NO_NAME
patreon
Chapter 337: The Shadow Demon
🕑 Added 2024-10-14 10:33:19 +0000 UTCRhett was certain that he had never encountered such a creature before. In fact, he had never even heard of such a being existing in this world. His first thought was that this might be yet another species from beyond this realm, especially since he knew that more than one kind of extra-dimensional entity had made its way into this world.
As Rhett hesitated, debating whether to strike first and capture the creature for dissection or to observe it longer to gather more information, the shadowy monster's face became clearer. It opened its twisted mouth and said something that left Rhett utterly stunned.
"Hahaha, Veras, it seems my judgment was correct. You truly are a reliable partner."
The shadow monster's tendrils writhed as it let out a maniacal laugh that echoed throughout the sea of clouds.
"Partner? Could it be that the reason I killed my good friend, the Tower Master of the Circle Tower, was because I was influenced by this creature? Who exactly is this being, and why does it appear in a time a thousand years ago?" Rhett’s mind raced with thoughts. Based on his experience, he could only guess that this was the most likely scenario. His heart pounded as he realized that the more he learned about this body, the more bewildering the mysteries became.
He stared intently at the creature in front of him, carefully choosing his words before cautiously asking:
"My good friend is dead because of you. What do you want from me now?"
The shadow monster paused for a moment upon hearing this before it erupted into even louder laughter. Its shadowy tendrils flailed wildly, whipping the clouds below.
"Hahaha, you humans are so fond of putting on airs. Veras, wasn't it you who first expressed your desire to tear the Circle Tower Master to pieces? How can you blame me for this?"
"Besides, killing him was beneficial to your world, wasn't it?"
"The Blood Demon has already set its sights on this world. As one of the most powerful demons of the Underworld, it won’t rest until it destroys and devours this place. I already warned you that this human alchemical experiment is just part of its scheme! Killing the Circle Tower Master was crucial to thwarting the Blood Demon’s plan, and you should know that better than anyone!"
Rhett's eyes narrowed, his mind reeling with this new information. So, the reason his past self killed the Circle Tower Master was to disrupt the Blood Demon’s plan? And this alchemical experiment is undoubtedly connected to the Bloodlord. Could it be that the future Bloodlord was a product of the Blood Demon’s cultivation?
The alchemical experiment a thousand years ago was originally a meticulously planned scheme by the Blood Demon. However, because it was disrupted by his past self, the timeline was forced to extend...
Rhett mentally breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for his cautious approach that had kept his identity concealed, allowing him to continue this charade and gather more information. He looked at the shadow monster and continued:
"Hmph, you know I kept my end of the bargain. So what do you want from me now?"
The shadow monster gradually calmed down, its tendrils ceasing their wild dance. It let out a cold chuckle and said:
"It’s simple. Our great Shadow Demon Progenitor has long been displeased with the Blood Demon and sent me here specifically to sabotage its plans. As long as you cooperate with me to destroy a portion of the Blood Demon’s essence, you’ll not only save your world, but I can also offer you a small reward..."
Rhett paid little attention to the mention of a reward. Instead, he narrowed his eyes in suspicion and asked, "Blood Demon essence?"
"Yes, it’s a portion of the Blood Demon’s power, well-disguised and known to your world as the Blood Elves," the shadow monster explained. "But they are fundamentally different from most of the other elves in your world and are far more terrifying. Their existence poses a grave threat to your world’s essence! In as little as a hundred years, they could grow strong enough to break through the barriers of space, allowing the Blood Demon to send more of its minions here. When that happens, your world will be doomed. Humans, orcs—everyone will become nothing more than food for the Blood Demon."
As Rhett listened, he was both shocked and enlightened. The information aligned with some of the descriptions and theories he had encountered in the text simulation. The future Bloodlord had indeed received aid from forces beyond this world. The Blood Demon was likely the true mastermind behind everything!
Rhett still had many questions, so he asked, "Are you saying that this human alchemical experiment is influenced by the Blood Demon?"
