Chapter 1149 Emergence of a New Rune <TOC> Chapter 1151 Feeding
Translator: SumTLMan
Within the bottomless Abyss, there exists an indescribable plane.
Stars and moonlight embellish the night, creating a picturesque scene in this world. Yet, no matter how captivating the night, it can merely adorn the sky, unable to conceal the desolation of the land and the parched state of life.
It is a world on the brink of ruin.
On this abandoned continent, a solitary library stands still and silent.
The library houses opulent decor, an immeasurable number of books, an ornately carved loft and spires, along with storied stained glass windows. A solemn religious atmosphere pervades the entire setting. Apart from this, the sole living creature within the library, the Cruel Scholar, sits silently at a desk, staring somewhat absent-mindedly into the void.
If Angel were present, he would notice that its appearance is identical to the statue found in the great hall under the Void Obelisk.
It is none other than the complete embodiment of the Cruel Scholar.
Unusually, a sense of astonishment and a trace of fear are visible in the usually impassive eyes of the Cruel Scholar.
Its consciousness had descended upon La Sutherland twice in a short span of time, a development that the Cruel Scholar had not anticipated. The first time was due to someone attempting to disrupt the Rune Core of the Void Obelisk, whereas this time, it was due to a man with a peculiar soul.
That human previously claimed that everyone who peered into his soul would encounter unforeseen circumstances. The Scholar scoffed at the assertion, only to fully understand the truth of it after actually investigating the man’s soul.
The Cruel Scholar recalls the vision it saw upon the descent of its consciousness, feeling a pang of trepidation.
It examined the realm of that human’s soul, only to discover a peculiar wound that was gushing soul power using a force that didn’t adhere to any known laws. Though the flow was small, it was extremely pure.
This method of increasing soul mass out of nowhere caused the Cruel Scholar to momentarily mistake it for a Mysterious Object.
However, just as it prepared to peer through the wound to investidoor further, it felt a terrifying pressure descending upon it from the distant corners of time and space.
It didn’t even get the chance to clearly see what happened when a torrent of negatively charged information assaulted its consciousness.
This assault was not only felt by the descended consciousness in La Sutherland but also affected the physical form of the Cruel Scholar.
The Scholar’s consciousness was expelled from that soul realm by this surge of information. At that moment, it even felt a sense of relief.
Because that oppressive sensation was something it had never experienced since its birth.
Having experienced that pressure, the Cruel Scholar realized that the entity behind the wound was something beyond its comprehension. Indeed, in the past, it had encountered a figure known as a ‘Miracle’ amongst humans on the Pride Plane.
This ‘Miracle’ was also a grand figure, powerful enough to look down upon it.
But even the pressure from this ‘Miracle’ was not as intense as the pressure from the man.
Miracles are divided into three strata, and the only ones this entity has encountered are mere novices in the Realm of Miracle. Perhaps the power standing behind the human apprentice is a higher-order entity in the hierarchy of Miracle!
With such a thought, even this being could not help but show a flicker of fear in its eyes.
Who is that human apprentice? And who is the entity that stands behind him?
The Cruel Scholar pondered in silence. From the thoughts of the apprentice, it appeared that even he didn’t fully comprehend the mystery of his soul… and the entity behind the soul did not exert much influence on the apprentice, at most just imbuing him with some soul power.
The coexistence between the human apprentice and the terrifying entity behind him filled the Cruel Scholar with curiosity amidst its terror.
“Body and soul both hold peculiarities, and I really want to examine them,” it said, its eyes flashing with a cruel interest.
This interest was even more stimulating than its encounter with the human it had met before.
…
Angel subtly retreated.
He didn’t know what had happened, but for the moment, the Cruel Scholar was silent, and the intimidating presence and probing sensation had disappeared. It was the perfect time to leave!
Angel didn’t dare make a sound, just quietly retreating.
With the door just behind him, Angel thought he could see the beckoning hand of freedom——
“Human.”
The voice was calm and flat, suddenly ringing in his ear.
Angel turned his head slowly, like a creaking door, to look at the statue of the Cruel Scholar in the center, a look of embarrassment and regret in his eyes.
In the face of such a powerful entity, Angel didn’t dare to provoke it and waited respectfully for it to continue.
Even if the other party didn’t use its intimidating presence, he didn’t dare to run at this time.
“You…” The Cruel Scholar paused, seemingly considering its words for a moment, then said, “Are you willing to become my Devotee?”
Angel was stunned. He had imagined what the other party might say and even considered his bleak end, but he never expected these words from the Cruel Scholar.
Devotees are, in essence, admirers of Demon Gods.
Among humans, many wizards with insufficient personal power would think of taking shortcuts. By worshipping Demon Gods and acquiring their power, they would achieve their goals.
The members of the Profound Alchemy Association he encountered in Sky Mechanical City, almost all of the upper echelons were devotees of the Profound Lord.
