Chapter 351 349-Things Aren't That Simple
However, Luther's expression in the next second sent a chill down Ethan's spine.
As Luther turned to pass Elida, the smile on his face vanished instantly, his features becoming cold and rigid.
He appeared utterly indifferent, a stark contrast to his previously lascivious demeanor, as if he had been seduced by Elida.
A wave of unexplained coldness swept over Ethan, making his back feel cool.
Luther's abrupt change of face plunged Ethan into deep thought.
The idea of seeking out Herman for a chat, which had just begun to form in his mind, was quickly dismissed.
Something was amiss in this camp, something sinister hidden beneath the surface.
Ethan continued to monitor Luther, who wandered aimlessly around the village.
Finding a high spot, Luther sat on a rock and began cultivating.
Ethan frowned, finding Luther's behavior exceedingly strange.
While others cultivated in their rooms, Luther uniquely chose to practice outdoors on a high point.
Luther took out a divine crystal, channeling energy into it.
In an instant, the divine crystal emitted a captivating glow, dense divinity enveloping Luther.
The halo around him seemed to breathe, expanding and contracting rhythmically.
He gradually absorbed the divinity into his body.
To any casual observer, it would appear as a typical cultivation session, but Ethan noticed something off.
Although Luther absorbed the energy emanating from the divine crystal, it was only skin deep.
His skin emitted a faint glow, similar to Ethan's own experience in the Cocooning stage.
But all of it was a facade.
Ethan's pupils suddenly constricted as he murmured to himself, "Luther is pretending to absorb the power of the divine crystal."
What was Luther trying to achieve with such an act?
Witnessing Luther's bizarre behavior, Ethan became even more cautious in his movements.
The memory of Elida's seductive demeanor sent a shiver down Ethan's spine.
Was Elida a genuine beauty, or a 'femme fatale'?
Only time would tell. After apparently absorbing the divine crystal, Luther channeled the energy and became motionless.
As night fell, the moon hung high in the sky.
The forest was shrouded in mysterious darkness.
Moonlight, filtering through the sparse leaves, draped the earth in soft, silvery threads.
A gentle breeze rustled the branches, producing a low, pleasant rustling sound, as if nature itself was playing a beautiful symphony for this quiet night.
In the tranquil forest, stars twinkled like countless gems set against the dark canopy of the sky.
Occasionally, a shooting star streaked across, leaving behind a beautiful trail that drew gasps of admiration.
Ethan had no mood to appreciate this beautiful scene; he was perched in a tree, watching Luther's every move.
Luther, who had been as still as a rock, suddenly stirred.
He opened his eyes, and for a moment, his gaze flashed like a sword light, as if to slice through the darkness of the world.
Luther's strength had deepened significantly since entering the Deityforsaken Land.
He moved swiftly, heading towards Herman's wooden hut.
Ethan remembered clearly that Herman, Elida, and Sebastian had all come from their respective huts.
He watched the silent hut, hesitating slightly.
But then, with a determined grit, a glint in his eyes, Luther pushed open Herman's hut and barged in.
Ethan watched intently, and within a few minutes, something startling occurred.
It seemed as if Luther was propelled out by an immense force; he jerked his head and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
The huts of Herman, Elida, and Sebastian appeared to react, with blue, red, and black lights flickering inside.
Luther quickly clutched his chest, using his energy to sweep up the blood-stained dust as he fled.
After disposing of the bloody evidence, he didn't return to his hut but lay just outside his door, breathing laboriously, focusing on healing his injuries.
Ethan observed all these events with clear eyes. Luther's actions were evidently premeditated.
Logically, breaking into Herman's hut and causing such a commotion should have awakened him.
However, Herman remained asleep, as undisturbed as if in a deep, death-like slumber. This was illogical.
Considering everyone's formidable strength, they didn't need to sleep regularly and could remain vigorously alert.
Herman's deep sleep, allowing Luther to enter his hut, seemed to be a deliberate pattern.
More peculiar was that while Herman slept, Elida and Sebastian didn't wake up either.
Could it be that they all belonged to the same faction, leading to such a physical state due to some flaw in their teachings?
And what secrets did that wooden hut hold?
