Cornflower Witch

Chapter 416 Underground Secret Cave
"Boss, is it really effective for us to leak this information to that girl like this?" Chili Face asked the leader 'Four Fingers', who was sitting at the table drinking in the basement.

“Of course, that’s the best way.” The other person continued pouring himself more wine, then swirled the glass and explained slowly.

“The conflict between us and Fire Pig is too great. If we reveal this to the authorities, it will make them very wary. Even if we eventually deal with Fire Pig, they will still be afraid of us and suppress us.”

"Furthermore, if we tell the authorities, they will be even more curious about our sources of information, and how we know more information than the authorities."

“These things are ultimately not suitable to be brought into the open, so we must distance ourselves from them.”

"Besides, didn't you also suffer a loss at the hands of that little girl Hedra before? You even said that she was such a genius and that you didn't dare to go all out, which is why you lost," Four Fingers teased.

"Uh, boss, well..." Chili Face was a little embarrassed.

"Alright, it's a good thing that girl named Hedra is strong. If she can uncover the secret of where the fire pig is hiding, she will be a great help to us."

"Of course, it doesn't matter if she fails. She's a star student in the Asura District. Just imagine how furious those mages would be if she disappeared too. I think even the Fire Pig would have a headache dealing with her. They might lose everything, hehehe." After saying that, he felt much better, and the resentment he felt from being poisoned and deceived finally dissipated.

"Let's just wait for news. However, we should still send people to keep an eye on the Shuiwan Street area so that we can stop Huozhu as soon as possible if he tries to escape."

"Yes, boss." Chili Face walked out of the room with an admiring look, then began to gather his familiar underlings and give them instructions for the day.

——Shuiwan Street——

Is this the address mentioned in the message? Hilti stood on the dark and dirty street, her gaze sweeping over it briefly.

Few people live here, and even those who do are mostly low-level laborers. This is because Asra District handles garbage and discharges wastewater, and certain odors linger year-round. Ordinary people would never want to live here.

Upon arriving at the address, Hilti looked at the wide sewer next to her, in which there was an exposed opening from which some wastewater was being discharged. The opening of the pipe was so large that even if she walked in, she wouldn't bump her head.

Should she go in and take a look? Hiltiya hesitated. It wasn't that she was spoiled, but such a dirty and messy environment was something she had never been in before, and it really tested one's mental fortitude.

A few seconds later, she jumped down from the side of the street, her black leather shoes landing lightly on the blackened stone tunnel, and then her gaze went into the deep, dark pipe opening.

At this moment, the light in her eyes shifted, and a strange brilliance flowed, allowing her to see the interior scene with unparalleled clarity and distinguish the various traces within.

The information was indeed correct; people should have walked here regularly, as there were still some footprints left on the water stains and mud on the ground.

At this moment, Hiltiya switched to her long-unused 'scent-smelling technique' to distinguish the molecules remaining in the air.

Originally used to distinguish between medicinal herbs and alchemical potions, this ability is now being used for reconnaissance, proving quite effective.

There was indeed some lingering smell of orc sweat, but no trace of Anali's scent.

This place should be a stronghold of some underground organization, and considering the underground forces in the Asura District, the most likely candidate is Fire Pig.

"I have no choice but to go in and take a look," Hilti thought for a moment, then took out a handkerchief, covered her mouth and nose, and lightly leaped into the water, moving quickly to avoid the water stains on the ground.

There were many forks in the road here. She quickly darted past them, choosing a direction based on the footprints left on the ground, and constantly probing. After moving forward for a few minutes, several rats appeared in the pipe and blocked her way.

"It's supposed to be a rat, but it's huge!" Hiltiya sized it up.

The three rats in front of me were each the size of an ox, their plump bodies covered in black grease, making me reluctant to get close.

【Sewer Rat】(Tier 1 - Beast Fang); A rat that eats sewer garbage. Due to certain coincidences, it mutated and developed a sexual form, possessing quite aggressive incisors and carrying many viruses.

"Squeak!"

Upon seeing the girl, the three rats rushed over as if they had found delicious food. In Hilti's eyes, this scene was no less than a fourth-tier beast charging towards her.

If she got that disgusting mud on her, she probably wouldn't be able to sleep for days.

A light flashed in her eyes, and with a flick of her fingers, several sharp threads sealed off the sewer. As the giant rats rushed past, they were instantly sliced ​​into pieces.

Clutching the handkerchief tightly in her hand, Hiltiya carefully avoided the bloodstains and rat carcasses on the ground as she continued forward.

