It didn't take much time for Alex to realise that Penthe seemed to have escaped through the underground passageway. And Kalina was chasing after him.
Aware of the reason for Kalina's pursuit, Alex stealthily trailed behind her. Intuitively, he comprehended that her purpose must be to track down Penthe. Intrigued by the unfolding events and desiring to uncover the truth, he silently pursued Kalina, maintaining a careful distance.
Alex's ability to use mana vision enabled him to see the subtle difference in the mana surrounding. Thus he was able to track Kalina from far away. Kalina didn't realise his presence at all.
After running through the underground passage for minutes, Kalina stopped abruptly. From the other end of the tunnel, she could hear some vague voices.
"You shouldn't have used the tunnels. You shouldn't have come here." An emotionless voice stated.
"I have no other choice left. You are my only hope. Please save me." Penthe's begged.
The bits and pieces of conversation helped Kalina identify Penthe. He was standing before a man in the dark, begging to save his life.
Who was that man? Kalina mused.
She was certain that anyone who dared to aid Penthe, despite being aware of his association with the Black-robed men, must be wicked. So she didn't have any qualms about spying on them.
Suddenly, Penthe kneeled on the floor, his arms touching the feet of the person before him. He begged and sobbed shamelessly while sitting prostrated on the ground. He was stooping to a new low to save his life from the immediate danger.
The man standing before Penthe smiled upon witnessing this sight. His delight was evident as he observed Penthe's shameless behaviour. One could easily discern, from his deranged smile, that this sadistic individual found pleasure in the suffering of others.
The dim light from the lamps didn't fully reveal his sadistic nature to Penthe. So, he desperately struggled to gain the person's favour.
After some deliberation, the man in the shadows stepped forward into the light of a dim lamp hanging on the wall of the underground passage, finally revealing his face.
The sight of the familiar face caused Kalina to draw in a deep breath, leaving her momentarily breathless as she grappled with the information she had stumbled upon.
Could it truly be the elder she was acquainted with? Was this the same individual?
She was shocked to see the elder of the Thousand-headed Serpent tribe conversing with Penthe. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief seeing this.
Her shock and disbelief temporarily caused her to lose her composure. Inadvertently, the sound of a gasp escaped her lips, betraying her approximate location to both Penthe and the man.
Two sharp gazed came peering into the position that she stood. Even in the pitch-black of the underground passage, they quickly found Kalina. Due to the darkness, they didn't realise who she was. And yet, this didn't prevent them from launching a sudden attack on her.
A flickering ball of light condensed to form an illusory figure of a serpent before shooting through the air. Kalina barely dodged the attack directed at her.
But before she could sigh in relief, the serpent crashed into the walls of the tunnel, scattering into the air. It produced a small flash of light. However, that was enough for the assailant to identify her identity.
"It's Kalina," they said in unison. Penthe struggled to maintain his composure but ultimately made a resolute decision to flee from Kalina. With all his might, he sprinted towards the exit, determined to avoid a confrontation with her, knowing full well he stood no chance of victory. Not even the elder of the thousand-headed serpent tribe could intervene in time to hinder his swift escape.
Left behind in a tense standoff, Kalina now faced the elder of the thousand-headed serpent tribe. With her identity exposed, she chose to confront the man directly instead of continuing to hide. Numerous questions were weighing on her mind that she sought answers to from the elder.
The man before her was the elder of the thousand-headed serpent tribe. He was one of the people that made the most contribution to the reconstruction effort of Thira. He was also the acting head of the thousand-headed serpent tribe.
In the past, when the nine great tribes convened, he had accompanied Kalina, joining forces to voice their grievances against the adverse influence of the evil organisation on the continent. He had received the prophecy and vowed to collaborate with the other tribes in eradicating the evil force. And yet, he was currently colluding with Penthe.
What should she understand from this?
Coming to terms with the stark disparity between the person he appeared to be and the person he truly was proved to be a difficult task for Kalina. After all, she almost trusted this bastard. The amiable countenance he displayed turned out to be nothing more than a deceptive facade. Kalina felt disappointment welling up inside her.
