Chapter 744: Rekindling the Flame, Six Chains Binding the Gods 4k
Neither Victoria nor Eevee were particularly fond of his idea to take everything in one go.
Victoria was fine… She just wanted to play along, act coquettishly in front of Dark, increase her presence, and remind him not to forget their Christmas gifts.
As for entities like the Soul of the Moon Goddess, they seemed more interested in joining the festivities, adding memories worth cherishing.
Only Eevee, the Demon Fox Beast, Deoxys, and other Golems in Bliss truly cared about the ball tonight.
Eevee, however, was the only one determined to dance with Dark no matter what.
Yet, Eevee still cared deeply for its owner!
Given the deep bond between Eevee and Dark, any attempt by Dark to leave would be felt keenly. Eevee could sense Dark’s urgency to leave the ballroom.
Eevee reluctantly agreed to stay, only to snuggle closer to Dark at night.
“Good kids get treats,” Eevee thought, then obediently linked arms with Dark.
Victoria, on the other hand, was delighted and sprang up eagerly.
Dark waved his hand, and a horde of Golems surged onto the stage.
The Saint Maryann Academy’s Christmas ball wasn’t like a casual square dance, but people always made exceptions for adorable things.
When the Golems took the stage, instead of being annoyed, many cheered and danced joyfully.
Dark first danced with Victoria, then with Eevee, and so on…
Seeing this, the other Golems on stage rushed to join the dance, creating a lively scene.
The atmosphere in the ballroom changed, becoming less formal but more vibrant. Laughter filled the air, unlike any other day.
As the music neared its end, Dark estimated the time. He danced two steps with the Demon Fox Beast and Deoxys, then prepared to make his escape… There was no immediate danger, so he didn’t need to recall the Golems.
But as he tried to leave, he noticed a change in his shadow. He looked up and heard laughter…
“Haha~”
Professor Lily emerged from the ceiling, her dragonfly-like wings fluttering as she swooped down.
Instinctively, Dark raised his hands to catch her, but Lily stopped and grabbed his palm, then turned and ran.
“Let’s go!”
A gust of wind passed as they moved swiftly.
People dancing around them barely had time to react before Dark and Lily transformed into an indistinct blur.
The blur raced through the crowd, piercing through walls, passing through the massive Christmas tree, and vanishing behind the stage.
The golden-haired youth disappeared from sight.
The Golems that wanted to keep dancing with their owner stood firm.
But the music resumed, undeterred by the disappearance of one person.
The ball’s energy cooled slightly but remained high.
As midnight approached, more students returned, bringing the excitement back to normal levels. Saint Maryann Academy celebrated Christmas with joy.
—
On another note.
Dark was used to the Imp’s wall-penetrating ability and no longer worried about getting stuck if Lily suddenly let go.
As the scenery sped past, the path rose from flat to upward, climbing to the second, third floors, and finally to the ninth floor, where it leveled out again.
Speed increased rather than decreased, like a shooting star.
At one point, Dark sensed water-like membranes ahead. He instantly passed through, and his view changed. He had entered a secret passage.
“Hey, we’re here!”
His feet touched solid ground as he regained his senses.
He scanned the surroundings.
The secret passage remained unchanged. Torches ignited instantly upon entry, illuminating the darkness.
Black liquid-filled bronze braziers lined the passage like a long dragon, extending into the dark.
These braziers were adorned with intricate patterns, depicting celestial bodies, landscapes, farming scenes, battles, and more.
The black liquid inside was likely some form of oil.
Dark quickly processed the information flooding his mind and asked, “Are these ritual tools?”
“Clearly.” Lily fluttered her wings and pointed to the left side of the first bronze brazier.
On a meter-high bronze stand, a flat copper basin held a torch. Despite being wooden, it emitted incense, indicating it was special.
The preparation of these ritual tools alone showed significant effort and resources.
Clearly, Saint Maryann Academy had been secretly operating a massive machine, now showing its results.
“Has the ritual already started?” Dark asked succinctly.
Lily shook her head, “It’s almost complete, but the final crucial phase remains. Kazel has reserved a spot for you, wanting you to feel involved.”
Hearing this, Dark felt moved, though not genuinely.
He pondered and said, “What do I need to do?”
Lily replied, “Hold the torch and ignite it when the time comes, then throw it into the first brazier.”
Just then, a gentle breeze swept by, whispering in his ear.
Her expression changed, “I need to position myself on the other side; Sarah is already scolding me! Just hold the torch, and you’ll know… Let me go!” Before Dark could respond, she dove into the wall, disappearing.
