Be a lord in the world of Indian mythology

Chapter 66 A Glimmer of Hope

In the darkness, nothing can be accomplished smoothly.

The group had no choice but to huddle together and fumble their way through the necessary actions.

Feeling each other tremble was also reassuring.

Vijay was practically the only one who remained somewhat wary at that moment.

The recent outbreak seems to have brought some hidden dangers; at least for now, he doesn't feel very comfortable in his lungs.

It might be related to the cow urine mask falling off during the fight...

Lost in thought, the feeling of vision from the swamp returned. Vijay stood up, gripped the Kanda sword in his hand, and looked into the distance, where a flying leopard should be hovering in the air.

It gently flapped its wings, seemingly spying on the nearly collapsing convoy!

A single flying leopard can't kill many people, but if it's allowed to attack at will, the convoy that has just stabilized will definitely collapse completely!

Vijay watched it, then carefully moved his feet, trying to block its path as it came.

He adjusted his breathing, suppressing his murderous intent.

Vijay didn't know how Flying Leopard sensed everything, but he was already prepared.

Sure enough, even the most intelligent beast is still a beast.

While being watched by predators, it may also become prey!

The Flying Leopard moved, transforming into a bolt of lightning, its target being Delanvila!

What a vengeful beast!

Delanvila's condition was not good. The vines seemed to have targeted him as their main target. Although the lashes and bindings left many marks on his body, and although the armor blocked a lot of them, some wounds were still left on his body.

The main problem is the significant physical exertion, which leads to a decrease in concentration!

But his soldier's instincts allowed him to react at the last second before the attack!

He raised his arm and, with his arm armor and tough body, actually managed to block the sharp claws of the flying leopard, which were powerful enough to cut through a camel or ox!

In that brief moment of pause, Vijay arrived in a flash!

The Kanda sword slashed fiercely towards the Flying Leopard's head!

"Thump!"

The flying leopard's carcass fell to the ground, and the splattered blood seemed to have given Delanvila a bath!

"What's going on?" Among the remaining people, Sada was the first to react, turning towards the direction from which the voice came and gripping his sword tightly.

"It's a Flying Leopard!" Vijay said decisively.

The crowd instantly stirred.

Vijay's next words immediately calmed his anxiety: "I've already taken care of him!"

Like a lake surface swept by a gentle breeze, the slightest ripples are quickly smoothed out.

With this last bit of trouble settled, the night finally came to a peaceful end.

But no one dared to fall asleep until dawn.

Vijay jumped up when the first drop of dew reflected light.

What came into view was devastation.

The carts pulled by oxen and horses were scattered all over the ground, and the goods were strewn everywhere, but there were no corpses on the ground.

"One, two, three..." Vijay jumped onto the frame and began counting the number of people.

"Twenty-five..."

Last night, 13 team members completely disappeared in the darkness, leaving no trace of their remains.

"Run!" This conclusion brought a belated fear. Some of the servants broke down, crying out in hoarse voices, "We're going back! We'll never go east again!"

More than half of the goods, food, water, and equipment carried were lost.

The caravan's morale had collapsed.

From any perspective, returning the way we came is the right thing to do!

Vijay's gaze fell upon Delanvila, who was being bandaged by the light with the help of his guards. Under the armor on his left arm that he had removed, a huge laceration almost cut his arm in two, and the wound was a bloody mess!

This was the last Flying Leopard raid of last night!

It's amazing that this man managed to hold back all night without making a sound!

Looking at his pale face and trembling lips from blood loss, Vijay couldn't help but feel admiration!

Now, he probably can't say anything...

"We can't back down!" Delanvila stood up, surveying the entire arena. "We can't back down!"

His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked so vicious that he seemed ready to devour everyone.

Vijay frowned slightly. He couldn't understand Delanville's persistence. Even now... was his master's mission still unbreakable?

We have to be patient a little longer!

Vijay could only suppress his emotions, straighten his back, and encourage the team with the firmest voice he could muster: "Don't look down! The safe zone is just ahead! We're very close! Believe me, we can get out of here!"

His voice was steady and powerful, carrying an unquestionable certainty.

