Chapter 85
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Chapter 85: Arcane Artifact
In the Foggy Zone, southwest of Troven Hill, within the abandoned mine tunnels.
The two most elite groups of the City Guard were closing in on a newly discovered rebel encampment. This was the fourth camp that they have found, and judging by its location at the deepest level of the mines, it was likely the last one.
The deafening roar of gunfire echoed through the narrow passages, each shot reverberating off the stone walls, straining the ears of all caught in its fury. The rebels’ counterattacks were relentless, their resistance fierce and unyielding. Time and again, they had driven back the City Guard, repelling several assaults with brutal precision, leaving the air thick with tension and the sharp scent of gunpowder.
Indeed, the enemies were also armed with muskets. Heaven only knew where they had obtained these weapons from.
“Watch out for grenade!” someone shouted.
Immediately after the cry, a thunderous explosion ripped through the air, shaking the very ground beneath. A searing fireball erupted, flooding the mine tunnel with a light as brilliant as daylight itself. For a fleeting moment, it burned with furious intensity, only to be overtaken by thick, choking black smoke. The scorching winds that followed howled through the passage, carrying the smell of burning rock and causing the pebbles scattered along the ground to crackle like embers in a dying fire.
“Cough… Cough… Cough…” Deputy Wudi leaned against cover, his eyes watering and nose streaming due to the thick smoke. Fortunately, the ventilation shafts in these abandoned tunnels were still functioning properly, otherwise, no one could endure several more of such explosions.
This was the fourth day of the big cleanup operation.
They had scoured Troven Hill like a sieve, from its heights to the depths below, moving the battlefield from surface to an underground warfare. Wudi had initially thought that this would be a easy training exercise for his troops, but the Rebels’ determination far exceeded his expectations. What was even more unsettling was that no one could have predicted what happened just before Shandela announced their attack. No one among them had anticipated such a formidable underground force hidden so close to Glorious Fortress! This secret force was mainly comprised of Nepheid miners who were using abandoned mine tunnels as their hideout, They had been secretly building up their strength. If it weren’t for this cleanup operation, who knows what shocking acts these rebels might have planned?
“Dammit, they still have explosives!”
“No kidding, it’s their tool for blasting mountains and mining; of course they’d have them!” Soldiers grumbled at each other as they resumed clearing the passages.
Every time the enemy set off an explosion, the city guards would temporarily stop advancing. Despite having superior firepower, the guards struggled to break through the rebels’ defenses.
Even Wudi had to admit that fighting in these dark mines was much more challenging than dealing pirates on open seas.
“Report: Lite’s scouting team has discovered a side entrance which leads directly into the enemy camp,” a subordinate informed him.
Upon hearing this report, Wudi’s spirits lifted. “Where is Team Three? Order them follow Lite and let’s do our best to divert enemy attention—”
“No need for that,” a familiar voice suddenly cut off his orders. “Your reinforcements have arrived.”
Wudi turned around to find Priestess Ge Wei of the Divine Machine Church standing alone with an oil lamp in hand, without any attendants accompanying her. In the flickering light of the flames, the black iron nails piercing her lips and ears seemed to emit a faint glow as well.
If anyone else had come alone claimed to be their reinforcement, they would have undoubtedly faced Wudi’s rebuke. However, when these words came from the priestess’s mouth, not a single person dared to utter a word to her. This was because they had all witnessed her capabilities before.
“May I ask…where is Lady Shandela?” Wudi whispered cautiously.
“She is overseeing the trial for the cultists and can’t divert her attention to you just yet. Even though we both know those people have no connection with the cult, but that’s not how the masses think. They’d rather have a false answer than none at all.” Ge Wei shrugged. “So…here I am again.”
“Your Holiness, please choose your words carefully! Such remarks are not appropriate…”
“Do you remain loyal to our Commander?” she asked, her lips curving upwards.
“Absolutely!” Wudi replied immediately. Not just him, but the other City Guard soldiers involved in the assault also nodded in agreement.
“So as long as you don’t spread this information, what difference does it make if I’ve spoken these words?” Ge Wei chuckled softly, seemingly enjoying their conflicted expressions. “Enough with the small talk. Where are the enemies?”
