Chapter 298: Mastering New Magic, Adding Fuel to the Fire
High in the sky.
The easily dispersed black mist of negative energy reconsolidated around the Alliance Leader, who was suspended in mid-air, obscuring his faintly visible figure.
Tang Zheng was also suspended in mid-air, the bone dragon beside him flapping its half-missing wing.
A tense aura permeated the air, as if the two would start fighting again at any moment.
After a probing exchange, Tang Zheng already had a relatively clear understanding of the Alliance Leader's strength. The fact that he hadn't used seventh-tier magic even during the crisis in the "Domain of Fire" meant there were only two possibilities.
"Let's talk," the Alliance Leader suddenly spoke. His tone still held a superior air, but it was much calmer.
"What."
Tang Zheng was slightly taken aback, somewhat surprised.
On the ground.
Khajiit occasionally raised his head to look at the two figures in the sky, beads of sweat continuously forming on his forehead.
He had a feeling that the situation was developing in a way that was somewhat beyond his expectations. Originally, he thought he would die and the mysterious person would also die at the hands of the Alliance Leader, but the current situation was heading in a different direction.
However, what Khajiit was truly worried about now was whether he would be able to survive.
Before long.
Under Khajiit's gaze, Tang Zheng and the Alliance Leader flew down from the sky, landing steadily on the ground.
From the looks of it, the two seemed to have reached some kind of agreement.
Khajiit's heart unhelpfully skipped a few beats; he had a feeling he would be finished off in the next moment.
Escape?
With the strength of the Alliance Leader and the other man, where could he possibly escape to?
The Alliance Leader wanted to kill him, and if the mysterious person had truly reached some kind of agreement with the Alliance Leader, then he would no longer have any use.
Unconsciously, Khajiit was already drenched in cold sweat.
"Khajiit."
The Alliance Leader's faint voice drifted over.
Khajiit's whole body trembled, and he responded with a terrified, trembling voice, "Alliance Leader."
"How is the 'Spiral of Death Ritual' you've been setting up?"
Khajiit didn't know why the Alliance Leader was suddenly asking about this and answered cautiously, "It... it still needs some time."
Since entering the Hills region, the main thing he had been doing was creating undead in order to better draw out negative energy.
"Take me to the place where the ritual is being set up."
The Alliance Leader spoke, then looked at Tang Zheng beside him. "The demi-humans aren't that easy to control. The Holy Kingdom and the Slane Theocracy are both nearby. Be careful, you might already be under surveillance."
Faced with this abrupt and seemingly random remark, Tang Zheng, on the contrary, seemed to understand the Alliance Leader's meaning and said calmly, "I will be careful."
"We each get what we need," the Alliance Leader replied.
Throughout the entire process, neither Tang Zheng nor the Alliance Leader paid any attention to Khajiit, who was standing aside with his ears pricked, listening to their conversation.
The Alliance Leader left with Khajiit, heading towards the "Corpse Pit" near the mountain range.
Tang Zheng stood in place, watching the two figures depart. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Come out."
Swoosh!
A white figure emerged from the woods on the hill behind him; it was the White Mist Witch.
"Master, should we send someone to keep an eye on them?"
A look of fear appeared in the White Mist Witch's eyes; she had watched the entirety of that terrifying battle.
Keep an eye on them?
Tang Zheng shook his head. "In this entire Hills region, I'm the only one capable of keeping an eye on that Alliance Leader. Don't waste your effort."
"The situation is getting more and more interesting."
He had temporarily reached a verbal agreement with the Alliance Leader. The reason Tang Zheng agreed was that the Alliance Leader mentioned the "Spiral of Death Ritual" Khajiit possessed was incomplete.
Tang Zheng didn't know if this was true or false, but it had clearly become the other party's bargaining chip.
The Alliance Leader seemed to be well aware of the importance of the "Spiral of Death Ritual" to people like Tang Zheng. Or rather, for anyone who targeted this ritual, the goal was very simple.
To become an undead and obtain eternal life!
And then, to continue studying magic to obtain immense power!
"Aberrant" is the limit for humans, but not for a Heteromorphic Race that has become undead.
In the Alliance Leader's eyes, Tang Zheng possessed such immense strength that he was already approaching human limits, which was why he had set his sights on the "Spiral of Death Ritual."
"What is this Alliance Leader's specific goal, I wonder."
A contemplative look appeared in Tang Zheng's eyes. The goal the other party had revealed was not credible; he was contemplating the Alliance Leader's deeper purpose.
Just as Tang Zheng had deliberately shown that he valued the "Spiral of Death Ritual," in reality, the only thing about the ritual that interested him was simply its method of absorbing negative energy.
