"You are the Prioress, are you not? May I have the share of information you got regarding the vampires?" Asked Dov to the woman in a religious outfit.
"Sorry sir Hunter, but my duty stayed as to keep the soldier's morale stay intact and as one of the bridges between the dark elves and the Creator." The woman firmly replied. "I can't provide you with your current need."
"I see." Disappointed, Dov turned his gaze back to Celene, taking steps away to leave those elves.
"Although…" Her sudden voice made him stop. "Our Commander might be able to help."
*
With that offered, the dark elves took both of the Hunters through their black wall and guided them to their sole city, the Shrine of Consciousness.
The travel between the two places took more than an hour. And during it, Dov witnessed something that he didn't expect to see from such a minor and isolated place, especially in this huge demon-dominated province.
Prosperity.
This ashen land was filled with trees, and fruits were growing between their purple leaves. Farms scattered all over the place with their demonic cows and calves roaming around freely.
They may look scary with their glowing eyes and third horn sticking out of their forehead, but their milk is known to be devilishly delicious and expensive.
No matter where his eyes fell, he would see a happy elf. Trading, chatting, laughing as if they're the happiest race on the continent. These folks are supposed to be the most oppressed community in this province, for them to thrive this much…
"Looks like the dark elves have been doing pretty well recently." He commented during their walk.
"You seem surprised, Hunter? That's not what I expected from someone who uses dark magic." The Prioress retorted. She might not know how Dov looks behind that mask, but she can at least be sure that he is either a demon or a dark elf.
"Ah… I left Lustmist eons ago. I'm quite blind to what happened in this province over the years."
"Oh, you are one of the incubi aren't you? That would explain your immense power."
All the dark elves who walked with him looked quite relieved hearing that word. Both incubi and succubi don't include themselves in Lusmist's internal conflict. All they do is hunt lust outside of the province and send them back to the demons.
They're like a food supplier for demonkind, traveling around the continent for the sake of their people. To the residents of Lustmist, they're the noblest of all demons.
"Sorry, but I won't confirm that." Dov calmly replied.
"But you won't deny it either, eh?" She added. "By the way, what happened to your tall friend? She's been fidgeting like crazy." They all glared at Celene who got cooked bright red.
"It's her first time visiting the province, she can't handle the mist yet."
"I see…" The Prioress slowly nodded. "Miss, do you need help relieving your—"
"Don't." Dov quickly grabbed and pulled her arm till her ear lay close to his mask. He then whispered, "My friend here is a virgin, she'll be a good weapon to use against the vampires."
"Ouh… that's a good plan but… she might suffer from it."
"She's a Hunter, Mother Prioress. No need to concern yourself with worries."
After a series of walks, they finally arrived at the gate to the Shrine of Consciousness. Once again they met a black wall with a bunch of dark elves standing on guard. Although this time, some of the bricks were floating in the air, along with some trees and houses.
One of the thews of an elven shrine is they carry an impressive amount of magical energy, just like the electric crystal ball that the two retrieved before.
However, the elven one is immensely strong compared to it, that it devises some of the rules of nature. And one of them is gravity. You can also step on its air if you wanted to, that's how some elves were able to get into their houses.
"Hold it Mother Prioress!" Spear at hand. Full plated black armor. A gatekeeper shouted from above the gate. He then hopped down till he stood in the face of the visiting group. "Mind telling us these dear guests of yours?"
"They're Hunters." The Prioress gladly replied. "They were sent by the Guild to help us deal with the vampire."
"Hunters?" This is the first time he saw one throughout his duty as a gatekeeper.
"Have you heard of the Night Bear, Chiemelie?" One of the elves excitedly asked.
"You mean the infamous Veteran Hunter who can take down 1000 succubi a night!?" He was shocked. Celene was shocked. Everyone was shocked. Even Dov himself seemed to flinch hearing it.
"Is that true, Dov!?" The lycan lady lost her composure there for a sec.
"I won't confirm it."