“What time…”
Closing his eyes, he looked at the torch in the copper basin, stepping forward.
Thanks to Lily’s help, he escaped the stage and reached here without much delay. It was still over fifteen minutes until midnight.
But judging by Lily’s expression, little time remained.
Many questions lingered.
“I need to hurry!”
He thought, reaching for the torch.
Unexpectedly, his fingers felt warm instead of cold, a pleasant sensation spreading through him.
A sudden thought entered his mind, and he closed his eyes, an immense image appearing in his mind.
Dark finally understood what “holding the torch means knowing.”
His perspective soared, looking down from above.
Countless bronze braziers formed a long dragon, stretching for miles.
Six such dragons extended straight from six directions, converging in the center, like dragons gathering. A grand bronze hall stood there, magnificent.
Emotions surged within him. He finally felt part of an epic event.
The ritual site far exceeded the castle’s size, unimaginable within the castle’s secret passages.
Secret passages should be winding, yet these straight bronze dragons were astonishing, hinting at some earth-shattering method.
Compared to Professor Kazel’s small experiment, the previous Moon Goddess and Demon King rituals seemed trivial.
But given the purpose of this experiment, such scale was fitting.
In his mind, he glanced at the heads of the six dragons, a strange feeling rising, the view narrowing. Other professors nearby looked serious.
“You’ve arrived,” Professor Shylph murmured, her face stern.
Other professors also appeared uneasy.
Clearly, advancing the ritual to this stage wasn’t easy.
Dark regretted not being fully qualified to participate.
But he nodded in response and quickly asked, “When do we light the fire? How?”
Professor Shylph replied, “Use blood as fuel, mana as flame. With three to five minutes until the appointed time, Kazel will signal.”
She added, “Hold the torch tightly, don’t let go.”
Before Dark could agree, Sister Carrian reminded, “A Golem capable of controlling flames can also light it, like the nine-tailed fox.”
She meant the Nine-Tailed Fox Beast.
Dark responded, “I can gather mana into flames.”
Sister Carrian nodded, “That’s good.”
Though Dark’s study of the Magic Fire was still at the first chapter, mana manipulation was basic. He had mastered it early on.
However, using blood as fuel made him hesitant.
Originally, he didn’t think much about his own blood, but learning that special demons required Wit’s blood made him realize blood shouldn’t be wasted.
Despite his Demon King bloodline remaining dormant, he knew his blood was tainted.
Though the “taint” might be purely due to the Capital Sin, he couldn’t prove otherwise.
In any case, he enjoyed the benefits of rapid mana growth and couldn’t ignore its source.
Adding saliva to his magic formation was similar to Wit adding blood.
—
Would using his unique blood affect the ritual negatively?
If the ritual failed completely, it was better than a half-success, which might result in the Heart of the Gods reviving into a mindless monster!
Thoughts raced, he quickly asked, “Why use blood as fuel?”
Professors glanced at him. Professor Pavar Jones explained:
Pavar Jones, despite being the Knight Academy’s dean, rarely participated in recent events. However, she was clearly informed.
She said, “Blood represents oneself, linking us to the deity to be revived. If successful, both you and I will become chains binding the deity. Look at the long dragon of braziers. What does it resemble?”
Dark’s heart skipped a beat, looking down.
The array on the ground changed in his eyes, transforming into six bronze chains binding the deity!
Suddenly, he understood.
To revive a deity, one must first bind it.
Only bound deities belonged to them!
This simple idea dawned on him only after being pointed out.
Then, he realized those sitting at the heads of the chains were extraordinary.
Professor Shylph controlled wind spirits.
Professor Metia possessed the Eyes of the Stars.
Professor Pavar Jones had royal giant blood.
Professor Lily was a pure-blooded Imp.
As for Sister Carrian… Given her presence here, she couldn’t be ordinary—her expulsion from the church might be related to her bloodline.
Moreover, Professor Kazel, who could glimpse the truth, was a half-goblin!
In such a mix of bloodlines, introducing a tiny, unawakened Demon God wouldn’t be surprising.
Dark mused quietly.
Having him participate in this ritual meant sharing control over the soon-to-be-resurrected deity.
Originally, Professor Nina, with her Beastman King lineage, could have taken this role.
But Nina was unreliable…
This clearly indicated the professors’ approval of him.
From a practical standpoint, such an allocation further bound the Duke’s Mansion and Saint Maryann Academy.
Of course, adults talk about interests.
We children talk about feelings.
