Upon hearing Nicole's information, Noel immediately made a decision. "We'll go through the demons. What's the width of the valley?"
"That is the problem. The valley is pinched by two tall cliffs. So, the size is about twenty meters at most. If we have to go through the valley, we might have to kill almost all the demons."
"Cliffs?" Noel frowned. "Can't we cross the area from the top?"
"That's not possible." Nicole shook her head while taking out the map again, pointing at the cross mark. The cross mark looked like it was on top of the mountain. However, there was something different from the usual. "If you take a look at this, you will realize that our target is at the peak of this mountain."
"However, there is something weird about this map. It turns out there is no mountain."
"No Mountain?" Noel and the others were shocked. The map they had been using this whole time was accurate. Yet, the last part was not. It would surely confuse them.
Nicole nodded and said, "When I reached the place, there was nothing but a huge cliff. At the end of the cliff, I could see an entrance leading to a cave."
"Don't tell me…" Noel gasped.
"Yes. I'm afraid that our destination is within the cave. Hence, we have to kill most, if not all, monsters before proceeding if we don't want to get buried inside the cave. I don't know where this cave will lead us, but this is the only way. I can't find anything useful when I try to scout the area."
Noel looked down for a moment, thinking, 'This is weird. Ardagan's information should be accurate, but the fact that the map is different… It seems that the map Ardagan uses for this reward is a map from one thousand years ago. It was used either by my ancestor or the previous civilization. There was a chance that within one thousand years, something big happened and caused this massive change.'
Noel knew that the information was accurate, so he didn't doubt Ardagan even if there was something different.
He glanced to the side and asked, "What should we do with the Superior Demons?"
"We can only cut them. If the Superior Demons are only at the level of normal captains of the army, then I can kill one of them within a few minutes. I mean, that is only possible if I utilize my identity as an assassin to the fullest." Dimitri explained.
"In that case, I will be the bait." Damian nodded. He never expected they would reach this far. Since the destination was right before their eyes, Damian didn't mind sacrificing himself a bit. He asked Nicole, "How many Superior Demons did you find?"
"Three Superior Demons: a Giant Lizard, a Spider, and a Snake. There are approximately fifty Peak Level Demons and numerous Advanced Level Demons and below. The valley is about twenty meters wide and one kilometer long. If we advance carefully, we can take care of a few demons at a time." Nicole explained.
"I see. How about crossing the valley from the top of the cliff and jumping down?" Noel asked.
"There are a lot of flying demons in the sky. If we disturb them, I'm afraid the entire population of demons in this area will chase after us. And by the time we jump down, the demons below will destroy us."
"But won't it be the same if those demons order those flying beasts to attack us?"
"Not necessarily." Nicole shook her head. "If we follow the route, the top part of the cliffs are not that far apart. This will result in a huge loss of the sounds we produce underneath it. Hence, there is a high chance that the flying beasts won't realize it as they are in the sky."
"And the cliffs are about seventy meters tall. Normal demons will die if they try to jump. Only people like us who can use rope and other things would survive. So, following the normal route is the only way."
Noel sighed. It seemed that they had no choice.
Noel made a decision. "Dimitri will remain hidden and Damian will take the vanguard role. Anna and I will take care of the Advanced Level Demons while Nicole handles the Peak Level Demons. If possible, we'll also help you deal with the rest of the Peak Level Demons."
"Got it." Anna and the others nodded their heads.
But before they left, Damian asked Dimitri, "Should we use our True Spirit Body?"
Instead of Dimitri, Noel was the one answering him. "No. It's better if you don't use it. Although it's true that our target is right before us, we don't know if he is hostile or not.
"After all, the target is not a human. There is a chance that he misunderstands us and attacks us crazily. During the misunderstanding, we will need our trump card to at least gain some time until he calms down. So, make sure you save your trump cards. If needed, I'll ask Anna to take care of the situations, of course, without the True Spirit Body." Noel explained with a serious expression.
He didn't want to be reckless anymore, especially when meeting someone so powerful. According to Anna, the hermit was mysterious, considering the Sword Saint's disciple had been under his tutelage the whole time. Hence, his strength shouldn't be any lower than Dimitri's. That was the only reason why they could live in this dangerous area.
In fact, the hermit might not think a Superior Demon was that big of a deal.
Now that they reached a conclusion, they immediately prepared for a breakthrough or elimination, depending on their needs.
They followed Nicole and reached the said valley. As Nicole explained earlier, the top parts were expanding toward each other, creating a pseudo roof that would protect them from anything above.
The wall was also tall enough. Without a doubt, the only way to reach the cave was through this valley.
Noel looked at the horizon filled with demons. "Let's go, shall we?"
