I Became a Cub in the Elven Kingdom - Chapter 233

Chapter 233: Eliminating the Black Snake

Upon hearing the words “Dark Force,” the little fairies and the dragon immediately recalled the rats of Keshan Town.

“Could there be a statue of the God of Darkness nearby?” Decio asked, his voice filled with suspicion. It was the power emanating from the God of Darkness statue that had caused the rats of Keshan Town to mutate.

“Whether there’s a statue or not, there’s definitely a pollution source,” Shu Li said gravely. “Everyone, stay alert. The mastermind controlling the black snakes might be nearby.”

Black snakes were ordinary creatures. Even if they preferred to move in groups, they wouldn’t swarm out en masse and attack them recklessly like this.

“Whatever mastermind it is, we’ll crush it when it shows its face!” Decio declared, clenching his fist.

“Too bad we can’t eat it,” Budno lamented.

“Yeah!” Amanda agreed, staring at the charred remains of the snake’s body.

“Dark Force…” Celius frowned. “Could this be the reason for the recent dangers in the Woba Grand Canyon?”

The Woba Grand Canyon was a favorite destination for adventurers and mercenary groups, renowned for the treasures hidden deep within its depths, including the Sunstone, prized by mages.

Moreover, the high-level magical beasts that dwelled at the canyon’s bottom were living treasures. Hunting a single one could fetch a substantial price, as their hides, claws, bones, and horns were excellent materials for crafting armor and weapons.

The Woba Grand Canyon had been corrupted by the Dark Force, yet why had the Magic Tower remained silent?

During his extended stay in the Central Court, he had received no relevant information.

Perhaps, given the gravity of the situation and to prevent unnecessary panic, the Magic Tower was conducting a covert investigation?

Angele sighed ruefully, “Five thousand gold coins isn’t easy money!”

Even the snakes at the canyon’s edge had been tainted by the Dark Force. It was terrifying to imagine how monstrous the high-level magical beasts deep within the canyon must be.

Kumandi stated coldly, “We’ll kill these black snakes first.”

Overthinking now was pointless. Without eliminating the snakes, they couldn’t advance, let alone gather medicinal herbs.

Shu Li agreed, “Kumandi’s right. Kill the black snakes first, then collect the herbs, and return to Igaya City.”

After returning to Igaya City, they would head to the Magic Tower to report the situation in the canyon to Danlov and ask him to resolve the issue.

The Woba Grand Canyon bordered the Central Court. If the canyon fell to the Dark Forces, the Central Court would be in grave danger.

The others agreed without hesitation, relentlessly casting spells to annihilate the swarming black snakes.

Boom!

Elemental magic clashed and intertwined, slaughtering the black snakes in droves. As the battle raged on, their numbers dwindled steadily.

Victory was within reach. The Light Squad rallied their spirits and pressed on with renewed vigor.

An hour later, every black snake had been annihilated, but the mastermind behind their control remained elusive.

They waited for over ten minutes, cautiously scanning their surroundings for any signs of movement. When no further disturbances arose, they finally lowered their magic wands.

Shu Li gazed at the gruesome carnage of snake corpses strewn across the ground, a pang of pity tugging at his heart.

“Whew, I’m exhausted,” Hector sighed, leaning heavily on his magic wand.

Thanks to Magic Instructor Ilio’s rigorous training over the past week, his stamina had improved significantly, and his magical endurance had increased. Previously, he would have collapsed from exhaustion after just half an hour of combat, collapsing weakly to the ground.

Cindy and Nasha were also exhausted. Nasha, despite her injured ankle, had stubbornly endured.

“Everyone, you’ve worked hard,” Shu Li said, withdrawing the defensive barrier. Instantly, the stench of burnt meat and blood filled the air. He quickly covered his nose and mouth.

The others instinctively pinched their noses, their faces contorted in disgust.

Falm darted forward, circled the area, and returned to Shu Li, waving his short, chubby claws in complaint. “Why didn’t you save me any?”

Shu Li poked Falm’s round belly. “I was worried you’d get diarrhea if you ate too much.”

“Tch~” Falm stuck out his forked tongue and transformed into a beam of light, diving into the Fire God’s Mark on the back of Shu Li’s right hand.

If there’s no good food, I might as well go back to sleep!

Cindy avoided the snake corpses littering the ground, pinching her nose as she asked, “How are we supposed to gather medicinal herbs with all these dead snakes everywhere?”

She certainly didn’t want to rummage through a pile of snake carcasses for Star Spirit Grass. Moreover, after the magical bombardment, the surrounding area was severely damaged, and the Star Spirit Grass had likely been completely destroyed.

Est pointed ahead. “There might be more Star Spirit Grass over there.”

Shu Li followed Est’s gaze and saw the same barren landscape, devoid of vegetation, with even more massive boulders scattered across the ground.

Most importantly, there was no sign of the black snake’s corpse.

“Let’s go,” Shu Li said, leading the way. The others followed, with Nasha, supported by Cindy, keeping pace.

The group passed through the snake’s remains and walked over three hundred meters until they reached the area Est had indicated.

“Wow, there’s so much Star Spirit Grass here!” Budno exclaimed excitedly.

Compared to their previous gathering spot, this area was densely packed with Star Spirit Grass, growing in nearly every crevice between the rocks. No searching was required; they could easily harvest the herbs.

Kumandi opened his map and studied it carefully, but found no markings for this location.

He glanced thoughtfully at Est.

After spending over a month with this human classmate, Kumandi had come to see him as someone who kept a low profile. Despite his striking appearance, Est remained remarkably understated, often standing silently beside Sperien, but when he did offer his insights, they always cut straight to the heart of the matter.

Strangely, whenever they followed Est’s advice or suggestions, many problems seemed to resolve themselves effortlessly.

Just now, with a casual gesture, he had located this vast patch of Star Spirit Grass.

Was it mere coincidence or sheer luck?

Oblivious to Kumandi’s gaze, Est retrieved his shovel, crouched near Shu Li, and began diligently harvesting the medicinal herbs.

Kumandi folded his map, temporarily suppressing his doubts.

Regardless, they needed to gather the herbs first to earn the five thousand gold coins.

“Decio, what’s the story with the statue of the God of Darkness?” Hector asked curiously.

“Oh, on our way to the Central Court, we passed through Keshan Town and ran into a swarm of rats…” Decio recounted the rat infestation with vivid detail as he gathered herbs.

Hector listened in astonishment, never imagining their journey would be so eventful. A simple mission had led them to an eccentric employer and, while clearing out the rats, they had uncovered followers of the God of Darkness.

“Didn’t the Elven King seal the God of Darkness ten thousand years ago? Why are there still worshippers?” Cindy asked, puzzled.

“Though the God of Darkness is sealed, his Dark Forces have always persisted, lurking in the shadows like rats in a sewer, carrying out their nefarious deeds,” Shu Li explained, digging up a Star Spirit Grass and tucking it into his bag. He turned to Cindy and asked, “Do you know about the Hermon Knights?”

“The Hermon Knights?” Cindy exclaimed in surprise. “Of course I know them! They’re a notoriously powerful Knight Order that roams the Continent!”

Calling themselves messengers of justice, they carried out arrest warrants issued by various nations. Once the Hermon Knights set their sights on someone, escape was impossible.

Celius paused his herb-gathering, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Shu Li explained, “The Hermon Knights were once knights of the Temple of Hodeh. That temple is an illegal organization that worships the God of Darkness.”

“By the Light God!” Hector gasped in shock. “They worship the God of Darkness!”

He had never even heard of the Temple of Hodeh, but the fact that they worshiped the God of Darkness was enough to send shivers down his spine.

Nasha bit her lip.

She had once been relentlessly pursued by the Hermon Knights, only finding safety after fleeing to Adelan Royal City and being adopted by the Queen.

So the Hermon Knights were followers of the God of Darkness. No wonder their methods were so brutally cruel.

The memory of the guards who had escorted her being slaughtered by the Hermon Knights filled her with burning hatred.

One day, she would avenge them.

“They’re affiliated with the Cecilia Kingdom,” Angele said. “Which means the King of Cecilia isn’t a good man!”

Celius gripped his shovel tightly and said in a low voice, “The current King of Cecilia, Denton Terek, is a usurper who murdered his own brother to seize the throne.”

Decio exclaimed, “Huh? You know about that too?” He had assumed Celius, having never left the Central Court, would be isolated from such news.

Celius closed his eyes briefly, suppressing the hatred that surged within him. “Denton Terek’s usurpation is common knowledge.”

Nasha added coldly, “He’s not just a usurper, but a shameless aggressor!”

Hector nodded. “His ambition knows no bounds. He’s been waging constant wars, annexing four or five small nations. If he continues unchecked, the southern kingdoms will likely be annihilated.”

As the former heir to the Snowwolf Family, Hector had been required to stay informed about the political dynamics of the continent.

Since the Mage Sovereign established the Magic Association and gained control over the Central Court, minor conflicts had persisted between nations, but large-scale wars had become rare.

Eight years ago, Cecilia Kingdom suddenly launched an invasion of Pedam Kingdom, shattering the peace in the southern region. Nations trembled, fearing they would become the next Pedam Kingdom to be annihilated.

As the saying goes, “When the lips are gone, the teeth will feel the cold.”

When the Pedam Kingdom was invaded, the other nations stood idly by, indifferent to the plight of their neighbor. Now, they too were suffering the ravages of war.

Angele clicked his tongue twice. “It’s obvious,” he said. “Denton Terek sold his soul to the God of Darkness.”

Why else would he maintain the tyrannical Hermon Knights, provoke wars without cause, and invade other countries?

Amanda asked, “Won’t the Magic Tower intervene?”

By right, the Magic Tower had jurisdiction over any matter involving Dark Forces.

“No evidence,” Celius replied coldly. “Wars between nations fall outside the Central Court’s purview.”

If he had proof, he could invoke the Magic Tower’s authority to judge Denton Terek.

Though the Hermon Knights had once been devotees of the Temple of Hodeh, rumors remained just that—rumors. The Temple of Hodeh had vanished from public view, leaving no witnesses to testify.

Shu Li said, “Good deeds bring good fortune, and evil deeds bring retribution. It may not come immediately, but the time will come. One day, Denton Terek will face the punishment he deserves.”

“Will that day ever truly come?” Celius murmured.

“Don’t worry, it will!” Shu Li replied firmly.

Celius gazed at the black-haired youth, radiant in the sunlight, and the hatred in his heart gradually subsided.

At two in the afternoon, the Light Squad successfully gathered five hundred medicinal herbs. After counting them twice to ensure accuracy, they cheerfully packed the herbs into their storage pouches. They then settled down on nearby rocks, munching on dry rations and drinking water to replenish their energy.

Having completed their mission ahead of schedule, they were in high spirits. They decided to rent a horse-drawn carriage in Powa Town after their meal and travel through the night to reach Igaya City.

Five hundred meters away, two diminutive youths sprinted frantically.

Draped in gray hooded cloaks that concealed their silver hair and ashen skin, one clutched a high-grade magic staff while the other wielded a curved dagger. They ran desperately, trying to outpace the horde of monsters pursuing them.

“Lanno, are we running in the wrong direction?” the youth leading the way gasped, breathless.

“I don’t know,” Lanno replied, panting heavily. “Survival comes first. Who cares which way we’re going?”

“Why are these monsters chasing us so relentlessly?” the boy in front asked angrily.

“Probably because we picked that herb,” Lanno replied, pulling a magic scroll from his storage pouch. He tore it open and hurled it behind them. The scroll struck the monsters and exploded instantly, buying them precious time to escape.

“Luka, over there!” Lanno pointed ahead. A pile of massive boulders loomed ahead, offering both concealment and a barrier against the pursuing creatures.

“Right!” Luka leaped onto one of the boulders.

Lanno followed, the two eleven- or twelve-year-old Dark Elf cubs scrambling desperately toward the rock pile.

“Roar—”

More than a dozen grotesque monsters, their flesh mangled by the magic scroll’s explosion, roared in fury. Crack, crack, their bones twisted and elongated, their bodies swelling to even greater size.

The creatures dropped to all fours, their blood-red mouths gaping wide, and lashed out with barbed, crimson tongues as they relentlessly pursued the fleeing boys.

Lanno glanced back and exclaimed in horror, “They’re getting bigger again!”

“Don’t look back!” Luka urged tensely. “Survival comes first!”

When they first encountered the monsters, the creatures had barely reached their knees. Now, after the chase, they had swollen to over two meters tall.

Regret gnawed at them. They couldn’t defeat the monsters in combat, nor could they shake them off. If only they hadn’t been so impulsive and picked that medicinal herb radiating black miasma.

They had originally intended to give it to Ephit.

As they neared the boulders, the monsters’ roars grew deafening. Unsurprisingly, the Light Squad, who were sitting on the rocks eating dried rations, heard the earth-shattering howls.