The Witcher: Start with the Lord Marrying a Wife.

Chapter 555 Melting Armor Devour

Zelos drew his sword and pointed it toward the distant void rift, where the chaotic fluctuations were intensifying, and the high wall barrier was beginning to show subtle ripples.

The wilderness outside the camp was covered with thick snow, and the occasional howl of wolves broke the silence, making the night seem even more desolate.

Inside the tents, the flickering firelight illuminated tired yet resolute faces.

David sat on a low stool made of meteorite iron, his eyes closed, sweat trickling down his temples.

The gradually spreading gray spots on his left arm seemed to come alive, constantly writhing; they were the mutated curse brought about by the fusion of Hellfire and Frostwolf bloodlines.

A strange aura, a mixture of gunpowder and frost, filled the air.

Amy and Lena stood quietly by her side, their expressions complex, a mixture of worry and unwavering belief that everything could be brought under control.

“David.”

Amy's voice was soft yet firm, "If you continue to allow the parasitic code and bloodline corruption to spread, you will not be able to bear the pain brought about by deeper mutations."

We must be more proactive, or we will be swallowed up.

Lena nodded, her sharp, razor-sharp eyes scanning the data screen. "According to the latest analysis, we need to guide the Hellfire into your body, tempering it with the icy flames through lava, thereby stimulating your body's limits and achieving a balance between your physical body and the demonic flames."

David slowly opened his eyes, which were as deep and resolute as the sea. He said softly, "I understand that this is not only a test of life and death, but also a rebirth from the ashes."

I am willing to bear all the pain, just to protect everyone behind me.

The first rays of sunlight in the morning shone through the cracks in the tent, casting a warm, golden glow inside.

The snow outside reflected a dazzling silver light, but inside the tent, a solemn and tense atmosphere prevailed.

Zellos stood in the center, clad in armor and holding a longsword, but the blade was now pointing towards the ground.

He said in a deep voice, "We must initiate the 'Lava Tempering Ritual'—an ancient secret technique of the Star-Eyed Clan that resonates with our core bloodline, stimulating our bodies with extreme heat and extreme cold simultaneously to strengthen our resistance to the effects of the parasitic code."

Amy brought out a small bowl filled with liquid lava essence, which emitted an orange-red glow, like fiery flames dancing underground.

"David, are you ready?"

Her gaze was gentle, yet it couldn't hide a hint of worry.

He nodded without hesitation, "Let's begin."

The ceremony took place on a platform carved from obsidian on the north side of the camp, inlaid with several flowing energy cores that emitted a faint blue-purple glow in the morning light.

The surrounding area was filled with arrays of runes, engraved with ancient magical languages, intertwined and fused with new symbols specially drawn by Lena, providing powerful energy support for the upcoming trial.

David took off his shirt, leaving only simple, tight-fitting armor. The grayish-white corroded patch on his left arm was exposed to the air, writhing like a ghost in the darkness.

He stood in the center of the platform, took a deep breath, and put his palm into the small furnace in front of him, which was burning with intertwined blue and red flames—the chaotic flames extracted from the abyss of the underworld and the lava pool of the Star-Eyed Clan's secret realm, known as the "Soul Flame".

The burning sensation instantly penetrated his skin and reached his bones and nerves. His facial muscles tensed violently, he subconsciously clenched his teeth, and even his eyelashes trembled slightly.

Despite the pain, he forced himself to channel the intense heat into the deepest part of his body, where it reacted with the corroded area of ​​his left arm.

At the same time, the surrounding barrier activated, and a layer of light blue frost slowly rose, covering his entire body like an invisible hand, enveloping him from his toes all the way to his shoulders. This miraculously stabilized the originally scorching flames, and two completely opposite yet intertwined forces surged and collided wildly within his body.

Time seemed to stand still. The entire platform was enveloped in mysterious, ancient energy ripples. The air trembled, and even the distant snowfall seemed to freeze. Only David's muscles were taut, veins bulging on his forehead, as he focused intently on enduring this baptism of fire and ice. Suddenly, his skin began to change—from initial grayish-white scars to a strange texture, and then gradually transformed into hard, translucent bone armor.

The bone armor emitted a dark, cold white light, with faintly visible flowing runes engraved on it, like the power of ancient stars condensed within, a concrete manifestation of the power accumulated in his bloodline.

The pain erupted, like a sharp blade tearing through every nerve, each breath feeling like a thousand needles piercing the lungs.

