1533 Burning Evil Eye (1/2)
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
The Sunset Valley was not part of the battlefield. In fact, it was located behind enemy lines. They purposely took the long route around a huge canyon to reach their destination. General Fenna had provided them with the safest path.
Cairo was currently in a defensive position. It was unlikely they would try to ambush the demon creatures from behind. They were only hoping for the fighting to end, instead of starting new battles.
Unlike the battlefield, demon creatures did not actively roam around behind their own armies, but their density was still quite high. The group would stumble into a powerful creature every one or two kilometers.
Fighting the creatures was only going to attract more attention. Luckily, the group mainly consisted of elites. They knew how to preserve their energy and avoid the demon creatures as they made their way toward their destination.
”Did you notice? They are squads patrolling close to the Sunset Shrine. Each of the Silver Snake Warriors is leading a bunch of snakemen soldiers. I don't think they are just roaming around. Let's try to avoid them,” Chad noticed, pointing at some demon creatures ahead.
The Silver Snake Warriors were completely covered by silver scales. They looked like armored warriors riding snake-like beasts from afar. These Silver Snake Warriors rarely invaded human territory, as they were the most loyal guards of the Medusae!
The Silver Snake Warriors were no weaker than Brutal Sword Death Servants. Mo Fan's group would have no trouble taking them out, but they would be exposed the moment a fight started. They would then have to take on huge groups of Silver Snake Warriors!
”We have come to the right place. They are a lot of Silver Snake Warriors here,” Benz said softly.
”They are patrolling very frequently. How are we supposed to get inside the Sunset Shrine?” Zoey asked.
”That's easy. These Silver Snake Warriors are particularly fond of the Sunset Demon Mice. I saw a nest of demon mice nearby. We can find a way to lure the Sunset Demon Mice here and make them run around the Sunset Shrine. These Silver Snake Warriors will instinctively chase after them. We should be able to find an opening!” Chad replied swiftly.
---
The Sunset Demon Mice were not very powerful, yet the snake beasts still struggled to catch them, since the demon mice were innately good at running away from them.
However, it was very easy for humans to catch them. They just needed to smoke them out with the Poison Element and trap them with Ice Lock and Plant Magic traps. The pack of Sunset Demon Mice immediately became bait to lure the Silver Snake Warriors away!
The plan was a success. The group sneaked past the area the Silver Snake Warriors were patrolling. The black silhouette of the Sunset Shrine under the dim moonlight gradually entered their vision.
The ancient ruins of the Sunset Shrine were monolithic. The site contained over thirty structures of different sizes, each with a spacious garden and a watchtower. The structures spread across the place in a fixed pattern, making the Sunset Shrine feel more like a dilapidated ancient city. The collapsed beams, the half-exposed halls, the weeds crawling all over the place, and an altar that was covered by plants... not a single thing was preserved.
”What now?” Vani seriously had no clue what the plan was.
”We wait, until the morning,” Mo Fan said.
”Why?” Ferrero asked.
”Just do as you're told. Feel free to leave if you don't want to,” Mo Fan grunted.
Ferrero was displeased by the reply, yet did not say a word.
---
The group hid inside a hall covered in debris and rocks. They had no idea what the hall was built with. The place actually looked quite new, and did not feel like it had been around for a few thousand years. It looked as if it had been exposed to the wind and rain for only a few hundred years.
The ancient ruins of the Sunset Shrine were quite sturdy. Most ancient ruins would only have some foundations or a few rocks left after a few thousand years, but the Sunset Shrine's framework remained standing even today. It was a lot bigger than they had imagined.
Benz kept scratching his back, as if he was being bitten by some poisonous bugs.
The others did not take note of it at first, but when Benz kept scratching it every few minutes, Chad realized that something did not feel right.
”Benz, your back is about to fester!” Chad exclaimed.
”My back is itching a lot... aren't you guys feeling it too?” Benz asked.
”Now that you mention it, it does feel...” Sofia said awkwardly.
Zoey immediately went behind Sofia and checked on her back. She noticed some red marks with bumps like chickenpox. Her condition was slightly better than Benz, but she was obviously poisoned too!
”I...I think I can feel it too...” Zhao Manyan said.
The strange condition continued to spread among the group, as if it was contagious. Even Mo Fan had itchy bumps on his arms!