Chapter 86: Ekaterina’s Reward
Potions and magic formations were Shaye’s favorite pastimes.
She didn’t possess any spatial Abilities, unlike the Spatial Witches who could effortlessly traverse dimensions, but constructing a teleportation circle was well within her capabilities.
Following her instructions, Qin Chu snapped a twig from a nearby bush and began to draw a complex pattern on the ground. A large circle, filled with intricate lines and symbols, resembling a tangle of writhing worms, took shape. At three equidistant points along the circle’s circumference, he drew three crosses, placing a silver candle on each, igniting them with a snap of his fingers.
The orange flames, flickering in the night wind, cast an eerie glow, their light feeble and unsettling.
Ekaterina watched him, her curiosity piqued. She didn’t understand magic, but this formation, with its intricate patterns and symbols, was beyond even Athena, the master mage.
She stood guard, her crimson eyes scanning their surroundings, her vigilance unwavering, preventing any creature from approaching.
Qin Chu had planned this carefully. The materials for the teleportation circle had been prepared in advance.
He could have constructed the circle within the mansion, appearing before Benson alone, eliminating the Hero Squad’s strongest defender. But activating a teleportation circle generated a significant amount of energy, attracting unwanted attention.
He couldn’t completely avoid scrutiny.
He had too many secrets, too many things he wanted to keep hidden.
This way, he could blame Loseweisse. They had forced him to come here. He was innocent, unaware of their true intentions.
“Do you have the Saint Quartz powder?” Shaye asked.
“Of course.”
“A teleportation circle requires a significant amount of energy. Unfortunately, you didn’t have time to gather the necessary materials. But luckily, you have Loseweisse’s gift.”
Shaye shrugged. Saint Quartz, its energy pure and versatile, could be used for a variety of purposes, substituting for other energy sources.
“It’s a bit wasteful, though.”
The witch was frugal, her heart aching at the thought of squandering such valuable resources. Saint Quartz was worth far more than the traditional materials used for teleportation circles, approximately six times more valuable.
What a waste! It might have been a gift, but this extravagance pained her. This circle alone required sixty-two pieces of Saint Quartz!
Qin Chu retrieved a bag of finely ground Saint Quartz powder from his Storage Ring, sprinkling it evenly over the circle. The powder, catching the moonlight, shimmered with an ethereal beauty, its presence both captivating and unsettling.
“And then…?”
“Stand in the center of the circle. Pray to the God of Space, visualizing his form, and channel your mana into the Saint Quartz powder.”
Qin Chu, obediently stepping into the circle, beckoned Ekaterina to join him. But as he prepared to begin, he hesitated. “What’s the God of Space’s name?”
He suddenly realized that he didn’t even know the deity’s name.
He knew that the Heavenly Continent’s primary deity was the Goddess of Holy Light. There were also seven lesser Gods, and the Earth Mother Goddess.
But none of them controlled space.
Shaye shrugged. “I don’t know…”
He stared at her, speechless. This witch… was she serious? She didn’t even know the God’s name?
“No one knows his true name or appearance. Simply visualize his form. If you’re lucky, the circle will activate.”
“He’s a benevolent God. Even a vague resemblance to his true form is enough. It’s not difficult. You don’t even need to know his name. In fact, the more… unusual… your visualization, the higher the success rate.”
Qin Chu gave up.
The God of Space… The first thing that came to mind was a cuckolded deity… what was his name? And his form… was it a collection of bubbles?
His memories of Earth, of things that no longer mattered, were fading.
Well, he might as well try.
He placed his hand on Ekaterina’s waist, closing his eyes, focusing his mind, visualizing a chaotic mass of… bubbles…
Nothing happened.
He had been concentrating for a while, but there was no response from the deity.
He was about to try a different approach, his visualization clearly flawed, when his heart suddenly began to pound, its rhythm frantic, as if trying to escape his chest.
He felt a presence, vast and incomprehensible, brush against his consciousness. What was it? A door? A key? An endless void? A giant bubble? A tall, slender shadow?
He couldn’t describe the sensation: fear, curiosity, excitement, madness…
Whispers, their words in an unknown tongue, echoed in his ears. He strained to understand their meaning, but they vanished as quickly as they had appeared.
He saw a light, a radiance that seemed to hold infinite knowledge, infinite wisdom…
He felt a powerful urge to reach out, to grasp it.
