nownovels Chapter 126 Cooperation and the Terrified Hughes
Chapter 126 Cooperation and the Terrified Hughes
Chapter 127 Cooperation and the Terrified Hughes
Lilith's pupils suddenly contracted, she gasped in surprise, and instinctively took a half step back.
A pink spiritual energy field instantly activated around her, forming a shield. Her face was filled with surprise and wariness, and she was no longer as composed as before.
She never expected that the mysterious, unpredictable, and troublesome pure white life form that both she and Hughes had encountered was actually—actually summoned casually by this black-haired youth before her?!
Just who is he?!
Not only can he control the death fire that terrifies Hughes to the bone, but he also seems to have a deep connection with the legendary "Kabus," and can even command this completely incomprehensible special life form?!
At this moment, Hick's sense of mystery and danger in Lilith's mind instantly soared to an immeasurable level.
All her previous scheming, maneuvering, and even covert plotting were almost completely crushed at this moment, replaced by a profound sense of awe.
The young man before us, who appears to have only the energy fluctuations of a first-level wizard, possesses unfathomable depths and secrets!
Hick was very satisfied with Lilith's reaction.
Summoning "Sean" was precisely to further deepen this sense of mystery and oppression, so that she would completely abandon any wishful thinking and recognize who was in control.
"It seems you've met before."
Hick spoke in a flat tone, as if he were talking about something trivial.
"He will act as a liaison between us. Through him, you can inform me of your search progress, and similarly, if I have any questions, I will also contact you through him."
He paused, the dying embers at his fingertips flickering once more, their leaping black light seemingly freezing the surrounding air: "Remember, don't try to do anything unnecessary to him, or withhold crucial information. My patience and tolerance are based on honesty and keeping my word."
The threat was cold, direct, and self-evident.
Looking at the silent white humanoid figure before him, feeling the chilling black flames emanating from Hick's fingertips, and the terrifying being beside him, exuding an aura of death, whom Hughes called "Kabus"—
The last trace of resentment in Lilith's heart turned into helplessness and complete sobriety.
From the very beginning of this so-called cooperation, the other party held absolute initiative, and they had no right to bargain.
"I see."
Lilith took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock in her heart, and tried her best to keep her voice steady.
"We will keep our promise, search within the designated area, and keep you informed of the situation through him in a timely manner."
She didn't even know what to call the white figure.
"very good."
Hick nodded, seemingly acknowledging her tact.
"Alright, you can begin now. Remember your area of activity and don't cross the line."
He waved his hand casually, as if dismissing two unimportant subordinates.
Lilith gave Hick a deep look, then glanced warily at the silent white figure "Sean" and the mountain-like Kabu. Without another word, she turned and transformed into a pink streak of light, quickly disappearing into the direction of the dense forest.
She first had to find the skeleton Hughes, who was probably terrified and had disappeared somewhere.
Once Lilith's aura completely disappeared, the simulated oppressive aura and deathly flames surrounding Hick instantly subsided.
He let out a soft breath and rubbed his temples.
Maintaining his authority, precisely controlling the Deathfire, and dealing with two experienced level three wizards simultaneously placed a considerable mental burden on him.
White Sean stood quietly in place, without any movement or emotional fluctuation, like a perfect creation.
"Go and follow them, and stay hidden. They won't bother you anymore now."
"Heath gave the order," Hick instructed.
"Understood, sir."
Sean responded with that respectful voice, and then his body seemed to melt away, slowly sinking into the ground without leaving any trace, as if he had never existed.
"What are they going to such lengths to search for? Could it be—something our mentor left behind here years ago?"
Gazing in the direction Lilith had disappeared, Hick fell into deep thought, then... gaa! gaa! gaa!
The piercing cawing of crows rang out again, and Heathcliff's figure soared into the sky with the sudden appearance of a large flock of ravens, disappearing into the once-silent forest.
"You damn skeleton! Weren't you the most enthusiastic one before? Huh?! The moment you run into something tough, you run faster than anyone else! Leaving a delicate, beautiful young woman like me in that godforsaken place! Are you even a man—oh right, you're not even human!"
In a secluded hollow on the outskirts of the Silent Forest, Lilith finally found Hughes huddled behind a withered tree. Her suppressed anger erupted instantly, and she pointed at his nose and unleashed a torrent of furious abuse.
"And you call yourself a level three wizard! Where's your backbone? Where's your dignity? You've utterly disgraced the level three! A name, someone who should have been buried in the dust of history long ago, can scare you like this?!"
"You don't know anything!"
Hughes suddenly raised his head, the eerie green soul fire in his eye sockets swelling violently with excitement, almost spewing flames.
"That's not someone who died long ago! That's Qaboos! The true master of the fire of death! You have no idea what that really means!"
His voice was hoarse and shrill, carrying a lingering fear of surviving a disaster and an overwhelming rage at being looked down upon.
"Why do you think Vidis is so evasive whenever he's mentioned? Why do you think I have these almost broken bones, this eternal nightmare?! Just barely clinging to life? Ha—you're right! But that's because he's too lazy to even crush me! Like you wouldn't care about an ant crawling under your foot! He doesn't even bother to remember my name!"
Hughes brandished his bone claws excitedly, making a series of piercing cracking sounds: "That's not just a matter of power level! That's—that's the rule! That's the end! That's the cold manifestation of the return of all things to nothingness! My necromancy, my soul power, are like ice and snow under the sun before that pure black fire! They can't even struggle! It's utter annihilation!"
