The Rich Cultivator-Chapter 284. Traitor Among Us (3/3)

"F#@%, how many of us are left alive?" Maxwell asked, his voice strained as he surveyed the group.

"Seven, if we count Tyler and Charla," one of the warriors replied, sweat glistening on his brow.

"I saw them escape earlier," another added. "Yeah, seven in total."

Maxwell sighed heavily. "Keep your weapons ready," he ordered, gripping his Dragonova Staff tightly. "If the Abyss Crack is nearby, we’re not alone."

The group trudged forward, their nerves frayed after narrowly escaping the collapsing building. Every shadow seemed to move, and the oppressive silence weighed on them like a physical force.

"Where’s the engineer?" Maxwell suddenly asked, scanning the remaining faces.

"He didn’t make it," the warrior muttered grimly.

Before anyone could process the loss, a sudden barrage of burning volcanic rocks hurtled toward them.

"It’s the mage guy!" someone shouted. It was the mage who left to send message to the camp. He turned into a ’zombie’.

Maxwell acted instantly. Raising his staff, he slammed it into the ground with a resounding crack. A geyser of water erupted beneath the zombie mage, sending him hurtling into the sky.

As the undead mage ascended near the ominous black clouds, a massive claw emerged from the darkness. The claw seized the mage, dragging him into the void above before disappearing completely.

The group stood frozen, their eyes fixed on the sky.

"That means he didn’t send the signal," Maxwell muttered, his tone grim.

"Probably because the traitor among us killed him before he could," Maxwell added, his gaze narrowing as it swept over the group.

The remaining four members stood in tense silence: one warrior and three mages. None dared to speak, but suspicion hung heavy in the air.

Maxwell’s thoughts churned as he evaluated his companions. Tyler and Charla are the most suspicious, he concluded silently. The two had disappeared together during the night, and now the engineer—their only link to the Abyss Crack—was dead. Tyler is also an engineer but he is suspicious.

"Stay alert," Maxwell barked. "Whatever is out there, it’s watching us. And it won’t stop until we’re all dead."

The group nodded, their faces pale, as they pressed on, the tension between them grew thicker, each step carrying them closer to the Abyss Crack—and perhaps closer to betrayal.

Maxwell gripped his staff tighter. The Abyss wasn’t their only enemy. Danger was just as likely to strike from within their own team.

The group moved cautiously, their eyes fixed on the figure of Engineer Mike. His once familiar silhouette was now grotesque, with Abyssal mist curling from his form and his eyes glowing a menacing red. Despite his zombified state, he still clutched the scanner, walking with purpose as if guided by some primal instinct.

"Is he using the scanner on instinct?" Maxwell muttered under his breath, his voice tinged with both curiosity and dread.

"What do we do, Leader?" one of the warriors asked, his grip on his sword tightening.

Maxwell paused, calculating their options. "We follow him—from a distance. He might lead us to the source."

The group trailed the zombified engineer as he moved through the desolate Water Street Town. The eerie silence amplified every creak of their boots on the dry, cracked ground. The once-thriving canals were now barren trenches, their emptiness adding to the town’s ghostly atmosphere.

At last, they reached the town center, where the largest canal had once flowed. In its place now gaped a massive fissure, jagged and pulsating with dark energy. Tendrils of Abyssal mist seeped from the crack, writhing and coiling as though alive.

"What is that?" Someone murmured.

"We found itMaxwell’s eyes narrowed as he took in the sight. "It’s a small spatial crack... a gateway to the Abyss," he announced, his voice grave.

The group stared at the fissure in stunned silence. The sheer malevolence radiating from it was suffocating.

"If this crack widens, the second Breakout is inevitable," Maxwell said, his tone heavy with the weight of the realization.

"What do we do?" one of the mages asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Maxwell tightened his grip on his Dragonova Staff. "Follow the mission, we will close the spatial crack."

---

Elsewhere, Charla clung to Tyler, her trembling fingers gripping his hand as if he were her only anchor in the encroaching darkness.

The oppressive atmosphere pressed down on her chest, making it hard to breathe. Every shadow seemed alive, and every distant sound carried the promise of danger. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

"We shouldn’t be moving alone," she whispered, her voice fragile against the surrounding silence.

