Chapter 273 : The Ritual Restarts

The ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Ritual Restarts

Staring at the continuing whirling vortex, Serea did not ask any questions, but Dogsius's warning came first.

"Not good, it's death magic. This ritual is absorbing death magic to keep running!"

Hearing Dogsius's warning, Serea acted without hesitation.

"Take them out now!"

With the command, all kinds of powerful magic mixed with arrows flew toward Adolf and his group, but...

Bzzz!

A black pillar of light reappeared. Any attack that struck it was obliterated, leaving Adolf and the others completely unharmed.

"Thank you, thank you, everyone! If you hadn't helped slaughter all the Undead that gathered here, we wouldn't have had enough death magic to activate this ritual. Hahaha, hahaha!"

Adolf laughed maniacally, and everything became clear.

The Undead that appeared in both the eastern and western Corrupted Jungle had been their doing. Although they couldn't control all the Undead, they could attract and command tides of them to move.

From the very start, these Undead had never been meant for self-defense; it was the death magic generated by the Undead's destruction that was their true target in the plan!

Crack!

A bolt of lightning flashed. After the vortex in the sky absorbed the high concentration of death magic, it grew larger, and streaks of cerulean silhouettes burst out from within.

Demonic Wyverns! Level 17! Bronze Elites!

One after another, demonic Wyverns soared out and circled overhead. The darkening sky was enough to make one's scalp tingle.

But that wasn't all...

"Aaaang!"

A clear dragon's cry echoed, and from within the vortex, a beast with massive spread wings soared forth—a dragon!

Bone Dragon! Level 36! Gold Elite!

At the same time, strange activity came from the black-violet mire. One Complete 'Demon' after another, who had been lurking within for a long time, crawled out, all averaging at least Level 16.

"Get ready for battle!"

Seeing this, kulruan quickly gave the order. The Naga, in coordination with the Skeletons, blocked the front. But faced with such formidable monsters, Fear seeped into the hearts of the Naga. At that moment, Beverly took action.

"Come, Camilla, the ritual has begun. It's too dangerous for you to stay there."

Beverly said gently, her eyes brimming with affection as she extended a hand glowing with black light toward Camilla.

Seeing this, Adolf glanced at Beverly's back.

A cruel look flashed across his face. Now, only the final step remained for the ritual: Sacrificing a demon lord's soul!

They waited. Several seconds passed. Beverly's wait did not bring Camilla forward, but rather a look of terror to her eyes.

"Watch out!"

Hearing Camilla's warning, Beverly was puzzled, until—

Splurt!

Beverly's eyes widened slightly. Looking down, she saw a Blood Spring piercing straight through her chest.

"Beverly!"

Camilla shouted and dashed forward, using telekinesis to fly across the mire toward the altar.

"You... you all!"

Beverly looked at Adolf with confusion and incomprehension, which, after several seconds, turned into anger.

"Sorry. With just the few of us, we can't find Laviel's soul. So, sorry Morzada, the ritual must have a demon lord's soul for Sacrifice, but we'll remember your sacrifice!"

"You... You betrayers! You bastards!!!"

Beverly roared in fury. Originally, they had planned to use Serea's hand to get rid of Morzada, so at least Morzada wouldn't bear a grudge against them, but now pushed to the brink, they had no choice but to do it themselves.

With her heart pierced, Beverly's body died. Taking advantage of the moment, the pre-planted Curse Gemstone inside her was triggered, slowly absorbing her soul.

Little by little, her eyes closed...

"No!"

Camilla was already halfway there. Seeing this, alysta waved the Blood Spring to drive her back.

"Camilla!"

Maro lunged forward and caught her, while everyone's spells continued to bombard the black pillar of light.

To no effect. Beverly's unconscious body slowly rose to the top of the black pillar, as the ritual, now having absorbed a demon lord's soul, achieved its final condition.

"Ah~"

A strange chanting echoed as the vortex continued to expand, its diameter reaching hundreds of meters.

"Come, the ritual's most glorious moment, come!"

Adolf wore an insane grin; all the conditions had been met. Surrounded by the bone dragon and Demonic Wyverns, a mask-wearing woman slowly descended from within the vortex.

Is that the demon lord?

The thought flashed through Serea's mind, and she used Appraise.

Alysta, blood of Calamity! Level 45! Lord! Lich!

Then who is atop the altar?