But he gritted his teeth and endured it, refusing to succumb to the tearing torment, because he knew that as long as he persevered, this armor would be the only path to rebirth and the last barrier to protect his people!
Inside the tent, Amy clasped her hands together and chanted an ancient incantation, a resolute determination flashing between her brows: "With the power of the primordial universe, guide the cycle of destiny!"

Lena closely monitored the changes in various data and continuously adjusted the array structure parameters, hoping to support her master's smelting process to the greatest extent possible.

"Be patient, just a little longer!"

Zelos drew his sword and stood guard at the doorway, his eyes fixed on the surging waves of the void rift in the distance, constantly on guard against the possible attack of the mutated enemy forces.

"Time is of the essence; we must race against time!"

Hours passed, and finally, as the first rays of dawn shone on the platform, a deafening explosion resounded throughout the heavens and earth!

David took a deep breath of the cool air, and the translucent bone armor that had appeared on his entire skeleton finally took shape and stabilized.

Sweat dripped from his forehead and onto his cheeks, but his sharp gaze pierced through the fog like a knife, adding to his resolute and fierce aura!

"I have succeeded," he whispered, his voice filled with awe. "Ice and fire have merged into my body, and I will use this to fight against the darkness that erodes my soul!"

The crowd instantly gathered around, all showing expressions of excitement and awe.

Night fell as dark as ink, enveloping the land. A fierce wind howled across the wasteland, carrying with it the chill of ice and snow, sweeping across every inch of bare earth.

The distant mountains, bathed in moonlight, shone with a faint silver glow, like a sleeping giant lurking between heaven and earth.

The tents in the camp swayed in the wind, and the flames spewing from the campfire contrasted sharply with the cold night sky, making them appear lonely and helpless.

David stood in the center of the camp, his entire body covered in newly formed bone armor. The translucent grayish-white bone armor shimmered with an eerie light that intertwined ice and flames in the firelight.

The gray spots on his left arm spread slowly, up his wrist, across his elbow, and down to his neck. The spots were as dark as dead ashes, yet they seemed to wriggle as if they were alive.

Every inch of the spread was accompanied by intense stinging pain, as if countless sharp blades were slicing through the skin and penetrating deep into the bone marrow.

His pupils began to change, gradually transforming from a deep, azure blue into narrow, vertical pupils, like the eyes of a ferocious wolf, radiating a cold and sharp light in the darkness. It was an instinctive roar awakening from the depths of his bloodline, the rage of new life born from the darkness and the devouring of flames.

The air suddenly froze, and an ominous, suffocating atmosphere emanated from the perimeter of the camp.

Amy and Lena immediately became alert. They stared at the rift in the distance, a twisted spatial fissure from which emerged a dark and distorted figure—the very embodiment of the Lord of Hell.

They were tall and ferocious, their bodies wreathed in blazing crimson flames, and were blocked by an ice wall barrier. But the clone was trying to break through this indestructible barrier, which was woven from the power of David's bloodline and ancient magic, at an astonishing speed.

"It's coming."

Zellos gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his brow furrowed, his gaze sharp as a hawk's. "This time, it launched the attack on its own. We must rely on David to defend against it with all our might!"

David felt the surging heat and icy cold forces within his body. He took a deep breath, his muscles tensing as if forged from steel.

He slowly closed his eyes, and a vast and desolate wolf howl erupted from the depths of his throat. The sound pierced the night sky and shook the heavens and earth, echoing endlessly in the distant valleys.

Instantly, his body began to expand violently, gradually growing from a human form to tens of meters tall. Scorching gray flames appeared on his skin, and his bone armor became increasingly hard and sharp, transforming him into a gigantic gray wolf a hundred meters long, with his body surging with the power of a soul burning madly!
The temperature in the air suddenly rose and then plummeted, countless snowflakes instantly evaporated into mist, and the ice wall barrier appeared to be on the verge of collapse due to the intense energy impact.

The lord's avatar opened its blood-red eyes, unleashing a chilling demonic aura as it roared, "Mortal, do you think you can stop me? I am the ruler of purgatory, and endless burning will fused your flesh and soul into a furnace!"

Before he could finish speaking, his words were drowned out by David's roar as he transformed into a giant wolf and pounced on him!

The massive claw strike unleashed a blizzard, tearing the void into countless fragments; gray flames swept around, engulfing and burning the enemy.
The wolf's eyes shot out a chilling glint, instilling fear into the enemy's heart—the battle entered a white-hot phase!

The giant wolf roared and leaped up, drawing a dazzling arc in mid-air. With overwhelming force, it tore apart the lord's avatar. Each bite was accompanied by an explosive soul-shaking shockwave, making it almost impossible for the opponent to muster the strength to resist.

