Chapter 123: Core of Iola

"You stay here."

Luo Jie disagreed, saying, "If we all leave, Zuo Ertan will be copying runes in the temple. If the black Wizard's accomplices return, Zuo Ertan alone is too dangerous; with you here, I can be a little more at ease."

Lei En nodded, though he already regretted what he had just said.

The upper levels of the fortress might host many blade‑shadow assassins or Luo Xi's followers, so he should avoid appearing before them. He doesn't have shadow‑vanish like Luo Jie, so his movements are easy to expose; if his Conflict Mark is discovered, it could instead hinder Luo Jie.

To absorb souls, he put everyone in danger.

That's too selfish.

Lei En reflected inwardly, nearly having his desire to absorb souls cloud his mind, and resolved to be extremely cautious from now on.

Luo Jie fell silent, turned, and walked toward the temple's entrance.

Lei En suddenly called, "Master Luo Jie, wait a moment."

Luo Jie turned back, expecting Lei En to have more to say, but saw Lei En suddenly draw a shotgun from the outer side of his thigh and fire toward a corner of the temple.

Bang!

As the gunshot rang, the previously empty corner filled with a translucent black silhouette; the person seemed caught off guard, hit by a spray of tiny steel beads, splattering specks of blood.

Bang bang bang…

Lei En fired several shots in succession; the figure was forced into a corner, scrambling to dodge the pellets, its shadow‑vanish instantly failing, revealing its true form.

It was a masked shadow‑warrior.

He wore black leather armor, wielded two daggers, and now looked rather disheveled, his body riddled with tiny holes, almost turned into a sieve. Yet the armor's defense was quite good; most of the shotgun's force was blocked, and his injuries were minor.

Lei En stopped wasting ammunition, turned, and charged to block the temple's exit.

This shadow‑warrior needed no intervention from him; Luo Jie would take care of it.

Luo Jie reacted instantly; when Lei En fired the first shot, Luo Jie already drew his steel sword. By the time Lei En ceased fire, Luo Jie had already lunged a stride forward to stand before the shadow‑warrior.

The shadow‑warrior endured the pain of his gun wounds, raised his daggers, and faced Luo Jie.

The daggers clashed, slicing the air; both arms moved at high speed, generating dozens of thin gleams, each like a sharp blade, forming a vast cutting net.

This is the shadow‑warrior's core attack Element—Blade‑Dance.

Luo Jie swiftly formed a seal with his left hand; a pale golden shield unfurled, and dozens of sharp blades struck it without a ripple, remaining intact.

The shadow‑warrior barely had time to react; the sword light flashed twice before his eyes.

Clang clang.

A tremendous force surged through both hands, sending the daggers flying, while a steel sword was already laid across his neck.

The shadow‑warrior, as if struck by lightning, dared not move; only when the scorching red blade seared his neck with excruciating pain did he shriek, "Sir, please don't kill me!"

Luo Jie's expression remained blank, his cat‑like eyes fixed on the shadow‑warrior, full of indifference.

This series of changes surprised Lei En not at all.

Long before the shadow‑warrior slipped into the temple, Lei En had already noticed his trail, pretended not to see, though his Soul Eye saw everything clearly.

He is a sixth‑level shadow‑warrior, quite powerful, but under a legendary Demonkin hunter, he has no resistance, just like an ordinary person.

Most importantly, this shadow‑warrior is also a follower of Luo Xi.

A blade‑shadow assassin.

Lei En originally didn't want to approach the shadow‑warrior and expose his Conflict Mark, but to warn Luo Jie he deliberately came forward and asked, "You are Ma Lishi?"

"Yes." The shadow‑warrior hurriedly nodded.

He was about to continue speaking when Lei En was already close; sensing the Conflict Mark's presence, he instinctively called out to Lei En, "Defiler of the gods…"

"Hm." Lei En pretended his expression changed, "So you're the fraudster's lackey."

Luo Jie instantly caught on.

Since this shadow‑warrior is a follower of Luo Xi, the black Wizard earlier must be as well; their entry into the fortress surely hides a covert plot.

Luo Jie, lacking patience to ask further, formed an odd gesture with his left hand, gently sweeping it before the shadow‑warrior's eyes, and whispered, "Look at me."

