Chapter 616 - 527: Dividing the Spoils

Chapter 616: Chapter 527: Dividing the Spoils

Its very existence, along with its demonstrated efficiency at hunting Heartstealers, was a potential major threat that had to be reported to the Main Brain immediately.

Realizing this, it slowly retracted its spreading Spiritual Perception. A faint light swirled over its dark gold gloves.

Its Void, silver-white eyes swept across the silent killing field one last time.

Then, its figure melted into the night like a drop of ink, silently retreating toward the depths of the mining pit to execute a higher-priority directive...

Retreat and deliver the warning.

......

......

"Hey, buddy..."

Holland called out to the black-haired young man in front of him—the one whose steps remained perfectly steady even while carrying an Ogre along the rugged mountain path.

He slowed his pace slightly, his brown eyes warily scanning the surrounding dark rocks and sparse bushes, but his tone was relaxed as he spoke.

"We should be far enough now... Those octopus-heads can’t reach us here, can they? After running for this long, we should’ve lost them."

"I’m fine, it’s just..."

He paused deliberately, glancing back at the young Mage behind them. The man’s face was pale and beaded with sweat, and his legs were clearly trembling, yet he still grit his teeth to keep up. Holland curled his lip, his tone laced with its usual teasing.

"Our dear ’Master Mage’ here, so used to his quiet desks and bright labs at the academy, looks like he’s about to run out of steam. Just listen to him panting—sounds like a Bellows."

"You... shut up!"

Ellis snapped his head up, his gray-blue eyes burning with anger at having his embarrassing state exposed. His voice was ragged from gasping for breath, but it was still laced with a stubborn defiance.

"If it... if it weren’t for exhausting my Spiritual Power during the fight, which left me... drained of Magic Power and my Spirit exhausted... All I’d need is a simple [Oil on the Bottom of the Feet] or [Free Movement], and I’d be able to..."

"Oh? [Oil on the Bottom of the Feet]? [Free Movement]?"

Holland immediately seized on the opening, his eyebrows shooting up. An exaggerated look of sudden realization spread across his face as he cut off Ellis’s excuse.

"Listen to that! More of these ’simple’ little buffing tricks? If I recall correctly, a certain venerable Master Mage was quite dismissive of such ’crude’ support skills not too long ago. So, what happened? Realized how great they are now?"

"You!"

Ellis was choked speechless by this precise and mocking counterattack. His pale cheeks instantly flushed red; whether from anger or exhaustion, it was hard to tell.

He shot Holland a vicious glare but couldn’t find the right words to retort. He could only turn his face away forcefully, his chest heaving violently as he swallowed the rest of his protests along with his gasps for air.

"That’s enough, both of you..."

Roland’s calm voice wasn’t loud, but like an ice cube dropped into boiling water, it instantly halted the childish argument between them.

He carefully set down the still-unconscious Ogre he was carrying, propping him against a relatively flat rock, and then turned around.

His gilt vertical pupils began to glow faintly in the darkness, sweeping sharply over their back trail like the most sensitive searchlights. He scanned the path they had taken, the shadows on either side, and the dark outlines farther away.

His Perception spread out silently like an invisible net, catching any trace of unusual Energy fluctuations, scents, or faint sounds in the air.

A moment later, after confirming there were no signs of pursuit or danger, the gilt gleam in his eyes slowly faded, returning to a deep black.

Turning to his exhausted companions, his voice rang out clearly.

"Let’s rest here for a while."

Hearing these words, Ellis almost immediately abandoned all effort to maintain his composure.

He leaned his back against the trunk of a gnarled, dead tree and slowly slid down to the cold ground as if his legs had given out, letting out a soft sigh of relief.

Sweat had long since soaked his underclothes, and now it trickled from his temples and sideburns like a bursting dam, leaving clear trails on his pale skin.

With his eyes closed and chest heaving violently, he struggled to recover from his depleted Magic Power and exhausted stamina.

Seeing this, Holland curled his lip, but he refrained from any further sarcastic remarks.

He just took out a leather waterskin from his bag and, with a flick of his wrist, tossed it accurately into Ellis’s lap.

"Drink some water. Don’t actually pass out."

Next, he dug out a few pieces of hardtack and dried meat wrapped in oil paper, which looked reasonably fresh. He walked over to Roland and handed them to him.

"Thanks."

Roland took the food without ceremony.

He simply stacked the dried meat on the hard bread, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed powerfully a few times, and swallowed. His movements were crisp and efficient.

Holland, also chewing on a piece of dried meat, kept a wary eye on their surroundings. He nudged Roland with his shoulder and asked in a low voice.

"So, pal, what’s our next move? Are we still sticking to the plan and heading for Gray Rock City? That place isn’t exactly peaceful, but at least it’s a big town with some rules. Resupplying and getting information will be easy."

Roland swallowed the last of his food and shook his head gently.

His gaze shifted northward into the deeper darkness of the night, as if he could see through it to the rumored sea beyond—a place said to be shattered and dangerous.

"No."

His voice was calm but firm.

"I intend to go to the Broken Star Sea."

"The Broken Star Sea?"

Holland stopped chewing, his eyes widening slightly as he subconsciously repeated the name.

He clearly hadn’t expected Roland to make this decision.

Roland nodded, his gaze returning to Holland’s face, his tone frank.

"This doesn’t concern the rest of you. It’s a personal choice. Gray Rock City is probably safer and would be better for the group to get established, but the Broken Star Sea... there’s something I need to confirm there."