Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 273 - 266: Learning the Truth

Chapter 273: Chapter 266: Learning the Truth

"There’s no evidence to suggest any parties from Earth were involved in this attack. Therefore, I believe the Church Court can entirely eliminate the attackers to ensure their own safety," Mike paused and continued.

Kroel spoke up, "We have completely annihilated the enemy, but I am curious as to who guided and masterminded these people in planning and leading this attack. How did headquarters know that the enemy would plan and launch an attack on the three sides around Yazhi City?"

"We have learned this information from our intelligence network and informants, but we still don’t know the real identity of these people, what their intentions are, what their ultimate goal is. We still need to conduct in-depth analysis and investigation," Li Si explained calmly.

"Who are your intelligence network and informants?" Kroel asked him.

"This is our secret, I believe there’s no need for the presiding judge to investigate this, is there?" Li Si leisurely replied.

Kroel glared at him, then averted his eyes, "The Judgement Legion has just been attacked and has already initiated a retaliatory attack. I fear there will be more incidents of imposters attacking other factions posing as our troops. Therefore, I must first declare that the Church army still keeps its distance and is not involved in the subsequent attacks that may arise."

Upon hearing his words, Lee Si, and Mike nodded in agreement. Then, an adjutant approached them and whispered in his ear, "Our defenders at the base have been attacked by Church forces!"

All the forces stationed in the Otherworld by headquarters are mercenaries— the type that cooperates long-term. They are primarily assigned to safeguard the base and maintain order at the Otherworld Gate.

Several attacks broke out one after another. Imposters claiming to represent both Church forces attacked Earth’s influence and vice versa, but thanks to this tripartite meeting, a fight was avoided in Yazhi City.

As the attacks continued, the three parties began to gain some intelligence. The CIA and the Church started suspecting that it could very well have been an unknown force that absconded with Arya’s Blade and lured the Judgement Legion to Yazhi City to instigate conflict between the Church and Earth.

After almost a week’s journey, Luo’er and his group finally arrived at this secluded manor. Although they hadn’t informed anyone of their arrival, the housekeeper and the maid seemed to have expected them, showing no surprise and treating them as honored guests.

Back in the familiar manor, everyone finally felt at ease, but things did not seem quite right. Everyone was enveloped in a shade of melancholy as if something was weighing heavy on their hearts.

For Hu Daoke, this manor symbolized freedom. Usually, at this time, he would let loose, but today, he seemed uncharacteristically silent and appeared to have something on his mind.

"At last we can rest properly. Everyone tidy up your belongings, you two collate the blueprint into a volume. When the workers arrive, you can hand it over to them," Luo’er said to the two girls with a smile.

"Okay," both girls nodded, but didn’t say much more.

"What’s the matter with you both? You look so gloomy," Luo’er questioned as he gazed at them.

Baiyue did not respond but shot him a resentful look, making him realize his mistake instantly. However, for some reason, Tangmo appeared sullen too; perhaps she was affected by Baiyue.

Luo’er sighed, deciding not to address their mood for now and let them rest for a few days to ease the tension.

In the days that followed, as everyone started their holidays, the mood began to lighten, and the gloominess started to fade. However, something still felt weird, it seemed like the camaraderie within the team had become alienated.

Tangmo appeared depressed because she was affected by everyone around her, especially Baiyue. Though a bit impulsive, she was a sensitive girl and noticed the subtle changes in her teammates’ mood.

She could distinctly feel an unfamiliarity growing towards her from both Baiyue and Cheng Ziang, it’s as if they were deliberately isolating her, which was rather unsettling.

Moreover, her brother Hu Daoke, who had always been her loyal follower, seemed to have changed as well. Realizing that even he was becoming distant was hard for Tangmo to stomach.

Even though Luo’er was as gentle and friendly as ever, Tangmo couldn’t help but feel uneasy for some reason whenever Luo’er was kind to her.

At midnight, sleep was far from Tangmo’s eyes, so she got up, put on her clothes, left the villa, and went out to the manor’s lawn.

She gazed at the stars in the sky and let out a sigh. A chilly wind blew past her, causing her to instinctively tighten her clothes.

She heard footsteps behind her. Turning around, she noticed Hu Daoke had appeared behind her all of a sudden.

"Sister Moumou." Seeing Tangmo turn around all of a sudden, Hu Daoke seemed slightly flustered and greeted her awkwardly.

