"So the village head saw the monster, huh?" Nathan asked, appearing to offer Meida a way to save face.

The woman nodded hurriedly, realizing she'd spoken carelessly, waving her hand.

"Yes, yes, that's what I meant."

Once again, her throat tightened as she stared at the young man.

She shouldn't have confirmed it like that. Her admission meant Elder An had been missing from last night's interviews. More importantly, everything now pointed toward the village head.

Nathan stood up, calculating that the effects of [Bad Juju] had likely worn off.

"We've talked for quite a while," he said, smiling. "Thank you for sharing Gideon's story with us."

Qingfeng rose to follow, gripping the older woman's hands tightly.

"Don't worry. We'll complete our mission and leave soon."

With that, both Verdant Spire Sect disciples departed.

On their way, the two maintained their silence as they passed villagers going about their daily tasks. Bypassing their assigned house, Nathan headed toward the stream area.

"Your suspicions were correct," Qingfeng murmured, still somewhat incredulous.

"I was hoping I'd guessed wrong," Nathan said, his face hardening.

"What are your thoughts?" she asked. "What's the reason?"

"I don't know the reason. Just that the twins who died here had someone's hand in it."

"Then why come out here instead of apprehending or locking down the suspects? We're not regular police. What we excel at is killing monsters. Investigation work should be left to others. Still, we need to do even the things we're bad at."

"And we'll do what we excel at. I suspect whoever's behind this will hastily make their next move. Making anything rash now would screw everything up."

Qingfeng swallowed hard. They couldn't leave now. If something happened, everything would fall apart. And waiting for the specialized team would be too late.

Still, both had filed reports with Verdant Spire Sect, requesting support from their legal team. Caelindor's police would arrive as soon as possible.

After brief discussion, they agreed to return and maintain their visible presence among the villagers, reducing potential suspicions.

The sky had turned to dusk, the horizon a blinding orange line. The village between two mountain ranges suddenly lost its light as if in the blink of an eye. Streets quickly lit up with lamps. Market stalls busily sold their final items before closing to return to their families.

Elder An and Gideon met Nathan and Qingfeng at the square.

"I heard you two visited Meida," Elder An said, his tone revealing nothing.

"Just paying our respects to the woman who raised our teammate." Qingfeng forced a smile.

"Is that so?" Elder An narrowed his eyes, turning to Gideon. "Then you should have brought Gideon along. How could you leave Meida to entertain guests alone?"

"Wasn't he busy meeting everyone?" Nathan said. "I didn't want to interrupt. Besides, the mission seems fairly straightforward, doesn't it? Just defeat the monster and we'll all board the Cloud Glider and fly away. No complications means Gideon should visit the village."

"A straightforward mission?" Elder An smiled.

"What else could it be?" Nathan asked.

"Right, right. Just a monster. Something sect disciples surely won't find difficult."

Gideon frowned at the exchange before him. He suspected Qingfeng and Nathan were hiding something but had enough sense not to ask here. If they weren't using PsiLink despite having it, they were either trying to hide from him or excluding him. Gideon didn't put much faith in the latter, but the former irritated him greatly.

The three split up again according to assignments to guard the village.

And as Nathan and Qingfeng had predicted, the monster appeared.

One of the detecting stakes sent a signal to all three's PsiLink. It was in the northern area.

Nathan and Qingfeng met on the path leading to the ancient temple.

As they approached, both felt a chill. This place looked older than two hundred years could account for. The temple's brick courtyard grew thick with moss, its surface cracked in large sections allowing various bushes to sprout. The crooked, tilting stairs proved no one had visited in ages. The temple's rotting wooden surfaces looked ready to collapse at a breath of wind. Yet it still stood, perhaps thanks to an ancient tree growing from within, piercing through the roof toward the sky. Leafless, with gaunt, weak branches and a lifeless dry trunk.

Nathan heard a loud screech and immediately changed direction to the right.

They arrived at a cave entrance against the cliff face, strange rustling sounds echoing from within.

The entrance forced Nathan to duck. The damp surface chilled his hands.

Stepping inside, a cold wind billowed their clothes. Both stared at the space that opened before them.

Inside the cliff was a vast, spacious area, as if someone had carved this deep hole into the mountain with a giant nail. Medicinal herbs covered the ground. Vines grew thick on the walls, penetrating through honeycomb-like holes.

And in the center stood a monster threatening Gideon, who had arrived first.

A giant millipede with writhing legs glared down at the intruders with gleaming black eyes. Its shell reflected orange-red, mirroring the pale crescent moon piercing through the skylight above. Its body twisted and coiled, creating spine-chilling clattering sounds. From its mouth, two horizontal fangs contracted and extended, dripping hissing fluid that sizzled when hitting the ground.

