The Necromancer is amassing troops like crazy in the apocalypse

Chapter 477: Chapter 392, Strange Village

“`

Until we left the island.

It was then that she raised the subject of this mission’s details with everyone.

Even with two vice-executives leading the team, the rest of the squad couldn’t help but feel somewhat tense.

“Yes!” the squad members nodded in agreement.

“Alright, everyone go tend to your own duties. The two teams should divide up patrolling times to ensure the safety of the ship,” Xi Ligui continued.

“Yes!” the two team leaders nodded again before exiting the cabin.

The sailing of the ship was managed by dedicated personnel.

But the Association teams still needed to be vigilant about maritime safety.

Once the squad members had left,

Wu Heng finally spoke, “Have there been any updates about the Evil Sword?”

Xi Ligui leaned back lazily, her exaggerated bosom seeming as though it would burst her armor.

She said, “There is news, that the previous holder had a Special Item which could block one attack. Now, where this item is, nobody knows.”

“Ah, no wonder!” Wu Heng nodded.

Meaning, the previous holder used another Special Item to block the attack of the Evil Sword.

And a Special Item that could block an attack must be of significant value,

and difficult to obtain.

“Have you ever encountered the Evil Cult?” Xi Ligui propped her chin and asked again.

Wu Heng thought for a moment before replying, “I killed a fugitive once, an elder of the Church of Divine Punishment.”

“The Church of Divine Punishment shouldn’t really be considered an Evil Cult, at least not one that’s entirely wanted by the Association. The fugitive you killed must have done something to warrant the pursuit,” Xi Ligui suggested.

At the time, he wasn’t clear why Bawudong was wanted.

It was just a mention of an “Evil Cult” by the then-team leader, Autruck, that had stuck with him.

“Not sure, but he was pretty powerful.”

Xi Ligui went on, “Once we reach our destination, we’re only responsible for the investigation. If there really is an Evil Cult or some danger, we’ll leave it to the local guard team to deal with.”

“Okay, I’ll follow your lead, I’m just here to accompany,”

“The strongest accompaniment, right?”

“How could that be!”

After their conversation, the two left the conference room,

and made their way back to their respective cabins.

…

Upon entering the cabin assigned to him,

Two skeleton attendants stood guard at the door; Wu Heng released Xiao Xiao and Glenda.

The two ghosts curiously surveyed the cramped, swaying space.

Glenda asked, “Why are we at sea again?”

Xiao Xiao joined in, “This room is so simple.”

“The Association has assigned me a task to investigate something in a foreign land, about the Evil Cult,” explained Wu Heng, briefing them on the mission before adding, “You’ll have to work a bit harder when we arrive to help me scout the area.”

Glenda nodded, “Okay!”

Xiao Xiao floated in mid-air, saying, “I’m finally out of the island; I want to see what the outside world is like too.”

“You can wander around the ship, just remember to stay invisible so no one else sees you,” Wu Heng said as he sat down at the desk.

The two ghosts acknowledged and then vanished to roam around.

Wu Heng, meanwhile, took out the [Lightning Bolt Spell] skill he had exchanged for that day and began to study it.

The [Lightning Bolt Spell] is an Energy Shaping Skill.

By transforming and shaping energy, it unleashes lightning in a designated direction, exploding forth.

To damage enemies, as well as to effect lightning damage,

it is a direct and effective means of harming foes.

He flipped through the pages carefully, one by one.

And when he turned the last page, the system’s prompt followed closely behind.

[Skill Unlocked: Lightning Bolt Spell.]

Wu Heng felt a surge of joy in his heart.

Not only had he learned a new skill, but it also meant that his ability to unlock skills by reading had not failed him.

[Mansion Skill] was not a success; there were other issues to consider.

He would look for solutions later.

As the night approached, Xiao Xiao and Glenda returned.

One hovered in the air reading a book, while the other sat opposite Wu Heng’s desk, watching cartoons on a tablet.

Wu Heng went to bed to rest.

…

Two days later, in the morning,

The ship docked at the port of Lopaz City.

The squad members took a carriage and went straight to the local Association branch.

After briefly meeting and getting an introduction to the situation from the local steward,

a vice-executive named Endel was assigned, along with two Association investigators, to take them to the village they were sent to investigate.

“`

The road to the village was rugged, and both sides were dense jungles.

The carriage moved slowly forward.

