The Earth Burrow Technique brought great unease to the woman, under this pressure, she almost confessed everything.
She didn't want to betray her husband, nor the mayor, the bishop, the dentist, the firefighter, the deliveryman, and several other male colleagues in the office.
Wayne: (_)
With an average appearance and so many lovers, he must be a smooth talker, and he's definitely skilled in seduction.
"Who let you say these things? Answer me, where did you keep the intruders?" Wayne asked coldly.
"At the Holy Gate, there's an underground prison where the bishop imprisoned the intruders, preparing to sacrifice this group of blasphemers to the great king beneath the earth," the woman replied quickly.
"What is the King Beneath the Earth?"
"I, I don't know, it, it's enormous..."
A strong fear flashed across the woman's face, as if recalling something terrifying, she trembled all over, becoming incoherent.
The Holy Gate leads to the underground world's tunnels, with the entrance located in the town of Ennolde. The investigation reports of the two detectives marked the detailed location, which was very close to the headquarters of the Earth Worshipers. Starting from the town hall, it only took fifteen minutes to walk there.
Originally, it was an empty lot, purchased by the Earth Worshipers to build a chicken farm. After halfway through the construction, a bishop suddenly discovered a large fissure leading to the underground world. People believed it was a manifestation of the Lord of the Void, responding to the devout prayers of the believers, guiding this group of lost people.
Later, Professor Vincent and his professional team of geologists were invited to conduct an on-site investigation in Ennolde town.
The entrance to the tunnel, the headquarters of the Earth Worshipers, and the town hall could be connected in a straight line.
This coincidental layout was by no means accidental; it was highly likely to be some kind of special magic array, which was very important intelligence. Wayne kept it in mind, planning to rescue Isabella first and then convey the information to the others.
One failure can be forgiven; Wayne is willing to give Isabella another chance. The powerful magician recommended by the Lady Teacher cannot fall into the same trap twice.
As for the woman embedded in the wall...
She's a woman very loyal to love. To preserve her purity, she confessed everything. Wayne was touched by her modesty and knocked her unconscious with a chop.
He removed the earth wall and dragged the woman to the adjacent office, locking her in a file cabinet.
Wayne was powerless against the octopus-like creature in the corridor. He tried to burn it with flame magic, and surprisingly, it was very effective.
The eight-legged starfish creature was viscous on the surface, resembling marine life, but it was more flammable than cotton fluff. Upon contact with flames, it turned to ashes instantly, leaving behind a blackish liquid mass on the wall.
A bit like crude oil!
"Count yourselves lucky. There are no bald eagles in this world, otherwise you'd all be labeled as terrorists."
Wayne barely covered up the scene, unable to leave no traces behind, but it was enough. Before the Earth Worshipers noticed the disappearance of the two female believers, he hurried to the chicken farm to rescue Isabella.
Wayne lowered his hat brim and hurriedly left the town hall. He had a vague feeling that the bald old man saw through the white dove but remained calm, sending two female believers to confirm the situation.
Wayne was prepared for the worst; he had already been exposed. The rescue time was urgent, and action had to be swift.
...
The chicken farm.
Generally, farms for raising meat and egg chickens are located in the suburbs, as far away from towns as possible. But with the presence of the Earth Worshipers in the town hall, and even the mayor becoming their loyal dog, it's not surprising to find one built within the town.
There were members of the Earth Worshipers guarding the front gate, all dressed in white hooded robes. The fabric was rough, with many loose threads at the cuffs, and a hemp rope tied around their waists, similar in style to ascetics.
Wayne didn't rush in recklessly; instead, he intercepted a truck from the Earth Worshipers at a street corner.
The driver in the robe stuck his head out, annoyed, "Buddy, I'm busy hauling cargo. You better have a good reason, or I'll make sure you do."
"I do have a good reason."