"I originally thought it would be a bit difficult to completely pin the blame on Zuranon using only a minor character like Khajiit. Now, however, there's no need for any more pretense."
Tang Zheng hadn't expected this Alliance Leader to show up in person. He turned to the White Mist Witch and asked, "Any news from Gagaran's side?"
"He has already made contact with people from the Holy Kingdom. Just as you predicted, Master, not only did they fail to reach an agreement, but Gagaran also ended up fighting them."
The White Mist Witch immediately replied with a grin.
"Both sides have their own barriers and taboos. Without the foundation of complete trust, any attempt to mutually supply each other's needs will only devolve into a meaningless exchange," Tang Zheng said with understanding.
He wasn't surprised by this outcome.
Ever since the Holy Kingdom had sent people to inquire about Gagaran, Tang Zheng had guessed they intended to make contact with him separately.
However, both sides were too naive.
What Gagaran knew was limited, and much of it was his own speculation. Meanwhile, the Holy Kingdom was already hostile towards demi-humans, making it impossible for them to fully trust his words.
Furthermore, Gagaran was no longer just an individual but the king of a race, so he had far more to consider.
Tang Zheng had always been paying close attention to Gagaran's movements; he was a very important card to have in hand.
But now, the appearance of the Zuranon Alliance Leader had complicated the situation.
Tang Zheng couldn't quite figure out this Alliance Leader's intentions. The only thing he could be sure of was that the Alliance Leader was definitely plotting something.
He should know that the Slane Theocracy has its eyes on this place.
And what was even stranger was that, despite knowing the Slane Theocracy had its eyes on the Hills region, he hadn't left!
"White Mist."
Tang Zheng said suddenly.
"Master," the White Mist Witch responded.
"For the time being, stop watching Gagaran. Pay attention to the situation with Lizardman Kuru Xue instead."
The White Mist Witch nodded respectfully. "Understood."
Tang Zheng stood at the edge of the hill, gazing out at the vast hills in the distance. He raised a hand, adjusted his red hood, and with a thought, summoned his stat panel.
Of all the magic the Alliance Leader had used during their brief exchange, there were only three spells that he hadn't mastered: the Third-Tier Magic "One-Sided Duel," the Fifth-Tier Magic "Crumbling Bone Prison," and the Sixth-Tier Magic "Pale Fire."
"One-Sided Duel" could prevent an opponent from escaping with teleportation magic. The only thing to be wary of was the possibility of the opponent teleporting to their teammates, which could easily lead to being surrounded.
"Crumbling Bone Prison" was a binding-type magic.
Tang Zheng possessed "Sand Domain," which could be converted into four attributes and contained multiple effects, so that spell was of little use to him.
"Pale Fire" was an area-of-effect magic with an energy attack of two attributes: fire and negative. In the Alliance Leader's hands, the spell was merely dual-attribute.
But in Tang Zheng's hands!
As long as it was an attribute-based magic, he could convert it into four attributes. In his hands, such a spell could manifest in various forms.
Just like the "Compound Element Elf" summon he had mastered.
[Skill Points: 62→60]
With the consumption of two skill points, the two spells, "One-Sided Duel" and "Pale Fire," were mastered.
On the other side.
The Alliance Leader and Khajiit walked across a desolate, cracked wasteland where the short grass had withered.
The hot and arid climate meant that even the weeds on the ground were pitifully scarce; only some dead grass leaves and shrubs dotted the landscape.
Juxtaposed with the eerie figures of the Alliance Leader and Khajiit, from whom a deathly aura emanated, it seemed as if this entire region had already become a dead land.
Khajiit kept his head down, following closely behind the Alliance Leader, his sunken eye sockets casting shadows that concealed his eyes.
Not being executed again by the Alliance Leader didn't make Khajiit feel safe. On the contrary, he grew even more terrified. During the time he had followed the Alliance Leader, he had come to know his personality all too well—this was an utterly apathetic person!
"Isn't it strange?"
The Alliance Leader's magnetic voice, which sounded like grinding bones, rang out.
Khajiit's dirty, yellowed fingers trembled as they swayed with his body's slight movements.
"You should be glad. This spellcaster in the red robe wants to see in you the possibility of a human transforming into an undead."
"I hope for your success even more than you do." The Alliance Leader let out a strange laugh, faintly tinged with an imperceptible taunt.
"For you, this is a rare opportunity. It is also your last chance."
Khajiit's gaze trembled.
