Chapter 373: Continuing the Investigation
A few seconds later, a group of cultivators led by Martinez and Gloria arrived at the entrance of the underground base. They were escorting seven people, the strongest among them being at the middle emperor stage. The most powerful of the group was a middle-aged man with a blonde mustache and sharp eyes. He wore armor exuding peak heaven-grade energy, golden mayor mansion’s insignia and red cape, a clear display of his status as the mayor of Arbares City.
He was accompanied by several knights, all of whom were at the king stage, a truly formidable composition. The mayor had personally come to verify the shocking news he had just received. When two members of the Paladin Knights had approached him with claims of a devil base near the city, his first instinct was to dismiss it as absurd.
How could the devils have created such a massive underground base, housing thousands of them, with an emperor-stage devil as their leader, all without anyone noticing? If they had managed to build such power right under his nose, it would be a humiliating blow to his face.
However, he couldn’t simply dismiss the report from the Paladin Knights, especially since the vice-captain himself had come to deliver it. With the captain of the Paladins already leading an assault on the base, he needed to see it for himself. A base of such size and strength would undoubtedly cause chaos, and the ensuing battle could easily affect the city.
He ordered the city guards and knights to secretly prepare an evacuation plan in case the Paladins’ report was true. After that, he followed the two Paladins to the location they claimed to have discovered the devils’ hideout.
When he arrived with his knights, he was astonished to see that there was indeed an entrance to an underground base. However, his attention was quickly drawn to a black-haired man standing near the entrance, as if guarding it.
The moment he laid eyes on the man, an overwhelming sense of discomfort washed over him, as though he were facing something repulsive. He couldn’t understand why he felt this way, but his instincts as an emperor-stage cultivator warned him that this man was dangerous. The same unease was evident in the knights behind him—they, too, felt something was off about the mysterious figure.
"He is with us. Don’t worry," Martinez assured the mayor and his knights.
He then turned his attention to the entrance, seeing it for the first time. From where he stood, he could sense something ominous emanating from within. Glancing at the others, he spoke.
"Let’s go. They might need our help—" However, before he could finish his sentence, he sensed several presences emerging from the underground. A wave of relief washed over him as he recognized familiar auras. Moments later, Aldrian and the others emerged from the underground base.
But then, Martinez froze. Among them was an unfamiliar face—a strikingly beautiful woman. The sight of her left him momentarily stunned, and he wasn’t the only one confused by her appearance.