Five Hundred and Forty-Second bl**d Shackles
In the west of Adus, Karnak.
Once a peaceful mining town, it was now filled with smoke and gunfire. After the revolutionary army’s soldiers entered the city, small-scale skirmishes erupted throughout the area. The street battles in Karnak had already begun, but the situation wasn’t overly intense.
As expected by Shahab, due to Chabakunka going to the royal tomb to confront Moen and being killed instead, the Savior faction’s armed forces in Karnak had lost their highest command. Nearly tens of thousands of troops were in chaos during wartime, unable to withstand Shahab’s attack. After losing all frontline positions and half of their forces, Shahab did not wait and launched a rapid assault on Karnak. Due to the fast pace of the offensive, the defense force in Karnak, lacking command, had no time for street combat. When the revolutionary army soldiers stormed into the city, they were in panic and confusion, leading to a quick defeat.
In other words, the battle in Karnak was one-sided. Without encountering any effective resistance, the revolutionary army soldiers advanced steadily, with many members of the Savior faction surrendering. At this moment, only some stubborn elements of the Savior faction remained in resistance in certain central districts of Karnak. The entire campaign in Karnak was clearly one-sided.
While the revolutionary army was advancing triumphantly through the city, at the edge of Karnak, Shahab stood with several attendants, solemnly observing everything before him.
Before Shahab lay a gruesome scene. A large “Silence” magical array was drawn on the ground, covered with dried bl**d. Several corpses had their hands tied behind their backs and were lying dead within the array. Around the edges of the array, more such corpses accumulated, forming small piles, with over a hundred corpses in total.
It was not unusual to see corpses on the battlefield, but what was crucial was that these corpses were all dressed in civilian clothes. These people were obviously ordinary residents of Karnak. During the occupation by the Savior faction and the Underworld Coffin Cult, they seemed to have been gathered here for mass executions.
“General, this is the massacre site we just discovered. According to reports, we have found four such sites around Karnak, all performing ‘Silence’ rituals. It seems this is where the enemy manufactures undead armies. Those numerous undead wandering around Karnak and setting up large warning zones seem to be produced here, and the raw materials for creating these undead… appear to be the residents of Karnak…”
Aidan reported the latest discoveries of the siege force to Shahab. Listening to Aidan’s words, Shahab fell silent for a moment, his heavy gaze sweeping across the bloody ritual array. He estimated the total number of corpses around the four arrays, combined with the scale of the undead encountered within the warning zone, and concluded that most likely all the residents of the mining town of Karnak, which already had few inhabitants, had been massacred.
Up until now, the revolutionary army soldiers had not encountered any actions by the Savior faction holding civilians hostage to delay their advance. There had been no civilians encountered during the offensive, and after understanding this situation, Shahab felt a bad premonition, which now seemed to have come true.
“After the battle is largely over, search the entire city thoroughly for survivors and protect them. All captives must be closely guarded, evidence preserved, and preparations made for setting up courts post-war.”
“Yes.”
With a heavy tone, Shahab told Aidan, who immediately responded briefly and left to convey and execute Shahab’s orders. Shahab remained in place, silently observing the piled corpses until Saitutet spoke in his heart.
“Are you shaken? You’ve seen such brutal scenes before, haven’t you?”
Listening to Saitutet’s words, Shahab was silent for a while before sighing slightly and speaking.
“The tragedy of an entire town being massacred, I have never seen it before. And the ones I saw previously were mostly irrelevant outsiders, whereas the ones I’m seeing now are… I should say, the people of Adus. Naturally, the feelings are different. Moreover, I am not shaken; I am merely reflecting on the methods of these cults.”
“Huh… just ten thousand people like this, and your experience is still limited. For extraordinary beings who possess superhuman strength and constantly deal with forbidden knowledge, ordinary people find it hard to empathize. In eras without strong order forces, common folk are treated as livestock and materials at will. For powerful extraordinary beings, the lives of common folk, whether ten thousand or a hundred thousand, even millions, are all the same, and if needed, they can be taken without hesitation. Such times are not uncommon in history. You should be grateful you live in the present, kid.”
Saitutet said to Shahab, who, after hearing this, was momentarily stunned before responding with a smile.
“So, according to you, I should thank those deities on the Sacred Summit, right?”
“Pretty much. This era’s lamp-bearers have at least established a suppressive force for world order. I know their actions are displeasing to you, but I bet you wouldn’t like the outcome if the Radiant Church collapses.”
Saitutet said, and listening to this, Shahab was about to respond when a soldier rushed over from afar, panting heavily.
“General! An abnormal situation has appeared to the north. Please go and check!”
“Abnormal situation…”
Listening to the soldier’s words, Shahab felt a hint of doubt and followed him away from the scene. They climbed to the rooftop of a nearby building, where Shahab looked northward and saw something shocking.