The remaining team members looked at each other, filled with doubt, but now they had no other choice. On their own, there was absolutely no way they could get out of this swamp!

They had no choice but to trust the head of the Mittal family once again.

After sorting through the remaining goods and consuming cold rice and water, the group regained some of their strength. They set off again, making their way forward with difficulty for a short distance.

"Ahead!" Bim exclaimed, his eyes widening as he pointed ahead.

A long-lost safe zone suddenly appeared before our eyes.

Hundreds of square meters of dry ground, dotted with green grass, finally freed us from that suffocating swamp.

In the very center of this safe zone stands an extremely eerie tree.

The tree trunks were twisted, clenched, and huddled together, as if struggling in pain.

Aerial roots, vines, tendrils hanging down from the branches...

It was exactly the same as the demonic vine that attacked them last night.

What's even more chilling is that several fresh skeletons are hanging on the tree trunk.

Its flesh and blood, as well as its vital energy, were completely drained. Its skin was withered and shriveled, blending into the tree branches, as if it were a fruit that had grown from the tree.

Those were the team members and livestock that were devoured last night.

This scene struck a nerve with almost every survivor.

"Burn it!"

With a roar, Delanvila charged into the safe zone, lit a torch without hesitation, and hurled the blazing fireball at the demon tree.

A strange thing happened.

This terrifying demonic tree, capable of controlling the vines of the entire swamp, seemed to fall into a deep sleep the moment the flames descended, offering no resistance whatsoever.

The flames burned wildly, crackling and popping.

The demon tree withered and charred, eventually transforming into a giant torch that illuminated the entire safe zone.

The culprit was thus easily and completely burned.

"Let's go back..."

After everyone entered the safe zone, the caravan hesitated again.

The courage I had just mustered vanished again at this moment.

A trembling voice broke the silence, "How many more people will die if we go any further? We came here for wealth, not to throw our lives in this cursed, hellish place!"

The speaker was a Shudra servant, his face streaked with tears and his voice hoarse.

Her words, however, were like a spark that ignited long-suppressed emotions.

"Yes! Let's go back!"

"We don't want to die!"

"This is not a path for humans!"

Several people stood up at the same time, their emotions running high. Some even walked directly up to Vijay and, with a threatening tone, loudly demanded that he turn around and return immediately.

The situation briefly spiraled out of control.

Vijay hadn't spoken yet.

"Whoosh!"

A cold light flashed.

Delanvila's longsword was already firmly pressed against the neck of the Shudra who had first started the commotion.

"By Indra!" Delanvila's eyes were icy, her tone harsh and devoid of any warmth. "You cowardly fools! You've come this far, and you think you can leave empty-handed? I will not allow it!"

The blade pressed tightly against the skin, its chill penetrating to the bone.

But the Shudra had completely broken down. His neck stiffened, tears streaming down his face, he cried out in a hoarse voice, "We want wealth, not graves! This land abandoned by Brahma is not a place we should set foot on! Kill me! I'd rather die here than take another step forward!"

His expression was sincere, tears streaming down his face; he looked both pitiful and pathetic.

There was no pity in Delan Vera's eyes.

"A cowardly and weak person does not deserve to live."

He spoke calmly, then suddenly exerted force with his wrist.

A flash of cold light.

Heads fell to the ground.

Fresh blood gushed out.

Thus, the first caravan member to die at the hands of his own people was born.

The entire room fell silent.

Everyone trembled with fear and dared not utter another sound.

Delanvila withdrew his longsword, flicked away the blood, and coldly swept his gaze across the entire area. He spoke each word with murderous intent: "Brahma bears witness! Anyone who dares to retreat again will be exactly the same as this person."

Vijay stood still, without stopping him.

He always knew that Delanvila was not just a brave brute.

From the moment he entered the swamp, this man secretly arranged for his men to leave markers along the way, ensuring he had an escape route.

Now, by killing to establish his authority, he is also vying for control of the team.

Under such swift and decisive measures, no one dared to back down.

After dealing with the troublemakers, Delanvila turned around and pointed his finger at Vijay.

He approached step by step, his eyes sharp, his tone questioning and authoritative: "Master of the Clan."

