The envoy replied, “You should keep those items safe for now. Once the investigation is complete, we may need your cooperation for further research.”

Following the envoy’s instructions, Enzo, Matilda, and Kosor were led to a room to rest.

The room was fairly spacious, with simple and comfortable furnishings, but they still didn’t dare to let their guard down.

Matilda sat on the edge of the bed and sighed. “I thought once we returned to Rage Temple, we’d be safe, but I didn’t expect there to be so many problems.”

Enzo paced around the room, deep in thought. “There’s definitely some conspiracy we don’t know about. Why would the Sloth Temple show up now? And the disappearance of that reclusive old man. It doesn’t seem simple at all.”

Kosor suddenly had a thought and said, “Do you think someone intentionally leaked our search for the old man to the Sloth Temple? And then set up these little traps here in Rage Temple?”

Enzo’s eyes lit up. “That makes sense. It seems we need to trace it back to the source, find out who knows our movements, and who would have the motive to do this.”

At that moment, there was a sudden knock on the door. Enzo, ever cautious, walked over to the door and asked, “Who is it?”

A familiar voice replied from outside, “It’s me, Patricia.”

Enzo opened the door and saw Patricia standing there, a look of surprise on her face. “Patricia, what are you doing here?”

Patricia stepped into the room, glanced around at Enzo, Matilda, and Kosor, then closed the door behind her. She lowered her voice and said, “I heard you guys were in trouble, so I came to check on you. Did you know? There have been some strange rumors circulating in Rage Temple lately, and they seem to involve some of the higher-ups.”

Enzo furrowed his brow. “What rumors? Does it have anything to do with us?”

Patricia nodded. “Some people are saying that certain high-ranking members are in cahoots with the Sloth Temple. The attack on you might have been their doing from behind the scenes. And the whole Ancestor Meat situation… it might be tangled up in some internal power struggles within the temple.”

Matilda was shocked. “No way… The higher-ups of Rage Temple could be working with the Sloth Temple? What are we supposed to do?”

Patricia looked at them, her expression serious. “You’re in danger now, whether inside or outside the temple. My advice is to hide the things you brought back from Gamma, and investigate quietly. I’ll help you from the shadows. We’ll stay in touch and keep each other informed if anything comes up.”

Enzo thought for a moment and said, “Alright, we’ll hide the items first, then start investigating the person who leaked the old man’s whereabouts to us.”

Kosor nodded in agreement. “Yeah, that’s all we can do for now. Hopefully, we can uncover the truth soon and get out of this mess.”

With Patricia’s help, the three of them began their plan.

They found a hidden spot in the room and carefully concealed the glowing blue metal and other important items they had brought back from Gamma.

Afterward, Enzo and Matilda prepared to search for the person who had first told Kosor about the reclusive old man, while Kosor stayed behind in the room, on guard for any unexpected developments.

Enzo and Matilda carefully scoured different areas of Rage Temple, cautiously avoiding the gaze of others. After a while, in a dimly lit corner, they finally spotted the person.

“You… how did you find me?” The person’s voice quivered with panic upon seeing Enzo and Matilda.

Enzo coldly fixed his gaze on him and said, “Don’t worry about how we found you. You’d better start talking—why did you tell us about the old man? And are you involved with the Sloth Temple?”

The person’s face turned pale, and he trembled as he spoke, “I… I was forced. Someone threatened me and made me tell you this information. I didn’t know it would turn out like this…”

Enzo’s brow furrowed. He stepped forward and grabbed the man by the collar. “Who threatened you? You’d better explain yourself!”

The man was shaking so violently that his words came out in stutters. “It… it was a high-ranking official from the temple. I… I can’t say his name, or I’m as good as dead.”

Matilda urgently stepped forward, “If you don’t tell us, we’re in danger right now. And you won’t be any better off either!”

The man hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering with fear, but then he gritted his teeth and said, “Alright, I’ll tell you, but you have to protect me. It… it was the High Priest Milo of Rage Temple. He’s in cahoots with the Sloth Temple. They want to get the Ancestor Meat and those mysterious items to enhance their own power.”

Enzo and Matilda were both shocked. Enzo released the man’s collar, and after a moment of contemplation, he asked, “Milo? Why would he do this? Isn’t Rage Temple supposed to be dedicated to maintaining peace?”

The man gave a bitter smile. “Power and strength can make people lose their way. Milo has been blinded by Sloth. He believes that the Ancestor Meat and those mysterious items will make him the most powerful being, so he’s willing to cooperate with the Sloth Temple. He knew you were searching for the source of the Ancestor Meat, so he set up this trap, sent you on a dangerous mission, and then took the opportunity to steal what you found.”