At this moment, in Shahab’s eyes, a dark yellow storm was raging over the mountains north of Karnak, swirling dust dancing and engulfing the mountain body amidst thunderous sounds. The massive sandstorm resembled a towering wall of wind and sand reaching the sky, pressing down upon the tiny city of Karnak, creating an apocalyptic scene.
“What… is happening?! How could such a huge sandstorm suddenly appear? There were no signs beforehand!”
Looking at the enormous sandstorm, Shahab exclaimed. Inside him, Saitutet sternly spoke.
“Be careful, kid. This isn’t an ordinary sandstorm; there are traces of extraordinary abilities within it.”
“Extraordinary abilities? What kind of extraordinary ability could cause such a commotion? Is it the old acquaintance you mentioned?”
Listening to Saitutet’s words, Shahab asked directly. However, the response was negative.
“No, it’s not him. Its influence has already disappeared. From what I can feel, it’s a spirit-like entity, seemingly modified… a special spirit.”
“Spirit… Sandstorm?”
Listening to Saitutet’s words, Shahab’s surprise grew even greater. At this moment, the approaching sandstorm in the north began to show signs of movement.
On the giant wall of wind and sand, a massive face emerged, looking south toward the small city of Karnak, opening its mouth wide to shout loudly.
“Sha… di…
“Usurper!”
Seeing the massive face on the wall of wind and sand, Shahab froze momentarily, then muttered after a while.
“Diadeen…”
“Don’t stand there gawking, kid. The one seeking revenge is coming. If you don’t want to d*e, get ready quickly!”
Saitutet reminded Shahab again. Listening to Saitutet’s words, Shahab frowned, his expression serious as he clenched his fists tightly.
…
On the other side, within the royal tomb in Dead Eagle Valley, Dorothy and Nephnis had successfully learned from Moen about the truth regarding Diadeen’s undead. After hearing Moen’s account, both Dorothy and Neph were astonished.
“Artificial wilderness spirits… so a being like Lord Soul Whiskers can also be artificially created? Truly unbelievable…”
In the underground palace, Neph murmured in astonishment. Meanwhile, Dorothy was equally incredulous.
“The Underworld Coffin Cult… actually conducting such research, creating wilderness spirits to control territories… if this research is completed, things could get out of hand…”
After understanding the essence of Diadeen’s spirit, Dorothy’s expression turned grim. She had witnessed the capabilities of territorial control-type wilderness spirits, and the lizard-shaped wilderness spirit summoned by Chabakunka was particularly difficult to handle. Although that lizard, as a native wilderness spirit of the New World, had limited combat effectiveness in Adus, now with Diadeen capable of controlling the entire territory of Adus, it truly seemed impossible to deal with.
“This Diadeen spirit… the sandstorm outside is getting bigger… it feels like it’s beyond my ability to handle. But the Phantom Pulling Lamp is still on that guy, so I can’t afford to ignore it. This is really troublesome…”
Dorothy scratched her head, her expression troubled. Diadeen was gradually becoming a conscious natural disaster, clearly exceeding her capacity to deal with it. Given the significant disparity in their abilities, her usual tactics of intrigue and deception were useless.
“Dealing with a sandstorm like this, it feels like there’s no way to think of a solution…”
While observing the inflated Diadeen sandstorm through the zombie bird outside, Dorothy thought, and at this moment, a familiar voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
“Great Akka, please convey to the scholar that I have understood the meaning of the array she sought to inquire about earlier. I wish to communicate with him…”
Hearing the voice of Saadaya in her mind, Dorothy paused momentarily before asking via the consultation channel.
“I am the scholar. Have you figured out the meaning of that array?”
“Yes, through on-site analysis and reviewing some secret transmissions I brought out from the Underworld Coffin Cult, I have gained a general understanding of the array’s function and principle. It is a modified soul-controlling array that requires multiple extraordinary beings to operate together. Its purpose is to bind and control souls, forcibly twisting their will. Even when not activated, it has the effect of suppressing souls.”
Saadaya’s voice echoed in Dorothy’s mind, and listening to this, Dorothy’s expression tightened. She continued through the consultation channel.
“Forcibly twisting souls’ will… does this mean that this array is the foundation of a powerful soul control ritual?”
“That’s correct, and this soul-controlling ritual differs significantly from common rituals with similar functions. The array incorporates many elements of ‘cups,’ aiming to strengthen the causal relationship mediated by bl**d ties. The entire array greatly enhances the mediating power of bl**d ties, effectively turning bl**d ties into bl**d shackles. Through this ritual, the performer can use the shackles to control a very powerful target soul.”
Saadaya’s voice continued to resonate in Dorothy’s ear, and listening to this, Dorothy seemed to understand something. She immediately countered.
“So, descendants can use this ritual to forcibly control their ancestors’ souls?”
“In theory, yes, as long as the bloodline is pure enough and sufficient mediators are used.”
Saadaya replied to Dorothy’s question, and listening to this response, Dorothy glanced at the nearby black bedchamber. Now she understood how the later generations of the Adus Dynasty passed their trials. As descendants, this method couldn’t help but be considered quite “filial.”
