OBS Chapter 3570 [The Blood Moon Returns]
Chapter 3570 [The Blood Moon Returns]
Chapter 3570 [The Blood Moon Returns]
Shad and Lady Gerd hadn't been gone long; Miss Cohens and the unknown black-haired witch were still unconscious. Miss Noire greeted them upon their return, and after listening to Shad recount the third task given to them by the gods while sitting by the fireplace, she frowned deeply:
"40 floors? That's a bit too high, isn't it? The highest we've ever been is 25 floors. To climb the stairs, we'd have to go at least 15 floors. Although the stairwell seems safe for now, the corners on each floor might not be safe, and the higher you go, the greater the danger."
"The gods have given us a mission; we have no choice but to go. Otherwise, are we to stay here forever?"
"What is it?" Shad asked. The vampire girl actually meant to suggest not rushing upstairs, but exploring floor by floor, as she was still concerned about the power of the evil creatures here. However, before she could voice her thoughts, Shad picked up Miss Cohens's longsword.
“Ms. Gerd, you should stay here and rest. I’m going to the 25th floor now to deal with that demon. We shouldn’t keep it in our hands.”
The middle-aged witch in front of the fireplace nodded. She looked somewhat haggard, and her current mental state was clearly not suitable for her to go out again.
Miss Novares then hurriedly got up as well:
“I’ll go with you. We won’t let anyone go out alone. We’re running low on matches, and if I go with you, we can help gather supplies.”
Shade had no objection to this:
"Since we're going to act as a pair, if things go smoothly on the 25th floor, instead of coming back directly, we should climb the stairs to see what's going on on the inaccessible 40th floor?"
"Isn't this too risky?"
“We’re just going to check out the situation on the 40th floor. And although I’ll be staying a bit longer this time, I’ll still have to leave eventually. If we can’t find a way to get to the 40th floor right now, knowing the problem will help me figure out a solution after we leave.”
Miss Novare couldn't find a way to refute Shad, and she also realized that even if she found a way to enter the 40th floor, she didn't necessarily have to act immediately, so she didn't say anything more.
This trip might be quite long, so both of them made careful preparations before setting off. Although Lady Gerd wasn't feeling well, she still used the materials Shad had brought to concoct some potions for them to carry with them:
"None of us know what's going on on the 40th floor. If we can't find any clues, you can take the elevator back from the 39th floor. There's no rush to leave; safety is the most important thing right now."
These words struck a chord with the red-haired vampire girl, and she was indeed in no hurry to leave.
Before setting off, Shad checked on Miss Cohens and the unfamiliar young witch. Although the huntress was still asleep, her condition did not show any signs of deterioration. Even if Shad could not wake up before leaving this time, he should be able to recover some of his fighting strength when he returned next time.
However, the girl that Shad rescued from the Ice Demon had a lower body temperature than when she was first brought there. Although her soul decay had been brought under control and her life force had not weakened, when Shad placed his hand on her forehead, he could clearly feel that her mental energy was in a state of extreme chaos.
"Is she having a nightmare?"
Shad said, and Ms. Gerd placed her hand on the stranger's forehead. The floor in front of the fireplace was already covered with the mattresses Shad had brought, where the two wounded men were currently lying.
“Although you have banished the demon, its power has long since corrupted her soul. Now, that power has transformed into nightmares, imprisoning her consciousness within them. The situation is worse than I initially thought. To awaken her, someone will probably need to connect with her consciousness, enter her dream world, and allow her to wake up on her own.”
"I know the secret method of entering dreams."
The vampire girl, who was organizing spellcasting materials, said:
"But wouldn't it be dangerous to rashly enter the consciousness world of a demon possessor?"
Ms. Gerd nodded:
"Mr. Hamilton brought some of the potion that solved Cohen's problem. Although I don't know the ingredients, since it's for dream problems, I can re-adjust it to ensure maximum safety if anyone wants to enter this poor girl's consciousness."
"Of course, whether or not to save her is your decision; I'm only responsible for dispensing the medicine."
Shad thought for a moment:
“Ms. Gerd, then you should prepare the medicine first. As for how to treat her, we can discuss that after we return from this trip. The problem on the 40th floor will probably require everyone's joint efforts to solve, and I still hope that everyone can participate in the final operation.”
With less than forty minutes remaining out of the original 100 minutes, if the time hadn't been doubled, Xia De estimated that he probably wouldn't have had time to rest for so long, let alone visit the 25th floor. He would probably be heading straight for the 40th floor to check the situation by now.
