Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 185 Cognitive Deception
Xia Nan stepped forward slowly.

His gaze then swept over the two people in front of him.

I had just seen Priest Isidore two days ago, and he hadn't changed much.

He was still dressed in that solemn and dignified formal attire, but one could vaguely see beads of sweat on his forehead and neck, and there were obvious signs of sweat soaking into parts of his close-fitting white robe.

It seems like they've just gone through some kind of strenuous exercise.

He glanced almost imperceptibly into the church doors behind the other person, his gaze sweeping over the scattered shards of stained glass on the floor.

He then recalled the large number of guards he had seen along the way.

"Was there... a battle just taking place here?"

Xia Nan wondered to himself, and couldn't help but feel strange.

He couldn't imagine that anyone would dare to cause trouble in a place like the "Church of the Moon," located in the heart of a large city, with high-ranking priests presiding over it and often under the watchful eye of the goddess.

And judging from the current situation, it seems that the other party has escaped?
Perhaps we can try to find out some information.

Don't encounter any more danger just when you've finally completed your advancement mission and are about to leave Newm City, only to cause more trouble.

Beside Isidore, the spellcaster with a refined appearance whom I had met once before, now looked rather disheveled.

His face was slightly pale, and his hair was disheveled.

The once spotless indigo robe, which looked as if it had just been washed, now had some dirt on it.

More importantly, as Xia Nan approached, he also keenly sensed the chaotic magical particles that were spreading irregularly outwards from the mage's center.

I was even more surprised.

It seems that the possible attacker was quite powerful, as even these two high-level spellcasters were unable to capture him.

Approaching the two, he suppressed his restless thoughts.

Xia Nan first nodded slightly to the mage who was also looking at him, and greeted him with a look.

Whether he remembers me or not, it can’t hurt to be a little polite in this situation.

Then, he glanced back at the guards on the street, who were wearing standard armor and looked tense as they moved about.

Before the other party could speak, he took the initiative to ask Isidore:
"What's going on? There are suddenly so many guards on the street."

Has something happened in the city?

His smiling face suddenly turned serious, and the pastor nodded solemnly.

"We were just attacked by cultists; it's very dangerous."

"Several blocks in the vicinity have been cordoned off. If no findings are made before dawn, the area will definitely be expanded."

Upon hearing this, Xia Nan couldn't help but show a thoughtful expression.

"No wonder..."

It was noticed that he was not wearing armor at the moment, but was dressed in a thin shirt and had two swords on his back in a strange manner.

Isidore asked casually:
"Why are you out so late? You're not even wearing many clothes."

Having already prepared his answer, Xia Nan smiled and scratched his head without the slightest hesitation.

"I was on a mission in Newme, and I was just about to rest when I suddenly remembered some clues, so I went out to see if I could find anything."

"So, any progress?"

"It's alright. I've sorted things out. I'll study it for another two days. If I still don't get anything out of it, I won't waste any more time and will go straight back to River Valley Town."

It was just a casual question, and Isidore didn't think that a new professional like Xia Nan could be associated with someone of that level.

There was no doubt, just a kind reminder:

"The mission is important, but your safety is the most important thing. Go home quickly, there may be danger here."

Xia Nan readily accepted good advice.

But he didn't forget why he came, and asked:
"Does that cult member have any distinguishing features?"

"If I happen to run into you on the road, I can still let you know if I recognize you."

There was nothing to hide. Priest Isidore pointed to the longsword on Xia Nan's back and replied:
"Also an adventurer, of the elven race, with blond hair."

“His movements seem…” He hesitated noticeably, “…a bit awkward, like he has a physical disability.”

"But don't let your guard down. If you do encounter one, don't go up and make contact. Just leave immediately and report your location to the nearest sheriff."

"I'll remind you again, he... is extremely dangerous!"

A blonde elf!?
The movements are awkward!?
Then he suddenly remembered the elf's identity as a teammate of the mage.

Xia Nan's thoughts suddenly stopped, and he felt a surge of emotions welling up inside him.

Such a coincidence?
His expression remained unchanged, and he tried his best to maintain a normal reaction.

