Chapter 214: Preparing to Open the Box

The last few demons stood back-to-back, retreating to the center of the battlefield.

Their eyes were ferocious, and the black patterns on their skin emitted an unstable, filthy aura as they still attempted a final struggle.

The demon vice-captain's desperate gaze swept across the approaching figures in black robes, his heart filled with growing disbelief.

Just Norvigel... how could it possibly gather so many powerful high-tier mages at once? They were even strong enough to kill Lord Shadowhide in a single coordinated strike...

"Could it be... the Echoes of Truth?"

He could only think of this one answer, but the thought shocked him even more.

"Our allies... actually betrayed us?

"Could these cultists... have joined forces with the Church of Holy Light? How is that even possible!?"

Before he could think further, a powerful magical force locked onto him.

Elder Barnes narrowed his eyes; before eliminating these last few demons, he had not forgotten Ansu's instruction to "leave them alive."

The demon vice-captain froze as a look of grim determination flashed in his eyes.

Being captured meant leaking information and endless humiliation. Hardening his heart, he began a brief incantation, causing the mana in his body to become increasingly chaotic and violent as the filthy black aura spread uncontrollably.

"Long live the demon race!!"

He let out a painful roar laced with a hint of gratification. The veins beneath his skin bulged; in just three seconds, his body would explode into a mess of flesh and blood, disintegrating completely!

However, in the next instant—

His mana seemed to be drained in a flash as an invisible yet mountain-heavy gravity field slammed down.

The demon's entire skeleton emitted a series of cracks. His limbs twisted and deformed under the pressure as if they were being crushed, and the intense pain forced a discordant shriek from his throat.

"Hmph, trying to kill yourself?"

Elder Barnes walked over slowly, looking down at the demon twitching in pain on the ground with a cold sneer.

"As a fellow resistance organization, I know your logic all too well. Do you think I'd let you die so easily?"

The battle finally came to an end.

Ansu looked at Elders Barnes and Matthew. Each was holding a demon whose mana had been completely sealed and who had been beaten until they were incapacitated, carrying them like two bags of rags.

"Two left, just right. One of them is even a vice-captain!" Elder Matthew grinned. "This way, we can cross-reference their testimonies to make sure no one is lying."

Ansu nodded in understanding.

The cult elders had studied psychology well; they even understood the 'prisoner's dilemma.'

Ansu gave instructions to the two elders. His primary goal was the complete personnel list of the Squirrel Party and the remnants of the demon army within Norvigel, as well as the details of Barcas's plan regarding the 'Safe Magic Crystal No. 1.'

"A list of the Squirrel Party?" Elder Matthew paused, glancing at the corpses covering the ground. "Those who are alive and those who are dead are basically all here. Even if there are some who escaped the net in the city... they shouldn't be any obstacle to you anymore, right? And..."

He paused, his gaze filled with confusion.

Why did Ansu want the captives to provide a list of names for these demons who were already dead on the battlefield?

"What do you want their names for? These demons are already dead. Is it possible for them to be resurrected?"

"No, of course they're useful." Ansu shook his head.

Right now was merely a simulation; he was preparing for his return to reality.

What he needed was a detailed file: including names, appearances, disguised identities, workplaces, home addresses, carried weapons, preferred magic... the more detailed, the better.

Come to think of it, the young witch's method was the most simple and crude.

She had said long ago that if they could lock onto all Squirrel Party members and eliminate them directly, it would be the best way to solve the problem at its root.

As expected, super wisdom required the application of super power...

After Ansu's stirring in the simulation, every member of the Squirrel Party and every demon had nowhere to hide.

This way, once he returned to reality...

Ansu could dox them one by one.

'Hello, is this Mr. Shadowhide from the Norvigel branch of the demon resistance army?'

...

After finishing these thoughts, Ansu looked at Elder Matthew. "So, how exactly do you plan to 'ask' them?"

He was quite curious about how the elders intended to use the 'Great Memory Recovery Technique.'

"Don't you worry!" Elder Matthew grinned expectantly, his smile carrying a hint of cruelty. "Hermit, you joined late, so you probably haven't heard of my methods... I have a hundred ways to make him talk!"

"You're in charge of the physical level, and I'll handle the mental level," Elder Barnes added from the side. "With such an orderly division of labor, inflicting double devastation on both body and mind, the efficiency will be at its peak."

Ansu nodded in understanding. He had seen the cult execute moles before; when it came to torturing people, these cultists were indeed professionals.

For the next twenty minutes, agonizing screams continued to echo from behind the dark canyon walls. From time to time, someone would bring over a bucket of shredded meat and dark red residue of body tissue.

What amazed Ansu was that these buckets kept coming without interruption...

The two elders were likely using forbidden flesh magic or healing-type spells to ensure the demons wouldn't be tortured to death.

Even Danielle, the demon hunter responsible for the dark side of the Church, eventually walked over with a look of discomfort.

"Ansu... seriously, if it weren't for you and Celia leading this cult, I definitely wouldn't have joined your ranks..."

She curled her lip. "The elders in your cult don't seem quite human. Look at that Matthew; he actually looks quite excited..."

'Cultists are cultists after all...' Ansu thought silently. Would anyone with a normal brain join the Echoes of Truth?

Except for him and Celia, of course...

During a brief lull in the screams, Valger walked over with unsteady steps. His face was pale, and his gaze was complex as he looked at Ansu.

"Ansu... so, you're actually a high-ranking member of... the Echoes of Truth?"

He had been watching everything that had just happened, and now his heart was filled with nothing but shock and confusion.

He didn't quite understand why a high-ranking cultist like Ansu would go undercover in an obscure organization of low-level mages.

"That's right."

Ansu gave a faint smile. That smile was calm, yet it sent a chill through Valger.

"The Echoes of Truth..." Valger repeated in a low voice, his Adam's apple bobbing. That legendary secret organization of black mages that lurked in the shadows of the Empire, the most terrifying and insane of them all...

He had actually been laughing and chatting with such a person in a tavern, not only becoming friends but even traveling together for the entire journey...

Valger only felt that the experiences of the past few days were so absurd they felt unreal.

"Ansu... what exactly is your goal?"