CHAPTER 117: OLD GRUDGES

At this moment, Spencer’s figure flashed, and he rushed over at an astonishing speed, appearing not far from Carlotta and the other two.

His gaze swept over them, but he didn’t recognize them, as neither Carlotta nor Amelia were using their appearances from the Adventurer’s Association, and Mia was someone he was seeing for the first time.

Carlotta didn’t want to cause any trouble, so she said, "Don’t misunderstand, we’re just passing by."

"Passing by?"

Spencer’s gaze swept over the three of them, asking, "Is any of you a Listener?"

Carlotta shook her head, "No, we’re all apprentices."

Hearing this, Spencer immediately laughed, "Since you’re apprentices, then leave all your valuables behind."

He strode over, his eyes filled with a sense of threat.

The rest of the Shadow Phantom Adventurer Group also approached, surrounding Carlotta and the other two.

Seeing this, Carlotta narrowed her eyes, "Are you trying to play the role of bandits?"

"What if we are?"

Spencer admitted it openly.

In fact, the Shadow Phantom Adventurer Group often doubled as pirates, and they were never good people.

In this lawless Sky Island, the Shadow Phantom Adventurer Group felt as if they had gained freedom, ability to do whatever they wanted.

Seeing the weakness, they would choose to oppress them, which had become a habit for them.

"I didn’t expect you to still be so reckless, Spencer."

Carlotta shook her head.

Then she pulled the Rose Cross from her necklace.

Spencer was stunned. Although he didn’t recognize Carlotta’s current appearance, he was all too familiar with her action of pulling a weapon from her necklace. Wasn’t that how the leader of the Moonlight Adventure Team used to draw her weapon at the Adventurer’s Association?

Could it be...

Carlotta was already tired of talking. Her red hair fluttered as she unleashed the Spirit Butterfly Dance, charging straight at Spencer.

"You’re the leader of the Moonlight Adventure Team!"

Spencer finally confirmed Carlotta’s identity, exclaiming in shock, and his expression turned extremely ugly.

He never expected to encounter Carlotta again in such a situation. The thought of her strength made his heart race. Although she was only an eighth-tier apprentice, she was not someone easy to deal with.

Thinking of this, Spencer suddenly withdrew, shouting, "Everyone, attack! Capture the other two!"

He tried to seize Carlotta’s companions to threaten her, the best plan he could come up with in such a short time.

Provided they could capture the two.

"Kill!"

Spencer led the charge towards Carlotta, while the others rushed forward to attack Amelia and Mia.

Carlotta didn’t even look back, her target was fixed on Spencer. The Elven Elergy, so familiar to Spencer, was unleashed directly.

"I don’t believe it!"

Spencer had always been resentful about his defeat at the Adventurer’s Association. Now, gritting his teeth, he charged forward, wanting to fight Carlotta again to change the humiliating outcome.

But as he approached Carlotta, he heard a series of screams from not far away, including a voice he knew all too well.

He turned his head and was stunned to find that Thomas and the rest of the Shadow Phantom Adventurer Group were all lying on the ground, not yet killed but completely defenseless.

Carlotta’s voice came over, "People like me aren’t just me."

She swung her sword, forcing Spencer to retreat suddenly.

But behind Spencer, Amelia had constructed a steel plate floating in the air, covered densely with spikes. Spencer’s retreat caused him to crash directly into this spiked steel plate.

"Ah!"

Spencer screamed in agony, the intense pain making him leap forward uncontrollably, back towards Carlotta.

This time, Carlotta didn’t hesitate to thrust her sword into Spencer’s heart, piercing it through.

Spencer’s face showed intense unwillingness as he stared at Carlotta.

Carlotta gave a light hum, pulled out her sword, and with another swing, severed Spencer’s head, completely ending the life of this Listener.

This scene, seen by the rest of the Shadow Phantom Adventurer Group, filled them with horror, their bodies chilled, their courage shattered.

Amelia walked over and said, "Submit to me, or die."

She decided to add to themSoldier Roster. Although there weren’t many people here, their strength was relatively high, the lowest being seventh-tier apprentices, still somewhat useful.

Hearing Amelia’s words, each person quickly expressed their submission.

Only Thomas remains silent. He was Spencer’s brother, and even though he was disenchanted, hatred made it difficult for him to submit.

Amelia didn’t waste time. Seeing the hatred in Thomas’s eyes, she immediately constructed a sword and swung it, beheading Thomas.

This scene makes the rest even more afraid, each expressing their future loyalty to the Moonlight Adventure Team.

There were nine people in total.

Amelia’s gaze swept over them, having Mia temporarily take charge of this group, and selected two from the list of soldiers as assistants.

As for the others, not immediately added to the soldier list, they will be closely watched. If they couldn’t be added to the list for too long, there would be no need for them to survive.

After resolving this sudden battle, Carlotta asked the remaining people, "Where are the rest of your Shadow Phantom Adventurer Group? Why are there only you?"

She thought the Shadow Phantom Adventurer Group should know how to stick together and not be scattered by the teleportation.

A man named Fred Riley, appointed by Amelia as a Deputy, answered with trepidation.

He said the Shadow Phantom Adventurer Group was divided into two parts.

One part, led by Spencer, was responsible for activities in the outer area.

The rest followed the team leader into the inner area.

The leader of the Shadow Phantom Adventurer Group was indeed a Resonator!

Carlotta was somewhat surprised, "Your team leader can only go to the inner area, but some Listeners also followed? Isn’t it dangerous for Listeners there?"

Fred said, "The danger level of the inner area is definitely much higher than the outer area, but the rewards are also much greater. Many Listeners choose to go to the inner area, even if it means taking huge risks."

