Chapter 75 Ritual
The weird soft light produced by the radiation from the earth's veins filled the entire cave. It twisted into the shape of a vortex and extended along the cave wall.
The shadows cast by the jagged stone pillars dance constantly, forming strange decorations on the cave walls.
The sword mage Hesiah smelled a slight metallic smell in the air, and it was unusually quiet. Even the sound of water droplets falling from the ceiling of the cave had no echo, making her feel as if she was standing in a dark place in silence. of wilderness.
"Affected by the radiation of the earth's veins, the transmission of sound is almost completely isolated here. It is a good place." Brian leaned over and entered the cave from the narrow passage, looking at the surrounding environment.
He saw that the cave was covered with stalactite pillars and stalagmites, and the dripping water formed small puddles on the ground, shining with a faint luster under the soft light radiated by the earth's veins.
“Let’s do it here.”
After thinking for a while, he told Hesayah: “Pay attention later and don’t be affected by the energy radiated by the earth’s veins. It’s in my heart.”
After saying that, he ignored the slightly silly sword master in front of him.
Four days have passed since they set off from the Lightless Woodland.
During this period, Brian finally accumulated experience points to his expected goal.
These experiences can not only improve your battle mage and psion levels.
He also transformed enough crystals to make astral constructs, and copied an awakening scroll to perform a blood baptism ceremony for Hesiah.
In fact, according to the original plan, he was going to hold a blood baptism ceremony for her in the Gray Dwarf's King City of Aldus to enhance her strength.
However, as a group of them traveled these past few days, he discovered that underground monsters appeared with a ridiculously high frequency, and occasionally they could encounter a scurrying abyss demon.
This made him realize that the gray dwarf city on the other side of the dark lake might also be facing a severe challenge waiting for him.
So he decided to improve his own strength before arriving at the Kuo Tao fisherman dock near the dark lake tomorrow, and at the same time, he also wanted Xisaya to break through the bottleneck and reach the fourth level paragon under the legend.
With such an obedient and strong teammate, he will at least feel more at ease.
After all, the dangers in the Underdark always come unexpectedly.
Especially when the radiation energy of the earth's veins is surging and the abyss demons have begun to run rampant, he cannot be careless.
Otherwise, in this troubled dark area, one day, the incarnation of the demon lord may suddenly ride on your face.
So, even with three teammates like Goblin Copper Block, he still had to work hard to find a cave that would not be disturbed.
"Help me clean up the ground, preferably flat."
After Brian checked the surrounding environment and made sure there was no danger, he said to Hesiah, "I want Draw a magic circle on the ground."
Hisaya nodded slightly, immediately took out the rune sword, recited a spell, and cast a cleaning spell on the ground.
Brian took out two crystal bottles filled with liquid and poured the liquid in one of the shiny bottles into the crystal bottle filled with magic ink.
“You killed the aboleth just to make ink?”
After completing the task assigned by Brian neatly, Hesiah saw his actions, silver-gray His eyes flickered and he expressed his guess.
"That's right."
Brian nodded slightly and used his telekinesis ability to suspend the bottle of magic ink mixed with the blood of the aboleth in the air, quietly observing the red and black colors The liquid gradually turns dark blue.
The aboleth is an ugly-looking fish-shaped amphibian creature that mainly appears in lakes and rivers in the Underdark.
It is rumored that their existence may be older than the gods... Before the arrival of the gods, they were already lurking in the original oceans and underground lakes, extending outward through thoughts, robbing and controlling the mortal world. The emerging life forms turn these creatures into their own slaves.
This dominance gave them godlike status.
Subsequently, it was not until the true god appeared that he destroyed the empire of the aboleths and liberated the slaves they controlled. [Notes on "Far Country: False Reality"]
However, for Brian.
No matter how ancient the aboleths are, or how powerful these amphibious creatures that look like squid or fish are.
It can't stop itself from taking risks to hunt them and use their bodies as magic materials.
After all, the aboleth is a natural psychic spellcaster. The psychic energy contained in its dark blue blood can easily suppress the leyline radiation surging in the underdark.
Even without this ritual, Brian would try his best to kill a few aboleths before leaving the underground, so that he could later make spiritual tools for the psion, or copy high-level magic scrolls.
When the energy of the crystal bottle was completely transformed into sparkling deep blue, he moved his mind, guided the liquid inside with his fingers, and began to slowly draw magic patterns on the clearing cleared by Xiseya.
As more and more magic symbols appeared on the ground, in about two hours, Brian finally drew this magic circle that shone with light blue light.
Up to this point, he finally realized the benefits brought by the 2 points of physical attributes and the "durability" expertise.
If it had been in the past, he would have been so tired and sore when he was carving magic circles with such high intensity and concentration that he wished he could lie down on a comfortable big bed and have a good sleep.
Thinking of the bed, he realized that it seemed that he had come to the dark place, and until now, he had never tasted what a soft bed felt like.
It was not wrong once, but suddenly he remembered something again.
Then he stopped thinking and patted the dimensional bag. More than a dozen sapphires, emerald stones and moonstones were embedded in the nodes of the magic circle one by one.
