It's normal for trees to drop leaves, but this is too much!
They pushed aside all the leaves that were piled on their bodies to restore their obstructed vision, and then they could see the clear blue sky above their heads.
It was the end of summer, and the trees in the Great Forest of the East Territory were all towering and densely distributed, so the sky was basically invisible from the ground because it was blocked by the lush treetops.
But at this moment, the clear sky appeared in their sight without any obstruction.
Because most of the leaves of the surrounding trees have fallen off, the forked branches have become bare, with only a few leaves still hanging limply on the treetops.
What’s strange is that the falling leaves are all green, and don’t look like the yellow leaves that fell naturally.
"Are these trees...dead?"
"Look at these leaves, they've become so crisp!"
"The grass underneath is the same. It breaks into pieces when you break it."
"So these giant cockroaches are also...?"
"God, this is too..."
"In the end what happened?"
Pollut was as confused as his teammates, staring around.
I saw that the surroundings had become desolate at this moment. All the leaves of the trees and shrubs had fallen off, and the chirping of insects that was unique to the mountains and forests had suddenly disappeared.
Apart from the team members' panicked discussions, there was no sound of any living creature.
Seven giant cockroaches were lying on the ground in a mess, no longer showing any signs of life; on a distant treetop was a flying bird, also motionless, probably dead.
A little further away, everything was normal. The woods were still lush and green, and the chirping of insects could be heard faintly.
It seems that this strange phenomenon only affects the area within a few dozen meters around.
Plants, animals, insects, alien species...
In this spherical area with a radius of several dozen meters, all living things died in an instant. Their bodies were not damaged at all, but all life activities had ceased.
It was as if the concept of pure "death" was implanted.
The only ones who could survive were humans, that is, this group of adventurers and the two strong men who were being hunted.
"Wait, this was done by... Miss Sharon?!"
Polyus suddenly remembered the stone he had just crushed.
If this wasn't some strange natural phenomenon, the only thing that could have caused all this... was the small stone that had been blessed by Qi Ji.
"In other words, this piece of stone that she handled so casually... is not only useful, but also has such a terrifying effect!?"
At this moment, he suddenly realized... Qi Ji's true identity might be more terrifying than he had originally imagined.
More than ten minutes later, the anxious adventurers finally rested and moved towards the outside of the forest.
After the battle just now, they realized a fact: the anomalies in the forest were not simple and might not be handled by a few scattered soldiers like them.
Your life is at stake, so let’s retreat quickly.
Moreover, he saved two mortals. It was impossible to abandon these two people in the dangerous forest, nor was it possible to take them with him, and it was even more impossible to let them go back on their own.
So I escorted them out of the big forest and back to Stio.
"What are you two doing in the mountains?" On the way, Polyus curiously asked the two survivors covered in blood.
"Uh," one of them said, looking away, "We went into the mountains to collect herbs, but we didn't expect to be attacked by those monsters... Thank you so much, heroes, otherwise we would definitely be dead!"
"Yes, yes, thank you so much. I will never be able to repay you in my lifetime!" Another person also hurriedly agreed.
Listening to the two people's words of gratitude, Pollut narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
After the crisis was resolved and he had time to think about other things, he noticed that the two men were behaving in a somewhat strange manner.
Although they were covered in wounds, the amount of bleeding was definitely not so great.
This shows that a considerable portion of this blood is not their own.
Whose blood could it be? It was obviously human blood.
With a little thought, one can realize that in addition to these two people, they must have other accomplices, and the blood belongs to them.
As for why there were only two people left... probably they didn't survive the giant cockroach's pursuit.
That...or the blood that spurted out when those poor creatures were torn apart by the giant cockroaches created the current appearance of these two people.
But judging from their reactions so far, they showed no sadness at all after their companions were killed.
That's fine, they didn't even mention it!
It's so strange. This is not at all the mentality that hunters or herbalists would have after encountering such a thing.
Who could that be?
Why did you go to the Great Forest of the East?
Why would he deceive his savior?
Poluto was alerted, his face turned cold, and he said sternly and solemnly:
"You are lying. You are not ordinary residents at all! Tell me the truth. Who are you?!"
