Chapter 648: Dream Whisper
"Help!" Archbishop Victor shouted as he saw a young man standing still and dashed forward.
On the other hand, Charles first activated the [Rune Eye] skill, scanned him in a blink, and checked his status.
'Thankfully, he isn't a Corpse Devourer.'
With a commanding gesture, Charles summoned the power of the [Rebirth Domain] spell, unleashing a torrent of crimson flames that consumed the entire surroundings. In a heartbeat, the flames licked at the withered trees, desiccated plants, and decaying wood and transformed them into a blazing inferno that crackled and roared with unrelenting intensity.
But this was just the beginning.
Charles extended his hand and summoned a multitude of ember needles. They materialized in the air before him, glowing with fiery brilliance. With calculated precision, he directed the needles towards the formidable gathering of more than a hundred Rank-5 Magical Beasts surrounding Archbishop Victor.
Astonishment filled Archbishop Victor Hawthorne's eyes as he beheld the extraordinary spectacle unfolding before him. The ember needles, guided by Charles's will, converged upon the unsuspecting Magical Beasts. In an instant, the air erupted with thunderous explosions as more than a hundred beasts were engulfed in a storm of fire and fury. The resulting conflagration painted the entire area in a mesmerizing hue of crimson, creating an awe-inspiring display of destruction and power.
All this happened in less than three seconds, causing a strange, unsettling feeling to Victor.
At that moment, Archbishop's mind was filled with full of questions.
'W-Who is this young man? An otherworldly traveler?' He knew that not even the Pope of Order Church had this power and felt a strange fear.
He soon snapped out of the shock and hurriedly got closer to Charles.
"Thank you for saving my life, Your Excellency. B-But may I ask who you might be?" Upon arrival, he gave him a deep bow and asked in Rune Language.
Charles didn't respond as he glanced around and undid the 'Rebirth Domain' spell. Then, he opened the blue interface and checked that he only obtained 35 Wisdom Points.
'What happened? I should've gotten more than 200 wisdom points, right?' He asked Genesis without even bother looking at Victor.
[It's due to the limited slots in the 'Soul Tricker' function, Host. Whenever you kill a human or magical beast, I will briefly capture their souls before they enter the astral plane and extract much of their Life Essence, aka the Wisdom Essence. But the highest amount I can capture should be at most 10 souls. That's why you only got 35 wisdom points this time.]
Charles furrowed his brows and soon shook his head.
'It seems I need to hunt them slowly.'
He then ordered Genesis to increase his wisdom power and soon felt a small change within his soul as it reached 615.5.
After that, he finally turned his attention towards the confused Archbishop, stealthily cast the [Curse of the Overlord] spell, and ordered.
"Go and collect all the magical crystals from the corpses."
"Pardon?" Stunned by his sudden order, Archbishop Victor tilted his head and gave him a puzzled look.
On the other hand, Charles snorted coldly and said.
"I said go and collect the magical crystals."
'Damn it, who does he think he is?'
"D-Do you know who you're speaking to?" Archbishop Victor Hawthorne stammered, his disbelief evident in his voice as he struggled to comprehend the audacity of the young man before him.
Charles fixed his gaze upon Archbishop Victor, his expression unyielding. "I am well aware of who you are, Archbishop Victor Hawthorne," he stated firmly.
"But now, I have little interest in titles or authority. I seek the magical crystals, as they hold immense value in the market."
Confusion and frustration swirled within the Archbishop as he grappled with the situation unfolding before him. He thought the young man before him was an otherworldly traveler, but his earlier words completely dismissed the possibility.
'He is speaking fluently in Naan Language! He is a resident of Sacred Empire.' But what caused him to startle deeply was the immense power he possessed.
'He is not just an average Legendary Mage but a peak-level powerhouse. From the Earlier Domain Spell, I can tell that his strength should be no less than Patriarch of my Hawthorne family.' As those thoughts whirled in his head, he decided to obey his current order.
Reluctantly, Archbishop Victor turned around and moved closer to the scorched remains of the Rank-5 Magical Beasts. With a mixture of trepidation and curiosity, he cautiously collected the Fist-sized blackish magical crystals scattered amidst the charred landscape—each crystal pulsated with raw darkness energy, emanating a vibrant glow.
'There are 114 Perfect Rank Magical Crystals, enough to buy a whole kingdom in Edhen World!'
As Archbishop Victor carefully gathered the magic crystals, an undeniable sense of greed washed over him. However, he quickly recognized the danger of succumbing to such desires and wisely chose not to act rashly.
After securing the crystals inside a sizable leather bag, he approached Charles and respectfully placed it before him.
"Excellent work," Charles commended with a nod, acknowledging Victor's efforts.