Most of these gems were begged by him in the myconid's lightless forest, just to stay and be useful today.
When the last moonstone with a faint starry glow inside was embedded in the center of the magic circle, all the gems shone brightly one after another, responding to the shining magic symbols. .
The sword mage on the side, who had been wandering in the sky for a long time, was also reflected by the light and turned around to check.
Brian motioned for Hesiah to stand in the center of the circle, while he took out the most important materials for the ceremony from the dimensional bag.
The first is a magic scroll transcribing the awakening ritual.
This kind of scroll mainly serves to guide or inspire certain mysterious bloodlines.
Generally speaking, a warlock will automatically acquire spells after leveling up. If they want to continue to master new spells, they need to gather materials and perform a bloodline awakening ceremony.
This scroll is similar to a key to start the ritual.
Although there was no restriction on spellcasting level to copy such a scroll, it still cost him a full 5,000 experience points to complete.
Moreover, in a remote place like the Underdark, he could only use the ink to copy the scrolls by adding purple worms and basilisk scales that were ground into powder.
Then, he carefully took out the crystal bottle containing the blood of the ancient eladrin.
The pure dew of magic flowers and plants is used to dilute the blood of the elven spirits, thus maintaining the naturalness of the elven blood.
This bottle of eladrin blood was given to him by Severil.
To be precise, I should have asked him for it.
Since Brian had stayed in the Northland for at least five years, he had a relatively clear understanding of the elves' situation in the Supreme Forest.
In the game world, Severil, who returned to the High Forest from Evermeet Island, found that his mother's family's manor had not only been reduced to ruins, but even the tombs had been completely patronized, not to mention the family's The inherited moon blade.
In order to find the lost moon blade, he used the blood of the ancient eladrin as a reward for completing the task, and posted it in the Adventurer's Guild of the 'City of Peace' Ilanthe.
So, when talking to Severil, he suddenly made this request.
Up to this moment, he could still recall the other person's wide-eyed look at him, with a constipated expression on his face.
"Ready to begin!"
Brian suspended the bottle of eladrin blood in mid-air, holding the scroll glowing with bright purple light in his hand, looked at Hesiah, and solemnly told her: "After I activate the scroll, you must not make any noise, and concentrate at the same time. You must not be distracted. Do you understand?"
Hisaya nodded solemnly.
As a human sword mage who does not have fey blood, she has experienced such a ritual three times since the moment she became a sword mage, so she naturally knows the precautions for the ceremony.
Of course Brian also guessed what the other party was thinking, so he just gave a symbolic reminder and did not nag him endlessly.
Likewise, he is very familiar with such rituals.
After all, his two Heavenly Mountain blessings were obtained through the blood baptism ceremony.
The only difference is that his main material is the blood of the Celestial Clan, while Hesayah’s is the blood of the eladrin.
Brian nodded slightly to her and immediately opened the scroll in his hand.
“Boom!”
As the purple scroll burned in his hand, the six-pointed star array at the soles of Hesiah's feet suddenly emitted a strong magical light. The sword mage, who had been well prepared, closed her eyes in advance the moment the magic energy lifted up her long brown hair.
At the same time.
To Brian's surprise, a picture of birds singing and flowers spreading out spread out in his field of vision.
The ancient and green forest gradually became clearer, and various mischievous magical creatures such as dryads, satyrs, pixies and goblins were playing among the busy branches and leaves.
Thick magical energy gathers throughout the forest, forming a magic fountain. These fairy creatures, favored by magic, live and multiply beside the fountain, without competing with the world.
Everything seemed so peaceful.
There is no doubt that this scene is from the Feywild.
The Feywild, also known as the Fey Plane, is a place of soft light and whimsy, as well as music and death.
This is the realm of eternal twilight, with dazzling fairy lights shining in the soft breeze, and fat fireflies buzzing in the woods and fields.
The sky is lit up by the dim colors of the setting sun, but the sun never really sets or rises, it just remains gray and still low in the sky.
In a trance, Brian, who was intoxicated by the beautiful scenery of the Fairy Wilderness, clearly felt all kinds of sounds in the mist-filled painting.
There was the sound of the river wading through the rocks underfoot, the chirping of frogs and crickets on the shore, and even the hustle and bustle of the forest town...
After a moment, the world suddenly burst into life again.
Frogs and nightbirds sang, the air was filled with the breath of autumn, the moonlight sprinkled blue, silver and purple patterns on the flowers, and even the rushing river formed a complex symphony.
I don’t know how long it took
Brian felt himself bathed in a natural scent. The smell of earth and grass came to his nostrils, making all the pores on his body relax in an instant, as if he was soaking in a hot pool. Same.
Immediately afterwards, a line of light blue font appeared in his retina:
"Elven bloodline detected!"
"Energy baptism in progress."< br>
"Baptism successful!"
"Acquired racial expertise: advanced meditation!"
…………
Seeing the new expertise obtained, Brian was delighted, Not surprised either.
Because he had long expected that he would have the opportunity to gain some benefits from observing the blood ceremony baptism.
