"How could I remember that!" Yin snorted. "I can't recognize the specific function of the rune, but I can barely guess the unique reason why this rune exists."

She walked over to the rune ball, which had turned into a flat plate, and gestured with difficulty: "The operation of the enchanted rune always requires magic power."

"Different runes consume different amounts of magic power. Magic that simply increases sharpness and hardness can remain effective for a long time. The more powerful the magic effect, the more limited its duration and number of uses." Yin said, his eyes fixed on the rune board. "A typical example is the champion prize of this Ritual of Truth. It can grant eternal improvement to the reader, and even to a certain extent break through the boundaries of mortals, allowing mortals to truly possess the power of giants and the wisdom of demons. Such a treasure requires a hundred years to recharge. Treasures like the Three Wishes Ring, which can grant anyone the ability to make a wish, are even more so. Once the charge is used up, it becomes completely scrap metal, and it is almost impossible to recharge it."

Having said this, she narrowed her eyes slightly and snapped her fingers. "—But, strangely enough, this rune ball has absolutely no parts on it that are traditionally used to maintain the flow of magic power. In short, its source of power does not come from the magic network at all."

This conclusion surprised the readers: "Magic items that don't use the magic network?"

Metatron narrowed his eyes slightly when he heard the topic, and his legs tensed unconsciously.

Yin replied matter-of-factly, "The Weave is merely a powerful medium for magic. Outside the Weave, magic becomes more violent and dangerous, but other than that, there are ways to directly utilize magic."

She paused, her face darkening. “For example, a blood sacrifice.”

"Blood sacrifice... I see!" With this inspiration, Christine immediately rushed back to the table, carefully examined the rune plate for a moment, and muttered, "...I see, that's how it is. I have an idea. I now understand what this outermost circle is. Wait a moment, I need to contact Candlekeep for final confirmation."

Then, she quickly walked out of the range of the mansion spell and whispered a spell outside, sending the message to the largest library in Faerun in the far west.

After a while, she hurried back, her face full of excitement. "...That's right. I initially thought it was just an evil or blasphemous magical item, so I had no idea what it was. In fact, it's neither!"

The Great Reader knocked on the table. "Strictly speaking, this rune ball is a cursed item!"

"Because it directly draws on the host's vitality, using the host itself as the energy source for the magic item, it will inevitably kill the host in the end. Compared to various cursed items that simply want to inflict unbearable pain on the host, at least this rune orb should still have a corresponding effect after absorbing the host's vitality. In comparison, this rune orb can probably barely be considered a useful, normal magic item."

Having said that, Christine hesitated for a moment and gestured the size of the rune ball.

Even though this rune plate had become a flat plate, it was still as long as both of her arms combined.

She adjusted her glasses and sighed, "—although I doubt any creature would voluntarily place something like this inside its body. In that sense, it's still a cursed item."

Mars clenched his fists and said coldly, "Or, in other words, it's used to make war machines. For example, to pull out thousands of burrowing worms in a short period of time. And the cost may just be a large amount of food."

Christine nodded. "That's probably true. Although I still can't guess why the devil would deliberately use this cursed item...

"From what I understand, the devils of the Nine Hells, while evil, are absolute pragmatists. They do cultivate a fearsome reputation to spread their terror and intimidate their enemies, but this rune orb is embedded deep within the burrowing worm, making it difficult to detect until the very last moment. I'm a little confused as to why they'd use cursed items to create war machines."

At this moment, Metatron, who had originally claimed to know nothing about this, crossed his arms, thought quietly for a moment, and suddenly said, "-Or perhaps, circumventing the magic net is their goal itself. This is part of some kind of experiment they're conducting."

"An experiment?" Christine's face showed a hint of confusion. "What kind of experiment requires bypassing the magic weave? And why would a devil deep within the Nine Hells be researching this? Aside from the dragon devils of Tiamat who dabble in arcane magic, devils aren't known for their arcane skills."

And Emiya raised her eyebrows.

Before they left Baldur's Gate, Elminster had brought them bad news.

The former queen of Agoralond, Simbu the Chosen of Mystra, has been abducted.

