Then, she asked again about information on the “Valley of Death.”
At the mention of the Valley of Death, Lufi’s parents’ faces showed even deeper fear.
“Ladies, that Valley of Death… is strictly off-limits!” Lufi’s father’s voice trembled.
“It’s a hundred times more terrifying than any fairy! Razor-sharp winds blow there year-round, and hardly anyone who enters ever comes out alive! And… and I’ve heard the bottom of the valley is home to a clan guarding the ancient heroes’ tombs. They’re extremely hostile and kill any intruders on sight! Lately, things have gotten even more sinister…”
“What kind of sinister?” Helga pressed.
“There are… there are herb gatherers who barely escaped from there,” Lufi’s mother glanced around nervously, lowering her voice to a whisper filled with mystery and dread, “They said they saw people in black robes, not seeming like good folk, moving about the valley. They also… saw some extremely terrifying, inhuman creatures roaming! Everyone says those ‘fairies’ might actually be monsters the black-robed ones summoned from the Valley of Death! It’s all part of their evil rituals!”
This information corroborated the rumors Eileen had previously overheard in the tavern in Sol City — about blasphemers and demon tribe spies.
The “fairies” troubling the village were very likely monsters summoned or controlled by the heretics within the Valley of Death! The mysterious swordsman who had eliminated them probably only took care of the outermost minions.
The sky was growing late, and the sandstorm worsened.
After the “warm” insistence of Lufi’s parents, Eileen’s group decided to spend the night in a humble side room of Lufi’s home.
Lufi secretly slipped Eileen and the others a few hard but clean coarse wheat biscuits, her eyes full of gratitude and attachment. Eileen stroked her head gently, signaling her to rest without worry.
*****
This was not the dilapidated tomb they had imagined; it resembled more an ancient temple forcibly occupied.
Massive stone pillars upheld the dome ceiling, and the originally solemn reliefs on the walls were smeared with strange black symbols.
The air was thick with the stench of blood, sulfur, and an unsettling aura of desecration.
A group of black-robed, hooded blasphemer cultists were busy at work.
They had an emaciated elder, his hair and beard completely white and his body covered in wounds, chained through his scapula and hung from a pillar in the center of the altar. The elder was barely alive, but his clouded eyes burned with unyielding fury.
Beneath the altar, several warriors clad in ancient leather armor, gripping spears or curved blades with expressions full of pain and struggle — the tomb guardians’ assassins and spearmen — faced off against demon warriors. These demons exuded an evil aura, with dark purple skin or scales, and pointed weapons at the warriors.
They watched the tortured elder, their hands tightening on their weapons with bulging veins, but hesitated to strike decisively.
On the shadowed throne, a figure lounged lazily.
A wide black robe concealed her form, and the hood’s shadow completely hid her face, save for a few strands of silver hair, flowing like liquid shadows from beneath the brim.
She was the High Priestess of the Blasphemers, and the Shadow King’s vessel in the mortal world — Ella.
Her slender fingers absentmindedly twined a strand of shadow that moved like a living creature between them, devouring the faint surrounding light.
Her gaze seemed to pierce through the rocky dome, reaching far into the distance.
“High Priestess,” a low, hoarse voice sounded.
A towering figure covered in black, menacing bone armor, his head resembling a wolf’s skull — one of the Four Heavenly Kings, the demon wolf Shadowfang — approached the throne with respectful but wary steps.
“The bait has been set. The news of the ‘Holy Sword Barumk’ reappearing in the Valley of Death will soon spread to several nearby kingdoms. Those greedy humans, especially the ‘heroes’ reared by the church, will swarm in like vultures smelling carrion. Our ‘graveyard’ is ready.”
Ella did not respond immediately.
Her fingertips flicked lightly, and the shadow vanished silently.
A voice only she could hear, filled with extreme fanaticism and twisted love, echoed deep within her soul:
Sister… do you see now? The stage is set for you. The Holy Sword Barumk is but the first step for you to reclaim your throne. That fake ‘hero’ will soon become the first spark igniting our war against the corrupt church…
A thousand years ago, you failed to complete your unification conquest… In this era, let us continue it! Your unfinished dream, I will fulfill for you! You only need to follow the path I’ve paved step by step, toward your dazzling pinnacle!
