Chapter 109 — Night in the Dense Forest

  Rain fell without pause. The outer reaches of Black Pine Forest were still manageable—an old gravel path remained from the days when the area had once been developed as a park. But the deeper they went, the worse the terrain became. Mud sucked at every step, turning the journey into a slow, exhausting trudge. The inspection group advanced painfully slowly, and from time to time a few stifled sighs and complaints drifted through the damp air.

  Derek walked silently among them, rain sliding down his black climbing jacket. His gaze cut through the curtain of rain, trying to track the movements of the team ahead—but Caelestis and his medical unit had long since vanished into the depths of the forest.

  He knew today was critical.

  If he failed to slip into the crystal collection team before tomorrow, he would never again have a chance to approach YiChen—and that woman.

  A soldier must die. I take his place.

  But the problem was obvious. The inspection group and the collection team moved entirely separately, and security personnel guarded these “distinguished guests” step for step. There was no opportunity at all to get near the soldiers ahead.

  Derek narrowed his eyes.

  How could it be done… without anyone noticing?

  Just then, the group suddenly halted. The leader’s voice carried from the front:

  “Ten-minute break! Do not leave the perimeter!”

  The crowd scattered into small clusters. Some complained while rubbing their aching legs; others pulled out canteens and drank. Derek’s gaze fixed on a point diagonally ahead—

  A soldier was walking alone toward the edge of the woods, apparently heading off to relieve himself.

  An opportunity.

  His eyes locked onto the soldier as killing intent surged up in an instant.

  His fingers even twitched at his side—

  then he forced himself to calm down. If someone failed to return, these people were not fools. It would be impossible to get away with it.

  ……….

  The rain continued all day. It wasn’t until three in the afternoon that the command to set up camp finally came from the front. The aristocratic inspection group reacted as though they had been pardoned from execution. They collapsed onto waterproof mats hastily spread over the ground, rubbing their sore ankles as complaints rose one after another.

  YiChen, Han Yue, Xu Wei, and David quickly marked out the perimeter and began erecting the barrier. Energy crystals were driven into the muddy earth one after another. Pale blue patterns of light spread outward like spiderwebs, gradually forming a translucent protective screen.

  Derek stood at the edge of the inspection group, watching coldly.

  Too easy…

  His gaze lingered on those energy crystals, the corner of his mouth curling into a thin, sinister smile. In the dead of night, if he destroyed just a few of them, the barrier would develop a breach. Once panic spread, he could slip into the collection team amid the chaos—

  —or even strike directly at that woman.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  At the thought, his fingers brushed lightly against the rim of his glasses. A faint crimson flicker passed through his eyes.

  “Don’t rush…” the Demon’s voice chuckled softly in his mind. “Wait until the night grows deeper. This lord has his methods.”

  Just then, Han Yue passed near the inspection group, carrying an energy crystal in his hand.

  “Hm?”

  He stopped mid-step, brows knitting slightly as his suspicious gaze swept across the crowd. For that brief instant just now, he had clearly sensed something unusual—dangerous, twisted… yet gone in a flash.

  【Within the Pact Mark, Soulwhisper issued a low warning.】

  “There’s a disgusting presence…”

  Han Yue narrowed his eyes, but in the end he only shook his head and drove the energy crystal hard into the ground.

  “Who knows what these ‘citizens’ are thinking,” he muttered under his breath. “…Still. Better keep an eye out.”

  —

  In the distance, Derek adjusted his glasses and quietly retreated into the shadows.

  The rain continued to fall, without end.

  ————

  The barrier was stretched into an oval, its long axis nearly one hundred and fifty meters. A twenty-meter-wide clearance ring had been left outside it, forming a patrol corridor for the night watch.

  Dusk deepened as the camp’s barrier construction entered its final stage.

  Max lifted a hand and lightly touched his Pact Mark.

  A radiant phantom butterfly drifted out in a shimmer of light.

  Phantom Chime unfolded her translucent white wings, scattering violet-gold scales into the air like fragments of starlight. She circled lightly along the outer edge of the barrier. Wherever she passed, the pale blue barrier patterns gradually faded beneath a thin veil of illusion.

  The image of the camp rippled like water, bending and distorting—until at last it blended seamlessly into the surrounding forest.

  Members of the inspection group stared in fascination at the dreamlike sight. Several elegantly dressed ladies had already gathered nearby.

  “My heavens, it’s beautiful!”

  “May I touch it? Just once!”

  “What kind of Light beast is that? I want one too!”

  Max offered a polite smile.

  Phantom Chime fluttered down and settled lightly on the fingertip of the nearest lady, her wings trembling softly.

  But the woman beside her suddenly reached out, laughing as she tried to grab the butterfly’s wings.

  “I’m posting this on my Moments when I get back!”

  In the next second, the butterfly snapped her wings and darted away, vanishing back into the Pact Mark.

  【Consciousness Link】

  Phantom Chime’s voice carried a trace of discomfort.

  “Their perfume is too strong…” She gave her wings a small shake, as if trying to fling away the clinging scent. “But there’s no dangerous aura. The presence Soulwhisper sensed probably isn’t from them.”

  Max’s gaze sharpened.

  Without drawing attention, his eyes swept across the outer perimeter of the camp.

  Those so-called “citizens” were gathered in small groups. Some complained about the damp ground; others criticized the simplicity of the evening meal.

  On the surface, nothing seemed out of place.

  Max turned and walked back toward the warriors’ camp.

  “Tonight’s watch,” he murmured, pressing a finger lightly to his earpiece. “Keep a close eye on the inspection group.”

  His gaze was cold.

  “If there’s even the slightest irregularity, I won’t hesitate.”

  ————

  Inside the temporary command tent, the atmosphere was tense.

  “You’re saying something filthy slipped into the inspection group?” Logan’s voice was low, his knuckles striking the tactical map with a heavy rap.

  Han Yue nodded. “Soulwhisper’s sensing has never been wrong. That nauseating aura definitely comes from something tainted by Malevolent Spirits.”

  Max added calmly, “We can rule out the five women Phantom Chime came into contact with. They’re not the source.”

  Ryan ran a hand through his hair. “So take away the five women, and the remaining forty-five men are all suspects? Looks like we’re in for a long night.”

  Xu Wei frowned. “What exactly is his target?”

  YiChen lifted his eyes.

  The glow of the energy lamp reflected in his dark pupils, a cold glint flashing within them. For a moment, the temperature inside the tent seemed to drop.

  “Me.”

  “This morning, I sensed a trace of killing intent. It vanished almost instantly. Whoever it was… he’s very good at hiding.”

  Ryan scoffed. “Targeting you? Sounds like someone’s in a hurry to die. Does he think he’ll walk away alive?”

  “Don’t underestimate him,” David said sharply. “An open spear is easy to dodge. A hidden arrow is hard to guard against.”

  “Tonight, the inspection group’s night watch will be handled by our core team,” Jack said as he spread out the camp defense map. “Two per squad. Cross patrol routes. Focus on the energy crystal nodes.”

  YiChen’s fingertip tapped the section marked for the medical unit.

  “Add two more teams to secretly guard the medical camp.”

  His voice paused slightly.

  “I’ll set another layer of barrier for them.”

  “Tonight… nothing can go wrong.”

  Outside the temporary command tent, the rain continued to fall.

  The mist of the Black Pine Forest grew thicker.

  Within the shadow of one of the inspection team’s tents, a pair of eyes—cold as a serpent—watched the glow of the barrier in silence.