Chapter 443 - 441: Has Hilia Died?
"What? Hilia used emergency teleportation, but disappeared?"
The news reached the frontline, and Melina’s breath hitched involuntarily.
Blake, standing nearby, slightly furrowed his brow, "What’s going on? Why wasn’t the teleportation completed?"
The mage who came to report braced himself and said, "We aren’t very clear on that. In such a situation, there’s only one possibility..."
He didn’t voice that possibility, hesitated, and after a while, said, "But we have found the location where Hilia initiated the teleportation."
He looked toward the majestic fortress at the center of the Deep Sea Fortress.
"It’s inside that fortress, in the southeast corner."
A terrifying aura burst out from Blake and Melina, instantly pressing the reporting mage to the ground.
Melina reached out her hand, shielding the reporting mage from the oppressive force.
She took a deep breath three times, clenching her fists, "Damn heretics, I... I shouldn’t have let Hilia execute such a dangerous mission."
Blake’s eyes glittered coldly, "It’s not your fault. It was my proposal. It’s my problem. I’ll eliminate all the heretics and then atone to the Holy Master."
Melina’s aura was continually escalating, "No, it’s my fault. Hilia kept refusing once she found out, but I still hoped she would carry out the mission. Perhaps... she already realized the danger back then, which is why she kept refusing. But in the end, for the Holy Court, for the entire world, she agreed."
The reporting mage was embarrassed.
What are you two doing here?
Blake suddenly looked at the reporting mage, "Apart from that possibility, are you sure there isn’t any other possibility?"
Naturally, they could think of what possibility it might be.
Discovered by enemy mages, intercepting the teleportation, or else reducing Hilia to ashes as the teleportation completed.
But the latter would leave some ashes as proof that Hilia intended to return.
Now, with no ashes to speak of, there’s only one possibility, that the teleportation was intercepted.
Although her fate remains unknown, but...
"Apart from that possibility, I cannot think of any other," the reporting mage said.
He of course couldn’t imagine that someone could modify a teleportation badge, which is almost a one-time-use item, to be used multiple times and alter its teleportation coordinates.
This was beyond his common knowledge.
"Can we confirm if Hilia is dead?" Blake asked.
The mage shook his head, "We cannot be sure."
Who dares to confirm without knowing for certain?
Melina’s heart ignited with a glimmer of hope, "Perhaps Hilia isn’t dead, maybe she’s still fiercely resisting the heretic attacks..."
She paused and then looked at Blake.
The same idea popped into both their minds simultaneously.
Quickly, various orders were sent out.
With only one objective, break through swiftly and rescue Hilia!
...
Underground.
Hilia stepped out from the teleportation gate, observing her surroundings.
A room surrounded by white metal on all sides, very spacious, at least 100 square meters.
On the walls around the room hung four crystal lamps, emitting a faint light that illuminated the entire room.
Hilia sensed it and found the metallic walls of the room had an array fluctuation.
Judging from the fluctuation, it was a normal array combining reinforcement and concealment, lacking offensive and defensive capabilities, serving only to reinforce.
However, the metal constructing the house was very solid.
"Even a Tier Four Mage can’t destroy these walls, where did they find this?"
Hilia muttered to herself.
Rose smiled faintly, "Their leader is at least a Tier Six Mage and can receive the oracles of the Gods, obtaining some high-strength materials is a matter of ease."
Hilia habitually cast a Disguise Skill on herself, transforming into a white shadow.
The Mage’s Hand became spiritual power, stealthily spreading out to see if there’s anyone outside.
Leaving this spacious room, outside was a corridor resembling a "Y" shape, with turns at every corner.
But upon careful inspection, Hilia found the place was not large; the ends of the "Y" connected to a room, and there was nothing beyond that.
The air here felt no different from the outside; she didn’t know how they managed to bring in the air from outside.
"And I don’t know how deep this place is."
"About a thousand meters underground, right beneath the Golden Apple Stone Forest’s array," Rose said.
"That’s really deep."
Hilia was surprised.
She left the room and arrived in the corridor.
Here... there wasn’t a single person.
Hilia hesitated for a moment and decided not to break into each room individually to see what was going on.
Here, she could easily sense the array of the Golden Apple Stone Forest.
At the same time, she also sensed the authority key linked with the array, acting as a guide pointing towards the deepest door.
Hilia thought that outside, they must have discovered her disappearance and would react somehow.
She decided to move quickly.
"It seems everyone here has been gathered and gone out to battle, which is good news."
Although she didn’t know what was in those branching rooms, nor why the corridor was empty, Hilia decided to first obtain the authority key and reactivate the array of the Golden Apple Stone Forest.
Soon, she arrived in front of the grand door, touched it, and found that the door’s material was similar to the walls, very hard.
"I can’t open it with my strength."
Hilia thought for a moment, placed her hand against the door, and prepared to see if she could open it through controlling the array.
But after some time, she withdrew her hand.
"Seems like it doesn’t require array control to open."
Hilia felt frustrated and a bit anxious.
At this moment, the door before her began to move, slowly opening.
In response, Hilia prepared for battle, quickly summoning the Magic Puppet.
The scene behind the door gradually came into Hilia’s view.
It was a vast, open space, large enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people.
At the center of the space was a high platform, upon which a certain item was revered...
The Heart of the Magic Puppet?
Hilia was taken aback.
A hand suddenly appeared, grabbing the Heart of the Magic Puppet, and a voice echoed —
"You’re Hilia, right? I didn’t expect you would actually find your way here."
Hilia looked at the person who appeared suddenly.
The figure was cloaked in a deep blue robe.
But Hilia recognized the person’s identity at a glance.
"Leader of the Deep Sea Mutual Aid Association!"
Hilia had previously observed alongside the Law Enforcement Knight Order when visiting the main camp, knowing this was the Tier Six Mage controlling the giant magic puppet.
The scene of them opposing Melina and Blake with the giant magic puppet flashed before her eyes.
Although ultimately, they couldn’t defeat Melina and Blake, who employed the special Purification Skill.
But, this wasn’t something the current Hilia could handle.
Hilia’s heart was racing.
What’s going on?
Wasn’t this big shot supposed to be up there battling Mr. Blake?
Why are they here?
Hilia became flustered.
The leader slowly lifted his head, revealing the partly visible grotesque visage within the hood.
It was covered in numerous gray lines caused by pollution, like networked earthworms.