Roy could feel his heart pounding in his chest as the carriage sped through the treacherous terrain towards Constantine County. He knew that they were nearing their destination, the imperial capital, but he could sense that danger lurked around every corner. It was a feeling unique to him as he had the sixth sense.
He didn't know what the danger was, but he knew it was there, somewhere in Constantine County, waiting to wreak havoc, and he might have to face it.
Luckily enough, he was ready for whatever lay ahead. His confidence was at an all-time high as he had faced down an army of vicious humanoid rats and emerged victorious.
There was this odd feeling in his heart which was telling him that he could handle anything that came his way!
The carriage moved like lightning, its passage unchallenged and unopposed. The Baldwin clan's symbol was etched upon its side like a warning to anyone who dared to stand in their path.
Not to mention, they all knew who was riding inside. It was the very same person who had single-handedly eradicated the remnants of the army of vicious humanoid rats, which they had no confidence in winning against without sacrificing a minimum of 1000 lives.
How could they not show him respect?
Forget about being questioned; Roy and the others in the carriage were given a grand welcome!
The people of Constantine County knew that they were in the presence of greatness, and they welcomed the carriage with open arms. Lines of soldiers stood on either side of the road, forming an honor guard for the Baldwin clan as they made their way deeper into the county.
The soldiers saluted as the carriage went by, and the air was filled with a sense of awe and respect. The Baldwin clan had become a symbol of hope and inspiration for the people of Constantine County, thanks to the heroics of Arnard the Scaleless, who had just singlehandedly ended the invasion of the humanoid rats, and the Divine Executioner, who dealt with the remnants of the army in an instant.
As the carriage moved deeper into the county, the people continued to stare in wonder and admiration. They felt as if they were witnessing a legend in the making, a hero who would be remembered for generations to come.
Maya and Aydin, the half-elvish twins, were blown away by the level of hospitality they received. "This is insane!" Aydin exclaimed.
"It's like we're royalty or something," Maya marveled.
As soon as Roy entered the inner part of the county, a notification appeared before him. The bold letters were written in red and displayed a message that caught his attention.
『Important Quest Alert!』
『Mission "Eliminating Undead Army Spies" has been generated!』
『Quest Info』
Constantine County is in grave danger. The spies of the undead army have infiltrated it during the chaos and are lurking around to land a decisive and deadly strike when the opportunity arrives. Stop that from happening.
『Task』
-Use your skills to find all the spies of the undead army that have infiltrated the county and kill them before midnight.
『Reward』
You will receive the skill book [Divine Alchemy Knowledge] for completing this mission.
『Penalty』
If you fail this mission, the county will lose one of its most important trump cards, and the chance of it getting razed to the ground will increase to 99%.
『Would you like to accept it?』
『Yes』/『No』
Roy read the mission promptly with a serious expression on his face.
'It won't be an easy mission, but I'm not without help,' Roy thought to himself, his mind racing with the possibilities. "I can rely on my skills and my uncle's friendship with Count Constantine. If I play my cards right, I'll be able to find and eliminate those spies before they can do any real damage to the county. I can do this."
Roy took a deep breath and accepted the mission with a sense of determination. He would not let the people of Constantine county down, and he would do whatever it took to ensure their safety.
The sun was blazing high in the sky, casting its scorching rays down upon the swamp, making the air thick and heavy with heat. The overwhelming smell of decay and death was fresh in the air, overwhelming the senses with disgust. The murky waters of the swamp were littered with the bloated, twisted, and rotting corpses of countless unfortunate aura masters and mages that had met their demise in these treacherous waters.
Amidst this gruesome scene, a fierce battle was raging, with blood splattering the ground and the sound of metal clashing against metal filling the air.
After exchanging several blows, the two figures - one human and the other demonic - separated.
Lucas was a mess. His face was dripping with sweat and caked in dirt, and his breath came out in ragged gasps as he wiped the blood from his lip. The veins on his temples bulged with anger at the loss of his comrades, and his bloodshot eyes locked onto the demonic figure before him. The red skin of the creature seemed to glow in the sunlight, and its pair of wings and four arms made it all the more menacing.
Zarathas, the demonic being, showed no signs of exhaustion as he looked down at Lucas with a taunting expression.
"You're all alone now, Lucas. Your useless teammates are dead, their remains scattered in these murky waters. Why don't you just give up like a good boy and join them in the afterlife?" he said, his voice filled with malice.
Lucas gritted his teeth, the redness in his eyes growing more intense as his anger boiled inside him. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man with short, dark hair and a chiseled jawline. His face was twisted into a snarl of rage, and his eyes burned like hot coals in his skull.
"I'll make you pay for what you did to them," he growled like a beast.
Zarathas chuckled at Lucas's fury, relishing in his misery.
"How laughable! You weren't my match when they were alive. Now that I have decimated those useless pieces of trash, how can you overcome me?" he asked, jabbing the air with his fingers and releasing streaks of blood energy towards Lucas.
