The mage apprentice, Hants was truly unlucky. While he was nervously preparing all the materials for the medicine, he found that the Athelas herbs couldn't be prepared according to his teacher's instructions. That's because Hants couldn't find Old Steger's old cat anymore. He suddenly remembered that the old cat had been brought to a village 3 days ago.
Sheyan then asked a question that he would come to regret for a long time.
“Um, Mr. Hants, what does Athelas have to do with a cat?”
Hants solemnly replied.
“Athelas isn't really a rare herb. In fact, it can be found around the s.h.i.+re. However, if we want to lift the Black Breath, we would need to use its seeds. Now, Athelas seeds are much rarer. They are highly poisonous so we normally use them to produce poison. This poison is very popular among hunters.”
“I still don't understand what that has to do with a cat?” Sheyan continued with his enquiry.
“Please be patient while I explain, sir….Because the Athelas seed is poisonous, we must be very careful with its preparation. We must first remove the poisonous outer layer of the seed. Even if a tiny bit of the poisonous layer is left, it would severely affect the potency of the medicine. Therefore, we must let a cat swallow the seed first because its gastric acid can perfectly remove the seed's outer layer. Then, we have to extract the seed from the cat's body before its gastric acid can penetrate into the inner part of the seed.”
Melody asked nervously.
“Doesn't that mean we have to kill the poor cat?”
“Oh, we're not that cruel. If we kill the cat then mice will run wild in our shop. More importantly, the composition of the cat's gastric juice will change following its death, which will destroy the seed. We only need to feed the cat some medicine that would irritate its stomach to let it vomit out or dispense out the processed seed as waste. Which route the seed takes to come out will depend on the cat's mood.”
Sheyan's expression had turned extremely ugly by this point. On the other hand, Reef brimmed with schadenfreude as he smashed any false hope Sheyan may harbor.
“Excellent, Mr. Hants. I must applaud you for your vast knowledge! I have a question for you, just one – is the medicine prepared with the processed Athelas seed a consumable medicine or an applied ointment?”
The apprentice then gave an interesting answer.
“If the Black Breath affected the outside of the victims body, then applying the medicine on the skin would show better result. But if the Black Breath lied inside the body, then the medicine has to be consumed.”
Old Steger only came back after 2 hours. His mood seemingly hadn't changed for the better after talking to the administrators. The poor apprentice experienced another wave of shouting.
With the price of 2 platinum coins, Old Steger found a mountain goat to “process” the Athelas seeds. Sheyan used the excuse of taking a look at other magic shops to escape the scene.
The potion produced was an extremely disgusting thick substance that was yellow-blackish in colour. The wisps of smoke escaping from the potion had a brownish-yellow colour to it. The smoke would obstinately circulate in the air for a long time without dispersing.
Old Steger vigorously stirred the potion until it no longer produced any smoke, then pa.s.sed the potion to Sheyan. Sheyan could only shut his eyes tight and “drank” it. Rather than drinking the potion, it's more accurate to say Sheyan forced it into his stomach. He held his composure for 10 minutes before screaming miserably and retching out every last drop of the potion.
As if his disgusting vomit had a life of its own, it congealed into multiple bug-like creatures. The bugs jumped actively like they each possessed a soul. Old Steger was ready for this. He had prepared a wooden pail beforehand filled with privet leaves and oriental sweetgum flowers soaked in water. The creepy creatures hissed inside the water and dissipated into thin air.
Sheyan leaned on a chair and took in large gulps of breath. He only managed to compose himself after a long while. Even then, he looked like he had just recovered from from a severe illness. The good news was that the stubborn debuff on his body was finally removed. The treatment method of the old Hobbit was a bit disgusting but at least it was effective.
Franklin looked around in the shop and purchased some useful potions including some cold resistance potions, evocation strengthening potions, fountain of magic potions, etc. They were rather expensive, but Franklin didn't seem to be short on platinum coins. He even pa.s.sed 3 potion bottles to Reef and Sheyan.
The first was an infrared vision potion. Upon consumption, one would possess a strong night vision comparable to a wild animal. The previous battle with the Ringwraith in the dark probably left a deep impression on Franklin.
The second potion was called [The Obstinacy of the Dwarves]. The main component of the potion was supposedly the beard of a Dwarf. It contained a mysterious power that would significantly improve the balance of the user. The user would find it hard to fall down even if their legs were attacked.
The last potion was something that was specifically brewed to combat against the power of darkness. It had a strange name called [Darkness Sponge]. Upon consumption, it would harden one's skin to absorb 50% of damage from dark energy. The duration of the potion was 24 hours, or until 1000 points of dark damage had been absorbed.
Sheyan and co. did not linger for long after their shopping spree. They headed directly to the s.h.i.+re's teleport formation. As expected, the teleport formation was a money-swallowing device. It charged an astronomical fee of 100 platinum coins, each. There was even a footnote in the operational rules that stated: materials must be provided by the users themselves.
Fortunately for Sheyan, the doors of the Dwarven mining warehouses were kept open for him. Thus, he did not lack the materials required for the teleportation. The high quality gemstones from Moria guaranteed a smooth operation of the teleport formation. Even the waiting duration for the teleportation process was shortened by a few minutes.
Eriador presented a contrasting sight to the gentle and beautiful s.h.i.+re.
If the s.h.i.+re was like a smiling, innocent girl, then Eriador would be like a muscular man in animal skin, bellowing fiercely with his upper body bare!
