nownovels Chapter 125 The Prestige of the Fire of Death!
Chapter 125 The Prestige of the Fire of Death!
Chapter 126 The Prestige of the Fire of Death!
Hick did not attempt to suppress the turbulent dragon blood within his body, nor did he resist the all-pervasive mental allure.
With a slight thought, he directly activated Kabu's strongest technique—the Death Flame!
The pitch-black flames spread silently, rapidly covering Heath's entire body as if they were alive, forming a constantly flowing layer of dark armor.
The flames were not scorching hot; instead, they emitted an extreme chill, as if they could isolate all external influences.
The alluring power emanating from Lilith was instantly evaporated and repelled upon contact with the black flames, like water droplets meeting a red-hot iron, producing an extremely faint "sizzling" sound!
"You—you're not human?!"
Once he regained his composure, Hick's gaze was sharp as a knife as he shot it at Lilith.
Although it was a question, the tone was decisive and carried an unquestionable certainty!
A portion of her mental energy was burned away by the eerie black flames, and Lilith let out a suppressed groan.
Upon hearing Hick's words, a hint of barely concealed panic flashed across her beautiful face, though it was quickly masked by her charming demeanor: "Little brother~ you can't just say things like that~"
Seeing her forced composure, which was actually somewhat flustered, Hick became even more certain of his judgment.
Kabu, who had been hidden in the shadows, silently stepped forward, revealing his tall and silent figure. He stood firmly to the side of Hick, his cold gaze locked on the two of them, ready to unleash a thunderous attack at any moment.
"Hughes, I—what the hell are you spacing out for?!"
Seeing that Hick was protected by those strange black flames, making it difficult for her own talent to work, Lilith immediately wanted to scold her companion.
But when she turned her head, she saw that the skeleton wizard Hughes had retreated a few steps behind her at some point, and was even moving back slightly. His cowardly appearance made her so angry that she cursed.
"Announce—Announce the fire of death!!?"
Hughes's voice was dry and distorted, filled with unbelievable fear, a tremor that came from the deepest part of his soul.
The eerie green soul fire in his eye sockets no longer pulsed violently, but flickered like a candle in the wind, indicating that its owner was experiencing extreme panic.
His withered fingers even loosened their grip on the compass that had been trembling incessantly, letting it fall to the ground, as if the black flames burning on Hick's body were the most terrible plague in the world, unbearable even to indirect contact.
Seeing Hughes's loss of composure and hearing his name cry out in a trembling voice, Hick, who was originally about to immediately call for support from the Silent Forest because of Lilith's sneak attack, temporarily suppressed the idea.
How could he know about the Fire of Death? And why is he so afraid? This is over two hundred years ago—
"Is this the Fire of Death? The one Vidis mentioned?"
Lilith was stunned when she heard Hughes's exclamation.
If it really is what the rumors say, this fight is impossible.
His most powerful abilities were ineffective against his opponent, as for Hughes—
According to Vidis's occasional revelations, Hughes was once a formidable figure, but somehow he ran into a ruthless villain and was nearly destroyed, barely escaping with his life—or rather, the villain simply didn't take him seriously and casually "released" him.
The most prominent sign of that malevolent star is the death fire that can burn the soul and annihilate everything!
"Oh?"
A wisp of dark flame flickered at Hick's fingertips, like a living black sprite, emanating an aura that could freeze the soul.
"It seems you know about this flame. Therefore, you should also know its temperament."
His gaze swept over the two of them.
"Now, is there anything else I need to hand over? Or do you still want to take it yourselves?"
As he spoke, Kabu in front of him leaned forward slightly, and an invisible pressure spread out.
Hick knew very well that he could exert level three combat power with the help of Kabu, but his own body was ultimately a level one wizard with weak defense, so having Kabu stand in front was the safest option.
Seeing Kabu's subtle movement, Hughes's skull jaw clicked, but he couldn't utter a single clear syllable; only the frantic crackling of his soul fire revealed his extreme unease.
That leaping black flame seemed to have completely stirred up the terrifying memories buried deep in his heart.
"Ka-Ka-Kabus!!"
He finally managed to squeeze out the name that had terrified him for centuries, his voice hoarse like a broken bellows.
