Chapter 258: The Snake and the Fool

When Thoren’s finger was only a fraction of a centimeter from the statue, he paused completely.

His breathing trembled and sweat dripped from his forehead to the cold floor below.

’This is too risky,’ he thought to himself.

’I still have the chance to retreat from this madness.’

’Besides, I might not even need the chain. A holy artifact is likely useless to a necromancer like me.’

’Indeed, this action is far too reckless,’ his rational mind screamed.

Various thoughts ran through his mind at blinding speed, each one warring for dominance.

’But with my talent, how could a mere god statue stop me from taking what I want?’

This was the core reason for his reckless action. He possessed an Ex Rank talent. Why would he need to fear a mere statue of a forgotten god?

With that thought appearing in his mind, it bloomed quickly into certainty, refusing to be dismissed or ignored.

’To hell with it,’ he cried in his heart and stretched his finger forward while holding his breath completely.

He was ready to retreat as quickly as possible if he detected even a hint of the holy light.

However, when his finger touched the cold surface of the statue, nothing happened at all.

The statue felt cold and hard under his touch, like any ordinary stone.

Hmm?

Thoren widened his eyes in utter astonishment. For a moment, he did not react to what had just happened.

Then the laughter came.

Hahahahahah.

A hysterical, relieved laughter escaped from his lips uncontrollably. His wild laughter echoed in the still, tense atmosphere of the ancient hall.

The ghostly whispers around him seemed to have reduced greatly, as if even the spirits were stunned by his audacity.

For thirty seconds, the only sound resounding inside the hall was his triumphant laughter.

“I knew it,” he shouted, clenching his fist in victory.

How could a mere statue stop him from achieving his goals? With his talent, holy or not, nothing could stand in his way.

Without any further hesitation, he began to climb the statue with determined ease. He arrived at the neck of the statue and reached out his hand to pick up the mysterious chain.

The moment he laid his hand on the chain, the object trembled vehemently, as if refusing to submit to him.

Seeing this resistance, Thoren sneered and forcefully pulled the chain toward his chest.

He removed it from the statue’s neck and descended to the floor with a victorious smile plastered on his lips.

When his boots touched the solid ground, the mysterious chain stopped shaking completely. Its detailed information appeared before his eyes.

[Confessor Chain]

[Grade: Peak Bronze Grade]

[Description: Binds a target in place, forcing the target to confess all their sins and reveal all their deepest secrets.]

Hmm?

Thoren froze for a single moment, and then slowly, his eyes widened into complete disbelief.

“Oh my goodness,” he exclaimed with genuine shock.

A Peak Bronze Grade item stood in his hands.

Even though he had known the mysterious chain would not be simple, he never expected it would be such a high grade artifact.

Recovering from his shock, a pleased smile crept up his face.

“Hahaha. This is very good. Very good indeed,” he said.

He called the item good twice, unable to contain his satisfaction.

“Now, I can use the Ghost Whispers to question the dead while I use the Confessor Chain for the living,” he muttered under his breath, grinning foolishly at his good fortune.

Slowly, he turned his head, and his eyes fell on the unconscious Neville lying on the floor.

“Hmm,” his lips twisted, and a knowing smile appeared on his face.

“I think you have had enough rest,” he said coldly.

He commanded the undead servant to drop Neville onto the ground, and then he approached the fallen man.

Pah!

A sharp, resounding slap echoed through the still atmosphere.

Ahhh!

Neville’s eyes flew open, and a sharp scream escaped from his lips in panic.

He widened his eyes and looked around frantically, trying to understand where he was. When his eyes landed on Thoren, he was surprised for a single moment.

“Am I dead?” he asked weakly.

“Is this the underworld?” he whispered in fear.

“Indeed, you are dead, and this is my underworld,” Thoren responded, looking at him as if he was a complete fool.

Watching Thoren’s mocking gaze, Neville quickly realized he was not yet dead. His eyes wandered for a moment while slowly processing his surroundings.

“Did you save me from that creature?” he asked slowly, his voice filled with confusion.

“Why are you asking such a foolish question? If I did not save you, who would have done it?” Thoren replied coldly.

Neville nodded slowly and muttered, “Thank you for saving my life.”

“Do not thank me yet,” Thoren shook his head firmly. “I need some answers from you first.”

When Neville heard this, he frowned deeply and opened his mouth to speak.

However, before he could utter a single word, the dark golden chain flew toward him from Thoren’s hand.

Before he could even react to the danger, the chain wrapped around his body tightly, like a living serpent seeking to constrict its prey.

It slowly tightened around his torso and arms, squeezing the breath from his lungs.

“What is…” Neville gasped.

His voice was cut off abruptly, and his gaze dulled into an empty stare.

“I have sinned and committed many sins,” he began mechanically, his voice flat and emotionless.

“I have killed…”

Before he could continue confessing all his sins in detail, Thoren stopped him with a raised hand.

“Enough of your confessions. Tell me, are you the one who revealed my location to my enemies?” Thoren demanded.

“Yes, I revealed your location to the Jackal Beastmen,” Neville nodded without any hesitation.

Hmm?

Listening to this unexpected answer, Thoren was deeply confused. He had thought he was only being targeted by the Slave Trade Guild, but now he realized he was completely wrong.

The Jackal Beastmen were also hunting him within the ruin.

But why would they want him dead?

“Why did you report me to them? I do not think I have ever done anything bad to you or your party,” Thoren asked.

“Indeed, you have done nothing wrong to us. But the jade pendant in your hand is a rare item that belongs to the Jackal Beastmen chief. There is a massive reward for anyone who finds it or reports its location,” Neville confessed.

Ha!

A sharp gasp escaped from Thoren’s lips. Now, he finally understood what was truly going on around him.

The jade pendant he had found in the Bloodstone mine was the reason he was being targeted by the Jackal Beastmen. They wanted their property returned.

“Where are the Jackal Beastmen now?” he asked urgently.

“I do not know their exact location. They should have entered the ruin already to find you, but I do not understand why they have not appeared yet,” Neville answered.

“This is why I was so surprised when I saw you still alive and unharmed,” he added.

Thoren nodded slowly. “So that is the truth,” he mused, processing the information.

“What do you think of Cressida? Do you think she could also be a mole working against our team?” Thoren asked.

“Of course, that snake is very slippery and dangerous. She has betrayed our team many times and caused many of our teammates to die. Yet, I do not know why the captain insists she should remain part of our group,” Neville said bitterly.

“I believe she and the captain are in a secret relationship. But I would not be surprised if she was merely playing that idiot like a fool, using him for her own protection,” he continued.

****

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