Chương 179: Chapter One-Hundred-and-Seventy-Nine

The Covetous Vessel spell was quite complicated to pull off, and from how Sylvia had described its effect, along with his own understanding of how it should work, it was obvious the result wasn't anywhere near as powerful. The System was clearly reducing its full effect, which, given that the spell technically had the ability to eliminate all of the bloodfiends or humans in Moonport in one go, was something to be expected. Allowing any player to have such devastating power at their disposal was clearly a bad idea.

The way to activate the spell was to first draw out a circle with a heptagram inside, then he needed to make an instruction in a language he didn't understand, but which Sylvia apparently could read, since her melody shifted every time he made a mistake. Though she wouldn't directly tell him when he screwed up, since apparently she wasn't allowed.

If I could understand this language, then I would be able to fine-tune the instructions to be extremely precise, perhaps all the way down to telling the spell to target a specific person. Once the ritual drawing itself was complete, he had to pile corpses within. With some experimentation, he found that three was the optimal amount. From how the Covetous Vessel formed, it reminded Adam of the Princely Raiment, since its size and duration depended on how much it was fed.

Sylvia made a sound when Adam activated the ritual spell with an injection of mana, causing the three corpses to flow together into one amorphous blob, before taking on an identical shape to the target dummy which he'd turned into a bloodfiend beast. Then the ritual creation lunged forward, fusing with the dummy and exploding them both in a shower of gore. As it were, it would create a copy of the enemies whose corpses he used, and then it would seek out the nearest entity that matched them.

The version he'd been shown by the Flayed Lady would've created a blob that split into many smaller creatures that would then seek out the nearest lifeforms that matched their flesh.

"Its power is greatly diminished, but you do not have to speak to activate it, alleviating the most common point of failure for such a complicated spell," Sylvia remarked. Although Adam understood the spell thanks to the Flayed Lady, he didn't realise it was meant to have an activation phrase attached to it.

"Would I have to say something in the same language as the writing?" he asked, looking down at the spent linework which had turned black.

"I cannot say," Sylvia replied, but her melody told him he was right. It was the same language that the Patriarch had written down into the crimson glass tome. Given Sylvia's explanation of the spell's origin, Adam had an idea of what it could be.

"Does the language come from demons?" he asked.

"I cannot say," she repeated, but once again her melody told him yes. I hope Kat will have made a breakthrough with the list. I want to understand this language since it's tied to spells. I'm pretty sure I could use it to make the Covetous Spell target someone specific, making a stage like Moonport incredibly trivial in future runs. I just need to figure out how, but I'm not immune from death on Interim Island, so if I screw up the ritual, then it may kill me.

I should ask the Tome Keeper to teach me demonic in return for some knowledge. I'm sure he'd be surprised to know that his mentor is kept in the Rotten Core of my patron's domain. Before testing out his new fused skill, Adam rifled through what remained in his backpack, since he'd have to sell something to be able to afford fully upgrading three weapons.

He was thinking of upgrading the Fire Mage's Glove and Cloudmaker, and then maybe getting a cheap common weapon to upgrade as well or trying to upgrade the Golden Nail if it was possible for him to wield it. He pulled out the Cracked Conjuring Stone. I forgot I got this. I think I'll try and fuse my Scoundrel's Glove with my blood ring, since surprise attacks won't be as effective against the forlorn knights in stage nine. Adam activated the stone and it made the air hum. Then his hands started to glow.

[You have activated a Conjuring Stone. To fuse two eligible Relics, you must hold one in each hand and bring them together.] Adam brought out the Blood Fist Ring and pulled off his Scoundrel's Glove, holding them separately before bringing them together. The hum turned more violent and the air started to shake, leading to a crescendo that ended with a loud pop that pulled the two relics into each other. Left behind was a dark-grey glove covered in blood spatters.

There was a hideous rend down the side of it, as though it had been torn open with a blade. < < Fusion Relic > > < Scoundrel's Torn Bloodied Glove (Rare) — Charge a powerful blood bolt that explodes on impact and inflicts Haemorrhage, dealing 2% Health in damage per second for 10 seconds. 90-second cooldown | Afflictions suffered by wearer are 50% more effective > Maybe the 'torn' part of the name is a sign that it's a cracked fusion?

But man, that's quite a hefty weakness, especially considering how many afflictions I'll be encountering in the Forlorn Kingdom. The effect also seems to be based on the bolt ring and not the fist ring I used, which I guess means that the same fusion can be obtained with multiple different combinations. While the haemorrhage is much less effective this way, I can trigger it during fights, which is likely to be a lot more useful. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent.

Report it. Adam tried it out a few times, and it seemed the explosion itself did more damage than when it had been tied to the Blood Bolt Ring, and the area of effect was bigger too. Using it on a bloodfiend dummy was quite effective, often killing them in a single shot thanks to the health drain, depending on where the initial explosion hit. He also tried it on the forlorn captain from stage four, but it wouldn't outright kill the boss.

However, the haemorrhage effect led to a huge bloodloss that Adam could exploit with his magic to instantly crystallise the captain's veins, which was fatal. Thanks to the extra upgrades he'd gotten from evolving the bone sigils, the Blood Crystal effect was both faster and more severe. Once he was done experimenting, he prepared to use his new kingly raiment skill, harvesting dozens of bloodfiend beasts, since they were physically powerful and had a lot for him to collect.

He made bone and flesh vats to hold their blood, and soon the entirety of his player house was filled, with Sylvia having to stand next to the bed to have space to breathe. Adam first re-equipped his spidersilk needle and drew out a Beckoning Crimson construct of blood-coated silk, wrapping it around his torso and activating it to pull all of the blood out of the vats to cover himself in the flexible red armour.

At the same time he activated the raiment, which drained most of his health and mana, but he was quickly healed back. The flexible armour was fused with the flesh and bones, growing to fully encompass him, and it felt just like a suit of real armour, except it weighed seemingly nothing. Sylvia's melody changed, taking on a note of dismay and worry.

"How do I look?" he asked.

"Like a dutiful servant of the Eyeless One." With a mental nudge, a mirror appeared next to the bed and Adam approached it, taking a look at himself. A warped version of a bloodfiend beast's head stared back at him. It had a snout, visible fangs and needle teeth, sharp and elongated ears, and it was white like snow. The eyes were completely black, but Adam could easily see through them. Flexible fabric connected his upper arms to the side of his torso, and his hands and feet had claws like Kat's.

Somehow, it looked like the armour was slimmer than he was, but it was merely an illusion due to how it was taller than his real body and had more aggressive curves and protruding hip bones. It almost reminds me of a wendigo. How truly powerful could this be if combined with Beast and Bloodfiend Beast? Adam looked from the mirror to the dummy and ran towards it.

Only, he was so incredibly fast now that he had barely lifted his feet before he had crossed the room, leaving an imprint of his clawed foot in the floor in front of the mirror.

"What is my speed at?" he asked the cube. [Your Kingly Raiment is currently adding 520% to your 50% base Speed.] That's an absurd amount.

"Is it adding the same to my damage?" [Correct. Your total Damage is currently 645% as a result.] Adam punched the dummy and it just broke in half.

"And it can just continue to go up in power?" [Correct.] I'll end up insanely strong at the end of a stage as a result. But wait…

"I sacrificed twenty-seven corpses to obtain this, how is the power boost calculated? Does it have diminishing returns?" [I cannot say.] I will just take that as a yes, because it seems weird that each body wouldn't give some clean number. Adam wanted to test it more later, but first he wanted to seek out the Tome Keeper. As he left the player house and headed for the well, Sylvia followed him but stopped once she saw where he was going.

"I am not allowed to follow you down," she said.