This once powerful wizard lost his mind during the Arcane Calamity and fell into endless madness, completely relying on the protection of others to survive.

Her past behavior was truly domineering, and she had many enemies in the world. But one thing was clear: she was Elminster's lover, or rather, his former lover. Regardless, their relationship had been entwined for many years.

He dared to attack Elminster's lover, and surprisingly succeeded, while leaving the archmage with no strategy to retaliate, leaving him helpless for a short period of time...

The power behind this must be so powerful that it is unimaginable, so that the identity of the criminal is almost obvious.

Now, the devil's activities have added a heavyweight candidate to this originally very narrow group of suspects.

The supreme leader of the Gods and Non-Gods, the Demon King, Asmodeus.

Emiya and Metatron's eyes met. The master and disciple had clearly thought of the same name.

However, it was obviously impossible to tell Christine such an inside secret. Christine could only shake her head. "...This conclusion is too hasty. I wish there were other similar magical items for comparison. If you're interested in further studying this rune sphere, go find the core of the Berdusk swarm. I suspect you'll find another rune sphere in the center of the largest nest."

Mars was silent for a moment, then said, "Teacher, we actually have similar trophies. But the origin of this trophy is very... complicated. If I show it to you, you might get into trouble."

Christine was stunned for a moment, her eyes slowly sweeping across the crowd before finally waving her hand. "At another time, I might have said I don't care, and you can say whatever you want. But not now. I'm the host of the Ritual of Truth, and my every move represents Candlekeep. I can't act on my own."

This answer is not unexpected.

The knowledge pantheon, led by Oghma, is considered a neutral pantheon, rarely intervening in the struggle between good and evil. Even in Baldur's Gate, if he hadn't been forced into a corner, coupled with Emya's amazing craftsmanship, Gond might have remained unwilling to intervene.

At this time when everything is unpredictable, standing out means standing at the center of the storm. The Knowledge God System is obviously not prepared to stand opposite the devil and face the open and secret attacks from the devils of the Nine Hells.

Then, the intact rune ball in the Sharptooth Forest can only continue to remain in Emia's dimensional cave.

Next, it’s their business alone.

They had a strong guess. The next step was to verify it.

Just as Emilia was about to say goodbye, Christine suddenly frowned: "An unexpected guest has arrived."

Almost at the same time, the voice of Supreme Observer Craig came from the door of the mansion: "Great Reader Christine, may I ask if Team Emya is inside?

"I have two questions to ask—"

"First, after the first wave of fighting on the front lines, the armor of the combatants was severely damaged by the burrowing worms, and there are not enough blacksmiths. I would like to ask him if he can contact the craftsmen in Baldur's Gate to provide support. Of course, they will be paid."

"Secondly, we believe our current combat power is sufficient to attract the main force of the Digger Worms. We plan to begin organizing additional elite troops to advance into the Digger Worm's heartland. Are they interested in joining?"

After the Forty-Eight Breakup, there was another way

With the Supreme Observer visiting, it was impossible for Christine to turn away such a distinguished guest.

However, just as she stepped out of the scope of the mansion technique, she found that there was someone standing behind Craig who was unexpected to her.

She raised an eyebrow. "Brother Norwich, it seems you've truly thrived in Elturgard... After gaining the support of the Church of Lathander, you now even have the full backing of the Supreme Observer?"

Norwich snorted. "You flatter me. The cooperation between O'Near and me is essentially over. They intend to act alone and have no intention of continuing to cooperate with me."

Craig's face showed no surprise. "The Cathedral of Twin Suns is large enough to rival half an administrative district. If the Church of Lathander is willing to help, they can form a decapitation squad. Plus, the Cult of the Rising Sun itself is quite xenophobic..."

"That's their business. It has nothing to do with us anymore." Norwich obviously had no intention of continuing the topic.

Emilia and her group then walked out from behind Christine and were slightly startled by Norwich's appearance.

But Emilia immediately reacted. "So, this is a challenge, Norwich? But with all due respect, I have no intention of competing in clearing the burrowing worms. This battle isn't without its dangers, and if anything goes wrong, it will inevitably affect a large number of innocent civilians. Competing over something like this is incredibly irresponsible."

