The Rich Cultivator-Chapter 282. Traitor Among Us (1/3)

Morning arrived, but the group’s mood remained as dark and oppressive as the Abyss mist surrounding them. Fear, suspicion, and unease weighed heavily on everyone.

Maxwell’s voice cut through the silence, sharp and accusatory. "Charla, what were you doing in Lian Fu’s tent last night?"

Charla fidgeted nervously, her voice barely above a whisper. "I just wanted to thank him for saving me."

Maxwell’s gaze hardened. "What was the last thing he said to you?"

"He said... ’Run,’" Charla answered, her hands trembling.

Maxwell leaned forward, his tone insistent. "Was he running from something?"

Charla shook her head, her brow furrowing in confusion. "I didn’t see anything behind him."

Maxwell’s expression grew grim. "There’s a knife mark on his neck. This wasn’t an attack by an Abyss monster. Someone assassinated him. But for a trained warrior like Lian Fu to be caught off-guard... it must have been someone he trusted."

Charla’s face paled. "I didn’t do it!" she cried, her voice breaking as she looked to her friend for support.

Her friend averted her gaze, leaving Charla feeling more isolated than ever.

"She probably didn’t do it," Tyler interjected calmly. "Charla’s strength isn’t enough to kill a warrior like Lian Fu with a knife. She’s an alchemist and a mage, not an assassin."

Charla looked at Tyler with a mix of gratitude and relief, but her reprieve was short-lived.

"You’re also a suspect, Tyler White," Maxwell said, turning his attention to him. "You were on watch duty last night, and now someone’s dead."

Tyler didn’t flinch under Maxwell’s gaze. "I did see him leave his tent," he admitted. "When I asked where he was going, he told me to mind my own business and that he was just taking a walk. After that, I went to repel some Lizard Rats on the other side of the camp. It wasn’t until I heard Charla’s scream that I returned."

Maxwell folded his arms, his eyes narrowing. "If it wasn’t one of us, then it must have been something intelligent from the Abyss—Demons, Moon Elves, Succubi, Vampires, or other sentient Abyss beings. But those creatures haven’t infiltrated this world since the Great Abyss Breakout centuries ago. All we’ve faced since then are mindless monsters."

The group fell silent, the implications of Maxwell’s words sinking in.

"There’s probably a traitor among us," Maxwell declared, his tone cold and resolute. His eyes darted between Tyler and Charla, suspicion evident in his gaze.

The camp tensed, everyone now looking at each other with distrust. Tyler stood firm, his calm demeanor unshaken, while Charla’s hands clenched into fists, her breathing uneven.

"We can’t waste time pointing fingers," Tyler said finally. "If there is a traitor, we’ll figure it out. But right now, we need to stay focused. The Abyss won’t wait for us to sort out our issues."

Maxwell hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But no one goes anywhere alone. Pair up and stay vigilant."

As the group prepared to move out, the oppressive mist seemed to press down on them even harder.

The mist grew denser with every step, swallowing what little light filtered through the cracked and crumbling ruins of the abandoned city. Black tendrils of fog snaked through the air, carrying with them a suffocating chill that gnawed at the group’s resolve. Broken debris littered the ground, remnants of a forgotten civilization consumed by the Abyss.

"Can I join you?" Charla asked softly, her voice tinged with vulnerability as she approached Tyler.

"Let me guess. No one trusts you either?" Tyler replied, his tone neutral but laced with understanding.

Charla nodded, her expression bitter. Even her closest friend, the one who had suggested visiting Lian Fu’s tent in the first place, now avoided her.

"Alright. Let’s stick together," Tyler said, offering her a small nod of assurance.

The group trudged forward, led by the engineer who held a device designed to navigate the mist. It beeped intermittently, faint signals cutting through the oppressive silence. But the deeper they ventured, the thicker the mist became, clinging to their skin and lungs.

A few members of the group coughed and choked, clutching their throats as their ability to channel prana or aura faltered. Panic spread like wildfire among them.

"Drink this," Charla said, stepping forward and offering small vials of potion.

They hesitated, their distrust of her still palpable.

Charla’s eyes dimmed, her shoulders slumping under the weight of their suspicion.

Tyler stepped forward without hesitation, snatching one of the vials from her hand. He uncorked it and downed the contents in one go. "If you don’t want to die, just drink it," he said, wiping his mouth. "And for the record, it tastes good."

