The first thought that struck Mo Han upon hearing this was, great, isn't this just the otherworldly version of Resident Evil? The mercenary guild staff member's description was exactly like games he had played and movies he had watched back on Earth. He hadn't expected to encounter such a situation in this strange continental world. Thinking of this, Mo Han felt a surge of excitement. Moreover, this SS-rank mission was arguably the best opportunity for his mercenary group to rapidly advance their standing; such chances were usually unattainable and incredibly rare for higher-tier missions.

Just then, Jack spoke up, asking, "What about the Church of Light? This clearly looks like dark magic. Isn't the Church of Light doing anything about it? This is too strange; it doesn't fit their usual conduct at all." Upon hearing Jack's question, the staff member from the mercenary guild explained, "The Church of Light has already intervened, sending quite a few priests into the city to provide healing. However, those priests discovered that the afflicted weren't harmed by dark magic at all—they couldn't pinpoint any cause for the illness. In fact, several priests ended up infected themselves. Consequently, the Church of Light had to withdraw the remaining priests to prevent further losses."

To this day, no one has been able to determine the actual cause of this situation. Some people have resigned themselves to calling it the wrath of the gods, believing that the divine is displeased with human behavior and actions, thus unleashing this catastrophe.

Hearing the staff member's explanation, Mo Han snorted dismissively. He utterly disbelieved these superstitious tales of gods and ghosts. Mo Han strongly suspected that this event was engineered by someone, perhaps even connected to the Nether Clan. If that were the case, everything would suddenly make sense: the Nether Clan's objective would be to sow chaos and panic among humans, undermining the status and remaining influence of the Church of Light on the continent. This, in turn, would undoubtedly benefit any future invasion by the Nether Clan. Therefore, Mo Han completely rejected the notion of divine wrath. Thinking of the Church of Light, Mo Han couldn't help but recall Shui Ling'er for a moment. It had been several months since they last parted ways; he wondered how she was doing. She would likely be involved in this current affair. If he went over there, he might have a chance to run into her.

At that moment, Latin exclaimed excitedly, "Boss, this is a golden opportunity! We should accept this mission immediately and set off. If we complete this task, coupled with the experience points we've earned from recent missions, our team level can instantly jump to A-rank! That's fantastic!"

Rock echoed the sentiment with equal excitement.

Murong Feixue, however, spoke with more composure: "Let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet. The fact that even numerous A-rank mercenary groups couldn't complete this mission indicates its difficulty. It might be beyond our capabilities."

Hearing Murong Feixue's words, Daili and Jack both nodded in agreement.

Daili then turned to Mo Han and asked, "What is your take on this, Mo Han? Do you think we should accept the mission?" Upon hearing Daili's question, everyone's gaze shifted to Mo Han, awaiting his final decision. They would absolutely not object or have any reservations about whatever he decided.

Noticing all eyes fixed on him, Mo Han smiled and began, "I believe this is indeed an opportunity, and we should accept it. However, this is still an SS-rank mission, meaning the difficulty will certainly be astronomical. We must formulate a detailed plan, prioritizing everyone's safety above all else. We must strive for perfection, ensuring that even if we cannot complete the mission, everyone can return safely."

Everyone nodded in agreement, endorsing Mo Han's proposal.

Murong Feixue then spoke up, saying, "Since Brother Mo Han has said so, let's accept the mission first to gather all the detailed information, and then we can properly plan how to execute it together."

Hearing Murong Feixue, Daili immediately chimed in, "In that case, Xue'er, I, and Mo Han will go accept the mission. Latin, you and the others should split up and gather more intel from surrounding mercenary groups to see if anything proves useful for our task."

Hearing this, everyone agreed and went off to complete their respective errands.

Not long after, everyone returned to the inn where they were staying. They consolidated all the gathered intelligence, recording the useful fragments. Following this, Mo Han suggested they go out that day to stock up on essential daily supplies, treating it as a rest day. For over a month, they had been busy completing missions with virtually no time to relax. They would then set off the next day for the Duchy of Cardic; arriving there sooner would allow them to obtain more useful news and context to handle any unforeseen emergencies.

Mo Han's suggestion was unanimously approved.

The next morning, the group departed for the Duchy of Cardic. The Duchy of Cardic lay between the Kanya Empire and the Fire Cloud Empire, situated near the Elven Forest. Mo Han and the others planned to visit Anna along the way after completing their mission. They all missed the girl, having not seen her for a long time.

After two days of travel, the group left the borders of the Heavenly Dragon Empire. Only two more days of travel remained before they reached the territory of the Kanya Empire. From there, they would head southwest to arrive at the Duchy of Cardic relatively quickly.

That afternoon, the group reached Sky Moon City in the Sky Moon Empire. The Sky Moon Empire was a minor state positioned between the Heavenly Dragon Empire and the Kanya Empire, serving as a buffer zone alongside several other small nations. Its national strength was considered quite decent among the smaller realms.

Upon arriving at Sky Moon City, the capital of the Sky Moon Empire, the group intended to rest for one night. They figured a half-day's journey the next day would bring them to the border of the Kanya Empire. As usual, Mo Han and the others found an inn to settle in before strolling onto the streets. However, at that moment, a deafening sound erupted from the west, beyond the city walls—an earth-shattering noise whose source was unknown, but the disturbance was loud enough for people dozens of miles away to hear.

Leaping to