The shadow‑warrior Ma Lishi shuddered, his gaze turning vacant, and woodenly replied, "Yes."

Lei En glanced at Luo Jie, thinking, this is the use of the Confusion Spell.

A Demonkin hunter is a semi‑caster; upon advancing to Mid-stage, from fourth to sixth level, they can learn a total of six spells.

They are the "Kun En Shield" defending against physical attacks, the fire spell "Flame Flow", the ice spell "Ice Roar", the three‑ring Arcane "Gravity Trap", the mind spell "Confusion Spell", and the "Elemental Armor" resisting magical attacks.

Each spell has a unique effect.

These six spells stem from four Demon Souls, with the Kun En Shield's Element belonging to "Kun En Bear Demon"; the Flame Flow and Ice Roar share the Element of "Agus Twin-Headed Demon Wolf"; the Gravity Trap and Confusion Spell come from "Earth-Bound Spirit Snake", while Elemental Armor derives from "Helio Flash Cat".

Compared with other Mid-stage Demon Souls, these four have fewer Elements, only one or two each.

However, their mutual conflicts are low, allowing a Demonkin hunter to freely fuse any three of them without worrying about conflicts.

The first Demon Soul fused determines the hunter's school.

Luo Jie is a Wolf‑school Demonkin hunter; thus his Main Soul at Mid-stage was the Agus Twin-Headed Demon Wolf, and he most frequently employs the Ice Roar spell.

Lei En also saw Luo Jie use Gravity Trap, leading him to conclude that Luo Jie abandoned the Helio Flash Cat's Demon Soul, thus not using Elemental Armor.

A Demonkin hunter's casting method differs from other casters; they cast via hand seals, which is swift and convenient but comes with many restrictions and is hard to master.

Each spell has its own hand‑seal name.

For example, the Confusion Spell is called the Aikxi Seal by Demonkin hunters.

At this moment, Luo Jie released the Aikxi Seal; with his legendary strength, it equates to a four‑ring Confusion Spell, and Ma Lishi immediately fell victim, losing control of himself.

"Are there any other people in the fortress?" Luo Jie began interrogating.

"Yes." Ma Lishi replied.

Lei En pressed, "How many others? Where are they?"

Ma Lishi's gaze dimmed for a few seconds, then he answered, "I'm not sure how many either. This mission to Longshande was led personally by Lord Ha Erken, prepared for years; at least thirty people took part, all elite blade‑shadows."

"The black Wizard of 'Dark Sun' also arrived, led by Lord Ti Nuo Si."

"All our people are on the first level of the fortress; Mo Er and I were sent down to explore it. Mo Er is a member of Dark Sun; he discovered the rune knowledge in the temple, accidentally activated the teleportation array, but he has already been killed by you."

Marish said it straight out, without any concealment.

Luo Jie frowned.

At that moment Zuo Er Tan ran out from behind the temple, having heard gunfire and thinking something had happened; he happened to hear Marish's words and exclaimed, "Ha Er Ken and Ti Nuo Si?"

"Do you know them?" Lei En turned and asked, as if the two were very famous.

Zuo Er Tan nodded gravely, "Ha Er Ken is the number‑two figure of Shadow Blade, a Legendary Mid-stage trickster, whose power is terrifying; he is the leader of all Shadow Blade assassins within the Empire, has committed many major crimes, killed countless Wizards, and the Empire's bounty on him reaches five hundred thousand gold!"

"Ti Nuo Si may not be well‑known in the Empire, but south of the Shi Jie Shan Mai on the subcontinent 'Shabu Kangtina', he controls a vast area the size of two imperial provinces, and is also one of the leaders of Dark Sun, openly worshipping the Deceiver."

"Legend says Ti Nuo Si himself is a Legendary High-rank Black Wizard, with the potential to become a Holy Soul!"

The dwarf's eyes grew a little fearful at this.

He hails from Rongyanbao, which lies on the border between the Shi Jie Shan Mai and the Shabu subcontinent; the subcontinent was once dwarf territory, and dwarves still often deal with its peoples, having deeply experienced Ti Nuo Si's reputation.

"What is Dark Sun?"

Lei En was hearing of this organization for the first time.