"What's wrong, Nathan?" Qingfeng turned to ask, seeing her companion's pale face.

"I hate millipedes," he said.

"Who doesn't?" Qingfeng agreed.

"You two can stand there discussing your hatred of insects, or come help me out here," Gideon shouted. He was wielding his three-section staff to defend against the monster's lunges. He'd clearly trained extensively with his Aspect, defending quite well. The staves could extend or shorten at will, while also sharpening or becoming keen-edged to increase damage. Still, his strikes clanged uselessly against the creature's hard shell.

"You cover us," Nathan told Qingfeng, pushing off with his foot.

Leaving the girl with hair disheveled by the wind from his jump's force, he suddenly appeared above the monster, fist swinging down.

Triggered [Amplifying Strike]. One credit given.

Triggered [Flowing Strikes]. One credit given.

Two shockwaves sent the monster reeling backward, its jaw lifting skyward. Nathan spread his hand to one side, creating two palm strikes in midair that served like thrusters to push himself sideways to avoid the toxic liquid beads. He spun once before landing beside Gideon.

The wood-aspect mana user stared at his teammate. That strike far exceeded his understanding. Both were Tier 2 Phase 1, but the gap in destructive power was immense.

In the distance, Qingfeng had just raised her bow when she too startled. This monster clearly wasn't a low-Phase Tier 2. It had to be at least Phase 7 or 8, yet Nathan had staggered it with his fist. Barehanded, without weapons. His movements weren't fancy—simple, direct, targeting vital points and weaknesses without a single wasted motion.

Nathan didn't feel great. The problem with [Amplifying Strike] surfaced again. This time it wasn't about his body's physical limits but mana usage. His Core would automatically consume extra mana when [Amplifying Strike] activated. Naturally, the damage output increased to frightening levels. His single strike always combined Physical Cultivation, Spirit Cultivation, and Passive Skills. And they pressured him. Currently he had to moderate the mana input for each attack, something fairly easy thanks to [Martial Arts Mastery]. But his mind had to maintain intense focus to prevent mistakes.

He found it bitterly amusing that he now had to hold back. He'd thought losing [Titan's Descendant] would weaken him. Yet now he believed even without the bloodline, he could match anyone in The Shifting Trials' top 64.

The monster didn't let them ponder Nathan's strength long. It twisted again, its writhing body lifting its head higher. It lowered its gaze, growling at them all.

Its armor remained unbroken.

"That tough?" Nathan exclaimed.

"Split up," Gideon shouted.

The monster wasn't just tough but fast. It slammed its head down, sending dust flying to obscure everyone's vision. Then it shook its head wildly, spraying poison everywhere. The sizzling sounds penetrated Nathan and Gideon's mana shields.

Not relenting, it furiously launched its entire body at Nathan.

He'd already donned his Tier 2 gloves from his Spatial Ring. Now channeling mana, the gloves glowed golden, signaling the embedded Metal attribute. Though Nathan couldn't fully utilize their power, they sufficed to protect him as both hands gripped the millipede's jaws. Pushed backward, he strained his body. His calves bulged as he again used [Amplifying Strike] and [Flowing Strikes].

The twenty-meter monster was stopped in its tracks. Its rear body moved forward on sharp legs, trying to coil around him.

Qingfeng joined in with a direct shot to the monster's eye. Blood splattered onto Nathan along with its pained screech. But it still wouldn't release the one who'd punched it so painfully.

From the millipede's mouth came a rain of poison. Toxic smoke rose between them, obscuring everyone's vision.

Gideon combined his three-section staff into a single staff to propel himself upward. He jumped forward, separating the staff again. Then he commanded grooves to appear on the staff, allowing a blade inside to extend perpendicularly. Next, he swung the newly formed scythe at a joint on the monster's body.

Sparks flew, and nothing happened.

The one-eyed monster released Nathan, whipping its head toward Gideon.

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He enlarged his staff to pillar-size, swinging with all his might to knock the monster down. He again wielded his three-section staff to block attacks from its mouth and sharp legs.

"Do not come close," Nathan growled at Qingfeng when she tried to approach to help him.

Hearing this, Qingfeng didn't question it, turning back to assist Gideon. The wooden bow in her hands didn't need arrows—just drawing and channeling mana created ammunition. She wouldn't doubt the words of The Shifting Trials' most stubborn disciple like Nathan.

Triggered [Poison Processing]. One credit given.

