Under Claude's lead, they walked deeper into Coldfrost Citadel. Along the way, Claude told them about the changes in the demon hunters after Hao Ren and the rest left.
"… Last month, the demons opened the portal, and they evacuated Coldpath en masse according to the agreement. They left very quickly. To be honest, I'm surprised. These demons seem to be more honest and reliable than the other races. And before the demons left, they helped us clean up a lot of the battlefield, which made it a lot easier for us to rebuild, "Claude said as they walked." The temples in Coldpath are very sturdy. The war did not destroy those buildings, so the main facilities in the holy land are still intact. But due to the shutdown of the energy nodes and the large-scale magical bombardment, Coldpath is full of residual energy fields and arcane pollution. It's no longer suitable for habitation. It will take time to clean up those things.
"The Netherrealm Clock Tower is still closed. After you stopped the evil ritual, the distortion of space and time in the tower has been restored. But the tower itself has been in a state of long-term space-time turbulence. The previous incident has completely reset the space-time order of the entire tower. Now there are many mysterious new areas in the tower. For safety reasons, the Council of Elders has temporarily banned ordinary demon hunters from approaching the tower. We have organized some investigation teams to investigate the area. Before a new 'map' is drawn, the Netherrealm Clock Tower will not be opened.
"All in all, the situation is getting better. The biggest problem we are facing now is a lack of manpower. The Council of Elders has ordered all the demon hunter organizations in the southern hemisphere to concentrate their manpower in the north. This is our base. Some of the field teams have also been reorganized. After the personnel reduction, 80% of the Stalkers have stopped their activities. Now, the focus is on defending the territory. We are considering abolishing the Stalkers and merging them into the Night Watchers may be the only option. "
Vivian chimed in. "That's how it should be. The Hunting War is over, and you still want to send the 'hunting' guys out to hunt rabbits?"
"Err … That's not what the Stalkers mean. Well, it's more or less the same." Claude smiled awkwardly. "Times have changed. Times have really changed."
"Times have changed." Vivian tilted her head slightly. "Have you made contact with the otherworldlings?"
The expression on Claude's face changed. Even though the hunting war had ended, as an orthodox demon hunter, he was still at a loss about the current situation. "Six days ago, we received a secret letter from the Athens' sanctuary, with the mark of Elder Ymir."
"What does the letter say?" Hao Ren asked casually.
Claude hesitated for a moment. "Well …"
"Just tell me." Vivian gave him a sideways glance. "I have people on both sides. Even if you don't tell me, I can go straight to Athens and ask someone. Why are you being so pretentious in front of me? Are you trying to keep it a secret?"
Claude coughed dryly. "Ahem, there's actually nothing to keep secret about. The secret letter mentioned a new organization called the Shadow Council. The Council of Elders is considering a direct contact with the otherworldlings in the near future. But there's a dispute over the specific meeting location and the person. "
"That's normal. I guess the Athens' sanctuary is arguing about the same thing," Vivian crossed her arms and said indifferently. "After all, they've been fighting for so many years. Who wouldn't be worried that someone would suddenly sneeze and three hundred axemen would jump out of nowhere?"
As they chatted along the way, Hao Ren had basically figured out the series of changes in the demon hunters after he left, as well as the current situation in the far north. Finally, under Claude's lead, they arrived in front of a tall building beside the Tower Square.
The building, like the surrounding facilities, was completely made of large, opaque ice blocks. There was a subtle magical glow flowing between the ice blocks. The ice walls were towering and majestic. The style of the building reminded one of an ancient Gothic church, but it also had a heavy feel like a military fortress.
"The Hoarfrost Sanctum, the seat of the Council of Elders," Claude stood in front of the door. "Please follow me. Elder Gregowen is waiting inside."
Unlike the cold exterior, the interior of the building was not cold at all. After entering the Hoarfrost Sanctum, Hao Ren even felt a warm breeze blowing against his face. Perhaps it was the power of magic. They walked for a long time in the cathedral-like building. Along the way, they saw many demon hunters hurrying through the corridors. Many of them had met a few times before. They stopped to greet Hao Ren and the rest before continuing on their way. Just as Claude had said, the Council of Elders was really lacking in manpower.
Finally, they arrived at Elder Gregowen's office.
It was an ordinary room in the Hoarfrost Sanctum. Apart from being spacious, it was not much more decorated than the other places. There was a huge bookshelf on one of the walls of the rectangular room, and various weapons, armors, and ceremonial items were hung on the other wall. Looking at their weather-beaten appearance, these things hanging on the wall were obviously not decorations. A warm fireplace crackled in the corner of the room. Two figures stood in front of the fireplace. One of them was the elderly Gregowen, and the other was Hasse.
The two of them were now the highest authorities in the Council of Elders.
Claude bowed and left the room. Gregowen came up to him. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Your Excellency, Countess."
"You've become so polite all of a sudden." Vivian smiled at the old demon hunter. "I'm not used to it."
Gregowen smiled. "After all, the truth of what happened back then has been revealed."
The few of them sat by the warm fireplace. Rollie immediately took Lil Pea out from her pocket and let the little one warm up. She even took out a few small pieces of wood from her pocket and presented them to Gregowen with a fawning look on her face. Hasse, who had almost facial paralysis, was dumbfounded. He could not imagine what the cat had been through to have her worldview twisted like that.
Gregowen was also surprised for a moment, but he quickly turned his attention back to Hao Ren. "I've read your message. A demon hunter named Zhao Xi is possessed by the will of the gods?"
"Yes, it's not accurate, but it's not far off." Hao Ren nodded. "The demon hunter has now recovered, but we're worried that there are still remnants of the gods' power in Coldpath. So, we're here to investigate."
"That's not a big problem," Gregowen said. "The sacred land is safe because of you. Your army once pacified Coldpath and retreated as promised. So, I think the demon hunters can give you enough trust. Besides, your investigation is also for our safety. "
But at this time, Hasse interrupted. "I also think you can go in to investigate, but we have to consider that some people will be worried. After all, Coldpath is the home of the demon hunters. Our ancestors have lived here for generations. After the war, many people want to live in peace. If an investigation team comes in at this time … I'm afraid some people will be worried."
Vivian waved her hand. "Let them be. You demon hunters have been around for thousands of years. Since when have you become timid? We are investigating this matter to eradicate the hidden dangers. No one will care if you regret it when someone dies. "
Gregowen glanced at Hasse, winked, and whispered, "I told you not to talk so much."
Vivian glared at him. "Can you not pretend that I can't hear you in front of me?"
Hasse coughed awkwardly and immediately changed the topic. "Ahem, that's settled then. Do you need any help with the investigation? "
"There's nothing you can help us with. We have our own technical means," Hao Ren said, waving his hand. "Just arrange a guide for us. Coldpath is native and familiar with the environment."
Hasse nodded. "White Flame is just right. She grew up in Coldpath, and she happens to be here in Coldfrost Citadel today."
As soon as Lily heard White Flame's name, she immediately looked around. "Oh yes, I just wanted to ask why White Flame is not here. Isn't she your follower?"
"… White Flame is just my apprentice. She has her own things to do," Hasse said awkwardly. "She just came out of Coldpath and is resting today. I'll send someone to call her. "
"Forget it. Let's go there ourselves," Vivian interrupted Hasse. "After all, we are asking for help."
Hasse's expression changed slightly as if he was worried about something. But in the end, he said nothing but nodded slightly. "That's fine."
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