A faint, unnoticed, sickly satisfied smile curled beneath the shadow covering her lips.
Passing the “cleverly” relayed intelligence to her sister, Catherine, was her carefully planned first move.
Letting her sister seize the Holy Sword, kill the doomed fake hero, and break with the church completely…
All of this was part of her script.
The church, in her eyes, had long since degenerated into a stumbling block obstructing her sister’s path, unworthy of guiding humanity! Demon tribes, heretics? They were just villainous pawns she wielded!
“Good, Shadowfang.” Ella finally spoke, her voice like icy water dripping into a deep pool, ethereal yet carrying an invisible pressure. “Keep up the pressure. Let those tomb guardians understand that the survival of their elder and clan depends entirely on their ‘cooperation.’ Killing them all would be clean, but leaving them alive… allows the ‘play’ between ‘tomb guardians and intruders’ to seem more convincing. It makes our ‘guests’ relax their guard and step into the abyss.”
“As you command, High Priestess!” Shadowfang bowed deeply.
At that moment, a black-robed scout rolled hurriedly into the great hall, panic in his voice:
“Re-report, High Priestess! Lord Shadowfang! There’s trouble at the valley entrance!”
“What’s the fuss about?” Shadowfang growled unhappily.
“There’s… there’s a swordsman! Very powerful! She’s lingering at the valley’s outskirts and has already taken down three ‘Howling Banshees’ we released! Our outer patrol tried to intercept her but… she easily broke through! Now she’s near the entrance’s ‘Wind-Eroded Corridor’ area, apparently scouting the terrain! Our people… can’t stop her!”
“Swordsman?” Shadowfang’s crimson eyes flashed viciously. “Alone? Daring to storm the Valley of Death? She’s seeking death! Send a squad of elite demon warriors and heretics — bring me her head!”
Ella’s brow, hidden beneath her hood’s shadow, twitched slightly. A swordsman capable of easily slaying Howling Banshees and breaking through the outer patrols…
A descendant of Frida, truly a troublesome coincidence.
Valley of Death Entrance · Wind-Eroded Corridor.
Jagged strange rocks were carved by the perpetual fierce winds into countless bizarre holes and passages. The wind howled through, emitting eerie shrieks like ghosts and wolves, hence the name “Corridor.”
Serena leaned against a massive wind-eroded pillar, breathing heavily.
Her travel cloak was torn in several places and stained with dark purple blood. Her longsword shimmered with a cold light, its tip dripping viscous blood.
Around her lay five or six bodies of varying forms: some human heretics in tattered black robes wielding twisted staves or poisoned daggers; others demon warriors with dark purple skin, bared fangs, and serrated cleavers.
All died from a single strike.
“There are quite a few of them, and stronger than I expected,” Serena wiped blood from her cheek, her fiery red eyes scanning sharply through the dim, forked corridors ahead.
She had originally planned to go to the border to find Eileen, to apologize and atone.
But after passing through the village in this wind-eroded wilderness, she unexpectedly discovered a village ravaged by ‘fairies,’ a hell on earth.
She couldn’t turn a blind eye and took action to eliminate those howling, life-draining monsters — the Howling Banshees. The villagers were tearfully grateful but revealed an even scarier source — abnormalities within the Valley of Death.
So, she came here.
She had intended to scout first, but as soon as she entered the outer perimeter, she was beset by these minions.
Though dealing with the lackeys wasn’t hard, delving deeper to destroy this evidently large-scale base guarded by high-ranking demon tribes? Serena tightened her grip on her sword, her gaze heavy.
Alone, she feared her strength was insufficient.
She needed reinforcements, or… more detailed inside information.
She was weighing whether to retreat for now or risk venturing deeper down one of the paths.
At that moment, a chaotic stampede and malicious roars erupted simultaneously from several forks in the corridor! More heretics and demon warriors surged out like a tide, led by a demon lieutenant clearly stronger than the others, completely cutting off Serena’s retreat and advance!
“Kill the human!” The demon lieutenant bellowed deeply, swinging a massive battle axe and charging first! Ranged attackers behind him began gathering dark magic or readying poisoned crossbows!
