Chapter 532: The Sheath and the Summoning

"Just as you have been doing, break free from Asmodiel's control."

Aurelio closed his eyes, focusing his attention on mobilizing the spiritual energy within his body.

The half-centaur, a Hero-Giver, stood guard beside his own hero, watching Natalie warily.

"Considering the relationship we once shared for a time, I won't hesitate to tell you: this is a secret technique I obtained by chance, called 【Soul Sheath】:"

"Using a treasure weapon capable of self-repair as a foundation, transform yourself into the sheath of the weapon, thereby forcibly severing the connection with the Duke of Demons and breaking free from control."

"If you wish to snatch the rapier from my hand, you can put aside such petty thoughts. This secret technique requires long-term cultivation of spiritual energy until one achieves perfect harmony with the weapon before it can be used."

"Even now, I have only a thirty percent chance of success. If not for the outbreak of this war, the power of the 【Blood Life Pool】 would have been accelerating its demise anyway. But if I succeed, I will be able to fully unleash my peak Eighth-Rank strength; this Ranger will surely be cut down beneath my horse—Hmph!"

Natalie Blackmoon's expression shifted for a moment.

She did not doubt that the man before her was lying.

The two had been together since their youth, sharing an extremely long relationship; Aurelio was not the kind of person who would stoop to lying.

In this desperate moment.

In her peripheral vision, she saw the large, rough pruning shears stuck upside down in the distance, as if unpolished.

It was a weapon radiating a cold, oppressive, and evil aura.

One glance was enough to know its extraordinariness.

"If you do not wish to die, you had best not touch that weapon."

Aurelio had obviously entered a state, his entire body floating in mid-air.

Yet he still spoke out to warn her.

Natalie was stunned for a moment, then fixed her gaze.

She discovered that the ground where the pruning shears were stuck upside down had begun to melt into yellow-green rotting mud, bubbling with foul-smelling fumes.

Even the surrounding green grass was rapidly mutating into writhing tentacles.

"Then what should I do? I have no choice." She still forced herself to speak.

"Natalie, you haven't changed. Once you lose the object to cling to, you panic like a mindless fool."

"You!"

Just as she was about to open her mouth to curse, this old lover suddenly spat out a sentence:

"If I fail, the half-centaur beside me will teach you how to use 【Soul Sheath】. Using mine is better than using those shears."

"... Aurelio, you..."

"Stop wasting words! Who is the commander on the battlefield right now!"

"... It is the leader of the Bloodthorn Clan, Thasaya."

"Record these pruning shears and have her announce on the battlefield that Rod has been killed. It doesn't matter if the truth cannot be concealed; Rod is ultimately a spiritual warrior, and there is absolutely no way he can escape this ritual site. As long as he does not appear, it is no different from him being dead."

Natalie understood he wanted to disrupt the enemy's morale.

Confused, she asked, "Since you intend to break free from the Duke's control, what does this war have to do with you?"

Aurelio opened his bloodshot eyes, revealing a smile of despair and misery: "The one I love, my entire clan, are still on the battlefield. They are still controlled by the Blood Life Pool. For their sake, I would not hesitate to destroy the entire Inferno and the continent."

Pamelia Night, entangled by the 【Despair Mycelium】, suddenly opened her eyes.

Like a doll, she sat up straight from the bed.

Her eyes were wide open, hollow and devoid of focus as if she had lost her sight.

Within them swirled endless despair and fear.

Facing the wall adorned with magnificent murals, she uttered strange delirium in a lifeless voice:

"... My lord? Is it you?"

"Good... good, Pamelia understands."

"Understood... Long live my lord."

Just as she was speaking.

Another Dark Elf woman on the bed lazily rose up and hugged her affectionately.

"What's wrong? Did you have another nightmare?"

"Xixi..."

"Ah, there is a soundproof formation here. You might not know since you just woke up; the reptilian humans of Shi Ying Town have actually come to attack us. Isn't that ridiculous?"

Xixi sneered disdainfully.

Her fingers combed down through Pamelia's slightly disheveled hair.

"Rest assured, Lord Aurelio has already gone over there; nothing will happen. You were thoroughly worn out by my lord last night; go back to sleep."

"Aure... lio"

Pamelia Night seemed triggered by the keyword.

Her expression turned painful.

But Xixi, who was hugging her, did not see her expression and thought she was still affected by the nightmare.

After all, as one of Aurelio's wives, Xixi had always shouldered the responsibility of caring for her husband's 'sick' first love.

She had grown accustomed to the other's state.

Xixi gained more of Aurelio's affection through this, but her naturally gentle temperament also made her like Pamelia.

"Alright, alright, it's nothing. Do you want breakfast? By the way, tell me how to exert force in that position; I always twist my waist poorly."

Pfft—

She shuddered all over.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain coming from her chest.

Looking down in confusion, she saw a dagger piercing straight through her abdomen.

The one gripping the sword hilt was Pamela Nightfall, who had served her husband alongside her last night and cared for him day and night.

"W-why..."

Pamela Nightfall widened her lifeless eyes in despair, tears streaming down.

"For that my lord."

She twisted the dagger violently, tearing the wound wider.

Rip—

Crimson blood gushed forth as if it had no regard for life.

With little combat power, Ciri fell weakly into the other's arms.

The non-fatal wound allowed her, whose vitality was already tenacious, to witness a strangely bizarre scene before fully returning to the Blood Life Pool:

Pamela Nightfall dragged her to the ground.

While mechanically chanting praises to some existence, she cried, using her blood and entrails to draw a large ritual array on the carpet.

Ciri was a mage.

She recognized it as a summoning array.

Ordinary summoning spells consist of a 'Summoning Request' and a 'Control Command'.

However.

The summoning incantation in Pamela's mouth involved the 'True Name', 'Praise', and 'Sacrificial Oath'.

Gazing at the chaotic power distinct from the existence of mana.

Ciri knew.

This was the summoning method of an unknown entity from another dimension.

The summoning speed was extremely fast.

In the blink of an eye, its speed surpassed most summoning spells on the continent.

A familiar yet strange voice appeared in the center of the array.

Ciri instantly widened her ashen eyes, revealing extreme terror.

She had seen an image of this person.

—Forester Rod!

Before dying, she had only one thought:

This person is not human! He is an evil creature from another dimension! The Dark Elves are fighting an unknown evil creature from another dimension!

"This is the derivative skill of 【Despair Mycelium】: 【Summon Evil God】."

Rod looked around himself in surprise.

Equipment, clothes, spell satchel, the Sword of Dedication at his waist—all were complete.

Even Slime Xiaohei, who always stuck to him, had been summoned along, happily sucking sweat while clinging to Rod's abs.

This was a complete and high-level summoning of the true body.

【Target: Pamela Nightfall】

【Rank: Mid-stage Seventh Tier】

【The target's soul is locked within the Purgatory Altar; 'Mycelial Nucleus' cannot be constructed】

【Additional Skill Effects:

1. Despairing Heart;

2. Vitality Drain;

3. Summon Evil God (On Cooldown);

4. Despair Domain.】

Rod smiled.

"Who can trap me from now on?"

【'Summon Evil God' in progress】

【Projection coordinates established.】

【Projection duration: 71 hours 59 minutes 30 seconds】

After using this skill, a 'Projection Coordinate' is established at the original location.

Before the 'Projection Coordinate' duration expires, Rod can choose to voluntarily recall himself.

Rod looked at the ready 【Despair Domain】 option on the panel and sneered:

"Isn't the power of the Blood Life Pool abundant? Hehehe..."

(End of Chapter)