Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 1181 - 293 Shadow

Chapter 1181: Chapter 293 Shadow

Pannis’s body leaned forward at the center, as if he was about to erupt violently, his aura also reached its peak, with his sword pointing directly at Nora. Both moribunds did not expect that even though they had guessed the truth of their ritual, Pannis would still choose such a desperate mode of attack. It appeared he was prepared to kill an enemy at all costs to break the deadlock. However, the difference in strength between the two sides was clear. Although Pannis had regained his power, and one-on-one combat could give him a slight advantage, being outnumbered always puts one at a disadvantage. Trying to kill an enemy under these circumstances, even using a hedges strategy, did not have a high chance of success. However, seeing Pannis’s demeanor, it did not seem like mere talk, but that he truly intended to do so. Therefore, although the two moribunds could not understand why he would cooperate in this way, still they watched with faint delight, focusing all their attention on their opponent to meet the most ferocious attack yet.

I must admit, the moribunds’ way of dealing was quite appropriate. In a high-speed combat situation, opportunities are fleeting. Instead of spending time pondering why the enemy would act this way and then exposing themselves to vulnerabilities, it was better to resist the enemy’s onslaught in full force, and consider the reasons for his actions after defeating the enemy, especially for the female moribund Nora, Pannis’s target. However, sometimes the most appropriate method is not always the correct one. Then, he died.

It was not Nora who died, but her male companion, the other moribund. When Pannis had drawn both of their full attention, and their energies had risen to their strongest point under the pull of his aura, ready to burst at any moment, a figure, almost imperceptible, floated behind the male moribund like a wisp of fog, and two daggers, hidden in the shadows and so thin that they were almost invisible, silently approached the male moribund. Unawares, one dagger slashed horizontally across the back of his neck, and the other stabbed deeply into his heart.

The daggers were thin, sharp, and swift as a breeze. The sensation as they penetrated the body felt like a mere insect bite, almost painless, only a cold, peculiar sensation. The male moribund only realized someone else was behind him when the daggers were already embedded in his body. In shock, his body, filled with energy, forcefully jolted back, while his elbows struck back in a pounding motion. His counterattack was decisive and resolute, without any hesitation or delay, and under such a strong counterattack, any backstabber would typically retreat rapidly, preventing a full effect of the attack. However, it was different this time; this time, the enemy completely disregarded his counterattack. The breeze-like daggers continued to plunge deeper, and only stopped once they reached their target, while at the same time, the male moribund took on his attacker’s full force. A powerful burst of energy instantly exploded, blowing the lower half of the attacker’s body into fragments, creating a blood mist, while his upper half flew out like an arrow, only stopping when it hit the edge of the altar.

"Oh, I’m terribly sorry," Pannis’s aura dissipated, as if the person filled with a killing intent ready to charge any moment had nothing to do with him. With his sword already sheathed at his back, and his arms crossed leisurely, he spoke, "There was a little mistake, I actually wanted to warn you, but it seems I targeted the wrong person, sorry, truly sorry."

"Darak." The unexpected turn of events made Nora’s eyes widen almost to the point of splitting. Although she could not assist her companion to check his wounds because she had to guard against an attack from Pannis, she still turned her attention to the man known as Darak. It seemed Darak had not sustained much damage; the two wounds almost had no blood flowing, but she could feel the Power of Death slowly dissipating from her companion’s body. The bodies of Triclops are extremely robust, especially after transforming into moribunds. Even the most grievous injuries are not fatal, and their bodies can be repaired using the Power of Death, given enough time. However, they are not undead; they still possess characteristics of the living, primarily the heart and head. Once these vital spots suffer a fatal blow, they too will die as any normal person does. Therefore, seeing the location of her companion’s wounds, Nora understood that Darak was done for.

The male moribund stood in place, his face a picture of shock, as if he still hadn’t grasped what had happened, dumbly pointing at Pannis, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn’t utter a word.

