How come this arcanist is invincible?

Chapter 46 Rock Cookies

At the front of the crowd, on a rough wooden frame, hung more than a dozen corpses by iron chains.

The corpse swayed in the wind, its face showing an unnatural bluish-black hue, and its muscles twisted and deformed.

Beneath the wooden frame, the residents gathered, their faces a mixture of fear and anger.

Finally, someone bent down, picked up a stone from the ground, and hurled it at the lifeless bodies.

This move served as a signal.

More people joined in the throwing, and stones clattered and pounded against the corpses and wooden frames.

Kane frowned as he looked at the restless crowd before him.

His gaze passed over the figure throwing stones and landed directly in front of the wooden frame.

Two city guards stood solemnly on either side, while a sheriff stood in the middle.

The sheriff unfurled a roll of yellowed parchment.

He loudly proclaimed the names and organizations of these illegal adventurers:

"...Children of the Silence, Hand of Blood, Forsaken..."

"Their crimes include human organ trafficking, kidnapping, theft, and smuggling monsters into the city."

Kane shook his head silently, thinking to himself.

"To rashly display the bodies of these killers in an attempt to quell public anger without first eliminating all illegal organizations..."

"...will only provoke the remaining elements and invite even fiercer retaliation."

He thought about tomorrow's task and a faint sense of unease crept in.

"Hopefully, when we clear out the Night Owl Society's passage tomorrow, Captain Alvin won't act too foolishly."

……

The public humiliation took a considerable amount of time, and Kane returned home later than usual.

He had just opened the door, ready to rest, when the male head of the household called out to him.

"You're finally back."

Kane paused, then turned to look.

"A girl waited at your door for a long time, and she just left not long ago."

Zena?

Kane's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly pressed for an answer:

"She's gone?"

"I'm gone."

The male neighbor nodded, then seemed to remember something.

He took out a simple wooden box from behind him and handed it over.

"But before she left, she specifically asked me to give this to you."

Kane thanked him and accepted the wooden box.

He opened the box, and inside were neatly arranged large square cakes, each engraved with the Nordic word for "rock".

He picked up a piece and took a bite; it was incredibly hard.

"It tastes a bit bad."

He said it, but he still laughed.

……

The following day, outside the dark passage where the Night Owl Society was located.

Kane met up with Reed and the others who were already waiting there.

His gaze fell on a group of soldiers not far away, and he examined them carefully.

This team of about ten people was clearly much better equipped.

Unlike the ordinary city guards I saw last time, they mainly wore light armor that was flexible and close-fitting.

It is equipped with a small round shield that is easy to operate with one hand, a sharp one-handed sword, and a hand crossbow that is already cocked.

Most people wore lightweight helmets that provided good coverage.

More importantly, they were completely silent when standing still, and their movements were perfectly coordinated, exuding the efficiency unique to scouts.

This is a quality that comes from rigorous training.

Reed walked up to Kane and lowered his voice to introduce:

"This is the city guard's scout team, and all of them are elite advanced professionals."

"The team leader, Captain Alvin, is also a second-tier professional."

He paused, then spoke even softer.

"If things go wrong inside, remember, your safety comes first."

"You're already a Dead Apostle, so no punishment can make things worse."

Kane nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.

At that moment, a tall man walked over with steady steps.

The armor clashed with dull thuds, the two-handed swords on their backs gleamed coldly, and their entire bodies exuded a soldier's chilling aura.

His sharp gaze locked onto Kane, and he asked in a loud voice:

"I am Alvin, the captain of the city guard. You are Kane?"

Kane nodded in agreement.

"very good."

Alvin didn't say much, and simply waved his hand.

"Lead the way."

The soldiers immediately drew their short swords and lined up in neat rows.

Sienna and the others couldn't help but show expressions of worry.

Kane gave them a reassuring look, then turned away.

He followed this elite squad and stepped into that familiar darkness once again.

As expected, he was once again assigned to walk at the front.

……

The dark passage was deep and bottomless.

The walls were oozing a sticky dampness, and the air was filled with a musty, decaying smell.

Upon reaching the secret room filled with the heavy smell of blood, the dark red bloodstains on the floor were shocking.

Kane glanced around, and Alvin also frowned as he glanced at the secret chamber; their voices echoed in the passageway:

"Where was the last place you were attacked?"

Kane pointed into the darkness ahead:

"Not far ahead, that's where the necromancer used Lesser Animated Corpse to control the corpse and launch a sneak attack."

"We need to pay special attention to any corpses on the ground, as they could suddenly attack at any moment."

After listening, Alvin neither agreed nor disagreed, but simply raised his hand and quickly made a few simple gestures.

The scouts immediately became alert, quickly formed a battle formation, and slowly advanced.

This time, they did not encounter any attacks by corpses along the way.

Kane nodded to himself.

This team of professionals is indeed elite; their vigilance and teamwork far surpass those of the two ordinary soldiers from last time.

After walking a while longer, Alvin suddenly spoke.

"Kane, come to me."

Kane was slightly surprised.

"Me? Don't you need me to keep scouting ahead?"

"No need."

Alvin looked at him, his tone calm but with a hint of approval.

"My subordinate Jasper speaks highly of you, saying that you didn't act rashly during the last attack, indirectly saving two of his soldiers."

Kane shook his head.

"Perhaps I just value my own life more."

A rare smile appeared on Alvin's face.

"Honesty is a virtue. Interested in joining the city guard?"

"With your skills and composure, you're more than capable of becoming an elite scout."

"After gaining experience in the team for a while, it's not impossible to be promoted to squad leader."

Kane politely declined, but expressed his gratitude.

He explained that he was satisfied with the current Night's Watch squad.

But the deeper reason was that the city guard did not have the spellbooks he desperately needed.

Upon hearing this, Alvin stopped trying to persuade him.

Given his status and pride, it would be the limit for him to actively recruit people once.

The team continued deeper into the area.

Kane carefully avoided the seven corpses in their various poses as he passed them again.

However, some soldiers still accidentally stepped on it with their heavy gait armor, and when they lifted their shoes, the soles were covered in thick, black, filthy blood.

Kane stared intently at the bloodstains, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.

He quickly approached Alvin and whispered:

"Something's not right. When I passed by last time, these bodies were already shriveled up. There's no way they could be oozing such fresh blood."

In the flickering torchlight, the bloodstains appeared an unnatural, overly thick, pitch-black color.

Alvin frowned, glanced at it a few times, and then said confidently:

"Don't be too nervous, it might just be putrefactive fluid from a body that's been sitting for a while."

"We are the elite of the city guard; even if there is an ambush, we can handle it."

Upon hearing their captain's words, the soldiers around him also showed relaxed and confident smiles.

Kane's doubts remained, but seeing Alvin's resolute attitude, he stopped trying to persuade him.

The group passed through piles of corpses, and ahead lay an even darker corridor where two paths branched off to the left and right.

Alvin listened intently for a moment, then pointed to the left passage:

"There's a faint sound of airflow over here; there might be an exit. Let's go this way."

Just then, a low, indistinct chant came from the end of the darkness:

"Light Extinguishing Technique!"

Whoosh-!

The main torch in the middle of the procession went out immediately!

The light suddenly disappeared, and my vision was instantly swallowed up by thick darkness.

Immediately afterwards, a sharp whooshing sound came whistling through the air!