Seeing the female body in the sky, Adolf frowned.

"So it's not my body?"

"That's the luck of the draw. So just wait a bit longer; I'll sweep away the pests outside first."

With the protection of the black pillar of light, alysta pulled out a dagger and stabbed her own heart. After the body's death, her soul returned to the token, which turned into a streak of light and flew into the sky, ultimately coming to rest on the true Alysta's body.

Crimson eyes snapped open—a Lich reviving in her original body. Looking down on Serea, alysta spoke:

"Little girl, let's see who the true master of blood is now!"

Powerful!

Unbeatable, overwhelming power!

The so-called summoning of a demon lord was really summoning these beings' original bodies!

Below, the Naga gazed up, Fear written plainly on their faces. Today, they truly witnessed the descent of a demon lord.

"D-demon lord!"

The voice echoed, dread mounting in their hearts in concert with the rumbling dragon roars. The Naga's morale was almost broken.

Next, a blood-red spell circle unfurled in the sky.

Sinister, terrifying, and the aura felt hauntingly familiar...

Summon: Warbeast of Calamity, blood Fiend!

"Offer a crimson blessing for my rebirth!"

Thick blood plasma began to drip little by little. A Blood Stone flew into it, and the mass of filthy blood wriggled as if gaining life. Finally, a thirty-meter-tall wolf-shaped Blood Warbeast emerged.

Level 45! Legendary! Warbeast!

"Awooo!"

With a roar, the Demonic Wyverns plunged from the sky; the demons charged toward the Naga formation; and, most dreadful of all, the bone dragon unfurled its wings of death.

"Clan Chief, the enemy's too strong! We must retreat!"

Senior Naga tried hard to suppress his fear as he looked to Kulruan. Only now did they truly understand the nature of their enemy.

"Think you can escape? Heh."

Alysta giggled behind her hand, then the Calamity Blood Fiend began amassing magic in its mouth, aiming at the Skeleton and Naga lines.

"Defend!"

With the command, a shield of ice crystals, bone walls, and vine barriers were conjured. Then, the Blood Fiend, having charged its breath, unleashed it.

A red death ray swept horizontally across a thousand meters. Ice, bones, and vines shattered in succession; although the damage was greatly reduced, the aftershock still wiped out swathes of Skeletons, and dozens of Naga fell on the spot, with countless wounded.

"AAHHH!!!"

Naga corroded by Blood Toxin screamed in agony, while the demons had already charged in, and the Demonic Wyverns rained death from above again and again.

"Disperse!"

Kulruan urgently ordered. The Naga began to scatter.

"Hold the enemy back!"

The demons charged, with the Skeletons and Naga guards resisting as best they could. The demons' fighting power wasn't overwhelming, but they crawled endlessly from the mire as if without end. Meanwhile...

"Aaang!"

A bone dragon dove, unleashing its breath, then plunged straight into the rear ranks. Several Gargoyles worked together to fend it off, barely holding it back—but don't forget, there was still another bone dragon.

The other bone dragon's target was clear—it charged directly at Serea's temporary base.

"Hold it back, protect our line at all costs!"

As the bone dragon swooped down, blood slaves readied their swords while the Blood Tree Guardians launched their first volley of attacks.

"Aaang!"

After a blast, the bone dragon was knocked down and crashed into the graveyard, destroying two Blood Tree Guardians but quickly regaining its footing. The blood slaves surrounded it, but with the level difference, they couldn't possibly take it down.

"Queen, what do we do?"

Numerous Demonic Wyverns swooped down, with the dragonhawks hopelessly outmatched.

What now? Should they run?

Watching Alysta's twisted, grinning face, Serea realized there was no way her opponent would ever let her escape.

"Clan Chief, queen Serea, if we don't leave now, it'll be too late!"

With ever more monsters emerging from the vortex and mire, the Naga elder urged them on. In mere minutes, the Naga had already lost nearly a hundred warriors.

Yet Serea and Kulruan remained silent. They both knew that retreat meant certain death—not just for them, but for their forest homeland and tribespeople too. The monsters would destroy everything. So...

"System, recalculate the odds of victory."

System: Twenty percent.

"..."

"Master, alysta is still growing stronger, and even more powerful beings will appear soon. Either run now, or gamble everything in one fight to slay Alysta and stop the ritual, or it's extremely dangerous!"

"How do we stop the ritual?"