On seeing Hu Daoke, Tangmo’s eyes dulled instantly. She sighed gently, turned back around, and did not engage in conversation with him.

Hu Daoke swallowed, then slowly walked behind her. After a long hesitation, he called out her name, "Sister Moumou!"

"Go away, I don’t have a brother like you!" Tangmo bit her lip and coldly replied.

Hearing her words, Hu Daoke scratched his head and hesitated before finally saying, "Sister Moumou, are you mad at me?"

"What else?" Tangmo grumbled.

"Right, I’m sorry, I just... didn’t know how to face you," Hu Daoke stuttered his apology.

"Why can’t you face me?" Tangmo turned her head to ask him.

Facing Tangmo, Hu Daoke anxiously scratched his head and hesitated for a long time before saying, "Um, do you know why everyone seems to be isolating you?"

"Why?" As soon as he said this, Tangmo immediately became anxious. This was a question she’d been wanting to ask.

"Think about it, when did this isolation start?" Hu Daoke gritted his teeth and said.

"It seems to have started when Luo’er had a nosebleed," Tangmo thought for a moment and then said, frowning.

Hearing the word ’nosebleed’, Hu Daoke couldn’t help but let out a sigh, and then said, "Do you know why they isolated you after Luo’er’s nosebleed?"

"How should I know? I wanted to ask too, but they won’t tell me the truth and don’t want me to know anything," Tangmo said, looking down and speaking with a sense of grievance.

Upon hearing her words, Hu Daoke was silent for a long time before finally saying, "That, I’ve been troubled these past few days and have been debating whether or not to tell you the truth."

"What truth?" Tangmo looked up at him and asked.

"About, about Luo’er!" Hu Daoke hummed and hawed for a long time before deciding to tell her.

"What about Luo’er, what happened to Luo’er?" Tangmo asked anxiously, looking at him.

Looking at her worried face, Hu Daoke genuinely couldn’t bear to tell her the truth, but he still thought it best to tell her. Otherwise, the situation wouldn’t be good for anyone.

"Luo’er is injured, seriously injured, and has not recovered yet," Hu Daoke decided to go all out. Regardless of the consequences, he wanted Tangmo to know the truth and didn’t want to keep her in the dark.

"Luo’er is injured? But, he did not tell me!" As soon as Tangmo heard the news of Luo’er’s injury, she let out an exclamation.

"How did you know?" Tangmo looked at Hu Daoke and anxiously inquired.

"Tha-, that day on the boat, I went to the bathroom and overheard his conversation with Old Cheng," Hu Daoke stuttered in response to Tangmo’s agitation.

"What did they say?" Tangmo anxiously asked.

"Luo’er, he... seems to have contracted Magic Power Erosion," Hu Daoke said hesitantly.

"Magic Power Erosion? But isn’t Luo’er a subspecies?" Tangmo asked.

"I, I’m not quite sure, but Luo’er was shot. Then, then his body’s veins were damaged, and he can’t come in contact with magic. That day, that day it seems because you used magic it caused him to vomit blood," Hu Daoke nervously said.

"Shot? Veins damaged? Can’t come in contact with magic... Hold on..." Hearing his words, Tangmo lowered her head to think, and her thoughts gradually became clear.

"I was thinking, it must have been during that mission in Helros..." Hu Daoke voiced his own guess.

"Yes, yes," Tangmo mumbled, "Luo’er was shot on the airboat. Maybe he tried to use magic to stop the bleeding, so he used magic when his body was damaged. Only like this, only this way, his blood vessels could be damaged. After his veins were damaged, he couldn’t use magic anymore, and he couldn’t come in contact with magic, or else it would lead to Magic Power Erosion."

"All, all of this..." Tangmo murmured, and large tears began to stream down her cheeks. "It’s all, all my fault. I’m the one who caused him to be shot, I caused his veins to be damaged, I caused his old illness to relapse because I used magic. It’s my fault, it’s all my fault..."

"Sister Moumou." Hu Daoke tried calling her. His biggest fear had indeed come true.

"He suffers from his sickness every day, yet he still smiles at me. And me, I knew nothing, naively clinging to him as if I had done nothing wrong. Arbitrary use of magic, even his relapse was unbeknownst to me..." Tangmo’s voice started to choke as she spoke.

"Sister Moumou, it’s not all your fault..." Hu Daoke couldn’t help trying to comfort her.

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