By this time, she could see some obvious traces, indicating that the other organization was quite at ease with this area and no longer bothered to carefully conceal it from the entrance.

A few minutes later, she stopped and saw a round lid made of a simple black wooden board, but it was covered by some seaweed and could only be seen by looking very carefully.

Opening this door should allow us to enter their interior, but having to touch such a thing with our hands was something that Hilti was finding hard to bear.

She could only try the 'Magic Hand Manipulation' technique, which she was still not proficient in. This was supposed to be an intermediate spell that could only be learned at the fourth rank, but she could barely cast it now, although its strength was definitely far less than expected.

As the condensation of numerous luminous sands, a pair of light blue hands appeared in front of her, then grasped one side of the lid and slowly lifted it, revealing the dark passage inside.

After thinking for a moment, Hilti decided not to go in immediately. Instead, she summoned a silken bird and used the 'Sympathy' ability to grant it the bird's vision.

The bird flew into the passage ahead of time, flapping its wings and moving forward to scout out the surroundings. After navigating through a complex network of branching paths, it finally entered a huge cave where many braziers were lit and some pigmen in steel armor were patrolling.

Oh? Hilti's eyes blinked; it seemed she really had gained something.

She had the bird find a secluded spot to lie still, and then slowly observed the cave.

This must be the 'Fire Pig's' secret base. There are some smaller caves around the huge cave, which can be used to store supplies and food. Of course, the most eye-catching thing is the huge round stone table placed in the open space in the center of the cave.

Around this stone table, there are about thirty people who can sit. Stone chairs of varying heights and sizes are arranged in a row. One chair is particularly huge, like a small mountain. It is hard to imagine that anyone could sit in such a position.

The stone table is now engraved with many patterns, the lines of which are bold but the spirit is not diminished. They vividly depict the scene of a banquet. In front of each seat, there are also marks written in ancient script.

From these ancient symbols, Hilti slowly deciphered some information, roughly meaning to thank a great being and to congratulate the host of the banquet on gaining power and immortality.

In the center of the stone table was a recessed food bowl containing dried blood, suggesting that this was where blood was collected during a banquet. These details led Hilti to conclude that this was the venue for some kind of 'feast ceremony,' a ritual that could be held immediately once resources and personnel were available.

The one preparing this must be 'Fire Pig', and only this underground leader would have such abundant resources and manpower.

However, we are currently in a period of intense official investigation, and Fire Pig could be summoned and reprimanded at any time. He cannot easily come to this secret base during this period. If the heat of the incident subsides, he will probably be eager to move here to conduct the 'feast ceremony'.

Hiltiya slowly analyzed the reasons, and then let the bird continue to search for clues.

Anali might have been captured and imprisoned here, because if it were the area where the Fire Pigs originally roamed, the authorities would check it at any time, and people couldn't be hidden there. But there's also the possibility that Anali is being held elsewhere, because the authorities might be led here when they're looking for her, so they need to avoid that area.

Hilti once again directed Asuka to carefully search the area, but unfortunately, many of the passageways were blocked by doors, and those doors were equipped with special mechanisms. If they were opened, they would inevitably make a lot of noise.

It seems this 'Fire Pig' has quite a bit of experience. After all, some assassins and thieves with the 'Mist Shadow' attribute can easily make themselves invisible. If the door opens and closes silently, it's easy for outsiders to take advantage of the situation.

At the same time, as the distance increased, Hilti's control and perception of the birds became weaker and less clear.

She had no choice but to go herself. She looked at the dark opening in front of her and carefully jumped in.

Soon, Hiltiah arrived at one of the cave entrances and stood in the shadow of the firelight to observe the situation below. On her shoulder, a silver bird perched, occasionally hopping around as if it were alive.

The guards stationed here are at most Tier 2, and it wouldn't be difficult for her to take them all out. However, she has been dealing with monsters and enemies on the battlefield for a long time, so this sudden start to killing made Hilti hesitate.

"I'm still a little soft-hearted," the girl muttered to herself, then took out a special potion. It was one of the fruits of her studies from the previous semester. Since the time she encountered an enemy who used a potion she had made to escape, Siltiia rarely sold the potions she made herself, keeping most of them for herself.

【Sleep Potion】(Tier 2, Rare): A potion that can quickly induce a deep sleep, but the person will wake up after suffering significant damage or stimulation.

Opening the potion bottle, Hilti poured the liquid onto the silver bird in front of her, the potion soaking into the lifelike feathers and threads before covering it.

