kvmb Chapter 1007 - 874: Mutual Slaughter
Chapter 1007 - 874: Mutual Slaughter
Amidst the vast white mist.
Currently in the outermost perimeter outside the mist, which was once the line of defense to ward off those who would spy and invade.
The first line of defense against those evil gods and destructive entities who sought to ruin the world.
But now, it’s impossible to directly see the starry sky here anymore; it has become a boundless white fog.
Representing the complete closure of the Mist’s world.
The former defense line now sits at the outermost edge of the mist, twenty kilometers inward.
The attack point of Deep Light Cultists is only separated from the Explorer’s defense line by this twenty-kilometer distance.
Twenty kilometers is not considered a long distance for explorers of gold and colored levels.
If they wish, a gold-level explorer can cross it within minutes just by running on foot.
Close spacing, absolute hostility.
This is the place where the battles are most fierce between both sides.
The mist here does not remain silent but instead churns and swirls like furious clouds.
The wildly churning and swirling clouds vary in thickness, effectively obstructing the enemy’s vision and distorting perception due to the embodiment of Chaotic Space.
This is advantageous for explorers who are not fatigued, thanks to Synesthesia.
Because they are not prevented by these obstructions to vision and perception.
Since Synesthesia ensures their vision and senses penetrate the thick mist, unaffected by chaotic space.
This gives them a distinct advantage when fighting in the mist against their enemies.
This is why they have managed to persist until now, despite being outnumbered by their foes.
The attackers must pay a higher price than defenders to achieve what they want.
At this time along the Path of the Formless within the mist.
Bedalin crouched, her sharp gaze piercing through the dense fog to look into the distance.
She wore not her usual lighter attire, but rather a combat-oriented, lightweight soft armor.
She held two sharp curved sabers in her hands.
At this moment, it wasn’t just her alone; there were four others behind her.
Finaris, Shire, Rui, Funa.
The Holy Light Squad from the Lantern Guild.
Their strength has already reached the threshold of being colored, but crossing the final step is ultimately challenging.
As members of the top-tier race of angels, Shire and Rui should not struggle so, but to breach the last threshold, they need either a miraculous event or to wait for time to pass, until their life matures fully, and they easily cross it.
This is a safeguard for the weaker of their race, but also a constraint for the strong.
Shire and Rui are bound by this essence of life.
Finaris and Funa have no way out, even though their aptitude hasn’t peaked yet, to cross the tri-color mark, they still need time and perseverance.
They follow Bedalin because without her, they can’t enter the mist, only provide defense at the stronghold.
Clearly, it’s a waste of combat power.
Therefore, through extensive research, a very special piece of equipment was developed.
The connected stones can disregard the short-distance spatial chaos, with the main stone worn by Bedalin, and the remaining stones distributed among the gold-level explorers, ensuring they don’t lose their way while led by a tri-color explorer.
Of course, the situation only allows up to five stones, meaning one tri-color can lead at most five gold explorers.
Clearly, the ratio of tri-color to gold explorers is not 5:1, but roughly 300:1.
Thus, only the most powerful gold-level explorers qualify for such operations.
Finaris and her crew evidently belong to this category.
At this moment, Bedalin has already targeted the enemies trapped in the mist ahead.
"One bishop, three cultists."
Bedalin spoke softly of the enemies she perceives; here, only she can take on this task.
Gold-level explorers can move through the mist due to the connected stones, but only for movement – not navigation per se.
Otherwise, they hardly differ from the invaders, still having their vision obscured and perception blocked by the mist.
Upon hearing Bedalin, Funa nodded, "Alright, the three cultists are ours."
Bedalin led them slowly forward.
Their forms enveloped in the mist, automatically gaining stealth at certain distances.
"Get ready."
Bedalin’s words fell, then she darted through the mist like a blade.
They had reached the edge detectable by the enemies.
As soon as Bedalin charged in, she was discovered immediately.
A figure in a gray robe, bearing a crown indicating his bishop status, had a symbol resembling a sun with six tentacles imprinted on his garment.
Bedalin’s target was precisely him.
Shire fluttered her wings, wielding a golden glowing sword, charging out.
She swung straight toward one of the cultists.
The cultists, three humans like her, wearing armor with the same emblem, holding various weapons.
Faced with this sudden attack, they showed no fear, responding in harmony with counterattacks or evading the oncoming assault.
Decades of mutual assaults have acquainted both sides with each other’s tactics.
A long whip of silver dim light, formed as a tentacle, lashed out.
Shire was forced to flap her wings back, murmuring in disgust, "What disgusting light."
The silver light, like the Deep Light, instills chaos and aversion upon sight.
This characterizes the followers of Deep Light; their power is imbued with such light, impacting emotions in battle.
These lights can even infect their synesthesia.