The lord screamed repeatedly, but the blazing core "fire" within its core was not completely destroyed.

This fiery core is like the essence of its being, the source of its power, and also its fatal weakness.

Faced with the precarious situation, David suddenly opened his mouth and, with the instinct of a devourer, sucked the core into his stomach.

A wave of devouring energy surged through his entire soul, causing him excruciating pain, but also unleashing an unprecedented burst of power!

After the battle, dew and residual moisture condensed on the grass and branches around the tent, and also on the thick, fresh air filled with the smell of gunpowder.

Amy hurried closer and saw David lying prone on the edge of the rock, but she could still sense the lingering power emanating from him.

His face was pale, but his gaze grew sharper. The spots on his left arm had spread to his neck, and his vertical pupils shone with a will forged like nuclear fuel: "This is... an accelerated bloodline mutation."

Amy frowned. "Your body has begun to merge with the Hellfire and Frostwolf essence. This state is not only dangerous, but also foreshadows more unknown changes."

Lena gathered her long, flowing hair, remaining silent as she stared ahead with a complex expression, continuously analyzing the data: "We must develop a new antidote or sealing technique, otherwise..."

Before she could finish speaking, she instinctively clenched her fist, "Otherwise, we will all be plunged into an even greater calamity."

Zelllos lightly tapped the ground with the tip of his sword and said in a deep voice, "We now have more powerful weapons, but we also bear a heavier burden."

This war has only just begun; there is no turning back!

As dawn broke, the heavy snow gradually stopped, and the earth, covered in silver, was bathed in the golden light of the morning sun.

The distant mountain peaks were tinged with a pale gold by the rising sun, but deep within the earth, an unseen and strange aura was stirring.

The pollution of the earth's veins has temporarily subsided, and the once raging chaotic energy seems to have been contained, but the ionization sensation in the air has not yet dissipated.

The camp was surrounded by the heavy atmosphere left by the frost and gunpowder smoke, and every gust of wind carried a chill and unease.

Here, the fighting seems to have temporarily ceased, but undercurrents are already lurking deep beneath this land.

The Star-Eyed Clan's sacred land is located in the heart of the far northern cold plains, where a thousand-year-old frozen land is like a crystal-clear jade disc inlaid between heaven and earth.

Beneath the thick ice lies the slumbering place of countless ancient powers, a sacred and inviolable domain in the hearts of the people.

However, this sacredness is being secretly nurtured by unknown darkness.

Between the ice layers, a hidden dark shadow slowly wriggled, like new life surging beneath stagnant water.

The shadowy shape was unpredictable, semi-transparent, and seemed to be composed of countless tiny life forms. Its outline gradually solidified, yet it would appear and disappear intermittently, making it difficult to capture its true appearance with the naked eye.

The air trembled slightly, and a sense of oppression spread from the depths of the ground, like an invisible giant serpent quietly crawling out, opening its blood-red maw to devour the last vestige of peace in this world.

The atmosphere inside the tent was unusually heavy. Amy's brows were furrowed as she lightly stroked the data panel engraved with ancient runes of the Star Pupil Clan. The curves on it vaguely indicated abnormal energy fluctuations.

"Although the pollution has temporarily subsided, chaotic energy has penetrated to a deeper level—the core of the world."

She whispered, “What we are facing is not just a superficial invasion, but the very foundation of the entire continent is being damaged.”

Lena stood to the side, bending slightly to examine the data instrument screen, her eyes flashing with a mixture of calm and worry.

"According to the monitoring data, the source of those abnormal ripples points to the core area of ​​the Star-Eyed Clan's sacred land."

She pointed to the glowing spot in the center of the screen, "There, a wriggling black shadow appeared under the ice layer, which we initially identified as a 'dimensional parasitic embryo'—a heterogeneous seed left by the observer to erode the laws of multiple dimensions and the foundation of reality."

Zellos said in a deep voice, "The hatching of this embryo means that the rules of multidimensional space will be torn apart. We must find a way to stop it as soon as possible, otherwise even space itself will collapse."

Rune lanterns hung at the four corners of the tent, their soft blue-purple light illuminating everyone's faces, their eyes filled with tension and determination.

David sat quietly, the gray and white spots on his left arm spreading to his neck, his vertical pupils flashing undimmed, as sharp as a fierce hawk in the night sky.

He clenched his fist gently; each pulse of blood brought excruciating pain, yet it also made him stronger.

(End of this chapter)