Chapter 214: Caught Red-Handed |
Isabella tilted her head, gazing at the sky not far away, as if sensing something amiss.
However, based on her naked eye and current perception, everything appeared perfectly normal.
'Would someone actually dare to strike so close to the Church?' If it were anyone other than Isabella, they would likely dismiss the feeling as a mere illusion.
But she was different. Her perception was rarely wrong.
Just a moment ago, something had definitely gone wrong over there.
With this in mind, Isabella swiftly moved toward the location.
Simultaneously, she transmitted a report through the Grid, requesting backup.
The culprit possessed formidable concealment methods, ensuring that their strength was by no means weak.
With the Cathedral situated nearby, calling for support was much easier than one might expect.
If it had been any other Cleric, the situation would not have been so dire.
Opper and his group had naturally put a great deal of thought into choosing a stronghold right next to the Church.
This location connected the North District and the South District. Situated upstream along the Tail-Middle River, it was a prime transportation hub. Otherwise, the Church would never have built their Cathedral here in the first place.
For smuggling operations into the North District, this location was exceptionally advantageous.
At the same time, the smuggling of Whale Products was practically an open secret among most of the Church's Clerics.
By planting their stronghold here, they paradoxically enjoyed the tacit protection of the majority of the Church.
Furthermore, while this served as a stronghold, it held very little incriminating evidence. It functioned primarily as a central administrative hub, handling the flow of wealth more than anything else.
For the noble lords of the North District looking to purchase Whale Products, visiting this place was far more convenient than venturing into the seedy taverns of the South District.
Therefore, the smuggling itself was not a major issue, but the identities of Opper and his companions presented a significant problem.
They had never bothered to hide their true identities from their collaborators.
While those corrupt partners could turn a blind eye, Isabella absolutely would not.
After all, Opper and the others were intimately connected to the old priest from Finback Village.
She had always harbored doubts about the events that transpired in Finback Village. If she saw Opper and his group working for Nemus now, those suspicions would instantly multiply.
If a stubborn Isabella insisted on investigating further, it would inevitably sour her relationship with Nemus.
Meanwhile, at the Construct Protocol's new stronghold, Nemus sensed the disturbance near the Church. He could not help but marvel at how the variables introduced by the Historical Transition Period truly knew how to seize an opportunity.
As coincidence would have it, the Construct Protocol had made a breakthrough in their research on the Soul Component just today, which was exactly why he was present at the stronghold.
To make matters worse, Krew's Multiple Curses had reached a critical juncture, rendering him completely unable to intervene.
Purr was also by his side. Since the recent breakthrough with the Soul Component was somewhat linked to Whale-ification, his presence was required.
This meant that over by the Church, there was truly no one available to support Opper or intercept Isabella.
'Zoven... you have grown quite fast,' Nemus thought. Observing the intruder through the Oath Rope attached to Opper, he immediately recognized his nominal disciple, despite the changes in the young man's appearance.
Upon being discovered by Opper, Zoven's initial instinct had been to flee.
However, when he noticed that Opper and his men lacked a strong desire to press the attack—even going so far as to cast spells to conceal the commotion—
Zoven instantly altered his plan. He decided to stall Opper and escalate the situation.
Strictly speaking, although Zoven was currently a wanted fugitive of the Church, he had never stood trial. Thus, he was merely a suspect, not a convicted Sinner with undeniable proof against him.
The crimes Westbin had committed in the past were severe, but they were not so egregious as to publicly implicate his family.
However, beyond the public surface lay the hidden, darker underbelly of society. When a wall falls, everyone gives it a push. The Westbin family possessed substantial resources; with Westbin's downfall, it was easy to foresee a grim fate for his family. Far too many vultures would swoop in to trample them, eager to drop stones on those who had already fallen into the well.
That was precisely why Westbin had traded the secrets of the Fairy bloodline in exchange for Nemus's protection.
Since then, the troubles plaguing the Westbin family had gradually faded under Nemus's sheltering wings.
The transaction itself had been purely a gray-area dealing.
While Nemus's actions hardly adhered strictly to the rules, the majority of the Clerics did not consider it a major offense.
It was simply something that could not be openly displayed for all to see.
Therefore, Zoven was now boldly taking the offensive, doing everything in his power to prevent Opper from escaping.
He fully intended to drag all of their dirty secrets into the light.
Given the current circumstances, his previous plan—secretly trailing Opper to single-handedly uncover Nemus's vulnerabilities—was no longer feasible.
After this confrontation, the enemy would only become infinitely more vigilant.
Since that was the case, he might as well blow the situation completely out of proportion. The sheer scale of the commotion would inevitably draw the attention of Nemus's many enemies.
Perhaps he could even leverage this incident to rally those scattered forces, forcing Nemus's true flaws to bubble to the surface.
Unlike his past self, Zoven's combat prowess had grown exponentially following over two months of rigorous cultivation and a complete transformation in his mindset.
Even though Opper was an Iron Rank Warlock, supported by Arlo and the coordinated strikes of the Desperate Duo, their group still found themselves scrambling to keep up.
One moment, Zoven's Sword Art would become wildly ferocious; the next, his physical strength would inexplicably double. A few seconds later, he would take just two or three steps and vanish into their blind spots, melting seamlessly into the shadows.
This constant, unpredictable shifting of abilities and the sheer variety of powers at his disposal made him incredibly difficult to pin down.
Opper cast his spells several times, yet he failed to land a single hit or restrain Zoven's movements.
This was precisely the greatest leap in Zoven's growth over this period.
He could masterfully utilize the myriad abilities of the Soul of History summoned by Lilian. Even when swapping between entirely different power sets in the blink of an eye, he adapted instantly and wove them fluidly into his combat style.
Opper had never been particularly skilled at frontline combat. As long as he could stand at a safe distance and cast spells one after another, he was fine.
But when forced to deal with an opponent as agile and erratic as Zoven, his fatal flaws were laid bare.
It did not feel like his group was ganging up on Zoven; instead, it felt as though Zoven was single-handedly ganging up on them.
His combat style was simply too volatile.
The blade-wielder and the archer on the sidelines shared a similarly jarring experience.
The old Zoven had lacked any real combat awareness. While his Sword Art had been formidable back then, the two mercenaries had easily managed to suppress him.
Now, it was an entirely different story. If not for the presence of Arlo, a master of the blade, and Opper's magical support, they would have likely perished long ago.
Under such relentless pressure, even covering Opper's retreat was proving to be a nearly impossible task.
It had only been a little over a month since their last encounter. How could Zoven have changed so drastically?!
Before he had any time to ponder the thought, Opper felt the Dome he had summoned shatter into pieces.
A brilliant Holy Flame erupted with a ferocious blaze.
Her golden hair fluttering wildly, Isabella stood amidst the roaring winds whipped up by the divine fire.
Although both were Iron Ranks who had recently achieved advancement, the aura radiating from Isabella was entirely different from Opper's.
In just a single glance, Opper knew they were in deep trouble.