On the surface, they were ordinary adventurers, but in reality, they were a team of benevolent forces coordinated by the Harpist Alliance. Of course, it wasn't because of the request from the spice merchant, Moore. They had always treated it as a joke. Moore's Scattered Forest Tower Guild and the Harpist Alliance were mortal enemies. The only reason they didn't stab Moore the moment they met was because of the Harpist Alliance's low profile.
The reason they were troubled was because of Chen Ang! The target of this mission seemed to have disappeared. It had been a long time since they had been able to get any information about the target.
It was as if he had disappeared from this world!
The slums were changing day by day. The harpist's long list of names was filled with the stench of blood. The Skinner, the Butcher, and the Blood Eye were all lowly and troublesome characters. Even the harpist would find it difficult to deal with them. It wasn't because of the big shots, but because of the complicated forces behind them.
These people who took on the roles of brokers, stewards, low-level priests, and served as the middlemen who controlled the lower levels of society in Deep Water City. They might not have great strength or influence, but they were troublesome enough because they were part of the order of this city!
The leader of the adventurer team, Elwin, looked at the 11-inch long name list in his hand with an indescribably ugly expression. Behind the densely packed names were the corpses of the Skinner and the Butcher.
The bartender, Lime, wiped the mug in his hand absentmindedly, but his eyes never left the entrance of the tavern. His thick knuckles moved inch by inch across the surface of the mug, the muscles under his linen clothes relaxed. There was no doubt that his hands could snap the neck of a twelve-foot tall ogre in the blink of an eye.
"The Harpist Alliance doesn't need to waste so much effort on him!" Lime was well aware of the results of his work. "The whole city knows about it. He won't live until midsummer night. No one can walk out of this city alive after offending so many people! "
Although he spoke casually, Erwin's expression didn't relax for a moment. Instead, he stared at the table thoughtfully. "The Harpist Alliance's principle: You can choose not to participate, but you can't not understand! We need to determine his position. Only then can we decide our attitude. The Harpist Alliance has its own principles! "
"Yes, if it's not a crime, don't judge! I can recite it with my eyes closed. "
"If it is not a crime, do not judge. The actions of the Harpist do not originate from benefits, but from our standpoint and principles. Therefore, the attitude and standpoint of the target is very important to us, because it determines our standpoint and actions. "Elwin looked serious." Regarding the Bloody Hand, you have provided too little information. He had no background, no identity, no profession, and no faction. He was like a ghost that had appeared out of nowhere. Everyone has a past! "
"But he can counter prophecy spells!" Lyme complained. "We've tried divine spells and spells! The spellcasters had not yet been able to get rid of those damned illusions, and the mages of the School of Prophecy had refused to cast any more tests. The only thing they can be sure of is that the other party feels like he has returned home to the Ether Plane. He's like a fish in water! "
"Illusion?" Erwin was confused.
"Yes, anyone who tries to pry into his fate. They would be troubled by the Ether Plane, and their vision would be fixed at a certain shallow state of the Ether Plane. He was deprived of his ability to sense the material plane. Over time, their intelligence would be severely damaged! One mage even fell in love with an otherworldly creature he summoned, a Sludge Monster called Shaye! "
"The Ancient Eye! A Sludge Monster? "Erwin showed a look of disbelief.
Lyme nodded guiltily. "It's said that his Ether Vision was very close to the Sludge Monster's senses. In the end, he learned to communicate with the Sludge Monster and gained his own love. You should know that among the Sludge Monsters, it's a beauty!"
"His mentor …" Erwin had not finished her sentence. Lyme interrupted her.
"This is not a bad thing for his mentor! A curse with research value is much more important than an apprentice. Besides, he did not lose the apprentice. There are many weirdos among the mages, so what if there are a few more? "
"You can ask a priest to remove the curse!" Erwin did not want to talk about the Sludge Monster anymore. It only made her spine tingle.
Lyme shook his head regretfully. "It's useless! Strictly speaking, it's not a curse. Their vision is not an illusion created by negative energy. It's another level of reality in the world. This reality is hard to shake. It's more like the soul has been contaminated by the essence of the Ether Plane. In essence, it's similar to the price of a prophecy spell. It can't be removed by divine spells. "
"And I heard that the Sludge Monsters are great at that!" Lyme revealed a frank smile. "He seems to like it!"
* Thud! * A soft sound. Lyme tilted his head to look at the arrow that had pierced through his scalp. He wisely kept his mouth shut. He waved at the female ranger in front of him, gesturing for him to shut up.
"Jessica? Lyme means no harm! "Erwin lectured her helplessly.
The female ranger did not appreciate it. She went forward and pulled the arrow out of the wood. It seemed like it took quite a bit of effort. Not everyone could pierce through armor with a light bow! "Without a prophecy spell, what do we know? We don't need to infiltrate or spy on what we know now. We can hear more details in the taverns by the roadside! "
"We need more specific information. His faction, his inclination, his profession, his faith. This is what determines our attitude towards him. I think this is more important than how many people he has killed!"
"I said, I know nothing!" Lyme waved his hand.
"He could be a wizard proficient in prophecy. He could be a priest favored by the gods. Maybe he's also a warrior! A profession like a rogue! Judging from his bloodthirst, he could be a follower of the Dark Sun. Of course, he could also be Max's. But with the villains he eradicated, he could be a paladin of Ilmater. "
"Human nature is so complicated. A paladin might murder, and a rogue might make a great sacrifice. Unless you use Detect Evil on him, none of this can be used as a basis for judgment. I can only say that this gentleman cares about the things in his little house far more than he is interested in abuse, domination, and power."
"If that's the case …" Jessica opened her mouth to speak.
"Don't be so quick to judge!" Lyme interrupted him. "Please respect this complicated world. Don't use the simple and direct judgment of young people like you to define it. My intuition tells me that you're facing an existence that is difficult to determine and explore. As an old man, I can tell you that there's no harm in looking more. "
"But we don't have time! We can't pester everyone for so long. " Jessica frowned. "The slums are very exclusive to outsiders. The Bloodhand Gang has deep control over the place. It's difficult for us to get close."
"That's because more than eighty percent of the young people there are working for the Bloodhand Gang. Their fathers, children, and wives are like the most loyal eyes. It's a closed environment. It's difficult for outsiders to survive there." Lyme replied.
"So, can we do nothing?" Jessica objected. "Information won't jump into our hands by itself, right?"
"Not necessarily, child!" Lyme smiled slyly. His fingers moved on the table and finally stopped on a stack of brown papyrus. He handed the inconspicuous items to Alwin. "If you were a little more careful, you'd find this!"
"The profits of the tobacco and the movements of the thieves' union?" Alwin read the complicated code in a low voice. "This is the information about the docks. It's about the special tobacco and the thieves' union. It's all daily information."
"It's not everyday. These little things are hiding a big secret!" Lyme smiled proudly. "The price and shipment data of the tobacco. Even though we're missing the most important data, it's not difficult to calculate the profits of the tobacco. Similarly, the mission data of the thieves' union can also reflect their internal movements. "
Alwin looked at the stack of papyrus with a gloomy face. Even she couldn't help but feel nervous when she saw the string of numbers that represented the profits. She didn't need to look at the things at the back to know that the situation had reached a critical moment.
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