"Exactly. The Blood Demon’s essence was sent to this world, and the process of its transmission, along with the effort required to break through the world’s barriers, consumed an enormous amount of power. It is constantly being suppressed by this world, and without a native being to host it, it wouldn’t be able to cause any significant trouble," the shadow monster said coldly. "The Blood Elves are just a disguise, but this disguise cannot evade the world’s suppression. Someone must have captured it and communicated with the Blood Demon fragment hidden within it. I detected the familiar scent of the Blood Demon in this human experiment..."
Rhett’s eyes flashed with understanding as the shadow monster continued:
"That’s enough questions for now. If I didn’t acknowledge your mastery of three profound mysteries, two of which you’ve perfected, and if you hadn’t proven your sincerity through our cooperation, I wouldn’t be telling you any of this."
"Now, I don’t care how you do it—whether through strategy or sheer force—but you must quickly destroy this human experiment completely! I won’t force you because you’ll be saving your own world."
With those words, the shadow monster made a move to leave. Rhett, however, quickly called out, his expression shifting:
"Wait! I have two final questions. Answer them, and I will ensure this task is completed!"
"What are they? Speak quickly!" the shadow monster turned back, sounding annoyed.
"Aren’t the orcs also an invasive species from another world? Wouldn’t destroying them provoke retaliation from the Blood Demon?"
"Hmph, the world behind the orcs is indeed more powerful, but thousands of years have passed. They could never have predicted that this world would drift so far away from them, moving closer to the Underworld instead. Their reach cannot extend this far, so what does the Blood Demon have to fear?" the shadow monster sneered.
Rhett rubbed his chin, nodding in understanding. If he hadn’t experienced the Creation Simulation, he might have struggled to grasp what the monster was saying. But now, he understood it quite well. Thousands of years ago, the native world had drifted near the orcs’ world, drawing their attention. But now, it had drifted much farther away, moving closer to the Underworld instead...
There was no time to dwell on this as Rhett, worried the creature might leave, quickly asked his second question:
"What is the Blood Demon’s ultimate goal with this human alchemical experiment? I need to know this to devise the most effective plan to destroy it."
The shadow monster was silent for a moment before responding in a low voice, "It’s to create Blood Source Beads! As I mentioned, the Blood Demon’s essence is too weak right now; it can barely consume an ordinary human, and the conversion rate is low. But if it can fully understand the essence of life in this world and apply its methods, it can create Blood Source Beads, which would allow the Blood Demon’s essence to replenish itself rapidly. Even other beings could use it to enhance their power, though anyone outside the Blood Demon lineage would suffer severe side effects..."
"Hmm, where do the other elves in this world come from?" Rhett suddenly thought of another question and quickly asked.
"Heh, help me complete this mission, and I’ll tell you," the shadow monster laughed wickedly, giving Rhett a deep look before its entire form contracted into a single point and vanished into the sea of clouds.
Rhett opened his mouth to speak but then reconsidered. The conversation had already answered most of his questions, and the rest were not immediately relevant. They could wait until later.
He extended his spiritual senses, faintly picking up a trace of the shadow monster’s presence. But within seconds, it had completely vanished.
Rhett was left alone, floating in the sea of clouds, the moist air swirling around him as he pondered deeply.
The Shadow Demon and the Blood Demon—two of the top demons in the Underworld. The Blood Demon clearly had designs on this world and had already begun its harvesting plan! Rhett knew he had to go to the Golden Blood Academy in the Greyro Kingdom to investigate their human alchemical experiment, uncover the true mastermind behind the scenes, and gather more information about the Bloodlord and the Blood Demon fragment...
As for the Shadow Demon, while it seemed to be an ally for now, Rhett wasn’t ready to fully trust it. Although it claimed to be following orders from the Shadow Demon Progenitor to oppose the Blood Demon, could it be that the Shadow Demon also harbored its own designs on this world? Rhett couldn’t be sure. But considering that the enemy of his enemy is his friend, and given that there was no evidence of the Shadow Demon causing trouble in the future, Rhett was willing to continue this alliance for now, as their interests seemed aligned.
