The black sun hangs high

Chapter 401 "Setting Up the Nest"

After briefly explaining his ideas to Theseus, Hugh asked, "Is there any way to effectively attract those Artemis? I mean, to get them to find me and chase after me..."

"It's very simple."

Theseus responded casually, “You probably underestimate your appeal to these predators. Ah, of course, simply revealing your strength isn’t enough, but you can add something extra…like that big rat of yours.”

You mean Snich?

"Besides it, who else... I remember back then, it and its kind were always on the menus of those big birds. They were plentiful, nutritious, and easy to catch, making them an ideal staple food."

As Theseus spoke these words, a faint scream immediately came from the depths of Hugh's mental world. It was the helpless protest of the running rat Sniggy, who was now trying to stuff its entire body into the rat hole in order to escape Hugh's question and the terrible facts that Theseus was describing.

However, this was simply impossible. It had grown too big, and no matter how hard it tried, it could only barely squeeze its head into the burrows provided to the Ernst family of rats.

It looks just like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.

Sniggy has learned a great deal from the Ernst family's will, but it clearly doesn't know how to apply it. If it were any smarter, it would realize that its panicked escape was the most powerful response it could give.

"Here, all you need to do is remove the barrier to your own magic, then summon that big rat, or borrow some of the unique blessing aura of the Earth Mother Goddess directly from it, mix the two together and spread it out... I guarantee that this is absolutely the most attractive bait."

"Your description sounds rather strange."

Theseus chuckled wickedly, "Ha, is it because it sounds like a fishing tutorial? Let me tell you, there are actually fish in the Abyss, you can even fish for them. I'll tell you more about it later..."

Seeing that Theseus was about to steer the conversation toward something strange, Hugh immediately cut off the conversation. He then turned around and looked at the owl soldiers who were staring at the sky in terror.

Even those who were relatively close to the Black Sun Society had never seen such a large flock of Asharu birds.

What truly stunned them were the three enormous figures that appeared at the edge of their field of vision.

"Is that...is that an airship? But why would an airship have wings?"

"Look more closely, that's clearly a bird!"

"Damn it, I know it's a bird, but how can a bird be that big?"

At this moment, many soldiers had begun to whisper among themselves. Hugh coughed twice, drawing their attention, and then sternly reprimanded them: "Look at you all! How are you any different from those enemies who are about to be punished? What you saw was not an airship, nor was it any ordinary bird of prey! Show it your respect! It is a real, direct descendant of the god who once ruled the skies of Vaan!"

Upon hearing this, the previously gossiping "Sharp-beaked Owls" immediately shut their mouths, while the Black Sun Society members who were also nearby and only obeyed Tatiana's orders to provide auxiliary defense were quite satisfied with this.

They are basically all followers of the Moonhawk, or at least share a faith in the Moonhawk.

In the eyes of these people, the fact that Baron Fiorlando, a follower of the Great Hill, could say such things in public was enough to prove his respect for the Moonhawk and the members of the Society who believed in him. This behavior could even be seen as a submission and a gesture of goodwill to Tatiana and the other members of the Society.

As expected, after saying those words, Baron Feorlando turned around and grinned at the Society mages who were ostensibly there to help but actually to monitor the situation.

His smile was genuine and humble, which seemed quite out of place with the royal bloodline of Saint Steel that he carried.

A sorcerer from the society who admired and agreed with Baron Fiorland stepped forward, nodded amicably, and then said, “Baron Fiorland, you don’t need to do this… Don’t forget our own principles—we should be absolutely honest with gods and our beliefs.”

“I understand, but I can also assure you that what I said was not out of compromise or other reasons, but based on genuine recognition and admiration.”

As he spoke, Hughes looked up at the sky and uttered a sincere sigh: "What a magnificent miracle! If it weren't for the Society and the dedication of its many followers, how could Vaan ever witness such a wonder again?"

"Indeed."

The mage of the society agreed with Hugh's words. Through this brief exchange, he had truly felt Baron Fiorlando's sincerity. Therefore, he lowered his voice and kindly reminded him, "Baron Fiorlando, everyone knows that what happened at the Rock Lake Mine had nothing to do with you. It was a tragedy meticulously planned by our enemies... Although some people in the society will be wary of you after that, you have already proven your loyalty to the society and your outstanding abilities."

As he spoke, he revealed a metal badge that belonged to Kizlov: "After tonight, you can go see Mr. Kizlov, and if I'm not mistaken, you should be able to get more important instructions from him."

"I understand, I understand!"

These words clearly deeply moved Baron Fiorento. His face trembled violently twice, as if he wanted to shake off all the pressure and grievances he had been under recently. But he finally managed to control his emotions and gratefully extended his hand to shake hands firmly with the sorcerer of the Society: "I promise, I promise I will see Mr. Krzlov soon. I... I am very much looking forward to it!"

The sorcerer smiled and nodded, giving the baron's hand a firm squeeze in response. As one of the members sent by Kizlov to monitor Hugh, he felt that such surveillance was now essentially meaningless. He even harbored some resentment towards Kizlov's excessive caution, as it was clearly a sign of distrust towards loyal members of the society, which would easily damage their morale in the long run.

During his time with Baron Fiorento, he and others witnessed the baron's many sacrifices. When he saw Baron Fiorento risk his own safety to rush into a spy stronghold engulfed in deadly magical flames to seize valuable intelligence, he couldn't help but sigh – what kind of pressure could drive a person to this state?

He had wanted to say a few more words to the Baron, but suddenly, a chilling sensation emanated from the other's palm. The sorcerer abruptly looked up, his gaze meeting the Baron's eyes.

To the astonishment of the sorcerer, he discovered that the baron's pupils were flashing with an extremely psychedelic and strange color. He vaguely sensed something amiss, but before he could discern or think about it, a sense of disorder took over his mind. Then, a sudden sense of crisis descended from above.

……

After exchanging a few friendly words and shaking hands with the sorcerer, Baron Fiorlando returned to his work, while the other sorcerers stood by, watching with glee as the baron smacked the lazy soldiers with his gleaming cane.

"Well done! If you ask me, these guys should be sent straight to the front lines to fill the trenches... Tch, just mercenaries. Most of them don't even have a decent faith. They're worse than the residents of this city!"

"Don't talk nonsense. At least in Baron Fiorlando's hands, they are still somewhat useful. They are better than those captured miners, aren't they?"

"Ha, that's true."

As they chatted, the mage who had spoken with the baron earlier walked straight back. The other mages, who were chatting, turned to look at him and asked curiously, "I saw you shake hands with him just now. What did you say?"

Upon hearing his companion's question, the monk turned his head. He seemed a little dazed, and it wasn't until the person next to him asked a second time that he reacted and turned his slightly dull eyes.

However, his expression changed drastically as soon as he opened his mouth.

As if suddenly sensing danger, he abruptly raised his head and looked at the three Atmir Moonbringers that had joined the flock of Asharu birds in the sky. Then, he cried out in terror, "No, damn it, enemy attack!"

This reaction greatly surprised those nearby. Baron Fiorlando, on the other side, was also drawn by the commotion. He looked over in confusion and asked loudly, "What's going on? What happened over there?"

However, at this moment, the Black Sun Society mages had no time to answer, because the instant the Baron asked the question, they sensed that an astonishingly chaotic magical power suddenly erupted from their colleague's body. It was based on the magic of the Dark Abyss, and seemed to be mixed with some auras from the faith of other gods.

The mage seemed to be deluded by some illusion. He suddenly raised his hand and haphazardly constructed several sturdy protective spells with his chaotic magic. Then he took out a spellbook and, ignoring his companions' attempts to stop him, forcefully tore out two pages from it.

In the next instant, the originally "pure" magical environment was completely disrupted.

On this passage leading directly to the central square of Watchtower City, several enormous pillars of dark purple magical fire suddenly erupted. Under the control of the mage, this lethal magic, modified by the Black Sun Society, shot straight into the sky.

As the magic was cast, the special aura hidden within the mage erupted completely, shooting straight into the sky along with the conspicuous dark flames, outlining an alluring yet dangerous trail beneath the magical image of the six-winged giant eagle and the figures of the Moon Eagle's offspring.

It's obviously unrealistic to try and hit the Artmirs high in the sky with magic from here.

However, the sorcerer was already deeply immersed in the suggestion given by Shug and the miniature illusion created by the roots of fate. In his vision, what appeared above him were clearly several huge airships flying at low altitude.

He had never seen such terrifying war machines. They were painted in a glaring bright red and had some unfamiliar symbols painted on their surfaces. They looked like giant whales slowly swimming out of the clouds. Moreover, their heads were even deliberately painted with the gaping maw of a ferocious fish!
Stimulated by that icy magic, he almost lost all his judgment and could only rely on instinct to unleash the most lethal magic he knew, attempting to damage these giant airships that dared to fly at low altitudes.

"Tsk tsk, it's pretty dirty, but I like this kind of thing... Hurry up, don't waste time, this is probably the best 'fodder'..."

Theseus's eerie laughter continued, and although Hugh did not respond, he took very similar measures.

In the chaos he had created, Hugh abandoned the suppression of his magic and aura. With a crisp snap of his fingers, countless translucent roots of fate rapidly "grew" in the hidden corners of the surrounding area. The illusion, which was originally only targeting that one mage, instantly expanded, enveloping everyone nearby.

This time, Hugh didn't expect the illusions of the Roots of Fate to trap everyone, but for now, he only needed these illusions to create more chaos for him and help him successfully buy a few more seconds.

In the instant the crowd's attention was severely diverted, the figure of the Mirror Messenger appeared beside Hugh. He walked directly in the middle of the road in the appearance of Hugh Ernst. Beside the Mirror Messenger, a frantic rat with its fur standing on end and in a state of extreme tension leaped out of thin air. Under Hugh's command, it exuded its presence as "prey" while pouncing on the nearest target.

The magical signals used to call for support rose rapidly, but before they could reach their highest point, several enormous shadows swooped down from the sky, and the magical warning signals, still in flight, vanished in an instant, like candlelight being blown by a strong wind.

The Artmirs, summoned here by the magical ritual, are in a state of extreme excitement.

They finally sensed the scent of their favorite prey once again.

Right below, right in the middle of that street!
It is so vivid, so clear... Even after a long period of time and a long slumber, the scent is still so sweet.

(End of this chapter)