Chapter 750: The Secret Ritual
Chapter 750: The Secret Ritual
The Linax camp was engulfed in flames and smoke, with countless insects swarming in. Suddenly, several deep and powerful explosions reverberated through the air, set off by the explosives strategically placed outside beforehand.
The ritual supervisor, who was running, felt his head buzz with a deafening roar, causing him to stumble a few steps. After a while, he regained his senses and ran into a tent, his legs giving way. He collapsed in front of a divine statue covered with cloth, gasping for breath. After a few moments, he crawled up, carefully lifted the statue, and slowly made his way outside.
Despite his small stature and the apparent weight of the statue, he refused any help and struggled to carry it, stopping and starting, taking over ten minutes to reach the designated ritual area. He meticulously positioned the statue in the center of the ritual setup and made some final adjustments. Then, he fetched a jar and placed it in front of the statue.
He surveyed his surroundings, noticing a cage-like structure made of metal wires and iron plates, surrounding the statue. Although it looked crude, it was arranged according to specific rules, and with the gentle breeze, it emitted a tinkling sound as the metal wires and plates clanged against each other.
At this moment, Lieutenant Zephyro no longer hurried him, and he had no time to worry about what was happening behind him. The sporadic insects that had managed to break through the bug tide's front line were already challenging to deal with. As the bug tide advanced, the situation would only deteriorate.
Lieutenant Zephyro realized that this situation couldn't continue and immediately detonated the explosives he had intended to use later. He ordered two teams of Colossal Guards carrying flamethrowers to charge out of the camp amidst the explosions, reaching the trenches outside and using their flamethrowers to clear the surrounding insects, temporarily halting the bug tide's advance.
Seizing this opportunity, they quickly poured oil into the trenches filled with insects and ignited it, while simultaneously speeding up the cleanup within the camp. These actions somewhat alleviated the pressing situation.
Meanwhile, the slender supervisor ignored the commotion and approached the young girl, Seraphina. He whispered something to her, and she knelt before the divine statue.
The supervisor followed the ritual's fixed procedures, lighting the fire pits on the ritual piles around the statue. The laborers who had been working nearby were about to leave but were stopped by the supervisor, causing them to become anxious.
As the fire pits were lit, the once bright sky suddenly dimmed, and the surrounding sounds of gunfire, roars, and flames seemed to vanish. This heightened the laborers' unease.
The supervisor took a few steps back, gazing at the divine statue in the center. With the ritual now underway, he could only wait and see what would happen next, having no control over the outcome.
His heart was filled with apprehension. This ritual borrowed elements from the Primordial Folk's prayer ritual, which had been successfully tested domestically under optimal conditions. However, conducting it hastily in the wild might yield unpredictable results.
Lieutenant Zephyro glanced back and saw the lit fire pits, thinking, "Has it finally begun? If it succeeds, our efforts won't have been in vain."
The entire Linax delegation, including himself, knew from the start that obtaining the relic with their own strength was impossible, and even if they did, transporting it out would be a challenge.
They needed a decisive power that could both secure the relic and facilitate its transportation back.
This ritual was the key to achieving that.
With the collision of the two worlds, they had encountered various beings from the other side, some hostile and others with long-standing connections or cooperative relationships with their world.
Among these beings was a unique entity capable of receiving and transferring power to a designated target within a specific timeframe. While most of the power would be absorbed by this entity, a minuscule portion might be released. The absorbed power served as a form of payment for this service.
Additionally, objects with anomalous powers could be temporarily stored with this being and retrieved later, albeit with a cost. Sometimes, even after paying the price, retrieval might fail. The ritual's failure rate was exceptionally high.
Despite these risks, they decided to proceed, as success would bring a reward far greater than the potential loss.
Previously, a dying Linax fighter had entrusted his spirit to this being, and through the ritual, a portion of his power would be transferred and received by a designated host.
Although most of the power would likely be taken by the being, even a small remnant would be the fighter's strength, making it an unstoppable force against ordinary individuals. This power might enable them to seize the relic.
At that moment, the twin-tailed girl suddenly spread her arms, her eyes glowing with radiance. The metal wires around the divine statue began to glow, and the iron plates shook violently, creating an even denser and crisper clanging sound.
The transmission of power requires a fixed anchor point, and a person who has previously come into contact with that existence and can withstand the infusion of its spiritual energy must act as a guide. Without this process, even if you perform the ritual, you won't receive anything.
The young girl currently serves as this intermediary.
The ritual continued, and more and more insects poured in from the outside. The Colossal Guards on the outermost layer began to falter as the insects clung to their bodies, quickly covering them like bug-men.
As more insects covered them, their bodies became heavier and heavier, eventually collapsing under the weight. In a moment, the flame thrower on their back exploded, creating a burning fireball at the site.
This situation wasn't unique; it was happening in multiple locations.
Lieutenant Zephyro's expression darkened. In just a short time, over a dozen Colossal Guards 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, awaiting the ritual's effect.
After a few more minutes, the divine statue in the center of the ritual underwent a strange transformation. Originally made of wood, it now seemed to have flesh and blood, and beneath the half-covering cloth, a bizarre smile could be seen, causing goosebumps to rise on all who witnessed it.
Suddenly, a strange, muffled sound came from the statue's body, and everyone stared in shock. The statue's mouth opened, and it seemed to vomit, spewing out a large amount of glowing, greenish-yellow liquid that quickly filled the entire can below and even overflowed from the cup's mouth.
In an instant, a nauseating odor spread, and everyone present heard strange, rustling sounds coming from within their bodies, as if countless things were crawling inside, making them extremely uncomfortable.
But as the glowing liquid appeared, the surroundings suddenly quieted. Everyone froze for a moment before reacting; the insects had stopped infiltrating the camp.
Lieutenant Zephyro's spirits lifted, and he quickly went outside to take a look. The camp now seemed like a reef in the sea, with insects bypassing it. He breathed a sigh of relief, then went to the supervisor and asked, "Did it work?"
The supervisor shook his head. "I don't know." Then he added quickly, "We need someone to drink the 'Divine Water' to confirm."
Lieutenant Zephyro waved his hand, and immediately, a soldier dragged forward a prisoner in shackles—a scout from the old imperial court they had captured during their journey. He was a skilled fighter, and it had taken some effort to subdue him. He was the perfect test subject.
The soldier pulled the prisoner's head back and pried his mouth open.
In a 1619 book, a look at the past!
The supervisor took a spoon, scooped up some liquid, and poured it into the prisoner's mouth. After a while, the scout began to convulse, making retching sounds from his throat, and his body became scorching hot. The soldiers on either side immediately released him.
The scout clutched his throat, fell to the ground, and started writhing. In just a moment, steam rose from his body, and his flesh seemed to dissolve rapidly. After several minutes of stifled howls, he turned into a shapeless, gelatinous mass.
Lieutenant Zephyro frowned and asked, "What happened?"
The supervisor sighed and said, "It failed. We had too little time to prepare."
Lieutenant Zephyro cursed silently. The ritual could not be performed again after a failure, and those powers were destined to be devoured by that existence.
Nevertheless, the insects no longer infiltrated the camp, which was one of his objectives for conducting the ritual. Even if it failed, the power of the opposing existence could temporarily deter the insects, ensuring the camp's safety.
He glanced around, exhaled, and said, "Let's leave it at that for now."
Now, they could only wait for the sandworm swarm to pass before checking on General Saber'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, eerily similar to the smile on the statue.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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