Night Ranger

Chapter 599: Starting the Operation

Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation

From what Marvin knew, although the Snake Witch was cold-hearted and unyielding, she still had a fatal weak point.

The Witch Queen's curse made her unable to see the sun, or else her skin would fester. But she was originally a Human from the surface.

Longing for the sun was an instinct that every normal lifeform had.

The information he knew of suggested that the Snake Witch frequently left the well-protected cabin for the surroundings of the Courtyard Area, looking from a distance at the rare sunshine piercing into the Underdark.

Even from that distance, she could feel the temperature rise somewhat.

Maybe this was the driving force behind her desire to remove the curse.

But for Marvin, this was a way to bypass her defenses.

After all, even if he was powerful, forcibly breaking into the lair of a millennium-old Witch would be very risky.

The soil in the path that Marvin was walking along had become a lot more solid.

A great amount of moisture had slowly disappeared into the fog, and solid ground had replaced the natural mud-trap that had covered most of the swamp.

Marvin followed the path based on what he could remember, feeling about on his way, before ultimately finding the Courtyard Area.

The so-called courtyard was actually a small hole.

Marvin's biological clock was still following the rhythm of the surface, so he knew that it was night up there and that there would be no light in the courtyard.

The terrain was very complicated. In short, it was small underground ravine with a handful of exits. It was like going through a tunnel filled with cobwebs, with passages on the sides.

But even Marvin, who had a lot of information about the Underdark, didn't know where the other passages led to.

The most important part of the Courtyard Area was a pile of rocks that was very strange. A poplar tree was growing out of the center of that pile of rocks.

The poplar tree seemed seriously undernourished, but it didn't have any signs of being tainted in any way. It was just a normal tree.

In the frightening Underdark, it was simply a miracle for this kind of tree to survive.

Marvin knew that this definitely had to be because the Snake Witch was taking good care of it.

If not for the sunshine coming into the Courtyard Area, this poplar tree would surely have died by now.

He thought about it for a while before walking over to the pile of rocks and standing under the poplar tree.

Looking up, he saw a long, dark tunnel. Even with Darksight, Marvin was still unable to see the surface through the tunnel.

But he was certain that this small opening was the one mentioned in the post.

The poplar tree was quite withered, with almost no leaves left. Marvin looked at his surroundings and then lowered his body while using the Hide skill of his Ranger class.

Since the class had reached level 10, his Hide ability was very powerful.

He had the bonuses from his Ranger and Ruler of the Night specialties, so it shouldn't be possible to notice him hiding by the poplar tree.

Even if the sunshine shone down on him, Marvin was certain that he wouldn't be found by that Snake Witch.

Although his strength had increased greatly, he still remained vigilant of his enemies.

Being careless had been the downfall of many incredible powerhouses, so Marvin would be careful not to make such a mistake because he treasured this chance at a new life.

...

Time passed very slowly.

Marvin was extremely patient, and he knew that the Snake Witch didn't come to the Courtyard Area every day.

But if he couldn't catch the Witch within three days, he would have to take the initiative.

After all, he had agreed with Jessica about when to meet up again before setting off.

And when they left the Rosen Strongholds, Marvin was almost certain that the team of Legends would depart fairly soon.

If he lagged behind by too much, that team would be annihilated and Marvin would have to face the Final Ghost Mother without their help. Marvin knew that the chances of success would be much lower.

And that was even if he could get the rumored sword that could slay the Final Ghost Mother.

As he waited, most of the Underdark seemed unfathomably quiet.

This silence could make people go crazy and cause some people with weak willpower to be tempted by the devilish voices whispering by their ears. These voices weren't illusions; they came from the Devils of the Nine Hells.

Because of the plane's barriers, it was difficult for the Devils to reach Feinan.

But the Underdark was different because it was located at the lowest part of Feinan and was much closer to the Nine Hells. It was even said that it was possible to reach some lower planes from the depths of the Underdark.

This rumor wasn't completely preposterous. After all, Marvin had personally seen the river Styx flowing in front of him.

The Underworld was the lowest plane, the river Styx flowed through the Underdark to the Underworld, so it wouldn't be surprising if the depths of the Underdark could link to Hell or the Abyss on the way.

...

Two days later.

As Marvin was approaching the limit of how long he was willing to wait, ripples appeared in the deadly silent air ahead of him.

Marvin still maintained his concealed posture, calmly leaning against the side of the poplar tree opposite the cabin.

He turned his head slightly and peered over. In the darkness of the tunnel, a pair of red eyes could be seen.

'Not Human?' Marvin was a little disappointed.

Shortly after, he was overjoyed!

Because he noticed that the figure was a languid viper!

This snake was completely scarlet, and its body wasn't very thick, but each wiggle carried a powerful force.

'It looks like Snake Shapechanging.'

Marvin reacted.

'This is the Snake Witch!'

'Yes. The Snake Witch cannot bask under the sunlight, but perhaps when she is in a different form, the curse can be temporarily alleviated to some extent.'

'So this is indeed the reason she was called the Snake Witch among the Anzed Witches. It was because her innate ability was to turn into a snake.'

'She looks like she is in a good mood today.'

Marvin held back his desire to act immediately and silently waited for the scarlet viper to crawl over.

The viper's movements were very graceful. It was now noon in Feinan, and some rays of sunlight were appearing, mostly bathing the poplar tree.

The scarlet viper looked at the sunshine, showing a strong longing in her eyes.

She quickly slithered over, but wasn't able to notice that there was someone behind the poplar tree.

...

Closer.

The distance between the two was now no more than ten meters!

Marvin stayed calm, a serious expression flashing in his eyes.

'Now!'

Snake-like creatures were very sensitive to movements of the air and warmth. Although his Hide was very powerful, as she got closer, the risk of him being discovered grew.

He didn't want to waste his previous efforts.

In an instant, his silhouette burst out from the shadow!

The viper was still unhurriedly crawling through the pile of rocks. It had simply never occurred to her that there could be a frightening enemy hiding in her back garden.

Marvin burst out like lightning, flashing forwards as the snake flickered her tongue.

Marvin held Weeping Sky, piercing the spear's tip into the viper's vital and forcibly pinning her on the pile of rocks!