The Mysterious Ritual
Watching Lodran co out of the wooden house with a look of sudden enlightennt, Serea also received Dogsius's response in her mind.
"Master, I've already agreed to guide him in his armor forging training."
"Did you reveal any flaws?"
"Rest assured, master. Not to boast, but even the most superficial part of my forging skills would be enough for him to study for several months. I trust he'll ask to stay here soon enough."
"Oh?"
Serea was still a little skeptical, but when she saw Lodran approaching, he hurried over.
"Queen Serea, thank you for introducing to the great master. I am extrely grateful."
"That was an opportunity you earned through your own efforts. There's no need to thank ."
"No, I must thank you. Please respect a dwarf's code of conduct. In a few days, I'll deliver a batch of finely crafted weapons from my tribe. I believe they will be useful to you, Your Majesty."
"Then I shall gratefully accept."
Serea agreed. With a dwarf, there was no need to refuse.
Seeing her accept, lodran seed a bit bashful, as if there was sothing else he wanted to say.
"Um... Queen Serea, I have one more request."
Here it cos!
"Please, speak."
"The great master has agreed to guide us in armor forging, so my companions and I wish to stay in your camp for a while. Of course, we won't stay for free. We'll provide all the forging materials we use, but the weapons we forge will be our gifts to thank you and the master. May we have your permission, Your Majesty?"
"If the master is willing to teach you, how could I refuse?"
"Really?"
"Of course."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Lodran thanked her again, then ntioned the box containing 'Lodran's Promise.'
"The master pointed out many flaws in this equipnt, so could you wait until I improve it before I present it to you?"
"No problem."
"Great! I'll go work on it right away."
With that, lodran dashed off in excitent—but after only a short distance, he turned back.
"By the way, queen Serea, may I borrow the camp's forge for a bit?"
Upon hearing this, Serea gave an embarrassed smile.
"Sorry, our camp was just established, so we don't have a forge yet."
"No forge? Then those leather armors are..."
"Hand-sewn."
"Hand-sewn!!!"
Lodran's eyes widened, and then he muttered,
"As expected of a master... But how can a master not have a forge?"
As he spoke, lodran waved over a dwarf.
"Captain."
"Go back to the camp and bring the materials to set up a forge... never mind, just have them bring my finished forge here. No, one isn't enough—bring every forge you can carry over. Since it's a gift for the master, make sure they're the best quality. Also, bring along the tools for forging equipnt."
"Uh... really... move all of them?"
"When I tell you to go, just go!"
"Yes, yes!"
The dwarf agreed, then mounted a highland goat and rushed off toward the Eriwin dwarf tribe.
Witnessing this, Serea couldn't help but sigh—a true parasitic demon at work, manipulating hearts with just a few words to fool the dwarf artisans, and even get forges delivered for free. With these forges, the prototype building for the 'Blood Forge Platform' could achieve a higher degree of compatibility, which would directly unlock a high-quality Blood Forge Platform.
With this, she would never have to worry about equipnt again.
"If you want to learn the art of armor forging, you need to keep your spirit up."
As Serea said this, she called over Vina.
"Take our dwarf friends to the newly built house."
"Yes."
Vina led an excited Lodran away. As he left, lodran said enthusiastically,
"Queen Serea, I will definitely forge equipnt to your satisfaction!"
"Do your best!"
After sending Lodran off with a smile, Serea noticed the curious gaze from Lilith at the side.
"Serea, I can't believe you commanded such respect from the prideful dwarves!"
"I just catered to their interests, that's all."
"I'd really love to hear about your experiences over this ti—I bet it's thrilling."
"I'll tell you when I have so free ti. For now, let show you around the camp, this place is—"
As she spoke, a ssage suddenly ca from Little Black.
"Your Majesty, I have an urgent report for you."
Little Black's voice interrupted Serea, and seeing Serea stop mid-sentence, Celia and Lilith looked on in confusion.
"Dogsius, assist with a spirit link."
"Yes, master."
With the help of the spirit link, Serea saw what was happening through Little Black's eyes.
It was an altar hidden in the woods, its stone surface already covered in moss and cracks, showing its age.
On that abandoned altar, twelve cold female corpses—adventurers, peasant won, noble ladies—were tied atop twelve stone pillars. Their blood flowed down grooves carved into the altar, gathering beneath a central broken pillar.
This eerie scene made Serea frown. Below the altar, over a dozen Skeleton Warriors from the underworld were bowing and kneeling—all were underworld Undead!
Among them, five or six mages in purple robes stood on the altar, maintaining a spell circle.
"Why are there so many underworld Undead, and who are those mages?"
Serea was surprised, but then things developed further.
"Ah~ ah~ ah~"
The Skeleton Warriors let out rhythmic, low howls, as if chanting sothing. Attracted by this strange magic, hundreds of zombies had gathered around.
These zombies seed desperate to approach, yet dared not draw near. They only paced restlessly near the altar.
"What on earth are they doing?"
"It's a kind of summoning ritual."
Celia, possessed by Dogsius and sharing the vision, recognized the strange spell circle on the altar.
"A summoning ritual?"
Before Serea could inquire further, there was yet another change atop the altar.
"Ah ah ah!!!"
It was as if an invisible hand gripped the zombies by the necks; they struggled weakly as wisps of gray death energy flowed into the altar. Within the effects of that death energy, a huge black sphere suddenly manifested above the altar.
Buzz!
Just looking at that sphere seed like plunging into a bottomless abyss. For a mont, Serea felt her spirit waver.
"Offer up my flesh, and welco the coming of my lord!"
(To be continued...)
User Comments
0 comments from readers