The blind villain of the academy

Chapter 185: Ortlock City [1]

Chapter 184

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Episode 44 - Ortlock City [1]

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In response to Cassian’s question, I shrugged and said,

"Don’t you think it’s strange for someone to be so kind to a complete stranger? The idea of following someone like that doesn’t sit well with me. The Holy Continent proves that."

"Mhm, you’re right. The Holy Continent simply has the image of being righteous, but they’re the real evil."

"Exactly. That’s why it’s hard to trust someone who shows kindness from the very first minute."

Cassian nodded.

Although there was no particular reason for him to answer every one of my questions.

Noticing that we were still far from the area where I planned to get rid of him, I decided to play along with his questions.

"And as for why I chose you, well, it’s just like you said. Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to travel with a man who’s familiar with conversations between men rather than women?"

Cassian looked ahead in silence before nodding.

"I suppose you’re right. Right now, we’re just talking about random things, and it doesn’t feel boring."

A smile appeared on his face.

This guy was good at acting friendly or creating the image of being a decent person.

’I wonder where this guy is from.’

In any case, we soon arrived at the designated area we were supposed to explore.

The Field Exploration Squad, as its name suggested, recorded, explored, and monitored security, movements, and any signs left behind by potential intruders.

The Abyss Containment Team was a place where even a Ten-Star Awakened had as their leader the person responsible for overseeing this location.

With a leader like that, it was only natural to assume that valuable things were kept there.

But more than valuable objects, what was being protected was the safety of an entire continent.

"Our job is to visit the habitats of certain monsters, verify whether there’s any possibility that they’re moving, whether they’re at war, or even whether new monsters have transmigrated into the area."

"And finally, inspect the surrounding areas."

I nodded, and after a few minutes, we headed toward a specific location.

The atmosphere there carried a strong metallic scent. Although there was no blood in sight, the smell was unmistakable.

Cassian wrote in a notebook that there had been fighting and added several other observations.

We visited other areas, and Cassian did the same thing.

Then we arrived at a place where a gigantic pillar of ice stood.

At its base was a cave, its entrance littered with bones.

The unmistakable smell of fresh blood came from inside the cave, along with footprints indicating that someone had entered recently.

After reaching this area, Cassian said,

"Have you ever heard the tales of the Phlegra Devils?"

I shook my head, even though I knew exactly which monsters he was referring to.

"The Phlegra Devils are rather bizarre creatures. Their appearances vary greatly because they don’t have a fixed form, but they’re known as the hunters of the Phlegra Continent."

"They live in groups of three and rarely live alone. Their minimum strength is always Class 4, but there’s always a Class 5 leader among them. Fighting them, even if you’re a Five-Star Awakened, is more than risky."

"Many people die trying to subjugate these creatures because they live everywhere, and they’re dangerous if they ever gather into an army."

As I listened to his theatrical explanation, I smiled inwardly.

The reason was that I had finally arrived at the place I had been waiting for.

Just as he said, even for a Five-Star Awakened, fighting a trio of Phlegra Devils wasn’t merely risky.

It was practically a way of seeking death.

There was a reason these monsters were called hunters; they were genuinely good at what they did.

And I was going to use them to do my job.

’You could say I’m going to hire them.’

But there was another reason for choosing these monsters.

The Phlegra Devils possessed a very unusual trait.

’They’re villain detectors.’

They could smell a villain’s blood from miles away, and because these monsters were hybrids of the Abyss races, they were unconsciously attracted to the Power of Chaos.

So, basically, Cassian was nothing less than a feast to them.

Of course, I first needed Cassian’s blood, even if it was only a single drop.

Although that would cause every Phlegra Devil within a one-kilometer radius to come running to this place.

’I need the others to come and witness the scene. Otherwise, if the Phlegra Devils devour this guy’s body, there won’t be any evidence that he was a villain, and I could be imprisoned or even beheaded for killing a Knight.’

Fortunately, every member of the Field Exploration Squad carried signal flares.

"By the way, I have a question."

