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Chapter 238: Devouring and Recompense
🕑 Added 2024-09-24 07:26:46 +0000 UTC"No!"
After reviewing the latest simulation, Rhett let out a long breath.
Success was getting closer and closer! "Now, the method for capturing the dark-element spirit is mostly understood. It seems that being immersed in grief is necessary? Hmm... perhaps having a magical beast nearby is also essential?
Alright, while the second condition isn’t entirely certain, the first one definitely seems indispensable."
At the same time, Rhett realized that although he had failed to capture the Vibration Spirit earlier, he was only a step away from success.
This time, he noticed a detail he had overlooked before—the Tremor Turtle!
"Such a serious oversight, truly unacceptable. The Tremor Turtle, a magical beast with mid-tier bloodline potential, possesses the Seismic Shock spell, which has its own unique properties. Perhaps it is also a necessary condition for attracting the Vibration Spirit..."
Rhett's eyes gleamed with insight, realizing that he needed to run another simulation.
If all went well, his ideas would be confirmed this time.
He activated the system.
【Do you want to initiate a text-based simulation? Each simulation of one year will consume 5 Fate Points.】
"Yes, simulate for one year."
【Year 478 of the Gillon Calendar, April 15th: You traveled at full speed to the Eastern Blue Coast and began searching for signs of a Tremor Turtle.】
【May 17th: On your way to the Storm Sea, you finally located a Tier 3 Tremor Turtle. You severely injured it but kept it alive with potions.】
【May 29th: In the sea chart coordinates (39, 03), you heard a deafening roar and saw brilliant lightning split the sky, turning night into day. Cautiously, you observed the scene, searching for signs of the spirit. When the air trembled violently, you felt a wave of dizziness. You dove into the sea, positioning yourself next to the Tremor Turtle, carefully seeking the convergence point of the lightning strikes.】
【With sharp reflexes and strong mental power, you identified the most intense spatial disturbance just as three bolts of lightning converged. You immediately swallowed two bottles of Firebath Potion. In the next moment, four bolts of lightning struck your head. You were stunned as the violent energy destroyed your body. Meanwhile, the Tremor Turtle let out a final wail as it perished. Fortunately, the Firebath Potions worked wonders, constantly restoring your vitality.】
【The Tremor Turtle’s blood dyed the surrounding seawater red. In the twisted space, a vibrating, indescribable transparent figure entered your body.】
【When you regained consciousness, you found the surroundings calm, and you sensed a strange energy within you. Overjoyed, you realized you had captured the Vibration Spirit! Taking the opportunity, you immediately began contemplating the mysteries of the elements, sensing a faint but indescribable shift in the surrounding space. However, the change was too subtle to grasp.】
【Without further delay, you left the Storm Sea and prepared to return to your territory.】
【July 17th: Due to your failure to attend the ennoblement ceremony in the royal city, the king became angry and revoked your title, making you a laughingstock among the nobility.】
【August 14th: Upon returning to Darkhawk City, you learned that Prince Hogus had sent a letter a few days prior and that the three mid-tier alchemists had all left. Feeling uneasy, you opened the letter to find that it wasn’t another report from the prince but a scathing reprimand filled with anger for disappointing his efforts.】
【That night, you and Thales left your territory under cover of darkness, heading for the Kingdom of Greyland.】
【November 27th: After three months of travel, you arrived at the Shadowy Mountains in the Kingdom of Greyland. You immediately began searching for the dark-element mage named Sina.】
【December 2nd: After making various inquiries, you learned that Sina resided at the Scarecrow Inn at the foot of the mountain. Upon arrival, you chose not to alert her and instead planned to track her movements.】
【December 17th: That night, you concealed your presence and followed Sina and her companion to the shores of Lake Youshui.】
【Suddenly, the lake water began to churn violently, and a Tier 4 Black-Scaled Venomous Python launched a surprise attack. Sina’s husband was caught off guard and swallowed whole. Sina was terrified and soon overcome with grief.】
【Moments later, Sina was struck by the python's tail and fell unconscious. You watched silently from the shadows. Soon, dark energy gathered from all directions in the forest, coalescing into shadowy creatures. The Black-Scaled Venomous Python attacked them but seemed to suffer a mental lapse and fled cautiously.】
【You witnessed the shadowy figure enter Sina's body, and her aura grew stronger. This scene left you amazed!】
【December 18th: You left the Kingdom of Greyland.】
【Year 479 of the Gillon Calendar, January 17th: Vicky and Makoff's child was born.】
【February 28th: Black Star arrived at your territory in secret but, upon learning you were not there, left a letter.】
【Do you want to continue the simulation?】
"No!"
After reviewing this simulation, Rhett's eyes gleamed with excitement. Success! The Vibration Spirit was now in his grasp!
Moreover, the dark-element spirit had also manifested, and he now knew where to find it—on the shores of Lake Youshui.
While the spirit had likely passed through other locations as well, with a successful example in hand, Rhett didn’t need to waste time elsewhere. When the time came, he could head straight to Lake Youshui to wait.
"So, the next step is... preparing Thales for capturing the dark-element spirit by immersing him in grief?" As Rhett thought about this, he suddenly paused, realizing the absurdity of the situation. If he remembered correctly, Sina had only gained her new power after losing her loved one, right?
But what about Thales? How could he be made to experience grief so naturally?
"Do I have to fake my own death?"
Rhett shook his head and dismissed the ridiculous notion. He calmed his thoughts—there had to be another way.
Furrowing his brow, he considered simply bringing Thales to Lake Youshui to see if the spirit would manifest without any additional actions.
However, after running another simulation, Rhett's expression darkened.
It didn’t work. Bringing Thales to Lake Youshui, even with the Black-Scaled Venomous Python present, failed to summon the spirit!