After uttering that name, Hughes seemed to have used up all his strength, and even his soul fire dimmed a bit.
He screamed almost pleadingly, "No—no more! We don't want anything anymore! It's a misunderstanding! This is a huge misunderstanding! We'll leave right now! We'll disappear immediately!"
He had only one thought in mind: escape! Get as far away from this terrifying black fire and that name as possible! Missions, rewards—none of it mattered in the face of survival!
Seeing Hughes's utterly terrified expression, Lilith knew that this skeleton was completely unreliable.
Despite the presence of that strange flame that made it difficult for her abilities to take effect, it would not be easy for her opponent to subdue her.
"Hehe~"
Lilith forced a laugh, reverting to her charming demeanor, her voice so soft it could melt hearts.
"Hey bro, don't be so serious~ We can talk things out. We really just want to find that existence," it's very important to us~ Maybe—we can discuss some terms?"
She tried to bring the atmosphere back to the negotiating table.
Faced with her gentle advances, Hick remained unfazed, scrutinizing her from head to toe with pure curiosity and inquiry in his eyes: "Now I'm even more curious, what exactly are you—something?"
He paused deliberately: "If you were just a human, it would be impossible to so easily arouse the instincts deep within my blood. This trait of yours is very similar to something—"
"That's enough!"
Lilith's face stiffened abruptly, her voice instantly turning cold, and she could no longer maintain her seductive demeanor.
"Kid, what exactly do you want? It's been so long, and none of the old guys from the Silent Forest have shown up. Looks like you don't want to escalate things. Just say it, what do you want?"
She interrupted Hick directly, clearly not wanting him to continue.
Hick, not annoyed by her interruption, instead followed her lead and asked, "Then tell me first, what exactly are you looking for?"
"A person—or a thing—" Lilith said vaguely.
Hick raised an eyebrow: "What kind of answer is that?"
Lilith pursed her red lips, seemingly choosing her words carefully, before adding, "To be precise, it's trouble caused by a 'stranger.' We're looking for him, or something he left behind."
"Outsider?" Hick was still a little confused; the term was too broad.
"Therefore, we can cooperate!"
Lilith seized the opportunity to offer another suggestion, her eyes sparkling.
"As long as we find what we want, you can name your terms~ I might even be able to fulfill some of your special requests~"
She tried again, still unwilling to give up, habitually adding an ambiguous tone at the end.
"Transaction number one————"
Hick completely ignored her teasing, his fingers unconsciously stroking his chin as he pondered.
The fact that these two, both level-three wizards, were still ordered to act suggests that their target was extremely important! This might be an opportunity—
"It's very simple!"
Hick looked up, his tone as indifferent as if he were buying cabbage at the market.
"Give me complete meditation methods for each elemental system, leading directly to the peak of level three, plus no fewer than five hundred detailed manuals of successful experiments from level one to level three wizards. If you can provide these, we can discuss the possibility of cooperation in detail."
Lilith's charming smile froze completely, her captivating eyes widened, filled with an absurd sense of "Are you fucking kidding me?"
She even subconsciously rubbed her ears, wondering if the deathly fire had affected her hearing.
"Elemental systems? A meditation method that leads directly to the peak of level three? And at least five hundred copies of a success manual for levels one through three?!"
She repeated Hick's words, her tone sharp with extreme astonishment, all traces of languor and sweetness vanished.
"Kid! Do you know what you're saying?! Do you think meditation is like a free newspaper in a tavern? The whole system?! And that experiment manual! Five hundred copies?! And they all have to be successful?! What normal wizard would record so many successful experiments? Failure is the norm! Are you making fun of me?!"
Lilith's chest heaved violently; she was clearly furious at Hick's outrageously high price.
She had assumed the other party would ask for magic stones, rare materials, or some special secret techniques, all of which were within her reach.
But the conditions Hick proposed were not a deal at all; they were blatant and utterly absurd extortion!
Despite her agitation, Hick remained calm, only the faint flickering flame of death at his fingertips hinting that his patience was not limitless.
"It seems your 'sincerity' is rather limited."
He spoke calmly, his tone revealing no disappointment, but rather a sense of indifference as if to say, "I knew it."
