Chapter 1044: Chapter 1042 Blind Eye (Eight) Chapter 1044: Chapter 1042 Blind Eye (Eight) The attrition rate was rather startling.
Without a sound, the last person in the team disappeared.
Faced with this classic horror movie scenario, Fu Qian felt an emotional stir but didn’t rush to speak out.
A professional team should allow someone who had already contributed their share to have reasonable space to slack off.
“Wait a minute.”
ICE, proving herself a lover of team dynamics, didn’t move far ahead before she first noticed something off.
“We’re missing someone.”
Everyone stopped at ICE’s calm voice as she coldly pointed towards the back of the line.
How could that be!
Charlotte, who was second from the last, turned around upon hearing this. She swung her lighting equipment around, and her face immediately darkened.
“So you didn’t feel anything?”
Although equally grim-faced, Shi Gaozhi couldn’t resist the opportunity to provoke.
…
His words weren’t without impact; Charlotte clenched her teeth and remained silent.
“It’s not just Charlotte; we all didn’t notice anything.”
ICE immediately stopped Shi Gaozhi’s mischief.
“Everyone wasn’t far apart, but no one noticed any movement. Left Hand, did you notice anything?”
“The only thing I noticed was the person was gone.”
Fu Qian shook his head, telling the truth.
“So the situation now is that, in this corridor almost without branches, one of us was taken down without any struggle, and not even a body was left behind?”
Satisfied with Charlotte’s reaction, Shi Gaozhi smirked maliciously, continuing his analysis based on ICE’s opinion.
“If that’s the case, it seems we can’t move forward until we figure out the reason.”
This explanation was not difficult to understand–if one could disappear without trace, then it was not impossible for another to vanish as well.
“… Sage, what do you think?”
Understanding this, ICE, after a moment’s thought, still decided to consult the opinion of Sage Old Master.
“The cause is currently uncertain, but it may not necessarily be an attack by the Blind Eye Association.”
The latter smoothly skimmed over everyone’s faces as he spoke, though his answers remained vague.
“Not the Blind Eye Association’s undead?”
His words left Shi Gaozhi and the others momentarily stunned.
“Didn’t you say there would be no other moving things here?”
“Don’t worry, I am still certain of that. But even in a half-sleep state, the Holy Grail, besides giving those undead their abilities, can do many things. And over time, it will do even more.”
The Sage explained patiently in the face of questions.
“Never forget that we are dealing with an entity that, theoretically, can uncover any mystery.”
“What do we do now?”
Shi Gaozhi’s face became serious, his previous smile gone as he looked around.
“The situation seems a bit of a dilemma; moving forward is dangerous, but every minute we delay, the target becomes tougher to deal with.”
“Don’t worry.”
Sage Old Master chuckled, not in a hurry, and pointed in the direction they came from.
“Its difficult nature is precisely why we need it, and the knowledge we hold is enough to bring it back under our control before the Blind Eye Holy Grail completely awakens.”
“There’s still time; let’s head back and see what exactly happened.”
More than a team leader, Sage Old Master had something of a cult leader vibe.
Despite not giving much rationale in his speech, the full confidence in his viewpoints had a significant persuasive power.
The slightly wavering morale was instantly calmed.
Perhaps provoked by Shi Gaozhi’s words, this time Charlotte didn’t ask Brother TP to take the lead. Instead, she marched at the forefront herself, exuding a decidedly murderous aura.
…
Blind Eye Association? That sounds like an interesting term.
And regarding Sage Old Master’s speech that just steadied the morale, Fu Qian also found it greatly instructive.
The previous question “What is this place?” seemed to have found an answer.
According to the Sage, this clearly belongs to what he referred to as “the Association,” the uniformly dressed undead were all its members.
Considering the situation, it seems that something happened years ago that trapped these people here, but they didn’t die in the normal sense; even their bodies transformed.
Moreover, the original riddle of the Illusion Realm and the copying abilities shown by the undead were indeed effects of the “Holy Grail.”
And “understanding everything”–this assertion seemed rather domineering, almost having a flavor of divine authority.
As the treasure of the Association, the Holy Grail slept in these ruins but was now gradually awakening.
If this was indeed the target of his journey, then should it be called the Blind Eye Holy Grail?
Following this line of thought, could the Association be the “Blind Eye Association”?
The several undead encountered earlier didn’t look like blind men, but the ubiquitous eye patterns were quite fitting.
And one last point, Sage Old Master used “regain control over” the Association.
This meant these people were also members of the Blind Eye Association; were they here to rob their own ancestral grave?
Given the repeated emphasis that knowledge is power, it doesn’t seem like an excuse to escape legal sanctions.
“Wait.”
Just as Fu Qian was reviewing his findings, Charlotte, who was leading, suddenly spoke up, signaling everyone to stop.
Following his cue, a figure briefly flashed through the impermeable darkness ahead.
Although it was a fleeting glimpse, the figure’s graceful demeanor was clearly another Association member.
But there was something slightly different.
“… Am I seeing things?”
The next moment, a somewhat life-questioning sigh came from ICE.
“That person’s leg seems to be wearing our gear.”
…
Clearly, a mere slip-through attacker wasn’t enough to frighten this team.
But Fu Qian could confirm that ICE was right; the undead’s right leg was distinctly shiny with gold.
It matched the missing member’s gear precisely, even fitting notably well.
Had the victim been completely devoured, leaving only the undigestable Golden Sacred Garment, which the undead liked enough to wear for themselves?
Or to put it simply, had the victim been persuaded by the Association to choose to evolve into an undead form?
Confronted with this somewhat horrifying development, Fu Qian pondered the reasons behind it.
“The Holy Grail can not only mimic abilities but even replicate equipment?”
At that moment, it was always silent Brother TP who couldn’t help but voice a suggestion.
It seemed not impossible.
Although Brother TP’s words made Charlotte and the others frown simultaneously, Fu Qian didn’t immediately dismiss it.
“Let’s find out.”
Ultimately, Charlotte didn’t say much more and directly charged forward.