After returning to the tribe, the first thing everyone did was inquire about the situation. However, the news they received was far from optimistic.
The Catgirl Ranger explained that they had indeed found a stronghold of the Moon Circle Druids. However, the place had been abandoned, with not a single person remaining—only numerous damaged houses and the corpses of some Mutated Animals were left behind.
Furthermore, a faint, nauseating odor permeated the entire abandoned tribe. Merely staying in the area was enough to induce dizziness and vertigo.
The Druids sent to investigate didn't linger. They quickly left the strange place. Afterward, the number of Mutated Animals in the forest began to increase, even appearing around the Earth Circle's tribe. Cipher and her group had encountered some on their way back.
The Catgirl continued, explaining that they had used the Moon Circle's abandoned tribe as a starting point for their investigation. However, their efforts yielded little result. All Moon Circle Druids were masters of shapeshifting, transforming into various small animals to traverse the forest, making their tracks incredibly difficult to find.
After all, the forest was teeming with animals. Who could tell what creature had made these tracks? And who could know if that creature was even a Druid in disguise?
After a brief discussion, Feidric decided they should investigate the abandoned Moon Circle tribe. Despite having just returned less than ten minutes ago, they immediately set off again without a moment's rest.
Half a day passed swiftly. Led by the Catgirl Ranger, the group arrived at the location. Gazing at the desolate encampment, Cipher instantly made her assessment. "A battle took place here not long ago, and remnants of pollution from an Outer God still linger."
Feidric added, "As for the timing of the battle, it couldn't have been more than three days ago."
This meant the incident was recent. So, who could have attacked these Moon Druids?
Thanks to Aria's Divine Artifact, which now recognized the Catgirl Ranger as a teammate, the Ranger felt no discomfort this time. The group ventured deeper, and the closer they got to the center of the tribe, the more severe the pollution became.
Finally, Cipher's gaze fell upon the largest house in the center of the tribe. This structure was also the most heavily damaged, with barely a single wall left standing. The roof hadn't collapsed onto the ground; instead, it had vanished without a trace, completely gone.
The ground was riddled with craters and stained with dark, dried blood.
Douglas remarked, "It looks like this was the heart of the battle."
"And the source of the pollution," Cipher added.
As she spoke, she walked inside, entering what might have been a living room. A cracked stone table stood there. Cipher reached out and gently touched its surface. Instead of cold, hard stone, it felt like she was touching the warm flesh of a living creature—like stroking someone's skin.
The eerie sensation made the fur on her tail stand on end. "Something must have been placed here before," Cipher said. "I suspect that whatever it was, it's the source of all the Mutated Animals... and the pollution."
Daphne frowned and said, "So, the plan remains unchanged. We'll continue searching for traces of the Moon Circle, but this won't be something we can accomplish overnight. In the meantime, I'll also speak with the other members of the tribe to see if anyone else is willing to sign a Contract and become a Warlock, to bolster our strength."
Cipher thought for a moment and said, "Actually, if it's just about finding the Moon Druids who turned into small animals, I might not be much help..."
As she spoke, she gently stroked the stone table again. "But now that I know where the source of the pollution was kept, using that as a clue to find it will be incredibly simple for me."
This was, of course, a lie. However, her rhetorical technique—first claiming she couldn't do something, then asserting she could do something else—greatly enhanced the credibility of her statement.
Combined with her divine status, both Daphne and the Catgirl Ranger believed her without question. Aria was even more gullible; she didn't need any rhetorical tricks—she believed whatever Cipher said.
Douglas, ever pragmatic, didn't waste time questioning why. He simply asked, "How long will it take?"
"Two or three days," Cipher said. "It won't take long. Just give me a little time."
Among everyone present, the only one who wasn't entirely convinced was Feidric. But he showed no sign of it, simply nodding and saying, "Then we're counting on you."
And so, Aria's group of four remained behind, waiting for Cipher to investigate the location of the pollution source. Meanwhile, Daphne and the Catgirl Ranger returned to the tribe to arrange the Contracts with the Pixies and prepare for the operation in three days.
It's worth noting that to prepare for battle, Daphne would naturally have to explain why. The reason was that Cipher would find the pollution source in three days. The tribe members, naturally, wouldn't question the Great Druid's words and immediately believed her, beginning their preparations.
As a result, Cipher's Authority activated successfully. After Daphne and the Catgirl Ranger spread the news, she looked at the stone table again, touched it lightly, and a vague location appeared in her mind.
Her tail swayed gently behind her. "Found it~!"
However, she didn't plan to act immediately. As agreed, she would wait for Daphne's side to arrive with reinforcements, and they would all set out together in three days.
The perspective shifts back to Okhema, to Tribios's side.
After finishing her work for the day, she took a look at the System Page for the first time in a while:
[The Flame-Chaser Identity System is at your service]
[Currently Unlocked Identities: Cipher (Cifera), Mydei (Mydeimos), Castorice, Tribios, Aglaea, Anaxagoras, Hyacine (Hyacinthia), Hysilens (Helektra), Cerydra, Evernight (March 7th)]
[Increase your Fame to unlock the next Identity draw. Current Fame: 3,990,000 / 4,000,000]
During this time, all her Identities had been active across the world, undertaking various tasks. Aglaea in the All Nations Alliance and Mydei in the Dragon Ember Empire alone had contributed immense amounts of Fame. Now, the next draw was just within reach.
Tribios didn't close the System Page. Instead, she leaned back in her chair, sipping a glass of wine, and began to wait. Finally, that evening, her Fame reached exactly four million. Without hesitation, she chose to draw.