Matilda angrily said, “This despicable guy, we must expose his conspiracy!”

Enzo nodded. “Yeah, but we need evidence. We can’t just take your word for it. Do you know if Milo and the Sloth Temple have any other plans?”

The man shook his head. “I only know this much. I really don’t know anything else. But I’ve heard that they’ve been performing some kind of ritual in a secret location, and it might be related to their plans.”

Enzo and Matilda exchanged a glance. Enzo said, “Alright, let’s go back and discuss this with Kosor and Patricia. You’d better not go anywhere, or we won’t be able to protect you.”

The man quickly nodded. “I understand. I’ll wait here for your news.”

Enzo and Matilda left the corner and quickly returned to their resting room. They shared the information they had learned from the man with Kosor and Patricia.

Patricia frowned. “Milo? He’s a high-ranking figure in Rage Temple. If he’s really colluding with the Sloth Temple, then this is a serious problem. We need to find evidence of his cooperation with Sloth and stop their ritual.”

Kosor clenched his fists. “Whoever he is, if he dares to hurt our friends and disrupt peace, I won’t let him get away with it!”

Enzo thought for a moment and said, “Let’s start by investigating the location of that secret ritual. We might be able to find some evidence there.”

Matilda suddenly had an idea. “Wait, we can also look into the people around Milo. Maybe we can find some clues through them.”

Patricia nodded in agreement. “That’s a good idea. I have some friends within Rage Temple, maybe they can help. I’ll go contact them right away.”

With that, Patricia quickly left the room. Enzo, Matilda, and Kosor continued to discuss their action plan in the room.

After a while, Patricia returned with a serious expression on her face. “I’ve gathered some information. Milo has been meeting with a mysterious figure in black recently. This figure in black might be an important person from the Sloth Temple. Their meetings have been taking place in a hidden cave in the back mountains of Rage Temple.”

Enzo’s eyes lit up. “Then let’s head to that cave. We might be able to find evidence of their collaboration.”

So, under the cover of night, the four of them quietly made their way toward the back mountains of Rage Temple. The area was pitch dark, with only the occasional flicker of fireflies dancing through the grass. They carefully avoided the patroling temple guards as they got closer to the hidden cave.

When they neared the cave, they heard a low murmur of voices coming from inside. Enzo gestured for everyone to quiet their steps, and they quietly approached the cave, hiding behind a large rock to eavesdrop on the conversation within.

“Milo, are you sure those things are in the hands of those brats?” A hoarse voice asked, sounding like the mysterious figure in black.

Milo’s voice responded, “I’m sure. They brought back silver metal with a bluish glow from Gamma, along with other items related to Ancestor Meat. As long as we get these, the Ritual can proceed smoothly.”

The figure in black snorted. “Hmph, last time they escaped. We can’t afford to fail again. What about that reclusive old man? Has he revealed any clues about the source of Ancestor Meat?”

Milo responded, “Not yet, but he’s already in our control. I’m not worried about him refusing to talk.”

Upon hearing this, Enzo’s heart was filled with anger. These guys were so despicable that they not only framed them, but also kidnapped the reclusive old man. He looked at Matilda, Kosor, and Patricia, indicating with his eyes that they were ready to take action.

At that moment, Milo inside the cave seemed to sense something. He shouted loudly, “Who’s there? Someone’s outside!”

Enzo knew they couldn’t wait any longer. He was the first to leap out from behind the rock, charging toward Milo and the figure in black inside the cave. Matilda, Kosor, and Patricia followed closely behind. A fierce battle was about to begin.

Milo’s face changed when he saw them. “You? How did you find this place?” he demanded.

Enzo replied coldly, “Your conspiracy won’t succeed. Today is the end for you!”

The figure in black sneered. “You lot? How laughable!” With that, he cast a spell, launching an attack at Enzo and his team.

Enzo collided with the figure in black, the violent energy from their clash sending shockwaves that shattered the surrounding rocks. Matilda quickly unleashed her freezing divine arts, attempting to immobilize Milo. Kosor swung his greatsword, charging at the figure in black to join Enzo in the assault. Patricia, meanwhile, cast supportive spells from the sidelines, boosting Enzo and Kosor’s strength.

The battle was intense. Both Milo and the figure in black were formidable opponents, but Enzo and his team fought fiercely, driven by their pursuit of justice and the truth.

During the fight, Enzo noticed a flaw in Milo’s spellcasting. Seizing the opportunity, he gathered all his strength and launched a powerful strike toward Milo’s weak spot. Milo failed to dodge in time and was struck by Enzo’s attack. His body was sent flying backward, slamming hard against the cave wall.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep