Rosa’s words were mostly for the sake of saving her father.
However, the information revealed in them sent a chill down every hunter’s spine.
Many of the details were vaguely consistent with what they had seen recently.
For example, after Gusion moved, the Demon Hunter teams’ routes had indeed changed significantly and rarely.
From their original westward exploration, they had suddenly turned northward.
Their direction pointed straight toward that unknown area where no one dared to tread.
However, even knowing that what Rosa said was very likely true.
Even understanding that their homes outside the wall were in imminent danger.
After a brief commotion and deliberation, the bounty hunters present reached a surprisingly unanimous decision.
“Go!”
“Pack your things! Leave Blackwater City immediately!”
“Take your families and leave the corridor before the Dark Tide erupts!”
No one knew who shouted first, but the crowd suddenly surged into motion.
No one looked back at the pale-faced Rosa in the center.
The hunters crudely kicked aside the clutter on the ground.
They quickly packed their scattered weapons, bags, and sleeping bags.
Some stamped out the bonfires, sending sparks flying.
Others rushed to the corners of the cathedral, shaking awake companions who were still dozing.
Rough urgings, heavy footsteps, and the clatter of equipment instantly filled the empty cathedral.
In less than ten minutes.
The cathedral, which had been crowded with figures just moments ago, quickly became quiet and deserted.
Only a few lingering embers and a mess on the floor remained.
Along with the four people who had stayed behind.
Roger still stood in place, his expression calm.
The bard cradled her lute, leaning quietly against the wall.
Rosa, due to blood loss and despair, was on one knee, her breathing heavy and ragged.
And—
In a corner nearby, Ryan’s face shifted through various expressions as he was caught in a violent internal struggle.
Rosa turned her gaze toward Ryan.
Ryan immediately raised his hands, shaking his head in a panic.
“Don’t look at me! I have absolutely no intention of going to my death with you!”
He paused, a look of embarrassment and pleading appearing on his face.
His gaze shifted to the black-haired Roger beside him.
“I stayed because of… this lord.”
Roger let out a sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“I told you, I really am not the person you’re looking for.”
“This hair of mine—it’s dyed, it’s dyed.”
The bard blinked and leaned in curiously.
“What kind of riddle are you two playing at?”
Roger pointed helplessly at Ryan.
“This little brother says their team ran into a ghost halfway here.”
“Specifically, they ran into the ghost of that famous Night Elf—”
“The ghost of Shadow Blade Lynn.”
The curiosity on the bard’s face froze instantly.
Roger continued:
“That ghost ordered him to come to Blackwater City and find a person with black hair and black eyes.”
“She wants that person to go to her burial place and help her find peace.”
“Otherwise… she’ll make their entire team stay inside the wall forever.”
After hearing the explanation, the bard’s expression became extremely strange.
“The ghost of Shadow Blade Lynn?”
“That annoying person who almost kicked my door down?”
“Didn’t she die in the north? It’s been so many years.”
“If she really became a ghost, how come we’ve never encountered her?”
She turned to Ryan, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.
“You didn’t inhale too much mist and start hearing things, did you?”
Ryan shook his head violently, his emotions becoming agitated.
“Impossible! All four of us on the team took the elixir!”
“And I wasn’t the only one who heard it; the other three heard it too!”
“She… she could even stir up a patch of earth without a sound!”
“That could never have been an illusion!”
He clutched his head with both hands, his voice revealing a long-suppressed breakdown.
“You have no idea what we encountered on the way!”
The bard crossed her arms.
“What did you encounter? I remember you’re the leader of Blade’s Edge.”
“You take the conservative route starting from the Fifth Node and sticking close to the wall.”
“That path has been used for so many years; what danger could there be?”
Ryan looked up, his eyes bloodshot and his voice trembling.
“On our way in…”
“We didn't hear a single sigh!”
“All the spectral demons… it was like they had all vanished!”
“Can you understand that kind of terror?!”
Ryan let out a low roar of near-collapse.
To people like them who lived off the wall year-round.
Every deep excursion was like tethering their lives to a thin thread.
Any slight unusual movement could be a death warrant.
Not to mention a situation that hadn't been heard of in over a decade.
After hearing Ryan describe that deathly silent encounter along the way.
Roger and the bard both frowned deeply.
If Ryan’s words were true, this situation was indeed bizarre and abnormal.
But if all this truly was the work of the so-called “ghost of Shadow Blade Lynn”...
Even the most powerful specter—could it really drive away all the spectral demons along the way?
Even an Epic-tier spectral lord might not be able to do that.
Meanwhile, Lin Gui, who was silently eavesdropping from the ceiling above.
He was completely stunned.
Not encountering any spectral demons along the way… wasn't that the merit of the guide?
How come from their perspective, the fact that they “encountered no demons” itself.
Was an extremely abnormal, even terrifying thing?
In a flash of inspiration.
He suddenly recalled the eerie scene when he first entered the Wall of Sighs.
Those spectral demons had only just met his eyes.
Before they began screaming and fleeing in a panic.
At the time, he thought it was just an illusion or a coincidence.
But looking at it now…
It was highly likely that the other party was afraid.
Afraid of him, or… Eve.
He silently took note of this and turned his gaze below.
Rosa was dragging her heavily injured body, gritting her teeth as she moved toward the exit of the cathedral.
Clearly, she wanted to chase after Jesse and the others.
The bard suddenly spoke up:
“Miss Human, you… can you find their location?”
Rosa’s footsteps paused, and she turned her head.
A cold, mocking smirk appeared on her pale face.
“What, do you want to ‘help’ them too—”
She paused and said each word deliberately.
“Miss half-demon… no, Miss Demon Race?”
The bard was slightly startled.
Immediately, a wicked smile slowly curled onto the corners of her lips.
“Impressive. Truly worthy of the child of Cass the Demon Hunter.”
She raised her hand and gave a light wave in front of herself.
It was as if she were tearing away an invisible layer of thin gauze.
Her pale golden long hair rapidly turned dark red starting from the roots.
Two slender, curved pitch-black horns grew near her ears.
Those eyes that always carried a smile had their pupils turn as crimson as blood.
What was most striking was her back.
A pair of folded, leathery, dark red bat wings.
They quietly unfurled, then gently folded back together.
The bard’s originally warm and friendly aura vanished without a trace.
In its place was the deep and ancient majesty of the Demon Race.
Ryan, who had been hesitatingly trying to approach.
Was struck as if by lightning; he stumbled back and collapsed onto his rear on the floor.
He pointed at Hannah, his voice distorted by extreme shock and fear.
“Ha—Hannah?! How… how can you be a…”
Hannah gave a somewhat helpless shrug, her bat wings trembling slightly along with the motion.
“I’ve never harmed you, and I even performed for you all for free for so long.”
“Are you going to be afraid of me just because I’m of the Demon Race?”
“It’s like how there are good and bad humans, the same goes for the Demon Race. And I’m one of the good ones.”
“My beloved Holy Knight can testify to that much.”
After saying this, Hannah giggled and leaned into Roger’s chest, poking him with her elbow.
Roger gave a helpless smile.
Rate on N.U.
