Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1618: Chapter 345: The Pitfalls and Loopholes of the Shelter Agreement?

The forelimbs hung down naturally, while the hind limbs stood upright. The black cat stood like a human and spoke in human language. If an ordinary person were here, they would probably think it had become a spirit.

But Atang is obviously not an ordinary person. It’s just a golden layer… or a Void Primordial Demon disguised as a golden layer.

Meow?

Atang slowly got up and began to crawl towards the Black Cat—the Black Cat remained motionless, seemingly watching Atang’s actions with interest.

Until Atang finally approached the Black Cat, extending his nose to sniff the scent on the Black Cat’s body, circling around several times before squatting in front of the Black Cat, tilting his head as if puzzled.

“What, do you intend to do something to me?” The Black Cat spoke again, extending its paw.

At that moment, Atang suddenly opened his mouth, and a giant tentacle instantly spewed out from Atang’s mouth… The Black Cat’s pupils contracted. Meanwhile, a pair of tiny wings grew mystically from its hind legs, swiftly flapping towards the upper rear.

The tentacle swept past and smashed fiercely on the floor.

“As expected… it’s you guys.” A hint of killing intent flashed in the Black Cat’s eyes but soon dimmed.

But Atang obviously didn’t intend to stop there. Dozens of tentacles spewed directly from his mouth, the ugly and violent scene instantly making the Black Cat’s heart leap… Some unpleasant memories rampaged through the small head—ultimately causing the Black Cat’s eyes to suddenly turn blood-red!

A large amount of black gas emerged from the Black Cat’s body.

“Hermes.”

However, a fair hand stretched out from behind, grabbing the Black Cat’s nape, casually holding it.

The blood-red color in the Black Cat’s eyes gradually faded… It looked up discontentedly at the man in a suit who grasped its neck, and even the black gas gradually dissipated.

Meanwhile, the dozens of tentacles spewing from Atang’s mouth simultaneously attacked the man in the suit.

The shadow beneath the man in the suit suddenly expanded, transforming into a dark shadow wall that effortlessly blocked Atang’s tentacle attack… Furthermore, shadow walls rose from the ground, forming four walls. Finally, the man in the suit waved his hand, and a fifth shadow wall appeared from thin air, directly entrapping Atang.

A cat deprived of freedom will obviously go mad… Atang went berserk in that moment, frantically striking the shadow wall with his tentacles but to no avail.

Finally, Atang withdrew his tentacles and squatted on the ground, looking confusedly at everything… without fear.

The man in the suit sighed at this moment, “To survive here, you are clearly different… But an Elemental Demon is still an Elemental Demon, unable to absorb—how about a deal? You spit out what you just swallowed, and I’ll let you out.”

Atang completely ignored him, opening his legs and starting to bite his lower fur.

The man in the suit didn’t get angry, speaking indifferently: “As you wish… But you best prepare to be imprisoned until the end of time. My power comes from the origin of death, as long as death remains constant, this box will never disappear. Of course, you too are undying, but from now on you will never taste delicious food again.”

Atang looked up, pitifully at the other party, then arched his back, reluctantly spitting out the light sphere that he had just swallowed.

As soon as Atang spat out the origin light sphere, the shadow walls dispersed instantly, and the light sphere flew directly into the man in the suit’s hand.

The man in the suit suddenly laughed at this moment, “Actually, I was lying to you. But imprisoning you until the end of time, I can’t really do that.”

Atang’s eyes widened instantly, fur standing on end, madly rushing towards the man in the suit—this time, however, a wrinkled hand stretched from behind, grabbing Atang’s neck directly: Father Strala!

The Father, who didn’t know when he entered, tossed Atang out the window with a casual throw, instructing, “Don’t run out.”

Atang did not come back.

Father Strala looked at the man in the suit with a frown, curiously asking, “Why are you dressed like that today, going to a party? Why didn’t you invite me?”

“I am not him…” The man in the suit smiled slightly, his silhouette gradually fading: “But perhaps I will come find you again, Father.”

“Huh?”

Father Strala paused, instinctively darting out, only to grasp a wisp of air… A hint of sharpness flashed in Father Strala’s eyes, before rushing out.

He arrived in the courtyard, seeing Paladins, Clergy, and even the Red-robed Hub lying on the ground, motionless!

Father Strala silently observed the ones on the ground… Among them, only Lamias seemed to have suffered a gigantic shock, slumped on the ground, eyes vacant.

At least she wasn’t lying on the ground… But her body trembled, lips trembling, trying to say something but unable to form words.

No, besides Lamias, there was another person awake in the courtyard… Mai Rada, who had been shackled by Father Strala.

Mai Rada’s eyes burned with enthusiasm at this moment, kneeling into a ritual-like pose.

Bang—!

Looking at the Church’s corpses all over the ground, Father Strala suddenly smacked his head forcefully, “Damn! I haven’t hung out my clothes!”

The Father quickly dashed into the church, unbothered by the mess in the courtyard.

Lamias suddenly shivered, scrambling and rushing towards the motorcycle parked outside the church, twisting the throttle hard and speeding away.

Lucky for her, this church was built at the edge of the town, with few residents nearby—at midday, the few houses nearby had people out at work, the motorcycle’s roar did not disturb anyone—but she was so close to losing her life, why would Lamias care?

Just as she rushed out of the church courtyard, Atang emerged from somewhere… Observing the corpses all over the ground, Atang slowly opened his mouth.

Under the sunlight, a cluster of tentacle-like shadows danced wildly…

…

She was almost too panicked to choose a path, wanting to escape from the town in a straight line.

Indeed, with a mortal’s abilities, dealing with extraordinary powers is too much… Those guys, those with terrifying powers, if they were sane like the mansion’s owner, maybe they could talk to her properly.

