This was just a short interlude.
Nie Hong's internal struggle ultimately led him to help Mithra, choosing to guide her out of a sense of loyalty.
He really wanted to go home.
And the true skills hidden in this town were evident from the recent encounters with the groups of people and the knight. He felt incredibly lucky that he hadn't encountered such a fierce pursuit when he had first arrived.
But the journey home wasn't necessarily going to be easy.
Nie Hong was filled with regret. He really shouldn't have come alone. No, he shouldn't have come at all!
Mithra, however, was contemplating the events of her arm being severed.
The activation of the exchange mechanism when she lost her arm seemed different from the usual "rewards from the big shots."
The text described is what she had seen when she first arrived.
A price was presented, and then compensation was given.
Right, during the initiation phase, the big shot behind it had mentioned that after paying a certain price, there would be an additional bonus. The "reward mechanism" was secondary.
She just hadn't encountered such an opportunity until now.
But losing her left arm triggered it.
Would losing other limbs trigger this mechanism as well?
But losing limbs was extremely painful. That level of pain was still somewhat stimulating for Mithra. She felt it wasn't necessary to inflict such suffering on herself.
On the other hand, the knight had used a broken sword to cut off her arm, so Mithra figured she would have plenty of opportunities for severed limbs in the future.
She felt that she should leave some room for future concerns.
This way, when she lost more limbs in the future, there would be some hope, instead of just enduring the pain.
Thinking this way, she started looking forward to future encounters with strong opponents.
She hoped she wouldn't end up as a black mud monster.
Could the big shots hear her?
"Mithra, we're almost there," Nie Hong's voice brought her back to reality.
Mithra looked ahead and saw a quiet town nestled below the mountain path.
The town wasn't very large; she could see its boundaries from her vantage point. But the buildings inside were densely packed. The style of the mountainside buildings was unremarkable, but outsiders would easily get lost.
"I entered from the outskirts. I didn't go into the town itself," Nie Hong pointed towards the town's edge. A faint outline of a mine cart track was visible there, likely one of the transport routes for the mines.
"Going directly into the town would be like wandering around aimlessly. If you want to go around the outside, there are only two routes. The mine cart track is the fastest and has the best visibility. The other way involves going over the mountain, and the distance is much longer. It's getting very dark now, and I don't recommend it," Nie Hong calmly analyzed.
Although he had initially seemed like a naive young man, a closer look revealed that he was actually quite resourceful.
Was he truly capable, or was it simply the Enchanting Land's educational system?
Mithra said, "Were you discovered on the cart track when you snuck in?"
"Ah, yes," Nie Hong nodded obediently.
"Then for safety, we shouldn't take that route. They've been stationed here for a long time, they know this place better than we do. They'll surely use that route to monitor the easiest escape route," Mithra said.
Nie Hong agreed. "But going through the mountains is troublesome too. They have dogs and bears, and the terrain isn't good. We could easily get trapped."
"So, isn't the answer obvious? We go through town."
"Ah?" Nie Hong, who had been worried, was stunned.
"We know the enemies are the believers and the knights. The townspeople, dogs, and bears are only a problem when they're together. But if we go through the town, the complex terrain will significantly limit their ability to threaten us. Even bears won't be able to move easily through the town."
"But wouldn't our chances of encountering believers and knights increase significantly if we go through the town? It's their base."
"If we meet them, we'll kill them. Aren't you able to take on one or two?"
"Um... Okay," Nie Hong was speechless. Upon further reflection, it did make sense.
Mithra used her eyesight to observe the town from the hillside, selecting a relatively easy route before leading Nie Hong, under the cover of darkness, towards the town.
Getting closer, they could see lights flickering within the town.
Townspeople carrying torches patrolled the town, and occasionally, they could spot believers in coats leading the patrols.
The patrol routes weren't very dense, with many gaps. Under Mithra's guidance, Nie Hong followed vaguely, and surprisingly, they weren't discovered.
Nie Hong marveled at their good luck and Mithra's speed.
If they had been discovered here, they would have been in trouble.
