CH272 - CH273

CH272

Helag wasted no time, activating all his defensive measures. In an instant, he transformed into a towering figure clad in black armor, surrounded by a multicolored shield.

But he didn't stop there. With a wave of his hand, he cast an absolute defense spell on Amisha as well.

Amisha, who had grown up in a safe environment with little sense of danger, was slow to react.

She was confused at first when Helag began casting spells on her, but when he added a shield around her, she finally realized something was wrong.

Quickly, she cast a green shield on herself. After all, she was a first-level liquefied wizard and not weak by any means.

Meanwhile, in the sewers below, the blood-red claw had transformed into a glowing red orb.

In the next moment, both the red light and the six corpses nearby vanished.

Above Israel's estate, a rift suddenly appeared in the sky. As soon as it did, an overwhelming pressure poured out from it.

The roof of the estate collapsed instantly, debris raining down onto the black shield below.

If not for Israel's quick reaction, the rubble would have crushed the guests beneath it.

These were all prominent figures from various sectors, and if they had died here, it would have been a disaster.

Even Israel wouldn't have been able to bear the consequences.

The guests looked up at the rift, confused and unsure of what it was.

In the next moment, an eye appeared within the rift.

Helag immediately covered Amisha's eyes. "Don't look."

He lowered his own head as well, knowing that this was not something they could gaze upon.

If it weren't for the bloodline power of the Thunder God Ancestor flowing within him, Helag wouldn't have been able to take even a glance.

He understood that whatever lay beyond the rift was far beyond his comprehension.

Amisha nodded, trusting Helag's warning without resistance.

However, not everyone reacted as quickly. Some guests instinctively glanced at the eye, only to collapse to the ground, blood pouring from their orifices.

They died without a sound, their heads exploding as if something had burst them from within.

One of the victims was a first-level official wizard, dead without warning.

At that moment, everyone realized they couldn't look at the entity beyond the rift.

They all closed their eyes or lowered their heads.

The eye in the rift seemed to be struggling, as if trying to enter this world.

But it was met with great resistance, and the rift itself began to close.

The eye's gaze was filled with fury, clearly displeased at being hindered.

Soon, the rift closed completely, healing like a wound.

The oppressive atmosphere vanished, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief, utterly exhausted.

Amisha collapsed into Helag's arms, unconscious.

Helag, however, was fine.

His strong physique and powerful bloodline had shielded him from most of the pressure.

Looking around, Helag saw that the estate was now in ruins, with several people lying on the ground.

The eye had only appeared for two or three seconds, but in that brief time, it had caused immense pressure on everyone.

Israel couldn't even imagine what would have happened if he hadn't immediately activated the third-level defensive wizard array.

The pressure they had felt was already reduced by the array.

Outside the array's range, the garden had been flattened by the sheer force.

Fortunately, the estate was designed as a standalone structure, so no other buildings were damaged.

Israel felt a wave of fear wash over him. If he hadn't reacted in time, everyone would have died.

The black crystal he had used was one of his trump cards, a powerful defensive tool that could be deployed quickly.

He hadn't expected to use it in such a situation.

Even so, a few people had died, and handling the aftermath would be troublesome.

Israel sighed. He hadn't anticipated that hosting a ball would lead to such a disaster.

At that moment, several figures approached from the distance. Helag looked up and saw that it was Pruis leading the group.

Pruis, usually so carefree, now wore a serious expression.

He landed beside Israel and immediately asked, "What happened?"

They were all members of Seranthiel and knew each other well.

Israel replied gravely, "It was the Abyssal cultists. They opened a planar rift, and something beyond it cast its gaze upon us."

Pruis remained silent for a moment, surveying the scene.

The damage caused by just a single glance was staggering.

The people behind Pruis were all second-level wizards responsible for security in Silvermoon City.

They immediately began handling the situation, using various spells to check for hidden dangers and investigating the sewers.

The injured were quickly taken away for treatment, and the families of the deceased were notified.

There was much work to be done.

Helag glanced down at the unconscious Amisha in his arms, unsure of what to do.

Pruis and Israel were both swamped with work, clearly too busy to help him deal with the Mori family's heiress.

At that moment, a middle-aged man with graying hair and a neat mustache approached. He bowed politely and said, "Mr. Helag, I am Blank, the Mori family's butler. May I ask you to accompany me in escorting Miss Amisha home? Given the recent attack by the Abyssal cultists, I fear I may not be able to ensure her safety on my own. If you can help me return her safely, the Mori family will not forget your kindness."

Helag nodded. "Alright, I'll help you escort Miss Amisha home."

He had little choice in the matter.

Amisha was the Mori family's precious daughter, and if anything happened to her, Helag would be held responsible.

The Mori family wasn't known for being reasonable in such matters.

Ensuring Amisha's safe return would prevent any further trouble from coming his way.

"Thank you!" Blank bowed deeply in gratitude.

He was only a first-level crystallized wizard and didn't feel confident in his ability to fully protect Amisha.

Helag's earlier display of power had not gone unnoticed by Blank.

Having an extra ally was always a good thing.

The Mori family's carriage was parked outside. Helag carried Amisha into the carriage, while Blank took the reins and drove them toward the Mori estate.

Amisha's breathing was steady, though she remained unconscious.

Helag had already checked her condition and found nothing seriously wrong. She just needed some rest to recover.

Amisha's body wasn't as strong as his, and she hadn't been able to withstand the immense pressure, causing her to faint after about a second.

CH273

The Mori family's estate in Silvermoon City was vast, surrounded by high walls and resembling a palace complex.

Even from a distance, its grandeur was evident.

