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Chapter 228: Orcs from the Higher World
🕑 Added 2024-09-22 03:44:17 +0000 UTCRhett wasn’t sure if those in the Holy Domain could achieve photographic memory, but as a Peak Archmage, he was still far from that level. He could only say that his memory was relatively good.
In the simulation, after a full day and night, Rhett had managed to memorize about 70% to 80% of the alchemy manual’s contents. After closing the book and mentally reviewing the material, he found that some parts were still fuzzy and the memory wasn’t very solid.
Frowning, Rhett extended the real simulation time by another day. Then, after spending another half day, he finally solidified his memory. He even recited the contents from memory and confirmed they matched the original before he felt at ease.
Not wanting to waste the remaining simulation time, Rhett took out the remaining Blood Source Pearls and Aurora Potions in his possession and began to absorb them one by one.
Since Rhett became a Level 6 Archmage, the effectiveness of the Aurora Potions had diminished significantly, but the effect of the Blood Source Pearls remained potent and straightforward.
After consuming the pearls, the sinister and evil energy within them began to erode Rhett's sanity, causing his eyes to become clouded and vacant once again.
Enduring the madness and darkness swirling in his mind, the slightly aged Rhett watched as the scene before him rippled once more.
Then, a prompt appeared:
【The real simulation has ended. Please choose one attribute to retain:】
【1. Constitution】
【2. Battle Qi】
【3. Spiritual Power】
“Select Spiritual Power!”
In an instant, the scene before Rhett shifted.
“Earl Rhett, I heard that you previously sent Rean to seek help from our Ring Tower?”
The voice of Master Niru echoed in Rhett’s ears.
Instead of responding immediately, Rhett quickly reviewed the contents of the alchemy manual in his mind. Although much of the knowledge was difficult to understand, his rote memorization had imprinted it in his memory.
This time, Rhett adopted a more uncertain expression and hesitantly replied:
“It seems... that might have happened.”
Master Niru pressed on, “Rean mentioned that during their time under those evil alchemists' experiments, they were forced to swallow some sinister pearls. After you cleared out that hideout, did you happen to acquire these as spoils of war?”
“Sinister pearls?” Rhett feigned confusion and said, “What are those? Why have I never heard of them?”
“They're dark red and purplish-red pearls. Are you sure you didn’t seize any?” Master Niru furrowed his brow, finding it odd. Given that they were conducting experiments, there should have been plenty of materials prepared. How could they have all disappeared?
Rhett frowned and said, “Those evil alchemists destroyed all their materials as they fled. It's truly infuriating!”
Then, he looked directly at Niru and asked, “Master Niru, did your investigation into Rean uncover any significant information?”
Meeting Rhett’s gaze, Master Niru fell silent, a look of hesitation in his eyes. Ultimately, he decided to be honest:
“Earl Rhett, have you ever heard of the legends of the Higher World?”
“The Higher World?”
The sudden shift in the topic piqued Rhett’s curiosity, but he quickly responded:
“I recently learned a bit about it. It seems to be a theory proposed by an ancient dark-element Archmage named Timus, around ten thousand years ago?”
“Exactly.” Niru nodded. “Although these matters aren’t widely known today, most Holy Domain individuals are well aware of them. In fact, over the millennia, further discoveries have been made.”
Rhett’s interest was piqued. “Master Niru, could you share everything you know about the secrets of the Higher World?”
Niru glanced at Rhett, surprised by his curiosity about the Higher World. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head and said, “I’m afraid not. This information is one of the Ring Tower’s closely guarded secrets. I can only share what relates to Rean.”
Though slightly disappointed, Rhett maintained his composure and said, “Please go ahead, Master Niru. I’m all ears.”
“Very well.” After a brief pause, Master Niru explained, “Since you've read Timus’s notes, you should know that our world may be influenced by the Higher World. The existence of spirits might even be a result of this influence.”
“Yes, that’s correct,” Rhett agreed.
Niru nodded and continued, “I heard from the Tower Master that, five thousand years ago, a Holy Domain mage witnessed a creature that was projected from the Higher World, thus confirming the existence of other worlds.”
Rhett’s expression shifted slightly.
Master Niru added, “That creature defied all the biological norms of our world. Its appearance is unknown, but I’ve heard that it could devour human blood to enhance its essence and had many other strange abilities.”
Unbelievable—there’s a world that contains such creatures! No, rather, there’s a world that could project such creatures… Rhett was stunned and quickly asked:
“Does this creature still exist? Or are there any remnants, like corpses or specimens?”
“Of course not,” Niru shook his head. “Such otherworldly creatures pose an immense risk if they are allowed to take root and spread. It's said that as soon as it was projected into this world, it was discovered by that Holy Domain mage and promptly eradicated, eliminating the danger before it could grow.”
“I see.” Rhett nodded in understanding.
Indeed, a creature from another world could disrupt the local ecosystem. If its abilities were strange and there were no effective countermeasures, it could cause untold harm if left unchecked. Eliminating it while it was still weak and small was indeed the right decision.
Rhett picked up on a crucial point and asked, “But what does this creature have to do with Rean’s condition?”
He had some guesses but didn’t dare to speculate further.
Master Niru deliberated for a moment before answering, “Based on our analysis, the energy lingering in Rean’s body seems to share the same origin as that otherworldly blood-consuming creature. It doesn’t belong to our world’s power system!
That’s why this matter has garnered the Tower Master’s attention. No matter what, we must uncover the truth! For the safety of the world, Earl Rhett, I hope you can share any details you know.”
By the end, Niru's eyes were filled with sincerity.
