fantasy novels Chapter 107 White-Masked Van Lei
Chapter 107 White-Masked Van Lei
Chapter 107 White-Masked Van Lei
After Xia Tong recalled all the ashes.
The ancient knight Istvan's power avatar slowly disappeared, turning into golden specks of light that vanished into the air.
Then came Burke's serious business.
Led by a large demi-human who had just surrendered, Burke finally found what he had been longing to find.
The thing was piled up in a junkyard deep inside the cave, buried in the mud at the bottom, clearly being treated as garbage.
That was a complete sewing suit.
Inside was a golden sewing needle and a complete set of sewing tools.
It was covered in dirt and grime at the moment.
Burke knelt on the ground, his hands trembling as he gently picked it up.
He didn't mind the dirt; instead, he carefully wiped it off with the precious clothes that Patch had given him, removing the grime bit by bit.
The clothes he's wearing now are his most prized possession; he wouldn't even let a speck of dust get on them.
But the sewing needle in front of him was, in his eyes, a thousand times more precious than the best clothes he had ever worn since birth.
That was given to him by his blood relatives.
It was the only thing his mother left him.
Why did they steal your sewing needles and tools?
Xia Tong looked at Burke, somewhat puzzled.
This question seemed to touch upon painful memories deep within him.
Burke lowered his head, his voice choked with emotion: "The chief said it was human craftsmanship."
"This tool was also made by humans; it is dirty and unclean."
"Demi-humans should not touch these things, as it will bring misfortune to their race."
"My mother was ostracized because she had worked as an assistant to a human tailor, and eventually died in depression."
"Damn it, these guys."
Xia Tong looked at the remaining dozen or so demi-humans trembling in the corner in the distance with icy eyes.
An urge welled up inside me to scatter them all.
However, seeing how tightly Burke was clutching the sewing needle, he held back.
The coastal caves were the most barren places Xia Tong had ever seen.
Aside from some cave moss, mushrooms, and those disgusting terrestrial octopus eggs that can be found everywhere, there is almost nothing else of value here.
After resolving the sewing needle issue, Xia Tong did not leave the coastal cave immediately.
Instead, they took Burke with them and continued exploring deeper into the cave.
He recalled that the coastal cave was not only a demi-human nest, but also an important secret passage connecting to a Dragon Offering Church.
As Xia Tong and the others continued to descend deeper into the cave, passing through dark and damp tunnels, the terrain began to rise again.
After walking for about fifteen minutes...
The originally narrow and oppressive opening became wider and wider.
At the far end of the cave, a dazzling light suddenly appeared.
They quickened their pace.
Suddenly, everything became clear.
This reminded Xia Tong of the classic poem: "At first it was extremely narrow, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. After walking several dozen steps, it suddenly opened up into a bright and spacious place!"
The difference is that the old man walked several dozen steps, while Xia Tong walked several thousand steps.
The moment Xia Tong stepped out of the cave.
The nauseating stench of the demi-human nest vanished instantly.
Instead, a fierce yet refreshing sea breeze prevails.
Mixed with strong salt and moisture, it roughly poured into his lungs, cleansing each breath and invigorating him.
The sunlight poured down without any obstruction.
Before me stretched an endless expanse of azure sea, its surface shimmering with countless reflections.
In the distance, the majestic silhouette of Stoneville, shrouded in storm, can be seen, but here, everything seems so far away.
Xia Tong's feet rest on a soft, thick, dark green meadow.
Occasionally, you can see a few wild sheep that are not afraid of people at all rolling around in a ball, bleating and grazing leisurely.
Xia Tong and Burke rested for a while nearby.
The two lay on the grass without any regard for appearances, basking in the sun, drinking some water, and then chewing on a few pieces of dried meat to replenish their energy.
During this time, in some shady rock crevices, Xia Tong also discovered some silver fireflies that emitted a faint glow.
Xia Tong casually gathered some, but to be honest, he had already forgotten what they were used for.
Because the island wasn't very big, Xia Tong didn't summon Torret.
Instead, he walked with Burke along the winding path, heading up the hillside.
There stands the ruins of an ancient building without a roof.
The massive stone pillars, eroded by the sea winds for thousands of years, have become mottled and broken, leaving only ruins that exude a desolate beauty.
But the most striking feature is the altar in the center of the church.
That's not your average idol.
Instead, it was the remains of a massive, petrified ancient dragon.
