Talent Awakening: I, the Weakest Awakened, Start with Dragonfire Spell

Chapter 477 478-Infiltrating the Stronghold

For fifteen years, the Eternal Flame has spread its influence across the southwestern territories of the Avala Continent, secretly taking lives all the while.

Their operations have always been marked by caution.

The major nations in the southwest have never been able to catch them red-handed, which is why they've remained rooted.

Indeed, it was somewhat surprising for the intelligence corps to provide such precise information on the Eternal Flame this time.

Nula even considered the possibility of it being a trap laid by the enemy.

Yet, when faced with the potential loss of human lives, Nula chose to take the risk.

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Nula carefully rounded a corner, encountering neither enemies nor any divergences in the path until the next bend.

The cave sloped continuously downward, and given the teleportation entry, she had no real sense of her distance from the surface after traveling so far within.

Perhaps a hundred meters? Two hundred? Or even deeper? Why would they hide so far underground? What exactly are they planning to do here?

Nula had no answers to these questions, but she believed that once she found the Eternal Flame members within this stronghold, she would learn everything.

Even if they were unwilling to talk, Nula had ways to make them speak.

When it comes to tormenting someone, not even the most skilled interrogators could compare to a magus.

With the aid of mana, Nula could even interrogate a person's soul, extracting information directly from their memories.

After advancing another two hundred meters or so, Nula noticed clear signs of maintenance on the cave walls, and the torches appeared to have been recently replaced.

This indicated that she was nearing areas where enemies had begun to operate.

Nula heightened her alertness, wrapping herself in another layer of Invisibility.

Amidst the distortion of light, Nula's figure vanished from sight.

Concealed beneath a thin membrane of mana, she continued forward, picking up the sound of conversation.

It sounded like idle chatter, devoid of substance.

Nula moved along the wall, edging closer to the source of the voices.

It was just around the corner, seemingly a few cultists on guard duty, indicating that the stronghold of Eternal Flame was ahead.

In such a confined environment, only areas close to the stronghold itself warranted guards.

The only entrance was a spell matrix, which hadn't been activated in a long while, leaving Nula to wonder how long these individuals had been underground.

Or perhaps they had another way in?

Nula listened carefully to the cultists' banter.

Although no significant intelligence was gathered, she gained a rough understanding of this subterranean Eternal Flame stronghold through their conversation.

One word, in particular, kept coming up in their talk.

"Exile."

The frequent mention of "exile" suggested it was a critical yet unattained objective.

The presence of Eternal Flame's members here was for the sake of "exile," to the extent that this underground stronghold was established with that purpose in mind.

Nula was unsure how Eternal Flame had constructed this underground stronghold, but it was evident that its creation was neither a recent endeavor nor something that could be accomplished with just a million or two gold coins.

Lurking behind the corner, waiting, the idle chat of the cultists finally came to an end, and footsteps receded.

It sounded like a shift change.

Nula pondered for a moment, then lifted her hand, allowing a wisp of mana to dissipate into mist, spreading out.

The thin mana feedback provided a vague sense of perception, outlining the approximate positions of three individuals.

But that was sufficient for Nula, who didn't intend to leave any survivors.

As long as she could eliminate them all before an alarm was raised, her mission would be accomplished.

Taking a deep breath, a short dagger appeared in Nula's hand.

Pulling up her hood, she moved away from the corner, guided by the flickering shadows cast on the cave walls by the torches, and laid eyes on the guards around the bend.

There were three in total.

Nula exploited a momentary blind spot in their vision to cross the corner, advancing through the shadows.

If she could get within five meters, Nula was confident she could kill them all in an instant.

Three more meters to go.

Nula noticed one of the guards' gaze beginning to shift.

Invisibility merely distorted light, much like how the air looks when it's warped.

Air itself isn't visible, but if it appears distorted for some reason, even the human eye can clearly see it.

That was Nula's situation now.

Despite being cloaked in spells, no one could guarantee that among the three guards, there wasn't one with keen enough eyesight to detect the distortion of light in this dimly lit space.

