Don't disturb the sorcerer's scientific research

Chapter 173 Jia Xiu didn't understand, but he was deeply shocked.

As dawn broke, the autumn morning was chilly, damp with mist, and eerily quiet.

The wake-up call broke the silence and awakened the town of Çachdis.

The so-called "early morning waking worker" is a profession that specializes in waking people up from their sleep in the morning.

A simplified version of a "night watchman" who only needs to work briefly in the morning.

Back when timekeeping watches were still a luxury, hiring someone to do that was cheaper than making the watches themselves.

The adventurers were the first to wake up.

They couldn't wait to leave this wretched town.

Many of them didn't sleep all night, just waiting for dawn.

I've never longed to see daytime and the sun so much in my life.

The reason I haven't left yet is because I'm waiting for the other people who are asleep; I won't dare to run until everyone is gathered.

They couldn't understand how those people could still fall asleep, how much of a heart they had to be to sleep peacefully even when they were almost dead and the danger hadn't passed.

Is it because of outstanding mental fortitude, or because they were completely free of nervousness?

Alerted by the sharp whistle, the adventurers quickly packed their belongings and gathered at the town entrance.

He was never a reliable adventurer to begin with; his equipment was pieced together, patched up, and had been resold countless times. Most of his gear was incomplete, a real "mixed-and-matched" style. After being attacked last night, he was in even worse shape.

If you didn't know, you'd never guess they were a group of adventurers who had come here on a commission; they were actually a bunch of refugees.

The morale of the "refugees" was also low, and they all hung their heads.

Not only because the commission failed and I almost died, but also because I felt really guilty.

Local townspeople, including some children, stood by the roadside, watching them leave in droves.

They were originally hired to "save" them, but not only did they fail to do so, they even slunk away first.

Who doesn't dream of being a hero when they become an adventurer?

The current scene has completely shattered the hero's dream.

When they left, there was no oxcart to ride in, so they had to walk on their own two legs.

The good news is that, putting everything else aside, in terms of physical strength, because of poverty, most of the time they have to walk, so it's not bad, and walking on mountain paths is not a problem.

The loosely organized group stretched out in a long line, scattered along the forest path.

Except for a few who remained cautious and vigilant about the situation in the woods, most just wanted to leave as quickly as possible, to escape from this place that held no good memories.

There is only one mountain road leading out of Çachdis town. It is not well maintained, and in dangerous places, there is a cliff next to it, where one could easily fall.

If it were any narrower, it would be the kind of road that Red Bull sponsors ride their bikes on.

We walked until almost noon, when the sun was high in the sky and the temperature was rising.

It's chilly in the morning and hot at noon; the weather on this day is just so irritating.

What's even more frustrating is, "Don't go any further! The road ahead has completely collapsed!"

A shout from the front of the line snapped the dozens of disoriented adventurers back to their senses.

"Collapsed? What road collapsed?"

Anxiety quickly began to spread.

Sometimes being surrounded by people can make you feel safe, but other times it can intensify your fear.

Especially when a group of people are helpless in the face of a problem.

Several adventurers with some strength immediately came to the front of the line. To say they had some strength was an understatement; they were more like dwarfs among dwarfs. They were tall, but you couldn't tell them apart unless you looked closely.

It was right at the most dangerous part of the mountain road, where a long section had collapsed, a distance that, judging by appearances, would be impossible to cross even with a powerful jump.

This was done intentionally.

The adventurers present quickly realized that they had been trapped in a planned manner, but no one mentioned it.

I'm already uneasy enough; I can't say anything worse. As long as I don't say anything, I can pretend that things aren't so bad.

Someone poked their head out and looked down the cliff.

"At this height, the Featherfall Technique should be able to get us down. Let's go down and then walk out."

“How is that possible?” another person who knew some magic retorted. “It’s hundreds of meters away. Featherfall spell will lose its effect in mid-air, and the remaining distance is enough for the person to fall to their death.”

"Well, how about we skip the mountain path and just go through the forest to cross the mountain? Who says we have to walk? Adventurers should be adapted to the wilderness."

"Let's not even talk about whether you can find the way. Even if you don't get lost, can you guarantee that you can get over it during the day? If you're still trapped in the forest at night, then you're completely finished. Who knows how many vampires there are?"

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Why are you shouting so loudly!"

Due to their limited resources, the relatively short section of collapsed road became a major problem for them.

