The villainous young master just wants to live a Buddhist-like life.

　In fact, the "Flower of Demeter" had never been moved—though it's also possible that Dark broke its stem before it fully awoke, making it impossible to move.

　However, humans always have a certain psychological advantage when facing an opponent who cannot move.

　Because in such situations, they have the freedom to choose whether to advance or retreat. However, that colossal elephant, whose nature remains unknown, is an animal!

　It can move, and gives a very clear feeling that it is moving this way!

　Just by staring at that dark figure, one could feel the terrifying pressure that was gradually approaching, sending chills down one's spine.

　Those who are slightly weaker may even experience a rapid heartbeat after staring at the screen for a while.

　As the heart rate increases, the drumming sound in those people's ears will suddenly accelerate until it exceeds the heart rate, then drag the heart to beat even faster, blood flow will accelerate, until the heart explodes!

　If someone hadn't noticed in advance and woken up all those whose attention had been drawn to the shadow, the entire camp would probably have been covered in blood!

　"This is……"

　Dark and the others suddenly looked at the crystal ball.

　The person who suddenly stood up to remind them was extremely eye-catching.

　She was a girl who had never appeared before anyone. She belonged to the North and had been sitting in the carriage pulled by a four-winged dragon ever since she entered the Mountain of the Gods.

　The girl's hair color is very similar to that of "The Bride of Stormwind," both as clear as the sky.

　Her eyes were a deep, mysterious color, like the ocean. Dark exchanged quick glances with the two professors.

　Standing beside her, Chris said directly, "This is Quintina, Quintina North, daughter of the 'Tiger of the North Wind,' and according to intelligence, she's a 'Weather Beast.' Of course, 'Weather Beast' might just be her stated profession. After all, conceptually, a 'Weather Beast' is a magical profession that controls multiple elements such as clouds, rain, thunder, and ice, which has the flaw of being a jack-of-all-trades and master of none. She might also have a specialized strength."

　"From what I can see, her perception is extraordinary," Professor Kazel said incisively.

　Professor Sylph nodded and manipulated the crystal ball to continue releasing its influence.

　Quintina North's appearance saved some people, but did not affect the overall situation.

　The three teams remaining on the hill quickly confirmed the danger posed by the giant elephant, and immediately their respective representatives came out and gathered in front of the pumpkin carriage.

　Surprisingly, the representative of the Holy Church was not one of the four golden-armored paladins who remained behind, but an elderly woman who had just stepped out of the Holy Church's chariot.

　The old woman was hunched over, her face was full of wrinkles, and she walked with a cane, looking like she had difficulty walking.

　But the four golden-armored paladins who came with her were extremely respectful to her, even more so than they were to Bishop Sabrina Melville!

　That obviously cannot be due to superficial factors such as age, seniority, or experience.

　The old man who was able to enter the Mountain of Gods with the team under such circumstances must have extraordinary strength.

　Perhaps she is the Holy Church's true reliance for this mission! "Chris," Dark asked Chris directly. Chris also pointed out the old woman's identity without hesitation.

　She was none other than an elder of the Holy Church, and an elder who had stepped down from the position of Holy Maiden!

　“Haley Saint Meredith, that’s her name,” Chris said emphatically.

　“‘Bloody Saintess’ Meredith…” Professor Cazell suddenly uttered the former title of Hayley Saintess Meredith.

　Dark frowned slightly and said, "'Bloody Saintess,' and she even has the name of a saint..."

　Chris said, "Meredis is an artificial saint; her actual age is not as old as she appears."

　As she spoke, she glanced at Professor Sylph, seemingly hinting at something that Dark said he couldn't understand at all.

　Dark said, "Whether she was born that way or not, she is a saint, and since she is still alive, she should not be underestimated. And what about this one from the North?"

　He pointed to the representative of the northern region.

　Chris said, "Hugo Houston is the strongest 'Weather Master' in the North right now. He's also a mage, a pioneer in combining 'Weather Master' with magical technology. Quintina North's weather magic was taught to her by him. He should be Gavin North's trump card."

　Dak nodded and continued reading.

　The appearance of that giant elephant drew out all the trump cards of the Holy Church and the Northern forces, which also meant that the threat posed by that giant elephant had reached such a level.

　You can't feel that kind of pressure from the crystal ball alone, but it must have been incredibly suffocating.

