Chapter 253 Chapter251-Submission
"You wretches deserve to die!"
As the chief of the Trial Village, Eliamos hadn't felt such rage in ages.
These insignificant worms dared to summon the projection of another grand deity, destroying the hut undergoing the trial.
Such a transgression is absolutely unforgivable!
"You will pay for this!" Eliamos roared once more.
Now, he appeared more imposing than ever.
His frame, once as withered as dead grass, was now filled and billowing with black mist.
"It certainly is a big trouble," Quel remarked with a laugh, his eyes serious but betraying little fear.
Fear always stems from the unknown.
Until now, Eliamos had never revealed his true aura, always maintaining a distance from Ethan's trio.
Out of caution, they had believed Eliamos to be a formidable force.
However, upon closer inspection, Eliamos... wasn't as strong as they had initially thought.
This was the trio's gut feeling.
Yet, while Ethan and Kadiven concealed their assessments, an already tormented Quel didn't exercise such restraint.
The look he gave Eliamos was unmistakably mocking.
"What's that look in your eyes?"
"You insignificant worm, you dare to look down on me!"
"I will make you pay dearly for this insolence. All of you will perish because of that!"
Eliamos was in a frenzy, his aura becoming even more menacing.
Sadly for him, he was up against Ethan and his companions.
Ethan's prowess had already reached the pinnacle of what most would consider formidable.
And while Quel might not possess strength equal to Ethan's, he wasn't far behind.
And so, Quel had no intention of enduring this any longer.
"Old man, shut your mouth!"
Quel pushed off the ground, darting forth with incredible speed.
In just a breath's time, he appeared beside Eliamos, and with a powerful swing, he delivered a punch to Eliamos's midsection.
Unable to withstand the blow, Eliamos was sent flying backward, crashing against the wall of a damaged wooden hut before coming to a halt.
"How can this be?" Eliamos exclaimed in astonishment.
"You find it hard to believe?" Quel taunted as he clenched his fist.
He walked over, gripped the front of Eliamos's clothing, lifting him off the ground, and casually tossed him before Ethan and Kadiven.
Quel then approached Eliamos again.
"Surrender!" he demanded.
"I surrender!" Eliamos echoed in a panic.
In that moment, fear gripped Eliamos.
He had a sinking feeling that if he continued to be tormented by Quel in this manner, he might truly perish.
Though he currently possessed an undying form, it merely meant he wouldn't die from natural causes like diseases or organ failure.
But being beaten to death wasn't part of that immunity.
Why do those participating in the trial possess such immense strength?
Ethan waved a hand, signaling Quel to halt.
He then crouched down, looking at Eliamos and asked, "How can we stop the trial from continuing?"
"It can't be stopped," Eliamos replied instantly.
Ethan's gaze instantly turned icy cold.
But catching the dangerous glint in Ethan's eyes, he hastily elaborated, "The trial was established by the Elf King himself. Only the Elf King can end it. Alternatively, you can seek the aid of another deity, as you did earlier."
"However, it's so perilous," he added. "A foreign deity intruding upon a trial set by another deity is a provocation, and that may risk conflicts among the two deities."
Ethan chuckled, "It seems that you know quite a bit."
Eliamos attempted a smile, which, on his wrinkled and ugly face, looked grotesque and off-putting.
"Not much, not much," he stammered, "just some knowledge I have acquired over time..."
Ethan didn't dwell on the topic any further.
He continued, "Have you ever seen the Original Elf King?"
Hearing this, Eliamos hurriedly shook his head. "No, no. The Original Elf King is a magnificent deity. How could I have seen the true visage of such a deity? I was once an adventurer, and during a journey, I stumbled into this trial. Fortunately, after failing the trial, I didn't perish but became the guardian of the deity's trial grounds."
Eliamos said this with a hint of pride in his face.
Ethan shook his head, standing up. He turned to Quel, saying, "There's no noteworthy information."
He then looked towards the sixth Trial House.
Even though an attack from another deity had destroyed half of the Trial Houses, the one containing Rose, the sixth house, remained intact.
This meant the trial was still ongoing.