Of course, although there was still more than half an hour left, Shad did not expect to be able to enter the 40th floor with the god to solve the problem this time; that was obviously a matter for next time.
He still didn't understand how to complete the Tree Father's task. The demon had been given a room by the gods, but "she" hadn't given any indication that the task was complete.
After leaving the safe room again with Miss Novare, Shad felt the 10th-floor corridor get even colder, but thankfully they didn't encounter any danger until the elevator started humming and moving upwards.
Like Ms. Gerd from before, the vampire girl also chose to speak only after the elevator started operating:
"Are you in a hurry to get us out of here?"
"Of course, this place is actually a prison. Since we don't belong here, wouldn't it be better to leave as soon as possible?"
Shad answered, then looked into her red eyes:
"You're not planning to leave later, are you? If you're thinking that there are many evil things here that can help you increase your power, then you'd better check if your mind has been influenced by your right hand."
Normally, you should be quite cautious about using this right hand to absorb power. Recall how many times you used your right hand before you came here, then compare that to your current thoughts, and tell me—are you still normal?
The red-haired girl pursed her lips and didn't answer immediately. Only after the ascending elevator stopped vibrating did she speak:
“I do think differently now than I did before I came here, but what if this isn’t due to the influence of my right hand, but rather because my own circumstances have truly changed?”
Shad, holding the sword, raised an eyebrow; he didn't do this often.
"That means that although you weren't affected by your right hand, you were affected by your own desires. Greed and gluttony are original sins, and the arrogant belief that you can control the situation is often the root of tragedy. I understand that you need power for practical reasons, but power is not the most important thing."
I admire your refusal to leech off your friends, so I'm willing to help you. Your current power should be sufficient for a significant advancement. If you're willing to remove the evil that has seeped into your body, I can perform the surgery with Lady Gerd, and then leave the removed portion in this hotel.
Shad recalled his list of magical abilities:
"You don't need to worry about your right arm either. I'm very good at sculpting bodies out of clay."
The red-haired vampire girl simply hummed in agreement, neither expressing dissent nor approval.
Shad hadn't expected to persuade Miss Novare to easily give up the limb from the evil artifact she'd acquired during her adventure with just a few words, so before officially opening the door to the 25th-floor corridor, he offered one last piece of advice:
"If you agree with my advice, you can ask me for help anytime; if you disagree, I will still keep an eye on you. When you really lose control, I will help you just like I helped Miss Cohen."
While I can't guarantee I can save you, I will do my best. Don't tell me you won't lose control; judging from Miss Cohen's condition, do you still believe that the three of you appearing together in Whispering Hills is a coincidence?
The witch then spoke:
"I need time to think about it."
Shad nodded and was about to reach for the elevator gate when Miss Novare said again:
"Please wait a moment, this is for you."
She handed the prepared scroll to Shad, who felt this gesture was familiar. The huntress had given him the same method of learning the [Sword Pact] during their last outing:
"This is."
"This is a gift from me, a token of my gratitude as a friend. It's not a secret technique of our clan; it's the result of my own research after advancing to the twelfth rank. Rest assured, it has nothing to do with pure flesh and blood power, but rather it's the power gained by fusing the secret techniques of the vampire race with the gravitational pull of the Crimson Moon."
As a child, I stood alone on the shore and watched the red moon rise, witnessing the tides surging under its gravitational pull. This was the starting point of my extraordinary journey.
Witch's Secret Art - [Blood Moon Return]: When cast, a red vortex of moonlight forms in the palm. Pointing the vortex at a target with blood forcibly pulls them towards the caster, drawn by the gravitational pull of the red moon. Even if the pull fails, it still causes the target to lose a small amount of blood.
The vampire witch explained that many of the mystical arts and secret techniques of March are universally applicable, but those developed based on the unique properties of March can only be linked to the power of one particular moon. The secret technique she was sharing with Shad was a typical example of a power strongly correlated with the [Red Moon]. Like the Silver Moon - [Cyndia's Silver Moon Gift] and the Yellow Moon - [Confusion], it cannot alter the moonlight's attributes.
This secret technique wasn't an offensive magic, but rather a power of control. Shad was amazed by its effects; after a brief understanding of them, he knew it suited him perfectly, and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration:
"Your talent in the Red Moon and Vampire Secret Arts is actually quite good. In my opinion, absorbing the power of evil things has led you astray."