Nathan was holding his breath to prevent more poison from entering his body. Around him, the sizzling sounds continued unabated. Though he'd lost [Titan's Descendant], his Tier 2 Phase 7.9 Physical Cultivation still sufficed to withstand this difficulty. With the protective mana membrane added, he handled it even more easily.

Drawing the sword "rewarded" by Duke Kael Voss, Nathan regained his composure.

He leaped from the toxic smoke again, sword tip pointing forward. All slots on the sword were filled with Standard Mana Stones. They lit up at his command.

A massive sword projection formed within the cave, dazzling both Gideon and Qingfeng.

Raising his hand, he hurled the sword forward along with his passive skills. Mana drained from his body. The mana-wrapped sword screamed through the air.

Gideon swung his staff to prevent the monster from fleeing.

Qingfeng fired continuously, severing rows of the millipede's legs, making it tilt to one side.

The millipede roared, raising its jaw to block. An explosion sent everything in the cave flying. Medicinal herbs flew skyward. Rocks and dirt rained down.

When all three regained their vision, the monster was pinned to the rear wall, the sword embedded in its abdomen gradually losing its mana covering, shrinking to its true size before clattering to the ground. This was a Tier 3 weapon, but Nathan could only utilize it to this extent.

The millipede collapsed, its body piling up in segments like coiled rope.

"That's it?" Qingfeng smiled.

Her answer wasn't victorious hand waves from her teammates but the mountain shaking. Rustling sounds arose from all directions. From those honeycomb holes emerged smaller millipedes, though still large enough to make Nathan's skin crawl. Half a meter to over a meter long, they screeched in unison, making all three's ears ring. Hundreds charged forward to protect their queen.

"You gotta ask? Do you?" Nathan shouted, attacking with both hands.

His punch created a cone-shaped zone of destruction, millipede blood and fragments flying everywhere.

Qingfeng had returned to a ledge above, releasing wind vortex arrows that shredded the monsters.

Gideon wildly swung his staff, surrounded by what seemed like a small storm. The three-section staff worked dynamically—sometimes sweeping away entire swarms, sometimes eliminating nearby ones by extending and retracting. He even enlarged it to crush them.

But they seemed endless, continuously pouring out.

Nathan gradually retrieved his sword. Wanting to finish the queen immediately, he swung again. The small millipedes seemed to receive orders from some entity, clustering into a ball of clattering sounds, of tiny legs constantly moving, presenting their hard-shelled backs outward.

Nathan's attack was repeatedly blocked by these self-sacrificing creatures. When he finally got close, the monster's massive body swung to knock him away.

The great millipede pushed itself up, its broken jaw from resisting Nathan's thrust trembling. Its mouth seemed torn open by knife slashes, revealing a foul black hole.

It inhaled.

The small millipedes flew straight into its mouth, becoming nutrients. The crisp crunching sounds chilled all three to their bones.

Qingfeng's arrows were bent off-course by the suction force. Gideon, near the affected area, had to stab his staff into the ground to avoid being pulled in.

Nathan, with a quick motion, created a white sphere in his hand, throwing it straight at the air current. The sphere fell into the monster's mouth, exploding and shredding its maw.

The inhaling stopped, replaced by an angry roar. From the millipede's mouth spewed what it had just swallowed. Hundreds of small millipedes flew straight at Nathan.

It turned elsewhere to continue consuming nutrients. This time, including the cave's medicinal herbs.

Nathan, attacked on two fronts, used both sword and gloves spinning like a cutting machine. He had to suppress his revulsion toward the millipedes to maintain his attack trance. He was like a spiked ball shredding each approaching monster. Shells and green blood flew everywhere around him. He ignored the corrosive properties of the fluids clinging to his body.

Gideon regained mobility, swinging a meter-wide staff at the monster. Qingfeng jumped forward, gripping specially made arrows in her hands. Once again, she performed Arrow Dance toward the massive monster.

Her actions proved more effective than long-range shooting when continuously impacting one spot, causing cracks to appear in the scales beneath the monster's belly. Moreover, each time it moved its body trying to claw her, she could both dodge and continuously wield her skilled fingers to cause it endless trouble.

Gideon's downward strikes and thrusts made the millipede unable to peacefully consume its own offspring. He could enlarge the staff for overhead strikes, letting gravity do most of the work. When needing quick movement, he'd shrink the weapon to strike again in an instant.

The two caused enough difficulty for Nathan to finish dealing with the swarm. He became a cannonball flying forward, sword glowing in his hand, aimed straight at the weakened section Qingfeng had worked to compromise with Arrow Dance.

Crack!

The monster's head was severed, crashing heavily beside them. Its body fell limp, motionless.

"Not a word," Nathan said to Qingfeng.