As Helag rode in the carriage, they were met halfway by a group of Mori family members who had come to escort them.

Blank had already informed the family via magic stone to send people for support.

Given the strange events that had just occurred at Israel's estate, Blank didn't dare linger.

With the appearance of such a powerful and mysterious entity, Blank's only concern was getting Amisha far away from there.

If anything else happened, he wouldn't be able to bear the consequences.

The Mori family had sent dozens of people, led by a stern-looking middle-aged man with an imposing presence.

This man was none other than Shatar, the current head of the Mori family.

Blank stopped the carriage and quickly ran to Shatar, kneeling on one knee. "Master Shatar."

Shatar glanced at him and asked, "How is Amisha?"

"Miss is unconscious but breathing steadily. There are no other issues," Blank replied.

At that moment, Helag stepped down from the carriage.

Shatar dismounted and approached Helag. "Thank you, Mr. Helag, for escorting her. The Mori family will remember your kindness."

"You're too kind, Mr. Shatar. It was the least I could do," Helag replied. Blank had already informed him on the way that the family head would be coming, so Helag knew this man was the leader of the Mori family.

Shatar nodded and turned to one of his men. "Gordon, take note of Mr. Helag's contact information and transfer 5,000 magic stones as a reward."

"Thank you," Helag said, noticing that Shatar seemed keen to avoid further involvement with him.

Helag didn't mind; in fact, he was relieved. Plus, he was earning 5,000 magic stones for his trouble.

With the Mori family now present, Helag's escort duties were over.

After exchanging magic stone contact information with the Mori family's butler, Gordon, Helag called for a carriage and left.

Helag could see the wariness in Shatar's eyes, likely concerned that he might have gotten too close to his daughter.

Blank had probably reported the events of the ball in detail through the magic stone.

Helag, being a poor young man, even as a member of Seranthiel, was not someone who would catch Shatar's eye.

For a wizard family like the Mori family, Amisha's marriage had to bring significant value. There was no way they would let her marry a lowly wizard like Helag.

Shatar's cold attitude made it clear that he wanted Helag to keep his distance from his daughter.

Helag didn't care. He had no intention of getting involved with the Mori family anyway.

Earning 5,000 magic stones for this trip was already a win.

It seemed the Mori family kept a tight rein on Amisha.

During their conversations, Helag had sensed her longing for freedom.

The vast, untamed lands of the Barren Lands seemed to hold a strong appeal for her.

Helag shook his head, deciding not to dwell on the matter.

He had no intention of playing out some romantic elopement with a rich family's daughter.

He wasn't Romeo, and Amisha wasn't Juliet.

As Helag sat in the carriage, he began searching for information on Abyssal cultists.

The events of the night had been too sudden, and what had happened left Helag deeply unsettled.

Six Abyssal cultists had used a red claw to open a rift to the Abyssal Plane.

Though the rift had only been open for about two seconds before closing on its own, it was still a shocking event.

The souls and blood of six ordinary people were weak offerings, yet they had managed to open a planar rift. It was almost unimaginable.

This only meant that the red claw they had used was no ordinary item. It possessed extraordinary power, enough to open a rift with just six sacrifices.

Helag recalled the rift and was certain it led to the Abyssal Plane.

He had glanced at the eye within the rift, and while it had caused his head to throb slightly, he hadn't suffered any major effects.

Unlike the others, whose heads had exploded after just a glance.

When Helag saw the eye, he immediately understood the immense power of the entity beyond the rift.

He had instinctively covered Amisha's eyes, preventing her from looking up.

Had he not reacted quickly, Amisha would have been a headless corpse by now.

The eye contained infinite knowledge and rules, far too much for ordinary people to comprehend.

In the instant they saw it, their minds would be overwhelmed by an influx of information, causing their heads to explode.

Helag had felt some pressure after seeing the eye, but thanks to his powerful bloodline, he had been able to withstand it.

The bloodline of the Thunder God Ancestor, though dormant, was still present within him.

Its latent power was still there, even if he couldn't fully activate it.

Helag recalled that the six people had been called Abyssal cultists, likely tied to the Abyssal Plane.

After searching through the tavern forums, Helag found some relevant information and began to understand.

Though the Abyssal Plane's invasion had been repelled by wizards long ago, there had always been people who wished for its return.

These individuals worshipped various powerful entities from the Abyssal Plane and were collectively known as Abyssal cultists.

They were deeply hidden, lurking in every corner of the Land of Dawn.

It was even possible that a wizard who spent their days fighting pollution and slaying monsters could secretly be a fanatical Abyssal cultist.

Abyssal cultists would stop at nothing to bring the Abyssal Plane back to the wizard plane, using any means necessary.

What had happened tonight was a relatively minor incident in the grand scheme of Abyssal cultist activity.

Thanks to Israel's quick response, casualties had been minimized, with only a few deaths.

In terms of Abyssal cultist attacks, this was considered a small number of deaths.

There had been cases where Abyssal cultists had poisoned an entire city's water supply. Though the wizards had discovered it in time, many people had already consumed the water, most of them ordinary citizens.

These ordinary people, with their weak constitutions, couldn't withstand the diseases in the water. Some died within three to five days, while others lived for over a month, but in the end, they all perished.

Only knights, wizard apprentices, and wizards survived.

The death toll had reached four figures, and that was just the recorded number. The actual death toll was unknown.

Ironically, the people in the slums had been unaffected.

Their water pipes had long since fallen into disrepair and weren't connected to the city's main water network.

After that incident, every city in the Land of Dawn had significantly increased their precautions regarding water safety.

No one had ever imagined that such a small, overlooked issue could be exploited to cause such widespread devastation.