Chapter 400: Tracking

Chapter 400: Tracking

“We should try to think on the bright side, like what good could come from this.” Seeing the puzzled looks on Gale and the others’ faces, Lena continued: “Complaining serves no purpose for things already unavoidable. It’s better to consider the positive aspects.”

“This… What positive aspects could there possibly be?”

“Of course there are! Like the things that person said.”

“Things he said…” Oss thought for a moment. It seemed Achille wasn’t throwing his weight around; he simply wanted to keep Oss there. The reason seemed to be Oss’s supposed luck… Achille had no reason to lie to Oss about that, given Oss had nothing worth deceiving him over. Yet, being forcibly kept based on just luck was something Oss couldn’t dispute.

Although his luck really was terribly bad!

“If he isn’t a heartless person, and this matter can’t offer you any tangible benefits, there’s a high chance it might reflect positively on your little sister.”

“Let it be!” Oss’s brow lifted slightly. He produced that expensive vial of Magic Potion and slapped it onto the table. “Take this, Lena, and you all leave this place first. Keep my share safe, Lena. If I don’t make it back… please give it to my sister.”

“What are you talking about, Captain? Even though I plan to leave this life soon, I don’t mind adding one glorious chapter to my career before I go.” Wood shook his head. He had been an Adventurer for over forty years, turning from a young lad into a middle-aged man. He’d seen plenty, but now, thinking back… nothing in his past felt particularly glorious!

It had all been pretty mundane…

“Yeah, yeah! Who would want to miss something you could talk about all your life? To be honest, I was at the last Witch Hunt too. Unfortunately, it was ruined by a dragon in the end, I got nothing.” Gale spread his hands helplessly, wearing an expression of reminiscence. “That dragon’s tricks, tsk tsk… those… those scenes that popped up in the sky! I remember it vividly to this day. Almost killed us all…”

“Ahem!” Rick coughed lightly, indicating there was a woman present. That little dragon’s blatant display of something inappropriate had been utterly outrageous – a sight truly unprecedented. It had turned that rather solemn Witch Hunt almost into a farce. Maybe in some future era, people flipping through history books would find the record…

‘In a certain Witch Hunt of Year XXX, a young dragon pulling something tripped up numerous power ful participants.’

“Oh, I know about that! Some people even tried digging up information on the woman from that scene afterwards, but found nothing.” Lena looked extremely intrigued, which made the corners of Oss’s and the others’ mouths twitch slightly. Oss really wanted to say he was sorry for not knowing about that particular Witch Hunt; he’d just been a regular person back when it happened. Everything he knew about Witch Hunts, he’d heard about later.

“You said this isn’t a Witch Hunt day, right? If we really manage to corner the Undying Sorceress, could we actually take her down?”

“That would probably be very difficult.” Rick thought for a moment before answering. The Witch Hunt was the day when luck, terrain, and manpower were all aligned against the Sorceress. Looking at the records throughout history, most Sorceresses who fell did so on a Witch Hunt day. On normal days outside the hunting period, Sorceresses rarely perished. “However, if the Sanctuary Church takes action, disrupting the Sorceress’s schemes should be no problem.”

“You all…” Watching Lena and the others who had completely drifted away from the original topic, Oss rubbed his temples in frustration. “I was talking about my earlier suggestion… Never mind.”

He sighed. This time, the Sanctuary Church people would absolutely not let Lena and the others be used as cannon fodder. If they wanted to come along, so be it. As for him, after Lena had pointed out some possibilities, he had already made up his mind. Since he was going to do this thing, he would do it the best he could – not for himself, but for his little sister!

They didn’t stay at the Temporary Camp for long. Soon, Achille sent someone to inform Oss they were leaving. The Undying Sorceress was long gone. Church personnel would handle cleaning up the remaining traces later; Oss didn’t need to worry about that. The real task was to pursue the Undying Sorceress’s trail. Having finally caught her tail, they certainly couldn’t let her slip away easily. Time waited for no one; the longer they delayed, the more troublesome it would become.

“Hah… This group. Small numbers, sure, but they wouldn’t have any trouble wiping out a small country?” Following the Sanctuary Church convoy, Gale eyed the woman riding at the front. She was aboard a Magic Cycle without a helmet, her long hair streaming back as she sped along. Ordinary people would end up with permanently windblown hair under such conditions, but every time she took a break, her hairstyle snapped right back into place. Messy? Didn’t happen!

Her identity was the Saintess of the Church!