If this were simply a Ritual of Truth, Emya would certainly not have conceded defeat. However, the burrower swarm was undoubtedly a highly threatening natural and man-made disaster. Allowing the participants to engage in intrigue against each other in this context would undoubtedly be abducting the innocent people of Elturgard and Verdusk.

But Norwich obviously didn't think too much about it, and sneered: "So you are scared?"

Emilia said calmly, "If you can truly succeed, or even find and destroy the source of all this, then we would only be happy to see it happen. With all due respect, we have too much work to do. If someone can do some of it for us, at least I won't be jealous of your contribution and the reputation you gain from it."

Mars shrugged. "I consider myself very competitive, but I wouldn't compete with anyone when lives are at stake."

"...!"

But Emya's answer was clearly not what Norwich wanted to hear. The Oghma priest's attitude towards Mars had always been unfriendly, but today it became particularly unusual.

Norwich clenched his teeth, even his lips trembling slightly. He rushed forward quickly and almost bumped into Craig in front of him.

Christine was silent for a moment and did not make way for Norwich.

Seeing this, Norwich became even more furious. He roared, "No matter how you try to sugarcoat it... the one who can save Elturgard, win the Ritual of Truth, and return to Candlekeep with glory can only be me!"

"I don't know what you're so excited about." Mars retorted bluntly, "We didn't have a good relationship in the past, and we won't have a good relationship in the future. But so what? We are no longer from the same world."

These words were like thunder so close that Norwich was completely frozen in place.

Mars said to himself: "I have been a paladin for many years, and it is impossible for me to change my path. There were indeed members in Candlekeep who did not belong to the knowledge system. Even a hundred years ago, a great reader was a priest of the Church of Mystra. But no matter what, it is unheard of for a paladin to go to Candlekeep to serve as a monk, not to mention that the Church of Mystra has almost become a ruin. It is impossible for me to go to Candlekeep to be a monk who guards books in this life.

"In the future, you will undoubtedly hold a high position in Candlekeep, becoming another Great Reader, perhaps even Chief Reader or Keeper of the Scriptures. I may die in a siege by other churches, or be tortured to death by demons. Perhaps, with a one in ten thousand chance, I will witness the resurrection of the Goddess of Magic or the revival of the Church of Mystra, and see Halrua return from the dead."

"But no matter what, your affairs have nothing to do with me, and my affairs have nothing to do with you." Mars shook his head in confusion. "If nothing unexpected happens, this reunion in Elturgard will be our penultimate or even final encounter in this life. From now on, we will have nothing to do with each other. I really don't understand why you're so excited."

Mars doesn't usually give long speeches, but today was probably an exception.

In fact, his words were from the bottom of his heart, and there was not necessarily any intention of sarcasm.

It would be better to say that Norwich's current position might have belonged to Mars. It was understandable that Mars was jealous of Norwich.

But at this moment, it seems like everything is turned upside down, which looks quite funny.

Christine also sighed deeply: "Norwich. You may not listen to what I say, but I still have to say it - everything is in the past. You are now an independent five-ring pastor. Don't take your childhood events to heart anymore."

Norwich was not grateful.

He just stumbled back a few steps and was speechless for a moment.

He looked at Craig with an extremely complicated look.

Craig calmly replied, "Mr. Norwich, you are now a priest of the Five Rings and must be held accountable for your actions."

Norwich took a deep breath. "...Yes! Whatever you say. I will handle this burrowing worm infestation beautifully!"

After leaving these last words behind, he ran towards the Tyre camp without looking back, completely ignoring the other priests of the same age who were still in the camp.

Emiya frowned.

However, before he could ask, Craig brought the subject back: "Then, please let's get back to the topic at the beginning. Mr. Emiya."

The initial topic: equipment maintenance and matchmaking for the Gunde Church.

And, join the decapitation operation.

The former made Emiya feel alert.