Wayne clenched his fist, as if holding onto something, his expression serious, "I heard the voice of the Lord of the Void, and he has bestowed upon me a sacred object to be presented to the bishop immediately. Today is a sacred day not to be missed."
Well, that explains it. Turns out he's one of us!
With a shared belief, the driver's attitude became much friendlier. He leaned closer to Wayne's fist, holding his breath, "What sacred object is it? Can I take a look? Please, just one glance."
"Of course..."
Boom!
Wayne climbed into the driver's seat, and after a series of shuffling, he put on the driver's white robe, started the truck, and headed straight for the gate of the chicken farm.
Free eggs were in high demand, and the townsfolk were enthusiastic. Many pretended to be newcomers and lined up several times. This was the fifth time the truck driver shuttled between the rally site and the chicken farm. The gatekeepers of the Earth Worshipers did not notice anything wrong, opening the gate to let Wayne in.
As the truck stopped, the prepared believers moved basket after basket of eggs onto the truck. Wayne locked the door, and he actively joined the queue to load the eggs.
"Hurry up, they're rushing us over there."
A stranger, but diligent, no one doubted his identity.
After a short while, Wayne clutched his stomach, his face pale, "Damn it, where's the bathroom? I've got a bad stomach, and I can't hold it any longer."
"Watch out, don't come near me..."
The spray gun warrior is only to be viewed from afar and not approached. The believers quickly pointed out the direction for Wayne to go and come back quickly. If the egg transportation was delayed and there were complaints from above, nobody would enjoy the juice.
Wayne shouted that it was coming and, holding the key, dashed away. His comical appearance elicited laughter, and the air was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
The believers liked this newcomer, who was an entertainer, even if they didn't know his name.
Wayne disappeared with a few brisk strides around the corner, grabbed a handful of air, sniffed it, but didn't detect Isabella's scent.
It's understandable. Firstly, it had been too long, and the scent had long dissipated, and secondly, Isabella was a magician who surely had ways to conceal her presence.
During this period, Wayne had strengthened his control over his sense of smell and supernatural perception through meditation, especially the former, reaching a level where he could control it freely.
Good, he could continue to delude himself into believing that the farts of the magic girl were fragrant.
Wayne entered the main building of the chicken farm through a side door. Unexpectedly, the number of egg-laying chickens wasn't significant.
It wouldn't be accurate to say they were few, but compared to the continuous supply of free eggs provided by the Heart of Earth Cult, the number of egg-laying chickens in the farm was undoubtedly meager.
Unless there was a version update here, and every single egg-laying chicken was now a level 007 combat chicken.
Wayne didn't quite understand. He saw a follower pushing a small cart, dragging crates of eggs out of the warehouse. Wayne immediately mimicked the action, pulling a nearby cart and joining the procession.
The warehouse was enormous, with cement walls towering high, leaving only a few windows at the very top.
Lights hung from the ceiling, and two conveyor belts rumbled. Egg after egg was transported along the belts. Dozens of followers mechanically packed the eggs into boxes, their eyes vacant, moving like marionettes, seemingly tireless.
Wayne couldn't see the end of the conveyor belt; a black cloth hanging from the machine blocked his view. But he smelled a familiar scent.
The scent of the eight-legged sea star.
Strong!
The source of the scent was at the end of the conveyor belt!
Wayne's eyes narrowed, and he hurried toward the machine, lifting the black cloth to reveal two huge tentacles.
Slippery.
Wriggling.
At the tips of the tentacles, eggs were being laid one after another, semi-transparent and solidifying upon exposure to light, looking just like ordinary eggs. The speed and efficiency were high enough to make the egg-laying chickens themselves suspicious.
Boom!
Wayne felt chills all over, his scalp tingling, and his stomach churning as if he might vomit on the spot.
"Damn it, are you trying to turn the whole town into monsters?"
"Wait, I remember the maid brought back a basket of eggs. Could it be... this morning's fried eggs..."
"Ugh!!"