"What mission?" Belinda's face was a picture of feigned bewilderment.
"You're still trying to lie to me?" Agnes's voice rose an octave. "Don't forget — as the supreme commander of the Holy City guards, those adventurer and mercenary guilds all fall under my jurisdiction!"
"The gathering mission at Crescent Moon Lake is danger level five — extremely high difficulty! Even a fifth-tier powerhouse would be taking a real risk. You think you can handle it?"
Agnes pleaded earnestly, "If it's for that so-called Holy Light Crystal, just hand it over to me!"
"Thank you, Agnes, but I have my own considerations..."
A bitter smile tugged at Belinda's lips.
"I know! It's about that Nick, isn't it? Even though you haven't gone to see him in over a year, I know all about the things you asked Sophia to deliver..."
Agnes's voice grew heavy. "Because of him, you won't accept my help?"
"That's not what this is about at all!" Belinda really didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"That's exactly what it is! That bastard! I'll sooner or later..." Agnes's fists crackled audibly.
"Agnes!"
Belinda's expression hardened. "I've only ever considered you my good friend! And I'm warning you one last time — if anything happens to Nick, you will absolutely regret it!"
"For him... just for some stinking man! You're actually willing to turn against me?"
A terrifying aura surged from Agnes's body. Dark shadows coalesced behind her, vaguely forming the spectral shape of a three-headed giant serpent.
"That's right!"
Despite the innate racial suppression pressing down on her, Belinda stood firm and met Agnes's gaze.
Seeing her stand her ground like that, Agnes's chest heaved violently. After a long moment, she finally answered through ragged breaths, "So be it!"
The sound of armor hitting the floor echoed, followed by Agnes's retreating footsteps fading into the distance.
Only once she was outside the villa did Agnes's face finally darken completely.
*Crack!* A serpent-headed whip lashed through the air, sending a storm of rose petals and tulip petals swirling into the sky.
"Nick!" Agnes hissed through gritted teeth, then shifted into a cold sneer.
"I made a promise to Belinda, but Thomas never did... Still, perhaps I should handle this a bit more discreetly?"
……
"This is the place!"
Belinda studied the map in her hands, her entire demeanor radiating caution.
She was currently standing in the middle of a vast wasteland, a place permeated with the stench of decay and death that even made Belinda involuntarily tense.
Ever since the Gluttony Calamity had erupted, the entire Serpent Plains had long since ceased to be what they once were.
Fighting, slaughter, devouring — all spreading at tenfold, a hundredfold speed, blanketing the plains in a curtain of crimson.
Even… even the radiance of the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents could no longer reach those frenzied gluttony beasts, for they too were under the protection of the Supreme.
The Gluttony Lord — Beilusebabu — though it had descended upon the Inferno World for less than two years, its infamous name was already known to all, enough to bring little serpentfolk to tears on the spot.
Under these circumstances, the terrifying appetite of the gluttony beasts had even triggered a food shortage crisis in the Holy City — something that would have been an outright joke before, yet had become grimly real.
In truth, if not for the fact that the gluttony beasts were also facing food shortages — even worse than the serpentfolk's, to the point of turning on each other — they would likely have already advanced their forces to the gates of the Holy City.
Unlike the previous disasters, Belinda had a nagging premonition: under the command of the Gluttony Lord, these beasts would never willingly relinquish any territory they conquered.
The kind of large-scale purification the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents had performed at the outset could never happen again.
At this thought, a shadow immediately settled over Belinda's heart.
"After I cross through here, the Crescent Lake won't be far!"
Belinda murmured to herself. Though she had disguised her appearance, being in a place like this left her feeling profoundly unsafe.
"If Beck and the others were still around, maybe this operation could be a little easier. What a pity…"
A bitter smile crossed Belinda's face. Over the course of her mercenary career, she had taken on a number of subordinates over the years, but when they heard she had taken this assignment, every single one had refused.
Given more time, Belinda could have easily consolidated some forces and loyal followers with her resources. But a little over a year was barely enough for people to get familiar with each other, let alone bind together — never mind persuading them to follow her into danger.
"Well, this mission is only to gather Blue Shell Stones from the Crescent Lake! As long as I don't provoke those gluttony beasts, the danger should be minimal!"