The adventurers initially tried to come up with solutions, but when they couldn't, it quickly escalated into an argument.

One stage of fear is anger, using anger to mask the fact that you are afraid.

Just as the group was arguing and about to come to blows, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted.

"This girl says she has a scroll of flight magic!"

The adventurers immediately fell silent.

Flight Technique Scroll.

What beautiful words!

What was originally an ordinary spell scroll now sounds like a divine artifact.

Given their skill level, spells like Blink and Flight, which are commonplace in San Delos and seem capable of solving their current predicaments, are all "high-end magic" that are difficult to attain.

Of the spellcasters present, only one could use a second-circle spell; the rest could only use first-circle spells and tricks up their sleeves.

"A scroll of flight magic? Why didn't you say so earlier?"

After a few seconds of silence, someone immediately pressed for an answer.

"I've said it before, I've said it several times."

The girl said weakly, "But none of you heard me."

She looked like she was about to cry.

"This is not the time to talk about this. You have a few flight scrolls."

After these words were spoken, many people started to have ideas.

It's impossible for that little girl to produce dozens of scrolls enough for all of them.

The chance to escape is right in front of you...

Although they are acting together now, it doesn't mean they are a united team.

"Just one."

she answered.

That makes sense; three-ring scrolls aren't cheap, and it's not easy to even get one.

It looked like people were about to riot again.

At this moment, a burly warrior stepped forward.

"Don't move yet! I have an idea. Use this flight scroll on myself. After I get out, I'll go to the Adventurers' Guild for help. In the meantime, you should seek refuge at the church in town. They seem to be able to handle the vampires for now and should be able to hold out until the rescue arrives."

Before he finished speaking, his words caused a huge uproar, and the crowd erupted in chaos.

How can we trust you?

What if you fly away and run away?

"How did you get the association to come to the rescue?"

A whole host of problems followed.

“First of all,” the warrior slammed his warhammer into the ground with a dull thud, “I should be the strongest here, and I have the highest probability of walking the rest of the way to the guild on my own.”

“Secondly, to prove I won’t run away alone,” he said, taking off a charm from his neck. “This is a magical artifact, a family heirloom, the most valuable thing I own, and I’m leaving it here as a guarantee.”

"As for how to get the association to come to our aid," the soldier sighed and said, "I can only borrow money from loan sharks and then issue a request for assistance. Of course, we all have to repay this loan, so I need your registered identity information with the association. We'll borrow the money in everyone's name." This is the only way to get the association to send out rescue teams reliably.

With money in hand, everything is negotiable.

Organizations that provide voluntary rescue services and heroic figures who are passionate about chivalry do exist, but they are rare. Whether you can run into one depends on luck. If you really wait, those left in Çachdis town will probably be long gone.

The soldier's explanation barely convinced the crowd, and they all nodded in agreement.

Even those who were reluctant had no choice but to compromise at this point.

"Okay, let's do it that way. Give me the scroll."

Carrying the last hopes of dozens of people, the soldier stood by the broken roadside, took a deep breath, and took off, flying towards the other end that was out of reach of everyone else.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly, and the road was right in front of us.

Suddenly, something strange happened.

A magical barrier suddenly appeared in the previously empty airspace, its dark red markings exuding an eerie aura.

The flying warrior crashed into the barrier as if it had struck a steel plate riddled with needles. Numerous tiny wounds immediately appeared on his body, and blood flowed freely. He could only stagger back.

The barrier seemed to have a life of its own, greedily absorbing all the blood flowing from the warrior, making the red patterns appear even more sinister.

The adventurers were dumbfounded by what they saw.

It's no use keeping quiet about the facts now; the fact that they were deliberately trapped is already indisputable.

Those with weaker resilience cried out in despair, their only hope vanished.

They recalled a terrifying legend that sometimes vampires would seal off an area as a hunting ground to raise young vampires, newly transformed offspring, or "pets" they created.

And the nutrients used to cultivate them are naturally them.

The feelings of despair and fear intensified, and everyone's spirits were on the verge of collapse.

Just then, someone suddenly spoke up.

"There's another way, the Church of the Moon Mother! Aren't they able to drive away vampires? If there's any chance of survival, then joining the Church of the Moon Mother is the only option."

"Do you know what kind of goddess the Moon Mother Goddess is? I've never even heard of her. What if she's some strange, evil god?"

