Read Daily Updated Light Novel, Web Novel, Chinese Novel, Japanese And Korean Novel Online.
Heir of the White Lotus (Web Novel) - Chapter 1911: Urban Jungle
Chapter 1911: Urban Jungle
This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl
The night passed by uneventfully.
Except for the ghouls relentlessly knocking on doors and windows, and calling out to them in an eerily polite tone, nothing else happened.
No one slept, however. Least of all the three newcomers.
Michael sat on the floor in the corner of the living room, head hung low. He couldn’t believe that people had been trapped in this place for over fifteen hundred years.
It was a ridiculous concept to him.
Thinking that he’d have to spend his day here till the end of his lifespan had dealt a critical blow to his mind.
If these people here hadn’t found a way to leave this place for over fifteen hundred years, then what chance did he have?
Genevieve’s thoughts were more or less the same.
She was terribly downcast. She had such grand aspirations, and to think she’d never leave this accursed secret plane made her emotional.
Adam was the only person who remained unfazed.
"You seem to come to terms with reality quite quickly," Daerona said with slight surprise.
She and Adam stood by the window, peeking through the curtains as the crimson moon slowly dipped below the horizon.
Adam shrugged. "Oh, I’ll leave this shithole, all right. There’s no doubt about it."
He was supremely confident in finding a way out. Others might view him as delusional. But why should he care about what others thought, anyway?
The elf had her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall. She glanced at the raven-haired youth and sighed.
In her time in this secret plane, she’d seen many like Adam. They had been confident in leaving this place. They had persisted for years. Decades, even. But slowly, they gave up one by one when they saw no way out.
And the ones who hadn’t given up... they went mad. This accursed place had a twisted way of getting into people’s minds and strangling all hope.
The only way to survive was to adapt.
She sighed again as she glanced at Genevieve and Michael.
"I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said those words so soon," she murmured.
Adam’s lips curled into a light smirk. "No worries. They’re not children. You don’t need to coddle them."
Daerona turned to her and murmured, "You’re a strange one."
"So I’ve been told."
Adam turned to the world outside. The fading red gave way to a dull gray.
"So these monsters retreat into their hiding place during the day, huh?" he asked.
It was the same in the woods. Most creatures preferred to rest during the daytime. Even though there was hardly any sunlight, they seemed to find it very annoying.
Nighttime was their playground.
"Yes." Daerona nodded. "Though there are still some creatures prowling in the day, most prefer to come out at night."
"What about the vampires? Adam asked casually.
Daerona’s eyes slightly widened. And even her men, who were resting in the room, stirred. They all stared at him intensely.
Adam realized belatedly that he shouldn’t have said that.
"How do you know about vampires?" Daerona shifted on her feet, her arms now hanging low. "Did you encounter one?"
Adam tilted his head, his eyes seemingly innocent.
"We were nearly killed by a swarm of bats in the Lands of Always War," he said, puzzled.
"Then there’s the existence of so many undead in this place. And with these ghouls not being able to enter a shelter without permission and whatnot, I naturally assumed there were vampires here."
He saw the elf releasing a sigh. And the subtly tense atmosphere in the room gradually dissipated.
"Vampires have been spotted occasionally," the elf said in a grim voice.
"But they mostly reside on the other side of the Lamiyan Mountains. We believe that this place... this secret plane is ruled by them. Or, to be more precise, the lands east of the mountains are."
Adam was secretly relieved that the elf believed his lie. He didn’t know why these people seemed so edgy about vampires. He couldn’t help but jest, "Pray tell, are they afraid of garlic?"
"This is serious, Adam." Daerona was utterly solemn.
"Although it’s very rare that you’ll encounter one on this side of the mountain range, you must be very vigilant. If you do come across one, you need to run. You hear me? Run without hesitation."
"Surely, the talismans can help?" Adam asked.
Though he already knew the answer. It served his interest to appear naive in front of the elf and her men after just now accidentally talking about vampires.
"No." Daerona shook her head. "They will [Compel] you into opening a path for them. Once that happens, there’s nothing you or anyone else can do. We’re like sheep to them, and they’re wolves. A vampire can easily overpower a Magus or Paladin of the same rank."
Adam faked slight fear in his eyes. He gulped. "I understand."
He paused for a brief moment, seemingly hesitating. Then he finally asked, "Do we know how powerful they are?"
"The strongest of them are reported to be at the Mana Seed Rank," Daerona said after brief deliberation.
As I thought! Adam mused.
Sandra is definitely a Mana Seed Magus.
And there seem to be multiple at that rank.
"And the ones leading the adventurers?" He asked cautiously. "I’m sure they’re as strong, yes?"
The elf was silent for a moment, then nodded faintly. "Yes," she said. "There’s a council. The strongest of them is our leader."
How vague, Adam thought.
She didn’t tell me how many Mana Seed Magi or Templar Paladins we have on our side. She probably doesn’t trust us.
If I were in her shoes, I wouldn’t trust us either.
Adam smiled. "That’s good to know."
He didn’t press for more. It would become quite obvious to them what he was trying to do. And the elf was a sharp one.
The last of the crimson rays fully retreated, and the secret plane welcomed the sun that refused to come out from behind the thick, gloomy clouds.
Most of the monsters had retreated into buildings. Though a few stragglers still remained. But more importantly, the ghouls had gone back to hiding.
"Time to move." Daerona’s voice echoed in the hall.
They didn’t exit through the front door. Instead, they climbed the second floor. Then they climbed another flight of stairs and arrived at the rooftop.
A sea of dark, dilapidated terraces stretched before them. In the center of the city, a five-story building immediately caught attention. It was the only building in the city that had been maintained properly, a stark contrast to the broken urban jungle surrounding it.
Daerona stepped to the edge of the roof and pointed toward it.
"That is our destination," she murmured.
"The City Hall."