"Understood, I will definitely pay more attention."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, I took my leave.

His refined and easygoing face was adorned with a polite smile.

Cornell's heart was filled with turmoil as he stared at the figure gradually disappearing into the night.

Of course he remembered this newcomer whom he had met once at the association.

It wasn't many years ago, just a few dozen days ago. As a high-level spellcaster whose main attribute is intelligence, how could I not remember it?

only……

A thoughtful look flashed in the depths of Cornell's eyes.

Back then, this adventurer named "Xia Nan" hadn't even obtained a job level yet, right?

He looks so young, he probably hasn't been in the industry for very long.

But in just a few minutes of contact, he could clearly sense the solid aura emanating from the other party, a unique aura of a so-called "professional," a result of the high degree of integration between exquisite skills and physical strength, and the superhuman physical qualities.

He doesn't seem like a newcomer who has only recently obtained a professional level and has just embarked on the path of a professional.

"interesting."

The image of the black-haired youth carrying two swords, which left a deep impression, was gradually erased from the memories that would fade in the coming years.

But I didn't pay much attention to it, treating it as just a minor incident during this terrible adventure.

Turning his gaze away, Cornell stroked the iron ring on his finger and looked at the priest beside him.

"Do you know this Xia Nan?"

Based on the tone and content of the conversation, the two people didn't seem to know each other very well, but they weren't complete strangers either.

"Do you remember those residents I mentioned to you the other night?"

Isidore plucked a speck of dirt from the surface of his garment.

"That family claimed they encountered some evil spirit, just a bunch of paranoid commoners?"

The pastor nodded.

In the middle of the night, fully armed, he suddenly arrived at the church with several people.

He was such a young professional himself, so of course he remembered him.

I remember I even cast a spell on a few people back then, which made those residents who had been so frightened that they ran out of their homes in the middle of the night feel a little better.

I wonder what they did with that statue afterward...

and many more!

"statue!?"

Isidore shouted out unconsciously.

Like a bolt of lightning exploding deep within the mind, a hazy perception shrouded in shadow in a blind spot of consciousness suddenly became clear. The source was unknown, like a strange statue that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere in the city of Newm.

It became incredibly popular, quickly gaining a large following, and even I, who have never been interested in this kind of thing, became fascinated by its eerie charm.

During the resurrection ritual, the absent-minded and strangely behaving mage Cornell, and the wooden sculpture in his hand...

His body trembled violently. On the pastor's face, which had been peaceful and serene as he presided over the sacred ceremony and spread the goddess's divine light to the world, was a look of shock and astonishment that had not been seen for many years.

"Damn it!"

He swore rudely and turned sharply to look at the mage beside him.

What came into view was a pale face, equally dazed and filled with a deep sense of horror.

Undoubtedly, the moment he uttered the word "statue," it was as if it were a key word, and Cornell realized his misperception.

The arrival of the "suspected evil god" was by no means a coincidence.

Months ago, this strangely shaped wooden carving had already quietly spread throughout Newme.

And no one, including myself, noticed anything amiss about it.

Even the most upright and meticulous sheriffs never considered the origin of the wood carving, doubted how it came to be, or even its bizarre appearance that seemed to fit everyone's aesthetic.

This is a conspiracy!
A conspiracy that involves the entire Newme, even deceiving clergy members like himself!
It felt like falling into a bottomless abyss, with thoughts gradually spreading into darker places.

It's worth noting that the statue's circulation in the city began even before Cornell's team arrived in Riverdale.

Does this mean that the elves' deaths, Cornell and the others' encounter in the goblin lair, and even further back, their acceptance of the quest on the guild's quest board, are all part of this?

The evil soul, in its own resurrection ritual, seizes the fresh body of the recently deceased, a fate sealed the moment the first statue appeared in Newme.

Isidore felt a chill run from his tailbone straight to the top of his head, and goosebumps rose all over his body.

Before he could even speak, he noticed a sudden fluctuation in the magical particles in the air.

hum-

A silvery-white magical glow flashed in the corner of his eye.

