inspire-indiana Chapter 195 The Pale Hand
Chapter 195 The Pale Hand
Chapter 195 The Pale Hand
Ellie appeared more silent than usual.
She took extra care of the Magic Plant Garden and the Moon Silver Flower, and also slightly increased her daily meditation time.
Luo Lin saw this but said nothing. On the eve of his departure, he left her a notebook he had compiled on basic protective techniques for spiritual perception.
"When encountering spiritual interference or information shocks that are difficult to distinguish, try to build a mental filter according to the method on page three." Rowling placed the notes on the table.
"This is just for reference and may not be entirely applicable to your situation. Try it with caution."
Ellie took the notebook, hugged it tightly, and nodded emphatically: "I'll be careful, Mr. Rowling."
On the morning of the third day, Rowling put on his unassuming gray robe, covered it with a durable dark brown cloak suitable for wilderness operations, packed the necessary items into his small dimensional bag, and once again left Blackrock Town through the teleportation array.
The meeting point was set up at a small military outpost on the outskirts of Shadowraven Tower.
The atmosphere here is solemn, with soldiers and wizards dressed in different styles of armor coming and going.
When Rowling arrived, several people were already waiting in the designated area.
The Holy Tower sent two combat wizards.
One of them was an acquaintance, Captain Ella.
She was still dressed in sleek leather armor, carrying a longbow on her back, with a short sword and several potion pouches hanging at her waist. When she saw Rolin, she laughed heartily, walked over, and patted Rolin's shoulder forcefully.
"We're on another mission together! I heard you got promoted? Wow, that makes you even more reliable now." Ella's smile was infectious.
The other was an unfamiliar face, a man who looked to be in his thirties. He had a stern face, a lean build, and wore a dark blue, close-fitting robe with subtle lightning bolt patterns embroidered on the cuffs and collar.
He stood alone to one side, eyes closed, meditating. Faint arcs of electricity flickered around him, emanating a sharp aura that kept strangers at bay.
"That's Rayman, an elemental lightning specialist, mid-level second ring, skilled in rapid attacks and area paralysis control," Ella introduced in a low voice.
He doesn't talk much and is a bit of a loner, but his abilities are undeniable, and he's very reliable when carrying out missions.
A small team of six people from the Empire arrived.
The leader was a burly man nearly two meters tall, covered in heavy dark red plate armor. His helmet and visor were down, obscuring his face, revealing only a pair of calm, dark red eyes.
He carried a giant tower shield on his back, almost as tall as a person, with the emblem of a furnace and flames engraved on its surface.
He was accompanied by four well-equipped Forge Guards, each wielding a battle axe or halberd, and a Flamebringer dressed in a crimson priest's robe and holding a dark gold staff.
The Flamebringer was a woman who looked quite young. Her face was mostly obscured by the shadow of her hood, with only her soft jawline and tightly pursed lips visible.
The burly man in plate armor stepped forward, the armor emitting a dull creaking sound.
He removed his helmet, revealing a weathered, square face with short, stiff stubble, and his voice was like the grinding of rocks: "Third Company of the Imperial Forge Guard, Squad Leader, Blake."
"I'm under orders to cooperate with this reconnaissance operation." He said succinctly, his gaze sweeping over the three of them, pausing slightly on Rolin, clearly having also received information about this young second-circle wizard.
"Shadow Raven Sanctuary, Aila."
"Rayman." The cold-faced wizard opened his eyes and uttered two words calmly.
"Rolin." Rolin nodded in greeting.
The female Flamebringer bowed slightly, her voice clear yet calm: "Flamebringer, Liana."
With all personnel present, the Santa Fe officer in charge of the handover quickly explained the mission details.
The target area is located in the northeast corner of Ash Plains, near a treacherous region known as the Howling Rift.
About ten days ago, an Imperial patrol, while conducting a routine inspection in the vicinity, discovered abnormal fluctuations in the energy readings of the area. Unlike the usual turbulent energy flow of the Scorching Hell, these fluctuations exhibited distinct characteristics of death and extraction. Furthermore, they detected brief, unnatural life signals before the fluctuations disappeared.
Remote observations from Santa also confirmed the presence of subtle spatial disturbances in the area, suggesting the possibility of hidden entrances or inactive remains.
Due to its remote location and the unknown nature of the energy anomaly, no signs of large-scale hostile activity have been detected so far. Therefore, an elite squad has been dispatched to conduct preliminary reconnaissance.
"Remember, reconnaissance is the priority," the officer emphasized.
"Assess the nature of the anomaly and evaluate the potential threat. Avoid engagement unless absolutely necessary."
"If you encounter a danger that you cannot handle, retreat immediately and send a distress signal."
After the mission briefing concluded, the group didn't exchange many pleasantries and immediately used the outpost's directional teleportation array to head towards the temporary forward base located on the outskirts of the Scorching Hell Fragment.
After the dizziness from the teleportation subsided, the familiar heat and sulfurous smell enveloped my body once again.
The temporary base was set up inside a relatively solid basalt mountain. The space was small, with only basic defensive formations and supply points.
A tense atmosphere filled the air, and the soldiers and wizards on duty wore wary expressions.
After a short rest and a check of their equipment, the group left the base and headed towards their target area.
The environment of the Scorching Hell remains harsh.
The crimson sunlight cast down, staining the undulating ash plains and the distant rugged mountains with an indelible blood-red hue.
The hot wind whipped up the ash, forming hazy columns of dust.
The ground beneath your feet is soft ash and occasional exposed charred rocks, making walking quite difficult.