Serena’s eyes sharpened, instantly entering battle mode. Her longsword traced a cold arc to meet the battle axe!
The fight erupted again, fiercer than before! Serena’s figure weaved through shattered rocks and flashing blades, blood spraying where her sword struck, but the enemy’s numbers were overwhelming and their coordination seamless. She was quickly surrounded, life-threatening danger closing in!
Though she could hold out for the moment, breaking through or advancing became extremely difficult.
Suddenly, she recalled that in past similar situations, she always had comrades back-to-back, but now she could only rely on herself!
“This is tricky…” Serena deflected a poisoned dagger and stabbed an heretic’s throat with the reverse grip. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a demon warrior’s claw lunging for her ribs! She twisted sharply — her sword’s parry was just a fraction too slow!
At this critical moment!
Crash! A chestnut-colored figure barreled in like a rampaging war chariot, overwhelming the demon warriors on Serena’s left! Bodies flew and limbs shattered!
Then, the glow of starlight shimmered, countless dazzling magic beams streaking like falling stars, screams erupting endlessly!
A gentle golden light shield instantly expanded beside Serena! The claw snapping at her ribs slammed hard into the shield, sizzling as it burned. The demon warrior howled in agony and pulled back the smoking hand!
Pressure dropped sharply! Seizing the chance, Serena’s sword swept through, cleaving a demon warrior in two.
She stumbled back two steps, leaning on the pillar, still shaken but filled with gratitude as she looked toward the source of the voice and reinforcements.
At the entrance of the Wind-Eroded Corridor, four figures stood against the faint light from outside the valley.
The leader was tall and upright, silver-white hair tied behind her head, her face mostly hidden by a mask that covered most of it, leaving only a beautifully contoured jawline and a pair of… golden eyes that seemed to burn with fire in the dim light?!
Behind her were a fist fighter, a mage, and a priest, each wearing different styles of butterfly masks.
A fully armored, all-female adventurer squad of four!
Serena’s gaze swept over them and she frowned, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu but couldn’t place it.
Eileen’s eyes narrowed behind her mask as she locked onto the agile swordsman they had just rescued, now trapped in the thick of battle.
Though the other wore a traveler’s cloak as well, the familiar combat posture, the longsword gleaming with pure light, and especially those fiery red eyes, sharp and composed even in battle —
Eileen’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, and an expression of disbelief crossed her face beneath the mask.
Serena?! Why were they unexpectedly meeting in such a place?
Serena, freed from encirclement, looked gratefully and somewhat puzzled at the sudden appearance of the well-equipped, coordinated four-person squad — especially the silver-haired, golden-eyed, mysterious and powerful leader.
She caught her breath, sword held horizontally in front of her in caution, and nodded to Eileen and the others:
“Thank you for the rescue! My name is Serena, just a traveling swordsman. I couldn’t help but intervene when I saw the village’s plight. And you all are?”
Serena didn’t recognize Eileen and Helga?
Eileen was confused.
Just a mask was enough to make her unrecognizable? This woman was too much! Definitely not the attitude a ‘companion’ should have!
But what Eileen didn’t know was that the mask, specially made for her by Master Yuno, had a high-level cognition-blocking magic array attached. Eileen didn’t mention it — it was Yuno’s clever addition!
The mask’s purpose was obviously to prevent others from recognizing her, so blocking recognition was the perfect enchantment!
Yes, the idea was spot on, but Eileen was unaware, so in her heart, Serena’s impression worsened! These women were all the same — they would forget her in a few days! It was the right call to leave the team back then! Serena was like that, and so was Veer!
Eileen felt some irritation toward Serena but held back, deciding to treat her as just a chance-met adventurer!
She steadied herself and answered in a deliberately altered cold tone:
“We’re the adventurer squad ‘Masquerade.’ We accepted a commission from the guild to investigate abnormalities in the Valley of Death.”
Her golden eyes swept over the temporarily disoriented and suspicious enemies stirred by the arrival of reinforcements.
She slowly drew her longsword, pointing the tip at the demon lieutenant, voice filled with resolute battle intent:
“Then, let’s clear out these pesky minions first. A pleasant cooperation, Miss Serena…”
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