Chapter 562 Hidden
"Ahh... Clovis? You can use it now?" Pearl inquired, recognizing Clovis despite her inability to sense his Aura.
"Yes... It's a bit tricky at first since it uses Vitality for each activation. However, once you've mastered it, it becomes second nature…" Clovis replied while touching the blindfold that was still blocking his vision.
At this time, the strange phenomenon of the twisting space had also disappeared the moment he emerged from it.
"What?! It uses your life force? Isn't that a Cursed Item instead?" Pearl exclaimed in shock, her mind racing to the forbidden arts and cursed items known to siphon the life force of Arcanists.
She didn't expect that the Arcana was also something similar.
"It's not quite like that... Maybe it's because it's a Broken Arcana, so it demands a stronger force…" Clovis explained.
"T-that's true. But that's dangerous. You can't just use it unless it's really necessary. You might die young if you use it too much." Pearl cautioned as she knew that Clovis wasn't really that old according to his stories.
She initially thought that he was like her, someone who had lived for a long time. After all, Clovis has the physique of the Celestial, and it wouldn't be surprising if he said that he had lived for hundreds of years already.
However, during their stay in Kirkham City, both of them shared some stories about their life. Pearl learned quite a few things about Clovis, including how he was just a young practitioner with immense luck.
"Of course. I'll keep that in mind. I don't want to die young either…" Clovis reassured with a smile.
Intrigued by the wealth of knowledge within the library, he joined Pearl in exploration.
Together, they spent over an hour perusing the library's extensive collection. He was lucky that the books had Reader's Runes on them, so it didn't take long before he finished browsing those he believed were important.
Well, most of them are related to other Arcane Paths since he lacked knowledge about them.
Now, he felt that he had gained enough knowledge to disguise whatever path he chose.
'I really have to get a few more Holy Arts Spells if I want to continue disguising as a Priest.' Clovis mused as he knew that the status of a healer would be a lot more useful in his journey.
"Ahhh... The squads from Kirkham City are still waiting for us. I think we should head out now…" Clovis remarked, recalling Roland and the others who were anxiously awaiting their return.
Pearl nodded gently in agreement, and they departed the Vampire Castle together, ready to reunite with their acquaintance from Kirkham City.
***
Outside the Castle, Denise and the others had already begun consuming their rations. They were beef jerky and hot tea, thanks to the Water Elementalist on their side.
Well, their appetites were heightened by the impending sunset. This also signaled the need to depart for the nearest town to recuperate. Traveling back would take a while, so they had to fill their stomachs.
"Just 20 more minutes, and we will have to leave this place. Make sure not to leave any of your belongings…" Roland reminded the group as he consulted his pocketwatch.
He didn't want to stay here for long, especially once the surroundings had become really dark. Not only would it be dangerous since the Evil Creatures would start lurking around, there would also be a chance that the Vampire in the Castle would come and chase after them.
Denise sighed at this as she contemplated suggesting an extension to their waiting time.
However, she knew it would likely be met with disagreement. Instead, she chose to remain silent, hoping fervently for Clovis and the others to return promptly. As she pondered this, Leonel abruptly stood up and gazed toward the Castle's entrance.
To their relief, Clovis and Pearl emerged, though the absence of Kai cast a shadow of concern. Meanwhile, Roland's dismay was palpable as he confirmed the death of Drake and the others.
"What happened inside… No, it's great that you managed to escape. Are you guys injured?" Elsa, the leader of the Revenant Squad, inquired.
"We're fine... And we didn't escape, we killed the Vampire…" Clovis declared, revealing the Crimson Orb containing the Vampire's Bloodline.
The appearance of the Crimson Orb surprised them a bit as they all unconsciously stepped back. After all, it emitted a strong aura of Vampire that was making them feel uncomfortable.
"Incredible! You defeated that creature?!" Roland exclaimed in astonishment as he confirmed that the orb belonged to the Vampire.
However, Leonel chuckled and remarked, "Hey, Drake and the others must've weakened it significantly, so don't be too surprised. Moreover, don't forget that Clovis is a priest. He undoubtedly held an advantage against a Vampire."
The group nodded in agreement, finding the explanation plausible.
Before Clovis could reply, Elsa already spoke up.
"Right, did you confirm Drake and the other's death?"
Clovis nodded at this question.
Elsa had friends among them, so she couldn't help but feel regretful about it. She should've stopped them from fighting the Vampire alone, or they should've gone together.
"What about their corpses? Did you seal them? Or perhaps you burned them already?" She asked.
At this time, Clovis was a bit stunned as he recalled that those corpses might be possessed by the Evil Spirits and turn into monsters.
"About that… I think we should return to take care of them." Clovis said while scratching his head.
"Of course, let's return and find any valuables inside! Let's go!" Leonel said with excitement as he started walking towards the Castle.
However, at this time, Clovis activated his Magic Zone and realized that an ambush was awaiting them.
"Leonel, it's not the time to celebrate. We're surrounded by enemies…" Clovis announced, stunning everyone with the gravity of his words.
They have arranged a Formation Circle and several traps around the place. Furthermore, they have scouts stationed in various spots, and their Magic Zone didn't pick up any signs of enemies!
Tension hung heavy in the air as Clovis's revelation sank in, casting a foreboding shadow over their next move.
Roland didn't think for too long as he immediately gave a series of commands even though he hadn't seen or felt the enemies.
He had to trust the man who defeated that old Vampire!
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