"Do you want to become vampire food tonight? If you seek the help of the Mother Goddess, you can definitely hold on for a while longer. If you can hold on, there will be a chance. Maybe the Mother Goddess will appear in human form and save us."

These words swayed many people.

An evil god is an evil god. When death is imminent, a god who can save your life is a good god.

The adventurers changed direction and headed towards the town.

What happened was even worse than trying to escape: failing to escape at all.

And I even walked faster than when I left, because it was already noon, and it would be terrible if I didn't get back before dark.

They hope the Church of the Moon Mother Goddess can accept them...

……

"Have all the barriers along the mountain path been set up?"

Let's go back six hours.

The town of Çachdis, the ancient castle, the headquarters of the Cult of the Moon Mother.

Jasmine, now transformed into Samantha, is having a morning meeting.

He thought this sect was absurd. It was one thing to have its headquarters in a dilapidated old castle, but it only had one department, so why bother with a headquarters?

Besides him and the high priest, there were a group of priests in the room.

Among these priests, there were even different ranks. Samantha's status was that of a second-level priest, second only to her trial target, the highest-ranking first-level priest below the High Priest.

With such a small number of people, why is the organizational structure so complicated and hierarchical? Can't they adopt a flatter management style?

Jia Xiu listened helplessly as the higher-ranking priests reported on their work first.

As expected, the barrier on the mountain path was not meant to prevent adventurers from passing through.

This is a classic case of playing hard to get.

The goal wasn't to brainwash them into believing in the religion, but to get them to vote for it themselves.

The sect isn't big, but there's a lot of work to do.

"Everything is set up. The adventurers set off twenty minutes ago and are expected to arrive at the landslide site around noon."

“Very good,” the high priest nodded. “That’s right. People only understand the importance of turning to the Mother Goddess when they are in their most desperate moments. I believe they will choose the right faith when they return this evening and be prepared.”

The second first-level priest reported: "High Priest, the number of participants in the trial has been counted. Compared to the last trial, the number has increased by 15%, and the proportion of women has increased by 18%. The Great Mother Goddess will have more outstanding followers, and the sacred Kingdom of Heaven will surely descend in the future."

Jia Xiu really wanted to roll his eyes.

But held back.

If you're going to report on your work, then do it. Why are you shouting slogans here?

After the first priest finished his report, it was Samantha's turn, played by Jaxiu. "All the derivatives have been checked and are in good condition. They can be deployed again tonight."

He recounted what he had learned from the original Samantha, without actually checking the state of the derivative at all.

"Good job, you've worked hard tonight. Get some rest later. I look forward to your performance in the trial. I have high hopes for your promotion."

The high priest offered a perfunctory word of encouragement.

Jaxiu's already negative impression of the high priest worsened.

Saying you're optimistic about a promotion when the priests are all around—do you really think you're optimistic about a promotion? This is just stirring up resentment, sowing discord among subordinates, and a tactic of controlling them!

The boring morning meeting lasted for nearly an hour.

Jia Xiu felt like a whole morning had passed.

Not much useful information was obtained. All that was known was that when the adventurers returned tonight, crying and begging to join the cult, more clones would be sent out to scare them again, and then the trials would begin.

After the morning meeting, there's still the morning class.

The lives of cult members are not easy either.

The morning study session should focus on the one designated classic, the "Mother Goddess Bible".

The high priest called it the answer to all questions.

In the study room, Jia Xiu opened the so-called Bible. Since he had nothing else to do, he decided to see if there was anything of value in it.

However, the first sentence on the title page shocked him.

"On the day the Mother Goddess awakens, the Kingdom of Women will descend."

Something is wrong. It feels very wrong.

What is this so-called "female paradise"?

Jia Xiu immediately began studying the main content.

"Women are a predicament, but on the day the Kingdom of Heaven comes, women will emerge from this predicament..."

……

"Childbirth is our curse, but in the Mother Goddess's Kingdom, it will be the key to liberation..."

……

"In the Kingdom of Heaven, we will not be defined..."

……

"The bells of the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven will be the sound of flesh and blood growing wildly..."

Jia Xiu was increasingly shocked as he read on.

I see. No wonder all the priests in their sect are women.

I thought it was some kind of cult, but it turns out it's just this kind of cult.

He even broke out in a cold sweat.

The words, when put together, even gave him a sense of the uncanny valley effect.

This is no longer an ordinary cult!
(End of this chapter)