"I know," Tyler replied. His gaze darted around their surroundings, scanning for threats. His calm tone belied the unease in his eyes.

After a moment, Charla broke the silence. "I feel a little thirsty."

Tyler reached into his pack and handed her a bottle of water. She took it, her hands trembling slightly, and drank deeply.

As she finished, Tyler’s brow furrowed in concern. "Are you okay?"

Charla blinked, her vision blurring slightly. "Why are there... two of you?" she asked, her voice faint and unsteady. Her body swayed as if the ground beneath her had become unstable.

Tyler moved closer, his expression a mix of worry and curiosity. "What’s wrong? Is there something you’ve been keeping to yourself?"

Charla hesitated, her speech slurring slightly. "There... there is something I wanted to tell you," she admitted, her eyes glassy as if caught in a trance.

Tyler tilted his head, feigning encouragement. "Go on," he said gently, his tone urging her to continue.

"That night... after we slept together," Charla began, her voice thick with hesitation. "I saw you leave. You went off alone."

Tyler’s eyes flickered, but his expression remained neutral. "And?"

"The next day... one of us was dead," Charla said, her voice cracking. "I wanted to tell Maxwell, but I knew he wouldn’t believe me. I didn’t know what to do, but I trusted you."

Tyler’s smile was faint, his tone calm. "So you didn’t tell anyone?"

Charla shook her head, swaying slightly. "No. I couldn’t. You... you stayed by my side. I tried to reach Maxwell using divine consciousness, but... but you looked at me so strangely. I got scared."

Her voice trailed off, and a flicker of realization crossed her face. "W-why... why am I telling you this?" she asked, her voice trembling as sobriety began creeping back into her mind.

Tyler’s lips curled into a cruel smile. "Well, I drugged your water just a little," he said, his tone mocking. "And look at that. You spilled everything."

Charla froze, her breath hitching as fear washed over her. "You... what?"

Taking a step back, she stared at him, her eyes wide with horror.

Tyler’s eyes glowed an ominous red, his calm demeanor now replaced with cold malice.

At the Maxwell group’s location

Far away, the zombified engineer abruptly halted in his tracks. His head tilted unnaturally, his glowing red eyes locking onto the group.

Maxwell’s hand tightened on his staff. "What is it doing?" he muttered, his instincts screaming danger.

Unbeknownst to them, Tyler was watching through the engineer’s vision.

"Tsk," he muttered under his breath. "They’ve found the spatial crack." His frustration was evident, though his lips curved in a faint, dark grin.

Charla’s heart pounded in her chest as she turned and ran, her steps faltering on the uneven ground. The shadows seemed to close in around her, the air thick with an unnatural chill.

"Running won’t save you," Tyler’s voice called after her, calm and taunting.

She didn’t dare look back. Her only thought was to put as much distance as possible between herself and the man she had trusted. Her breathing was ragged, her mind racing as she tried to make sense of everything.

He’s the traitor, she thought, her stomach twisting with fear and betrayal.

But the ground beneath her feet began to shift, the terrain warping as if responding to Tyler’s will. Charla stumbled, falling hard onto the cold, jagged earth.

"Don’t make this harder than it needs to be," Tyler said, his voice closer now.

Charla scrambled to her feet, her resolve hardening. She refused to give up, not after what she had seen.

But suddenly Tyler was behind her. His hand plunged into her heart.

"I really enjoyed that night." He whispered as her life faded away.

"I. Won’t. FORGIVE. YOU." Charla shouted her last words.

The one who killed Lian Fu. The one who murdered Charla’s friend. The one who controlled those lifeless bodies. It was Tyler all along.

Tyler made a grabbing motion, a ball if light appeared in his hand.

"Ahhh ... A Soul full of Vengeance. I love the smell of it." Tyler said.

┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉

Meanwhile, near the giant tree by the river, a lone figure walked along one of its massive branches.

"Damn, they really left me behind," the boy muttered under his breath. His eyes caught sight of a lotus floating gracefully on the river below. Without hesitation, he pulled out a copper ladle and scooped towards it direction.

"Wow... this one’s a rare find," He murmured, admiring his catch.

He glanced around, scanning the surroundings. "Now, where did the group go?" he muttered to himself.

Unbeknownst to him, the bark of the giant tree behind him shifted, revealing two massive eyes that opened briefly before closing.