Facing Master Niru's gaze, Rhett felt a storm brewing in his heart. The existence of the Higher World had been confirmed. He believed that Master Niru wasn’t the type to fabricate such stories for entertainment. With the Ring Tower’s vast knowledge, it was reasonable that they knew more than the Dalton Trading Company.
After all, one was a thousand-year-old organization founded by Holy Domain mages, while the other was merely a large trading company.
Rhett’s thoughts churned. From what he had just learned, a blood-consuming creature appeared five thousand years ago, belonging to no elemental category. This certainly made it seem related to the blood spirit.
However, he also considered other spirits, such as the fishmen, which were also projected into this world but had no connection to the blood spirit. His only guess was that different worlds produced different projections.
Rhett mused, “If that’s the case, then the Bear Spirit from the orc forces might also come from a special world. Or perhaps these spirits all originate from various worlds or different regions of the same world?”
Collecting his thoughts, Rhett asked, “So, are you suggesting that the otherworldly creature might still be alive?”
Niru nodded and replied, “Yes, that is one of our concerns.”
It turned out the Ring Tower was worried about this. Rhett finally understood. Fortunately, he had already learned that the true culprit was the blood spirit. Since spirits weren’t truly biological entities, there was no risk of them reproducing or spreading. Thus, they posed no threat to the world.
“But… come to think of it, protecting the world sounds like something Black Star's organization would do…” Rhett pondered.
For his safety and to avoid drawing the Blood God Cult leader’s attention, Rhett decided to keep the secret. He wouldn’t mention the Blood God Cult.
Yet, a thought struck him, and he reopened the system.
【Would you like to start a real-time simulation? Each day of simulation consumes 1 Fate Point.】
“Yes, simulate one day.”
As ripples formed before his eyes, Rhett’s expression suddenly relaxed, and he said:
“Master Niru, actually, I was just joking with you.”
Master Niru looked puzzled and asked, “Joking? What do you mean, Earl Rhett?”
“When I cleared out that evil alchemist hideout, I did seize some spoils, including the pearls you mentioned.” Rhett smiled faintly.
Niru and Julie were stunned.
“Earl Rhett, are you sure you’re not joking now?” Niru frowned slightly, feeling that Rhett’s previous demeanor had been entirely serious, making this sudden shift feel like a joke.
Rhett simply smiled, knowing that no amount of explanation would compare to showing solid evidence.
He then pulled out a purple-red Blood Source Pearl and a dark red one, holding them in his hand with a satisfied expression.
“Master Niru, take a look. These pearls are the spoils I recovered from that evil organization.”
Master Niru was taken aback, his expression growing serious as he stared at the Blood Source Pearls in Rhett’s palm. He instinctively reached out to take them.
However, Rhett quickly closed his hand, hiding the pearls from view.
Niru’s expression froze, and he asked, “Earl Rhett, may I inspect these pearls? If they are genuine, I’m willing to offer a generous price for them!”
“Heh, Master Niru, you’re too kind,” Rhett shook his head. “Given our friendship and the importance of protecting the world, I’m willing to do my part and give these to you freely.”
Master Niru's eyes flashed with surprise. He seemed to struggle to believe Rhett’s generosity.
Julie, too, was taken aback. The image of Rhett in her mind suddenly grew more noble.
Understanding the nuances of social exchanges, Master Niru smiled and said, “Earl Rhett, your generosity is truly impressive. But at the Ring Tower, we never take anything for free. Even for friendship, we cannot allow only you to give. Earl Rhett, do you have any requests? I’ll do my best to fulfill them.”
Hearing this, Rhett pretended to think deeply before sighing and shaking his head.
“Master Niru, it’s hard for me to ask friends for anything. But I also don’t want to disrupt your traditions. How about this: I’m quite interested in information about the Higher World. Perhaps you could share more details?”
Without waiting for Niru to respond, Rhett handed the Blood Source Pearls to Julie, who hadn’t fully processed what was happening.
“Huh?” Julie exclaimed in surprise, instinctively trying to return the pearls. But remembering her mission, she hesitated and then looked to Master Niru for guidance.
Master Niru seemed just as shocked by Rhett’s generosity, and his view of the Earl shifted. Considering Rhett’s request, he furrowed his brow before eventually nodding.
With a resigned smile, Niru said, “Earl Rhett, I can share what I know about the Higher World, but you must promise to keep it confidential.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep my mouth shut.”
Master Niru nodded and, after organizing his thoughts, began:
“At the Ring Tower, we indeed preserve some notes left by great alchemists throughout history. What we know about the Higher World comes from scattered records in those notes.
Ever since the Archmage Timus proposed the theory of the Higher World ten thousand years ago, subsequent millennia have seen Holy Domain experts continuously refine this idea.
Aside from the blood-based creature I mentioned earlier—let’s call it that for now—there have been other projections, such as fishmen, giant bears, and... dragons!”
“Dragons?” Rhett’s voice rose in surprise.
“Yes, but not the kind you’re thinking of. Let me finish.” Niru glanced at Rhett and continued:
“The giant bear and dragon are not like our local magical beasts. Instead, they bear a resemblance to the Bearmen and Dragonmen among the orcs. Both in appearance and characteristics, there are many similarities, but their potential is even higher than that of the orcs.” Niru's expression grew serious as he spoke. “This has led some to believe, based on the alchemical notes, that the orc race may not be native to our world either. They may have emerged from projections of the Higher World in a more ancient era.”
Rhett’s pupils contracted!
This information was indeed shocking. There were clues suggesting that even the orcs might be products of projections from the Higher World!
He then thought of something and frowned, asking, “If that’s the case, does that mean humans might also be from the Higher World?”
Master Niru shook his head this time. “Not necessarily. So far, no evidence or clues suggest that humans come from the Higher World. None of the alchemical notes I’ve read mention any creatures resembling humans.”
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