Soon, the banquet transformed into an intimate communion of the flesh.
The individuals involved made no effort to disguise their lust, giving voice to the pent-up emotions that had gathered over the past six months.
It was only when Eluna, Sherry, and Mia collapsed in exhaustion, no longer wishing to move, that this intense interlude came to an end.
Ethan gently carried each of them to bed, tucking them under the covers.
Catching sight of the curse mark on Eluna's chest, a flicker of concern crossed his face.
He sighed softly and then left the room, heading toward Victor, who was engrossed in some domain reports.
Victor seemed to have anticipated Ethan's arrival.
He stood up, a smile gracing his face, and ingratiatingly asked, "Lord Ethan, it's quite late. What brings you here?"
Ethan looked at Victor for a moment, then sat down casually in a nearby chair. "Victor, thank you for taking care of the domain's affairs during this time," he expressed.
"It's my duty, Lord Ethan," Victor replied, his face the picture of loyalty.
Ethan glanced at Victor again but chose not to dwell on that topic.
Instead, he inquired, "In the ancient kingdom's notebook obtained from the Red Jade Valley, it's mentioned that Devourer Oksd initially began as a creature known as the six-eyed ape. Do you know anything about this species?"
"I have a little knowledge on the matter," Victor nodded, then proceeded to share what he knew. "They're an extremely rare tribe. Those in Red Jade Valley may well be the last of the six-eyed apes. These creatures are prone to mutations, granting their eyes cursing capabilities. Those cursed by them experience a gradual drain on their life force until it eventually depletes."
"If I'm not mistaken, Eluna is suffering from such a curse."
Victor's words caused Ethan's eyes to light up. "You've noticed it too," he said.
Ethan pondered for a moment before asking, "So is there a way to lift this curse?"
Victor nodded solemnly. "The solution is rather straightforward: all you need is Blood Source. The six-eyed apes are part of the lineage that Oksd belonged to, and those found in the Red Jade Valley were born from the corpse of Oksd. Thus, successfully absorbing Blood Source will lift the curse."
"Blood Source?" Ethan's brows furrowed slightly at the revelation.
During the confrontation with the creature that Edith had transformed into, deep within the Red Jade Valley cave, Ethan had exhausted all the Blood Source he'd collected.
At present, not a single drop remained in his possession. It seemed the only other individual who had any was Lana Mokos.
Go to Lana Mokos? That was hardly a feasible option.
Ethan shook his head and turned to Victor. "The cave in Red Jade Valley has been destroyed, and the Blood Source no longer exists there. How can we obtain it?"
Victor smiled, emanating confidence. "Lord Ethan, it seems you've forgotten about the small wooden box we brought back—Oksd's primary heart. With that in our possession, we can create Blood Source."
"Do you know how to use Oksd's heart?" Ethan inquired, a new glimmer of hope alighting his eyes.
Victor continued to smile, his tone tinged with quiet pride.
"Lord Ethan, I only know a little. However, I've drafted a blueprint to create a device that will allow us to generate Blood Source from Oksd's heart."
He sifted through a pile of documents before producing the blueprint in question.
It was a meticulously detailed piece of work, obviously labored over for some time, complete with extensive annotations.
"Victor, you never cease to amaze," Ethan couldn't help but say.
He regarded Victor with an intense gaze, so piercing that Victor had to eventually lower his eyes.
Then he heard Ethan ask, "The technology demanded by this blueprint is advanced. Do we even have craftsmen capable of executing it in our domain?"
"Regrettably, no," Victor replied, his tone steady.
"Our Divine Dragon Craftsmen can only create common weaponry and construct ordinary facilities. To create something as specialized as this, we would require an artisan of incomparable skill—a rare find indeed."
"However, I happen to know one such craftsman."
"His name is Henry Powell. Originally a dwarf, he was ostracized from his tribe for reasons unknown and had to relocate to Snowy Plains. But Lord Ethan, I can assure you, his forging skills are unparalleled. With Henry Powell's expertise, we should be able to successfully utilize Oksd's heart."
