Chapter 2447 Tampering

Fang Heng raised an eyebrow and feigned surprise, then cautiously asked, “Lord Bishop Will, are you sure the content of the letter is genuine? Could it have been altered by them?”

“You guessed correctly. They did erase a part of the letter’s content. Fortunately, their method of erasure was not sophisticated enough. I’ve already used my mental strength to recover the text.”

Fang Heng’s heart sank.

D*mn it!

The Holy Realm had such means?

Bishop Will shook his head and said, “Fortunately, we were prepared and detected the issues with those individuals in advance. Bai Mu, I have two items of trust that I need you to deliver to Sir Karolina. I’ve already instructed someone to fetch them. Since we cannot access the teleportation passage to Punoze, I’ll need you to make another trip.”

“Duty calls. I will do my utmost to complete it.”

Fang Heng nodded in response.

The so-called items of trust were probably the two holy artifacts that Karolina had borrowed from Bishop Will.

Otherwise, why not simply take the two holy artifacts and disappear?

After a moment, two attendants entered the lounge carrying a wooden box about one meter long. They approached Fang Heng and presented it to him.

Fang Heng respectfully picked up the wooden box from the tray, weighing it in his hands.

It was quite heavy.

[Item: Emblem of the Holy Court.]

Description: This item was a mission item, protected by a holy seal. Forcibly breaking the seal is highly likely to result in damage to the item.

[Hint: Players who completed the related mission received letters, triggering the next phase of the mission-Escort the Emblem.]

Mission name: Escort the Emblem

Mission difficulty: F

Mission requirements: Deliver Will’s Emblem to Karolina.

Mission reward: Reputation points with the Holy Court, favorability rating with Karolina.

Fang Heng glanced at the game prompt and then looked up at Bishop Will, saying, “Lord Bishop Will, the situation in Punoze is urgent. I’ll take the items and head back immediately.”

“Very well. Go, and send my regards to Sir Karolina,” Bishop Will said, raising a hand to signal his attendants. “Escort Mr. Bai Mu back.”

“Understood!”

“Thank you.”

Fang Heng nodded, slinging the wooden box over his shoulder and following the guards as they left the lounge.

So, what comes next…

As Fang Heng accompanied the guards to the teleportation point, he quickly pondered his options.

Both holy weapons were sealed, and forcibly breaking them would likely damage the seals, rendering them practically useless.

Perhaps it was better to treat them as mission items and return them to Karolina?

Or should he continue to play the long game?

Norbert and his group were already trapped, and with the Holy Court’s surveillance lost, Karolina would have no choice but to trust him. He might even gain additional missions or find another way to exploit the situation against the Holy Court.

Fang Heng knew very well what he was doing.

The Frostbone Dragon was sealed within the Shrine of Bones and, at least for now, could not assist in battle.

Whether or not the Holy Court had holy weapons made little difference.

As for the warm sun gemstone…

It was indeed a significant threat.

However…

Fang Heng soon came up with a plan.

“Thank you, you can leave it here. I’ll manage the rest myself.”

Leaving the Holy Light Cathedral, Fang Heng dismissed the church guards, parting ways with them and quickly moving to a deserted corner within the city.

Whoosh!

He spread his hand, and the Book of Oaths materialized in his palm.

Energy absorption!

As the Book of Oaths emitted its ripples, flecks of dark golden light flowed out from the wooden box, swiftly integrating into the Book of Oaths.

“Let’s drain you halfway first!”

…

Punoze.

With a flash of light, Fang Heng reappeared in the hall, opening his eyes.

Karolina was still seated behind her desk.

“Why are you alone? What happened to Norbert and the others? How did things go?” she inquired.

“Sir Karolina, there was a slight issue during the delivery of the letter.”

Fang Heng recounted the prepared explanation.

Norbert and his associates had tampered with the letters and even attempted to lay their hands on the holy weapon. Fortunately, Archbishop Will intervened and intercepted them.

Currently, Norbert and his group are imprisoned in the Holy Light Cathedral.

As he spoke, Fang Heng handed over the wooden box to the Holy Realm guards standing beside Karolina.

Karolina frowned upon hearing this.

Problems with Norbert and his group?

She was somewhat skeptical.

Upon reflection, it was true that Fang Heng had previously used the death knight space’s power to evade the adjudicator’s pursuit. Could this be related to Norbert?

There was some possibility.

Karolina took the wooden box from the guard, scrutinizing it carefully.

She confirmed that the box showed no signs of having been opened.

Opening the box, she touched the staff and the warm sun gemstone contained within.

What was this?

The staff’s power had been significantly reduced.

It was still usable, but its effectiveness was greatly diminished. Restoring it would require some time.

As for the warm sun gemstone…

Karolina could clearly sense that a substantial portion of the gemstone’s power had been drained.

This reduction led to a significant decrease in the gemstone’s duration and effectiveness.

Fang Heng cautiously asked, “Sir Karolina, is there any impact?”

Karolina set the holy weapon aside and looked up, saying, “The impact is minor. With the assistance of the holy weapons, we still have the means to deal with the Frostbone Dragon. Since Norbert can no longer assist, you will need to enter the Frost Hell domain to gather information on Fang Heng. I will follow with my team shortly.”

“Yes, Sir!”

Fang Heng immediately nodded in response.

[Hint: After completing the mission-Escort the Emblem, the player gains 500 favorability rating with Karolina and 5,000 reputation points with the Holy Court.]

Hint: The player has triggered a new mission—Investigate Fang Heng’s Whereabouts.

Mission name: Investigate Fang Heng’s Whereabouts.

Mission difficulty: S.

Mission description: The Holy Realm is pursuing Fang Heng. There are reports that Fang Heng is currently staying in Frost Hell. The player is tasked with going to Frost Hell to investigate any clues regarding Fang Heng’s whereabouts.

Mission requirements: Find clues about Fang Heng’s location.

Mission reward: Reputation with the Holy Court, favorability rating with Karolina.

Seeing the mission hint, Fang Heng couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

An investigation on him?

How interesting.

….

The periphery of Frost Hell was bustling with players and various undead forces from Punoze gathering together.

The atmosphere was heavy and tense.

The Holy Realm’s Purifiers had been aggressive, having completely destroyed the Tower of Bones. Although the sudden appearance of the Frostbone Dragon had momentarily boosted the players’ spirits, it was short-lived.

Soon after, news spread that the Frostbone Dragon had completely vanished.

The Holy Realm had fully occupied Catantul, the main city of Punoze.

With no other options, players were forced to retreat deeper into Frost Hell to escape the dire situation. However, getting closer to Frost Hell meant enduring its harsh negative effects.

At this time, the city lord of Frost Fortress, Hornlow, had become a significant hope for the players and the major factions within Punoze.

Having been stationed in Frost Fortress for many years, it was hoped that he might have a way to counter the Holy Realm.

Yet, the response received was deeply disappointing.