Gideon burst out laughing while the girl grimaced.

But even without jinxing words, the monster hadn't given up. In the hole that had been its throat, something writhed again.

The swallowed small millipedes weren't meant as nutrients. They were replacements. Each of them could now become a new queen.

The new one bit through the outer shell, emerging. Smaller, slimmer, looking less formidable but still capable of crushing anyone. It didn't want to fight anymore, turning to flee.

Nathan recognized this and grew wary. Only he of the three could still move comfortably. Still, he couldn't let those small ones escape to the village. The monster had to die here.

"Qingfeng, Gideon," Nathan growled. "Your strongest moves."

Nathan had to accept that this monster was too bizarre. Not Tier 3 yet impossibly tough. As if it carried a different type of energy within. If it were purely mana and physical properties, it should have exhausted itself by now. At this level, it was even more persistent than Argentius. And that tiger monster had been Tier 2 Phase 9, not ordinary at all.

He took out wine and Mourner's Comfort, the item Orin had traded him before. Combining both, he drained the wine bottle.

The newly emerged millipede had fully escaped its old shell. Fresh mandibles bared in fury at the humans. Though smaller by one size, it remained long and terrifying.

Crackling pops filled the cave as blue lightning flickered.

Both Qingfeng and Gideon nearly lost focus witnessing what unfolded before them.

Nathan was wreathed in dancing electrical currents. His eyes blazed with light. Blood vessels appeared as electricity conducted through them. Steam rose from his body as his skin burned.

Whoosh!

Nathan vanished, reappearing directly beneath the monster's head. His slash carried both speed and the arc of lightning-aspect mana.

To Nathan's astonishment, the millipede blocked with its jaws. Electricity spread, paralyzing it for a second before it regained mobility. It lashed out, sending him flying.

Rolling through the air, Nathan regained his balance, staring at what had just occurred.

"This power," he murmured.

But the millipede wanted to flee again. He had no time for pondering non-critical issues.

He leveraged his speed, attacking from every angle. The monster seemed to know he was the main threat—during its recent molting, it had altered its body parts. Both jaws and speed had increased. The only weakness was that when using spirit vision, Nathan detected an energy source gradually depleting. This might be nutrients from the small millipedes or the herbs just consumed. Whatever it was, it was dropping rapidly.

Nathan had deliberately struck places that forced the monster to change direction, making it circle within this mountain space. He also intentionally broke rocks and earth to block its movement paths. Simultaneously, he had to protect his teammates from the millipede's strikes.

When he saw the timing was right, Nathan stood still, his face showing brief hesitation but determination. He drank another wine bottle. Electricity erupted from his body like a storm cloud. His face blackened from the power's effects, further enhanced by Mourner's Comfort.

Lightning-aspect mana overflowed within his body.

Recalling hours of solitary training with this aspect, the pain it brought, Nathan forced a grin. He swung his arm forward, mana flooding out like a torrent, transforming into electrical tendrils toward his enemy. The technique he'd taken inspiration from Mirela's encounter with the Nightmare Weaver at Moraith Forest, perfected through [Martial Arts Mastery]. Energy flowed through his body as he wished, adjusting every variable to prevent the technique from losing balance and exploding.

One tendril wrapped around the monster's belly, one around its jaw, three more around its neck.

Each electrical shock made the monster contort its body, convulsing repeatedly. Those clattering legs stiffened under Nathan's technique's effects.

The monster screeched, spraying saliva and venom wildly. Nathan paid no attention since the lightning incinerated everything before it could reach him.

He used his Physical Cultivation, pushing Berserker to 30%, focusing on the tendrils in his hands, pressing the monster's head down, preventing escape. Using all his strength like this, the millipede still thrashed enough to drag him along.

According to Nathan's calculations, this combination would make anyone from The Shifting Trials shed their skin, including Zhanyu. Yet a Tier 2 monster was giving him endless trouble.

"Now!" Nathan roared.

His arms spread to their limit, veins bulging on his muscles. He forced the monster's jaws apart, exposing that gluttonous mouth.

Qingfeng heard the command and jumped up, her bow already drawn taut, channeling all her mana.

"Piercing Shot!" she whispered.

A wind backlash made even her crouched stance insufficient, pushing her backward.

Simultaneously, Gideon leaped high, transforming his three-section staff into a scythe form. Sharp barbs grew from the scythe segments. He precisely hooked into the monster's jaw, controlling the scythe with his wood aspect, drawing winding patterns along its body.

Before Qingfeng's arrow arrived, he hooked his arm upward, letting those vicious barbs catch the monster's armor, straightening its body. At the same time, stretching the monster to its fullest extent.

