Marvin was very interested in him. But it was hard to interact with him because he remained silent after joining the group.
The small girl on his back remained asleep all the time, and an aura of wickedness seemed to emanate from her. Even when they were resting, he was cold and silent. Marvin didn’t know how to get information from him as he was so unapproachable.
He only managed to learn some information about him from the other members of the group. The young girl was afflicted with a very malicious curse.
This kind of curse could only be removed by a Divine Servant of a powerful God.
Of course, if the God of Truth were still alive, the Paladin might have been able to remove the curse himself… But the God he believed in had already died, so no matter how firm his belief was, his God wouldn’t be able to grant him the Divine Spell needed to save the little girl from the curse.
That might the saddest part about their situation.
….
Aside from the Paladin and the small girl, the other four said that they were going to Holy Light City to meet with some old friends.
As for the specific reason, they didn’t explain any further. After all, they were only travel companions.
In the Crimson Wasteland, they would travel together because it was safer together and they were all Humans. But they wouldn’t take the initiative to give out information about themselves.
Even Marvin found an excuse to hold back information from them.
He carefully observed everyone and noticed that this small team of four had outstanding fighting strength. The group consisted of two men and two women. The two men fought in melee, while one woman seemed to be a Cleric and the other one was clearly a Legend Wizard.
Within the group, that Legend Wizard’s status was clearly higher than that of the others.
She was likely the most powerful member of their group overall.
The others all seemed to be about the same, roughly level 3 Legends, which was higher than Marvin, who had become a Legend fairly recently.
But Marvin didn’t reveal his real class after joining.
In fact, since he had the Greyhawk Staff, he could easily change his role to an entirely different one.
He presented himself as a Legend Druid.
He was now riding on a fine horse that he summoned with his staff and was following behind the rest at a leisurely pace.
He wore a thick cloak while holding the Greyhawk Staff. People who didn’t know him would really think he was a caster.
…
The Lost Path wasn’t considered very long. According to the calculations of [Hunter] Fenno, the team’s captain, they would arrive at the foot of the mountain before dark at their current rate.
At that time, they might face a serious ordeal. It was still calm for now.
The atmosphere in the group wasn’t too bad. Fenno’s speech was very charismatic, and he often told some jokes. Even that stiff Paladin would show some expressions as Fenno animated the group.
It looked like that group of four had a tacit understanding. The two women seemed to be doing nothing, but the Legend Wizard’s pet, a crow, was flying around in the surroundings. The crow’s eyes were gloomy and it seemed to have an ability that allowed it to see through solid objects and also detect those that were invisible.
The Cleric would use a Detection ability on the ground from time to time, to prevent a surprise attack from underground.
The two casters were working together, and this kind of scouting synergy was very high. Rarely would an enemy be able to ambush them.
In the beginning, Marvin used Earth Perception from time to time, but later on, he found out that his actions were superfluous.
Sure enough, he could save his strength by travelling in a group.
Time passed as they journeyed on. Marvin would occasionally chat with Fenno to relieve his boredom.
As the bloody light in the sky gradually darkened, they reached the bottom of the snowy mountain.
A sign was set up on the road ahead. It was made of Magic Wood. It was shaped like an arrowhead with the words [Torch Valley (to Holy Light City)] on it.
“After leaving the road, we will be outside the protective boundary of the Lost Path,” Fenno said solemnly. “Last time we encountered an avalanche not far in, so pay attention.”
Everyone nodded silently.
People who were able to survive in the Crimson Wasteland weren’t novices. They knew when to relax and when to stay on guard.
The group followed the direction of the sign.
Sure enough, after a short time, Marvin felt a chill.
It was the feeling of entering a very cold area from a warm area.
This was a huge drop in temperature, to the point that it woke up the little girl on the Paladin’s back.
“Where are we? Uncle Griffin?”
The young girl’s voice was very weak, it looked like every word was exhausting her strength.
“We are getting close to our destination.”
This was Marvin’s first time hearing the Paladin talk. His voice was steady and forceful, carrying a hint of Faith Power.
“Close your eyes. Regardless of what you hear, don’t open them. I’ll protect you.”
“Yes.” The little girl had a lot of trust in the Paladin and obediently closed her eyes.
The others didn’t pay much attention to the discussion between the two. Their expressions were very solemn. The two melee fighters gripped their weapons tightly.
The exaggerated greataxe and the slender sword were very rare weapons. The former didn’t seem suitable for a Human to use, while the latter seemed excessively fancy, like a decorative item. But there was no need to doubt their strength. Marvin could feel the power bursting from within their bodies.
‘They might not be just Humans.’
Marvin watched silently.
With his sword in hand, Fenno moved very gracefully, looking sort of like a Human with an Elven bloodline. The other man was relatively rough. The axe in his hands didn’t fit his build, but he was able to lift it easily.
The terrain ahead suddenly changed, a great amount of snow covered the ground.
