Legacy of the Betelgeuse

Chapter 187 - Episode 187: Hunting Time.

I'm looking at my note screen to guide me to the council meeting that I wrote earlier. I'm following the direction and it seems that I'm on the right track because I can see so many cult members are going in the same direction as me. I keep walking and minding my own business and none of them are talking with each other unless they have something important or related to each other. I use my [Understanding] skill and see their status screen, I can see their levels, and the averages of their levels are 400. It won't be a problem since their HP is not more than 30.000 and I can kill all of them easily, but the problem is how many are they and can I kill all of them before they run away.

I'm back in the room with the big table and the chandelier hanging on top of the table, I take the third hole in front of me and so the other cult members. We are walking deeper into the narrow path and at the end of the hole, I see a big room like a throne room with so many thrones at the end of the room but there's nobody is sitting on the thrones. This is the first time I'm in this room, and then I go to the left corner when Avriel is waiting for me. I see so many cult members in the left corner of the room, and since I have no idea which one is she, I stand still and look at the throne while waiting for Avriel to find me.

I'm looking around to see which ones of them are The Council, but then someone is pulling my cloak so slowly and gently that I barely feel it. I look back and there's nobody behind me, then I look on my left I see a cult member is facing me. I don't know if that person is Avriel or just a regular cult member that is being suspicious about me. I don't know what to do, but I think I'm going to risk it.

I'm slowly walking toward that person and stand near him or her, but then that person is slowly backing away to the wall and then leans its body on the wall. I can see by that person's gesture and the way that person leans on the wall is similar to Avriel. I'm confident that person is Avriel and so I approach her and lean on the wall next to her.

I look at her.

"How do you know that it's me, Avriel?"

Avriel looks at me.

"I know your body posture, your back, and the most obvious one is when you were sitting on the chair. I have seen the way you sit and I can immediately tell it was you."

I'm humming with understanding while looking around.

"So, is there anything you want to tell me first before we go with the plan?"

Avriel is looking at the entrance.

"I gave Krestan a false message that he needs to find some information somewhere in one of the rooms in the lair, I didn't tell him about the meeting, and he's currently wandering around the lair on his own looking so suspicious. All of the cult members that are here right now know about the meeting, but only a few cult members that were informed about the council meeting and they will inform the others that they recognized. So, those who are not attending the meeting means they're not here or not receiving the message. Now, if they notice someone is not attending the meeting even though they are here, that only means one thing."

I look at the entrance.

"They know that person is not part of the cult members since nobody is informing that person about the meeting."

Avriel nods.

"That's correct."

I'm humming with understanding.

"So the cult has so many small circles, huh? I guess that's one of the easiest ways to prevent intruders to blend in since they don't have any circle and will be easily spotted immediately."

Avrie nods in agreement. I look at her and tilt my head.

"Then, how did you get this information?"

I can't see her expression, but I can tell she's smirking right now.

"I have my own way. I'm used to this and I know a little information about the Headless Cult thanks to my father."

Avriel tilts her head and looks at the thrones.

"It seems that the council has arrived. Let's listen to what they're going to say first."

I peek take a peek and see 3 people wearing a cloak standing in front of the thrones. They're standing side by side with their left arms revealed and they have the same tattoos on their wrists. I use my [Understanding] skill at those 3. I can see their information and their names thanks to this amazing skill. Their names are, Metis Olliphious, Evfan Stranad, and Arnost Natera. I don't recognize those names, so I look at Avriel and lean toward her and tell her their names.

Avriel is humming and nodding with understanding.

"I don't know how did you know these names, but I believe you. Unfortunately, I have no information or even heard of these names."

So it's a dead end. I think the only person who knows about them is Jariel and Aspen. The guy in the middle, Evfan Stranad is spreading his arms and looks at all of us, and when he's about to say something, someone is hurriedly walking toward him and whispering something to him. Evfan is looking at the other 2 and the three of them nod.

Evfan walks forward and looks at us once again.

"Before I proceed with the plan, it seems that we have an uninvited guest in our home."

I'm expecting to hear them murmuring or surprised, but no, they're all just standing still and listening to him in silence. Evfan is tilting his head at 90 degrees and it's quite disturbing to look at.

"Find him... and kill him..."

His soothing and gentle voice isn't matched with the words that came out of his mouth. Avriel then looks at me and starts whispering.

"It seems that we need to change the plan... find Krestan and kill those members you see during your search. If you found him first, tell him to pretend that you caught him and bring him back here. Kill as many as you can before you bring him back here, let's go."

All the members are leaving the council room and so are we. Avriel is going to the other side and follows them while I'm following the other groups. They're all walking quite fast and I'm also doing the same and try to keep up the pace with them. I see all of them are already holding a dagger, a short sword, a sword, and a claw.

I'm slowing my pace so I can walk behind them, and as soon as they're in front of me and in a different room, I grab my scythe and use [Shadow of Death]. I swing my scythe at them all relentlessly and thrust the blade into one of them. They're all surprised, but it's too late for them to react. I throw my scythe at those who are far away from me and then teleport at them while immediately grabbing my scythe and swing it at them. Their screams attract the other cult members and I can hear the footsteps coming from the holes behind me, and so I pretend to lay down on the ground and play dead.

I hear so many footsteps in this room.

"What is happening here?! Did the intruder kill all of them this fast?"

"Let us go deeper, I think the intruder is up ahead."

I look at their feet and I think there are more than 10 people that just walk past me, and then another group of people is looking at the dead bodies around me. Half of them are proceeding to follow the previous group of people while the rest of them are checking the dead bodies. I can hear a few people are turning the dead bodies around me, and then I can feel a hand is grabbing my shoulder and as soon as he turns me around, I lift my scythe and pierce my scythe through his throat. I immediately stand up and swing my scythe at the rest of them, but 2 of them are running back to report this. I throw my scythe and use [Volley of Death] at them, they're immobilized and I grab my chained sickle and swing it at them.

I sigh.

"That was close..."

I wrap my chained sickle on my right arm.

[Divine Aura is activated]

[Frenzy is activated]

[Bloodbath is activated]

[Dominion is activated]

I summon Azrael and he looks at the scenery. I'm cracking my joints and my neck then look at Azrael.

"Az, kill whoever you see no matter who they are or how many they are. Use everything you have and kill them all."

I grab my scythe and rest it on my shoulder.

"It's hunting time."