There were also other knights around them, each exuding an aura that screamed extraordinary power. Particularly noticeable was a cold-faced, stern-looking middle-aged man following closely. He gave off the feeling of an incredibly sharp Magic Arms. Just a glance at him felt like needles pricking one’s eyes.

“I remember… before, the Church knights used mounts with Magical Beast Bloodline, right? Why are they all on Magic Cycles now?” Wood stroked his chin, murmuring. As the eldest present, he’d seen plenty. Back in the day, the specialized mounts for Church knights were usually crossbred horses cultivated within the Sanctuary Church itself.

“Moving with the times.” Rick contemplated this. “Mastering riding a Magic Cycle allows for plenty of maneuverability. And offensive capabilities… they surpass those mounts.”

Not to mention other things, just the sheer force of high-speed spinning wheels against a person was enough to injure a Professional – a direct hit might not kill, but it would definitely scrape off a layer of skin!

Especially the ones with those enhanced Magic Cycle wheels. Their crushing power was immense.

The crossbred horses of the Sanctuary Church were excellent, true. But as standard mounts, their strengths lay mainly in endurance, speed, Life Force, and carrying capacity far exceeding ordinary mounts – not combat prowess. Unless we’re talking rare mounts like the Nightmare from Necromantic Creatures or other special types… It wasn’t possible for every knight to have mounts whose combat abilities matched their own…

“Plus, Magic Cycles don’t have stamina limits. As long as the parts don’t break, the wheels hold up, and the Mana supply is sufficient, they can run indefinitely.” The Mana consumption of a Magic Cycle wasn’t high. For long-distance travel, it was much more efficient than flight Magic.

“And more importantly… I think maintenance and upkeep for Magic Cycles are cheaper than for normal mounts. Plus, they’re just… things.”

Rick’s analysis made the others nod in agreement. Breeding a horse with a Magical Beast Bloodline took at least several years. How long to produce a Magic Cycle?

Just look at the Tianwang Online Store – they never seemed to run out of stock. Production obviously didn’t take long. Once Engineering products reach technological maturity, no matter how complex, resolving material issues typically meant production speeds wouldn’t be that slow!

Losing a mount that took years to raise versus losing an Engineering product produced in mere hours… anyone sensible would know which to choose. Comparing the two, even if the former wasn’t inherently precious, it inevitably seemed more costly. Of course, for the poor, the value of a bad horse would still likely trump that of a Magic Cycle.

For the wealthy, however, this situation was reversed.

“While that’s true… I kind of think they look really happy riding those things…” Lena said, speaking as someone who’d driven one herself.

“Ahem!” Her comment drew another quick cough from the others. Riding Magic Cycles was indeed addictive. Learning to ride a mount required mastering riding skills. Without a deep bond and understanding, handling a mount felt ‘delayed’ compared to driving. Unless one had spent a long time with their mount and both had developed rapport – where a tiny gesture from the rider prompted a swift, accurate reaction from the mount. But that took time, didn’t it?

Magic Cycles, on the other hand, were different. Once you mastered the controls, every move was entirely under your command. Do what you want; the cycle doesn’t resist your orders. Even if you smashed it straight into a wall – just crank the throttle full open or stomp the pedal. It wouldn’t hesitate for a second. This was the advantage of the Magic Cycle. Of course, the downside was that it couldn’t offer the extra combat support a living mount might.

Like fighting while the mount acts autonomously… But even that was rare. Even in combat involving regular horses, directing the horse separately was still crucial – turning it around, for instance. With sufficient skill, controlling a Magic Cycle actually held more advantages. Mounts turn around; Magic Cycles shift gears to reverse. A powerful engine meant reversing could be blisteringly fast, far outpacing mounts.

Therefore, those Professionals who tried Magic Cycles simply couldn’t find a reason not to like them!

“All I know is, after I get the money, I’m buying myself a nice one!” Gale stated with utter seriousness. High-end Magic Cycles cost a fortune, sure, but mid to low range ones were within reach. Especially after getting that payment from selling the potion, it wouldn’t even be a burden.

Oss nodded slightly. He too felt tempted. Whether for experiencing speed and adrenaline or simply as transportation, Magic Cycles were incredibly convenient. Their weight was nothing compared to a Sports Car or sedan; encountering difficult terrain? Just shoulder it and walk. As this thought crossed his mind… his pupils suddenly contracted. Two comma-shaped Magatama symbols appeared in his eyes. “Be careful! Enemies are ambushing!!”