Luo Jie explained, "Dark Sun, like Shadow Blade, is an organization that worships the Deceiver, but it is mostly composed of spellcasters, centered on Black Wizards. Their numbers are fewer than Shadow Blade's, they act covertly, their name is not prominent, yet they enjoy greater trust from the Deceiver, sometimes being called the Hand of the Deceiver. However, Black Wizards are too easy to expose, so they rarely operate within the Empire."

Lei En felt a tingling on his scalp as he listened.

He had long known that followers of Luo Xi harbored a huge plot against the Duke of Silver Star, but he hadn't expected such a stir.

The Legendary Mid-stage trickster led the way, along with a Black Wizard nearing Holy Soul!

The Wizards beneath the Holy Soul, i. e., Legendary High-rank, have professional levels between sixteen and nineteen; even within the Empire they are prominent figures.

What exactly did the Duke of Silver Star do to offend the Deceiver himself? Otherwise, why would Shadow Blade and Dark Sun, the two great evil‑god organizations, both mobilize?

Luo Jie, as a Legendary, was not frightened, appearing composed, and asked:

"What is your mission to Longshande?"

"Iola Core." Marish replied immediately. "Someone issued a mission to Shadow Blade, ordering us to seize the Iola Core from the Duke of Silver Star, to stop him from building a Floating City."

Luo Jie and Zuo Er Tan were both very surprised.

Zuo Er Tan couldn't help but ask, "Has the Duke of Silver Star already manufactured the Iola Core? Where did you get this information?"

"The mysterious mission‑giver told us, and indeed there is an Iola Core in the Wizard Tower," Marish replied.

"Mo La Ding is above!"

Zuo Er Tan exclaimed, "So the Duke of Silver Star has come this far; is the Empire about to raise its eighth Floating City?"

Lei En was also a little incredulous, yet suddenly enlightened.

The Iola Core is the most crucial component for building a Floating City; as the city's power core, one could say without the Iola Core there is no Floating City.

It was invented by the greatest Holy Soul Wizard in history, Ao Gu Le Wei, and may be the most valuable alchemical artifact in the world.

Constructing a Floating City requires astronomical wealth, more than half of which is spent to forge a single Iola Core; this is also the most difficult step.

With the Iola Core, the Floating City is not far from taking flight!

Lei En had never known Shadow Blade's scheme, but now finally understood the whole story.

As expected, the Iola Core is certainly hidden in the Duke of Silver Star's Wizard Tower; Shadow Blade is trying by any means to lure the duke out of the tower, not to kill him, but as a stratagem to draw the tiger from the mountain.

They have an inside agent in the academy who can freely enter and exit the Wizard Tower, likely having already scouted the interior, including the Iola Core's location.

When the Duke of Silver Star leaves the tower, they can slip in and snatch the Iola Core.

The last time, Shadow Blade created the Fallen Event, opened the Abyssal Gate, intending to draw the Duke of Silver Star out of the Wizard Tower, but they destroyed it themselves.

Who knows what method they have this time?

Additionally, Lei En noticed a detail: the teleportation array entering the fortress was activated by the Black Wizard Mo Er in the temple, meaning the followers of Luo Xi did not enter the fortress via the array but through another passage.

He hurriedly asked, "Where did you enter the fortress?"

"We discovered a hidden entrance underground on Brent Street, dug for over a year, and entered this dwarf fortress," Marish replied.

Lei En instantly understood, "Sword of Oath?"

"Yes."

Marish answered bewilderedly; he was under a Confusion Spell, had no own thoughts, so he was not surprised that Lei En knew the Sword of Oath.

Instead, Luo Jie and Zuo Er Tan looked over, puzzled.

Lei En noted their gazes, scratched his head, and said, "Last month I tracked a Luo Xi follower into a shop called Sword of Oath, and lost the person, so I was doubtful, but never went in to verify."

"You kid are lucky, good thing you didn't go in," Zuo Er Tan laughed. "Otherwise we wouldn't have seen you."

Luo Jie also gave a slight nod.

Lei En wore a look of relief; indeed, caution was not a mistake—had he rashly barged into the Sword of Oath, he wouldn't even know how he died.

He continued to press, "What did you intend to do by digging into the fortress?"

"The Duke of Silver Star hid the Iola Core thirteen levels beneath the tower; Lord Ha Er Ken's plan is to tunnel from the dwarf fortress to the base of the Wizard Tower, infiltrate, steal the Iola Core, and if the plan succeeds, blow up the upper levels of the fortress and the tunnel, create an earthquake, and bring down the Wizard Tower as well."

Marish's calm words made the three of them break out in cold sweat.

If Shadow Blade succeeded, the Duke of Silver Star would be severely weakened, losing not only the priceless Iola Core but also the Wizard Tower.

Moreover, the Iron Whisker Fortress lies at the foot of the Silver Star region; if an earthquake occurs and it collapses, countless lives could be lost.

The entire Longshande would suffer severe damage.

Lei En finally understood why followers of the evil gods are reviled; this is more vicious than the terrorists of his past life, caring not at all for human lives.

He wanted to ask more details, but the Confusion Spell's effect ended.

Marish's gaze gradually cleared.

The Confusion Spell cannot work consecutively; after a single hit, resistance builds, and one must wait a while before using it again.

"You…"

He retreated in panic, a steel sword—Wolf's Fang—flashed by, and his head was sliced off.

Luo Jie heated the blade with spiritual energy, vaporizing the blood on the sword, sheathed the sword, and said, "We must tell all this to the Silver Star Title: Duke."

"Yes." Zuo Ertan nodded heavily, and the two simultaneously looked at Lei En.

Lei En understood their meaning, contacted the Demon Extermination Squad directly via the voice transmitter, shook his head, and, unable to hide any secrets now, explained, "There is a Shadow Blade traitor within the Demon Extermination Squad. I reported it secretly before, but the news reached them early, so they fled."

Luo Jie's expression darkened.

Zuo Ertan said anxiously, "What should we do then?"

Lei En fell silent.

In fact, contacting the Demon Extermination Squad still had effect; even though the Shadow Blade received the news and hastily withdrew, it at least thwarted the plan to seize the Iola Core.

However, they are very likely, because the plan failed, to retaliate by detonating the fortress and passage before retreating, causing massive casualties.

The most critical thing is that Lei En himself would have his identity exposed, becoming a target of the Shadow Blade from then on.

And after the passage is destroyed, the three of them cannot get out.

All three, including Lei En, understood this clearly.

A few minutes later, Luo Jie broke the silence first: "I'll go up there; maybe there's a chance to sneak out."

Lei En and Zuo Ertan both nodded; this is the best option for now.

If Luo Jie can exit through the passage the Shadow Blade dug, and confront the Silver Star Title: Duke face‑to‑face, then all problems will be resolved.

"Luo Jie, be careful," Zuo Ertan patted the demon hunter's arm.

Lei En also said softly, "Luo Jie Title: Master, if it's too dangerous, you can retreat, and we can think of another way."

Luo Jie's mouth lifted slightly, his expression as calmly as always.

"You, while you're here, also be careful."

He didn't linger a moment, immediately left the temple, and his figure vanished into the darkness.

After Luo Jie left, Zuo Ertan promptly returned behind the temple to transcribe the runes, and only then did Lei En have the mind to check his phone interface.

Marish's soul was absorbed by him, providing a little over 40% energy; since the energy was full, he poured it all into the "Power" Element. Power was originally less than ten points away on the progress bar, and after investing this energy, it reached beyond Level 5!

Lei En experienced the Level‑5 Power, as if endless vigor coursed through his whole body.

"Level‑5 Power, even without the Dragon Power Technique, should be fourteen thousand pounds!"

This boost was higher than he had expected; evidently, after Power advances to a rare Element, strengthening becomes harder, and of course, the increase between each level is larger.

Lei En reflected briefly, and soon adapted to his current Power.

He sat in the temple to rest.

Half a day later, footsteps sounded from afar.

Lei En's expression shifted, he stepped out of the temple, and a figure emerged from the darkness—it was Luo Jie, who had left earlier.

Only his gait was staggered, his face pale, his body riddled with injuries, bleeding nonstop; he held only a steel sword, while the silver sword was nowhere to be found.

"Luo Jie Title: Master," Lei En hurried forward to meet him.

(End of Chapter)