bookpower Chapter 522: Infiltration
Chapter 522: Infiltration
Although the arrival of several different tribes and many outsiders had some impact on the city, it was far from enough to cause chaos.
Possessing overwhelming strength and using the fierce reputation of the Nine-Headed Hydra, the Hydra Tribe was able to suppress everything and everyone with ease.
Under such conditions, time quickly went by.
In the blink of an eye, several days had passed.
The time for the Tribe Competition to start had finally arrived.
Hearing the call of the temporary Tribe Chief, Aaron opened his eyes and sprang to his feet.
A terrifying pressure erupted from his body as he did so, one that was infinitely close to the peak of Rank 2.
Aaron quickly controlled his strength, suppressing that momentum.
His right hand instinctively moved toward the silver sword hanging on his waist as his lips curved upward.
Over the past few days, he had managed to complete the second mission.
Although this caused the displeasure of several people, among whom were the tribe’s elders, Aaron did not care.
With the Divine Artifact in his hands, a small Scorpius Tribe was nothing.
It wouldn’t take him long to grow far beyond it. By then, the same elders would beg for his help.
Even the Hydra Tribe was barely worth his attention in his mind.
Aaron exited his room, emitting an aura of supreme confidence.
He ignored the displeased looks of the younger generation and several elders and followed behind the Tribe Chief toward the arena.
It didn’t take long for their group to reach their destination, though they were far from the first ones to come.
By the time they arrived, several large tribes were already waiting for them.
Dozens of powerful auras collided fiercely through the air, while the younger generation of each tribe stared at their competitors with fierce battle intent.
Aaron ignored most of his so-called peers.
He had learned from the Mission System’s rewards that the eastern region was but a mere remote place in this continent.
In his mind, it was impossible for a talented person to be born here—besides him, a natural genius, of course.
It was only when his gaze landed on the Hydra Tribe’s team that a flicker of emotion flashed within his eyes.
He observed the young man standing at the front. He wore a silk robe embroidered with dragon patterns, while his mere presence seemed to overwhelm his surroundings.
Unfortunately, Aaron didn’t have time to survey the young man for long.
Shortly after, a burly figure appeared above the arena.
He closely resembled the young man, looking like the adult version of him.
He was the Hydra Tribe’s Chief, a powerful Awakener whose power had reached Rank 7 many years ago.
The Tribe Chief didn’t give any grand speech.
Displaying the straightforward demeanor of the brutal, primitive era, he calmly raised his hand and spoke up.
"Okay. I’m sure everyone who is here already knows the rules.", he stated.
"The rewards of this year’s competition have long been announced. Since that’s the case, the Tribe Competition can now begin!"
The moment his words fell, the audience in the stands erupted into cheers.
The battle intent of the younger generation soared into the sky, each vowing secretly to bring pride to their respective tribe.
What no one, including the Tribe Chief, noticed was that the phantom of a crimson cocoon flashed within the eyes of a young man.
Though it only appeared for a split second, it represented an unknown danger for their tribe.
--
The arena for the Tribe Competition was located in the northern part of the Hydra Tribe.
It was set in a relatively remote place, for fear that the battles would affect the surrounding population and city.
The central area, where most of the powerful Awakeners usually gathered, was now mostly empty.
Even so, no one worried that someone would dare to infiltrate.
Not because they were arrogant, but because the Hydra Tribe’s greatest reliance had never been the human Awakeners or the Tribe Chief.
Instead, it was the Nine-Headed Hydra.
The Hydra Tribe believed that their deity’s presence was enough to intimidate anyone with impure motives.
And their thoughts proved to be true.
Though the Tribe Competition was taking place in such a grand manner, no one dared to cause any trouble.
Or at least, no one but a single woman.
Liora walked casually along the empty streets of the Hydra City.
Part of her consciousness remained on her Blood Clone, observing the Tribe Competition through its eyes.
Despite this, her footsteps never paused.
She shook her head.
"This world indeed values strength the most. All schemes exist because one’s strength is lacking."
"That guy had been scheming for several decades, wandering among several hosts in order to plan out a scheme to infiltrate the Dragon Blood Pool."
"But for me, doing so is extremely simple."
Her body blurred.
When she reappeared, Liora had reached the Hydra Temple—the building where the Tribe Chief lived and where the worship of the Nine-Headed Hydra occurred.
Liora controlled her World of Heart to conceal herself.
A mesmerizing sheen emerged and attached to her skin, glowing with the light of the starry sky.
After doing this, she didn’t hide her traces.
Walking into the temple, she wandered casually, following the memories of the elderly Devil.
No priest or guard noticed her.
Even when she passed right next to them, they failed to detect her existence.
As such, Liora dove deeper unobstructed.
She walked down a long staircase and entered an underground room, only to find a large number of guards.
Besides them, there was also a familiar figure.
A stone statue.
With nine heads, each serpent-like, and a majestic, scaled lower body, it was the deity worshipped by everyone in the Hydra Tribe—the Nine-Headed Hydra.
The statue looked exactly the same as the statues beside the entrance and at the center of the city.
Yet, Liora was able to spot something else.
The nature of this statue was somewhat different.
Deep within where its hearts would have been, a dense amount of faith rested.
Although it was currently inactive, Liora could sense that this was only temporary.
As long as something unusual was detected, the faith would immediately erupt.
The power it could unleash was enough to stun even Rank 7 Awakeners.
"So many guards, plus a divine body..."
"It seems that the elderly Devil’s information is correct. This is indeed the place.", Liora muttered.
Her gaze moved from the statue and settled on the gate beside it.
Its structure looked ordinary and unassuming, like an ordinary wooden door.
Yet, Liora could tell that this was far from the truth.
The moment the thought of opening it arose, her intuition warned her of danger.
She knew this was not because the gate could injure her.
Rather, it was because coming into contact with the gate recklessly would alarm someone who could.
There was no other entrance to walk further underground.
Such a discovery would have rendered ordinary people helpless.
The only thing they could do was force their way underground, alarming the guards, Awakeners, and even the Nine-Headed Hydra in the process.
This was the reason why the Hydra Tribe did not fear that someone would infiltrate.
Fortunately, Liora was not an ordinary person. Such methods would not render her helpless.
Her World of Heart extended bit by bit, seeping through the gaps along the gate and reaching the other side.
Shortly afterward, her eyes lit up. She seemed to have discovered something.
Her body broke down, turning into a puddle of blood and merging with the stone floor.
Throughout the whole process, no guard noticed anything amiss. They continued chatting with one another, never suspecting that someone had quietly infiltrated their sacred place.