Chapter 484 - 482: Sacrificing Blood to the Elven Spirit?

With Meow-White’s explanation, Hilia finally understood how they’d gotten caught.

Hilia said speechlessly, "With strength like yours, why are you trying to join the fun? You even want to take down a heretic stronghold. Back when I was only Second-tier, I only dared to... oh, right, I forgot, I already took care of a bunch of heretic strongholds when I was Second-tier."

Meow-White bowed deeply. "Thank you, Benefactor, for saving us again!"

Hilia said, "Weren’t you saying you came here to travel? How did you end up running in here?"

The two exchanged a look, and Meow-White said, "Sorry for hiding it from you before, Benefactor. Actually, we came to Dragon Island from thousands of miles away for Dragon Island’s Volcanic Stones."

"It’s not like Dragon Island is the only place in the world with volcanoes. The Beastman Empire has them too, right?"

"There aren’t any around our tribe, and the volcano in the Beastman Empire is controlled by the Tigerfolk, plus the Volcanic Stones it produces are poor quality."

"So why are you going out of your way to get Volcanic Stones?"

"It’s related to our tribe’s totem evolution. We can’t tell you the specifics, sorry." Meow-White bowed again.

Hilia waved her hand. "Alright, alright, if you can’t say then forget it. You’ve already gotten quite a lot of Volcanic Stones, right? Hurry up and leave."

The two shook their heads. Meow-Blue said, "Meow-Blue can’t leave yet. Besides Volcanic Stones, we still need Molten Fire, and we can’t get out right now anyway."

Hilia raised a brow. "Why can’t you leave?"

Meow-White said, "Did you not know, Benefactor? The Blue Dragon Empire doesn’t restrict people coming in, but getting out is very hard. Anything we obtain inside, we have to pay the Blue Dragon Empire Gold Coins for before we can leave. We’re planning to wait until everyone clashes with the Blue Dragon Empire, then use the chaos to slip away."

"The Blue Dragon Empire charges money? That part I really didn’t know."

No wonder the Blue Dragon Empire isn’t nervous at all.

Turns out they’re just waiting outside, letting people in on purpose so they can make money off them.

A single Volcanic Stone isn’t expensive, but a lot of Volcanic Stones stops being cheap.

And you can’t exactly claim you just picked them up. After all, this is the center of their capital—under the Blue Dragon Empire’s law, it all belongs to the Blue Dragon Empire. Anything taken from inside belongs to them. Them demanding some payment to let you take things out is perfectly normal.

Ross laughed and said, "Basically, this volcano is the Blue Dragon Empire’s orchard. Outsiders coming in to pick stuff up are like people entering their orchard to pick fruit. They have no idea how much you eat inside, but if you want to carry anything out, you’ve got to pay."

Hilia suddenly got it.

Meow-Blue said, "The prices they charge are too high. One Volcanic Stone costs 1 Gold Coin. We can’t afford it, a lot of people can’t. Riots break out every time, and that’s when we plan to sneak out."

"Are you... sure you can sneak out?"

Hilia was very doubtful.

Given these two’s situation—getting grabbed every now and then—and they’re talking about sneaking out? They’ll probably just get caught again.

Meow-White vowed confidently, "We have our ways. We’ll definitely get out."

Hilia thought for a moment and said, "Then wait for me and go together. I don’t want to pay either."

This was picked up by me, with my own skills. How could I possibly pay?

Hilia wasn’t about to pay either.

Normally Volcanic Stones are only 20 Silver Coins apiece. Even if Dragon Island’s Volcanic Stones are a bit special, they shouldn’t be going for 1 Gold Coin each.

Plus, the Volcanic Stones here are really tiny—each one only the size of a candy bean. Total rip-off.

"That’s great! With Benefactor together with us, we’ll definitely get out smoothly." Meow-Blue said happily.

Meow-White said, "Then we’ll go wait for Benefactor first. It’s in the northern part of the volcano area. There’s a ravine there, and a mark near it. We’ll wait for you there, Benefactor."

"Meow-Blue’s eyesight is really good. As long as Benefactor flies nearby, she’ll definitely see you!"

Hilia nodded. "Alright, you two head over first."

Meow-White said, "Could Benefactor help us look for some Molten Fire? Molten Fire only exists on the volcano’s peak and inside the volcano. We can’t get in..."

"Of course I can. But it won’t be free, you know."

"Mm, mm! We understand! We’ll definitely give Benefactor a reward she’s satisfied with!"

"..."

Once outside, Hilia suddenly noticed that the Third-tier heretic who’d been tied up had woken up.

His eyes were vacant, but when the three of them came out, his gaze fixed onto Hilia.

He opened his mouth and rasped, "Th-thank... you."

Hilia paused, walked over, and asked with interest, "What are you thanking me for?"

Having been forcefully cleansed of the corruption inside him, he was extremely weak, panting heavily with every word. "Thank you... for letting me... be freed. Damn Tower of Descent... actually tricked me."

Hilia asked, "What did they trick you about?"

"They lied and said that by garrisoning here, I could obtain a Fire Spirit to help me advance further."

"And you actually knew that was a lie?" Hilia asked in surprise.

"Yes." A look of lingering fear appeared on his face. "What Fire Spirit? It was clearly a Death Spirit. Thinking about it now... the Tower of Descent obviously wanted... all of us, including those Mercenaries who came in, to be used as sacrifices for the Fire Spirit’s growth."

Hilia’s heart stirred. "What else do you know?"

Perhaps out of anger, or perhaps out of resignation, the Mage spoke without hesitation. "I also know they plan to use the Fire Spirit as the sacrificial offering, with Mages’ blood as the guide, to call upon their Gods."

"Which Gods does the Tower of Descent serve? Evil God Ross?" Hilia asked again.

"No... I don’t know who. I only know they’re going to call Gods... and it’ll be tonight, after the volcano erupts..."

"You’re going to kill all the Mages who came in and then commit suicide?" Hilia asked.

There were quite a few Fourth-tier Mages who had come in, and even some hidden Fifth-tier ones. As for whether there were any Sixth-tier, Hilia didn’t know, but there definitely might be.

Because rumor had it that Erina had advanced to Seventh-tier using the Fire Spirit, surpassing the human limit. That kind of thing has an enormous pull on Sixth-tiers, enough to make them lose their minds, even if it’s just an unverified rumor.

If High-tier Mages are all gathered together, it’s not at all certain the Tower of Descent can handle them.

"I don’t know. I was only ordered to garrison this stronghold and, after night falls, to clash with the Dragon Rider Corps. In that clash, I’m to die and offer my blood to the Fire Spirit."

Hilia’s brows slowly knitted together.

The Tower of Descent wants to pull some big stunt too?

What exactly are they planning?

Hilia couldn’t figure it out either.

But instinctively, she felt that this trip to the volcano had just gotten a lot more dangerous.

"I just don’t know how they’re planning to deal with Captain Erina."

Hilia pondered for a moment, then shook her head and decided not to think about it anymore.

There was too little critical information. She didn’t know anything.

Anyway, she knew enough to see that the heretics were going to seize the chance again to make some big move.

"Going by the Tower of Descent’s style, their approach might be to incite the Mercenaries to clash with the Blue Dragon Empire’s Dragon Rider Corps, letting the Fire Spirit absorb the blood that’s spilled?"

Is the Tower of Descent really that certain they’ll get their hands on the Fire Spirit?

Hilia tapped her forehead.

"Forget it, I’m done thinking about it. When the time comes I’ll just stay far away and make sure I don’t get caught up in the fighting."