Chapter 264: Trust

Bad news always loves to kick someone when they're down; when the suffering person complains that the situation has become as terrible as it can possibly be, reality often immediately delivers another blow.

"Boom!"

A series of explosions actually occurred on Golden Street, the most bustling thoroughfare of Radiant City.

A large number of pre-buried dust explosion barrels detonated in succession on this street where land is worth its weight in gold.

The bank sign of the Grey Goblins, said to be made of pure gold, along with gold coins, gems, and various strange artworks, suddenly flew into the sky.

"My money!" The miserable shrieks of the Grey Goblins echoed through the street, yet some witnesses only wanted to laugh.

But they laughed a bit too early; all of this was only the beginning.

"Boom!"

The headquarters of the City Defense Army went up into the sky.

"Boom!"

The headquarters of the Arcane Knights on Mage Street went up into the sky, taking both the Mana Pool and the Armory with it.

"Boom!"

The headquarters of the Royal Spies, unknown to outsiders, also went straight up into the sky thanks to the inside job by those within.

Everyone underestimated the madness of the cultists and also underestimated how deeply the Beast Cult had corroded this city and this kingdom.

"Human-Beast Power" has no turning back; they didn't even need to launch large-scale missionary assaults. So many so-called high officials and nobles of this city and even this kingdom had unknowingly already stepped onto the path of no return.

Promising wealth and power to the lower classes, and promising power and immortality to the upper classes, the Deer Cult had corroded too deeply for too long; now, they had merely activated their hidden pawns one by one.

"So many attackers, conspirators everywhere."

The Beast Cult, an ancient and ignorant religion, the returners of the beast herd, announced their return to the historical stage in this almost brazen manner.

"The daughter of Baron Thoro, leader of the Royal Spies, has been kidnapped."

"Two grandsons of Count Huike are dead and missing; the old mansion was bloodily purged, causing at least thirty deaths."

"The mayor's adopted son, Tazan, was attacked; the genius sorcerer died on the spot... his child has also been kidnapped."

"According to current statistics, at least thirty attacks erupted in Radiant City within half an hour; roughly over sixty people have been kidnapped or gone missing, mostly descendants of the loyalists. This cannot be a coincidence; this is targeted selection."

Bad news came one after another, but what was most painful was not even that.

"Most of the attackers in the Radiant District were not those Human-Beast monsters; they are people around us."

The milkman who delivered milk, the harmonious Grandma from the bakery, the old gatekeeper and old gardener who had served the great mansion for decades... The Beast Cult is an internal plague of the Beastkin race; ordinary people who had already become "cancer cells" were beyond saving, and at this moment, they were completely triggered.

Perhaps within the already determined fate, Radiant City, or even the kingdom, had already stepped onto the trajectory of inevitable destruction simply because it was already terminally ill.

It's just that the "virus" had not yet planned to expose itself so quickly and invite interference from outsiders.

"Is this the kingdom? Are these the nobles of Aethelin?"

Following the snowflake-like barrage of bad news, Dai Niya in the temporary command area trembled with anger but still struggled to maintain her composure.

She looked up to see old ministers before her, some anxious, some angry, yet Dai Niya looked at everyone as if they were traitors.

The spies had just delivered news that indeed, a large number of "traitors" had appeared in their families not long ago; almost everyone had one!

Perhaps the only ones worthy of trust were the direct lineage of the Mayor's Mansion, and the New Capital people and Royal Knights who had accompanied her to this city.

After all, this city was essentially the property of the Mayor's family; whoever sold out the country, they would not sell out, and as for her attendants from the New Capital... even if they were corrupted, it should be the "Owl Cult" from over there, not the "Deer Cult" of this city.

"Have the hostages been found?"

She rubbed her temples; she no longer had the mood to watch the slaughter in the mirror.

Originally thought to be the last desperate struggle of the Beast Cult, it now appeared to be merely a diversionary attack to distract attention, just an appetizer before the main course.

"They understand us better than we do..."

Baron Thoro sighed; having his family kidnapped made him very angry and worried, but what was more humiliating was that not only was the spies' headquarters compromised, but it was also wiped out in one blow.

This meant that the spies within here had already been infiltrated until they were rotten.

"Are you saying our intelligence personnel..."

"Although I don't want to admit it, before the thorough screening is completed, we indeed cannot trust them too much."

Now, even the spies who haven't had incidents yet must have their loyalty considered.

The infiltration rate of the Beast Cult far exceeded expectations; before thoroughly figuring out exactly which link had a flaw, the original intelligence personnel were likely already untrustworthy.