Turn around and look.

Cornell, who had just recovered slightly from the predicament of exhausting his mental energy, was already holding his wooden staff.

The dazzling and intricate array patterns spread rapidly across the ground around the staff's tail.

A large amount of spellcasting materials could be vaguely seen flowing out of the flickering spatial iron ring as if they were free, merging into the radiance of the magic array.

There was no time to say goodbye.

Even if the cost was so high that it would buy up the spellcasting materials for an entire street in the outer city, Cornell didn't want to stay in this godforsaken place for even a second longer.

"If you have the chance to visit Huancai City, I'll treat you..."

The conversation was only halfway through.

Enveloped in magical light, Cornell vanished from his spot amidst a spatial distortion.

Isidore stared at the empty space before him for two seconds, stunned.

Then he gritted his teeth and said.

"That damn bookworm..."

My brain raced as I considered a solution.

He beckoned to the nearby guards and asked them to call their sheriff over.

First of all, that human statue that looks like a sheep and a deer is definitely problematic!

With such a large scope, involving so many residents, and even professionals unable to escape its influence, their perceptions have been rewritten.

Even if one can now recognize the strangeness of the statue, it means that its effectiveness seems to have diminished to some extent.

However, neither the clergy of "Serenne" nor the officials of Nuem after learning the truth could allow the wood carving to continue circulating in the city.

An emergency recall is urgently required!
On the other hand, for reasons unknown.

The being resurrected through the elf's body did not harm itself. Even the mage Cornell, who had close contact with the being, only lost a few pieces of his magical equipment and suffered mental exhaustion, without even a minor injury.

The goddess's ambiguous attitude also suggests that something is amiss.

But this does not mean that the other party is well-intentioned.

The image of the golden-haired elf's unfocused, lifeless eyes flashed through Isidore's mind, and he couldn't help but shudder.

Regardless of how things develop, as the head pastor of the "Church of Luna," he needs to do his job well.

Standing in front of the church door, waiting for the sheriff to arrive so he could warn him of his discovery.

A chilling gust of wind suddenly brushed past the back of my head.

He suddenly froze, as if he had remembered something.

They didn't even notice the sheriff who was hurrying toward the church under the guidance of guards in the distance.

Isidore suddenly turned around.

With hurried steps, they disappeared behind the corridor leading to the inner hall.

Sheep, deer, and human figures.

Although what Cornell had in his hand had already been taken away by that being.

But in my own room... there's one right there, conspicuously displayed.

……

……

Walking on the street back to Jeff's house.

His gaze returned to the direction of the church from which the faint sounds of commotion could be heard behind him.

Xia Nan looked thoughtful.

He was reviewing his performance in front of the priest and the mage.

"It should be fine."

He could certainly reveal his entire ordeal in order to gain help from the authorities and the church.

However, as someone who experienced the event firsthand, I will inevitably be drawn into this storm.

From Xia Nan's perspective, everything seemed so sudden and unpredictable after the elves appeared during the battle.

He knew that elves were the mage's allies.

However, they had absolutely no clue why the two fought inside the Moon Goddess Church, why the elf was in such an obviously abnormal state, or why it was controlling itself to utter the so-called "true name" in the system notes.

Xia Nan was not even clear about the roles and positions of the Newm authorities and the Serene sect in the whole incident.

In this situation, it would be difficult for him to explain to the other party why he was able to return unharmed after contacting the elf.

If they encounter some extreme cases, they might even have to throw him in jail for a few days and torture him to extract a confession about a connection that doesn't exist between him and the elves. If there are spells like memory search, it would be even more troublesome.

Xia Nan pondered to himself.

At the very least, you should figure out the details of the matter, be able to determine who to tell what to which person to say which things would be beneficial to you, and which information, if revealed, might have a negative impact.

Only then can he take further action.

The golden-haired elf had disappeared, and he himself had left the secret realm and returned to the real world.

To some extent, although two pieces of armor were lost.

But his gains were far greater than they appeared on the surface.

Now the only thing left to consider is the advancement task, which he doesn't even know if he's completed.

(End of this chapter)