Chapter 750: The Secret Ritual
Chapter 750: The Secret Ritual
The Linaksys camp was engulfed in flames and smoke, with countless insects swarming in. Suddenly, several deep and muffled explosions reverberated through the air, as the explosives buried outside were detonated.
The ritual supervisor, who was running, felt a thunderous roar in his head, causing him to stumble for a few steps. It took him a while to regain his composure. He staggered into a tent, his legs giving way, and collapsed in front of a cloth-covered statue. After catching his breath, he struggled to his feet and carefully lifted the statue, then slowly made his way out.
Despite his small stature and the apparent weight of the statue, he refused any help, grunting as he carried it alone. After ten minutes of slow progress, he finally reached the designated ritual area and placed the statue in the center. He made a few final adjustments before setting a container in front of it.
He glanced around, noticing a cage-like structure made of metal wires and plates, which now surrounded the statue. It looked rudimentary, but following specific rules, it created a gentle chiming sound as the airflow gently brushed against it.
At this moment, Major Zefiro did not interrupt him, and he had no time to worry about the rear. The scattered insects that had rushed in were only the vanguard of the insect swarm, making the situation already challenging. As the swarm advanced, it would only get worse.
Major Zefiro realized that this situation was untenable. He immediately detonated the explosives originally intended for later use, then signaled two squads of giant guardians carrying flamethrowers to charge out of the camp amid the explosions. They rushed beyond the trenches, using their flamethrowers to sweep the surrounding insects, temporarily halting the insect swarm's advance.
Seizing the opportunity, they quickly poured oil into the trenches filled with insects and ignited it again, while simultaneously speeding up the cleanup within the camp. This series of actions finally eased the immediate crisis.
Meanwhile, the small and frail supervisor ignored the chaos and approached the young girl, Seraphina. He whispered something to her, and she knelt before the statue.
The supervisor began the ritual, igniting the fire pits on the wooden stakes surrounding the area. The laborers, who had intended to leave, were stopped by the supervisor, causing them to become anxious.
As the fire pits lit up, the once bright sky dimmed, and the sounds of gunfire, roars, and burning flames seemed to fade away. This heightened the laborers' unease.
The supervisor stepped back, gazing at the statue in the center. With the ritual underway, he could only wait and see what would happen next, as he had no control over the outcome.
His heart was filled with trepidation. This ritual borrowed from the prayer ceremony of the First People, and although it had been successfully tested several times in their home country, it was under the premise of abundant resources. Performing it hastily in the wild could yield unpredictable results.
Major Zefiro glanced back and saw the fire pits lit up, thinking to himself, "Has it finally begun? If it succeeds, this trip won't be in vain."
The entire Linaksys delegation, including himself, knew that obtaining the relic with their own strength was impossible. Even if they managed to acquire it, transporting it out would be a challenge.
They needed a decisive force, one that could ensure their success in obtaining the relic and facilitate its transportation back.
And this ritual was the key.
With the convergence of the two worlds, they encountered various entities from the other side, some hostile and others with long-standing connections or cooperative relationships with their world.
Among them was a unique entity that could serve as a vessel for power, temporarily holding and transferring it to designated targets. Of course, this entity would take a significant portion of the power for itself, leaving only a minuscule amount to be sent out. The absorbed power became its reward.
Not only that, but objects with special abilities could also be temporarily stored with this entity and retrieved later, though this required a price. Sometimes, even after paying the price, retrieval was impossible. Additionally, the ritual had an extremely high failure rate.
Despite these risks, they decided to proceed because success would bring a much greater reward.
Previously, a dying fighter from the Linaksys Federation had entrusted his spirit to this entity. Through the ritual, a portion of his power would be transferred and accepted by their chosen vessel.
Although most of the power would likely be taken by the entity, leaving only a fraction for them, it was still the fighter's power. If they could harness it, it would be a formidable force against those limited by their abilities, potentially allowing them to seize the relic.
At this moment, the twin-tailed girl suddenly spread her arms wide, and a radiant light shone from her eyes. The metal coils around the statue began to glow, and the metal plates shook violently, emitting an even denser and crisper sound.
Power transmission requires a fixed anchor point, and there must be someone who has previously been in contact with that being, able to withstand the infusion of its mental strength, to guide the process. Without this, even if you perform the ritual, you won't receive anything.
The role of this girl at this moment is to act as that anchor.
The ritual continued, and more and more insects poured in from outside. The Giant Guardians on the outermost layer began to falter, as the insects clung to their bodies, quickly covering them like a swarm.
As more insects covered them, their bodies became heavier and heavier, eventually collapsing under the weight. In a moment, the flame thrower on their backs exploded with a loud boom, turning into a burning mass of fire.
This situation wasn't unique; it was happening in multiple locations.
Major Zefiro's expression darkened. In just a short time, over a dozen Giant Guardians had fallen. They had only brought about thirty people, and it seemed they could hold out for at most ten more minutes. But at this moment, he could do nothing but wait for the ritual to take effect.
After a few more minutes, the wooden statue in the center of the ritual began to change. It seemed to take on a flesh-like appearance, and under the half-covered cloth, a strange smile appeared, causing everyone who saw it to shudder.
After a while, a strange muffled sound came from the statue's body. Everyone's eyes widened in surprise, and suddenly, the statue's mouth opened, and it seemed to vomit out a large amount of flickering greenish-yellow liquid. In a moment, the entire can below was filled, and some of it overflowed from the cup's mouth.
In an instant, a nauseating odor filled the air, accompanied by a strange rustling sound coming from within everyone's bodies. It was as if countless things were crawling inside them, making them extremely uncomfortable.
However, as the glowing liquid appeared, the surroundings suddenly quieted. Everyone froze for a moment before realizing that the insects were no longer infiltrating the camp.
Major Zefiro's spirits lifted. He quickly stepped outside and saw that the camp was like a reef in the sea, with insects bypassing it. He breathed a sigh of relief, then went to the person in charge and asked, "Did it work?"
"I don't know," the person in charge replied, then quickly added, "We need someone to drink the 'divine water' to confirm."
Major Zefiro waved his hand, and immediately, soldiers dragged up a prisoner covered in shackles. This was a scout from the old imperial house they had captured during their journey, a qualified fighter. It was perfect for this experiment.
The soldiers pulled the prisoner's head back and pried his jaws open, forcing his mouth wide.
The person in charge took a spoon, scooped up some of the liquid, and poured it into his mouth. After a while, the scout began to convulse, making guttural sounds from his throat, and his body became scorching hot. The soldiers on either side immediately let go of him.
The scout clutched his throat, fell to the ground, and started rolling around. In just a moment, steam rose from his body, and his entire body seemed to dissolve rapidly. After several minutes of stifled screams, he turned into a puddle of gelatinous substance.
Major Zefiro frowned and asked, "What happened?"
"It failed," the person in charge sighed. "We didn't have enough time to prepare," he added with a bitter smile.
Major Zefiro cursed silently. The ritual's failure meant that the power would be swallowed by that being.
Regardless, at least the insects had stopped infiltrating the camp, which was one of his goals in conducting the ritual. Even if it failed, the power from the being could temporarily deter the insects, saving the camp.
Zefiro looked around and exhaled, saying, "Let's leave it at that for now."
Now, they could only wait for the insect swarm to pass and then go to investigate General Siber's situation.
He turned and left without looking back.
However, he didn't notice that after he left, the twin-tailed girl, kneeling with her back to him, revealed a strange expression on her face, similar to the smile on the statue.
(End of Chapter)
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