If her stealth was discovered midway, it would be better to have charged in with a dagger drawn.

Adding the agility of a cat and the strength of a bear to herself and going berserk would be far more sensational than sneaking in.

But that approach would also lead to the quickest death.

Nula had no intention of falling on what was neither a major nor minor mission.

As one of the guards' gaze began to shift, Nula didn't hesitate; she accelerated instantly, charging forward while still under the cloak of invisibility.

Her right hand gripped the dagger in reverse, and her left hand clenched a handful of "blinding powder."

This so-called blinding powder was actually a mix of silver dust and quicklime, not only reflecting light when scattered but also doubling its effect if it landed directly in the eyes.

If they reacted in time, the blinding powder would ensure their demise amidst panicked white light.

Of course, it wouldn't be without pain.

One of the prerequisites for joining the Eternal Flame cult was participating in a live sacrifice, meaning there wasn't a single person within the sect whose hands weren't stained with the blood of others.

They deserved more than death.

Nula surged forward silently, her blade covered in mana for invisibility and enhanced sharpness, effortlessly slashing across the throats of two guards before stopping in front of the third.

Nula then dispelled her invisibility.

The two guards fell, blood spurting from their throats, their eyes bulging and mouths slightly open, dying without even realizing what had happened.

For some, such an end might be considered a merciful release.

The reason for leaving a survivor was not a sudden change of heart to keep a hostage; Nula had questions.

"I ask, you answer, or you die. Understand?"

Nula's icy gaze locked onto the surviving guard like a coiled snake eyeing a mouse or frog.

Under such a nearly predatory intimidation, the surviving guard had no chance to resist.

Should he make any dangerous move, Nula was ready to strike!

As the surviving guard hesitantly nodded, his gaze drifting to his fallen comrades, the fear in the depths of his eyes was unmistakable.

"Where are we?" Nula inquired, clarifying, "I'm not asking for the name of this stronghold but the geographical location. What place on the surface does this correspond to?"

"I'm just a lowly cultist; I know nothing!" The guard shook his head, his demeanor on the verge of tears.

"I only heard something from a rotating priest once, something about a guild above us, but what guild specifically, I have no idea!"

"Fine, next question." Nula, having received a non-answer, shifted her focus.

"What is this place, this stronghold, built for? What are you doing here!"

"I know even less about that!"

The face of the surviving guard twisted in distress.

"I'm just a low-ranking follower who joined to get by! Please, lady, spare me! I've never killed anyone, truly!"

Nula frowned, a cold laugh escaping her lips: "If you've never killed anyone, why are you so afraid?"

"If you have no guilt, why can't you look me in the eye?"

Shaking her head, Nula sighed, "A person accustomed to covering one lie with another, even the most merciful deity wouldn't choose to forgive."

The blade flashed, and the last survivor's eyes widened before he slumped down, a raspy gasp escaping his slit throat.

Nula had severed his throat, a fatal wound, yet not one that would grant a swift death.

Before death took him, he would feel his body gradually grow cold, the dull pain of his gashed throat lingering in his mind, yet incapable of even a scream.

For those who willingly joined the cult, even at the cost of others' lives, no death could be too painful.

Beyond the three guards were two passages, the first divergence Nula had encountered in the cave after following a single path all this way.

Unsure of the guards' shift change intervals, Nula chose not to deal with the bodies.

Every second was precious.

After carefully examining the footprints on the ground, Nula discerned which passage the departing footsteps had taken.

Regardless of what lay ahead, it beat returning empty-handed.

With her direction confirmed, Nula pressed on.

This time, she didn't move slowly but quickly advanced, cloaked in Invisibility.

Having penetrated the stronghold, there was little need for stealth; her intent had always been to cause havoc and leave.

Annihilating the opposition would be ideal, but even falling short of that, disrupting their operations would suffice.

Reinforcements were already en route; as long as she thwarted their immediate plans, the arriving forces would sweep through, capturing these shadow-dwelling vermin in one fell swoop.