Chapter 255 Chapter253-Elf King
"Knowledge Bestowal?" Ethan felt the emergence of a new skill, a surprise rippling through his heart.
He quickly grasped that it was a counterpart to Knowledge Deprivation.
Knowledge Deprivation allows one to seize the knowledge another possesses. Knowledge Bestowal, on the other hand, grants one's knowledge to another.
Yet, unlike Knowledge Deprivation, bestowing knowledge upon another doesn't strip it from oneself; the knowledge lingers in one's memory.
However, Knowledge Bestowal isn't without its constraints.
Every use drains a significant amount of spiritual power, and there's even the risk of irreparable wear and tear.
"The price is quite steep. I shouldn't use it unless absolutely necessary," Ethan murmured to himself.
As his knowledge was taken away, Cody, turned into a simpleton, became of no use.
Ethan swiftly called forth a bolt of thunder, reducing Cody's body to charred remains, a just retribution for an evil Alchemist.
As for the extracted knowledge, Ethan refrained from tapping into it immediately.
Still in a perilous situation, the knowledge of an evil Alchemist was equally treacherous. Under such circumstances, accessing that knowledge wasn't a wise choice.
He needed an absolutely safe and private setting to utilize this knowledge.
Having settled all these matters, Ethan spoke up again. "Let's head to the final Trial House now."
All eyes simultaneously turned to the last one, the fifteenth Trial House.
A wave of relief swept over them. If they could surpass this final trial, they could escape this accursed place.
With apprehensive hearts, the group approached the doorstep of the fifteenth Trial House.
Oberlis moved ahead to open the door, signaling for the others to stand back, anticipating there may be potential dangers.
Yet, clearly, Oberlis's caution seemed unwarranted.
There was no apparent danger inside, and the door to the Trial House easily gave way as he once touched it.
"What's going on here?"
"Has this last Trial House become defective?"
Despite his words, Oberlis remained vigilant, stepping in the house first.
Ethan and the others followed suit.
The fifteenth Trial House didn't differ significantly from the previous ones.
The most noticeable change was its more expansive space.
A tall bookshelf graced one side of the walls, while a long table, surrounded by several chairs, occupied the room's center.
"Well, isn't this lively? So many visitors." A flippant voice echoed.
"Who's there?" Quel demanded instantly.
The others also gathered close, cautiously scanning their surroundings.
But nothing seemed out of place; the voice appeared to have been a mere illusion.
Yet, at that very moment—
The room's lights began to flicker and then extinguished, plunging the entire space into darkness.
Moments later, the lights shone once more, and before the long table stood an unfamiliar figure.
To be precise, it wasn't a person but a peculiar key.
Resembling an iron ring attached to an iron rod, it was as long as an adult's arm, with distinctly human facial features etched upon it.
"What in the world is that?" Oberlis exclaimed.
The peculiar key, hearing Oberlis's outburst, seemed somewhat indignant.
It tapped on the table and then straightened up, declaring, "Such an impertinent youth."
"Moreover, I have a name. It's Seth."
"Of course, that name might be unfamiliar to you. You can also address me as the Primordial Key."
The peculiar key Seth's introduction did not ring any bells for Ethan and the rest.
"Primordial Key? I have never heard of it." Oberlis once again stated bluntly.
This only made Seth even more irate.
How could there be such an annoying person?
At this moment, Rose chimed in with a smile, "Mr. Seth, I deeply apologize for that. My companion didn't mean any harm. He has had a rather solitary past, so he's now quite eager to converse with others."
"I see, in that case, I forgive him," Seth replied.
Contrary to everyone's expectations, Seth proved to be rather amiable and warm-hearted.
After exchanging a few familiar words and prompted by Ethan, Rose turned to Seth and inquired, "Mr. Seth, may I know what the trial for this time is?"
"Trial? What trial do you mean?" Seth looked genuinely puzzled.
Rose immediately cast a glance towards Ethan, finding this situation unexpected.
Without hesitation, Ethan began, "That Original Elf King—"
"Don't mention that name in front of me!" Before Ethan could finish, Seth's voice cut through his words, brimming with anger.