"I never thought that I would cross paths with you here, the great and mighty elder of the thousand-headed serpent tribe." Kalina began with a snarky remark. Her voice dripped with both displeasure and disappointment, clearly conveying her emotions.
"Nor did I," the elder replied calmly. As a tier 4 warrior, despite his age, he remained formidable and strong. Kalina's presence did not guarantee her ability to prevent his escape, further bolstering the elder's confidence. So, he calmly talked with Kalina even when she knew about his relationship with the evil organisation. If push comes to shove, he was ready to kill her by any means necessary.
And at the same time, the elder took out a purple crystal from his clothes and crushed it with his finger. A purple light flashed briefly before it disappeared from Kalina's view.
"What have you done?" Kalina inquired, her curiosity piqued.
The elder nonchalantly brushed the remnants of the crumbled crystal from his hands and replied, "Oh, this? This crystal serves as a means to call for reinforcements."
"Intriguing," Kalina responded, her tone laced with suspicion. "Care to elaborate on who exactly you refer to as 'we' in your previous statement?"
"Ha ha..." The elder chuckled. "It appears you're not the sharpest tool in the shed. Even after witnessing it firsthand, you still require an explanation." With those words, the elder retrieved a black robe from his spatial tool. Right before Kalina's eyes, he deliberately adorned himself with the garment, taunting her to take action.
Nevertheless, Kalina remained steadfast and refused to succumb to his provocations. She understood the importance of maintaining a composed and rational mindset during a battle. Drawing upon her extensive years of combat experience, she allowed her seasoned instincts to guide her.
Despite her annoyance, she held back her will to fight and asked.
"Can you explain why you decided to join hands with the evil organisation? Looking at you, it seems like you don't have much time left to live. You could have easily spent the rest of your life in peace and harmony. So, why did you decide to take a painful path to death."
"The first elder of my Tribe was a greedy old codger. It didn't surprise me when I realised that he was a traitor. But why are you doing this? As far as I know, you have a good reputation among your tribesmen. You are not interested in wealth or power. So, why did you choose to become a pawn of the evil organisation?" Kalina inquired while closely observing the elder's face.
"You already said it. My reason to betray my own tribe." The elder paused. He darted around surveying the surroundings. He could see the reinforcement coming from the direction of the exit. Seeing this, he turned towards Kalina with a smile and said.
"Promises of curing me of my mortality, of transforming my life forever—they gave me hope," the elder confessed, his gaze unwavering. "As a desperate man, living on borrowed time like myself, I had no choice but to accept their offer for a chance at life once more."
He laid bare the selfishness behind his decision, fully aware of it. Embracing the path he had taken, he acknowledged the destruction he had caused to his land and his people without batting an eyelid. He was convinced that his reasoning was correct and the lives of others didn't matter.
Nothing that Kalina could say would convince him otherwise.
Kalina came to the realisation that he was not simply a normal person but rather a deranged individual, driven by his own madness. When presented with an opportunity to turn his life around, he exhibited no hesitation in pursuing it, regardless of the consequences.
A person like that would never change. He was similar to the first elder of her tribe. The longer they live, the longer they want to live. Their greed had no end. One was chasing after more power while the other chasing after a chance to live a longer life.
"You have lived longer than my grandmother, witnessing firsthand the devastation caused by human greed when the demon ravaged this land," Kalina stated firmly, her voice filled with conviction. "All those who served it ultimately fell victim to its insidious power, consumed to fuel its growing strength. Do you honestly believe the evil organisation is any different? They may very well become the catalyst for your own demise. Have you ever even considered that?"
As she spoke, an ice spear materialised in Kalina's hand, serving as both a warning and a testament to her resolve.
Although she posed the question, she had no desire to hear his response. Anything that would escape the elder's lips would be nothing more than the vilest nonsense. Kalina aimed to demonstrate, through his swift demise, that the organisation that he trusted would ultimately lead to his undoing.