It made sense, too. The simulation had already mentioned that the spirit had been present in the Shadowy Mountains for a while. If no conditions had to be met, someone else would have captured it long ago.
"It seems that reaching a certain level of grief is absolutely necessary..." Rhett thought reluctantly.
"And now it seems like the only option left is to fake my own death. But it has to be convincing..."
Rhett fell into deep thought, trying to devise a reasonable "scheme."
But suddenly, an idea struck him.
"Maybe... I don't need to focus on myself. Perhaps I can switch the target..." Rhett stroked his chin, recalling the unusual bond between Thales and Tucker. A new plan began to form.
With that thought, he reopened the system to test his new idea.
【Do you want to initiate a text-based simulation? Each simulation of one year will consume 5 Fate Points.】
"Yes, simulate for one year."
【November 27th: After three months of travel, you arrived in the Shadowy Mountains of the Kingdom of Greyland with Tucker and Thales.】
【December 17th: That night, you concealed your presence and blocked Sina's path, scaring her and her companion away from Lake Youshui.】
【You then sent Tucker and Thales to complete a task at the lake, while you claimed you had other matters to attend to but secretly followed them.】
【Having previously discussed the plan with Tucker, who agreed to "play a prank" on Thales that night, Tucker eagerly participated. According to the plan, Tucker walked ahead of Thales. When Thales arrived at the lake, he saw the Black-Scaled Venomous Python and what appeared to be "Tucker's corpse." Overwhelmed with grief, Thales was devastated!】
【Soon, dark energy gathered from all directions in the forest, coalescing into shadowy creatures. The Black-Scaled Venomous Python attacked them but suffered a mental lapse and cautiously fled.】
【You witnessed the shadowy figure enter Thales's body, and his aura grew stronger, breaking through the bottleneck and advancing to a Tier 2 dark-element mage!】
【December 18th: After Thales regained consciousness, you learned from him that the spirit's abilities included not only affecting darkness but also enhancing mental power by devouring others.】
【December 19th: You left the Kingdom of Greyland.】
【Year 479 of the Gillon Calendar, January 17th: Vicky and Makoff's child was born.】
【February 29th: Black Star arrived at your territory in secret but, upon learning you were not there, left a letter.】
【Do you want to continue the simulation?】
"No!"
As the light of the simulation faded, Rhett's eyes reflected a sense of relief.
"Finally, it's done!" Rhett smiled with satisfaction.
It had been worth spending so many Fate Points and running repeated simulations to finally discover the method for capturing both spirits.
Rhett was particularly curious about the spirit Thales had captured.
It was clear that Sina hadn’t told the whole truth, or perhaps she hadn’t fully explored the spirit's capabilities.
The simulation revealed that Thales's spirit could enhance its host's mental power by devouring others—an ability that left Rhett somewhat unnerved. It reminded him of the Blood Origin Pearl...
"Could it be that this spirit and the Blood Spirit come from the same world?" Rhett speculated. Once Thales captured the spirit, he planned to study it thoroughly.
But he quickly shook his head—there was no use in overthinking it. No matter what, he couldn’t miss out on this spirit.
Rhett refocused on the royal city ahead and began to ponder his next steps. "Now that the royal city business is finished, I can move forward with my plan..."
In the royal city.
Rhett and Firebird walked along the wide city thoroughfare. This wasn't his territory, so no one was allowed to fly over the city without special permission.
Otherwise, the Sky Knights would surely intervene...
Although Rhett was over forty, he had never visited the royal city in his younger years.
Seeing the bustling streets and the endless flow of people, his eyes filled with amazement.
This century-old royal city, the capital of a nation, was far ahead of his territory in every aspect...
"There is still much to learn and improve..."
As Rhett approached the Rainbow Street near the palace, the brilliant, colorful crystals shone with dazzling beauty, leaving him in awe.
Recalling the simulation where Hogus’s informants would contact him, Rhett didn’t rush to find an inn. Instead, he chose a restaurant to enjoy a relaxing meal.
He noticed a restaurant shaped like a wine barrel and, finding it unique, decided to step inside.
"Welcome, sir, to Happy Hour. What can I get for you today?"
Happy Hour was the name of the wine barrel-shaped restaurant. The interior was splendid, with spacious seating and a faint fragrance in the air.
Rhett glanced at the waiter in formal attire and said, "Just bring me three of your signature dishes. I'd like a seat by the window."
The waiter smiled and nodded, "Certainly, please follow me."
Before long, three fragrant dishes were served.
Rhett sniffed the aroma, finding it delightful. Although the ingredients were aquatic magical beasts similar to those in his territory, these dishes had a flavor he had never encountered before.
It seemed to be extracted from magical plants but processed in a way that removed all elements harmful to the human body, leaving only the pure taste of the ingredients.
He had heard Mandy mention that only an alchemy master could achieve this, completely extracting the elements from the magical plants, leaving the plant's body, which, after being purified by the elements, had a unique flavor.
"Could they have an alchemy master working as a chef here? How extravagant..." Rhett thought to himself.
About half an hour later.
As Rhett was enjoying a seafood dish, a middle-aged man in a mage's robe, holding a cane and wearing a white round hat, entered the restaurant and began looking around. Rhett noticed him immediately.
Upon seeing Rhett in the corner, the mage's eyes lit up, and he eagerly approached.
"Sir, do you have a moment?" the middle-aged mage politely inquired.
Of course, I have time. I’m here just to wait for you... Rhett thought but didn’t show it. He looked at the unshaven man with a curious expression and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Who are you? What do you want from me?"
"Master Zasis requests your presence," the mage said without answering directly.
Upon hearing this, Rhett’s expression immediately became "serious."
Hogus had left him many secret codes for contact, and "Zasis" was one of them.
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