"Is it strange?" Pannis shrugged his shoulders, bowed to the one who attacked from behind, whose torso including most of his innards had been blasted open and lay on the ground covered in blood, gasping for air, "Long time no see, Captain Elegant. No, Captain Elegance wouldn’t reach these levels; it should be, ’Nice to meet you again, President Shadow.’ No wonder that outside the Lost Forest, the one who was hurriedly prepared to escort us into the Forest of Death suddenly left. It turned out you were here making preparations in advance."

"Hehehe, you guessed it, huh?" Even though he was on the brink of death, the attacker still let out a naive laugh, speaking like a benign ordinary person, "I don’t remember revealing my identity just now, Master Pannis."

"But I have a brain, I can think for myself." Pannis spoke leisurely, seemingly unconcerned about his assistant’s injuries. "In fact, since the last time we met on the plains, I was almost certain of an unclear connection between Captain Elegant, your direct subordinate, and the Mages of the Undead. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say he was one of them. The Mages of the Undead are master manipulators of souls, and he himself can manipulate his own soul, transferring his consciousness between several backup bodies. Considering he is your captain, I certainly don’t believe his true identity could have escaped your notice. You had to have known. Besides, you both exhibit similar traits, both being versatile in identity and enigmatically mysterious. If it weren’t for Aske’s previous confirmation, I might even think you were the same person with two different identities. However, since you’re so similar, I would guess you might also have an identity as a Mage of the Undead, except now you stand on our side."

"Hehe, indeed, that is not hard to guess." President Shadow wiped away the blood on his face laughing, it was then clear that he hadn’t appeared suddenly but had been in Between the Rituals all along, originally one of the four Mages of the Undead who was providing the Power of Death to two moribunds. Even the first test after Pannis entered Between the Rituals targeted him. Perhaps this was one of the reasons he was known as ’Shadow’; even when standing right beside you, he could be easily overlooked like a shadow.

"Captain Elegant’s traits are so similar to yours, is he your student?" Pannis ignored Darak, who he still pointed at, and asked curiously, "If you are Mages of the Undead, why would you stand with us?"

"He is my son, so of course he resembles me," President Shadow said proudly. "As for our stance, why can’t we be on your side? Who said all Mages of the Undead must be Danacus’s followers?"

"I see, your faith lies with Morbis, the fallen second generation Deity of Death and Betrayer. Judging by the number of Undead Mages out there, over the years, Divine Servants have been actively trying to convert Morbis’s followers to switch their faith to Danacus. It seems that’s how you infiltrated their ranks." Pannis mused thoughtfully. "Still, Morbis has fallen for thousands of years. How could you possibly remain so devoted to him? You don’t seem like the type to be fanatics."

"That’s why our family stopped worshipping Morbis generations ago," President Shadow shook his head. "We worship other deities. This time we came to aid you under the guidance of my Lord’s Oracle."

"I understand now, you are followers of Carnivore Jaylica," Pannis’s face showed a rare expression of shock. Carnivore Jaylica, a deity with over seven thousand years of history, was once an Elf who excessively worshipped nature, believing only pure nature was virtuous. Declaring all intelligent beings as sinners against nature, she would brutally kill anyone before her who violated nature, thus classed as an evil deity from the onset. Her followers were sparse and secretive, barely known in the world. Pannis had only come to understand a bit about this sect by chance. The sect believes that both plants and animals are part of nature and should not be harmed, thus they only consume intelligent beings, natural enemies, which is also one reason Jaylica is called ’Carnivore.’ Elegant’s diet aligned well with Jaylica’s sect, but due to the extreme secrecy of the sect, Pannis hadn’t thought of this until now. With a hint from Shadow, he finally caught on and said in shock, "Even the followers of Jaylica are taking action?""

"You underestimate the impact of Danacus’s preparations to resurrect and reopen Death’s Gate. It’s an outcome unacceptable to all deities," President Shadow continued smiling. "Deities also have their own secret negotiations; they cannot directly intervene in mortal affairs, but they can influence indirectly, much like sending me to assist you. Hehehe, they searched for a long time, and only members of our family could provide you help. Their price was allowing my Lord to openly preach in the world, although, perhaps the menu needs a slight change."