After that, he picked a few crystals from the bag, gave them to Victor, and continued, revealing his intentions.
"From now on, you shall serve as my porter. As a reward, I shall grant you 5% of all the spoils we acquire."
Victor's mind raced with calculations as he caught the magic crystals with both hands.
'5%? That would amount to nearly six Rank-5 Magical Crystals!'
While this might not be a significant haul for a Legendary Powerhouse, it would undoubtedly give Archbishop Victor enough wealth to purchase a small barony within the Sacred Empire.
Victor lowered his head once more without hesitation, expressing his profound gratitude.
"I am deeply grateful for your boundless generosity, Your Excellency."
Charles waved his hand dismissively and turned to the desolate landscape of withered trees and plants.
"You possess less strength than a mere Rank-5 Magical Beast. So, why have you ventured into this dangerous place? What is it that you seek? Dare I assume you have lost your way?" Although Victor contemplated answering affirmatively, a sense of foreboding suddenly gripped him.
'If I lie, he will surely dispose of me without hesitation!' he thought, forcing a smile onto his face.
Archbishop Victor's forced smile accompanied his response as he reluctantly revealed the truth.
"I am in pursuit of an ancient artifact known as the 'Dream Whisper,' Your Excellency."
"Dream Whisper?" Charles inquired, his brow furrowing in curiosity.
"Yes, Your Excellency. It lies hidden within the Second Chamber of the Graveyard of Stealers. During our previous expedition to this place, I inadvertently stumbled upon a mysterious cavern leading to an ancient underground pyramid. It was there that I discovered the presence of some extraordinary artifacts. However, obtaining a single item from the Graveyard of Stealers is arduous. I spent more than 25 days within that chamber, exerting every effort to acquire an item capable of aiding my breakthrough to the next realm. Regrettably, due to my limited 'wisdom power' and inadequate understanding of dream power, the Dream Whisper rejected me and expelled me from the chamber," Archbishop Victor recounted, wearing a bitter smile.
"So, you have returned prepared, hoping to try your luck again?" Charles queried.
"Yes, Your Excellency. Although my understanding of Dream Power remains lacking, my wisdom power has doubled in strength over the past century, reaching its pinnacle. I am now fully confident in my ability to tame that artifact successfully," Archbishop Victor replied, exuding confidence in his capabilities.
"Okay. While I explore the other areas, I suggest you go to the second chamber and see if you're lucky enough to tame it," Charles said, sounding eager. He paused momentarily, thinking about something, and then continued with a cunning smile.
"Don't worry; I won't try to steal your artifact. These special things have a way of choosing their owners, so I can't take it forcefully," Charles confidently claimed, even though he knew it wasn't true.
While there was some truth to the idea that intellectual artifacts choose their owners, Charles had his way of making them obey him, even if they didn't want to.
'But if that artifact is useless to me, I'll better give it to Runeth and let him take care of it.'
Without knowing what Charles was thinking, Victor nodded seriously and spoke flattering, saying,
"Once again, thank you for being so generous, Your Excellency."
Ignoring the flattery, Charles gestured for Victor to lead the way, showing he was ready to follow.
In response to the gesture, Victor nodded in agreement and took the lead, acting as the guide.
The duo ventured deeper into the desolate landscape, traversing the charred remains of the once-vibrant forest. The air hung heavy with foreboding as if the atmosphere whispered tales of forgotten powers and lost civilizations.
Charles even stumbled upon ruined buildings and encountered a few Rank-5 Magical Beasts.
But he didn't take much time and killed them mercilessly.
For the next two days, both roamed in the forest devoid of life, discovered many ruined places, and even met a Legend-Rank Magical Beast called 'Dread Lion.'
Although Charles managed to kill it in the end, it almost took him more than six hours to make it exhaust its strength and kill it completely.
At the same time, Charles created a fake story for his background and started getting closer to Victor, slowly enslaving his mind.
At the end of the second day, Victor started revealing more information about the Graveyard of Stealers and even told him that 'Dream Whisper' was one of the three intellectual artifacts hidden there.
But what caught Charles's attention most was the information about a large underground city underneath the Pyramid.
"The reason I ended up trapped in the Second Chamber is due to the fierce chase of the inhabitants of that city. But I wonder why they live underground. Maybe it was an illusion?"
'An underground city filled with people, huh?' Charles furrowed his brows and soon asked.
"How long do we have to travel?"
"We will reach the destination within a day, Your Excellency. If you see any small oasis-like area, please inform me. The entrance cave is located only a few kilometers from that oasis." Victor recalled the memories and spoke.
"Oasis?" Charles raised his eyebrows and nodded.
The duo once again continued their journey while discussing random things and finally arrived at a unique oasis-like place surrounded by tall trees and lustful plants the next morning.
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