Chapter 436: The Ordinary Acraepoids
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“So… What’s next?” Claudia asked as she leaned against Grimm, watching the crowd slowly disperse.
Grimm scanned their surroundings and laid his eyes on the sick Acraepoid child. He said in a deep voice, “First, we have to blend in. I need to survey for data on the impact of the Abyssal Moss while collecting information on the Infernal Swordsmanship. In the meantime, you can look for information about the sorcerers and Bloodstone here.”
“Alright,” Claudia answered and followed Grimm who was approaching a woman in a distance.
Behind the middle-aged woman were two young Acraepoids. According to human years, their ages should be about ten and seventeen years old.
Both of the Acraepoid children were girls. The older one did not seem to be affected by the abyss breath, she looked very healthy and wore a fiery red veil over her face.
Meanwhile, the younger Acraepoid had black spots all over her body, with some hair on the spots. She looked sickly and horrible.
When the woman saw Grimm and Claudia approaching her, she bobbed a slight curtsy to them.
“Honorable Acraepoid Warriors, how may I be of any help?”
Behind the woman, the two girls bowed their heads as well.
Grimm nodded, putting on his best kind-looking face. He pointed at Claudia behind him and said, “This is my sister, Tia. We came to Fort Santalum for refuge from the attack of the Sorcerer’s Shadow. I hope you can assist us in looking for a suitable place to live in if it is alright with you.”
Grimm took out a few fiery red fruits, a small packet of sulfur powder, and two Combustars and put them on the woman’s hands.
“Right now, Fort Santalum is overcrowded, I don’t want my sister to live on the streets.”
The three Acraepoids’ eyes shone brightly with genuine surprise when they saw the items Grimm had passed to them.
The woman skeptically looked around them and quickly put the items away to avoid unwanted attention.
“How can noble Acraepoids like you and Tia sleep on the streets? That is outrageous! This is my eldest daughter, Nyo, and my youngest daughter, Naya. Come with me, my distinguished guests,” the woman said in a tone of great delight.
It was obvious that due to the advanced pollution of the Abyssal Moss, although Fort Santalum was still keeping the contamination at bay and the sulfur powder had managed to temporarily detain the possibility of the Abyssal Moss from spreading into the city, it had also caused the city to become a desperate lone island.
The only remaining clean plantation outside the city walls was controlled by the leaders and shrine keepers. The food was only provided to the Warriors in the city to maintain the basic law and order in the city.
As for the rest of the Acraepoids who did not want to starve, they could only leave Fort Santalum in teams to search for uncontaminated food on the abyssalized land. The former network of trade routes was cut off by the Abyssal Moss.
The initial stage of an abyssalized land was nothing to the powerful Acraepoid leaders, but for the civilians, even the smallest poisonous bugs were lethal.
Food became the most precious resource in the city.
Tailing behind the Acraepoid woman, Grimm and Claudia entered a hundred-meter-tall Flame Burrow. The place was overcrowded with Acraepoids, there was hardly a place to stand.
Under this circumstance, once the Acraepoids’ plague, cultivated by the Demon-Hunters’ Arcane of Life and Death, was released here, it would inevitably contaminate a large area at extremely high speed.
The group of five flew up the hollow middle section of the Flame Burrow.
Although the ordinary Acraepoids had wings and could fly, their speed was very slow. It could take them a while to fly up a few tens of meters.
The middle-aged Acraepoid woman brought Grimm and Claudia to a room.
The room was painted with a kind of rock powder paint that casted a warm hue of fiery red. Based on the Acraepoid culture, the choice of the paint was far superior to using plant branches and leaves. It could be concluded that this family was once prosperous back in the days.
A few simple pieces of furniture decorated the room, such as a pupa-like hammock and several pots of decorative plants.
However simple it was, the room was overflowing with a harmonious ambience in comparison to the Sorcerer World.
“This is Nyo’s room, you can stay here. My husband went out to collect food, he will take a few days to return, she can stay with me. If you need anything, please let me know.”
The younger daughter, Naya, had to live alone because she was infected with the Sorcerer’s Shadow.
Grimm said with a gentle smile, “Thank you.”
The day had turned dark.
Although it was a two-room house, the rooms in the interior of the Flame Burrow were actually connected to each other. They only needed to light a small light and it would illuminate the entire Flame Burrow through interior flame refraction.