Chapter 81 The Gradually Converging Line
In the magnificent Lion Craftsman Villa District, rows of western-style buildings of varying sizes but consistent styles are neatly arranged like a grid.
At the edge of the housing area, there stands a two-story villa with a low-key and restrained design, which is not very eye-catching compared with other buildings in the villa area.
And underground, a secret meeting was taking place quietly.
In the spacious basement, a huge long table was placed horizontally in the center, with high-backed chairs placed symmetrically on both sides and ends.
Simple but delicious dishes were placed on the table, and the aroma of the food was tempting.
However, few people sitting around the long table had any appetite for the food.
Under the ceiling, the dim chandelier swayed slightly, casting a large area of restless shadows below.
"...Everyone, how are you investigating Andre's case?" The man at the top of the long table knocked on the table and said in a deep voice, "There has been no news for the whole day. This is not in line with his basic principles of behavior."
In the dim light, a head of bright red hair was faintly visible.
Baron Augustus Lionsmith.
"Sir, I went to the Sutton family to check in person, and there is nothing left," a hoarse voice came from the audience, "According to Sir Andre's schedule this week, he should have been at the Sutton family last night. I'm afraid..."
The person who was speaking was a man in his thirties or forties, with a hunched body, shifty eyes, and the image of a typical street villain. However, at the moment, he was wearing a neat suit, which made him look a little out of place.
"What do you mean by 'nothing left'?" A stern-faced man sat across the long table. He was obviously dissatisfied with the other party's words. "Rat man, you'd better make your words clear. Your half-hearted and half-hearted jargon won't work here!"
"Sir, this is not slang, it means literally," the rat man showed a flattering smile, but with his ugly face, he looked a little scary, "The building, the foundation, the supporting structure - everything on the land, all disappeared, leaving only a pit."
"What he said is true. I have been to the scene and I can testify to it," said the third man. "There are no bodies, no ruins, only nothingness. I swear to the Holy Grace that I have never seen anything so strange."
"It's been almost a day since the incident happened," the rat man continued. "I asked the residents around here, and they didn't notice anything unusual that night, except for a loud tearing sound..."
"What do you think of this?" Augustus interrupted him. "Is it revenge or assassination by the opponent?"
"God, we don't have the ability to have such an outrageous opponent," the rat man shook his head repeatedly, "making an entire house disappear overnight... We, the Ghost Wolf, are just a small organization that does a low-level business. How can we be qualified to be an opponent of someone who can do such a thing?"
"So that's revenge?" Augustus said simply, "Think carefully, have you offended anyone recently?"
"My Lord Baron, we have offended so many people," the rat man said with a wry smile, "How can I eliminate this?"
"I don't need your explanation, I just need your answer."
“Well, okay,” the Nezumi raised his head awkwardly and pondered for a while, “If it’s limited to these few days… let me think…”
After a few seconds, he suddenly looked at Augustus: "I don't know if this counts. A few days ago, the group of bandits we hired were dealt with when they came to the city to 'do business'. It was done by an adventurer. Andre asked us to check this person..."
"Oh, is this kind of thing worth talking about? You're just making it up, right?!" The stern-faced man across the table said unhappily, "A bunch of stupid bandits, swaggering into the city to plunder all day long, it's a miracle they don't run into trouble!"
"Yes, yes, I think so too. Let me think about it..."
"Wait," Augustus tapped the table and frowned, "Have you checked on the adventurer who took action?"
"That's right. We sent people into action that night." The rat man spoke with some pride, as if he was proud of his efficiency.
"What results have you found out?"
The Nezumi choked. “Well, the result was reported to Lord Andre, but now he is…”
"Hey, hey, hey," the man across the table slammed the table hard, "You're an office worker, how could you not know anything? Stop talking nonsense and just tell me what you know!"
"Okay, okay, I'll think about it again, think about it again!" The rat man hurriedly lowered his head, recalling with all his heart and soul, trying to search for relevant information in his memory.
What the man said was right. I had to handle these things myself. It was impossible for me to know nothing.