Breaking away from my thoughts, I asked a question. Cassian stopped and looked at me.

"Yes, go ahead. What do you want to ask?"

I tilted my head slightly to one side and smiled.

"These monsters are villain detectors, right?"

I observed Cassian’s emotions and noticed a slight disturbance. He smiled and nodded.

"Yes. In some places, they’ve managed to use these monsters to capture villains."

"Ah, yes... I understand."

Before my last words, I unsheathed my sword and swung it in the blink of an eye.

The movement was so fast that Cassian reacted too late.

When he finally reacted, he unsheathed his own sword and jumped backward.

"What do you think you’re doing? Injuring a Knight of the Abyss Containment Team is a serious crime. You could be sentencing yourself to death."

I turned my head, ignoring his words, and then focused my senses on the cave.

The smell of blood flooded the surroundings in less than a second, or at least that was how I perceived it due to my senses.

But the Phlegra Devils sensed it as well.

Without realizing it, Cassian continued shouting while threatening me.

But then his body froze.

"I-impossible..."

He looked at his arm, where a thin line continuously dripped blood.

Then he looked at me, and I smiled.

"Surprised?"

"How the hell...?"

But before he could say anything else about it, I extended my hand and used Gravity.

"....?"

An invisible force squeezed his body, and without wasting any time, I moved my hand and pushed him toward the entrance of the cave.

I maintained Gravity until I finally heard the grotesque footsteps coming from inside the cave.

Cassian’s face turned pale, and he shouted.

"W-wait, wait... D-don’t let them come... Get me out of here, please..."

Before he could even finish speaking, a long crow-like beak covered in dozens of eyes appeared.

Then a row of teeth emerged from the corner of the Phlegra Devil’s beak.

Its head looked like that of a crow filled with eyes and teeth; the rest of its body was humanoid, with long legs, and on its back were fish-like gills.

The next second, the Phlegra Devil opened its beak, and Cassian’s head disappeared.

Then, from behind the Phlegra Devil, two more appeared, though they had slightly different forms.

’Time to fall back.’

I quickly retreated several meters and then pulled a scroll from my pocket.

I used mana and then crushed it.

A magic circle appeared, and a sphere shot into the sky.

Shortly afterward...

Boom!

The sphere exploded with a loud, deafening sound.

’If they don’t arrive soon, I’ll have to hold back the Phlegra Devil for a few minutes. Otherwise, they’ll devour Cassian’s body.’

With that thought in mind, I remained on guard.

***

Clana walked beside Arwen. Although she appeared calm on the surface, a slight twitch occasionally appeared on her face.

She briefly glanced at Arwen and could not help but sigh.

’She really talks a lot, doesn’t she?’

Ever since they had separated from the others, Arwen had not stopped talking.

She talked about anything that came to mind, as if she were letting every random thought spill out.

Clana simply ignored her and let her keep talking.

As the two girls walked, they left behind the area they were supposed to explore.

Boom!

Suddenly, both of them stopped and looked toward the sky.

Although it was dark and the snow was falling heavily, reducing visibility, Arwen turned to Clana and said:

"Come on, it came from the area where Cassian and your companion, Adel, are."

Clana nodded, and shortly afterward both of them began moving quickly.

Before long, they arrived at the area where the flare had exploded.

On the way, they ran into the rest of the Field Exploration Squad.

"Come on, it’s this way."

"Wait, isn’t that where the Phlegra Devils’ cave is?"

"They usually move when there’s a villain or a demon nearby, right?"

"That means there are demons in this place."

Arwen listened in silence as everyone advanced toward the Phlegra Devils’ cave.

"Let’s take a look first."

She felt a slight suspicion, though she did not openly show it.

However, when they arrived, Arwen, the members of the Field Exploration Squad, and Clana could not help but freeze at the sight before them.

In front of them, three grotesque creatures were feasting on Cassian’s body.

Black blood covered the entire ground, soaking the snow in a dark color.

And near them stood Adel, his arms crossed.