“So, Saadaya, if I want to awaken an undead that has been influenced by this ritual multiple times and is currently suppressed by it, would there be danger?”
“Yes, and the risk is quite high. If the soul is awakened incorrectly without the proper ritual and without bl**d ties as a medium, it might enter a state of madness directly due to the error in the ritual, attacking all living beings it senses.”
“So, if I destroy the array first and then awaken the soul?”
“If the array is destroyed correctly, the soul will be freed from the ritual’s influence and awakened normally, but given that the soul has been distorted multiple times, its condition might still be poor, and there’s a high chance of abnormalities or madness. For a powerful soul, it might take time to recover.”
Facing Dorothy’s continuous questions, Saadaya answered without hesitation. At this point, Dorothy had already flown to the entrance of the bedchamber, looking at the stone coffin inside and continuing.
“If I want the soul to return to normal immediately upon awakening?”
“That… might require preparing methods to soothe the soul. If you have tools or abilities capable of comforting the soul, you should be able to calm the agitated soul.”
Listening to Saadaya’s response, Dorothy silently examined the huge stone coffin in front of her. After a moment of silence, she sighed.
“Perhaps the means to repair descendants… ultimately needs answers from the ancestors…”
Having finished her reflection, Dorothy started using the consultation channel to contact the distance once more. This time, her contact was not with Saadaya, but Kapak.
…
In the New World, within the Tupac tribe’s encampment, inside the shaman’s tent.
Kapak was still sitting inside the shaman’s tent, meditating with his eyes closed under Uta’s guidance. Suddenly, he heard a voice within his heart again and opened his eyes to look at Uta, who was smoking his pipe vigorously.
“Teacher Uta, the believer of Akka’s scholar wants me to ask if you can assist them in performing a soul-soothing ritual far away right now?”
Listening to Kapak’s words, the old shaman Uta was silent for a moment. After exhaling a few smoke rings, he replied leisurely.
“It’s not impossible for me to do this. I need to leave my physical body and be guided by you to connect spiritually with them. They just need to prepare a suitable vessel.
“But this whole process of leaving my soul to connect spiritually carries some risks for me. I don’t know if they can offer a reward substantial enough to justify the risk… If the rewards are just ordinary supplies, perhaps my price will be much higher than usual… after all, our tribe is no longer short of these ordinary supplies at the moment.”
Uta said to Kapak calmly, holding his pipe in a manner that suggested his services were cheap until now, but he was about to increase his rates. Hearing Uta’s words, Kapak responded promptly via the consultation channel and soon received a reply.
“Teacher Uta, the scholar says they are currently battling one of the Blasphemers of the Necromancy Sect, Great Shaman Chabakunka, and the confrontation is at a critical juncture.”
“What? Chabakunka? The Great Shaman of the Withered Sands in the Central Great Wilderness? That shaman who defected to the Blasphemers… he is one of the founders of the Necromancy Sect…”
Listening to Kapak’s words, Uta widened his eyes in great surprise. He knew the scholar was fighting someone from the Necromancy Sect, but he didn’t expect the opponent to be so formidable.
“Yes, according to Mr. Scholar, Chabakunka is very powerful, even challenging for their own strong individuals. They need to awaken an ancient undead as support from the rear. If successful, it could severely wound Chabakunka, that great renegade! But the key issue is that the ancient undead seems to have some problems, requiring a soul-soothing ritual to be performed during the awakening.”
Kapak explained further to Uta. Listening to this, Uta was somewhat incredulous.
“Severely wound a great renegade… is this really possible?”
“Teacher Uta, I believe it is. Mr. Scholar has never deceived us; all his promises have been fulfilled. We should continue to trust him.”
Looking at his teacher, Kapak said seriously. Listening to Kapak’s words, Uta took a couple of puffs, exhaled the smoke slowly, and replied.
“If it truly can severely wound the renegade… then it would be a boon for us and all the tribes still loyal to the ancient ways. This would be a message that could uplift everyone’s spirits.”
Uta said, and at this moment, he was willing to help perform the soul-soothing ritual in the unknown distant place. But now the problem was that the other party was helping them severely wound a great renegade under the banner of justice, and it was hard for him to bring up the increased fees.
Not to mention raising the price, under this banner of justice, Uta couldn’t even ask for payment. If they really managed to severely wound the great renegade, the entire Shamanic Sect would owe a favor to the followers of Akka.
Recalling that they had just repaid the debt to the Tupac tribe in Tiwayan, and now they were facing another round of favors without much compensation, it was truly a case of new debts arising before old ones were settled.
For a moment, Uta’s heart was conflicted, but after a brief consideration, he responded,
“Tell the scholar that I am prepared to accept the spiritual connection.”
Although he had many considerations in his heart, Uta was not willing to give up the opportunity to severely wound the great renegade.