"I will go find Migraine. If you plan on performing more rituals and spells later, please invite me again." Adam stopped on the edge of the well.

"You know, I've been meaning to ask, but why are you two hanging out so much? He doesn't seem like very exciting company."

"Though he may be crude, he has a wealth of occult knowledge to share. His tribe's magic system is one I have long wanted to learn." Maybe I was too quick to write him off, but his first impression wasn't that great to be fair. If I want to do an affliction run, the weapon he offers might be good. Sylvia left as Adam crawled down into the dark well. He opened the fake wall and went over to the place of power, quickly performing the Erudition Barter.

The Tome Keeper's voice echoed through the dark underground chamber." You come bearing much knowledge that I wish to possess."

"I want you to teach me the language of demons. All of it. How to read it, speak it, and understand it."" Such a thing is worth a lot, I hope your knowledge is of use to me. But I see why you wish to learn this language. It is most curious that the Flayed Lady taught you the Covetous Vessel spell. I utilised it once, the true version, not the one given to you by the All-Seeing System. It is an apocalyptic and ruinous spell that truly lives up to her jealous nature.

I assume that you wish to know how to adapt it using demonic, and you also wish to decipher the bloodfiend's tome in your possession."

"That's right," Adam replied.

"In return I will tell you where your mentor is." There was a brief pause, before the Tome Keeper replied, " What use would I have of Grandfather's whereabouts? He rots in the pit he dug for himself, that much is certain." Adam frowned. What does he mean by 'grandfather'? The Tome Keeper paused again." Very well. Tell me."

"He is trapped inside the Rotten Core of the Flayed Lady's domain. It is where she keeps those she wishes to punish. All of the bloodfiends I slayed in Moonport were sent there to be tortured."" And Grandfather is kept in this place for his failure to serve her?"

"That was her explanation. Apparently he was meant to halt your ascension." Laughter flowed through the floating tome that the spell had created." I am glad to know Grandfather is forever in the embrace of the Flayed Lady. May he spend an eternity in suffering for what he inflicted upon us. Unfortunately, this means I have lost a bet. I fear that Heskel will become insufferable once he hears about this." The tome rang like a bell and knowledge flowed into Adam's mind, filling him with newfound understanding."

Let Grandfather be an example to you, Adam. Such a cunning and powerful adherent was he, and yet he now resides within a prison of his patron's making. All who worship her ultimately suffer the same fate. That is the nature of envy and betrayal."

"You are the one who told me to worship her," Adam pointed out.

"I am still waiting for my reward, by the way."" I have not forgotten, but I also know how intoxicating her power is. Power can become an addiction. Borrowed power especially. And you need not worry about your compensation, it shall be dispensed when the time is right. Fret not, I have found a way for you to obtain the thing you desire most."

"The Flayed Lady said the same thing," Adam remarked." I do not make empty promises or hide the cost of knowledge. You have done your part already and I am a fair dealer in that regard, though many believe me to be a miserly hoarder."

"I need a way to break out of her worship," Adam said.

"I will not be completing her quest in stage nine, and she has threatened to warp my memories if I fail her."" Heskel assures me that plans are already in motion. I do not remember what they are, but I believe that is for a good reason."

"I may have to take drastic measures to curtail her if these plans don't manifest before my next meeting with her," Adam remarked.

"Anyway, if it interests you, the Flayed Lady told me how she ascended."" Such tales are of the utmost interest to me,"the Tome Keeper admitted." What do you seek to know in return?" Adam thought about it for a moment.

"I want to know what lies on the other side of the Gate of Nihility."" I cannot share what I do not know, though I doubt the All-Seeing System would permit me to share such knowledge, even if I knew."

"What about stage ten, what is the easiest and most accessible way to overcome its design? It is the stage that seems most likely to end my loop, no matter how powerful I am."" Tell me of the Flayed Lady's origins first, and then I shall tell you what I know."