The power spoken of often comes with ease, swiftly bringing about optimal results. Yet the troubles that such power carries are ceaseless. Many, after pledging themselves to the Demon God, enjoy quick growth but eventually see their potential waning. Moreover, by pledging their soul to the Demon God, even death does not offer escape; their soul, too, becomes the Demon God’s property with no chance of redemption.
To entice with immediate benefits for the attainment of longer-term goals — such are the schemes of the Demon God.
Thus, to become a Devotee of the Demon God is by no means a wise choice.
Upon hearing these words, an instinctual refusal welled up within Angel. However, facing a Demon God countless times more powerful than himself, he feared that rejection might invite catastrophe.
“Insolent fool,” a cold grunt emanated from the Cruel Scholar’s mouth.
Angel momentarily faltered, then remembered: although he had just received the green rune of “shielding”, he hadn’t yet activated it. Clearly, his inner thoughts were once again laid bare to his adversary.
Feeling somewhat helpless, Angel knew that rejecting the Demon God’s demand would most likely seal his fate.
To his surprise, the Cruel Scholar seemed not to administer any punishment. Instead, he just scrutinized Angel, as if contemplating something.
Angel’s heart was filled with unease. Unbeknownst to him, the Cruel Scholar was also caught in a moment of hesitation.
His suggestion for Angel to become his Devotee was also a form of probing. Every Devotee of the Demon God is inevitably branded with the Demon God’s mark on their body and soul. Not only is this a conduit for the descent of the Demon God’s will, but it’s also used to drain strength from the Devotees and claim their souls.
Having witnessed the terrifying entity previously, the Cruel Scholar naturally dared not brand this human apprentice with the Demon God’s mark. He merely wished to test the limits of that entity.
Would leaving a trace of his own consciousness near this human apprentice provoke a backlash?
However, Angel’s curiosity managed to suppress the Scholar’s inner apprehensions.
Angel’s resistance was anticipated by the Cruel Scholar, who now awaited the reaction of the entity behind him.
Five minutes had passed. After speaking, the Cruel Scholar did nothing and spoke no more, causing Angel’s feelings of trepidation to shift towards confusion.
The Cruel Scholar could kill him with a myriad of methods if it wished to.
Did it not follow through because it did not care about his refusal? Or did it have other plans in mind? Or perhaps he was overthinking. Maybe the Cruel Scholar didn’t care about a small apprentice like himself, and its will had already left La Sutherland?
As Angel pondered, a sudden noise erupted from the center of the grand hall.
Looking up, Angel initially thought that the statue had come to life. However, the source of the noise was not the statue, but the “starved” demon, which he had previously thought dead.
The bizarre demon, jolting awake, half-raised its emaciated body, letting out a long, eerie throaty howl.
As the guttural sounds began to resonate, the whole hall was shivering in its echo, dislodging pebbles, raising dust clouds, with several near misses of falling debris threatening Angel’s safety. In response, Angel had to engage in constant evasive maneuvers. When he finally regained his composure, he discovered his position to be conveniently beside the grand entrance.
Moreover, through the gaping hole in the center of the main door, Angel was able to glimpse the dim flicker of oil lamps outside, as well as the antiquated staircase spiraling upwards.
Casting a glance back at the central statue, Angel observed that it remained, for the time being, in a motionless state.
A wave of elation coursed through him. The exit was within his reach. Without a moment’s hesitation, Angel spun around and lunged, seeking to escape through that opening.
However, at that very moment, radiant lines began to manifest in the center of the hole.
Upon colliding with these lines of light, Angel felt as if he had hit rubber; a depression formed, and he was consequently bounced back.
When Angel looked at these light lines after he landed, he recognized them instantly — these were the markings of a rune! But how could there still be a complete rune in La Sutherland, now that all its rune nodes have been destroyed? The only possibility… Angel whirled around to gaze at the statue in the center of the room.
At present, the only entity capable of making a rune reappear was the Cruel Scholar!
As Angel looked over, the Cruel Scholar remained motionless. In contrast, the gaunt demon lazily rose to its feet.
Its form was elongated, with skin hanging loosely all over, layers upon layers, filled with strangely patterned lines. Its skull was practically devoid of flesh, with only drooping layers of skin remaining.
With a single eye, a solitary horn, and a gruesome wide mouth filled with tusk-like teeth, its appearance was terrifyingly grotesque.
Angel couldn’t determine which species of demon it belonged to, but he could see the demon’s eyes suddenly fixate on him. Its eyes lit up, saliva dripping from its mouth in a steady rhythm. The demon started mumbling something unintelligible, ambling towards him with ethereal steps…
Its gait was floaty, seemingly feeble, yet its pace was surprisingly swift.
In the blink of an eye, it had reached Angel, opening its mouth wide, revealing a vermillion abyss filled with jagged teeth…
Chapter 1149 Emergence of a New Rune <TOC> Chapter 1151 Feeding