The team maintained a standard reconnaissance formation.
Blake and two Forge Guards led the way, their heavy tower shields tilting slightly forward as they watched the path ahead.
Ella and Rayman were positioned on the left and right flanks, respectively. Ella's sharp eyes scanned the surrounding environment, while Rayman closed his eyes slightly, seemingly relying on energy perception to probe.
Liana and two other Forge Guardians were in the middle, while Rolin walked slightly behind, activating the newly acquired detector as he followed, continuously scanning the surrounding energy environment and comparing it with the data previously provided by the Holy Tower.
The Ash Plains are not entirely devoid of life.
Occasionally, one can see some twisted, fire-resistant low shrubs, or dark red beetles scurrying across the surface of the ash.
In the distance, several scorched-feather vultures circled, emitting hoarse cries.
"The energy background reading is normal, falling within the standard fluctuation range of the Scorching Hell," Rolin reported in a low voice, the detector emitting a regular, slight hum.
No obvious abnormalities were found.
Blake said in a low voice, "Keep going. We're about fifteen miles from the target area."
The column moved forward in silence, the only sounds being the rustling of boots on ashes and the soft clinking of armor.
In this environment, any unnecessary conversation is a waste of energy and can easily lead to distraction.
After walking for about an hour, the surrounding terrain began to change.
The flat ash plains were gradually replaced by more and more huge black rocks, which were strangely shaped, as if they had been twisted and solidified by some kind of enormous force.
The smell of sulfur in the air was stronger, and the temperature seemed to have risen a bit.
The readings on the detector in Luo Lin's hand began to show slight fluctuations.
"A faint, irregular energy pulse has been detected, pointing towards eleven o'clock, at a distance of approximately eight hundred meters." Roland looked at the pale gray ripples that appeared on the screen.
"The pulsation frequency is different from the common earth vein fire flow or elemental turbulence; it is closer to the residual fluctuations of a certain kind of life energy decay or transformation."
Life energy decline?
Luo Lin felt a chill run down his spine.
In a place like the Scorching Hell, where life energy is already scarce, it is very unusual to see such a clear-cut decline in energy levels.
"Slow down, be on guard." Blake raised an armored hand and clenched his fist.
The group immediately stopped, each taking up a favorable position and warily looking towards the eleven o'clock direction.
There was an even denser area of black, jagged rocks, creating many blind spots.
Ella silently took down her longbow and nocked an arrow with a gleaming arrowhead.
Tiny arcs of electricity began to dance on Lehman's fingertips.
Liana gripped her staff tightly and began to chant softly, a faint, warm shield of fire enveloping her and the nearby furnace guards.
Luo Lin pointed the detector in that direction and adjusted it to maximum sensitivity.
On the screen, the pale gray, irregular pulse became clearer, intermittent, like the heartbeat of a dying person.
The source of the pulse seems to be deep within those jumbled rocks.
"I'll go take a look," Ella whispered, and with a swift movement, like a nimble lynx, she stealthily made her way towards the other side, using the shadows of the rocks as cover.
Blake didn't stop them, but simply made a gesture, and the two Forge Guards slightly adjusted the direction of their shields, ready to provide support at any time.
Time passed second by second.
Ella's figure quickly disappeared into the rocks.
The communication crystal was completely silent.
About five minutes later, Ella's voice finally came through, tinged with obvious seriousness and disgust: "We've discovered something—you'd better come and see."
"Watch your step, there is residual energy pollution."
The group immediately moved, maintaining their formation, and cautiously approached the area of scattered rocks.
After passing several huge, jagged rocks resembling animal teeth, the sight before them took everyone's breath away.
In the center of a relatively open depression, more than a dozen corpses lay scattered about.
No, to be precise, it was more than a dozen mummified corpses.
Their clothes were tattered and torn, and it was vaguely discernible that most of them were dressed as adventurers or low-ranking mercenaries, while some were dressed in simple miner's clothes.
Without exception, the corpses were an eerie grayish-white color, with skin clinging tightly to the bones as if dried for countless years, sunken eye sockets, and wide-open mouths, as if they had experienced extreme pain and fear before death.
Even more bizarrely, the ashes surrounding the corpse were surrounded by ominous dark circles, as if all life had been drained from them, and even the ashes had lost their color.
An indescribable sense of cold, deathly stillness permeated the air, completely at odds with the overall scorching and violent atmosphere of the Scorching Hell.
"Traces of necromancy." Lehman's cold voice broke the silence. He squatted beside a corpse, the arc of electricity at his fingertips lightly touching the corpse's arm, emitting a faint crackling sound.
"Life energy was forcibly drained, and even the remnants of the soul were absorbed."
"The technique was swift and decisive; it's not something a low-level necromancer could do."
Liana lightly tapped the ground with her staff, and a circle of pale golden flames spread out, sweeping across the dark ground.
Wherever the flames rippled, the dark areas bubbled slightly, emitting an even stronger stench of decay, but this was quickly partially purified by the flames.
"Death energy contamination, concentration not low. Time—no more than seven days." Liana's voice remained calm, but her face beneath the hood was visibly tense.
Blake walked over to a corpse, and with his gloved hands, parted the tattered clothing to examine it.
He turned the body over, exposing the back of its neck.
There was a clear mark there, like it had been branded with a hot iron:
A thin, bony, pale hand with outstretched fingers, as if it wanted to seize everything.
"Pale Hand." Blake's voice deepened, tinged with suppressed rage.
"When did these disgusting maggots extend their claws into the scorching hell?"
Pale hand?