The Spirit Devouring Moth
After the black purple colour extended throughout the entire oil painting, the banshee disappeared without a trace.
“That’s a pretty good entrapment method! Did you buy this just for this purpose?”
Leylin approached the old witch, “I’m rather interested in this banshee. Can you sell it to me later? I’ll buy it at twice the market price!”
“Once we’re done exploring the secret plane and we find what I want, I can just give it to you!”
The old witch flashed Leylin a glance.
At the present, in the middle of the oil painting a small dot of silver light suddenly appeared.
The silvery light grew bigger and bigger and the surrounding void started to ripple. Finally, it settled into a corridor filled with a silvery sheen.
Resentment, wailing! A strong aura of dark spiritual power poured out constantly from within the corridor.
A faint mist started to rise around the whole wooden building and the sound of people of all ages started to sound all around.
This kind of scenery, if the old witch didn’t previously put everyone in the town into slumber, would most likely have caused quite a commotion in the town.
“Even though there is no chance of encountering any ancient Magi inside the secret plane, but there are still some lingering curses and traps that are still working. We better be careful… considering that the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect was a Magi organization famous for researching spirits, one must prepare accordingly.”
The old witch warned specifically.
“By now you should reveal to us what you’re really looking for right?” Leylin locked the old witch with his gaze.
“Heuheuheu… relax, you’ll all know when that time comes!” The old witch just cackled manically as usual.
“Speak the truth. Old Devil if you still won’t we all will feel insecure…” This time, Brass Ring sided with Leylin, “If you don’t tell me now, I won’t be able to keep my former promises…”
“You guys…” The old witch was quite anxious but suddenly broke into a coughing fit. Her originally crooked body seemed to bend even more as if her waist was about to break.
“Sigh… Alright then!”
After a long while the old witch recovered her breath but her complexion was turning paler.
“It’s an altar-like thing. There is only one of it in the whole laboratory. You won’t be able to miss it!”
The old witch spoke with an impatience.
“Then what? Only this much information?” Brass Ring immediately asked.
“What else do you think there is?” The old witch’s eyes emitted green light as her gaze bore into the body of Brass Ring, “I only found some clues from some ancient information that this altar might be inside this secret plane, how could I know any more specific facts?”
As if he was afraid that the old witch would again lash out at him, Brass Ring chose wisely not to ask any further questions.
“Then what’s the altar’s function?” After Brass Ring went silent, Leylin asked instead. “Don’t tell me that you don’t even know how to use the altar and still went to look for it.”
“Of course not!” The old witch tried to calm her expression but still chose to speak at last, “That altar is a product made by the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect during their later periods, and is called the Spirit Altar. It has great benefits towards alleviating my current conditions. There is even a chance that it might directly cure it…”
“If you all help me get to it, then Blood Rogue’s materials, Brass Ring’s thunder fire stone, Jaye’s gasping lakewater will all be given, not one gram less!”
The old witch guaranteed once more.
Leylin didn’t completely believe it — it was apparent that the old witch had some other tricks up her sleeve.
“You and I are old friends, if I won’t help you then who will?” Among the rest of the three Jaye was the first to speak. The voice was neither masculine nor feminine and carried a weird pitch.
“Alright! I was just asking!” Brass Ring also started to concede.
“What about you Blood Rogue?” The old witch looked over Leylin.
“If you are not planning to exploit us and make us risk our lives for your cause, I don’t have any other objections!” Leylin sneered.
“That’s good!”
The old witch looked at the corridor which emitted silvery light and said, “Alright, the corridor should be completely stabilised by now, let’s us proceed!”
Following which the old witch’s eyes radiated a fervent hunger as she stepped into the corridor.
Leylin and the rest looked at each other and followed.
The dazzling silvery light suddenly expanded and swallowed the four people completely.
“Buzz buzz!”
Leylin scanned his surroundings.
What he saw was a black corridor which seemed to be constructed by some unknown metal. The wall could strangely enough reflect their shadows.
But the shadows appeared twisted and seemed to emit a bone-chilling laughter.
“Illusion materialization technique?” Leylin smiled coldly. Black light flashed in his eyes and he was able to break out of the illusion immediately.
Following which he heard some buzzing sounds.
Following the sound a large grey cloud appeared. Once it got closer, Leylin discovered that this dark cloud consisted of densely packed, moth-like organisms.
Fur grew on these organisms, and the image of a huge eye was depicted on each of their huge wings. It seemed quite eerie.