He pointed at Lilith, his soul fire flickering wildly: "What use are your proud mental charms, your little tricks of manipulating desires, in front of him? Huh? You don't even deserve to arouse his slightest interest!"
He can directly incinerate your very soul, completely erasing any trace of your existence! You just tried it yourself; even one of his flames—controlled by an apprentice—almost caused you harm!
"Apprentice?" Lilith caught the word, her raging anger subsided slightly, and her brows furrowed tightly.
"That dark-haired boy—"
Hughes's voice lowered, filled with deep apprehension and lingering fear.
"He's definitely closely connected to Qaboos! He can control the Death Flame! Although he seems quite new and inexperienced, that's unmistakable! It's the Death Flame! Heaven knows what else is behind him, and how many other bizarre methods we can't comprehend!"
Hughes clutched his skull, his skeleton trembling slightly, as if he were back in that desperate moment shrouded in endless black fire and absolute death: "We can't mess with him—absolutely not—Vidis's mission is important, but only if we survive to complete it! Angering Qaboos or his associates will have consequences a thousand times worse than failure! It will be the complete annihilation of our souls!"
Seeing Hughes's near-psychotic breakdown, Lilith fell silent.
Her initial anger and disdain were gradually replaced by a deeper, colder chill.
She had personally experienced the terror of that black flame; her own talent and abilities were almost ineffective against it.
She had also witnessed the eerie and unpredictable nature of the white figure, and now, hearing Hughes's hysterical words, which clearly stemmed from his deepest fears, she had to reassess the current situation and the young man named Hick more seriously.
That's enough.
Lilith interrupted him, her voice regaining its composure, but carrying an undeniable weariness.
"What's the point of saying all this now? We've already offended them, tested them, and the mission still needs to be completed."
Just then, a calm, androgynous voice abruptly interrupted their conversation: "I apologize, Lady Lilith, Lord Hughes. I believe that the most urgent task at hand is to begin the search mission immediately."
The pure white figure "Sean" reappeared silently, as if seeping out from the shadows of the ground, standing not far from them, his faceless "face" facing them.
"What is that?!"
Like a startled bird, Hughes's soul fire suddenly exploded, and his withered skeletal hand instantly and reflexively condensed into a ball of pale green negative energy full of corrosive power, which shot towards Sean without thinking!
He was so traumatized that any sudden presence was enough to cause him to overreact.
"Stop! You idiot!"
Lilith was both surprised and furious. A pink mental shockwave struck first, accurately deflecting the ball of negative energy.
The energy ball grazed Sean's figure and disappeared into the nearby rock, instantly corroding a large, sizzling pit that emitted wisps of blue smoke.
"I finally managed to secure the deal and keep them on their toes! What are you trying to do? Tear up the agreement right now and get us all killed here?!"
Lilith yelled at Hughes, trembling with rage. "That good-for-nothing idiot!"
"Cooperation?"
Hughes froze, his second spell, which was only half-formed, stuck in his bone claw, his soul fire in his eye sockets filled with bewilderment and disbelief.
He glanced at Lilith, whose face was contorted with rage, and then at the white figure standing quietly, as if the fatal attack had been nothing more than a gentle breeze.
"With—with him? Or with—that kid?"
"This is Lord Hick's messenger! He's here to assist us in our search!"
Lilith explained in a low voice, deliberately emphasizing the word "assist."
At the same time, she quickly and concisely told Hughes the contents of the verbal agreement she had reached with Hick regarding "limited searching and intelligence sharing".
After hearing Lilith's words, the soul fire in Hughes's eyes brightened noticeably, no longer flickering with fear, but instead—
A radiant glow, almost ecstatic, of relief?
"Cooperation! Cooperation is great! We should cooperate! It's the wisest choice!"
Hughes's voice instantly rose, his tone even carrying a hint of flattery and excitement.
He forced a friendly smile toward the white figure of Sean, though the skull's expression looked eerily strange and terrifying.
He seemed to have completely forgotten Lilith's previous scolding and his own disheveled state, excitedly rubbing his bony hands together, making a cracking sound: "Oh, you should have said so earlier! It turns out to be an envoy sent by the great Lord Hick! Misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding! Since it's a cooperation, then we're on the same side!"
Lord Hick is truly a man of great wisdom and integrity, with a heart as vast as the boundless sea! To be able to cooperate with such a distinguished being is our greatest honor! An absolute honor!
His change of expression was so swift and his attitude so utterly transformed, from extreme fear to utter fawning, that Lilith was stunned for a moment, followed by a deeper, almost tangible, sense of contempt.
This physique truly embodies the ultimate in bullying the weak and fearing the strong, and the ability to bend and stretch!
Sean showed no reaction to Hughes's change in attitude, simply repeating in his consistently calm tone, "Lady Lilith, Lord Hughes, please begin the search mission as soon as possible. If you find anything, please be sure to report it to Lord Hick through me immediately."
"Absolutely! Please rest assured, Your Excellency!"
Hughes answered quickly, his tone almost humble.
"Okay, let's begin."
Lilith responded coldly, her tone completely different.
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing incredibly complex emotions in each other's eyes—contempt, helplessness, wariness, and a sense of urgency that had been forcibly suppressed.
However, with a "collaborator" they could not stop watching, the search mission had to continue immediately and seriously.
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