Then the bird flew out with incredible speed, swooping down and quickly passing over the orc guards present. Some were grazed on the arms, some on the necks, and some on the legs. The potion seeped into the tiny wounds, giving them a cool sensation, but soon a wave of drowsiness washed over them.

One after another, orcs fell down. Among them, a few with strong resistance activated their breathing techniques, constantly accelerating their blood flow and making their will boil, trying to break free from drowsiness.

At that moment, they saw a black-haired girl gracefully descend from the sky. Several of them, holding steel axes, tried to rush up and attack. The girl raised her hand, and black longswords appeared beside her. Then, these longswords flew out with a sharp whistling sound, pinning them one by one to the walls and the ground.

Faced with these howling pig-men, the girl shook her head slightly, took out the potion from her waist again, and poured it into their mouths, quickly silencing them.

Minutes later, the cave was empty of standing figures, only the sounds of snoring could be heard. Hiltiya crossed the hall and began searching the branching caves.

The first cave was filled with chests made of black steel, each chest full of gold coins. It seemed that most of the wealth that 'Fire Pig' had accumulated over the years was here.

The second cave contained a number of weapons and armor, most of which were high-quality Tier 1 and Tier 2 items, with only a few being Tier 3 creations. It seems that obtaining these weapons was not an easy task for him.

The third cave contains a lot of jewelry and artwork, which are probably stolen goods that the fire pig obtained from somewhere, and it's estimated that they will be difficult to sell.

The fourth cave is extremely well-sealed, with several locked doors. Even if Hilti wanted to open it, it would take her quite a while.

"I'll have to leave it here for now," Hiltiya said as she entered the next cave, where she found some books and documents, many of which were about the 'Feast Ritual'. There was also a rough and messy notebook that described the resources and procedures needed to construct the 'Feast of Flesh and Blood'.

From this perspective, the Fire Pig sent people to steal the 'Dragon Eye' treasure with the aim of holding a 'feast of flesh and blood'.

After understanding the situation clearly, many vague things became clear instantly, and Hilti also guessed the other party's general plan.

She then circled around the area again, but unfortunately found no trace of Anali or the Dragon Eye Treasure.

Anali and the Dragon Eye Treasure must have been hidden somewhere else, but she has already subdued the guards here. If the Fire Pig sends people over again, they will definitely notice and might choose to kill them to cover their tracks and eliminate the evidence.

Anali's hiding place must be found before the other party becomes aware of it. Negotiation is impossible. Stealing the treasure of the 'Bionic School' is an unforgivable capital offense for the leaders of this underworld. Even Hilti cannot plead for her. The other party will definitely deny and resist to the death.

What if we report this situation to the police and authorities?

While this might garner some assistance, it also carries significant risks. The police and authorities don't care about the life or death of an ordinary orc girl. If they immediately arrest her, pushing the Fire Pig Dog to its limit, Anali's safety could be compromised.

Hiltiya paced back and forth in the cave, pondering a solution. Then she saw several pig-men fast asleep and had an idea.

Half a minute later, a pig-man was awakened by the water. Upon seeing the girl in front of him, he began to struggle, but he was bound by ropes and could not break free for the time being.

"Alright, stop struggling." Hilti felt that her tone of voice now sounded somewhat like the villain she remembered.

"I'm going to ask you some questions. If you can't answer them, I'll turn you into a roasted pig." She flicked her finger, and arcs of flame appeared, flying towards the pig-man and circling around him. The heat emanating from the flames made him tremble.

"Hmph..." The other party was uttering strange words, which did not sound like human speech at all.

Damn, these guys don't seem to speak human language. It seems that the Fire Pig didn't teach them any of that in order to control them, making them difficult to turn and only able to blindly obey orders.

Although they are of the same kind, the fire pigs don't treat these guys like human beings.

Hiltiya tried for a while but found that communication wasn't working, and she couldn't teach the other person to speak in just a few minutes.

What to do now? Hilti rubbed her forehead, thinking quickly.

The only people who know where Anali is being held are Fire Pig and his closest confidants, and such people should be at their organization's headquarters right now.

It seems that's the only option. However, getting information out of those people won't be easy.

She glanced at the grunting pig-man before her, then used her flying phantom sword to cut the ropes, allowing him to escape freely towards a passage inside the cave. She then directed the bird on her shoulder to quickly follow.

Now, the only option is to go to their headquarters.

(End of this chapter)