The Alliance Leader seemed unconcerned with Khajiit's current emotions and thoughts. He raised a finger, pointed to the sky, and asked, "Do you know what this is?"
Khajiit looked up blankly and subconsciously replied, "Th-this subordinate... does not know."
This was his first time in the Hills region, and he was unfamiliar with the climate, so he hadn't noticed anything strange.
"The Abelion Hills haven't experienced a drought like this in over a hundred years. This isn't a normal climate change, but the result of magic."
"To alter the heavens on such a large scale, one would need the Sixth-Tier faith-based magic, 'Weather Manipulation'."
The Alliance Leader slowly revealed a piece of information that left Khajiit shocked and incredulous.
Sixth-Tier magic!
Isn't that a domain beyond that of mortals?
The Alliance Leader's tier?
This thought flashed through Khajiit's mind.
"Tsk." The Alliance Leader clicked his tongue. The Black Mist of Negative Energy shrouding his body stirred, and his pale eyeballs glinted. "From our exchange just now, I can confirm the spellcaster in the red robe is not the one who used this magic."
"You've been here for a while. Have you noticed anyone using faith-based magic?"
Faced with the question, Khajiit could only shake his head. He truly didn't know. All his energy had been focused on setting up the ritual and creating undead; his understanding of these demi-humans was minimal.
"Fool!"
The Alliance Leader frowned, his withered fingers tapping lightly on his staff as he muttered to himself, "With the strength of the spellcaster in the red robe, plus this mysterious chanter of faith-based magic, they truly do have the ability to rule the entire Hills region."
"First, create a drought to incite chaos, and then gradually take control of the Hills region... A strategy beyond imagination."
Khajiit, following alongside, grew more frightened the more he listened, and he gradually began to realize what the Alliance Leader might be planning.
"Alliance Leader, what do you need this subordinate to do?"
Khajiit forced himself to ask.
"Heh, heh."
A faint, cold laugh was his only response.
Khajiit's heart sank completely. He wasn't a fool; he realized that the Alliance Leader had most likely abandoned him.
His only way to survive now was to successfully become an undead through the "Spiral of Death Ritual"!
However—was there still time?
"No matter how well they hide, there will come a moment when they must reveal themselves." The Alliance Leader let out a hoarse, expectant laugh.
"Then let's add some fuel to the fire and see what's really hidden."
If he remembered correctly, Khajiit had originally died at the hands of an angel summoned from a scroll. Since that spellcaster in the red robe was the one who killed Khajiit...
...then perhaps that deeply hidden chanter of faith-based magic was the one who created the scroll?
The Alliance Leader wasn't certain, but it was a distinct possibility.
The scroll creation masters capable of making third-tier magic scrolls were few and publicly known. As for whether any others existed in the shadows, no one knew.
This could represent a mysterious faction working from the shadows.
The Alliance Leader was extremely curious. He knew that this world held many secrets.
Could it be from that legendary, unrecorded, mysterious organization?
Thinking this, the Alliance Leader shook his head again.
While pondering, the Alliance Leader's arm emerged from the Black Mist. He pulled a corpse from a magical leather pouch and tossed it out.
*Thump.*
The dull thud made Khajiit unable to resist looking over.
It was the corpse of a demi-human. Its upper body was that of a beast, while its lower body was a strange combination, somewhat like a centaur's.
A beast-bodied quadruped?
Khajiit recognized this powerful demi-human race. Suddenly, his pupils contracted violently.
He realized something!
The Alliance Leader had arrived in the Abelion Hills long ago! It wasn't as he had claimed at the start of his confrontation with the spellcaster in the red robe—that he had teleported to his side the moment he entered the Hills region.
In other words—the confrontation with that spellcaster in the red robe had been deliberately initiated by the Alliance Leader!
After tossing aside the demi-human's corpse, the Alliance Leader paid it no more mind, leaving it to lie carelessly on the ground.
Khajiit's breathing became a little more rapid.
The things the Alliance Leader had said and the information he had revealed were not a sign of his being valued. Rather, in the Alliance Leader's eyes, Khajiit was already a dead man.
Dead men tell no tales!
In the Alliance Leader's eyes, it seemed he had neither the time to complete the ritual nor any chance of success.
Only someone who had died once could truly appreciate the powerlessness and terror of death.
He still had things he must do!
He couldn't die!
He absolutely could not die!
Khajiit did not want to face that endless dark abyss again. As a weakling caught between these powerful magic chanters...
...he was like a lone boat on the ocean, in danger of being swallowed by the waves at any moment. A deep sense of indignation flooded his heart.
Khajiit's hands, hidden in his loose sleeves, clenched tightly into fists.
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