OBS Chapter 4058 The Withering Demon Valeis
Chapter 4058 The Withering Demon Valeis
Chapter 4058 The Withering Demon Valeis
After the week's study session ended at 4 PM, everyone else left first, but Shad stayed behind with Mia. What the doctor wanted to discuss with Shad privately was, naturally, related to demons:
"Actually, I was planning to talk to you about this today. Since you brought it up, we can address it together. It's like this: do you remember the three powerful weapons crafted by ancient hunters to fight against demons?" (Chapter 2903)
"Of course I remember: the Hunter's Longsword - [Night Watch], the Demon Sealing Prison - [Witcher Encyclopedia], and the Compass for Finding Demons - [Path of No Light]."
Shad replied that he learned this when the doctor held the ceremony to become a hunter.
The doctor nodded:
"Originally, after helping you resolve the incident in Vista Grove last year, I planned to go out and search for these two relics. However, after finding the 'Collection of Soul Stories' in Professor Wood's office, which seemed to be related to the 'Great Demon,' I went to the far north to search for traces of the demon that possessed the weapon."
After all that, we've come full circle. The memories of that thing in Black Hand-Tifron's mind had been pre-processed. In the dream world, I delved deep into the fragmented memories, not only recovering the processed ones but also avoiding the traps meant to lure me in.
It wasn't until this week that I learned that, as a weapon once used by that 'Great Demon,' it didn't actually possess that thing's blood before, otherwise it wouldn't have been sealed away years ago. The blood was something it obtained after escaping its seal in the far north a thousand years ago.
Where did you get it from?
Shad asked, and this was the crux of the matter, to which the doctor gave a definitive answer:
"After escaping the seal, it encountered another demon as ancient as itself. Most evil spirits and demons cannot get along. Black Hand - Tifreon sensed the other's abnormality, so in order to restore itself and for clues, it attacked the other, seized a part of the other's essence, and finally obtained the blood from the other and learned that the other possessed the compass [Path of No Light]."
Shade then asked:
"So, the demon defeated by Blackhand-Teefron was weaker than it, right?"
"No, no, the other party is just not good at fighting evil spirits and demons. That is 'Valeis the Withering Demon', whose power attribute is life withering. But we all know that evil spirits and demons do not have the concept of 'life' at all. Theoretically, they are immortal. Even the demons I devoured will be reborn after thousands of years. And Black Hand - Tifreon is extremely good at fighting."
Xia De nodded knowingly:
“I understand. Although that ‘Valecius’ lost to Blackhand-Tifron, it doesn’t mean he’s weak.”
"The Wither Demon is also one of the oldest evil spirits. I even believe that it was already roaming the material world during the First Age. During the Third Age, the hunters of that time paid a very high price to seal it in the [Witcher Encyclopedia], but I didn't expect it to escape in the end."
While I'm worried about the situation with the [Witcher Encyclopedia], the [Path of No Light] is of greater concern. Blackhand-Tifron is certain that Valecius used this compass to find clues related to the 'Great Demon' and thereby obtained the blood. Blackhand-Tifron originally planned to track Valecius down after finding a way to break the seal, but he encountered us on the snowy mountain.”
The doctor cautiously expressed his opinion:
"I can't be sure what that withering demon actually found. If it's just ancient battlefield ruins or some kind of ancient ritual site, that's fine. But what if it really found the part of the 'Great Demon' that was sealed away?"
The other party possesses the "withering" attribute that Shad desires, making it worthwhile to be burned by the First Flame, and also contains crucial clues about the Primal Demon, so Shad naturally wants to find it as well:
"Is the [Witcher Encyclopedia] and [The Path of No Light] both in there?"
"The former is uncertain, but the latter is most likely in its hands."
"So how do we find it? Do we hold a ceremony to locate it?"
The doctor shook his head:
"I'm almost 100% certain that the other party is in the Arcadia region. This is my premonition, and after devouring so many demons, this premonition is extremely accurate."
But more importantly, Valecius is a demon of withering life. Its instincts make it hopelessly attracted to powerful life force. This is its nature, which is one of the reasons why the hunters were able to seal it away back then.
Since you said that the Arcadia region is currently in a period of unusually active life energy due to the eruption of the Great AllSpark, then the possibility of it appearing in that city is extremely high.
You even mentioned that Arcadia's birth rate had been abnormally high for many years, and I suspect that the other party may have already been there before this Allspark eruption.
Xia De recalled:
"During the two weeks I spent in that city of scholars, I didn't notice any trace of the demons at all."
