Chapter 47: Turmoil in Black City
Chapter 47: Turmoil in Black City
Black City was treacherous, shrouded in dense shadow energy and flame poison, and filled with half-dead creatures, ferocious beasts, and aberrations.
However, the real danger lay underground.
The surface was relatively safer.
Karl valued his life and had no intention of exploring the underground mines since his arrival in Black City; he only roamed the surface.
Even his transactions with Aya and the others were conducted above ground.
But who would have thought...
"Why are there so many monsters?"
Leaping onto the roof, Karl furrowed his brows, his mind already considering retreat.
On his journey, he encountered far more monsters than usual—mound wolves, subterranean worms, and various half-dead creatures...
The danger had increased significantly!
A wise man doesn't stand beneath a dangerous wall. He came here for benefits, not to fight monsters to the death.
"Ah!"
A scream came from ahead, and Karl's eyes flickered as he transformed into a shadow and rushed over.
Martial Art—Eagle Step.
After witnessing Iron Fist Abe's skills, he had picked up the almost abandoned knight martial arts.
Thanks to his perfect control over his physical body within the Fragment of the Divine Domain, his mastery of martial arts had also improved rapidly.
Leaping over the wall, several familiar figures came into view.
It was Aya and the others.
The six youngsters were under siege by a group of stone lizards.
These underground creatures had tight skin and flesh, as if clad in stone armor, boasting incredible defense.
Their sharp claws and tongues were also formidable in attack.
After holding out for a while, their situation had become extremely dire.
"Watch out!"
Aya shouted, pushing her partner aside, but she was knocked over by a stone lizard.
Damn! Her heart raced, and as she struggled to get up, she saw the stone lizard opening its mouth, its tongue trembling.
The lizard's tongue was covered in spikes, and its firing speed was astonishing. If it hit, it would tear off a chunk of flesh.
Hitting a vital spot could even lead to instant death.
Just then—
"Boom!"
A ball of flame exploded amidst the lizard group, and the powerful shockwave knocked the stone lizards to the ground.
Karl appeared nearby, raising his left hand and repeatedly pressing down.
Flame Seal!
Flame Seal!
Flame Seal!
He had taken a potion beforehand, ensuring sufficient 'magic power' for a short time, allowing him to cast spells without restraint.
Balls of fire, the size of washbasins, roared out, striking the stone lizards and exploding upon impact.
Even if they missed, the impact on the ground would create a powerful shockwave.
A moment later, Karl paused his actions, looking at the dismembered corpses on the ground, his face turning slightly pale.
It wasn't fear but a reaction to the massive consumption of psychic energy.
'It seems that even with the potion, continuous spellcasting puts a lot of pressure and shortens its effectiveness.'
Siebel explained that a potion's effect lasted half an hour.
But if one kept casting spells...
Even a few minutes would be challenging!
However, after constructing the spell model, the power of the Flame Seal had indeed increased significantly compared to before. The fireballs were now the size of washbasins, and with a single wave, they annihilated the stone lizards.
"Uncle!"
Having narrowly escaped death, Aya ran over with joy:
"We're lucky you arrived in time to help; otherwise, we'd be done for."
"What's going on?" Karl steadied his breath and scanned the area:
"Why are there so many beasts on the surface? In this situation, you shouldn't have come out."
"Sigh!" Aya sighed:
"The underground situation is even worse, and we agreed to meet here. If we didn't come, wouldn't we be breaking our promise?"
Karl shook his head.
In times like these, there was no need to worry about reputation.
"As for the situation in the city..." Aya turned and glanced, saying:
"I heard that Pit Two's shadow energy erupted, turning at least a thousand people into half-dead. And for some reason, the underground monsters are all rushing out."
"The details are still unclear."
"Let's head back to Rakka Market." Karl spoke up:
"That place should be safer."
If even Rakka Market, guarded by the city guard, wasn't safe, then there was no secure place left in Black City.
"Hmm."
Aya nodded heavily.
With Karl, the 'expert', joining the group, their journey to the Rakka Market was filled with danger but they managed to arrive unscathed.
The market was bustling with people, their voices a constant hum, and most of them looked panicked, uncertain about the future.
"Dana."
Aya spoke to a girl:
"Go and find out what's going on."
"Yes."
Dana was a girl with coarse features.
She had a sturdy build, a loud voice, and though she was a woman, her strength was second only to Xiaonan in the group.
Karl looked at Xiaonan in the crowd:
6◇9◇Book◇Bar
"How's Xiaonan?"
"I'm doing okay." Xiaonan had been severely injured, his face was pale, and he needed support to walk. He smiled wryly and said:
"I feel like I won't die just yet."
"Shadow Energy Infiltration." Aya frowned:
"It can only be cured with Wisteria Grass, but I don't know if the City Guard still has any at this time."
Karl squatted to examine Xiaonan's injuries, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.
Shadow Energy Infiltration occurs in two ways: prolonged exposure to places with dense shadow energy or being attacked by Half-Dead creatures.
Xiaonan's case was the latter.
Something had left four deep claw marks on his back, and the skin around the claw marks had already started to rot.
If not treated in time, the shadow energy would invade his bones and nerves, and Xiaonan would also become a Half-Dead.
Wisteria Grass, also known as Revival Grass, is a specialized cure for shadow energy, but due to its extremely harsh growing environment, its production is limited, and it's not cheap.
"Big Sis!"
Dana returned quickly, panting:
"Someone said that a ruin appeared beneath Pit Two, and the Mayor is leading people there."
"Also..."
"Just now, the City Guard set up a sign in the center of the market, saying something about a reward, but I don't know what it is because I can't read."
"A reward?" Aya looked puzzled.
"I'll go take a look." Karl stood up:
"Wait here for me."
In the market, the crowd was restless.
From the people's conversations, they learned that to counter the shadow energy from Pit Two, the City Guard was calling on all citizens to eliminate the source of the disturbance.
In other words, various ferocious beasts and Half-Dead creatures.
As a reward, the City Guard was offering various treasured supplies. The more aberrations killed, the better the rewards.
The sign listed the exchange rates for these items.
At the top of the list was the option to leave the Black City, requiring one hundred Aberration Emblems, meaning killing one hundred aberrations.
And this,
was not the most demanding option.
In addition to leaving the Black City, killing aberrations could also be exchanged for Spell Seals, Breath Techniques, Beast Meat, Life Elixirs, and more...
The reason for placing leaving the Black City at the top was probably due to its high level of interest.
For example, with Spell Seals, different seals had different exchange rates, and even the cheapest seal was more expensive than leaving the Black City.
Hmm, Karl's heart stirred, and his gaze returned to the sign.
Something he had glanced over earlier seemed to be...
Life Elixirs!
These could help a Knight Attendant gather Life Seeds and achieve the status of a formal knight.
"Thump!"
"Thump! Thump!"
Karl's heart raced, and his blood boiled.
He had originally been uninterested in this and had even planned to leave the Black City as soon as possible and return later.
But now...
He was tempted!
(End of Chapter)
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