"For me, destroying the experiment and eliminating the Blood Demon aren’t the primary goals. My real task is to find a way to deal with them easily in the future..."
Rhett’s eyes gleamed with clarity. He hovered in place for a moment longer before changing course, abandoning his plan to visit the Kudan Kingdom and heading instead toward the Greyro Kingdom.
"Rhett, when we reach the Golden Blood Academy, could you find me some alchemy books so I can learn more about this world’s alchemy?" Manu, who had witnessed the entire exchange from Rhett’s shoulder, spoke up.
"Of course. But in such a short time, you might not be able to master alchemy to a high level," Rhett replied softly. "I’ve spoken with many alchemy masters, even Saint Domain alchemists, and they all told me that alchemy depends not just on talent but also on focus and perseverance."
"The same goes for scientific research. But in research, talent is even more critical," Manu said. "I just want to try..."
"No problem. When we get to the Greyro Kingdom, I’ll find you some introductory alchemy books..."
"Thank you!"
A month and a half later.
In the Dark Mountains.
What would be known a thousand years later as Withered Vine Town was, at this time, a small village called Dewdrop. But despite its small size, it still attracted adventurers, maintaining a lively atmosphere. To the east lay the Dark Mountains, and to the west stretched the Poison Mist Plains, both of which remained largely unchanged over the millennia.
Outside Dewdrop Village, in a dilapidated chapel, the heavy doors were shut tight, while inside, the space was bathed in a bright light.
A blue gas floated above the stage, which was strewn with jars and a variety of alchemical instruments—all of which Rhett had purchased during a return trip to the Circle Market and provided to Manu free of charge.
Initially, Rhett had planned to go directly to the Golden Blood Academy upon arriving in the Greyro Kingdom, to learn more about the situation. But what he hadn’t expected was Manu’s astonishing speed of learning. The alien not only memorized and understood everything after a single reading, but he also performed experiments with extraordinary skill, showing no sign of hesitation or unfamiliarity.
Because of this, Rhett had altered his plans, renting a chapel to give Manu a quiet place to conduct his alchemical experiments, curious to see just how far the alien’s abilities would go...
Rhett sat in one of the audience seats below the stage, quietly watching Manu work.
This wasn’t Manu’s first experiment.
Over the past half month, Rhett had shared all the basic alchemical formulas he could recall with Manu, who had effortlessly mastered them all. In the end, when Rhett had exhausted his knowledge of basic formulas, Manu had asked if there were any others, clearly still far from his limits...
Forced to take things further, Rhett had shared the formula for mid-grade Fire Bath Potion, partly to satisfy his curiosity and partly to test Manu’s abilities. The astonishing skill Manu had displayed over the past two weeks had left Rhett utterly dumbfounded.
It wasn’t unheard of for some to achieve a 100% success rate in creating basic potions, but such a feat usually required the expertise of an alchemy master or even a Saint Domain alchemist. No low-level alchemist in history had ever reached this level, and not even mid-level alchemists could consistently achieve it.
But under Rhett’s watchful eye, Manu, a complete novice, had shattered that record!
As Rhett gazed at Manu, who was intently focused on his work, his thoughts deepened. At this moment, he realized just how much there was to respect in any civilization.
Though Manu’s memory was fragmented, he had spoken of his civilization’s intense focus on scientific exploration. There was no doubt that the research capabilities and intellectual prowess of those people were extraordinary, their thinking distinct from that of ordinary humans. Even if they couldn’t wield the world-shattering power of the extraordinary beings in this world, that didn’t mean they had no strengths of their own! And now, Rhett was seeing proof of this right before his eyes.
Having witnessed Manu’s accomplishments firsthand, Rhett’s estimation of him had risen to the highest level, second only to his family and homeland.
Rhett continued to wait patiently until, half an hour later, the blue mist from the alchemical apparatus suddenly began to change. Wisps of red smoke burst forth, shooting out from the blue fog like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Previous Chapter | | Next Chapter
