Chapter 149: The Barren Land

In the end, after a friendly and cordial conversation, both parties agreed on a remuneration consisting of five energy chips, fifty electromagnetic and proximity grenades, and a batch of various supplies. Vhalen was not entirely satisfied with this outcome. Generally speaking, anyone qualified to concern themselves with an familiar possessed some regional influence; even if they were not as powerful as the Ninth District, they should not have been entirely weak. Yet, the other party showed no such backbone, stubbornly insisting they were penniless and completely devoid of the energy chips Vhalen desired. Consequently, Vhalen had to settle for more supplies to make up the difference. As for the remaining energy chips—he clearly intended to extort them directly from the familiar itself.

Through this exchange, Vhalen finally obtained the exact coordinates of the familiar's lair.

"Hmm... This place certainly looks fitting for a familiar."

Gazing at the pitch-black cemetery in the distance, Vhalen could not help but sigh with emotion. Even through a telescope, all that came into view were desolate graves and scattered skeletons everywhere. Stone crypts stood like messengers of death surrounding the graveyard. Under the dim and sunless sky, it undeniably radiated a gloomy and eerie atmosphere.

"It seems the enemy we are facing this time will not be easy to handle..."

Lowering the telescope, Vhalen let out another murmur. Of course, he had good reason to say so.

Although familiars possessed eccentric and varied dispositions, they, like all living creatures, had their preferred environments. Just as some people preferred bustling crowds while others liked solitude, or some favored the tropics while others preferred the arctic, familiars had similar criteria when choosing their habitats. Therefore, someone like Vhalen, who had dealt with numerous familiars, could deduce roughly a creature's attributes simply by looking at its dwelling.

A high-ranking dark-type familiar... Well, that promised to be quite troublesome.

Naturally, such classifications did not originate from the familiars themselves, but were devised by humans for convenience. In human categorization, familiars were divided into elemental, light, and dark types—sounding a bit old-fashioned, perhaps, but simple and straightforward remained the most effective approach.

Such categorization was not without basis. Light-type familiars were generally very friendly toward humans; even upon meeting, they rarely inflicted fatal blows. Elemental-type familiars, on the other hand, were unpredictable. Among them were those like Delphine, who willingly accompanied humans, as well as those like Jack o' Lantern, who arbitrarily caused trouble for others. As for dark-type familiars, they resembled the elite ghoul Vhalen had previously encountered—greeting humans with violence without a second word was their trademark style. The notion that humans were the ultimate culprits behind their transposition was also a near-universal consensus among these dark-type familiars.

Naturally, their chosen habitats were places like cemeteries... locales no sane person would ever willingly visit.

He only wondered whether he would encounter the Grim Reaper, a demon, or something else entirely this time...

Lost in thought, Vhalen licked the corner of his lips. The Grim Reaper he had encountered last time had also been quite a headache, but higher risks brought greater rewards—the information-shielding trench coat he wore had been looted as a fine prize from that very Reaper. Such an exquisite item was something ordinary people could never acquire in a lifetime...

Since dark-type familiars leaned heavily toward offense, the soul artifacts they possessed were predominantly offensive in nature. Who knows, perhaps he might scavenge some legendary equipment to take back with him this time?

In any case, he would fight first and ask questions later.

With that thought, Vhalen reached his decision. He turned his head, looked toward the others, and issued his commands.

"Kurona, Chris, the task of guarding the Harmony is left to you. As before, anyone who enters Kurona's sensing range and is unmistakably approaching us is to be executed without mercy."

Hearing Vhalen utter the phrase "executed without mercy," the elven girl instinctively stepped a little further away from him—though it was entirely futile.

Vhalen, however, paid little heed to the elf's reaction. He merely glanced at her before turning his attention to another.

"Franca, this time I need you to provide rear support."

"Understood, Master."

Although Vhalen left it unsaid, Franca understood perfectly that he wanted her to keep a close eye on the elven girl. She simply nodded and gave a smiling confirmation.

That being the case, the roster for heading into the cemetery to deal with the familiar became crystal clear.

Vhalen, Delphine, and Aluka.

Pure offensive power with neither tanks nor support... Ah, a recklessly uninhibited DPS squad.

Yet, this was precisely what Vhalen pursued. Take life lightly and fight whenever you disagree—what could possibly be more entertaining than that?

Having finished briefing everyone, Vhalen led the two girls away from the Harmony, made a wide detour, and rendezvoused with the middle-aged man's convoy from the front entrance of the cemetery.

"It's in your hands, Doctor."

After the previous round of subtle sparring, the middle-aged man's faction had clearly turned cowardly. In truth, when faced with such eerie existences as familiars, it was difficult for most humans *not* to turn cowardly—especially considering that physical-immunity freak from before... Did they seriously expect to scold it to death with harsh words?

"Understood, leave it to me."

Hearing the man's words, Vhalen nodded. He then swept his gaze across the surroundings, lingering for a moment on one of the vehicles. A smile played at the corner of Vhalen's lips. He reached up to press the brim of his hat, nodded gracefully to the middle-aged man, and then turned around, leading Aluka and Delphine into the cemetery.

"Screech—"

The long-corroded iron gate emitted a harsh shriek, which was quickly swallowed by the howling cold wind. Holding down the wide-brimmed hat on his head, Vhalen walked slowly over a thick layer of withered, yellowed leaves, following a dimly visible path toward the center of the cemetery.

Looking closely, the place was virtually dead silent, devoid of all life. Wherever the eye wandered, there were only haphazardly strewn tombstones and scattered white bones. The stone crypts stood like houses around the graveyard, sealed tightly with heavy blocks of stone, making any sudden ambushes seem impossible. Under the dim, lightless sky, it undoubtedly amplified the grim and eerie atmosphere.

"Hmm... This really reminds me of the horror games I played long ago..."

Muttering to himself, Vhalen glanced at Aluka beside him and suddenly posed a question.

"Aluka, take a guess: from where will our enemies launch their attack to deliver a surprise blow?"

"An attack?"

Faced with such a question, Aluka, who had been vigilantly scanning her surroundings, was momentarily taken aback. She furrowed her brow and began to carefully inspect the cemetery. This place clearly appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary graveyard. The crypts were about the height of a house, but they were sealed shut with stone, making a sudden assault from them impossible. Then...

"Could it be... from underground?"

"Correct."

As if to validate Vhalen's words, precisely at that moment, accompanied by a cascade of scraping noises, countless hands violently thrust upward from the soil, pushing aside the mud and stone slabs. Immediately following, a dense horde of skeletons crawled out from the graves, surrounding the group.

"It seems they truly find no peace even in death..."

Watching the scene unfold, Vhalen smiled and let out a whistle. With a flick of his right hand, several surgical scalpel blades materialized between his fingers.

"Well then, let me do a good deed and send you all to hell."