Its head was held high, its empty eye sockets staring into the void, as if emitting a silent roar.
On its chest burned an inextinguishable crimson flame, emanating a strange dragon-like aura.
"This is the Dragon Offering Church."
Xia Tong looked at the ball of flame with longing in her eyes.
However, he could only stare helplessly.
There are only two reasons.
First, he doesn't have a dragon's heart.
If we're only talking about ground combat strength, he's actually confident he can hold his own against the dragon Agil.
However, he currently lacks sufficient means to control the air.
Halfway through the fight, the dragon Agil could have simply turned tail and flown away, or even breathed fire and flew away like a kite in the sky; there was nothing he could do about it.
The so-called long-range technique, the Radiant Stone Magic, can't shoot that far, much less that high.
Another reason is the lack of a crucial medium—the sacred seal.
Although there is a dragon's mark hidden under the mud cart mechanism in the drifting cemetery.
However, that Dragon Offering Mark is mainly affected by the Sensing attribute, and it is not suitable for Xia Tong now.
The most suitable item for a melee mage like Xia Tong is the Claw Mark Holy Mark given by the Beast Priest Granger.
Because it possesses a unique power modifier, the higher the power, the stronger the prayer.
"Looks like I'll have to find an opportunity to go to the Beast Priest. Anyway, I've already got the Dead Root."
Alas, the road ahead is long and arduous.
Xia Tong was making plans in her mind.
He could only idly light up the blessing point next to him as a landmark for future teleportation, hoping to have another chance to study Dragon Offering Prayer.
"I remember that the combat technique Istvan used earlier, which pulled the monster over, was dropped by a Stone-Skinned White King. And it wasn't far from here."
1
Before leaving the coastal cave.
Xia Tong once asked Burke privately, "Would you rather come with me, or stay here?"
To Xia Tong's surprise,
Without any hesitation, Burke firmly chose to follow Xia Tong.
At first, when Xia Tong saw him pleading for his former clansmen, she thought he had softened and wanted to continue living with them.
In retrospect, it was merely a sliver of affection for the past.
After leaving the coastal cave, Xia Tong led Burke to continue southeast.
Gradually, a familiar blessing point appeared in the distance.
The golden light still shone brightly in the sunlight—the beginning of guidance.
This was his first time officially visiting this place.
After all, from the moment he transmigrated into this world, he was lying in the mud in front of the checkpoint, missing the starting point.
At this moment, a white figure stood prominently beside the blessing.
He wore a pale, expressionless stone mask.
The mask's expression was ambiguous, with empty eyes, making it very unsettling.
He was wearing a doctor's robe, which was covered with dried dark red bloodstains.
He put his hands behind his back and looked at Xia Tong and Bai Ke, who were riding towards him, with a flippant expression.
White-masked Van Lei!
Xia Tong recognized the guy at a glance.
"Oh? You're one of the faded ones, aren't you?"
Van Lei's voice came from beneath the mask, carrying a unique blend of femininity and mockery: "For the sake of the Elden Ring, I've traveled thousands of miles to the border."
"Unfortunately, I don't see you have a witch with you."
"There was a very weak and ugly demi-human child by my side."
"Oh, how pitiful, how pitiful."
"That's really asking for a beating."
Hearing his sarcastic words, Xia Tong wished she could throw a latrine in his face right away.
But he suppressed the urge.
Because he might not be a match for the White Mask Van Lei now.
This guy, as the chief guide of the Blood Dynasty, is extremely treacherous and cunning.
The threat posed to Xia Tong was even greater than that posed by the Great Tree Guardian.
Whether I'm a witch or not seems to be none of your business, does it?
Xia Tong replied coldly.
The white-masked Van Lei showed no displeasure at Xia Tong's dismissive attitude.
He maintained his elegant yet affected demeanor and slowly said, "Without a witch, one cannot even receive the power of runes to upgrade."
"There was no way I could be invited to the round table hall."
"That means you're destined to die a meaningless death, like a stray dog on the roadside."
Xia Tong ignored Fan Lei's taunts and carefully searched his memory for information about Fan Lei.
He was originally a battlefield medic, but was later kidnapped by the Blood King Mongols.
The doctors who were kidnapped with him, none of whom could withstand Monger's cursed blood, all went mad or died.
Only Van Rey endured it and became Monge's most loyal follower.
