NOVEL NEXT Ch. 11
What Jiang Cheng Thought
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"What?"
The old man froze for a moment, as if he couldn't quite believe what had happened.
"I mean,"
Lyle repeated seriously, "there is no Adventurer Association in Adventurer City, there's only the Mechanist Association."
"How is that possible?!"
"What year is it now?" the old man asked again.
"The Year 1025 of the New Continent Era,"
Lyle replied, still unsure why the old man was suddenly asking this.
"I see... So thirty years have passed already..."
The old man lifted his head, lost in thought.
"It seems... we still failed."
The old man raised his head, the blackness flooding his eyes reflecting the dungeon's wall lamps.
"But... why is the Association gone as well?"
That pitch-black gaze revealed a trace of confusion.
"Is the god of Adventurer City still the Adventurer God?"
"Of course,"
Lyle looked at the old man strangely.
"Why else would it be called Adventurer City?"
"But isn't the city's management required to be related to the clergy?"
"That's true,"
Lyle frowned.
"The Adventurer God's second priesthood, isn't it the God of Machinery?"
...
A deathly silence filled the air. The old man looked at Lyle in disbelief and only spoke after a long pause.
"No, the Adventurer God has only the one priesthood."
"What?"
Lyle's eyes widened, and his first reaction was to think that this monster was lying.
However, his talent as a hero told him that the old man before him was not lying.
Still, he didn't pay it much mind—maybe that priesthood was something the Adventurer God acquired within the past few years.
Although the disappearance of the Adventurer Association did seem extremely abnormal,
in a world where divine power was paramount, he still didn't consider any other possibilities.
At the very least, the Temple of the Gods, which governed all city churches, hadn't shown any reaction.
So, if there was a problem, it was probably because they simply turned a blind eye to it.
Seeing Lyle's expression, the old man more or less understood what he was thinking.
He knew this was normal. After a moment's silence, the old man spoke.
"Comrade, just treat this as my dying wish—properly investigate the Mechanist Association."
Having said this, the old man stepped back, and as the sound of a gunshot rang out,
Lyle didn't have time to stop him—the old man shot himself in the head.
Immediately, the old man's body turned into a puddle of black sludge and merged into the entire city.
Staring wordlessly at the empty space where the old man had so decisively ended his life, Lyle was left at a loss.
Perhaps these monsters were not as simple as just being monsters?
For the first time, Lyle hesitated.
"He's dead."
Ferran looked at the empty space with distaste and spoke flatly.
"From what he said, he must have been a member of a team that handled the deep corrupted zone before the black sludge outbreak thirty years ago."
"What happened back then?"
Lyle asked excitedly, turning to look at Ferran.
"No idea."
Ferran shook his head.
"I wasn't even born then. I only know some things because of the old man's ramblings."
"All I know is that in the end, the black sludge erupted from the very depths of the corrupted zone and polluted half the city."
"At the same time, all seven Pioneer Teams were completely wiped out."
Hearing this, Lyle thought of how the old man had introduced himself earlier.
He really did seem to be a member of a Pioneer Team who should have died thirty years ago.
Only, the current him was just something disguising itself after devouring his memories and emotions.
"So, what's with the Adventurer Association? Why did it turn into the Mechanist Association?"
This was what Lyle most wanted to know, and also the old man's final wish.
At times like this, Lyle would sorely miss the Saintess who always knew a bit about everything.
Although her personality wasn't very good—in fact, it was quite foul—
it was still baffling how the Temple of the Gods could ever have confirmed her as the Saintess.
How could such a person possibly be destined to assist the hero in defeating the Demon King and saving the world?
Still, Lyle had to admit—Jiang Cheng really did know a lot.
"Ai," he sighed, looking off into the distance, not sure how to go on.
"What's the matter, sir hero?"
Ferran asked beside him.
"Every time things are like this, I can't help but think,"
Lyle said,
"How wonderful it would be if Jiang Cheng were here to explain everything to me."
"Ha," a familiar light laughter rang out.
Lyle turned to look behind him. "What, missing me already, my hero?"
The white-haired Saintess smiled maliciously, standing there quietly.
"Jiang Cheng, you're back?"
Since it was Jiang Cheng herself who had stirred his emotions via divine arts,
Lyle actually didn't have much resentment towards Jiang Cheng, and seeing her return, he was naturally very glad.
"Hah, if I didn't come back, how would I know you missed me so much, my hero?"
Jiang Cheng teased as she walked closer.
"Alright, let's go."
"Go?"
Lyle frowned. "Go where?"
"Back to the city and home~"
Jiang Cheng rolled her eyes.
"Didn't you accept that mission? Of course, promises need to be kept."
"So, we must go back to Adventurer City to investigate the Mechanist Association more thoroughly."
With that, Jiang Cheng grabbed Lyle and began running towards the exit.
As for Ferran? As expected, Jiang Cheng deliberately ignored him again.
"You finished your business?"
On the way back, Lyle frowned at Jiang Cheng and asked.
"Business?"
Jiang Cheng tensed a little, then remembered he was referring to the task those 'New Humans' said she'd help them with.
"Oh, of course I finished,"
Jiang Cheng chuckled lightly.
In order to complete this transaction, she had to reveal that the Saintess and the Mentor were one and the same person.
Therefore, those 'New Humans' going to help fight the Adventurer God had become a big deal.
After all, Jiang Cheng never intended to let these 'New Humans' leave alive.
Now that they knew her identity, death was basically inevitable for them.
If they accidentally slipped up and let Lyle learn everything, that would be bad.
But even so, before their deaths, they needed to be a little more useful.
Thinking of this, Jiang Cheng couldn't help but glance at Ferran.
Ferran suddenly felt a chill down his spine, as if he'd been stared at by a poisonous snake.
He turned but saw nothing—only Jiang Cheng's smile.
Well then, keep struggling desperately like that.
Jiang Cheng told herself silently, 'Only this way will you have a chance to succeed.'
Only that way could Ferran fulfill the wish of generations of adventurers.
That way, Lyle could receive the complete and genuine blessing.
Then, slaying the Demon King would become much easier.
Haaa~ she let out a secret sigh.
I really am thinking of what's best for my hero.
Thinking this, that slightly morbid smile on Jiang Cheng's face could no longer be suppressed.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】