After all, this is the blood of ancient elven spirits. The owner of the blood was definitely an elegans whose strength reached the legendary level during his lifetime. Such a huge amount of energy will definitely overflow and be absorbed by people with other elven bloodlines.
The eladrin are close relatives of the elves, and are occasionally called high elves or gray elves.
They also believe in Corellon Larethian, the main god of the elves, and are more obsessed with the fey wilderness and arcane magic than the elves.
Therefore, it is not strange that the elves on Evergathering Island retain some of the blood of the ancient elven spirits.
Brian looked at his newly acquired expertise curiously.
[Advanced Meditation (Racial Expertise): During the observation of a blood baptism ceremony, due to the elf bloodline you possess, the huge energy that surged from the Elf Wilderness to the material plane resonated, allowing you to obtain the power from this plane. some characteristics.
Effect: When you enter the trance state of meditation and meditate for 4 hours, you can obtain the effects equivalent to those obtained by other races after resting for more than 6 hours. While meditating, you remain completely alert to your surroundings, approaching enemies, and other events as you would if you were awake. 】
…………
“Finally, I got a more useful expertise.” After reading the introduction to the expertise, Brian nodded with satisfaction.
Meditation, for any spell caster, is a daily necessity.
Whether it's his spell slots, arcane energy or psionic points, all require meditation to be restored.
A racial specialty that can not only reduce meditation time, but also retain conscious consciousness at all times, for Brian, it is equivalent to improving safety and saving a lot of rest time.
As the ceremony ended, he looked at the beneficiary in the center of the circle.
When he looked over, he happened to see Hesiah, who had become refined in temperament, open her eyes.
Her beautiful silver-gray eyes were gradually replaced by the flowing silver luster, and her behavior was also greatly changed invisibly.
It can be seen from this.
Although she does not have Yaling bloodline, during the many blood baptism ceremonies, in addition to her human appearance, her entire temperament and racial characteristics have gradually moved closer to Yaling.
This baptism has at least improved her charm, agility and perception attributes a little.
"Did you succeed?" He asked tentatively.
"Of course it worked." Hesaya looked up at him, raised the corners of his mouth, smiled, and walked to his side with light steps.
Brian was surprised by the words and deeds that this aristocratic lady inadvertently revealed.
In fact, he thought that depending on the other party's character, as her strength improved and she completely distanced herself from him, her attitude towards him would most likely no longer be as obedient as before, or even It is very possible to turn against customers.
Who would have thought that not only did she not be in this situation, but her attitude was even better than before.
Hisaya's silver-gray eyes, which often projected strong strength and sharp wisdom, became obviously softer when looking at him now.
"Then I'll be relieved."
Brian breathed a sigh of relief at the pun, and then asked her, "Oh, by the way, how many times is this your blood baptism."
The sword mage is inherited from the eladrin race, resulting in non-elven blood at all. Unable to find a job in this profession.
Because the prerequisite for taking up this profession is to be recognized by the Fairy Wilderness.
So a great mage from the Kingdom of Cormyr developed a blood baptism ritual using the blood of elves or eladrin.
In this way, those who do not have elf blood can also successfully become sword mages by obtaining the recognition or blessing of the elf wilderness to mobilize the magical energy of this plane.
But the disadvantage of this method is that every advancement requires a blood baptism ceremony to resonate with the Fairy Wilderness.
Only in this way will they make a qualitative leap in their strength with every baptism.
This method is not only harsh, but also costs unimaginable money. As a result, the sword mages in the Kingdom of Cormyr are mainly elves and half-elves.
So, when Brian saw that Hesiah was a sword mage for the first time, he realized that the other party's identity was by no means as simple as imagined.
He was curious about how many times the noble lady in front of him had to do this before she reached this level.
This feeling sounds a bit like krypton gold players, using money to invest in their own strength.
This is indeed the case, but this can only stop at the fourth-order model.
Because of the level of the fifth-level Destiny Legend, even their players cannot break through in an instant relying only on experience points.
“This is the fourth time.”
Hesiah didn’t understand what Brian meant by asking this, so she chose to answer truthfully.
"Already the fourth time?"
Brian glanced at her and vaguely guessed that if the other party wanted to try to break through the Legend of Destiny, he might have to go to the Fairy Wilderness in person.
Only by passing the test and recognition of the will of the plane, can she be qualified to try to touch the legendary realm.
Thinking of this, he felt that if he had the opportunity, he wouldn't mind pushing Sisaya to help her advance to legend.
After all, he was able to send the other party into the legendary realm with his own hands. In addition to being filled with a sense of accomplishment, he was also very likely to get a free helper.
"Then you go and get used to the power brought by your improved strength." Brian issued the expulsion order, "I still have things to do."
"Okay." Hesiah hesitated. She smiled at him again, turned around and walked out of the cave.
For some reason, in an inadvertent glance, Brian suddenly read the sincerity, sweetness, solemnity and elegance in her graceful smile.
He laughed, secretly complaining about his proud concentration, then dispelled the distracting thoughts in his mind, and prepared to safely upgrade his level and make astral constructs.
(End of this chapter)