Moreover, if Xia Tong remembers correctly, he was calling out "Lord Monger" with deep affection until he was killed by the player in the game.
It could be said that his love for Monge had reached an abnormal level.
"Hmm? Something's not right?"
Van Lei suddenly took a step closer, his tone becoming questioning.
"let me see!"
"Your aura is different—you seem to have experienced enough trials, and you possess the power of runes."
"Oh, not bad, not bad."
The white-masked Van Lei seemed to suddenly become agitated.
He slowly walked towards Xia Tong, looking at Xia Tong riding on Toret, sniffing hard, like a wild beast sniffing something out of Xia Tong.
"It seems that although you don't have a witch, you have already learned how to follow the guidance of the blessing."
Van Lei pointed to the light in the distant sky: "Do you see that? Do you see the direction that blessing is pointing?"
"It points to Stoneville City."
"It points to the demigod—Greek, the limb-splitter."
"As the faded one, you are destined to conquer him."
"See? See?"
"At this very moment, the blessing still shines upon poor souls like you who have no witch by your side."
"This is the mercy of the Golden Law!"
Burke stood to the side, remaining silent and even trembling slightly.
As a demi-human, his intuition is very sharp.
He could sense that the person in front of him, dressed in a white, blood-stained doctor's robe, was extremely terrifying.
The aura of bloodshed and madness far surpassed that of the demi-human queen he had ever seen.
Moreover, the thorny, blood-red flower he held behind his back made Burke feel dizzy and his blood boil with every glance, making him unable to control himself.
Xia Tong, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but sigh.
These hypocritical words made him want to vomit.
This guy clearly believes in the Blood Dynasty that wants to overthrow everything.
On the surface, they hypocritically talk about the "mercy of the Golden Law" to lure the fading souls to their deaths. It's truly laughable.
"I don't know your name yet, sir?"
Xia Tong asked a question in a deliberately sarcastic tone.
Van Lei could clearly hear the disdain in his tone, but he still straightened his clothes and gave an elegant bow: "My name is Van Lei."
"Lord Vanre, it's a pleasure to meet you. I don't have anything of value to offer."
As she spoke, Xia Tong took out a tightly sealed jar from Torret's backpack.
It was that latrine.
"This is a gift for you."
"Inside are my carefully pickled specialties—"
"A piece of cured pork."
"The taste is very authentic; you should try it when you have time."
The urinal was sealed with multiple layers of beeswax, so no odor could be smelled out, and it did indeed look like a food container.
"Cured pork?"
"What is that?"
Although Van Lei recognized it as a cracked pot, he didn't know what "cured meat" was, since there was no such specialty in the border region.
He took the jar with some doubt.
Xia Tong didn't want to explain further to him.
"Then we'll take our leave now."
After saying that, he took Burke and ran off in a flash.
After Xia Tong and the others walked away.
Looking at the jar in his hand, Van Lei finally couldn't suppress his curiosity.
He gracefully peeled off the sealing wax from the jar.
"Bang!"
Instantly, an extremely strong, fermented stench, like a nuclear bomb, burst forth and assaulted the very top of one's head!
"vomit--!"
Even Van Ray, who was used to seeing bloodshed, was sunk by this sudden biological weapon.
He didn't even have time to remove the white mask from his face to breathe; instead, he quickly leaped away from the jar as if he had seen a ghost.
However, the odor from the latrine was so overpowering that it could be smelled for miles around.
In an instant, the air at the beginning of this process was polluted.
He could barely stand next to the blessing point.
"That wretched brat! Damn it! Damn it!"
"How dare you mock me!"
The white-masked Van Lei was so angry he almost jumped up and down, his usual elegance completely gone.
"Hmph—why would I bother with a brat like that?"
"However, this guy is very bold and has a wicked mind."
"It seems that in the future—it really might become a member of my Blood Dynasty."
"His will is very strong. Even in my Blood Dynasty, there are very few people with such a strong will."
"If we can bewitch him later, we can offer him to Lord Monger—"
"Lord Monger should like it, right?"
"Ugh—oh my god, it stinks!"
"I can't even think straight!"
Poor white-masked Van Lei couldn't take it anymore.
This place is unbearable.
He could only run north, where the stench had started, hoping the sea breeze from the northwest would wash away the lingering smell.
"Forget it, I don't plan to stay any longer."
"It's time to go to Lake Lienia —"