He continued, vitriol evident in his tone, "Sovok is nothing but a despicable, shameless Elf, even more repugnant than the vermin that lurk beneath the ground. What's laughable is that he dared to dream of becoming a deity of the Elf race. It's both foolish and arrogant."
"Sovok? Is that the name of the Original Elf King?" Rose ventured, only to be met with Seth's scoff, "What, you are an Elf and you don't even know his name?"
Rose quickly explained, "Mr. Seth, in our Elf lineage, there's no record of the name of the Original Elf King. We usually just refer to him as the esteemed Original Elf King."
"No record?" Primordial Key Seth suddenly became incredibly animated.
"There's no record? There's truly no record! Oh, this is just wonderful!"
Everyone was baffled by Seth's intense excitement, so much so that his very shape seemed to shift with emotion.
It took Seth over ten minutes to regain his composure, and then he began recounting the ancient tale.
"The name 'Primordial Key' signifies the first, original key— a title the world bestowed upon me."
"My ability is simple: to break constraints."
"This power operates on a foundational level. Any confining skill, whether it exists in the physical realm or the realm of consciousness, can be effortlessly undone by me."
"At that time, I was in the midst of absorbing some rare metals, preparing to the evolution."
"Evolution, in essence, is the enhancement of oneself. It's similar to the bloodline evolution seen in some races. That's the gist of it..."
"However, as time passed, I couldn't find enough of these rare metals. So I had to
halt my own evolution. I ventured out, seeking more, only to cross paths with that despicable Elf, Sovok. He deceived me, exploiting my power to unlock the treasure of an ancient relic. Claiming those treasures for himself, he harnessed their might to significantly augment his own capabilities. Later, he again duped me into releasing the shackles binding the Elf bloodline..."
Seth poured out his disdain and abhorrence for the Original Elf King.
Upon finishing the tale of his past, Seth began to elucidate, "The term 'deity' encompasses a vast range of beings, varying in power, authority, and abilities. And within the classification of deities, there are different categories based on how one ascends to such a status. Among the rarest are the Nature Deity, those born with the world itself, often possessing immense power and inexplicable abilities."
"Beyond the Nature Deity, there's a second type, typically referred to as Bloodline Deity."
"Deities of this kind are often the progenitors of potent bloodlines, such as the Dragon King or the Dwarf King. However, their power varies greatly; many of them are even less potent than some who've achieved deity status through their own diligent cultivation and ascension into the divine realm."
"Sovok is of this kind."
"At that time, the Elves were in disarray, fragmented by their varied abilities into different clans. The more renowned ones include the Dark Elf, Blood Elf, Skeleton Elf, and Life Elf... The Dawn Elf, to which Sovok belonged, were merely a minor sect."
"Sovok was thus compelled to flee."
"After an extensive journey, he arrived at this very continent."
"This was a land scarcely tread upon by others. Sovok, harnessing the power of his own blood, birthed other Dawn Elf and gradually established the Dawn Elf Kingdom, ultimately crowning himself as the Elf King of the Dawn Elf."
"But that was merely the beginning of his grand plan."
"To become a deity, as the Dawn Elf population flourished, he started selecting uniquely gifted descendants under the pretense of passing down the Elf King legacy. He summoned them and then devoured these select few to enhance his own prowess."
"Finally, after several such incidents, he had amassed enough power."
"He called upon the Dawn Elves to construct temples in his honor. As they prayed devoutly, Sovok stepped into the divine realm, becoming a deity. At that juncture, he foolishly tried to deceive me once again, but I rebuffed him."
"Enraged and humiliated, Sovok persisted."
"In pursuit of further elevation even after ascending to deity status, he persisted with his prior schemes, leaving behind the 'trail of the god' to sift through descendants of exceptional talent. At the same time, he placed me in the final trial barrier, tormenting me through it."
"It's absurdly ironic, isn't it?" Seth said with a mocking smirk, "I, who can break all bindings, am bound."
As Rose and the others processed the staggering revelations, they were left speechless.
Such secrets were too astonishing to fathom.
However, amidst the heavy atmosphere, Ethan posed his own question.
This chapter is updat𝙚d by f(r)eew𝒆bn(o)vel.com