Chapter 73 (1/2)

Chapter 73: The Sinister Bandit Hideout

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Ample preparation was of the utmost importance before a battle. Jacker and the rest did an inspection of the equipment and brought along any other convenient tools they believed could help in their battle.

As Link possessed the dimensional pendant, he had the liberty to store more items—especially those that could be used in the case of emergencies, such as bread and water in case they got trapped.

Time stopped within the dimensional pendant. Link was thus not worried that these items would be corrupted by the Occultic Runes.

He also brought around 20 magic scrolls which he wrote during his free time. They contained Level-0 and Level-1 spells, allowing him to rapidly cast spells without consuming his Mana.

These magic scrolls indirectly increased Link’s Maximum Mana, the thing limiting his battle competency. Lastly, Link also brought along a low-level Mana recovery potion.

He bought this potion for 20 gold coins from Herrera. This potion allowed him to recover 100 Mana instantly. Link was well prepared with gear to overcome his weakness of having a low Maximum Mana limit.

It wasn’t long before they were ready. General Anderson also looked more refreshed after a satisfying meal. “Let’s go,” Link said.

Anderson was surprised at the quality of the magic weapons Link and his comrades had with them. He wanted to inquire more when his noble upbringing stopped him from poking into other’s affairs.

He explained the situation to Link along the way.

“The bandit’s hideout is too well-hidden, there are even conjuring spells cast around it. We’re lucky enough to have even captured a Syndicate bandit after circling the mountains for such a long time,” Anderson said, “The hideout is hidden in a cave within a canyon and looks extremely suspicious and eerie. As we are afraid it will be reinforced with magic, we do not want to take any chances.”

Anderson had a look of fear when talking about the hideout. He was clearly traumatized by something he saw in the canyon.

Jacker raised the question that was lingering in everyone’s heart, “What do you mean by eerie?”

Anderson recounted what he had seen with a pale face, “After finding the canyon, I personally led a group of soldiers into the canyon to investigate. However, less than 60 feet in, we felt as though there was a voice in our head, similar to that of a demon’s whisper trying to bewitch you to the dark side. Just when we were about to turn back, a soldier went insane, his eyes were bloodshot red and his body twitched uncontrollably, attacking everyone in sight. In the short process of our retreat, at least three soldiers lost their minds and we had no choice but to kill them. When we got out of the canyon and turned back to mourn for the dead soldiers, we saw them standing back on their feet again like zombies! Oh, in the name of the God of Light, I bet there is a Necromancer hiding in the canyon!”

Anderson was stricken with fear. His voice rose by a few decibels when he recounted the story and there was a genuine cloud of dread in his eyes.

Link frowned and cast an Aura Detection spell on himself.

Anderson’s aura was immediately clear to him. The strongest aura surrounding him was green in color. Anderson was a Level-4 Royal Knight with a wind element Battle Aura— it was thus no surprise that his wind elemental aura would be strong. However, the outermost layer of his aura was covered by a thin black veil, with skeleton figures emerging ever so often. It was as though the aura itself was alive.

Anderson was cursed by a type of black magic. He was able to resist its full effect due to his strong powers, only causing it to slightly affect his demeanor.

In this period, Link had also been learning other spells in addition to enchanting spells, especially so when he felt like taking a break from his research into enchanting magic

One of them was the Level-2 spell, Guarding Barrier, and the other was a Level-1 dispelling spell.

Of course, as time was tight, these were all basic spells without any enchantment from Supreme Magic Skills, but they were more than sufficient to deal with the current situation.

Dispel spells consumed very few Mana points. The average Mana consumption for a Level-1 spell was six Mana Points, while a Level-1 dispelling spell only consumed 3 Mana points. Link’s Maximum Mana now was full at 148 points. He pointed his wand at Anderson and released the dispelling spell.

A warm glow of light enveloped the wand and gently flowed towards Anderson like a trickle of clear spring water; it spiraled down his body and disappeared in a shining sparkle.

Link checked on Anderson once again using his Aura Detection spell. The black aura that was enveloping him had already disappeared. It seemed that it was merely a Level-1 curse, and while it was super effective on normal soldiers, it would not have a huge effect on strong opponents.

Under the effect of the magic, Anderson could clearly feel a weight off his shoulder and the grasp of fear gripping his heart slowly loosening. On his way back from the forest, he was pale and afraid to even stare into the dark corners of the forest.

Now, he could bask in the warm and comforting sunlight of the Girvent Forest and enjoy listening to the melodious chirping of birds. He took a deep breath of the fresh air lined with the refreshing smell of the clear morning dew. The fatigue from his sleepless night seemed to be instantaneously lifted.

“Feeling better?” Link laughed.

“I feel like I was reborn,” Anderson chirped with joy.

“If I am not wrong, a black magic formation was placed in that canyon and it’ll afflict anyone who enters with a curse. As for the resurrection of the dead, it could have been an illusion or indeed the work of a Necromancer, I cannot be sure until I have seen it with my own eyes.”

“Can it be dispelled?” Anderson hastily asked.

“It’s definitely possible if the origin of the magic can be traced,” Link answered.

Actually, he knew the exact reason for the resurrection. It was neither illusion magic nor Necromancy, but a type of divine spell from the sacrificial altar of Shadow Stalker Morpheus.

Morpheus was an extremely powerful Legendary character at the pinnacle that had come into contact with the Origin. He was currently preparing a seal that could contain even the power of gods, explaining the abundance of sacrificial altars in the Syndicate’s hideout. Many of the Syndicate’s bandits worshipped Morpheus as a god, providing him with some sort of divine powers. However, he was unable to fully control such powers as he was technically still a mortal, hence causing some of these powers to remain in the sacrificial altars. It eventually turned into black magic that resurrected the dead as protectors of the altars.