But as the Ghost Wolf's small leader, Rat Man had too many matters to deal with personally. Similar things happened every day and were not worth remembering specifically. It was normal that he didn't think of them for a while.
But his memory was not to be underestimated. After a short while, he raised his head:
"Sir, I remember now. It was a little girl. I heard she was very pretty, about fourteen or fifteen years old. She was wearing a cloak. She should be a warrior, but we cannot rule out the possibility that she could be a wizard... We sent someone to the hotel where she was staying that night, and then..."
He briefly told his plan at the time, then spread his hands and said, "That's all I know, really."
"A little extraordinary girl wearing a cloak?!" A figure suddenly stood up at the back of the long table.
"Hey, it's not your turn to speak yet!" the stern-faced man scolded.
"It's okay," Augustus waved his hand and looked at the man who stood up. "You go ahead."
"Master Lionsmith, I'm afraid I've seen this person before!" the man said excitedly, "I came here this time to report the information related to her!"
The candlelight from the chandelier shone on his face, revealing a slightly mean look.
It turned out to be the medicine seller who was reselling the antidote for the fever in the North District yesterday morning and was exposed by Qi Ji on the spot!
He spoke very quickly, "Yesterday I was selling antidote for fever as usual, but someone suddenly showed up and messed up the place. Not only did he steal all the money I made, he also forged the antidote and distributed it to other people. It's simply lawless!"
Augustus's eyes darkened: "Go on."
"That person is basically the same as the one described by the rat man," the medicine seller said, "a little girl in a cloak about fourteen or fifteen years old, and a supernatural being... but she seems to be a wizard, because she used some unknown spell to forge an antidote."
"Wait a minute, now that he mentioned that, I remember it too!" The rat man's eyes widened suddenly, "I remember this girl! A few days ago, Master Lanchester asked me to investigate a female wizard, and it seems to be her!"
Hearing Lanchester's name, Augustus's expression suddenly changed: "Explain to me clearly, what's going on?!"
The Rat Man quickly repeated what Lanchester had told him that day:
"The young master said he has taken a fancy to a woman and asked me to investigate her movements in the city. According to the report from my subordinates, this person is a magician from outside the city who just arrived in Stio a few days ago... Oh, right, their appearance and clothing features are basically the same! They are probably the same person!"
"Where is little Lance?" Augustus' eyes widened, his voice trembling slightly, "Is he home?"
"My Lord, the young master is out," the stern man said, "He didn't let the servants follow him before he left today. It seems like he has something private to do."
"Not good!" Augustus seemed to realize something and stood up in panic, "Quick! Go find Lanchester! Now! Call him back! Quick!"
Chapter 82 A glass of wine to settle past grudges?
For some reason, more diners than ever gathered in the luxurious restaurant hall.
What was strange was that the places where they sat showed an unusual pattern: they were not randomly distributed, nor were they near windows or other areas with wide views.
Instead, they all crowded into a corner near the hall, making the seats, which were originally more than enough, seem crowded, while there were many vacant seats away from that corner.
The diners talked to the people around them in loud voices, but most of them didn't seem to be focusing on the conversation. Instead, they took the opportunity to communicate and turned their heads from time to time to look at the corner that everyone was flocking to.
"Why are you so polite today?" Qi Ji held his chin with one hand and poked the steak on the plate with a fork with the other hand.
"Sir, we are about to say goodbye," Danny, who was sitting across the table, said with a smile, "After all, we have known each other for a while, and before we part... I think I should treat you to a meal as a sign of respect."
Qi Ji didn't say anything and continued to poke the steak.
Danny's actions left her speechless.
After she and Lunxi left Andre's hiding place this morning, Lunxi returned to Iris Manor alone, saying that he had to deal with some personal matters.
Qi Ji didn't go back with her and wandered around Stio by himself.
When I accidentally passed by the Fearless Guild, I ran into Danny who was eating there.
As soon as Danny saw her, he came up to her very attentively and wanted to treat her to a meal at a local high-end hotel.
At first, Qi Ji thought that this guy had some improper thoughts about him, but he quickly explained the reason.
