Even the treasure room, where precious items were stored, had been marked out.

Hawke had probably never thought that someone would sneak into the treasure room to take things while surrounded by countless merfolk.

"We're here!"

Carl paused, frowning at the scene before him.

In the ruins of a relatively small area ahead, more than a hundred merfolk roamed, among them a blue-eyed merman comparable to a Great Knight.

Most importantly, in the center of the ruins, two giant hounds with fiery red fur lay prone on the ground, fast asleep.

"Flame Dogs."

Yana tensed up and spoke softly, "Legendary Creatures, said to possess the bloodline of three-headed hellhounds, usually operating in male and female pairs."

Carl nodded.

Flame Dogs were among the most common Legendary Creatures on this continent, but common didn't mean they were weak. Quite the opposite. Packs of Flame Dogs were also considered a tricky type among Legendary Creatures.

After a moment's thought, he asked, "Can you take them down?"

"This..." Yana hesitated, then replied, "If it were just these two Flame Dogs, I'd have a seventy percent chance, but there are many merfolk here. Starting a fight would draw even more trouble."

This place was already near the core area of Freedom Port; shouting could attract thousands of merfolk. Even a Legendary Knight showing up would be a dead end.

Seventy percent? The fact that one person could face two Legendary Creatures and still have a seventy percent chance of winning was somewhat beyond his expectations.

"See those stone slabs beside the Flame Dogs?" Carl pointed at the slabs. "There's a treasure chamber underneath, containing a chest with valuable items collected by the Sea God's followers."

The distance was short, but opening the stone slab to access the treasure room without alerting the two Legendary Creatures was impossible.

Hmm?

Yana furrowed her brows, deep in thought.

"Heh..." Carl chuckled. "You're not thinking about taking action, are you?"

This girl's strength was likely decent, but she was too straightforward, believing whatever she was told. No wonder the people of the Holy Hall only used Desecration Knights as weapons; they really couldn't handle anything else.

"Watch."

Carl took out a 'beehive' the size of a palm, stepped back, placed it on the ground, and then moved away.

Demonized Item—Beehive!

Priced at ten Magic Stones each, it concealed twenty puppet bees, possessing decent mobility and lethality. Similar Demonized Items were available for sale in many places in the Black Swamp. This one was among the better quality.

"Go!" Carl uttered softly.

With an output of his spiritual power, twenty small bees flew out from the beehive, buzzing towards the Flame Dogs.

Yana's face showed surprise. Since when could Guardians control animals?

BUZZ BUZZ...

As they drew closer, the buzzing grew louder. Several bees suddenly accelerated, charging at the Flame Dogs.

The Flame Dogs were huge, making them easy targets, but as the bees approached, they missed.

So fast!

Carl's eyes narrowed. The speed of these two Flame Dogs was astonishing; even with his keen eyesight, he could only see a blur of afterimages. From slumber to awakening, then springing into an evasive maneuver—the entire process was completed in an instant.

WHOOSH...

Avoiding the bees' attack, the Flame Dog shook its long tail, instantly whipping up a gust of Fierce Flame.

BOOM!

At least six or seven bees burst in the Fierce Flame, while the remaining ones quickly flew off into the distance.

SWOOSH!

The two Flame Dogs leaped and chased after them.

It was not just them. Nearby merfolk were also disturbed and growled as they pounced on the bees.

Opportunity!

Carl's eyes flickered. Empowered by witchcraft, he dashed towards the treasure spot.

"You stay outside, I'm going down."

After giving the instruction, he lifted the stone slab and darted into the chamber below, brandishing his broadsword forward.

Petrification!

The treasure room used by the Sea God's followers to store precious treasures was constructed entirely of fine steel to prevent thievery. But this was actually quite easy for Carl.

The fine steel petrified and then shattered, revealing colorful and dazzling treasures within.

Coins? No need!

Pearls? Gems? Some could be used as Magic Materials; those he set aside.

Prime meat? No use for those anymore!

Great Divine Grace! The eight pieces of Great Divine Grace lying in a box made Carl catch his breath, his eyes lighting up involuntarily.

Turning around, he stacked a few boxes together, then picked them up and blinked into the Divine Domain Fragment.

After stowing the items, he quickly returned.

"Let's go!" Stepping out of the treasure room, Carl signaled to Yana. "On to the next place."

「Night.」

Dark clouds concealed the crimson moon. Freedom Port lay dark as ruins, visibility so low one could not see one's own hand.

Carl opened his eyes from behind a low wall, looking towards the nearby Desecration Knight.

The two were now in a Witchcraft Trap. The trap's mechanisms, which isolated any scent, perfectly helped them avoid the merfolks' detection.

"There's movement," Yana, who had been observing the surroundings, said. "Some of the merfolk nearby have been lured away. Death Knights gain strength at night, so they won't choose to rest now."

"Mm," Carl nodded. "No rush, let's wait a bit longer."

This place was still within the Sea God's followers' territory—another treasure site, at the heart of Freedom Port. The swarms of merfolk made one's scalp tingle; if surrounded, neither of them would survive.

"We'll move after they've drawn the merfolk away."

"Speaking of which..." Turning around, Carl looked at her. "What kind of breathing method do you practice?"

"Desecration Knights don't practice breathing methods." Yana shook her head. "As we age and our Bloodline's concentration increases, our strength naturally grows."

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