The journey from Tristran to Warson took even longer than Alex had imagined. When the boatman woke him from his cabin and he stepped onto Warson's pier, five hours had already passed.
Did I just waste five hours?
Watching the boatman's figure disappear into the distance, Alex frowned. He hadn't expected Warson to be so far from Tristran, and it was a one-way trip—the boatman had told him he only provided transportation to Warson, not back.
At first, Alex was puzzled, but then he realized that there was a teleportation array under the small chapel in Warson, which was much faster than any boat.
Never mind, let's find the shard first.
With this thought, Alex began to walk towards the town of Warson.
At this time, Warson had not yet been attacked by the cultists as it had in the game; people were still living peaceful and serene lives.
He could see fishing boats coming and going, and children playing in the fields. Seeing this, Alex couldn't help but feel a bit melancholic.
He could imagine that once the cultists attacked, there would be almost nothing left unscathed.
But unfortunately, Alex was in no position to help; he could barely protect himself.
He just hoped he could retrieve the shard as quickly as possible, which might give the cultists no reason to target Warson and might divert their attention, thereby sparing this peaceful village.
As an outsider, Alex didn't draw much attention in the town, likely because most people were busy working.
The entire town seemed calm and peaceful. Alex didn't intend to cause any trouble either. He quickly found the chapel in the town and knocked on the door.
Soon, a man dressed as a priest emerged from the chapel, looking curiously at Alex.
"Hello, stranger. What brings you to Warson?"
"Hello, Father."
Alex nodded at the priest and then took out Captain Rutherford's letter from his pocket, handing it over.
"I am a militiaman from Tristran. A meteor fell there, and I heard that some fragments landed in Warson, so I came to see if there are any clues."
"A meteor?"
Hearing Alex's words, the priest was momentarily stunned, then nodded as if understanding.
"I know what you're talking about. Coincidentally, we did find something very strange. Please, follow me…"
As he spoke, the priest stepped aside, gesturing for Alex to enter. Hearing this, Alex gave him a meaningful look before stepping into the chapel.
The chapel was dimly lit, with only the faint light of candles barely illuminating the surroundings.
"What exactly is it?"
Alex asked casually as he walked deeper into the chapel. At that moment, the sound of the chapel door closing creaked behind him. Then, the priest's voice echoed again.
"Oh, it was something a fisherman caught while fishing. It occasionally emits a very peculiar power. The fisherman didn't know what it was, so he brought it to the chapel. I intended to keep it safe, but I didn't expect it to be related to that meteor…"
As the priest spoke, he kept a close eye on Alex's back. He then silently reached into his robe and pulled out a dagger. Alex seemed completely unaware, curiously looking around and asking casually.
"So, where is the shard?"
"It's just up ahead…"
As he spoke, the priest quickened his pace, quietly moving behind Alex, gripping the dagger tightly and stabbing towards Alex with force! Simultaneously, a flash of cold light streaked by!
Thud!
"How could... this... be..."
The priest stared in shock, eyes wide as he looked at the cold blade that had pierced his body.
The chilling aura of Frostmourne spread, making him feel a fear so intense it seemed to freeze his very soul.
"How did you... find out..."
"Your acting is terrible. Go home and practice."
Looking at the dumbfounded priest, Alex sneered. In fact, from the moment he met the priest, Alex had sensed something was off.
The priest's eyes were initially full of worry, and when he heard Alex's purpose, he clearly showed a trace of anxiety.
What made Alex most suspicious was that the priest had not carefully checked Captain Rutherford's letter. He merely glanced at it briefly after opening it and immediately led Alex into the chapel.
Alex was always good at reading people, which helped him gather information. This time, his instincts told him something was wrong.
Moreover, Alex's suspicions were confirmed when the priest walked behind him instead of leading the way after entering the chapel.
Normally, since the priest was hiding the shard, he would have taken the lead.
But he used the excuse of closing the door to fall behind Alex, which was definitely suspicious.
The most crucial moment was when the priest made his move.
Alex distinctly heard his breathing become heavy for an instant, a natural human reaction indicating either excitement or nervousness. Without hesitation, Alex summoned Soulrend and swung it backward.
And Alex's judgment proved correct. This priest was a cultist!
With a scream, the cultist's soul was forcibly extracted from his body and absorbed into Soulrend. Meanwhile, a line of information appeared before Alex again.
[Soul Power +45]
Indeed, the souls of the living are stronger than those of the undead.
Seeing the system prompt, Alex curled his lips. He then sheathed Soulrend and began searching for the shard of the holy sword.
Since the priest was a cultist, Medusa likely already knew about the shard. Alex speculated that the cultists had deliberately delayed things, causing Nephalem to take a detour!
Most likely, in the game, Medusa had already taken the shard from Warson before Nephalem arrived!
The more Alex thought about it, the more he believed this was the truth. Otherwise, why would Medusa's illusion be waiting so leisurely in the cellar when Nephalem arrived? It was clearly a trap!
"It's not here, as expected."
After a quick search of the chapel, Alex found nothing. However, this only strengthened his conviction that the priest hadn't hidden the shard in the chapel first before moving it to the cellar as in the game, but had kept it in the cellar all along!
The cultist might have thought his plan foolproof, but he didn't know Alex had already learned the cellar's location from the game.
After finding nothing in the chapel, Alex quickly exited through the back door and went to the adjacent cellar.
The door was locked, but Alex wasn't concerned with such minor issues.
With cultists and their leader potentially appearing at any moment, he remained vigilant, slashed the cellar door open with one stroke, and walked inside.
The cellar looked much like it did in the game. As Alex walked through the corridor to the center, he soon saw the hilt of a sword on the central platform, glowing softly.
This is the shard of the holy sword! Fortunately, it's still here!
Seeing the shard, Alex felt a wave of relief. He approached the platform and carefully inspected the surroundings.
Finding no traps, he reached out, took the hilt, and placed it in his pocket. Only then did Alex truly feel at ease.
"Alright, everything's done. It was simpler than I thought. Now I just need to return to Tristran..."
"Whoosh!"
But before Alex could finish speaking, a flash of light appeared behind the platform. Suddenly, several figures in yellow robes, looking very much like cultists, emerged.
They were momentarily stunned upon seeing Alex, and Alex, too, was taken aback for a moment. He quickly realized what was happening.
These cultists had used a teleportation array to get here!
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