Only the mouth remained unable to close. The jaw that had blocked even Nathan's sword couldn't defend against the incoming attack.

The arrow pierced through the head, wind radiating outward like small knives. Piece by piece of the millipede monster was shredded by Qingfeng's technique. Nauseating blood and flesh flew out as if from a storm's center. Though the entire millipede body was twenty meters long and already slimy, the arrow didn't stop.

Only when a deep hole appeared in the cliff wall did all the wind's screaming cease.

Plop plop!

The most disgusting rain fell around Nathan. He wrinkled his nose, his body flinching at what remained of that millipede. He absolutely detested them.

"That's it?" Qingfeng asked with a pale face, grinning. She couldn't believe three Tier 2s had to go to such lengths and still hadn't defeated the monster, no matter how tough it was.

Nathan made no sarcastic comment, just raised a thumb.

"Good job, team!" he said.

"What was that?" Gideon asked, pointing at Nathan's body still flickering with residual electricity. "I thought you didn't have an Aspect?"

"Don't believe everything you read online," Nathan mocked. "Did you all think I'd be easier without an aspect?"

Qingfeng and Gideon could hear the warning in Nathan's words. Not just his fight with Erza Orlove at the Mission Center—even before using lightning, Nathan's techniques and mana usage had been exceptional. That pure white mana was simply Null Resonance yet could create such destruction. If what they'd witnessed was true, if Nathan possessed another Aspect, it was even more terrifying.

Nathan naturally wouldn't reveal his mastery of pure mana unrelated to any Aspect thanks to [Martial Arts Mastery]. As for using lightning just now, he was even less inclined to elaborate. Because if possible, he wouldn't want to use it. His flesh might have been roasted dry if not for Physical Cultivation and [Living Resistor]. This was why he only developed fighting styles with Thunder Embrace wine. The Aspect that came to him through the spirit world connection wasn't as easy as he'd thought.

He believed other cultivators didn't suffer like him. They wouldn't use fire and feel burned by their own energy. Wouldn't be shocked using electricity. Wouldn't have wind cut their blood vessels or choke on water just from using corresponding aspects.

Omnipotential wasn't what he'd understood. It was too dangerous. He could use Aspects but at no small cost. So he still prioritized using pure mana in combat.

While the three were cleaning up the battlefield, a small millipede crawled out from the large one. It raised its head to look at the three humans, then burrowed underground and vanished.

Later, Elder An and the village's Tier 1 cultivators arrived to assess the situation.

Seeing the devastated, collapsed cave, Elder An's face went deathly pale. The aged face seemed to die inside.

Nathan and Qingfeng exchanged glances, saying nothing despite dozens of questions in their heads. Like why this garden was never mentioned before? And this entrance clearly only revealed tonight—it had been concealed before? And the ultimate outcome of deceiving them both?

But they couldn't delay now. Both had received requests to meet with another team arriving from Verdant Spire Sect.

"The monster showed strange signs," Nathan said. "We'll leave tonight to report to Verdant Spire Sect."

"You all go ahead," Gideon said. "I'll stay with everyone. Those small ones might still attack them."

Nathan contacted the young man via PsiLink.

"You must come with us, right now! This mission isn't as simple as it seemed."

Gideon looked up at the two while supporting Elder An. Villagers around still wore fearful expressions in the night and poorly lit area.

"Come back for me after the handover," Gideon said, smiling. "We completed the mission well."

In that brief moment, Nathan saw small movements in Gideon's facial muscles.

He knows, Nathan realized inwardly.

Gideon needed to know what was happening in the village, needed to protect those important to him.

"Alright," Nathan nodded, waving to Qingfeng. "Let's go and return later."

Then he turned to Elder An, who was staring at the destroyed secret garden before them.

"We'll return, village head. I hope everyone doesn't disturb anything."

Elder An glanced at him. And in just that moment, he knew everything wasn't right.

But he needed to continue acting. He needed to lure the snake from its hole. If unsuccessful, he'd have to cooperate with others to prevent whatever was coming.

Nathan and Qingfeng struggled to act cheerful as villagers escorted them to the Cloud Glider. Gideon remained at the cave with Elder An.

White wings unfurled, metal edges gleaming in moonlight. With one flap, the Cloud Glider carried them straight into the sky.

After flying five minutes, Qingfeng commanded the mount to stop at a location in the nearby forest, waiting according to orders from another disciple group and Caelindor police arriving.

Nathan sat down, eyes on the moon above. Frustratingly, tonight wasn't a full moon.

He suspected he'd need to use one of his Night Hunter Legacy skills to return to the village immediately rather than wait.

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