In fact, there is no need to contact the Gunde Church for this matter. Although this is their main business, it will take several days to act as a middleman or let the Gunde Church make a decision and dispatch priests and craftsmen.

——However, if Emiya were to do it, patching the damage to the armor and repairing the acid corrosion would be a piece of cake. Even if it were a few hundred pieces of armor, it wouldn't take much time and effort.

The only question is, what kind of answer does Craig want?

In front of Craig, Emilia only showed the power of large-scale construction - which is not the same as making armor and weapons.

However, Emilia's ability to create things has not actually been made public.

Only a small number of people who were most closely associated with him knew about this—even the Gond Church might not be aware of it.

However, his enemies, the demons of Mephistopheles' faction, should have known all this. Zariel's subordinates might not be so well-informed.

Let's be honest.

Emiya completely distrusted the Supreme Observer before him. Even though he had barely found any solid evidence, he wasn't a prosecutor, lawyer, or detective who valued a chain of evidence.

This level of suspicion was enough for him.

"Regarding the former, I'm sorry I may not be able to do it for you." Emiya's face was expressionless. "Baldur's Gate hasn't fully recovered from the Late Summer Rebellion. The Temple of Gond lost nearly half of its priests in that turmoil. They're now struggling to keep up with their original orders."

Emiya paused. "Right now, the most abundant resource in the Temple of Supreme Miracles is the holy water that remained unused during the Late Summer Rebellion. If Elturgard's holy water reserves are insufficient..."

"That's not necessary." Craig answered decisively.

The religious atmosphere in Elturgard is several times that of Baldur's Gate, and the number of clergy there is far more than that of Baldur's Gate.

"Well, unfortunately, if you're willing, I can contact them and convey your response." Emilia sighed, "but I won't be responsible for the outcome. As for the burrowing worms..."

He said calmly, "I suppose Elturgard has already exhausted its best forces?"

Even from the known combat power at hand, Elturgard had already produced several ninth-level spellcasters. Asur, who could ride a Pegasus, was also a fourth-level paladin.

Gods fight.

This lineup is only slightly worse than the all-star lineup used to defeat Grand Duke Valakan in Baldur's Gate.

Elturgard's nationwide mobilization would likely have already sent tremors through the hearts of the surrounding city-states, so there was no need for Emya and her entourage to join the battle. Forget the burrowers; even Zariel would have been utterly defeated had she dared to come alone against such a force.

Sigurd took a few steps forward and waved to Craig. "We believe we are too incompetent to march alongside the heroes of Elturgard. Let's find a way to meet them elsewhere."

"Are you sure?" This answer greatly surprised Craig. "I thought you were quite interested in the Ritual of Truth—Norwich has been running around quite a bit these days. The leaders involved in this decapitation operation probably wouldn't mind handing over the fruits of their labor to Norwich."

Speaking of this topic, Christine couldn't help but sigh. "If the entire burrowing worm tide were thoroughly clarified, I would give Norwich a level 4."

"Then let him win." Emilia's expression remained unchanged. "We were just interested in the beginning."

Mars said indifferently, "I'm still unclear on this. As emissaries from Baldur's Gate, we should be treated with respect here. Yet, for some reason, we're being met with hostility in Elturgard—though think about it, the relationship between Baldur's Gate and Elturgard wasn't good to begin with. So, please understand—we didn't apply to participate; it was Elturgard who commissioned or requested us. There's no need for us to proactively apply."

Even if they go, their actions must be kept secret for now, and they can no longer use the official channels of Elturgard.

That's clear enough.

They were not interested in either proposal.

Emiya bowed. "However, we have accepted the commission from the Church of Selune and will be patrolling the area to provide assistance to the participants. You don't need to rush us."

"Goodbye. We have just returned from the town of Trier. If you would like to hear it, I can give you a brief account of our findings. In addition, we should also visit the druids of the River Forest."

**********************

The silence of the River Forest Circle has lasted for quite some time.

The Archdruid glanced at every druid present without saying a word. The other druids also remained silent.

The Archdruid firmly believed that someone in the circle could not resist the temptation and leaked the secret to the outside world.

But now, no one is willing to admit it.

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like