“At the end of this tunnel. Their camp is a mining rest area. The enemy numbers roughly—” Before Wudi could finish, he saw the priestess remove her silver cross from her back and stride swiftly towards the cave’s depths.
Despite the scattered rubble underfoot and numerous collapsed sections along the walls due to explosions, she moved unaffected, even leaping effortlessly over sharp-edged stones without hesitation. Woody knew from handling it before that the weapon she carried weighed as much as an adult man, but, it seemed weightless in her hands!
“Hurry up, cover for the priestess!” Wudi immediately grabbed his gun and rushed after her.
As soon as Ge Wei stepped into the tunnel’s entrance, the enemies’ firearms exploded into a cacophony of synchronized fire!
But the priestess held her cross upright before her, blocking most of the incoming bullets. Then, the cross began emitting a peculiar silvery glow, appearing as though an additional outline formed around its edges.
It’s coming! Wudi couldn’t help but hold his breath—
Ge Wei raised the cross, positioning its longer end forward.
In a flash, silver light swept across the enemy camp like a crescent-shaped ripple. It moved so fast it seemed both fired from the cross and caused by the cross suddenly growing larger. The ripple acted like a solid wall, crushing everything in its path to pieces!
This was the power of an arcane artifact!
No matter how many times Wudi witnessed it, he couldn’t help but feel envious.
Even as a third-tier wondrous construct, the cross massively boost its wielder’s capabilities. If this artifact had fallen into the hands of an ordinary person capable of activating arcane artifacts, a single strike would be enough to turn him into a bloody pulp instantly.
After clearing the initial obstacles, Ge Wei dropped her oil lamp and began fighting in close-quarters with the surviving enemies—this part, however, Wudi couldn’t help but criticize. Now in close-quarters the cross had become nothing more than a simple blunt weapon in her hands. With her seemingly frail frame, she charged through the wreckage illuminated by the silver glow, striking the rebel mercilessly. Anyone struck by the cross, even if they didn’t die on the spot, would likely be crippled for life.
Woody didn’t understand why she chose to engage in hand-to-hand combat when she could have ended the battle from a distance. This way, she risked getting injured herself, covered in blood, instead of letting the cross do all the work.
However, she was a great master-level priest after all, and her combat strategy wasn’t something he could question. At this moment, his only role was to share the burden of attacks with Ge Wei and help clear the battlefield. He charged out of the cave entrance, arms raised as he shouted, “We’re joining too! Watch for snipers on both sides! If you can, try to keep some alive!”
Under the relentless assault of Divine Machine Church priestess and the advancing City Guards, the Nepheid miners began to fall apart. Screams rang out, one after another, piercing the heavy air as the miners’ resistance faltered. What had begun as determined defiance was swiftly crumbling; their once bold stand now reduced to desperate, fleeting efforts.
When Wudi found Ge Wei again, he noticed that she was covered in blood, her cross smeared with gore. Heaven only knows how many skulls she’s cracked with that thing, he thought.
Across her sat a male Nepheid, having lost both legs. It was hard to tell if they’d been crushed by Ge Wei or severed by silver glow remained unclear. His eyes burned with a fierce intensity as he stared at the priest, the hatred radiating from him so strongly it was nearly tangible.
“You’ve already lost; there’s no need to persist further. Tell me, where are the followers of the Church of Hidden Mist hiding? How many are there?” Ge Wei asked calmly, crouching down before him. Her demeanor and tone starkly contrasted with her crimson skirt.
“… Ugh!” With great effort, the man spat out a mouthful of bloody foam. Ge Wei remained unflinched as she allowed the bloodied spittle to land on her face.
“Truthfully, I don’t have any issue with your rebellion. Whether you choose to band together for survival or fight against Gaotian Mining Company is not my concern. However, heretics are different—they are enemies of all living beings. Allowing heretics to perpetrate evil unchecked will lead to the complete destruction of our world,” she paused before adding. “Of course… saying ‘destruction’ might be slightly inaccurate, as the world itself would still exist. It’s just that we would no longer be who we are. To prevent such an outcome, any creature colluding with heretics must face severe punishment, regardless of whether you’re an ordinary person or a member of the Nepheids Clan.”
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