"You won't deny it either!?"
Dov went frozen like a statue, thinking. Thinking of a way out of this conversation.
"That aside gatekeeper, can you lead us to your commander? We have intel to exchange regarding the vampires." And he chose to ignore it.
"Wha—" Reacted Celene.
"May I have your [Adventurer's Badge] first, Hunter?" The gatekeeper offered his hand before the two. While the other hand held his spear firm.
Hearing it, both Dov and Celene opened a tiny black portal before the [Inventory Ring] on their finger, and put their hand inside to get the item they were asked to give.
"Here."
They were shaped rectangular like a name card. The one that Dov has was made out of ardorum, while Celene's was made out of electhril—a bluish light silver metal known as the best conductor in the continent.
[Dov | Level: 63 | Race: Demon | Class: Warden (shield + staff) | Rank: Veteran Hunter]
[Celene | Level: 55 | Race: Lycan | Class: Wolven Raider (ax + bow) | Rank: Apprentice Hunter]
"Level 63 Demon [Warden] and level 55 Lycan [Wolven Raider]." Read the gatekeeper. "Not gonna lie, I imagined your level would be higher for someone so accomplished, Night Bear."
"Maybe you should imagine me being young as well," Dov replied. "Is it the time for us to meet your commander, yet? Those vampires could be back at any moment." His tone went sharp and sarcastic.
"Oh— right— of course! Over here, Hunters."
A bit panicked, the gatekeeper blow out a whistling sound with his lips to signal his fellow keepers above the gate. Not long after, the black steel that serve as the barrier of this city's entrance went retracted into the wall, and the way for them to enter finally opened.
"Uwoah… so bright."
The gate is a solid double door. Now with it opened, they can easily see the shrine's light from the center of the city. It might be shaded dark purple, but not even a full moon can compare with how bright it lit the night.
"Follow me—"
"No need. I'll take it from here." The Prioress immediately walked past the keeper and took the lead.
"As you wish, Mother Prioress." He then respectfully bowed and jumped back to his post.
The other elves that came with her also seemed to leave them alone with the woman. Now with just the three of them left, they quickly head straight to the northern part of the city.
"Is it really okay for you to be alone with strangers like this, Mother Prioress?" Celene Questioned.
"Nah, your Hunter's identity has been confirmed. Worrying that you might kill me, especially near a shrine that worshiped the All-father, now that would be foolish, wouldn't it?" She calmly answered during their walk.
"You do realize most adventurers worshiped the Unknown Artisan instead, right?"
Ahh… Unknown Artisan. It is said that He's a deity who shares the same race as the Goddess. He came together with 7 of His companion to this world with a body of a mortal.
But during that limited life He had, He created the famous Adventurer System, which changed how the continent worked completely. Many adventurers worshiped Him more than they do to All-father.
"Eh— ah— huh!?" The Prioress got a bit panicked there for a moment, she even tripped on her heels. "B-But the Adventurer's Guild is always on the side of the 9 nations, are you not?"
"We are," Dov assured.
"Then that's settled it."
The woman got up and went back to guide the Hunters to where the commander was. She and Dov had no trouble traveling through the city but Celene really need to watch where she walk because of her height. Sadly for her, some of the floating rubles and buildings were placed less than 3 meters above the ashen ground.
"We've arrived, here is the commander's office." The way she smiled as she approached the black door on the office's ashen wall tells how high she regards and respects the said commander.
However, when she proceeded to open the door. The three of them were greeted by a bunch of soldiers aiming at them with their bows and arrows.
"Hands in the air!" Firmly ordered the elf with the most formal and luxurious attire. The amount of carving he has in his armor said enough that he's the commander.
The Prioress and both Hunters immediately do what they asked. She got a bit panicked with how fast the situation changed, however. Although during all things happened, Dov's eyes went immediately roaming through the room. There he spotted just behind the line of angry and scared dark elves, a body with blood dripping from two small holes in her neck.
"Oh, night sky… this might get troublesome."