But before he could move, the scene before him twisted and distorted.
He felt as if he were on a rollercoaster, his body tumbling through a washing machine set to the highest spin cycle. He felt nauseous, his stomach churning.
Thankfully, the sensation was brief. The darkness receded, replaced by a sense of… solidity… beneath his feet. He was no longer standing on soft earth, but on hard stone.
The wind, cold and damp, whipped at his face.
It had worked? He was stunned. He had simply visualized a bunch of bubbles, and the circle had activated? Was this God truly that benevolent?
He had chosen that image randomly, without any expectation of accuracy.
His nausea subsided. Ekaterina, her constitution stronger than his, seemed unaffected.
She stared at their surroundings, her eyes wide with surprise. They were no longer on the plains. They were on a mountaintop, a vast range stretching before them.
The peak, barren and rocky, was devoid of any vegetation.
The Cavanyas Mountains?
She recognized their location instantly. They had traveled at least four or five hundred kilometers in a matter of seconds. This power… it was incredible!
Her attention was drawn to a commotion in the distance. She channeled her Battle Qi into her eyes, their crimson glow intensifying, her vision sharpening.
A group of figures were fighting at the foot of the mountain.
One of them, short and stocky, was unmistakably Benson.
Demon corpses, their limbs severed, their bodies mangled, littered the ground around him, the earth stained crimson. He seemed to be winning, but his situation was precarious.
His armor was shattered, his shield broken.
Blood, both his and the Demons’, covered him.
His attacks were weak, his strategy relying on his resilience, his ability to endure their attacks while slowly wearing them down. But his stamina was dwindling, even his Ability’s regenerative powers struggling to keep up.
If this continued, he would eventually collapse from exhaustion. And the Demons, their numbers seemingly endless, kept coming, wave after wave, their ferocity undiminished.
And Lomond, watching from a distance, his presence a constant threat, was waiting for his opportunity.
“Master, Benson is over there,” Ekaterina said, her voice urgent.
Qin Chu’s eyes, now a silvery white, focused on the distant battle.
Benson.
His old comrade, the most honest and straightforward of them all.
He felt a surge of excitement, a cruel anticipation.
He had imagined this moment countless times, his plans for revenge meticulously crafted. But now, his emotions were strangely muted, his mind calm, his thoughts clear.
He didn’t even need Forced Calm. His silver eyes, devoid of any warmth, watched Benson, a cruel smile curving his lips.
He would break him, make him understand true despair.
“Master, should we intervene?” Ekaterina asked, her voice eager, her eyes blazing with anticipation.
She was a warrior, her bloodlust easily ignited. She wasn’t afraid of Lomond, or Benson.
“Not yet.”
Benson was still strong. He wouldn’t reveal himself until Lomond had weakened him sufficiently. And Loseweisse wouldn’t arrive for at least two days. He had time.
Ekaterina, though confused by his decision, obeyed.
She blushed, her voice dropping to a shy whisper.
“Master…”
“Yes?”
“You promised a reward for Ekaterina…”
Her voice was barely audible.
Was she referring to the information about the First Hero’s soul fragment? He had indeed promised her a reward.
This greedy woman!
Well, he had time to kill.
An appetizer before the main course.
He nodded. Ekaterina, her face lighting up, reached for her armor, intending to remove it, but he stopped her.
“No need.”
“Keep it on…”
Her cheeks flushed crimson. Somehow, this felt even more…
…
The battle raged.
Lomond, his face twisted in a cruel grin, watched as his Demons swarmed Benson, their attacks relentless.
Benson’s attacks were weak, his damage output minimal. Though the ground was littered with corpses, their losses were insignificant, a small price to pay for eliminating a Hero Squad member.
The two moons, now high in the sky, cast a pale light over the battlefield.
Benson, his body battered, his armor torn, had acquired several new wounds.
Lomond, seizing his opportunities, had landed several powerful blows, forcing Benson to activate False Absolute Defense.
A few more hits, and he would be dead.
Lomond, his gaze fixed on Benson, searching for an opening, suddenly froze, his head snapping around, his senses alert.
He abandoned his troops, his massive form disappearing into the forest behind them.
He had sensed a presence, familiar yet… unsettling…
His eyes, large and bloodshot, scanned the forest, searching for the source of the disturbance.
Then, he saw it, a strand of long, silver hair, dangling from a tree branch.
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