The black sun hangs high

Chapter 372 Hugh's Principles

Deep down, Hugh always held some simple and basic concepts of good and evil. These concepts may not apply to all scenarios and situations, but they always provided a general direction for his actions.

In a sense, it could also be called the "bottom line".

Or rather, it is actually a kind of "rule" that is not very clear.

Hugh is well aware that he is not actually a very ruthless person. In some ways, he can even be a bit stubborn. If he were placed in some of the works from the past world, he would likely be labeled with something like "Saint Mary".

That's why he had very mixed feelings about what was about to happen.

With the help of the Fate Roots, Hugh has just successfully conducted a thorough reconnaissance and inspection of all the soldiers.

Words can be deceitful, actions and expressions can be faked, but thoughts will truly reflect everything.

As Hugh lamented, he hadn't expected that among these soldiers who chose to obey the Black Sun Society's orders, so many would actually have changed their beliefs and wholeheartedly devoted themselves to the vision painted by the Black Sun Society.

Those he selected and left outside the mine were not necessarily entirely opposed to the Black Sun Society. They either opposed the current policies of the Saint Steel royal family or were loyal to their past gods... In short, deep down they were unwilling to trust the Black Sun Society and harbored resistance to those ancient beliefs.

However, even though Hughes's judgment criteria were already very lenient, the result was still cruel.

The powers originating from ancient deities and the many strange methods and rituals mastered by the Black Sun Society are far too dangerous for ordinary people. These strange powers are like all-pervasive water; if there is even the slightest flaw in the mind or spirit of someone affected, they will seize the opportunity to infiltrate endlessly and eventually transform that person into their loyal follower.

Hugh has acquired a great many memories of Black Sun Society members, but he cannot find a single case of someone who joined Black Sun Society and then voluntarily left. It seems that there are no traitors within Black Sun Society.

To some extent, this is also a manifestation of the dominance of those ancient beliefs.

At this moment, a foreman who claimed to be a trusted follower of the Baron approached. He was extremely obsequious, forcing a smile as he asked in a low voice, "Your Excellency, I understand what you mean... These people you have chosen are all traitors who lack respect for our gods, aren't they?"

Seeing the baron looking at him with interest, the overseer became more enthusiastic, his smile widening: "I used to work in prison for a long time, so I'm quite experienced with some things... If you need, I can definitely help you dig some secrets out of these guys! If you're interested in the process, you can watch it; I guarantee it will be very interesting and not at all crude!"

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Hugh smirked and said, “There are quite a few of them, and we don’t have enough space to hold them all… Go and call the others over as well. I have orders to give you.”

Upon hearing this, the overseer nodded quickly, feeling that he had gained the baron's approval. He then turned to greet his other companions.

He felt that interrogating prisoners was more suitable for him than building fortifications in the camp.

Soon, the overseers scattered around gathered and stood in a haphazard group behind the leader. Hugh silently glanced at these guys. If the previous Saint Steel soldiers and officers had made him feel somewhat sorry for them, then these thugs in front of him did not evoke any emotion in him at all.

So, under everyone's watchful eyes, Hugh raised his right hand, easily grasped the air, and then people saw that a strange "crystal gun" shimmering with dark purple light was in his hand.

This special weapon was enveloped in a dense magical aura. It was so peculiar that when it appeared in the light of the crystal spotlights, the surrounding air seemed to be violently disturbed, making it and Baron Fiorlando, who wielded it, appear even more mysterious.

The object that reacted even more violently to this weapon was the Black Sun Ritual sculpture located in the mine.

The enormous sculpture, entwined with countless black roots and vines, came to life at that moment. Huge black flowers grew from these vines and bloomed, while a shrill alarm sounded from the center of the petals, which resembled the mouthparts of a living being.

The supervisors were stunned.

The soldiers who had been gathered together and had their weapons confiscated were stunned.

The pursuers who had already rushed into the mine and started chasing the miners were stunned. The dark hounds associated with the Black Sun Ritual became extremely agitated. They began to shrink back in the mine and tried to find other ways out. The Black Sun Society's hound trainers judged in horror that this was the dark hounds' behavior under extreme fear.

At that moment, Hugh, standing in the lamplight with the face of Baron Fiorlando, raised the Hound's Fang in his hand. A terrifying roar was faintly emanating from this strange weapon.

The palace hound was already itching to try, having long harbored deep resentment towards the sculpture that emanated impure abyssal power.

The Black Sun Ritual emitted a constant shriek, but the area it could cover was quite limited. As for the magical circuits that connected it to other rituals, they had already been destroyed during Shug's previous "routine prayer."

"It's noisy."

Hugh frowned, muttered a curse under his breath, and then, under the horrified gazes of the overseers, pulled the trigger of Hound's Fang.

