Chapter 426: Sorsende-Jess

Perhaps the leader of the Nightmare Cult was truly formidable, for even Zola—a Master-Level powerhouse—couldn’t prevent her voice from trembling when mentioning the name “Sosend Jess.” Merely recalling this person she called the “damned old man” seemed to fill her with palpable dread.

Yet neither Punk nor Kane mocked Zola’s fear. Upon hearing the female ranger’s introduction, both Punk and Kane found themselves momentarily stunned.

“No way! A level 19 mage? That’s a monster already charging toward the Legendary realm! Are level 19 freaks so common these days that we’d run into one in this shabby little place? Is my luck just too damn rotten?”

Kane was the first to exclaim loudly. His agitation appeared genuine rather than feigned, clearly indicating he’d been unaware of the Nightmare Cult leader’s staggering strength. Zola’s intelligence had truly caught him off guard.

In contrast, Punk remained considerably calmer. From his perspective, while level 19 Master-Level experts weren’t abundant, they were far from rare.

Though level 19 represented half-step Legendary status, the gap to true Legendary remained immeasurably vast. Countless Master-Level practitioners remained permanently stuck at level 19 peak. In Grand Arcanist Vedrasha’s memories, such experts were completely insignificant cannon fodder during the Netheril era—every major war would claim tens of thousands of them.

Even now, practically every major branch of Legendary organizations stationed at least one level 19 Master-Level expert. For instance, “Master Kirk Weilen,” the branch director of Thought of Truth’s Gray Rain Country division, was a spellcaster who’d been stagnant at level 19 peak for untold years.

Moreover, was level 19 truly formidable? Not necessarily. Punk had already nearly killed a level 19 dragon mage on two separate occasions.

Thus, the concept of a “level 19 mage” didn’t particularly alarm Punk—at least not to the extent it shocked Kane. Compared to the mere one-level difference in spellcasting ranks, Punk cared more about the enemy’s combat record.

Within similar tiers, levels served only as reference points. While each level increase brought substantial power growth, it never guaranteed superior combat capability. Too many factors influenced actual fighting strength: metamagic techniques, magic equipment, secret techniques, combat awareness, battlefield terrain, even the combatant’s mental state…

To Punk, the most typical example of “severe combat capability-level mismatch” was Ben Lajie—that fool who’d been defeated in two or three moves. Against another level 17 professional, Punk would wager Kane could take on at least three Ben Lajies simultaneously!

This was precisely why Zola’s statement about “directly causing the mysterious disappearance of multiple Master-Level experts who entered the Crazy Waves Desert” weighed heavily on Punk’s mind. Regardless of methods employed, eliminating several Master-Level experts served as undeniable proof of formidable power!You must understand, up until now, the only Master-Level powerhouse Punk had killed was that subpar Ben Lajie!

“Explain clearly, ranger. What exactly do you mean by Sorsend directly causing the mysterious disappearance of several Master-Level powerhouses?”

Dispelling the spell fluctuations in his hand to signal a temporary truce, Punk narrowed his eyes and questioned Zola.

“To be precise, the souls of five Master-Level powerhouses were captured, their bodies vanished, and one Master-Level warrior escaped severely wounded!”

Seeing Punk finally disperse his prepared spell, Zola breathed a slight sigh of relief. However, when answering his question, she couldn’t help recalling the memory of that terrifying, sinister old man. A wave of fear surged through the female ranger once again:

“As far as I know, Sorsend has been stuck at the peak of level nineteen for over a thousand years. More than five hundred years ago, this guy arrived in the Raging Wave Desert with a strange crow. Relying on his terrifying strength, he quickly subdued that Minotaur Shaman you killed—Kulong. Then, using this Master-Level shaman’s influence, he took control of eighty percent of the Goat-headed Tribes in the desert. After that, this dreadful man began spreading his bizarre demonic faith and established the now ubiquitous Nightmare Cult, which hangs over everything like a dark cloud…”

As she spoke, a trace of pain and conflict slowly surfaced in Zola’s eyes. Clearly, the establishment of the Nightmare Cult must have left her with very unpleasant memories.

But Punk had no sympathy to spare, nor any patience for this messy historical timeline. He directly interrupted Zola’s reminiscence:

“Get to the point, miss. Our time is limited!”

“…Alright.”

Frowning slightly, Zola began describing what she knew about Sorsend:

“This old man, despite being a mage, can wield the power of the Abyss. He can obtain vast amounts of abyssal energy by ‘sacrificing’… or rather, ‘luring’ souls to a Demon Sub-Lord. To acquire more and purer abyssal energy, he needs stronger souls to entice that Sub-Lord in the Abyss into releasing greater power. So, this terrifying individual set his sights on every Master-Level powerhouse entering the Raging Wave Desert.

So far, five Master-Level powerhouses have fallen to Sorsend’s magic. Some were mages, some warriors, and others Stalkers. The methods of their deaths varied—some were ambushed, some lured into traps, others defeated in direct combat. In any case, the souls of those poor individuals were all captured and taken away, and their bodies vanished without a trace… Oh, and the only one who escaped was that Master-Level warrior, the Kingdom Protector of Huaibien Kingdom.”

“So this Sorsend has been hunting powerhouses who enter the Raging Wave Desert? And so far, every single hunt has been successful? Moreover, he carries out these hunts using various methods, not relying on any one specific trump card?”The more Zola described, the graver Punk’s expression became. Among Sorsend’s battle records, what he feared most was the fact that “he flexibly kills his prey in various ways.” This meant that Sorsend was a truly capable and intelligent spellcaster—and no enemy could be more troublesome than a powerful and wise mage!

“Hey, hey, hey, this doesn’t seem right. As the leader of a cult, this guy should be an out-and-out lunatic, right? Lunatics these days shouldn’t be this strong.”

Kane also listened to Zola’s description with a furrowed brow, but he quickly recalled the madness of the Minotaur Shaman they had encountered before. No matter what, it was hard to imagine how someone who worshipped demons with that kind of insanity could possess such formidable strength.

However, after the impatient knight hurriedly asked his question, Zola immediately responded with an answer that shocked both Punk and Kane:

“…I don’t know why Sorsend founded such a clumsy cult like the Nightmare Cult. Maybe to better rule his ignorant subordinates? Maybe just for fun? Or perhaps there’s some greater scheme? Who knows… But one thing I’m certain of is—Sorsend himself doesn’t worship any demons at all, and most of the time, he’s not the least bit insane!”

(End of Chapter)