novelraw Chapter 894: Something is Changing
Chapter 894: Something is Changing
Port of Storms.
An ocean liner from Vinnelag docked at the humble port.
A squad from the Inquisition, disguised as believers, hauled enormous wooden crates off the ship, following the bustling crowds toward a cluster of caravans.
They chose the caravan with the least stringent inspection. But as they were paying the fare, one of the drivers came up behind them and kicked a wooden crate with a muddy boot.
The driver, ignoring the furious glare of a man who stood two meters tall, lifted his chin and demanded:
“What's inside?”
The hood of the squad's captain, Hoggart, turned toward the driver, who had stepped too close to the crate:
“Cargo for a client.”
“Open it for inspection.”
He slapped the crate again, about to turn back to the caravan.A powerful frame, which even the robes couldn't conceal, blocked his path.
The driver fearlessly reached out to shove the big man. “Looking for trouble in our territory? You commoner—”
A sharp whistle cut through the air, and the big man tensed.
A blade appeared, embedded in the wooden crate, and the driver screamed, clutching at three severed fingers.
Barthos and two of his henchmen appeared before them. One of the men, who resembled a scrawny monkey, was idly flipping a few blades.
“What happened?”
Barthos, dressed in animal hides, asked his other men.
“These commoners were buying tickets, Well demanded to inspect their cargo, and then... Mister Hesma chopped off his fingers...” one of the men answered fearfully.
Barthos's cold, vulture-like gaze fell upon the four black-robed figures, sensing their... anger.
“Are you going to resist?”
Squad Captain Hoggart stepped forward. “Inside is cargo we've prepared for an important guest. It cannot be opened.”
Barthos watched them in silence, the atmosphere growing terribly tense. After a moment, he said in a low voice:
“Bring the search worm.”
The servant who looked like a scrawny monkey and had been flipping the blades left. Only then did the henchman with the severed fingers dare to clutch his hand and retreat to the caravan.
“Idiot, are you tarnishing my caravan's reputation?”
Barthos's seemingly calm words made Well tremble, and fighting through the intense pain, he explained:
“Sorry, Boss... I thought they were suspicious... How could commoners be carrying such a large, heavy wooden crate?”
After a few seconds of silence, Barthos waved his hand impatiently. “Go stop the bleeding. If you delay our departure, you'll be the new live bait.”
Drenched in a cold sweat, Well fled. As he ran, the scrawny Hesma rushed past him, carrying a worm magnified dozens of times in size.
Hesma, holding the search worm, approached the wooden crate. Squad Captain Hoggart stopped his men from intervening, allowing Hesma to inspect the crate and then pull out the blade.
“It's clear, master.”
The scrawny Hesma returned to Barthos and said fawningly.
Barthos crossed his arms, his gaze sweeping over them coldly. “Don't cause trouble, and don't bring it with you. Not everyone is as lucky as that exorcist was.”
“An exorcist? You mean Mister Lu Li?”
the scholar, Lanna, suddenly asked.
Barthos bared his teeth in an unfriendly, ferocious grin. “Of course. Everyone here knows that exorcist rode with my caravan, and that I saved him from an anomaly leader.”
“Boss Barthos only gave the exorcist one horse. He was the one who distracted the anomaly leader and saved the caravan, and me along with it.”
A figure wrapped entirely in bandages next to him suddenly spoke in a raspy voice.
Barthos's smile vanished. He swore in irritation, “When you were live bait, didn't they tear your tongue out?”
“So he was already colluding with anomalies back then?” Captain Hoggart muttered, as if to himself.
Barthos's attention shifted from the bandaged man. His cold eyes raked over Captain Hoggart from head to toe, utterly devoid of courtesy, before he turned to leave.
“I have nothing to say to people from Vinnelag.”
The problem was resolved. The Inquisition squad rented a wagon, loaded their wooden crates, and waited for the caravan to depart.
The knights of the Inquisition had witnessed the chaos of the Wastelands, but this was only the beginning. When they left the caravan and entered the Old Sewer, their true trials began.
Chaotic and bloody tunnels, anomalies lurking everywhere, hordes of heretics, warlords controlling the rules—
For the knights of the Inquisition, whose faith was built on purifying the world, this place was akin to Hell in the eyes of a priest.
They struggled to control their emotions, strictly adhering to the bishop's instructions.
“One day, humanity will stand tall on this land again.”
Captain Hoggart said this to his men, and also to himself.
...
The mineshaft was nearly ten kilometers long, leading either to Dark Star City or past it.
Lu Li and his companions chose the latter.
The fare for the minecart was ten shillings for two people, and ten shillings for one.
After paying for everyone, they boarded a minecart linked together like a train. A stone monstrosity slowly pushed it along until a downward slope appeared ahead.
The hissing screech of wheels on rails, gradually accelerating, continued for several minutes before the view ahead suddenly brightened.
The minecart had entered the region where Dark Star City was located.
The sight of Dark Star City reminded Lu Li of the subterranean worlds of the past.
It too was a boundless subterranean world supported by rock columns, home to an equally gigantic city—perhaps it was one of the lost cities built by a previous generation to escape some cataclysm.
Some creatures also called this place the City of the Sleepless.
Countless beams of light radiating from the city and striking the cavern ceiling far above served as proof.
The passengers in the minecart stared in awe at the majestic Dark Star City. Perhaps they would enter it one day, but not now.
The long train of minecarts slowly passed by Dark Star City. Half an hour later, it entered a deep shaft on the other side and reached the end of the line.
The next section of the shaft was still under construction, and a few miserable-looking worms with pitted skin were digging through the rock.
The arrival of Lu Li and his companions caused them to briefly stop digging, which earned them blows from the overseers' pickaxes.
“They're hoping you'll save them.”
Elder Sister suddenly peeked out from his hood, perching on Lu Li's shoulder as she spoke.
Perhaps because of their cooperation on the Allen Peninsula, the worms had come to see Lu Li as someone they could ask for help.
After a moment's thought, Lu Li walked over to the group of overseers.
The overseers, who resembled the rat-men from fantasy novels, grew anxious at the approach of heretics. The head overseer tucked his bald tail between his legs and came forward to meet them.
Upon learning they wanted to buy the worms, the head overseer quoted a price of 50 Anomaly Currency.
A high, but justifiable, price.
But the head overseer then hinted that if they agreed to give him a bribe of 30 Anomaly Currency, they could take the worms for free.
In the end, after spending 30 Anomaly Currency to “buy” the worms, the rat-men overseers withdrew. Lu Li took the captive worms, left the mineshaft, and returned to the branching tunnels.
The worms were seriously injured and could no longer dig tunnels, which was why the overseers had given them up so easily.
Lu Li let the worms dig burrows for themselves to rest, then blocked the entrances to avoid attracting trouble, and continued on his way.
“You're... changing.”
Ophelia remarked on Lu Li's actions.
Compared to how he was when they first met, he had changed... he was better now.
“That's right! I like this Mister Lu Li so much better!”
Prusius wagged his tail excitedly; this was exactly what he imagined an exorcist to be. Bishop John didn't understand, but could only echo the praise.
Lu Li said nothing, simply walking on in silence.