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Heir of the White Lotus (Web Novel) - Chapter 1936: Power Balance
Chapter 1936: Power Balance
This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl
Leah cautiously led her group through the urban jungle.
Sometimes they ran through roads and alleys deemed secure, while at other times, they vaulted across rooftops that were confirmed to be clear of monsters.
There was no straight-line movement in the city. The group had to take a lot of detours, pause for long minutes, and then move about slowly.
The group of five — three humans and two elves — suddenly stopped at a particular rooftop when Leah gave a hand signal.
Genevieve leaned over a little, and the scene that greeted her eyes made her tremble slightly.
A large pack of wolves was crossing the street below. These wolves were tiny, not even reaching the average human’s knees. But they were utterly ferocious, akin to piranhas. Once they smelled blood, they never stopped.
And judging from the horde of wolves passing through, it would take at least a few minutes.
"Let’s rest for a bit here," the orange-haired Paladin, Leah, turned and said to the team.
No one argued. They had been traveling non-stop for the last couple of hours. A few minutes of rest was welcomed.
Michael approached the squad captain and couldn’t help but ask her, "Why is there so much panic over two Rank 2 monsters fighting? Isn’t that supposed to be good for us?"
One of the elves scoffed in derision. Leah shot him a glare, and the elf looked away. She then turned to Michael and patiently explained:
"There’s a fragile power balance in this city, Michael. Although our City Hall has more Rank 2 Magi and Paladins than the same-ranked monsters in the city, that is only true inside the walls. In the wilderness, there are several more Rank 2 monsters."
"If a Rank 2 monster were to suddenly die in the city, that would create a vacuum," Genevieve murmured. "And that would draw powerful monsters from the wilderness?"
Leah turned to her and nodded. "Precisely."
She paused before continuing, "If the Rank 2 monsters of the wilderness trespass into Adventurers City, not only does the council move against them, but the city’s Rank 2 monsters do as well. They’re extremely territorial, you see."
Michael gradually understood the point. Then he asked, "Has it happened before? A Rank 2 monster dying and another from the wilderness taking its place, I mean."
"It has." Leah nodded grimly. "Several times, in fact. And each time, our people paid the price."
She let out a helpless sigh.
"A Rank 2 monster doesn’t simply walk into the city and settle down quietly," she said.
"It fights for territory. Entire districts become battlefields as it clashes with the Rank 2 monsters already living here and council members sent to stop it. Countless weaker monsters are drawn by the chaos, adventurers are caught in the crossfire, and we die trying to contain the damage."
Leah’s lips curled into a bitter smile as she concluded:
"By the time the fighting ends, we’ve usually lost far more lives than the single Rank 2 monster was ever worth."
"That is why it is imperative we find the cause for the battle between the Antlered High Priest and the Bridal Puppeteer," one of the two elves suddenly said.
"We need to find out if they will continue their battle," said the other. "If one of them is to die, then the City Hall must prepare beforehand."
Leah silently nodded. She tried to elevate the group’s mood and said, "Hopefully, it’s nothing. And we can all return home soon."
Home...
Genevieve thought silently.
She found it admirable that the adventurers, numbering only about five hundred, were able to carve out a piece of land for themselves and managed to live this long.
Especially considering that the monsters numbered in the thousands.
And this was not even taking into account the more powerful vampires, who resided east of the Lamiyan Mountains.
Suddenly, she couldn’t help but ask, "Have the scouts found a way out of this place yet?"
Leah glanced at her bitterly.
Meanwhile, the two elves couldn’t help but snicker. One of them said, "The sooner you realize that there is no way out, the better it will be for you. Trust me."
The other elf added, "We’ve had friends who literally went mad trying to find a way out of this nightmare."
"Those people are more dangerous than even monsters," said the first elf. "Not only are they a threat to themselves, but also everyone around them."
Genevieve wanted to argue, but thought better of it.
Michael, however, had no such patience. He sneered at them.
"Leave it to a bunch of losers like you to give up so easily."
The elves’ expression turned cold.
"You should learn to respect your elders, boy," one of them said with a smile that wasn’t really a smile.
"Fuck off." Michael scoffed.
"That’s enough." Leah’s cold words instantly squashed any hope of further argument.
Michael and the elves glared at one another for a few seconds before turning away.
The little wolves below were still crossing the wide street. It would take about another minute for the road ahead to clear. Then, they would head toward the sun temple.
"What is the plan then?" Genevieve stood beside Leah, glancing at the horde of wolves.
"Search for clues," Leah said. "What else?"
She cast a side glance at Genevieve and smirked. "Your enchantment magic will come in handy when we interrogate the monsters."
"Monsters?" Genevieve frowned. "I doubt they have the mental capacity to survive such magic. Even if they do, I don’t think we’ll learn much from them."
"Have you encountered the mutated ghouls?" Leah asked.
Genevieve was reminded of how Kara and Koby had died at those monsters’ hands. Her eyes gleamed with suppressed emotions, and she silently nodded.
"Your magic should work on them," Leah said. "They’re no different from humans, you see. Except they’re dead. And disgusting. And prefer the raw flesh of living creatures like us."
"Very well." Genevieve nodded. "I’ll do my best—"
Suddenly, her eyes narrowed. Her senses picked up on another presence that had abruptly appeared nearby.
It seemed that Leah had also noticed. They both turned sharply toward the source of the faint disturbance. Their gazes landed on a figure standing on the terrace of the building across the wide street.
He wore nothing but a pair of plain trousers. His muscular upper body was bare, and a wolf hide was draped across his broad shoulders.
Leah instantly recognized the newcomer, and she couldn’t help but grow solemn.
"It’s him," she murmured in a low voice.
Genevieve also grew solemn. Something about the newcomer screamed danger.
"Who is he?" she couldn’t help but ask.
Leah remained silent for a moment, then said slowly.
"We call him the Lone Wolf."