Hence, battles between both sides are always quick and decisive.
A golden light pierced through the clouds, warming their hearts. Though it was useless against these enemies, it greatly bolstered all their allies present.
"I know you, Blade Warrior." The bishop looked at the two wounds on his left arm.
They were caused by Bedalin’s sneak attack.
"You know me, which means you’ve thought of your last words?"
"Dying for the Lord is my honor," the bishop said calmly, and then six silver long whip-like tendrils shot out from his back.
The attack hadn’t arrived yet, but the emotional reaction from the light already made Bedalin frown.
Taking advantage of this moment, the bishop turned his head and shouted something to a few other cultists.
Three cultists instantly began to retreat.
However, this situation had been anticipated by Finaris and the others, and they did not scatter to chase but instead focused on capturing the closest one, surrounding him.
Two cultists disappeared into the mist without a trace.
The one who was surrounded was easily taken down.
And on Bedalin’s side.
At the cost of two silver-gray whip marks on her arm, a curved blade severed the bishop’s head.
Blood dripped from the neck, mingled with a faint, repulsive silver light.
"He recognized me, but unfortunately, two got away."
A bottle of potion appeared in her hand, and Bedalin cursed under her breath as she dripped it onto the whip marks.
As the drops touched the scars, the marks vanished, dissolving into wisps of silver, turbid smoke that scattered away.
If the wounds aren’t treated quickly, the residual aura could affect synesthesia, quickly leading to fatigue.
These were killing tools specifically researched by the enemy for the Explorers.
Shire and Rui were already searching the two bodies for loot.
Finaris came walking through the mist from a hundred meters away, smiling at Bedalin’s words.
"After battling each other for so many years, it’s natural they’d keep records on someone as famous as you."
Hearing Finaris’s words, Bedalin could only shrug helplessly.
"Famous, I’m not as well-known as Kane and the others. I really don’t know what kind of monsters they are."
She was still a three-color level Explorer.
But she had already condensed three skills, reaching the pinnacle of three-color level, and as the Controller of the Dungeon, her strength was above average.
Ordinary bishop-level enemies were rarely a match for her, though this bishop did manage to leave two whip marks, reducing her synesthesia duration.
It was fair to say this was a remarkable opponent.
After so many years of battle, her imposing reputation naturally left a mark in the enemy’s mind. Her appearance and fighting style were etched in every enemy’s memory.
Fighting and slaughter were always the fastest ways to make a name for oneself.
Especially when it spread from the enemy’s mouth.
But she tended to compare herself with Kane, as they both belonged to the Dungeons’ Controllers.
When Kane hadn’t joined the Secret Council yet, there were only three five-color members.
Orochi, Bagri, and a rather silent member who rarely spoke with them.
And now, decades have passed.
Kane became the last to join their Secret Council.
Yet, he was the 5th to become a five-color existence within the council.
The 4th was Miraste, who had been stagnating at three-color level for a long time, which was a normal scenario.
But only Kane was completely abnormal.
Even if he was odd, his teammates were even more peculiar.
Thinking of this, Bedalin could only shake her head helplessly.
At this moment, Shire and the others finished collecting the spoils. Funa took out two black and white beads and placed them on the two corpses.
Black and white flames ignited, enveloping the two corpses and burning them to ashes.
This was Kreya’s fire.
These fanatical religious members’ corpses, regardless of being useless, were revolting.
They spread the power of the Deep Light.
So they could only be burned away, and after Kreya reached the five-color level, her black and white flames had achieved a peculiar realm.
The enemies’ bodies burned by the flame would turn to ashes from flesh to soul, these ashes became a special power to replenish the Mist.
"Let’s go, back."
Bedalin spoke, leading Finaris and the others to the defense point.
Walking on the Path of the Formless, passing through endless white mist, it wasn’t long before a peculiar fortress, shrouded in white mist, came into view, appearing and disappearing.
This was their defensive location.
They traversed through the white mist, reaching the front of the fortress.
The fortress walls stood 10 meters high, but to gold and three-color beings, such height was as good as nonexistent.
The crucial feature was the dense magic runes encrusted on it, truly the defense mechanism.
The fortress didn’t even have a gate.
Inside the fortress were only gold-level beings; a gate was unnecessary.
They simply leapt from the outside the walls and landed inside.
Only they could leap in, the enemies could not.
This kind of fortress, encircling the Mist in a complete circle, a total of 24 fortresses, formed a consistent pattern with the internal divisions of the World Ring.
The one before them naturally corresponded to the region of the Platinum Country.
With 24 fortresses, they were interconnected, stabilizing the surrounding space; unless enemies could destroy one, they wouldn’t be able to proceed further, much less invade deeper.
As soon as Bedalin and the others leaped in, they saw Lulu flying outside.
"Lulu? You’re back!"