“Careful! Those are the Spirit Devouring Moths!” The old witch raised the alarm.
“Don’t touch the dust that they carry, otherwise your spirit and mentality will be continuously corroded!”
At the same time the old witch opened her mouth and emitted a shrill scream. Sound waves could be seen exploding forth like an artillery shell.
*Boom!*
Half of the grey clouds disappeared, and at the same time, a huge amount of dust billowed down like it was snowing.
*Whoosh!* As he heard the old witch mention the name of Spirit Devouring Moths, Leylin was already on alert. Now a scarlet red membrane of light enveloped his body and kept the dust at bay.
[Host’s body is being attacked by an unknown powder. The powder has a sticky quality!] [Activating the defense potion smeared on Host’s body. Adjusting frequency, emitting shockwaves… Adhesive powder substance’s effect removed!] A prompt from the A.I. Chip emerged in front of Leylin’s eyes.
“Such a bother!”
Leylin had read about this adhesive quality in the Four Seasons Garden’s library before. This type of attack would stick onto the opponent’s body, and if the layer of light was removed before the powder was completely gotten rid of, the powder’s magic would be activated and begin the second attack.
“Crimson Palm!”
Leylin’s hands suddenly turned red as he struck an offensive pose. Both his hands clawed in front of him.
*Bang!*
Two crimson talons’ image flashed through the void. It surrounded the Spirit Devouring Moths from both left and right and pressed towards the center.
Countless moths were directly torn into tatters by the blood talons, torn wings and grey dust like kept fluttering.
[Host’s Crimson Palm’s theoretical power: 20 degrees. Real power: 34 degrees, Crimson Palm reached boundary of limits, adding additional power!]
Along with the sound from the A.I. Chip’s prompt, the phantom crimson claws in the air suddenly trembled, and blood-red flames burst out from his two hands, burning up all the falling bodies.
Without even emitting any smoke, the Spirit Devouring Moths were directly burnt to ashes in the crimson flames.
“Is this the signature move of the Blood Rogue — the Crimson Palm? Why is it so powerful?”
Brass Ring looked at Leylin with shock.
Within the dark Magi organisation, Leylin was a newcomer who went by the name Blood Rogue, and the spells that he often used were quickly revealed.
Brass Ring was aware that Leylin had such a technique, but he never knew that it had such a mighty offensive power!
“You have made great progress recently!”
The old witch secretly transmitted to Leylin.
From what Brass Ring had seen from the battle between the old witch and the Spirit Devouring Moths, he reckoned that these creatures were crafty and difficult to handle. Leylin, however, had used just one spell and completely demolished the opponent, which shocked the old witch.
It seemed that from the very beginning, this ally of hers had been developing at a frightening speed!
“This might… Is your elemental essence conversion more than 50%?” The old witch transmitted her voice to Leylin.
“What do you think?” Leylin answered indifferently.
“Hehe… the stronger you are the more it will benefit me. After all, compared to Brass Ring, I would rather trust you who signed a contract with me!”
The old witch made another promise while she spouted words she herself didn’t believe, “As long as you help me, not only will I give you information about concealing your spiritual force, I’ll also give you another million magic crystals. Hell, I’ll even give up my position as an elder in the organisation to you!”
“A position like that is transferrable?” Leylin was a little shocked. The group that he was in, the Thousand Meddling Leaves, didn’t have any real leader. The rank 2 dark Magus backing them was only in contact with a few of the elders.
The organisation had gatherings and trade fairs every once in awhile, letting the members have chances to find good opportunities.
The moment an elder felt that the lead a member had found was worth acting on, he or she would gather the members and launch a looting operation. The elder and members who had first found out about this chance would be able to get a bonus after the plundering.
It was obvious that once one became an elder, he or she would have a place as a leader in the dark Magi organisation. His or her status would be different.
“This situation would be impossible in a typical organisation, but what can I do when I have a dark Magi organisation backing me?” The transmitted voice of the old witch sounded bitter.
“Actually, besides me, the other elders have been changed quite a few times already. My condition hasn’t been the best lately, and the number of people waiting to trample on me have increased…”
Her explanation made a lot of sense, but Leylin didn’t really believe it.
“Alright! Since I’ve received your deposit, I’ll do my best in the coming expedition!” Leylin agreed.
This entire exchange was very quick, and as they both came to an agreement, the blood-red flames that had just been ignited in mid-air, had been extinguished.
The old witch took on her role as the leader and guided them in. Minutes later, the four of them came to a fork in the path.