Endel was a man in his forties, with a full beard. Judging from his weapons and armor, he appeared to be a warrior by profession.

“It’s nothing like Gold and Silver Island, not quite so bustling here, and the roads are mostly just dirt tracks,” Endel said with a laugh, and then continued, “About five days ago, in one of the village homes, we found an altar and the dead body of a human. Initial inspections suspect it was a human sacrifice.”

Human sacrifice?

Wu Heng’s eyebrows slightly furrowed.

In this world, the existence of deities is acknowledged. When ‘Yazde’ from Black Stone Town tried to possess him, the power it used was related to an Evil God.

Yet these divine spirits don’t seem as powerful as the rumors suggest, or rather, they seem unable to directly affect this world.

It was because of this that he had specifically looked up some relevant information.

According to some records from the association, most of the Evil Cults are false churches concocted by charlatans.

Their purpose is to bewitch some of the populace to achieve their own goals.

“Which Divine Spirits?” Xi Ligui asked.

Endel shook his head and said, “Unclear, we haven’t figured that out.”

Xi Ligui nodded, her gaze briefly turning to Wu Heng at her side.

Having a body made things easier.

They had a Necromancer on their side – not much could be said for other aspects, but they were quite professional when it came to bodies.

“Once we get into the village, we’ll have a look,” she suggested.

“Mhm.”

The carriage traveled on, the distant village coming into view.

It seemed that the village was not as backward as imagined, with houses built of stone and wood, and the clothes drying outside were made of fine fabric.

The carriage slowly drew near.

An old man with a long beard directly approached, glanced over the group, and said with a smile, “Welcome, honored guests.”

Endel introduced him, “This is the village chief. The people here have little contact with outsiders. Speaking with the chief will make handling matters smoother.”

“Mhm,” Xi Ligui nodded, “Let’s go; lead us to that altar to take a look, as well as the body.”

“Oh alright, this way, please,” said the village chief, gesturing for them to follow him into the village.

They entered the village and gradually moved away.

From the village entrance, several figures immediately sprang forth.

They approached the carriage tied up nearby, climbed into the vehicle, and began to search.

Wu Heng saw all this through the ‘Eagle Eye Technique.’

His steps didn’t stop, but his eyebrows knitted slightly.

These people were actually rummaging through an association carriage.

It didn’t look like theft, more like they were checking for something.

In Black Stone Town, ordinary residents would call members of the association teams “Master.”

Even in the chaotic ‘Lundham City,’ gang leaders would not provoke members of the association.

Yet in this place, the villagers didn’t show the outward respect for the association they appeared to.

…

The Evil Cult’s house was situated towards the left side of the village.

The room was empty except for a clay statue in the center that vaguely retained a human shape, looking like half-melted wax.

Black chains covered in rust encircled the statue, and dark red bloodstains marked the ground, blackened by time.

“Scatter around and check the area, record what you find,” Xi Ligui commanded.

The team members began to disperse, inspecting the room.

Wu Heng didn’t have much he needed to inspect, he simply looked around.

Xi Ligui then turned to the village chief, “What about the body?”

“The body was burned,” the village chief replied.

Endel’s brows furrowed, “Burned? Didn’t we tell you to preserve it?”

“Sir, with this weather, we had no means to preserve it. The decay and foul smell, we feared it would bring pestilence, so we had to burn it,” the village chief explained anxiously.

Xi Ligui glanced at Wu Heng beside her, feeling somewhat helpless.

If there had been a body, Wu Heng would have been able to conduct a Wenshi.

Whoever killed the victim would have been found out in one go.

Now, things were likely going to be more complicated.

Xi Ligui gestured for the village chief to leave first, while the rest stayed behind to continue the investigation.

Two Investigators also began to record what they had discovered.

But still, there were no significant findings.

“Honored guests,” the village chief returned and said, “We have prepared dinner and rooms for you. If it doesn’t work out, you could rest for the night and continue investigating tomorrow. Although it’s a serious matter, it hasn’t caused any harm to the village yet; there’s no rush.”

“All right,” said Xi Ligui, thinking it over and seeing the sky’s color, she had no choice but to nod in agreement.

The group walked outside.

Suddenly, a noisy commotion erupted from one side.

An unkempt figure burst out, shouting loudly as he sprinted towards the other side.

“You there, just wait, I’ll beat you to death!”

Several figures followed in hot pursuit, wielding sticks as they chased after him.