Before crossing the bridge, the two captains gathered the entire group.
"Alright. I think you have understood your own role. Although we are late by more than two hours, we still have to continue this mission." Captain Faust informed them while pointing at the bridge. "There is a possibility that this is a trap. So, I want the Demon Beholder Squad to be more careful than usual. Check every corner and make sure there aren't any traps that will give us disadvantages."
"The Demon Relief Squad will remain in the rear for the time being. After we have secured the area, you will enter the village. The Demon Hunting Squad and the Demon Barrier Squad will be following you right behind, ready to help in case something happens."
"Don't forget that Creek Village is suspected to be a branch of the Supreme Devil Organization. From our understanding, every branch has at least several Devil Bishops. That's why there are two captains here."
"Once we cross the bridge, the plan will start. Is there any objection?" Faust looked around, but no one raised their hand.
He pulled the bow on his back while commanding, "Onward."
Igor also raised his head, looking at the mountain. The steep mountain would be treacherous terrain for them to hunt. In fact, the terrain alone was enough to make this Creek Village a natural fortress.
However, the original village was never built for that purpose. The Supreme Devil Organization might have realized the potential of this village and used it for themselves.
Unfortunately, they couldn't discern the true reason why the Supreme Devil Organization used this place. All they could do was be careful.
Noel looked around. He had seen the Vice Captain of the Demon Beholder Squad in the past. But this was the first time he saw their Zero Squad. Meanwhile, the Demon Hunting Squad didn't bring their Zero Squad.
It seemed that if the one who led them was the Vice Captain, they would deploy the Zero Squad to make up the firepower. But if the captain was the one leading them personally, they would only bring their First Squad. It was proven when Noel saw the same figure who talked to them when they tried to relieve the Demon Barrier Squad headquarters.
Well, he could understand the reason as well. After all, their headquarters had to be defended by their Vice Captain or the Zero Squad if their captain left, unless something urgent happened.
From what he could see, the team was quite balanced. So, they should be able to do something in case this was just one big trap.
The group began to cross the bridge. The river was wide, and the water formed raging waves. Even a Spirit Master wouldn't be able to cross the entire river with a single jump. And if they fell, they would be able to escape from it, but they would still struggle for a while.
Noel knew if this was a trap, the first thing the enemy would do was destroy the bridge.
That was why, the moment he crossed the bridge, he became extremely vigilant.
The Demon Beholder Squad immediately dispersed, trying to find any clues along the way. Meanwhile, the Demon Hunting Squad began to move forward. They were hunting dogs, so they were perfect to be the vanguard in this operation.
The Demon Barrier Squad remained with the Demon Relief Squad for the time being.
After several minutes, there was a signal that told them it was safe to climb the hill.
So, the two squads started climbing while maintaining some distance from the Demon Hunting Squad.
…
While the group was advancing toward the village, Zion had been sneaking around according to Noel's instructions. He was going around the mountain to reach the other side and find the secret passage.
When he was moving between the trees, he abruptly stopped when he sensed a presence coming from the north.
'Hmm? This is?' Zion suddenly jumped off the tree, erasing his presence. He couldn't allow anyone to catch him. He thought, 'I can feel two people's presence. Their strength is beyond me. Two Spirit Grandmasters?'
Zion tried to look at these two people through the gap between leaves to discern their identities.
However, Zion suddenly stopped for a moment when he took a peek at their faces.
One of them was an old man who seemed to be in his seventies. He was old, but his body was still emitting powerful Spiritual Energy. Meanwhile, the other one was a middle-aged man. He might not be as strong as the old man, but their facial features looked similar, making him look like he was a relative of the old man.
Two powerful Spirit Grandmasters and seemed to be relatives. It took him an instant for Zion to realize their identities.
'Wait a minute. Are they the Spirit Grandmasters of the Count Family? They are the current Count and the Fist Arbiter?' Zion gulped down. 'What are they doing here? No, I think it's pretty obvious.'
Zion was in a dilemma. On the one hand, he wanted to follow them to confirm their actions and involvement. On the other hand, Noel had predicted this would happen. So following them would just waste his time searching for another escape route.
'What should I do? Should I confirm their actions with my own eyes? Or should I focus on my task?'
Zion thought for a few seconds before choosing to believe in Noel's prediction. It was better to focus on his task since his teammates' lives depended on him.
Zion continued to cross the mountain. He became even more careful because those two existed.
However, it didn't take too long for him to hear a huge explosion coming from the bridge.
*Boom!*
The loud sound shook the mountain. The birds that resided on the mountain immediately flew away.
It seemed that they deliberately caused such a scene in order to alarm everyone. They wanted the people in the village to know that the rats had sneaked in.
"Kh…" Zion gritted his teeth. Although he was worried about his teammates, he had to keep going. "I promise I'll find the secret passage."
