The Witch Hunter System
chapter-688

"I will go!" Sephira immediately volunteered with a grave look. "Kuvat is the brightest dragon in our generation. If he is seeking help, the situation there must be especially serious."

"I also have the same thoughts. Since that is the case, depart with haste," Laptis urged.

"Yes, Lady Laptis," Sephira answered.

Shortly after Sephira departed, two dragons also followed her. Laptis remained behind with Pakgu, a dragon elite from Seventh Peak.

"Well then, Pakgu. It seems we will have to put in more work to compensate for the deficiency in numbers."

"Understood, Lady Laptis," Pakgu acknowledged before mentioning, "We have seen the devastation caused by borrowing the natural forces. May I suggest taking down the remaining stone pillars for efficiency destruction?"

"That goes without saying, Pakgu," Laptis confirmed.

...

Boom! Boom!

Within the Sacred Tirtha, scattered herbs, broken vats of pure water, and potent beast materials littered the floor, mixed in with the ruptured soil and debris.

The once sacred land of healing had been turned upside down within a matter of minutes as death and destruction rained down from above. Although the protective barrier eventually shielded the place, the damage could not be undone, and the losses would be hard to recoup.

Nevertheless, the River of Healing and Pond of Rebirth – the two most precious places in the Sacred Tirtha, remained mostly untouched.

Even if the Sacred Tirtha was home to humans who had turned to the devil, their healing medicines were undeniably effective and precious elixirs.

As such, Laptis had been instructed to avoid destroying such valuable places.

"Great Shaman, there's a gap in the grand barrier! Flames are spewing in from it and destroying everything in its vicinity, including our precious raw ingredients for totem production! What should we do, Your Holiness?!" an Elder Shaman cried in distress.

"Must I even say it? Immediately lead a team of members with Rank 4 Barrier Totems or higher to secure the materials right now! Go!" Laemana roared.

"Yes, Your Holiness!" the Elder Shaman quickly scurried off to complete the task.

As parts of the Sacred Tirtha were stabilized to a certain degree, people's thoughts became clearer as they considered their situation.

"Strange, we've been under attack for some time now. Why haven't we received any help from the outside?"

"Help from the outside? Even if they want to help, who will come? We are getting attacked from the sky. How will they stop them?"

"Don't they have Wyvern Riders?"

"And who is to say the one attacking us from up there isn't the wyverns themselves? Perhaps the Imperial Wyvern Riders are behind this sudden attack."

"What? The Imperial Wyvern Riders? Did the emperor learn about our Sacred Tirtha's great secret? In that case, receiving any help right away will be unlikely. I bet many households and clans are confused about this attack and are seeking answers."

"Unfortunately, they won't get any answers even if they wait before the Imperial Palace. I heard the Delarosa Household had been under attack much earlier. The emperor has most likely decided to eradicate us for good."

"Doesn't that mean we are on our own? Is this the end for us?"

"You lack faith, Junior. We serve the Holy Mother and have her divine protection. Even if we fall, we will not perish. Don't forget about our trump card—the Ceremony of Great Cleansing. Once it activates, we will definitely turn this situation around."

"Furthermore, the minor households are our most ardent supporters. They will come to our aid once they are ready. We only need to hold out for a bit longer. The truth will be revealed to us."

"Right."

…

In a seemingly abandoned region of the slum district, Verun flew at low speeds as he scanned the place with Clairvoyance Magic from the sky with an accompanying dragon elite.

"There's something strange about this deserted region. It seems to have been abandoned by the residents for many years, but I can sense an abnormally high amount of mana concentrated underneath the well area. What do you think, Izis?"

"It is probably a part of the grand array that has been set up under the Imperial Capital. We better destroy it secretly without drawing attention. But if there are mana stones, it'll be even if we can loot it," Izis of Sixth Peak replied.

"True. Having more mana stones is never a bad thing," Verun acknowledged before asking, "Will you do the honors? Or shall I do it?"

"It doesn't matter who as long as we complete the Supreme Leader's task. I'll do it," Izis volunteered, not wanting to waste time on such a trivial matter.

Bzzt!

A ball of black and grey light compressed in front of Izis as the space around it was distorted, devouring the surrounding space and light.

Verun was immediately startled by Izis's choice of magic.

"What are you planning to do with such a high-level spatial spell?"

"You will see."

After a black cube of concentrated spatial power was formed, Izis immediately dropped it down the abandoned.

In the underground space beneath the well, the black cube contacted the ground before rapidly expanding like an enormous inflated balloon. It swallowed everything it touched before disappearing, leaving a huge void of space underground.

Meanwhile, the missing chunk of earth was transported into Izis's private storage space.

"Oh? There was indeed a mana stone deposit down there. However, it wasn't natural but purposely placed," Izis checked the content of his storage space before saying, "Well, I'm sure this section of the grand array won't work anymore with such a big chunk of land missing, right?"

Verun opened his mouth, wanting to ask how much mana stone Izis had pocketed. Seeing Izis's pleasant expression, he figured the harvest must have been pretty good. Alas, Verun eventually suppressed his urge and curiosity.

He had already acted magnanimously by giving Izis the opportunity. He would be a loser if he showed his regret and demanded a share now.

Nevertheless, Verun still inwardly cursed, 'Dammit, would it hurt to tell me how much mana stone you found?'

Verun suppressed the uncomfortable feeling in his heart before urging his teammate, "We are done here. Let us move to the next location."

"Alright," Izis grinned.