"Two ways. First, by external force, destroy Morzada's soul. But right now, morzada's soul is protected by a barrier; with our current methods, that's basically impossible."

"And the second?"

"Use the token to recall Morzada's soul, then allow me to destroy it."

"How do we do that specifically?"

"Return the token to Morzada, and her soul will be summoned into it."

"If that's the case..."

Serea glanced at Alysta, who stood guard by the black pillar of light. She hadn't attacked, instead sending her giant beasts. Did this mean she was afraid Serea might stop the ritual?

Serea took the bone necklace from her neck and clenched it. Sensing her movement, alysta immediately looked over.

She's afraid! It could work!

Closing her eyes in thought for a while, Serea glanced at Kulruan.

"Clan Chief, I have a twenty percent chance if we gamble. Will you fight or flee?"

Twenty percent wasn't high, but Kulruan answered decisively.

"Fight."

But the Naga elder immediately tried to stop him.

"Clan Chief!"

"Enough! If we lose this battle, the jungle will fall, our home ruined, our people slaughtered. We must fight."

Turning to Serea...

"What can we do?"

"Protect the front line, hold the enemies, and support me as much as possible."

"Alright."

As he spoke, kulruan turned to Teusha, who guarded Serea's side.

"Lend me your Cold Iron Trident for a moment."

To his father, teusha had no memories, but for some reason he felt familiar, and passed over the Cold Iron Trident without thinking.

Holding the Whirlpool Tide clan's priceless treasure, kulruan chanted a spell, then plunged the trident into the earth. Seeing this, the anxious Naga elder shouted:

"Clan Chief, you can't use that power again!"

But Kulruan didn't listen and drove the trident into the ground without hesitation.

Sssss...

The Cold Iron Trident emitted vibrant blue light, growing ever brighter as rings of magic patterns spread outward. A massive hemispherical water shield expanded, covering everyone inside.

Boom!

The Blood Fiend's second Calamity Breath smashed into the shield, shrinking it by a ring, but it soon rebounded and expanded again.

"Unngh!"

Kulruan clenched his teeth, blood veins coursing in his eyes.

"Queen, go all out! Leave this to me!"

With that, a wave of absolute zero chill erupted from the shield, instantly freezing swathes of demons and Demonic Wyverns. The monsters no longer dared approach, while spells and arrows from within could pierce out and damage the enemy.

But unleashing such large-scale defensive magic consumed tremendous energy—their time was very limited!

"All Skeletons, skeleton Warriors, dread Warriors, bone Yan, and dragonhawks, charge and cover us to the black pillar of light!"

At her command, the Undead acted at once. The Naga elder realized there was no choice but to fight.

"We'll provide ranged support here."

"Very well, let's go!"

Everyone moved out, while Celia mounted Bone Yan.

"You and Lola's group stay to support us here,"

Serea said.

"I can't bear to let you take all the risk,"

Celia objected.

"My abilities counter Alysta the most. It has to be me."

"Then we'll cover and support."

Saying this, not only Celia, but Lola, Vina, maro, and Leklis all mounted Bone Yan as well.

"Swear to protect the Queen with our lives!" xN

"......"

Hearing these words, Serea felt a complicated emotion welling up. She looked once more at Beverly within the black pillar of light.

"Alright, you all cover me. Attack!"

With a command, everyone charged to the edge of the water shield. After the Blood Fiend's second Calamity Breath was blocked, it personally advanced to destroy the shield, ignoring all spells thrown its way, but—

"Clark is here!"

Clark descended from the sky, smashing his stone spear onto the Blood Fiend's head. The strike did little harm; the Blood Fiend simply swatted Clark aside with a claw.

Immediately, the other four Gargoyles and a host of water elementals rushed in. Their combined elemental and physical attacks forced the Blood Fiend to respond to their harassment.

Calamity breath, rending claws—one water elemental after another was destroyed; even a Gargoyle fell. But the Blood Fiend's body was barely damaged.

"Useless. Once I smash this annoying turtle shell, not one of you will escape."

As he spoke, the two bone dragons flew in, enduring attacks as they breathed again and again on the water shield, which shrank further with each strike.

With the continued assault from the demons and Demonic Wyverns, it was only a matter of time before the shield broke.

"It's as good as won..."

But just as Alysta was savoring her victory, waves of blood silk surged toward her.

(To be continued...)