The others exchanged glances, their reluctance melting away as they reached for the potions. One by one, they drank, relief washing over them as the choking sensation faded.

Charla’s eyes brightened, and she shot Tyler a grateful look.

As they continued through the ruins, Charla fell into step beside Tyler.

"Did it really taste good?" she asked, her voice barely audible over the crunch of debris underfoot.

Tyler smirked. "No... I lied."

Charla burst into a quiet laugh. "It’s not that bad," she said, a playful glint in her eyes. She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Do you want to taste something sweeter?"

Tyler’s grin widened, his tone casual but mischievous. "Maybe during our next rest."

The banter eased some of the tension, a brief reprieve from the crushing weight of their surroundings.

Suddenly, the engineer’s device beeped more urgently, the sound echoing unnervingly in the dense mist.

"What’s that?" Maxwell asked, his voice sharp.

"Readings are spiking," the engineer replied, his brow furrowed as he stared at the screen. "We’re nearing something big. Maybe the anomaly."

"Stay alert," Maxwell ordered, his hand tightening around his weapon.

As the group advanced, the air grew colder, and an unnatural silence descended. Even the faint sound of their footsteps seemed swallowed by the mist.

Then, a shadow moved ahead.

"Stop," Tyler said, his voice low but firm.

The group froze, weapons at the ready as the shadow resolved into a humanoid shape. It was tall and gaunt, its body seemingly made of the same black mist that surrounded them. Two glowing eyes pierced the darkness, staring directly at them.

"What is that?" Charla whispered, clutching Tyler’s arm.

"Isn’t that Lian Fu?" Tyler muttered.

’Lian Fu’ moved closer, its form shifting and flickering like a flame in the wind. A low, guttural sound emanated from it, sending chills down their spines.

Maxwell raised his Dragonova Staff, his mana flaring to life despite the suppressive mist. "Looks like some sort of Abyss Creature is controlling the Dead body. "

The group moved quickly, forming a defensive circle with their weapons aimed outward. Tyler pulled Charla behind him, his eyes locked on the Lian Fu.

Lian Fu’s bright, lifeless eyes fixed on Charla, who clung to Tyler’s hand. A guttural shriek erupted from his throat, shaking the air around them as the Abyss mist surged, swallowing their surroundings in darkness.

Suddenly, a massive water dragon burst forth from Maxwell’s staff. its serpentine body carving through the mist and scattering it in all directions. The glow of its ethereal form illuminated the battlefield, momentarily dispelling the suffocating gloom.

Zombie Lian Fu raised his axe, his movements erratic but deadly. He lunged forward, initially aiming for Tyler. But mid-charge, his body jerked unnaturally, and his head twitched as though he were struggling against unseen forces. Without warning, he veered toward the engineer holding the scanning device.

"Water Globe!" Maxwell shouted, his hands glowing as he cast a spell.

A shimmering sphere of water formed around Lian Fu, trapping him in its fluid prison. The zombie thrashed violently, swinging his axe and clawing at the walls of the globe, but he seemed unfazed by his inability to breathe. His sole focus was breaking free to reach the group below.

The victory was short-lived. The sound of shuffling footsteps echoed through the ruins. Out of the mist emerged a horde of dead bodies, their movements sluggish but unrelenting. Their eyes burned red with Abyssal energy, and the mist clung to their decaying forms like a living parasite.

"Retreat!" Maxwell barked, his voice cutting through the rising panic.

The group scrambled to move, their formation falling apart as they fled the encroaching horde. Charla stumbled as her friend fell behind, tripping over debris and landing hard on the ground.

"Wait!" Charla cried, trying to pull free from Tyler’s grasp to help her friend.

Tyler turned, his expression grim as he tightened his grip on her hand. "There’s no time."

He dragged her forward, his steps urgent and unyielding. Charla glanced back, her heart twisting as she saw her friend struggling to rise. The girl’s hand reached out toward them, her lips moving as though trying to say something.

The cacophony of monster screams drowned out her words.

"Keep moving!" Tyler urged, his voice firm as he pulled Charla along.

Behind them, the horde closed in, and the sounds of fighting and screams faded into the mist. Charla’s eyes filled with tears, guilt and helplessness etched across her face as they continued to flee.

The escaped group didn’t notice a small knife is plunged into the Girl’s Leg.