Victor's confidence in this Henry Powell was palpable and infectious.
It piqued Ethan's interest, not only due to Powell's unique status as a dwarf craftsman but also because this was the first time Victor had recommended someone to him.
Ethan sensed a different nuance in Victor's demeanor, a break from his otherwise cautious reserve.
Although Little Baal had assured him that the Enslavement Contract would make its subjects one hundred percent loyal to their master, and the notifications in the domain system had echoed this sentiment, Ethan knew better than to take things at face value.
Exceptions always existed, particularly as he deepened his understanding of this complex world. His perception of Victor, too, had started to evolve.
He distinctly remembered the particulars about Victor, etched in an almost mythic font: 'Legendary.'
[Name: Victor]
[Intelligence: Legendary Scholar]
[Strength: A+ Grade]
[Bloodline: Human (Legendary)]
[Language of Nature: Thunder]
[Inebriation: Victor is a heavy drinker; his attributes dramatically improve when drunk.]
[Learned: A bona fide Scholar. Pose any question to him, and you'll get an accurate answer, provided he knows it.]
[Description: Once a master on the verge of attaining Sagehood, now reduced to an angry drunk. But his fall from grace doesn't negate his scholarly prowess. If Victor could regain his past confidence, he might become a formidable ally.]
Legendary Scholar. A Legendary human bloodline.
Before, Ethan had thought of Victor as merely above average.
But after his own Golden Dragon Bloodline ascended to 'Rare,' he realized that Victor's legendary status was not to be trifled with.
Bloodline purity was generally categorized as poor, common, uncommon, rare, epic, perfect, and legendary.
Above legendary was the realm of the divine.
Reaching the echelon of 'divine' was a feat reserved for deities.
Ordinary mortals could only aspire to attain a 'Legendary' purity in their bloodlines.
And Victor was already at this astonishing level.
These classifications were things Ethan had gradually unearthed from the lineage of his own Bloodline after it advanced.
Beyond that, once a bloodline reached the level of 'rare,' unique racial abilities began to manifest.
For instance, in addition to the Thunder-Language of Nature, Ethan now wielded the Holy Light and Dragon Languages of Nature.
This made him not only incredibly powerful but also versatile, difficult to counter.
And that was just at the 'rare' level.
If his bloodline were to advance to 'epic,' 'legendary,' or even 'divine,' the changes would undoubtedly be even more staggering.
While some of this was due to his Dragon Bloodline, Ethan had never underestimated any bloodline.
Dragons may have an early advantage, but in the long run, that could become a hindrance.
Compared to the commonplace human bloodlines, which might initially seem pedestrian, the development potential was enormous.
History's great knights and mages were evidence of this, not to mention humanity's greatest strength: the capacity for learning. Otherwise, they wouldn't occupy such a large territory amid numerous races.
So, Ethan remained wary of Victor.
Could a scholar with a Legendary Bloodline truly become his slave simply because of an Enslavement Contract?
Was this all part of Victor's plan?
If so, what was his ultimate aim?
These were questions Ethan couldn't help but ponder.
However, over the past six months, Victor had shown no signs of treachery.
He had even provided a blueprint for creating Blood Source, an unmistakable act of loyalty.
As a result, Ethan had come to trust Victor more and had chosen not to delve deeper into these lingering questions.
At least for now, Victor was actively contributing to the development of the domain.
After Victor finished speaking, Ethan inquired further, "Do you know the current whereabouts of this dwarven craftsman?"
Victor shook his head. "Lord Ethan, I'm not sure where Henry Powell resides at the moment; it's been a long time since we've been in contact. The last time I saw him was over a decade ago. However, I can assure you he's an unusual dwarf. Although he's a master smith, he prefers the icy terrains over the volcanic warmth most dwarves love. He's undoubtedly in Snowy Plains; that much I can guarantee."
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