"In that case, we might as well just kill him. He's the guardian of the trial. Maybe if he's dead, the trial would cease," Quel suggested with an intentional hint of menace.
Eliamos, panic evident once again in his voice, pleaded, "No, no! Killing me would only make matters worse. The God of Sea's intervention has already been detected by the Elf King. If you kill me now, the Elf King's fury will only escalate."
Seeing that Ethan and his companions were still not persuaded, Eliamos gritted his teeth, saying, "Wait! I have the power to transport you into any Trial House!"
"Why didn't you mention this ability earlier?" Quel demanded.
Eliamos remained silent, not daring to answer.
Ethan didn't press further, instead stating, "In that case, transport us into the sixth Trial House. I hope you won't play any tricks. If you do, it will truly mark the end of your life."
Eliamos nodded repeatedly, slowly getting to his feet.
A thick, black mist emanated from him, rushing towards the sixth Trial House.
Upon contact, the mist was absorbed, and the door to the Trial House swung open.
Eliamos quickly said, "You can enter now."
Ethan nodded, turning to Quel and Kadiven, "Let's go in."
Inside the sixth Trial House, Rose's expression was grave.
Beside her sat Oberlis, who looked incredibly forlorn.
A slender wound marked his chest, and from it sprouted an unknown kind of weed.
It was a chilling sight.
On an Elf, weeds had grown.
"Release the curse from him, now!" Rose, desperate and anxious, demanded the dwarf sitting opposite her.
The dwarf, in charge of the sixth Trial House and known as an alchemist named Cody, grinned in response.
His sharp teeth glistening, he retorted, "Miss Rose, this is his punishment for failing the test. Besides, what future does a Dark Elf have? He might be better off as a Treant."
"Just look at how vibrantly that weed is growing," Cody said with nonchalance.
"You—" Rose, seething with anger, tried to rise but was firmly held down by another large hand.
"If you continue to let your anger control you like this, we might all end up dead here," the voice was stern. "Moreover, I don't believe he was here to save you. Without strength or wisdom, he's only adding to the troubles."
"Though, admittedly, he has a smidgeon of courage worth mentioning," Windsor remarked from Rose's other side.
Clad in armor, Windsor's silhouette still boldly announced her stunning physique.
Her golden locks and a unique mark at the center of her forehead radiated an aura of elegance.
Particularly telling were the twin dragon horns framing her face, testament to Windsor's noble bloodline: she was of the Dragon kin.
The armor over her chest seemed on the brink of yielding to her ample curves, and a skirt, draped over her shapely thighs, only enhanced her captivating presence.
Windsor's words seemed to ground Rose, pulling her back from the precipice of her rage.
Anger, in this moment, would serve her little.
"And what must be done for you to lift the curse from Oberlis?" Rose's voice was edged with desperation.
"Heh heh heh…" Cody's response was a disconcerting chuckle.
He produced a transparent glass potion, placing it squarely on the table.
"The answer, dear Rose, lies with you," he began, his tone dripping with malevolence.
"Simply name this potion, and I will remove the curse binding Oberlis, mending his wounds in the process. Of course, consider this a test for you."
Rose's countenance darkened at the challenge.
The potion bore no label, its only distinguishing feature being its green hue.
Yet, with countless green potions known to them, discerning its true nature seemed an insurmountable task.
It appeared luck might be their sole ally.
As Rose was lost in contemplation, the door suddenly swung open.
All eyes darted towards the entrance, where Ethan, Quel, and Kadiven made their unanticipated entrance.
Both Rose and Oberlis stared in astonishment.
"Ethan, Quel, and Kadiven... How did you get here?" Rose queried, her voice tinged with disbelief.
Ethan moved to stand beside Rose and, with a calm demeanor, said, "It's not the time for that now."
He then reached for the potion on the table, scrutinizing its contents intently.
Turning to Quel, Ethan instructed, "Quel, do me a favor. Pin him to the table."
"Consider it done," Quel replied, clearly grasping Ethan's intent.
To the surprise of those assembled, Quel swiftly grasped the Dwarf Alchemist Cody by the throat, pressing him firmly against the wooden table's surface.
Cody writhed on the table, but no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free from Quel's grasp.
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