"You're unwilling to pay even this basic level of sincerity, yet you expect me to help you search for a problem within my jurisdiction that you yourselves can't even explain? Are you too naive, or do you think I look easy to fool?"
He deliberately emphasized the words "foundation" and "jurisdiction," placing himself in a higher, more dominant position, as if his demands were reasonable and that the other party lacked knowledge and sincerity.
Lilith was speechless for a moment, choked by his blaming attitude.
She stared intently at Hick, trying to find a trace of bluff or mockery in his eyes, but saw only a bottomless calm and a chilling black flame.
She suddenly realized that this young man in front of her, or rather, the terrifying "Kabus" behind him, could not be judged by ordinary standards!
Their standards for measuring value may be completely different!
Perhaps in their eyes, those meditation methods and experimental records are really just "basic" knowledge?
This thought made Lilith feel powerless.
She suppressed her anger and said in a cold, hard voice.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Even if I emptied the entire organization's warehouse, I still wouldn't have enough for the fraction you need! We might be able to negotiate a few copies of the meditation method, but the attributes would never be complete! As for five hundred copies of the successful experiment manual—ha, you might as well just refuse!"
Hick listened quietly, his mind racing.
He knew, of course, that his asking price was extremely outrageous. This was part of his strategy—to make an exorbitant demand first, to test the other party's bottom line and how much they valued the deal.
Lilith's reaction told him that the "outsider's stuff" they were looking for was extremely important, so important that even though she was so angry, she didn't immediately give up completely and was still trying to "negotiate".
"Yeah?"
The black flame at Hick's fingertips contracted slightly, appearing less aggressive, as if indicating that they were open to discussion.
"Then show your sincerity in negotiating. Tell me, what exactly is this outsider, or the trouble he left behind? Is it worth all this fuss? Understanding the objective is the foundation of cooperation."
He skillfully steered the conversation back to the core issue he was truly concerned about—intelligence.
A flicker of wariness crossed Lilith's eyes. She looked at Hick, then glanced warily at the silent Kabu standing before him. After a long silence, she spoke slowly, her voice much lower: "That's an anomaly—someone who shouldn't be in this world. He brought with him an—object. That thing is dangerous, and very—special. We must find it, or confirm its destruction. More than that, I can't say. Knowing too much won't do you any good."
Hick remained expressionless, merely nodding slightly: "A dangerous object? Interesting. So, are you searching for it to control that danger, or—simply to destroy it?"
This is a crucial question, concerning the nature and intentions of the other organization.
Lilith gave Hick a deep look, a complex smile curving her red lips: "It depends on the circumstances when we find it. If it's under control, that's best. If it's not—then it must be completely eliminated to prevent future problems."
"It seems you guys have quite a background."
Hick gave a vague assessment and didn't press for details, as that would only arouse the other party's greater vigilance; he had already obtained a considerable amount of information.
He then changed the subject: "Since you can't offer me the price I want, and I'm somewhat interested in your goals—perhaps we can explore a different way of cooperating."
Lilith's eyes lit up slightly: "How?"
"I can allow you to search on your own within a limited scope. But I need the right to know—to know the progress and results of your search."
Hick proposed a condition that seemed like a concession, but in reality placed himself in the position of supervisor and receiver of information.
"In return, I can spare your lives and provide some conveniences for your limited activities. Of course, if you find it, I need to know exactly what it is, and—whether it is truly as dangerous as you claim."
He deliberately projected an image of curiosity rather than greed for the "dangerous items" themselves, and portrayed himself as a responsible regional manager concerned with potential threats.
Lilith pondered for a moment.
This offer is clearly much more realistic than the previous outrageous price.
Although intelligence sharing was required, at least permission to stay and a certain degree of room to maneuver were granted, avoiding an immediate conflict with "Qabus".
"Can."
After weighing the pros and cons, Lilith nodded.
"But how do we contact them? How do we ensure timely communication?"
"That's easy."
Hick seemed to have anticipated this question, smiled slightly, and called out to the air behind him, "Sean."
As he spoke, a pure white humanoid silhouette slowly materialized in the open space in front of Lilith, like a white-skinned person without a specific face.
"It's you!!"
Upon seeing this pure white light and shadow, Lilith's pupils contracted, and she immediately recognized it as the strange creature she had encountered on the outskirts of the kingdom!