A wide road appeared before them. The patrols here were denser, so Mithra had to stop, hiding in an alley to observe.
After observing for a while and finding no opportunity, Mithra informed Nie Hong and pointed towards the outside.
Nie Hong nodded, looking at a nearby incomplete wooden crate. He focused his Ki on it for a while before activating Control Object.
After the red energy enveloped the crate, it was lifted into the air, flying over the rooftops into the distance.
Bang!
The sound of the crate hitting the ground in the night was incredibly clear.
Immediately, the patrolling groups reacted and headed towards the source of the sound.
Mithra and Nie Hong seized the opportunity to pass quickly.
After crossing the main road, they seemed to have entered a residential area. Mithra could detect concealed lights in some of the houses.
After observing the situation, Mithra led Nie Hong through the area.
Suddenly, they heard the sounds of fighting nearby.
"Aah!" A shrill scream could be vaguely heard.
Mithra and Nie Hong immediately stopped and became alert.
"I said we could cooperate, but please let my child go!"
"Please! Please! Aah!"
Another commotion.
As the sounds spread, the lights in the nearby buildings were extinguished one by one.
Soon, the sounds subsided.
Mithra calmly observed and saw two believers and several townspeople emerging from a house, dragging two corpses. One townsperson was holding a struggling child.
"Help! Help!" the child screamed. A believer frowned and slapped the child, knocking him unconscious.
"What... what are they going to do?" Nie Hong whispered, his voice trembling slightly.
"Gouge out their eyes," Mithra replied casually.
Nie Hong covered his mouth. He remembered the corpses in the tunnel, most of them eyeless. And the cursed creatures in the tunnel, they were also like this.
He took a deep breath, seemingly calming himself, and then cautiously looked around.
Mithra noticed him observing the group.
"What are you planning?"
"Just two believers, a few dogs, and some townspeople. We have a chance," Nie Hong looked at Mithra. "If we quickly take them out, we can save the child."
"Your plan probably doesn't include me," Mithra said calmly.
Nie Hong pursed his lips and slowly nodded. "I know this is dangerous. If I make a commotion, you just go. I've told you the location of the teleportation point. Just follow the mountain path and find the town. You'll be sure to find it."
As soon as he finished speaking, Mithra nodded. "Okay, let's go kill some people."
"Ah? No, I said I didn't include you..."
"If you hadn't included me, I would have just let you go. But you didn't, so I'll help you. Any problems with that?" Mithra's voice remained steady, leaving Nie Hong speechless.
After a moment of stammering, he could only say, "Thank you."
Having confirmed their objective, the two sprang into action.
Mithra activated Stabilize.
Ding.
Nie Hong focused his Ki, taking a long time to form the pattern, enhancing the power of his Ki miracle.
Then he quickly jumped out of the alley.
The people preparing to leave were completely unprepared. Nie Hong suddenly spread his arms and clenched his hands tightly.
Immobilize!
Intense Ki instantly enveloped everyone in front of him. The massive sense power consumption caused Nie Hong's brain to spasm, as if he were in pain, but he had successfully restrained them!
Mithra emerged, her hand reaching behind her shoulder and suddenly drawing a sword.
The Night Worship Sword, stained with blood, was drawn. With her other hand, she grabbed a live eye, crushed it, and smeared it on the sword. Simultaneously, she shifted her weight into a sweeping stance.
Invisible Blade.
Swish!
Blue sword energy swept past. Everyone in front of her was instantly killed while their bodies were immobilized.
After unleashing the sword, Mithra quickly moved in, retrieving the stone hammer from her body. With a sword in one hand and a hammer in the other, she quickly dealt with the dogs.
After breathing a sigh of relief, Nie Hong didn't relax. He immediately used Control Object, launching throwing knives at the dogs Mithra hadn't been able to reach.
Whoosh!
In a matter of seconds, only corpses and spreading pools of blood remained.
Mithra casually wiped the blood off her sword and put it back into her body. Then she turned to Nie Hong, who was covering his head.
"You lead the way. Let's go."