The surrounding scenes flashed rapidly in Lamias’s view, and suddenly a thought popped into her mind—the Black Religious Congregation mostly mastered technology, the church possessed very few “Non-Human” powers, even among these “Non-Humans,” most had mysterious powers classified as auxiliary abilities.

Strong as the “God-slaying Armor” crystal was, easily blasted by Father Strala, facing such terrifying individual powers, what gave the Black Religious Congregation confidence that they could challenge the Holy Church?

Was it the hundred-year plan?

Lamias didn’t know—in fact, before recklessly entering the town to escape Priede’s summons, she was quite confident that the Black Religious Congregation could deal a heavy blow to the Holy Church.

The congregation’s cutting-edge technology that combined Extraordinary Power gave the members unparalleled confidence—even holy remains, the Black Religious Congregation successfully robbed from the Holy Church.

But just Father Strala alone wasn’t something the Black Religious Congregation at this moment could withstand!

Yet even so, it wasn’t as dreadful as the scene Lamias had witnessed today in the church—the Paladins, Clergy, and even a Red-robed Hub silently fell before her eyes.

She didn’t know if these people were dead or alive, but the scene was eerily surreal, even touching on the brain’s self-defense mechanism.

It’s said that once pain surpasses the limit of endurance, the brain will cause a person to lose consciousness to protect the body from suffering.

Fear operates in the same way.

Escape became the only thought in Lamias’s mind.

The motorcycle had sped far away, possibly leaving the town’s limits… instead of feeling relieved, Lamias grew more anxious with a single thought: it wasn’t far enough, she needed to go even further.

Even further.

Until a silhouette blocked the path ahead… She accelerated recklessly, without time to put on her helmet, the rushing wind making it hard to open her eyes, vaguely seeing the figure blocking her, but too late to avoid.

The motorcycle crashed hard!

Bang—!!

With a loud noise, Lamias’s body was thrown forward by inertia, violently hitting the trunk of a tree by the road… feeling like her insides were churning, with the taste of blood rising in her throat.

Ignoring the pain, Lamias struggled to rise, seeing Eve holding the front of the motorcycle… The motorcycle was crushed into a pile, as if it had crashed into a half-meter thick steel plate.

“…Is it you?” Lamias was shocked and furious.

Eve casually tossed the pile of scrap metal—the motorcycle fell from Lamias’s head and embedded into the soil.

“Ms. Lamias.” Eve walked slowly towards her but veered into the roadside dirt—it stains the shoes.

“According to your agreement with the master, your safe zone is within this town.” Eve said slowly, “If you leave the town’s limits, you’re deemed to have voluntarily given up protection.”

Lamias, frustrated by the mention of irrelevant topics, snapped, “Protection? I barely survived in the church, where were your people then?!”

She was so angry, thinking—how could Eve not have acted earlier?

“You’re still alive now.” Eve replied indifferently.

Lamias gritted her teeth, “I was caught by the Paladins, if not for… wait, was it you who dealt with those Paladins and Clergy?”

“No.” Eve shook her head, “However… being caught doesn’t mean your life was at risk. As long as you stay inside the town, under the protection period, and without direct physical harm, we haven’t breached the agreement.”

Lamias felt utterly helpless—as per this, even if caught and tortured, as long as she doesn’t die or leave town, it’s fine?

Demons!

She screamed internally, but couldn’t change reality, lowering her head in silence.

Eve stood quietly waiting.

Suddenly, Lamias raised her head and asked, “As long as I’m within the protection time and in town, I won’t die?”

Eve replied, “The master said you won’t die, so you won’t… but only from external causes. Ms. Lamias, self-harm isn’t covered by our services.”

We protect you, but if you attempt suicide, that’s on you… We can’t stop you, can we? Everything depends on your own choices.

Lamias’s expression changed slightly… She had some strange ideas but Eve’s response shattered them.

“Rest assured, I still want to see the sun every day.” Lamias murmured, adjusting her clothes and correcting her broken arm from the fall.

Does it hurt?

Of course, but it’s bearable.

It’s not as hopeless as when fate is in another’s hands.

“Ms. Lamias, are you planning to return to the mansion?” Eve asked, “If so, I can accompany you back. Or, you may continue activities in town… but without my company.”

“No need.” Lamias forced a smile. “I have my own place, don’t need to stay in another man’s house.”

“As you wish.” Eve bowed slightly, then leapt away, disappearing into the forest beside the road.

…

This was a private apartment Lamias had during college… undoubtedly, after her betrayal, everything related to the Black Religious Congregation was destroyed.

Probably handled by the Director of Discipline lurking in the academy.

There was nothing particularly useful here, maybe some material on the laptop… Lamias dragged her exhausted body into the bathroom.

Half an hour later, she emerged casually wrapped in a towel.

“Don’t move!”

A figure emerged behind her, pressing a handgun to her back… the voice belonged to the Director of Discipline.

“You’re just an ordinary external contractor.” Lamias responded calmly, “Do you think you can actually injure me with that weapon?”

Silence.

Lamias slowly turned her back, holding the gun barrel under a complicated gaze, making the Director of Discipline pale.

“Not planning to shoot me, are you?”

“What… what do you intend to do? Why betray the Congregation! Do you know headquarters has issued an assassination order…”

Lamias shushed him, squinted, and said, “Now, tell the Congregation I’m here…”

Unclasping her necklace, she continued, “I know, especially those New Faction guys inside the Congregation, would be interested.”

—As long as I don’t leave town, I won’t be killed.

—Then come on… all those who want to deal with me.

So, this wouldn’t breach the agreement’s terms, would it?