"Now, you should have explained it clearly."

"Why did the route you planned turn into a dead end? Why couldn't we find a safe zone before nightfall?"

All eyes, instinctively following the question, fell on Vijay.

Vijay already had the answer to this question. He met Delanvila's gaze, his expression calm, his tone even yet incredibly firm:

"According to my original plan, we could have reached this safe zone before it got completely dark."

He pointed in the direction he had come from, then pointed to the oasis at his feet; the distance was obvious.

"If we hadn't provoked Flying Leopard, we wouldn't have ended up in this desperate situation of being attacked in the dark."

That should make things clear enough.

Without naming names or making accusations, every sentence hit the nail on the head.

The rest of the people present were not fools.

Everyone clearly remembers that it was Delanvila's insistence on killing the Flying Leopard to show off his strength that led to endless revenge harassment and slowed down the whole team.

Delanvila was stunned, and his face instantly turned bright red.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Vijay did not downplay the seriousness of the matter.

He simply stated the truth that everyone understood, but no one dared to point it out.

Delanvila's right hand, gripping the sword, was so enraged that his knuckles were completely white, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged out.

His armor was stretched taut by his suddenly swollen muscles, the metal plates pressing against each other with a clanging sound, and an intense, almost overwhelming malice rolled over Vijay without any attempt to conceal it.

The old servant Bim sensed the danger immediately. Without thinking, he gripped the short spear he never parted with, shifted his feet, and stood firmly beside Vijay, his back straight, his eyes fixed on Delanvila warily, ready to protect his master at any moment.

On the other side, the detective and the two new servants who had just sworn allegiance to Vijay appeared much more timid. They trembled all over, dared not utter a word, and instinctively shielded Vijay in front of them.

The atmosphere was extremely tense at this moment, as if a single spark could cause an explosion.

Delanvila's chest heaved violently, and flames of anger almost spit out of his eyes. He wanted to kill the man in front of him who only knew how to damage his dignity with sweet words, but deep in his mind, his master's strict orders before his departure locked his impulse in place.

He knew he could be arrogant, haughty, and even kill to establish his authority, but he absolutely could not lay a hand on the only one who could point out the way to the East.

Especially since he had personally led the caravan into the unknown world...

After a brief standoff, Delanvila finally unleashed a torrent of rage, letting out a muffled, thunderous snort as he sheathed his sword with a clang. He turned and walked to the side, roughly tearing off strips of cloth to tend to his wounds, every movement brimming with suppressed fury.

Vijay didn't provoke him further, nor did he press the matter further.

He simply raised his hand calmly, signaling everyone to finish resting as soon as possible.

The day had just begun, and they had to keep going.

Seeing his teammates looking dejected, demoralized, and with unfocused eyes, Vijay clapped his hands lightly to draw everyone's attention. He didn't paint any empty, unrealistic promises, but instead spoke slowly in a calm tone, as if recounting the past: "I heard my grandfather say that in the far east, there is holy water that can heal all wounds and illnesses, and there are incomparably beautiful celestial maidens. The ground is paved with gold, and rare and exotic fruits grow all over the mountains and fields. Divine herbs and elixirs are everywhere. Just one bite can cleanse one of the sins of mortal life, strengthen the body, and prolong life."

He paused, his voice not loud, but each word struck a chord in everyone's heart: "As long as you can reach the East alive and return alive, anyone can easily buy a large tract of land near a major city and build a spacious house, or own a shop in the heart of a bustling city!"

These words were plain and straightforward.

And it is precisely this authenticity that strikes a chord deep within everyone's heart.

These people dared to abandon their stable lives and follow Vijay into this cursed swamp, risking death at any moment, all for this tiny chance to change their fate.

If they could bring back even a little something from the East, even just a herb or a treasure, it would be enough to completely change their lives for the rest of their days.

As Vijay finished speaking, the team fell silent, but everyone's eyes gradually lit up, and their previously low morale rebounded rapidly at a visible speed.

A faint smile flickered in Vijay's eyes.

The effect is outstanding!

He seized the opportunity to continue, his tone even more certain: "According to the records passed down in my family, we won't be long before we leave this swamp. The east will be here soon!"