Magic was drawn from Hugh's body, transforming into a devastating impact from the Hound's Fang. A terrifying, deep shadow tore through the night, creating a horrifying black path in the beams of the crystal spotlights. At the end of this path, the mystical sculpture that had once inspired awe in every follower of the Black Sun Society met its tragic end. As if an invisible, gigantic mouth in the void had opened wide and bitten down, in the blink of an eye, the continuous shrieking sounds vanished into thin air. The intertwined black roots and vines, along with the blasphemous sculpture that supported it, completely collapsed. A special power beyond the comprehension of ordinary people utterly destroyed the mystical object; not a single fragment fell, not a single remnant remained.

After completing this task, Hugh gently shook his hand, retracting the terrifying weapon. He then nodded to the "guards" standing silently to the side: "Let's do it."

With this order issued, the spies and agents disguised as guards, bodyguards, and attendants finally revealed their true dangerous nature.

In any country or organization, they would definitely be considered top elites. With their rich combat skills, diverse and deadly weapons, and magical strength above the Stream-level mage, the destructive power that such a group of people could create would naturally be extremely astonishing.

Although the overseers' weapons were not confiscated, they were completely incapable of dealing with an attack by such a group.

Their actions were so coordinated—every spy and agent involved in the killing drew their new firearms the moment they heard the order. The magazines of these weapons were already filled with magic bullets they had created themselves. After firing a series of shots at the unsuspecting overseers and the few soldiers left outside, all sorts of lethal magic mercilessly crushed them.

Hughes turned away, avoiding the brutal scene that was no different from a massacre.

Then, he slammed his cane down hard, and a transparent barrier woven from magic appeared out of thin air, separating himself and the soldiers who were standing together, still confused about the situation, on the same side.

He beckoned to the young officer who seemed to understand something. Once the man came to him, Hugh said in an unusually calm tone, "From now on, you will be responsible for managing these people. They are your soldiers now. They will not have weapons for the time being. We will explain the situation to you after we have resolved the hidden dangers here."

The officer nodded, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Are you... are you really Baron Fiorlando?"

“Is this question important?”

Hugh glanced at the officer, then smiled and said, "Perhaps we'll have a chance to get to know each other again later, but first we need to handle the current situation well."

"Yes, sir... no, master."

The officer reacted quickly, giving the baron a military salute and changing how he addressed him.

But then, he gritted his teeth and pressed on, "So, sir, what about those who went into the mine? And those miners..."

"Don't worry, I will take care of it."

The baron casually replied, waving his hand: "Go, carry out the orders I've given you. It's what you, as a soldier of Saint Steel, should do."

……

At this moment, the inside of the mine presents a completely different scene.

When the pursuers, ordered to chase into the mine, realized that things had changed, a strange phenomenon had already begun to spread deep within the mine.

First they heard a rustling sound, then they heard the loud barking of the dark hounds.

Illuminated by the crystal lamps inside the mine, people saw countless familiar black mists emerging from the cracks and gaps in the ore. At first, some thought it was magic summoned by Baron Feorlando to support them. However, when they saw the two dark hounds and their trainers being swallowed by the black mists, everyone abandoned their original idea.

They wanted to retreat the way they came, but they soon discovered that black mist was gushing out from almost every passage. This gloomy color seemed to have a physical form. One soldier was a little too slow, and his right leg disappeared into thin air. The severed area was filled with an unsettling dark green color. It seemed that some kind of terrible poison had instantly swallowed his entire lower leg!
Driven by fear, the soldiers naturally began to fight back. They then discovered that the dark colors were not a fog at all, but rather swarms of rats that were neither solid nor illusory.

"Rats? How could there be rats? How could there be so many rats?"

Numerous questions filled the minds of these officers and soldiers. However, as followers of the Black Sun Society, their perspectives were ultimately broader than those of ordinary soldiers. Thus, some quickly drew a connection to the magical ritual performed by Baron Feorlando—weren't these rats, which had gathered together to form a deadly mist, the very creatures he had summoned in that ritual?

However, realizing that something is wrong now is clearly too late.

In other environments, given the number of these soldiers and the various equipment they carry, they could hold out for a while even if they couldn't break through the swarm of rats. However, the magical rat swarm controlled by the will of the Ernst family had already infiltrated the intricate mine long ago, and now it was time for them to put their skills to use.

After successfully cutting off the soldiers' retreat and the No. 6 mine tunnel leading to the miners' escape route, an unspeakable and extremely ruthless massacre began.

As the executors of this operation, the souls who had been tormented for over a hundred years under the control of the Black Sun Society's rituals finally had the opportunity to vent their suppressed emotions. Endless swarms of magical rats, carrying a highly toxic mist capable of instantly corroding flesh and suffocating the breath, rolled in. Facing the barrage of crystal bullets and alchemical bombs, they passed through gap after gap, advancing from every possible angle of attack.

By this time, the miners had already fled into the abandoned mine shaft hidden inside Mine Tunnel No. 6. However, behind them, there were continuous pitiful and painful cries and curses, which made them feel terrified. They dared not stay in the tunnel any longer and could only grit their teeth and continue to grope forward...

About twenty minutes later, the mine returned to calm. The fleeing miners could not comprehend what had happened behind them. They gritted their teeth and pressed forward, led by workers who had explored the mine tunnels before, heading towards the only exit ahead.

(End of this chapter)