"After all, that's the location of the Church of the True God, so Valesius certainly wouldn't be very high-profile. Moreover, as the oldest evil spirit, it is very familiar with humans and is very good at disguising itself as a human noble and hiding in human settlements. The ten thousand years of sealing must have taught it enough lessons, so it won't show itself easily."
The doctor stood by the window looking outside, and Shad watched the doctor's back.
"What do you need me to do now? Use the AllSpark to create a trap and lure them out?"
"No, no, those ancient evil spirits aren't like the pigeons in the square; hunting them isn't that easy. Based on what I know of Valeis, he's one of the more sophisticated types of evil spirits and demons."
So the first thing we need to do is confirm whether the other party is truly in the Arcadia region. If it were in an ordinary city, I could find a way to hold a large-scale ritual to detect traces of demons, but that's not possible in Arcadia City. Detective, I'll have to trouble you again this time.”
He turned to look at Shad:
"Help me find a list of the upper-class nobles in Arcadia City, and then investigate who has been involved in a series of disappearances in recent years, based on that list."
I know this is an extremely complex task, but this method is currently the safest. It's impossible for it to resist harming the living; the allure of life is greater than gold's to the most miserly hoarder. However, I must emphasize again that the Withering Demon understands life, and therefore understands the social structures of intelligent life. It is an ancient evil spirit extremely adept at hiding itself among people, and the investigation will likely take some time.
Xia De nodded:
“The Arcadia region already has so much trouble, one more demon wouldn’t be too much.”
The doctor also knew that Shad was anxious to find the power of "decay":
“Besides investigating the nobles, I’ll give you a detector. This detector can react to the corpses that died from ‘withering.’ It’s quite sensitive, so you can take it to the local cemetery. Although the probability is small, if it reacts, it might save you a lot of time.”
As the doctor spoke, he handed Shad a slender, black, prismatic crystal. Inside the crystal was a black flame that looked similar to the "Spark of Life," but the doctor himself said it was merely a simulated Spark of Life created using demonic power.
“Once you have a suspect, I can immediately find a way to test him. After the battle with Blackhand Tifreon, I am now stronger than before. If Blackhand Tifreon could defeat it, I can easily defeat it too.”
"I assure you, Detective, once we pinpoint their location, this demon-hunting operation won't drag on as long as it did last time."
The doctor concluded, and Shad nodded slightly:
"I understand, doctor. Then just wait for my news."
Shad didn't seem too emotional about the fact that a demon was currently hiding in the Arcadia region. For the Arcadia region at present, having one more demon who was good at hiding was nothing.
Shad was even anticipating that the suspected "Apostles of Desire" would do something soon. The day when Vigo could reopen the special area within the council to bless Shad was drawing ever closer. Once he had the blessing of the Chaos Witch, Shad wouldn't be as wary of Desire as before when he encountered it again.
The best way to overcome desires is to confront them directly through your own strong will, not through external blessings.
She smiled gently, and the outsider certainly understood this. But the problem was that the outsider was still just a mortal, and he had his own flaws. In terms of "desire," his flaws were particularly great.
When Mia and I got home, Dorothy was already back and "admiring" the new bed that Reese had chosen for Shad:
"Yes, that's right, Lacia has excellent taste."
The writer, arms crossed, offered her comments, prompting Xia De to ask rather reservedly:
"So, will Her Highness the princess come here tonight to personally experience this new piece of furniture?"
"Of course, Lacia will arrive around eight o'clock."
Luvia's special ink, combined with the "Miracle Ring," allows them three more opportunities to meet within the 21-day cycle of the Red Butterfly Day, and Lacey and Dorothy mostly use these opportunities on Saturdays.
Today was no different. After Shad and Dorothy went out for dinner, walked the cat, and strolled home, Lacey's carriage was waiting in front of their house. Adelina had come along too, and Shad asked her about her exact departure time for Arcadia City.
"Aunt Galina kept urging Adelina to go quickly, and I think she had ulterior motives. My father and mother have already given Adelina permission to go to the South, and they've announced that she's sick and bedridden, so that she can stay out of the public eye for at least six months."
Zarathian Academy is processing Adelina's application to go abroad. There shouldn't be any problems; we should have news around next Tuesday.
PS: Bonus chapter plan: 5 extra chapters tonight, 5 extra chapters on the first day of the Lunar New Year, for a total of 10 chapters.
Normal updates remain unchanged.
Happy New Year to everyone! May the new year bring you all the best and good health!