Chapter 667 - 665: Unbelievably Smooth
Once it was confirmed that the so-called ’key’ had to do with the demons, the next steps were simple.
Hilia first returned with Phil to Forest City, stayed until the agreed time, and then proceeded to the next city, ready to repeat their strategy.
It seemed the ’key’ was concentrating power, so afterward, even if a Beast Tide broke through, it was only in small batches. Once the Elf Royal Court dispatched new patrols to replace the lost ones, the two received their final reward and left elegantly.
Hilia handed half of the gold coins to Phil, but Phil refused. Eventually, she insisted and Phil took only a small portion.
The subsequent actions went smoothly. Upon arriving at the second satellite city, a Beast Tide erupted swiftly the following day. Once again, Hilia helped solve the Beast Tide, while Phil absorbed the mysterious force within the tide.
What was different was that the two had changed their disguises, and this time no patrols went missing. The Beast Tide appeared from locations undiscovered by the patrols.
By the time the patrols went to investigate, Phil had already gathered the key, and the Beast Tide dissipated.
The residual transmission energy was extremely chaotic, making it virtually impossible to pinpoint the transmission’s origin. Hilia was not versed in space-type magic, but she learned from Rose that this transmission residual couldn’t be deduced because it had passed through the Abyss to transmit, and such transmissions via a stepping-stone have a high failure rate, likely lost in spatial turbulence.
In other words, the demons transmitted might only comprise one-tenth of the intended group, with the remainder lost in the turbulence.
At the second city, due to the change in disguise, they became mages eager to help, earning some thanks, though not much, from the City Lord.
After leaving, Phil looked towards the next city with a touch of worry.
"It feels like we’re being pushed by some mysterious force; the Beast Tide doesn’t come unless we do. When we arrive, the tide follows... I’m a bit concerned."
Hilia smiled slightly, "Don’t worry, maybe it’s just a trial from the Gods. Only by successfully passing the trial can we obtain the Divine Relic, right?"
"That’s reasonable, but..."
The image of Rose flashed in Phil’s mind, causing some anxiety.
She hesitated for a moment and said, "How about letting me handle the next one, Hilia? Although I’m not as efficient at purifying the demons as you are, I can still manage them. Let me do it."
Hilia: "?"
"I’m worried this isn’t a gift from the Gods, but... someone else’s trap."
"Trap?"
Hilia paused, secretly glancing at Rose.
Rose chuckled, "You’ll understand when you reach the final place."
"Alright."
Hilia set aside her curiosity, reassured Phil, and then continued onward.
In the third and fourth cities, though the Beast Tide emerged shortly after their arrival, thanks to Hilia’s resistance, the tide caused no significant impact on the cities.
When the last wave of the Beast Tide ended, a root-shaped ’key’ condensed in Phil’s hand. Phil took out the other keys as if sensing them. The other keys gradually glowed and began to merge.
Moments later, a small tree resembling a dead tree appeared in Phil’s hand.
The branches spread out but had no leaves. It emitted a faint glow, pointing toward the Elf Royal City.
"It seems... it worked?" Phil blinked, feeling uncertain.
Hilia smiled, "Then let’s head to the Royal City now."
"Okay."
Phil’s doubts persisted.
But having spent so much time on this, they wouldn’t be satisfied without seeing whether it truly was a relic or something else.
After quietly leaving the city, Hilia said, "We must have caught the Elf Royal Court’s attention. The Beast Tide attacks cities while a mage can swiftly solve massive Beast Tides; such ’coincidence’ can’t escape the Court’s notice. We need to be cautious when heading to the Elf Royal City, unlike these cities with just a few Tier Four Mages, the Royal City has a lot of Tier Six Mages."
Phil nodded, indicating she understood.
"Anyway, it’s time for the unveiling... Maybe we should contact Ms. Meilina, to see how she’s doing."
Hilia quickly contacted Melina, informing her of Phil’s progress.
While they acted near the Elf Royal City, they didn’t hide this from Melina. The Holy Master was keenly interested in the progress of obtaining the Divine Relic.
In the shadows, there were definitely Tier Five, or even Tier Six Mages watching them, ensuring they stayed out of danger.
Hilia was aware but didn’t seek them out, nor asked Rose to inform her.
Melina’s projection soon appeared before them.
Upon seeing them, she smiled.
"It seems our two Little Saintesses have successfully obtained the fourth key."
Hilia nodded, "We are currently heading to the Elf Royal City to find where the relic is located. By the way, how have things been lately? I’ve never asked."
Melina replied, "Be cautious, don’t cast any spells lightly in the Royal City. As for the situation, the Elf Royal Court has found ways to steer the demons. They’ve attracted large numbers of demons towards the Star Spirit Forbidden Land, the borders of the Beastman Empire, and our own borders. Many demons have already crossed into Ista territory. My, this Elf King is utterly incompetent."
So, they did opt for that approach?
Hilia thought to herself.
After gathering more information, Hilia cut off the contact.
Due to Phil’s presence, she hadn’t contacted Elina and wasn’t too clear on the Royal Court’s deployment plans, having to rely on Melina for insight.
However, she could only see the surface.
Recently, the Elf Royal Court had mobilized a large number of Elf Race units to hold the front, preventing its breakthrough near the Elf Royal City.
Yet, as they intentionally drove demons towards other nations, several villages, and even towns suffered demon attacks, causing quite a few casualties.
In such counterproductive behavior, Hilia could only inwardly curse the Elf Royal Court and join other empires in condemning their actions.
From then on, all she could do was watch.
No matter how proficient she was at defeating demons, she couldn’t hold back the flood of the Beast Tide.
After ending the conversation with Melina, Hilia immersed herself in her spiritual space, querying Rose expectantly, "Lord Rose mentioned that we’d know at the last location. Can we know now?"
Rose nodded, as a thread of Divine Power flowed, a mirror surfaced in front of Hilia.
Hilia peered in, discovering it resembled a place she’d visited before—the absolute core of the underground array in the Elf Forest—
The place where the fragment of the Divine Format lay as the foundation.