Carlotta nodded in understanding. The inner area seemed not just a domain for Resonators, but also had a considerable number of Listeners.

This makes her mind stir. She seemed to have a chance to venture into the inner area as well.

Of course, not now. She needed to first secure everything available in the outer area, preferred to advance to a ninth-tier apprentice, and create the high-speed card infused with Wind God Stone.

After asking all the questions, Carlotta shifted her necessary focus back ahead.

Behind the camp of the Shadow Phantom Adventurer Group was a cliff, covered densely with ivy, making the cliff face lush and green.

Carlotta walked forward, using her Rose Cross to cut through the ivy, revealing a cave behind.

This scene leaves the members of the Shadow Phantom Adventurer Group dumbfounded. They had been here for hours and had no idea there was a cave so close by.

"You guys, go scout ahead," Amelia immediately ordered the newly subdued members of the Shadow Phantom Adventurer Group to clear the path.

They dared not object and quickly moved forward.

Carlotta thought there wouldn’t be any danger here; if there were, the intel would have mentioned it.

Of course, she didn’t let her guard down completely. Having someone scout ahead was still a good idea.

The group then entered the cave.

The cave wasn’t very deep, and after walking for a while, they reached the end.

What lay before them was a pond shimmering with a crystalline glow, with red, yellow, and blue hues swirling on its surface, dazzling like a fragment of a rainbow.

Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t the water that was colorful, but rather brightly colored fish swimming around, creating an optical illusion.

"Tri-colored fish," Amelia said, surprised.

The pond was filled with tri-colored fish, a rare sight. Such fish were hard to find in other waters, as they would usually be eaten by other monsters if they appeared.

"Looks like we’re in luck," Carlotta smiled, as if she had stumbled upon this place by chance rather than seeking it out.

"Looks like we’ll have a feast," Amelia was also in a good mood.

She took out a fish basket and caught most of the Tri-colored fish, leaving only some fry behind so that the pond could eventually be filled with them again.

The group then left the cave.

Amelia ordered the cave entrance to be filled in, ensuring it wouldn’t be easily noticed.

She then brought out the Moonlight, thinking it would be a waste to simply grill the fish herself. Instead, she decided to use the Moonlight for a more elaborate meal.

When the massive Moonlight appeared in the forest, the members of the Shadow Phantom Adventurer Group were stunned, never expecting Amelia to casually summon such a large alchemical ship.

In the midst of this awe, three names immediately appeared on the soldier roster.

The Moonlight’s kitchen didn’t require manual labor; it automatically cooks the ingredients.

Braised, steamed, grilled...

Each Tri-colored fish was prepared differently.

In no time, the dining table was filled with various fish dishes, the aroma was so enticing that it made one’s mouth water. The rich magical energy surrounding them indicates that these Tri-colored fish were highly beneficial for Transcendents.

This lavish fish feast was naturally reserved for Carlotta and Amelia, while the others were sent away.

After the feast, Carlotta felt her magical energy surging within her. Not only had the total amount of her magic increased, but its quality had also been slightly refined, which surprised her.

Refining magical energy was something only a Listener could do.

Listeners can sense subtle changes in magical energy and choose higher-quality elements from the environment to refine their own magic.

Refined magical energy naturally had better and stronger effects. Even the same spell or knight technique would be significantly more powerful.

"My mana has been refined. I didn’t expect Tri-colored fish to have this effect," Amelia also noticed the benefits.

Tri-colored fish were so rare that they were almost impossible to find in the wild, so Amelia only now realized their additional effects.

"Same here," Carlotta felt the surge of mana within her, feeling that the distance to becoming a ninth-rank apprentice wasn’t as far as she thought. Just before entering Sky Island, she had only just become an eighth-rank apprentice.

There were too many Tri-colored fish to finish in one meal, so the remaining ones were temporarily frozen. A freezing card was enough for this task, and they were then stored in the Ten Hearts Pearl.

The two then left the Moonlight, and Amelia put it away.

At this moment, Fred stepped forward and respectfully said, "I know of a treasure trove with abundant riches. For you two ladies, it’s a place not to be missed."

He had been thoroughly impressed and wanted to show his loyalty by mentioning this treasure trove.

This made Carlotta’s expression turn subtly.

This treasure trove was naturally the place she most wanted to go to, her current target.

Even if Fred hadn’t mentioned it, she would have headed there. But since he did, they can now go openly.

"A treasure trove? Carlotta, what do you think?" Amelia pondered for a moment before asking.

Carlotta smiled, "Of course, we should go check it out. We can’t miss such a good place."

Amelia asked, "Aren’t you afraid of danger?"

She noticed that Carlotta was quite bold, willing to go anywhere. She felt that such a treasure trove might not be a peaceful place.

Carlotta replied, "Everywhere on Sky Island is a mix of danger and opportunity. We’re here for the rewards; there’s no reason to avoid it."

Amelia nodded, "That’s true."

She then expressed concerns, reminding Carlotta that they were still apprentices and relatively fragile, so they had to be cautious in everything.

Carlotta sobbed, "As apprentices, we really are still too weak. If only we could become Listeners."

The members of the Shadow Phantom Adventurer Group and Mia were left speechless.

These two were calling themselves fragile?

Ordinary apprentices saying that would be fine, but these two were anything but. They were fierce, even capable of killing Listeners. How could they possibly be considered fragile?

"Let’s go," Carlotta took a few steps forward, then turned back to grab Amelia’s hand before moving ahead.

"Tonight’s a bit darker than before. Be careful and follow me. I’m better at close combat, so it’s more fitting for me to take the lead."

Carlotta found a reasonable excuse for holding someone’s hand.