　Professor Mitia and the others also had very serious expressions.

　That was an even more serious expression than when the "Flower of Demeter" was discovered.

　It is evident that the giant elephant was likely an even more terrifying being than the "Flower of Demeter".

　That makes sense; otherwise, they wouldn't have chosen to evacuate so quickly! The discussion among the three representatives was brief because everyone possessed exceptional perception. Even from a great distance, they could sense the terrifying power of the colossal elephant.

　o

　After they gathered, they didn't waste any time with unnecessary words, but directly expressed their feelings and reached a high degree of consensus.

　Immediately afterwards, all three parties proposed to inform the nine (ten) person survey team that had been on the expedition for some time about the arrival of the giant elephant.

　However, they encountered a problem in choosing a messenger.

　They were unaware that there were no magical beasts on the road from here to the area where the "Flower of Demeter" was located, so they had to consider the strength of the messenger.

　However, since the current team leaders could not act as messengers, the pressure ultimately fell on the Academy, which had the most high-end combat power.

　Lily raised her hand immediately, but it was rejected right away.

　Aside from "Serpent Goddess" Nix and "Goddess of Wisdom" Ergane, Professor Lily is the strongest among the remaining members of the Academy's team, and she cannot leave.

　So, the maids, led by Ollie, immediately accepted the task. However, just as they made their decision, a new anomaly occurred!

　Outside the camp's barrier, in the mist leading to the "Flower of Demeter" area, countless green threads faintly appeared.

　That was the manifestation of divine energy, the fragrance emanating from the heart of the "Flower of Demeter".

　Clearly, Dark and the others had already entered that area by this time, which was probably when Gavin North's winged tiger beast was being corrupted by the green threads.

　The green threads in the mist here are slightly less numerous, but their danger level has not diminished in any way.

　As time passed, the green threads became clearer and brighter, spreading outwards like the veins of a leaf.

　The camp's barrier was even directly eroded, with mist carrying green threads seeping into it, and more and more of it appearing.

　A mage sent a magical spirit to test the waters, and it was almost immediately turned into wood, becoming fertilizer for the seeds to germinate and grow.

　After those magical spirits were corrupted, the mages even found that they could not retrieve them from the magic cards.

　Then, an Ice Fish Dragon was accidentally touched by the mist and instantly turned into a wooden fish—if the Ice Fish Dragon's rider hadn't escaped quickly enough, he would have become a piece of wood too.

　The wooden fish now seems to be lying somewhere on the northern side. In any case, this anomaly has blocked their path to the "Flower of Demeter" area.

　That road, which was actually less than a kilometer long, became an insurmountable passage to hell.

　But this wasn't the most fundamental reason why Ollie and the others immediately gave up. The real reason was that the giant elephant was approaching much faster than anyone had anticipated!

　[Bonus Chapter: -4/59]

Chapter 950 When it comes to finding people, I'm a professional (4k)

　From the sound of the drums to the appearance of the giant elephant's silhouette, a little over half an hour passed.

　But less than five minutes passed from when the giant elephant’s shadow came into view to when they felt it getting closer!

　This wasn't because the latter was a shorter distance than the former. Rather, it was because the giant elephant deliberately increased its speed! It clearly sensed the human gaze! When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.

　Professor Mitis and her colleagues discovered the giant elephant was rapidly approaching in a very simple way—the ground tremors were enough to clearly detect it.

　Moreover, as the giant elephant rapidly approached, the tremors of the earth became increasingly pronounced, giving the faint feeling of an earthquake shaking the mountains.

　And the oppressive feeling brought by that giant elephant was getting stronger and stronger!

　After recognizing the increasingly dire situation, the representatives of the Holy Church, the Northern Lands, and the Academy decisively changed their decision and temporarily suspended the "message" mission.

　Originally, because of the appearance of those green threads, they were unable to find a way to break the spell and continue their mission in a short period of time.

　Moreover, the mist with green threads also blocked their path, preventing them from retreating northward.

　In addition, the giant elephant had moved from the south.

　If they want to avoid the giant elephant's path, they can only retreat in the east or west.

　Moreover, they had to avoid looking directly at the giant elephant's shadow throughout the process. From the very beginning, they had no intention of confronting the giant elephant.

　Besides the obvious difference in strength, it's also because they can't afford to suffer losses.

　The team members have varying skill levels.

　If we were to confront such a terrifying behemoth head-on, there would inevitably be enormous sacrifices that no one wants to see.

　The academy clearly didn't want to reveal its hand at this point.

　This idea became even clearer as the giant elephant approached within range of which it could be clearly perceived!

　The representatives of the three parties immediately changed their expressions and began to urge their troops to retreat.

　Fortunately, as soon as the giant elephant was discovered moving in their direction, the entire camp mobilized, and everyone was ready to act at any moment.

　"Bloody Saintess" Hayley Saint Meredith and "Magic Weatherman" Hugo Houston immediately returned to their respective teams to organize their evacuation.

　They speculated about the reason for the giant elephant's sudden acceleration and discovered the cause within just two minutes, loudly warning everyone not to look directly at the giant elephant's shadow.

　Meanwhile, the academy members immediately returned to Pumpkin's carriage, and the three parties took action while maintaining contact.

　The giant elephant came incredibly fast.

　The camp was located right on its path. Only a swift retreat could preserve as many lives as possible. But just as they began to move, the colossal elephant's true form pierced through the thick fog, revealing itself to everyone!

　That's way too big!

　It was so great that everyone was incredibly grateful that their decision to abandon direct combat from the very beginning was the right one.

　It is completely different from the "Flower of Demeter," whose actual size is much smaller than its silhouette.

　The true size of that giant elephant was even larger than the size of the shadowy figure!

　It was clearly over a hundred feet tall, and even its trunk, which was swaying on its head, was thicker and longer than the already enormous "Flower of Demeter"!

　Its thick limbs are like pillars of clouds, supporting the sky and the earth.

　Two equally large drums are fixed to either side of its neck.

　With each step it takes, its enormous ears strike one of the drums like drumsticks.

　It raised its trunk, as if swallowing and exhaling the unique mist above the gods.

　It was as if the mist was being expelled from its body!

　A divine aura, far more powerful than that of the "Flower of Demeter," suddenly appeared in everyone's perception as it drew near.

　But the moment people become aware of it, it also means that it has formed a clear perception of them!

　For countless years, the Mountain of All Beings has stood here, and no one knew of its existence.

　Even Hugo Houston from the North could only repeatedly state that they had no relevant information.

　It doesn't resemble a creature from the Mountain of the Gods at all. It should belong in the "Heavenly Court"!

　Both the "Serpent Goddess" Nix and the "Goddess of Wisdom" Ergan, upon first sensing it, clearly stated... that it was a god.

　It is not a divine being born from the blood of a god like the "Flower of Demeter," nor is it a demigod like the "Green Angel."

　It is a true god who possesses divinity and wields at least one authority!

　"Why do gods appear in the Mountain of Gods?" This question terrified not only the representatives of the three parties at the time.

　Dark and the others, who were observing it through the crystal ball, were also unusually solemn.

　After confirming this crucial information, Professor Mitia and the others immediately exchanged information with the "Bloody Saintess" and the "Magical Weather Master".

　The pressure on all three parties increased dramatically, and they all thought of the same thing at the same time: even if they couldn't get the information about the giant elephant to the investigation team in time, they absolutely could not let the giant elephant continue along that path.

　Otherwise, if they are attacked from both sides, even with the strength of the investigation team, they will inevitably suffer huge losses.

　Furthermore, the colossal elephant had essentially locked onto their presence. As it drew ever closer, even those weaker members of the group, without consciously observing it, experienced an abnormal, rapid heartbeat, as if their hearts were about to burst.

　Especially the drumbeat that strikes with every step you take, it almost shakes you to your core!

　Forget about a direct confrontation, they couldn't even get close to it. Realizing this, the three representatives made a decisive decision: everyone was ordered to retreat eastward, while the "Magic Weather Master," the "Bloody Saintess," and a powerful figure chosen by the academy joined forces to try to lure the giant elephant westward.

　After the decision was made, Professor Lily promptly raised her hand. However, the college ultimately chose Professor Steven Harvey.

　Although having a necromancer cooperate with a former saint of the Holy Church would have seemed absurd in the past.

　However, given the urgency of the situation, Professor Steven Harvey is indeed the best option the academy can offer at this time.

　Moreover, he also possesses an ace that can be used as a consumable item!

　That concludes the message conveyed from within the crystal ball.