Chapter 533: Familiar Face
Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy
The following morning, news of additional individuals falling victim to the life-draining entity continued, prompting a surge of alarm throughout the city.
Reports of new victims, both Arcanists and ordinary people, had surfaced. It was accompanied by a substantial increase in the reward for capturing the elusive perpetrator.
The once-exclusive concern of the Arcanist Guild expanded to encompass all the city's forces, involving the churches and various factions, galvanizing a unified effort to apprehend the enigmatic entity.
"How has this unknown being eluded capture for so long? We boast a considerable number of Arcanists, with significant branches established here." Remarked by one concerned individual in the tavern, voicing the growing frustration.
"It's truly vexing. It seems our resources were insufficient. Perhaps this entity aligns with the malevolent entities chronicled by the church…" Speculated by another, attributing the challenge to the sinister nature of the threat.
"Demons? I don't think so."
"Hmph! Regardless of its nature, these organizations have proven unreliable. They're taking too much time to capture the culprit! It is the ordinary people who suffer most." Lamented by a disillusioned onlooker, highlighting the pervasive impact on the populace.
"No... I believe that several Arcanists have also been targeted. This one might be strong, and maybe even the Torrent Squad will fail to capture this demon. The city has become perilous, perhaps we should consider leaving the city for a while." Another guy chimed in, underscoring the escalating danger.
They were a group of individuals gathered in a nearby tavern, exchanging accounts of the recent events unfolding within the city.
Not far from their midst, a man and a woman eavesdropped on their conversation, contemplating the unfolding chaos.
"Eustace... Are you not considering accepting this mission?" Constance inquired, acknowledging Eustace's exceptional capabilities and the urgent need for decisive action.
"There's no need to hurry. The Archbishop is still in the city. There must be something wrong with this incident, so he's not making a move. It might even be a trap or something. Let's wait for a few more days. I'll observe the situation a bit more… But if we encounter it, we should apprehend it and deliver it to the authorities," Eustace responded as he also liked to get the reward on this mission, he certainly wouldn't give up free money.
After a while, the two of them decided to stroll around the town to ascertain the impact that this life-draining entity had made on the city.
As they walked among the crowds, Constance suddenly spoke up.
"Hey… Eustace, don't you think you're too dumb–Sorry, I mean, you're not fully utilizing the potential of your celestial physique and divinity. You may be only a half-celestial, but that should still give you an edge over any peak-grade Physique you can encounter here." She said in a frank manner.
Eustace was slightly taken aback by her blunt words, but he also admired her honesty. He quickly asked her.
"Right… It's a good thing you reminded me. You should help me now. Do you have any idea how to use my physique properly?" Eustace asked.
"Well, I'm not an expert, but I do know some tricks since peak-grade Physiques were also hard to master." Constance revealed.
Eustace smiled warmly at her, as this was one of the reasons he liked this woman. She had a lot of useful knowledge. She may not be well-versed in modern knowledge, spells, or techniques, but her Ancient Knowledge could be very valuable.
"Ahem…" Constance coughed lightly as she showed him a familiar crystal in her hands. It was the same crystal that could store divinity points.
"Fine… I'll pay you with divinity points, but we have to find some Immortal Items someday." Eustace said as he took the crystal.
"Immortal Items? Sure… We can search for them more efficiently once you learn how to harness your Divinity. It's also better to learn how to use your physique before you consume that dangerous potion of yours." Constance replied.
Eustace nodded at this as he looked at the system's notification.
[ Do you want to store your Divinity Points to the Divine Crystal? ]
'Yes…'
[ Are you sure you want to transfer 20 Divinity Points? ]
'Yes.'
As soon as he confirmed the last message, he soon felt the 20 Divinity Point disappearing from his body.
It wasn't much since he still had about 600 points.
The transfer went smoothly, and no one in the crowd had even noticed what they were doing. It was probably because of how Constance suppressed the fluctuation of energy as well.
'I really have to learn how she's doing it.' Eustace mused. He could only hope that it would not take that long to learn her technique.
After he gave the crystal to her, the pair contemplated finding accommodation so Constance could start teaching him.
Eustace intended to seek a recommendation from the guild attendant, as they would likely know a suitable place for Arcanists like them.
However, their plans were interrupted by the sound of a woman's scream not far from their location. The people on the streets became highly alert, their attention drawn to the source of the commotion—a small inn. Speculations arose among the bystanders.
"Did the demon strike again?" One person pondered.
"Probably... But isn't it a bit too early? I heard it should only be active during the night."
"Maybe it's getting restless..."
As the crowd murmured, a man exclaimed, "Look! That's the Torrent Squad! They're the five strongest Arcanists in the city! This nightmare is finally about to end!"
Upon catching sight of the Torrent Squad, Eustace's attention was quickly drawn to a small figure among them.
"What is she doing here?" Eustace was taken aback as he recognized a familiar face. The woman had striking black and partially white hair, and her pallid complexion was unmistakable.
It was none other than Denise, who should have been on her way back to Heinz at that very moment!
'You've only been away for a few weeks, and you're already part of the strongest Arcanists Squad in the city?'