Luther, severely injured, chose not to enter his hut for recuperation but sat outside his door, seemingly unconcerned about exposing himself.
Or perhaps, he preferred exposure over entering the hut again. It seemed the hut held its own secrets as well!
As dawn broke the next day, with the sun just beginning to light up the sky, Luther awoke.
He cautiously stepped back from his room's door, waiting until people slowly emerged from the other wooden huts.
Blending into the crowd, Luther stretched casually, feigning normality as he lined up with the others, heading towards the central pit of the camp.
Herman, Elida, and Sebastian stood at the forefront of the crowd again, seemingly assisting in the registration process.
The crowd chattered and made their way into the pit.
The trio didn't engage in much conversation, moving in sync as if they were one entity, and soon retreated to their individual huts.
The events of the previous night involving Luther seemed as if they had never happened, causing no suspicion among Herman, Elida, and Sebastian.
Ethan licked his lips and descended to the ground.
Lana, waking from her cultivation, asked, "How is it? Is there something wrong with this camp?"
Ethan shook his head slightly, speaking softly, "I'm not sure, but it's best to observe for a while. There's something peculiar about this camp."
Taking advantage of the crowd moving into the mining pit, Ethan wandered around the periphery.
The forest was full of hidden dangers, with various beasts lurking around.
If not for Ethan's advanced cultivation allowing him to conceal his presence, he would have been discovered numerous times.
Being spotted would have undoubtedly led to an attack by the groups of beasts.
After making a round, it seemed that the divine crystal mining mountain was solely associated with the peculiar camp.
That was the only place where divine crystals could be mined.
With no other option, Ethan had to lead the two women back to their original temporary base.
That night, the miners once again emerged from the depths of the pit.
Herman and his companions collected a tenth of the divine crystals from the miners, who then orderly retreated to their wooden huts to begin their cultivation.
Watching the energy colors flickering in the huts like distant lights, Ethan felt his forehead throb.
The miners seemed to be emotional humans, yet they also acted like mindless puppets, mechanically mining and then retreating to their huts for cultivation.
They perpetually repeated these actions, all except for Luther.
Luther encountered Elida again on the path.
Today, Elida was unusually forward, wrapping her arms around Luther's neck, her long, pale legs entwined with his.
She provocatively licked his neck with her tongue.
Luther quickly succumbed, pushing Elida to the ground.
Shockingly, they began to make love wildly just outside the camp.
Elida's fiery red hair moved frantically, her exposed breasts bouncing with her movements.
The scene was excessively erotic, and her moans echoed throughout the village.
Ethan broke out in a cold sweat.
This raw, instinctual, and unabashed display of sexuality didn't arouse any desire in him.
It resembled more of an animalistic mating than a human act, with Elida acting like a wild beast in her fervent pursuit.
Luther was equally voracious, using his own energy until he had completely subdued her.
Only then did he dress and stand up.
Elida, too, appeared thoroughly satisfied, her face glowing with fulfillment.
After lingering together for a while, she said goodbye to Luther with a lingering blush still on her cheeks.
Once again, Luther displayed a dual nature.
With his back to Elida, his face turned pale and pained, as if he was overcome with nausea and a desire to vomit.
He quickly made his way to his chosen spot for cultivation, channeling the energy within his body, and began to focus intently on his practice.
Ethan shifted his attention away from Luther and towards Elida.
After parting ways with Luther, Elida repeatedly entered the wooden huts of various miners.
Of course, Ethan couldn't see what Elida was doing inside the huts.
However, he keenly noticed that the light within the huts dimmed after Elida entered.
She would then emerge, adjusting her clothing, and proceed to the next hut. This pattern repeated, leaving Ethan bewildered.
Was Elida offering her services to the miners in their huts, just as she had done with Luther?
Meanwhile, a new development occurred around Luther.
The energy around him, initially a shimmering white light, began to transform as he forcefully expelled needle-like red light spikes from his body.
As these red spikes emerged, Luther seemed to be enduring immense pain.
Before long, he was drenched in sweat, panting heavily.
The 𝘮ost uptodat𝑒 novels are pub𝙡ished on fre(e)webno(v)el.𝒸𝑜𝘮