At most, they can only stay in there for a day, or their lives will be in danger!”
“There’s only one entrance?”
Vincent frowned and sighed. He could not understand why the mysterious Dark Elf who was focused on escaping would enter a canyon that had no exit. There was definitely something fishy about this!
After thinking about it, Vincent did not dare to take the risk with the soldiers behind him. He immediately ordered, “Gather your troops and guard the entrance of the canyon. If the one who comes out is not me, kill without mercy. If I don’t come out after a day, immediately send men back to the city to seek support. It would be best if you directly raze the entire canyon to the ground. Don’t worry about my safety!”
“Yes!”
The soldiers replied one after another. Although they had some complaints about Vincent’s strength, they still admired him from the bottom of their hearts when they saw his iron-blooded style.
Therefore, the soldiers all had the same thoughts at that moment. No matter what the outcome was, they would definitely defend Vincent well for the next day!
After Vincent made arrangements for everyone, he walked into the canyon alone. In the dark and dense forest, there was a rotten smell everywhere. Everywhere he looked was filled with milky white poisonous miasma.
Vincent finally understood why the mysterious Dark Elf was hiding in there. This was because the canyon was very big. Even if there was only one exit, the white fog would obstruct one’s vision and allow him to avoid a large number of pursuers. Plus, if he had prepared a hiding place in advance, the mysterious Dark Elf could even delay until he had finished absorbing the energy within the Elf King’s remains!
“Since I’ve touched it, I’m afraid that I won’t be able to do as you wish!” sighed Vincent softly.
He then chased after the shallow footprints on the fallen leaves in the forest.
However, what Vincent did not expect was that the depth of the canyon was far beyond his imagination. The hunters in Devil Flame City knew that this canyon only had one entrance. This was because they could see the towering mountains around the canyon from the jungle outside. They believed that no one had traveled to the deepest part of the canyon before.
Although Vincent was hurrying on his way, it still took him a whole day to reach the foot of the mountain at the deepest part of the canyon!
Vincent thought of the soldiers who were guarding the entrance of the canyon. They should have already returned to the city to seek help. Thus, he knew that he did not have much time left. He had to find the mysterious Dark Elf hiding in there before a large number of reinforcements arrived. Only then could he maximize his gains!
Vincent followed the footprints and passed through the thick white fog. Finally, he saw the full view of the mountain in front of him. However, at the same time, he could not help but gasp.
He saw that the towering mountain peak in front of him was filled with countless natural karst caves. Even if he knew that the mysterious Dark Elf was hiding in there, he was unable to determine which karst cave he was hiding in. If he entered rashly, he would definitely attract the attention of the mysterious Dark Elf. If the mysterious Dark Elf took the opportunity to escape into the valley, then Vincent would have no way of catching his trail under the vast white fog!
Vincent walked to the foot of a large tree and hid his figure. He then raised his hand and produced a ball of flame. Under the control of his flame authority, the flame instantly transformed into a long thin line. They were like countless tentacles. The thin fire lines probed into the various karst caves on the mountain.
The thin fire lines were like vines. They stuck onto the cracks of the rock walls. They then explored the depths of the complex and interconnected karst caves.
At the same time, in the deepest part of the karst cave, an old Dark Elf lifted his left hand and took off the mask on his face. He looked down at his bloody right arm and could not help but gnash his teeth and said, “Damn Andre, as expected of one of the twelve apostles! I haven’t seen you for ten years, but you have become so powerful! After I recover and absorb the energy from the Elf King’s remains, I will tear you into pieces with my own hands!”
Perhaps it was because of his anger, his injuries started to hurt once again. The old Dark Elf closed his eyes in pain. After a long time, he finally let out a sigh of relief. His clothes were drenched in sweat.
He began to treat the wounds on his body carefully and bandaged his right arm tightly.
However, what he did not know was that while he was bandaging his wounds, a very tiny flame suddenly emerged from the crack in the karst cave. The flame slowly formed an eyeball and was observing his every move quietly.
After the old Dark Elf finished bandaging his wound, he became much more relaxed. He could not wait to look at his left hand.
At that moment, he was wearing two rings on his left hand. One contained the Demon King’s Groan whilst the other contained the Elf King’s remains.
“Power! I want power! I can’t wait to become stronger!” said the old Dark Elf with anticipation.
He then took out the black gem-like skeleton from his storage ring and placed it in a corner of the cave. He reached out and grabbed one of the arms of the skeleton and began to absorb the energy within.
However, after just two seconds of absorption, the old Dark Elf suddenly felt a change in his hands. At the same time, there was no more psionic power in his body. He looked at his hand in surprise and suddenly realized that the pitch-black bone in his hand had turned into a piece of wood. Judging from its shape and style, it looked like a handle that had been removed from the most ordinary broom!
The aged Dark Elf took a few steps back and sighed in confusion, “What… What’s going on?”
The Elf King’s remains should have a tremendous amount of psionic power and mottled memory fragments. Even if the energy inside was sucked dry, the skeleton that belonged to the Elf King was still an indestructible material. It would never turn into a rotten piece of wood!
The old Dark Elf instantly realized that the Elf King’s remains in front of him must be fake. He instantly thought of countless possibilities.
Perhaps the auction house had sold fake remains. However, this possibility was not very high. After all, every auction house had its own appraiser. It was very difficult for a fake to escape their eyes.
The most likely possibility was that someone had swapped the remains in the middle of the street!
Of course, there was another possibility. Dave must have taken the fake remains out in public. The real Elf King’s remains were still in Dave’s hands!
The old Dark Elf had no time to explore the truth of the matter. He could only test how fake the remains were!
As he pressed his hand on the skull of the skeleton, the spiritual energy that was in it instantly dissipated. The skeleton that was originally as black as ink and shining with sparkling light shattered into pieces of wood and fell on the ground.
“Puff!”
After seeing the scene, the old Dark Elf could not help but spit out a mouthful of blood. The injuries that he had just treated burst out again.
He did not expect his plan to fail. He had worked so hard to escape from Andre’s hands, only for a pile of broken wood!
The old Dark Elf roared angrily, “B*stard! I don’t care who lied to me. As soon as I recover from my injuries, I will immediately spread this news! If you don’t let me live well, I will definitely not let you live well for even a day! Moreover, by tomorrow, I’ll be able to cast another three magic spells of the Demon Race. At that time, even if I’m injured, entering and leaving Devil Flame City will be as easy as walking on flat ground. Those who dare to lie to me will definitely pay the price!”
He had once thought that he was the biggest winner, but he did not expect that he would become the dumbest idiot!
“Old man, I’m very sorry. The information that you want to leak out is the most important secret to me, so I will not allow you to live until tomorrow!”
At that moment, Vincent’s voice was suddenly heard behind the old Dark Elf.
When the old Dark Elf heard it, he immediately turned his head to look behind him in shock.
He then realized that a ball of fire had appeared in the cave in front of him. Vincent’s figure was slowly emerging from the flames!