Chapter 320 - Chapter 320: Chapter 304: 4th Rank "Unpredictable Sorcerer (1/2)

Chapter 320: Chapter 304: 4th Rank “Unpredictable Sorcerer

Somthing dark seemed to be surging within the depths of Ebner’s heart.

He felt strange, very strange—the unprecedented sensation was both unsettling and exhilarating.

That dark entity welling up inside him seemed to be what was known as malice.

In reality, Ebner had never done anything bad in his decades-long life, not even harbored ill will towards anyone; it was today, truly left with no alternative, that he decided to lead the other three traveling companions to this cave.

Before the group had even set out, the elderly village chief had sought him out for a private word.

At that moment, he had been tidying up herbs at the entrance to his home when the old man approached, leaning on his walking stick.

“Ebner.”

The village chief’s usually clouded eyes revealed an uncommon sharpness, his frail, wrinkled hand resting on Ebner’s shoulder.

“There’s something I need to discuss with you in detail, and it must only be known between you and me, absolutely not to be disclosed to others.”

After a long hesitation, Ebner asked,

“Respected village chief, may I ask what it is?”

After Ebner’s question, the village chief’s eyes flickered with a profound hesitation for a long while before he finally spoke earnestly,

“In truth, the people of the Salvation Church will not care about us.”

“What?”

Ebner was startled because the chief’s tone was firm, as if they already knew the outcome without needing to try.

He shook his head in objection,

“I think we should still have faith in the church. Besides, if we don’t trust the church, who can we trust? Aside from praying for protection from the Lord of Salvation, whose rescue could we possibly receive?”

“This is our only option, Great Village Chief.”

The old village chief shook his head, certain of his view, and continued,

“Ebner, you simply don’t understand, but I often deal with the nobles, and I roughly know that the Extraordinary Exponents are entirely different from one another, so ordinary priests cannot save our village.”

Seeing Ebner still hesitant, the old man suddenly dropped a bombshell.

“The nearby village has already begged the church in town, and in the end, they received no help. The incompetent priests merely told them to keep waiting for death…”

When Ebner heard this, an overwhelming sense of desolation and despair surged from the depths of his heart.

How could this be?

If the old man’s judgment was correct, the Salvation Church would definitely not rescue them.

But if that was truly the case, what would become of his wife and daughter? How long would the drought last?

How long could they hold out?

The village chief paused for a moment before continuing with a cold snort, “Moreover, over the years, that church we once knew has grown increasingly shameless; they probably no longer care about the lives of common folk.”

Ebner immediately said,

“But if that’s the case, what can we do for our village?”

Ebner’s heart was filled with anxiety. He didn’t know what to do but was determined to find a solution!

After all, his wife and daughter were at home—if they ran out of water and food, his family’s survival would be a significant concern!

Could it be that he really had to resort to becoming a bandit with his wife and daughter?

His heart felt cold, but he could think of no better option, so he shouted out loud.

“No, I must go to the Salvation Church no matter what, at least to try.”

Ebner was resolute, and the old village chief sighed, slowly shaking his head as he said,

“Then you go ahead and make your attempt. If you succeed, then all will be well. But if you fail, you must do as I say and find someone here.”

The village chief then took out a parchment scroll, detailed with a simple map that marked a cave. While others might not find the place, Ebner, familiar with the wilderness, certainly could.

Ebner felt something was oddly amiss and cautiously asked,

“What am I to do there?”

“Sacrifice.”

The village chief’s voice was like sharp, biting frost, sending a shiver down Ebner’s spine.

“What did you say?”

The old man squinted his eyes, smiling as he said,

“I will choose three people to accompany you. Either they are outsiders, or they are edge-case individuals in the village without relatives, essentially unimportant, and they will be your ‘offering’ to carry with you.”

The more Ebner listened, the wider his eyes opened in shock! He could hardly believe that the unremarkable old village chief would do such a thing!

“As for your task, it’s to ‘deliver the offering’ to the Stars Embrace Order…”

“The Stars Embrace Order!”

Ebner felt as if struck by lightning. Of course, he had heard of the Stars Embrace Order and knew very well that it was a heretical cult that the Salvation Church was particularly keen to apprehend.

He stretched out a trembling hand and said loudly, “This cannot be!”

“Do you know, if we really collude with the Stars Embrace Order and it gets discovered, we could be put on the gallows!”