Rumble, rumble…
The loud rumbling sounds resonated from the hungry woman and her two children as they had only consumed very little food. Despite their desperate hunger, they still adored and worshiped the Dark Destroyer Infernal God. They kneeled in front of his statue, singing praises and praying with reverence.
As Dark Demon-Hunters, this would be considered as an easy task for Grimm and Claudia in their undercover operations. They went along with the Acraepoids’ worshipping rituals, singing and praying. They even went as far as putting on their sincerest facades to show their utmost respect and willingness to sacrifice themselves for the Infernal God.
They wondered if the Dark Destroyer Infernal God would jump out of his grave enraged if he got a hold of this sight. Grimm was the one who had lured him into the Burrow World and sealed him there, and now, this guy was singing his prayers to him with his people!
It took a full hourglass for the five Acraepoids to end their prayers. This seemed to be the nightlife entertainment for Acraepoids.
Along the way, The loud rumbling sounds of the hungry stomachs kept resonating across the room.
Thump, thump, thump.
Suddenly, a knock came from the door. The three Acraepoids must have expected the guest as they were rejoiced by the knock and the woman blurted in excitement, “It’s Fred.”
Nyo jumped up gleefully and sprinted to the door. After she had opened the door, she plunged into the arms of a young male Acraepoid with joy.
“You came, finally.”
The timid and shy Acraepoid suddenly transformed into a happy-looking girl with contentment written all over her face. The black flames above their heads gradually merged.
It was similar to humans kissing, perhaps?
Seeing Grimm and Claudia’s doubtful looks, the middle-aged Acraepoid quickly explained, “This is Nyo’s childhood friend, I watched him grow up. Fortunately, Fred has lived up to expectations. He was inspired by the Infernal Energy before the arrival of the Sorcerer’s Shadow two years ago. Although he has not yet become an Acraepoid Warrior, he is now working in the city.”
“Oh.” Grimm nodded.
Naya, who was sitting quietly at the side, looked gloomy and fragile all day long because of the abyssalization. She seemed to understand that her worsening condition would lead her closer to death, but she could not do anything about it except pray to the Dark Destroyer Infernal God.
Children this age were supposed to be the most innocent and cheerful, but the little girl was on the verge of succumbing to her illness.
Fred passed some food to Nyo and walked into the room, yet, with one side glimpse of Claudia, his eyes were hooked as he stared intently at her.
“She is…”
Nyo pouted with a tinge of jealousy and muttered, “This is Tia, Warrior Grimm’s sister.”
Warrior!?
Shocked, Fred quickly glanced at Grimm and noticed his Infernal Blade. He quickly saluted in a slightly trembling voice, “Good day, Warrior Grimm.”
Grimm nodded as elegantly as he could muster but his eyes flickered as a thought struck him. Maybe he could get started on the Infernal Swordsmanship through this Fred guy.
As for the higher levels of the Infernal Swordsmanship, he could follow the guidelines in the Vulkshy Infernal Curse to stimulate the higher evolution of the Dark Devourer Infernal Spirit Giant. In addition, he could take the Dark Destroyer Infernal Spirit in the vial as a stimulant to reorganize the mental strength framework of the element activation sorcery.
“Hee hee, you have been looking at me since you entered the room. Are there flowers on my face?” Claudia asked in a teasing tone as she gazed at Fred seductively.
“Haha, Miss Tia, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, it’s my pleasure to meet you.”
Claudia chuckled at Fred’s flattery. Grimm laughed at her reaction. He cleared his throat before he spoke, “I’m going to the city tomorrow to get a job, don’t you dare cause problems here. This is not Bi Seer, I can’t vouch for you here, do you hear me?”
Grimm commanded like a brother giving orders to his sister.
As for Bi Seer, well, Grimm quoted the name of a place in the Sorcerer World where young Grimm spent his childhood.
“Okay, alright, I get it, you are so annoying…” Claudia replied, agitated. Her eyes, though, had never shifted from Fred. She stared at him in the most seductive and flirtatious way that messed up Fred’s mind. He tried his best to recompose himself and ignore her.
Fred left around midnight.
Claudia lied on the hammock and swung leisurely. She turned around and whispered, “Lord Grimm, do you want to join me? I don’t mind, really, hee hee.”
Grimm leaned against the corner of the room, meditating. He kept his eyes closed.