Chapter 227 Infiltration
The night was deep, and the air in Port Beren was filled with the salty sea breeze and the mixed scent unique to the port. Li Wen hid in the shadows opposite Church Street, her figure completely concealed by her cloak. The conversations of wealthy merchants had long since faded, but the content of their words echoed repeatedly in Li Wen’s mind.
First were the sailors brought back from the dead. In this world, death was the end. Apart from a few special path abilities under the gods, only spells or potions with extreme limitations and costs could rewrite the fact of death. However, true “resurrection” was almost unheard of.
Of course, this was before the appearance of Players.
The so-called “eternal life and resurrection” as advertised by the Divine Cult of Eternal Blessing, such as the experiences of those sailors, sounded astonishingly like the resurrection mechanism of Players in a game. This seemed to directly indicate that the core members of the Divine Cult of Eternal Blessing, or at least the tools they used to display “miracles,” were likely Players.
Secondly, there was that abnormal intelligence capability, the ability to accurately predict business trends and even grasp leverage that could topple other people’s fleets. This did not seem like the ability of an ordinary cult leader. Could this indicate that the Cult Leader must be a Transcendent, and moreover, a Transcendent of the path with precognition and divination abilities?
Finally, the Divine Cult of Eternal Blessing was also searching for the sea area that was suspected to seal the Soul Lord. This could hardly be a coincidence. What was their goal? Was this related to the event of releasing the Soul Lord in her previous life? Or, could it be that the audacious Player who released the Soul Lord was also a member of the cult?
Li Wen stood in the shadows, her thoughts surging like a tide. Her main goal in coming to Port Beren was to investigate clues about the Soul Lord, hoping to find information related to the Rotting Original Text. Now, the Divine Cult of Eternal Blessing and the underwater ruins of Black Reef Bay both clearly pointed to the same target.
She now had two options. One was to find a ship to go to Black Reef Bay. Fu Qingyan’s Sea Chart had already provided the precise coordinates. However, that sea area was said to be extremely dangerous, with dense reefs, and lacked reliable ships and guides familiar with the local hydrology. Rushing there carried extremely high risks. The second was to investigate the Divine Cult of Eternal Blessing. This organization held clues to Black Reef Bay and might know more about the sealing of the Soul Lord, or might even be closely related to the Soul Lord themselves.
Understanding their background might help her in going to Black Reef Bay, or it might expose their potentially dangerous intentions. However, directly engaging with an organization possessing unknown abilities and methods carried risks that were equally difficult to estimate.
Weighing the pros and cons, Li Wen believed that the Divine Cult of Eternal Blessing was the actively exposed and active force at present. Their interest in Black Reef Bay made investigating them particularly urgent. If the cult took action before she went to the ruins, it could lead to unpredictable consequences.
Li Wen’s gaze pierced through the night, fixing tightly on the silent building. She had to find a way to contact the cult’s leader, or at the very least, capture a core member for information.
Without any hesitation, Li Wen’s fading figure, like a ghost, silently flew towards the church.
She landed lightly on the eaves on the side of the church, her ability to conceal herself granted by Reverse in Shadow allowing her to blend perfectly with the night. The church windows were covered by heavy curtains, but a gap at the edge still allowed a faint light to penetrate. She cautiously approached and peered inside through the gap.
The interior of the church was much simpler than she had imagined. The gray stone walls were undecorated, the floor was covered with rough wooden planks, and several rows of benches were neatly arranged. At the front was a simple wooden pulpit with a large red cross on it. The entire space was illuminated by a few oil lamps, the light dim and flickering.
Confirming that it was empty, she pushed open the window and silently infiltrated.
After landing, Li Wen observed again. At least the church’s main hall was not guarded, nor was anyone performing any prayer-related work here, as if the chapel was purely a prop.
This was unusual. At least not long ago, she had seen quite a few people entering and exiting this church.
Li Wen moved along the wall, checking one by one. Soon, in a corner behind the cross, she discovered a wooden door leading underground. Muffled conversations were coming from inside.
She quietly approached the door and listened. Several people were talking inside, their tones hurried and tense.
“The ship is ready. It can depart by midnight tomorrow at the earliest,” said a hoarse male voice. “But the water conditions in Black Reef Bay are too complex. If we don’t want to capsize halfway, we’d better have more time to prepare.”
“There’s no time,” another voice interrupted him coldly. This voice sounded younger but carried undeniable authority. “The Cult Leader has given the order. We must reach Cape of Submergence within three days, ahead of everyone else. That means the ship must sail tomorrow.”
“But that sea area is too dangerous,” the hoarse voice argued. “The scout boat sent last time still hasn’t returned. We—”
“Enough! I don’t want to hear your excuses,” the young voice snapped. “Your family members were also blessed by the Cult Leader, weren’t they? Why, after receiving benefits, do you want to disobey him, to disobey us? The Cult Leader has foreseen everything. The lackeys from the Disciplinary Bureau are already closing in. We must hurry. The ship must sail by midnight tomorrow.”
After a moment of silence, the hoarse voice reluctantly replied, “Yes, I will handle everything.”
Just as Li Wen was about to continue listening, heavy footsteps sounded behind her. She turned to look and saw a tall figure standing less than three meters behind her at some unknown time.
“I was wondering why tonight was so noisy. So a fly has flown in.”
It was a High Mountain Race person, over three meters tall, with well-developed muscles and skin as rough as mountain rock. He wore a white robe embroidered with a red cross, a giant battle axe hanging from his waist. Most striking were his eyes; they had no pupils, and his entire eyeballs were a cloudy white, yet they “stared” directly at Li Wen’s location.
“Intruder,” the High Mountain Race person said in a low voice, like two stones grinding together. “Has anyone told you that it’s best not to trust the sense of security brought by the night?”
Li Wen’s heart skipped a beat. These children of the mountains, descendants of giants, possessed bodies as tough as the earth and amazing adaptability to the environment. Especially their senses. It was said that even in the harshest alpine environments, the High Mountain Race could track prey by subtle changes in airflow or extremely faint sounds, and even locate the existence of prey in blizzards where visibility was impossible.
It seemed that this rumor was true.