The originally clear road was buried under the snow, slowing the speed of their progress.
Marvin felt as if something was spying on him.
But this wasn’t unexpected.
Before they set off, he had heard that the snow storms might have been man-made. If it was a Legend Wizard with enough Magic Power for that, he would definitely be able to monitor the area too. And it would be even easier for a Divine Servant supported by a God’s Divine Power.
Regardless of who blocked the path, Marvin only thought of one thing: rushing past!
He wanted to find Minsk and no one could stop him from reaching Holy Light City.
He was still grasping that Greyhawk Staff and was supporting his teammates with a few Nature halos looking completely like a Druid.
But in fact, his left hand was on the Azure Leaf at his waist.
If there was a sign of activity, he would immediately change from a Great Druid to a cold-blooded assassin.
…
But what surprised Marvin was that this feeling that had just appeared soon vanished.
They smoothly went through the mountain without meeting any obstructions.
“Torch Valley is ahead.”
Fenno showed a happy expression, seeming relieved.
The four of them had already made the trip four times, so they shouldn’t be wrong about it.
Like the Lost Path, Torch Valley was also within a protected boundary. The difference was that the Lost Path was protected by Black Swan Hill while Torch Valley was protected by Holy Light City.
After reaching Torch Valley, they wouldn’t need to fear snow storms and other problems anymore.
But at that time, the Cleric Nolane suddenly issued a warning:
“Careful! There is something under the snow!”
At
that instant, the color of her detection spell changed from gold to red!
The red radiance suddenly formed itself into a pattern.
Everyone could see that the vast field of snow covered a hole!
That hole was a nest.
A large amount of Ice Worms rushed out from the nest!
“Get ready for battle!” Fenno shouted.
The sword in his hand slashed the ground, sending a broad spray of blood and snow flying out!
Chapter 508: Truth Scale
Chapter 508: Truth Scale
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
After Fenno’s slash, a great amount of blood splashed out from the ground!
More than twenty Ice Worms were severed by Fenno’s sword.
But things didn’t look optimistic. The centipede-like Ice Worms kept popping out from the cavity in the snow.
“This is an Ice Worm nest! Damn it, when did an Ice Worm nest appear in Torch Valley!”
The Legend Wizard’s face was unsightly.
Ice Worms were relatively common lifeforms in the Crimson Wasteland, but it wasn’t that common to see an Ice Worm nest. Even if a few Ice Worms wouldn’t be worth mentioning, a whole nest of them was a true challenge.
It was like the Immortal Snow Soul. Alone, it would be weak, but with many of them together, especially near a nest, they were comparable to a Legend!
And from another point of view, killing them was very strenuous, while the rewards were negligible.
The Ice Worms’ distinctive Ice Breath was comparable to a White Dragon’s. The damage they could do to weapons and armors was rather dire.
Every Legend of the Martial Path cherished their weapons. Dealing with monsters like Ice Worms would easily damage their weapons and wasn’t worth it.
But they had no other way now because they had already provoked the wrath of the Ice Worms and thousands of them were rushing out from the nest!
Marvin tugged his horse back and lifted his staff, pretending to chant.
The next second, a green light covered the field of snow!
[Nature Communication]!
The immense Nature Power flooded the entire area and many of the Ice Worms became sluggish.
“Return!”
Fenno pulled back his partner, who had been preparing to stake it all with an all-out attack. His foresight and judgement were top-notch. He knew of the Nature Communication spell, but wasn’t sure about whether it could influence the Ice Worms. However, fighting the Ice Worms now would surely hurt more than help.
Because Marvin was currently trying to communicate with the Ice Worms!
This was one of the strengths of Druids.
They revered life and nature, which helped them be able to communicate with all living things.
It was rumored that some profound Druids could even chat with inanimate objects like stones.
Something of that extent was naturally impossible for a fake Druid like Marvin, but the Greyhawk Staff was actually an Oddity, and it gave Marvin half the identity of a Druid, which he now took advantage of.
The Ice Worms weren’t creatures with no intelligence, and they didn’t attack adventurers for no reason.
Marvin wanted to find out the cause of their ire.
Bathed by the green light, the worms gradually slowed down.
But Marvin’s frown was deepening.
Because in his consciousness, he could only hear a constant buzzing sound.
The intelligence of these Ice Worms was apparently too low. Their minds were fixated on one idea, which was to attack any lifeforms approaching their nest.
Marvin reached out with his mind to try to communicate with them, but was still unable to get any sort of information from them after attempting for a while.
Still, after about five minutes, the Ice Worms were gradually pacified as everyone watched in surprise.
They slowly retreated and disappeared back underground, as if they had never attacked in the first place.
But the blood on the ground was evidence of the fierce battle that might have taken place.
“Worthy of being a Great Druid.”
Fenno looked pleasantly at Marvin as he complimented, “You can actually pacify those Ice Worms.”
Fenno wasn’t happy for no reason. Even though many Great Druids had the powerful Nature Communication ability, communicating with a lifeform with low intelligence was very challenging. And Marvin gave them an effortless victory.
The others’ looks toward Marvin had also become more respectful.
Marvin’s aura was relatively reserved, making him seem quite mysterious.
But before this encounter, the strength he displayed was rather ordinary, so no one had attached much importance to him.
Marvin shook his head as he corrected, “I didn’t persuade them.”
The Legend Wizard froze. “Then why did they go?”
“I only made them a promise,” Marvin explained as he began to frown.
“What promise?” the Wizard insisted. She sounded very dissatisfied. Marvin actually made a promise in her stead even though he was just following along with their group. This kind of action already exceeded her bottom line.
Marvin shrugged. “I told them that we wouldn’t pass through Torch Valley.”
“What! What gave you the right to make this kind of decision!?” Nolane shrieked, “Not through Torch Valley? Do you want to climb the mountain?”
Marvin frowned more deeply, but didn’t say anything.
Fenno was rather gloomy, while that big guy holding the enormous axe remained indifferent.
The Legend Wizard sneered, “Tell me why you did that. Or are some pitiful Ice Worms enough to make you take a detour? Great Druid?” Her tone was sharp and was laced with a hint of charm magic.
The effect was to incite the target’s anger.
Although it wasn’t able to make Marvin angry, he still felt it.
She was provoking him.
‘That woman is too used to being domineering,’ Marvin sneered inwardly, but he didn’t feel like bothering with her and looked toward the Paladin instead.
“Mister Griffin, they didn’t see, but you should have understood?”
The Paladin originally neglected by everyone nodded silently.
He took a step forward and a silver light burst out of the ring on his finger.
A faint outline of a scale could be seen in the light!
[Truth Scale]!
Marvin’s mind shook!
Although he had already guessed that this Paladin was unfathomable, Marvin hadn’t expected that he had already trained to the point of being able to summon the Truth Scale.
Even though the God of Truth had already fallen, the Truth Scale once represented the Domain’s highest law and power.
Under the shadow of the Truth Scale, the short road leading to Torch Valley became transparent.
The snow seemed to have disappeared and was replaced by a clear pattern.
At that instant, they all held their breaths!
Because that short road actually hid more than twenty Ice Worm nests!
A single Ice Worm nest was enough to wear them out, but if they angered more of them and all these monsters came out… the consequences would be unthinkable!
Cleric Nolane’s expression became unsightly.
So did Team Leader Fenno’s.
That Legend Wizard was unable to speak for a long time.
The awkward silence was broken my Marvin’s calm words.
He cleared his throat and looked at everyone. “If we forcibly rush through Torch Valley, these Ice Worms will tear us to pieces. I don’t know how strong everyone is, but regardless of your equipment and skills, would that be enough to ignore the Ice Worms’ Ice Breath? Under a collective attack from so many, we would turn into ice statues.”
“This road is clearly impassable for us.”
He pointed at the tall snowy mountain and continued, “We can only climb the mounta
in to reach Holy Light City.”
The others remained silent.
Only Griffin nodded to Marvin.
After a while, Fenno’s eyes flickered. “Sorry, we cannot keep moving forward.”
“Last time we climbed the mountain, we met an Immortal Snow Soul. If we hadn’t retreated quickly enough, we might have been buried there. We can’t take this path again.”
“Moreover, these Ice Worm nests already explain a lot. Someone doesn’t want people to cross the mountain. That person, or perhaps those people, want to seal the path from Black Swan Hill to Holy Light City. And someone that is able to set up so many Ice Worm nests definitely isn’t someone we can afford to provoke. Even if we manage to climb the mountain, we will most likely end up in a deadly snowstorm or something else.”
“We won’t go any further.”
His expression seemed regretful.
Marvin frowned as he looked at him.
The others’ expressions also seemed unnatural.
Marvin didn’t say much as he dismounted and left the group. He set foot on the long mountain path with Paladin Griffin.
After five minutes, once Marvin and Griffin’s shadows disappeared…
“Are we really stopping?” The big man with the big axe scratched his head as he asked, “Team Leader, didn’t you say that you absolutely must go to Holy Light City this time?”
“Going, of course we are going.” Fenno’s expression suddenly darkened. “We will follow behind them.”
“These two aren’t simple at all. They might be able to force the mastermind’s hand. We will follow behind and reap some benefits.”
“Go! Let’s catch up.”
The small team once again set off across the boundless field of snow, following the pace of Marvin’s group as they slowly climbed the mountain.
…
On the other side of the mountain, in some dark, desolate ruins.
A Wizard was obsessively looking at a statue.
“Luna… I’m here…”
“I finally found you after so many years.”
“This time, I won’t let anyone take you away!”
Under the Wizard’s hat, two bright green flames shone.
And the statue in front of him had suffered from the passage of time, but it still had vitality.
Night Ranger - Full Series - 735 Chapters Page 295