This was a rough place. Even the air seemed to be screaming, and reeked of blood.
Only such a rough and brutal place could remain so close to the Dark Lord's territory. It provided endless valuable resources to the entire Middle Earth.
The ruler of this place was Lord Silon, who maintained the rarely seen slavery governing system on his land. Only such a tyrannical ruling method could maintain order in such a place. As Sheyan's group travelled along a road built from a kind of red stones unique to this area, they saw many things that couldn't be seen elsewhere.
For example, the patrol squad they encountered. The captain was a fully-armoured human, but following behind him were 10 enslaved half-orcs. These half-orc slaves were caught when they were young and were brought up here. They had bloodshot eyes, wore quality armours, and were equipped with axes and s.h.i.+elds. If the squad were to meet with any danger, the captain would whip them, and the half-orcs would charge towards the enemy like pedigree hunting hounds.
From Sheyan's estimation, a fully-armoured half-orc should have almost the same battle capabilities as an Uruk-hai. At least, that would be the case in individual fights.
Despite having such a heavy atmosphere, Eriador had a point in common with the s.h.i.+re. As long as one had the money, one could obtain what one desires.
It would take a while to reach the Dwarven outpost in the outskirts of Angmar. In addition, the land they pa.s.s through from now on would be as barren as the Gobi desert. They would need some local camels as to use as mounts. In fact, they needed 3 camels each. Not only could the camels act as transports, they could also provide food and water in an emergency.
There was also something else they direly needed:
A guide.
They had to travel through the Gobi desert with no GPS, no compa.s.s, no aeroplane and no mobile phone. Furthermore, their destination was Angmar, which could be said to be the nest of demons. Getting lost was a scary prospect.
The only requirement for obtaining a good guide was enough money, which luckily they do not lack. But while they were waiting, Sheyan heard some whispers.
“Another batch that wants to look for the outpost of the Gray Dwarves?”
“A total of 5 caravans have already sent supplies of salt and ales to the Gray Dwarves this year. What else can they get from that bunch of stingy Dwarves?”
“But it's weird. It's been a while since the group of outsiders led by Samomo departed. They should have returned by now. I didn't hear of any sandstorms occuring lately. ”
“That doesn't matter. Even a world-destroying sandstorm is nothing to Samomo.”
For some reason, Sheyan's heart felt heavier after he heard this conversation. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. The only things he could do now were to choose the best camels and offer more money to their guide to make haste.
Therefore, after merely 30 hours, they arrived at the Dwarven outpost at the cost of 10 camels dying from exhaustion.
This was a strange, wind-eroded place. The wind blew through a large number of mushroom-shaped rocks, bringing with it the damp, dark breath from Angmar which contained the acrid stench of blood and rotten bodies.
In front of Sheyan was the b.l.o.o.d.y mess of a large-scale ma.s.sacre!!!!
The target of his main mission, the Gray Dwarves residing on the outskirts of Angmar, were all killed!!!!
Chapter 851: Another optionLow grey skies, swirling clouds, rough, huge boulders, and lush sea buckthorns.
Those were the unique features of the Dwarven outpost.
The Gray Dwarves may be called Dwarves, but they were very different from actual Dwarves. The Dwarves, Gray Dwarves and Hobbits in the Lord of the Rings world were all shorter than a meter, but their differences were very distinct. They were a bit similar to the Dwarves, Goblins and Gnomes in WoW.
The most distinct feature of the Gray Dwarves were their large ears, their messy hair, and their evil smile. Because they lived in such a desolate land, even the faces of younger Gray Dwarves were full of wrinkles. Their flesh and blood contained a terrible stench, while their souls were distorted and in tatters. They had no use to creatures of darkness. That was also the reason why they could survive here and do business with the creatures of darkness.
Sheyan walked around the base of the Gray Dwarves with a cold look on his face. The rancid smell of decay indicated that quite some time had pa.s.sed since the ma.s.sacre. It was clear that the Gray Dwarves had attempted to fight back, but from the look of fear and confusion on the faces of the corpses, their resistance wasn't very effective.
Sheyan found some strange injuries from grabbing, freezing and piercing attacks on the ankles and backs of some of the corpses. Besides that, there were also some injuries caused by explosions and shrapnels. Franklin cast an 'Evoke Detection' spell. He informed Sheyan that there was a very chaotic fluctuation of mana in the area.
Sheyan noticed that the area around the outpost showed an odd but strong vitality. Plants started sprouting here and there. What was strange was that the plants did not grow on the spots where the bodies lied. In theory, those spots should provide richer nutrients. Instead, the plants grew in some irregular places.
“I know who did this,” said Sheyan faintly as he stood up.
“It was that guy from the Stockholm Party, Drubal! Only his advanced ability of 'Misty Jailhouse' can entrap all these Gray Dwarves and kill all of them without letting a single one escape! I'm guessing that the thing I extorted from him is extremely valuable. That's why he would come here and do something like this that served no purpose except to vent his anger.”
Reef frowned as he asked.
“But how did he know this is place is our objective?”
Sheyan calmly said.
“You forgot one thing. There were many contestants who entered this world together with us and received the same mission. With the overwhelming might that the Stockholm Party displayed, it wouldn't be hard for them to find out.”
Franklin abruptly sucked in a deep breath and asked nervously.
“Could he have…laid down some traps here to ambush us?”
Sheyan shook his head and said.
“The chances are low. He probably paid an additional price to continue staying in this world in order to come here, but he should be long gone by now. More importantly, he knows that even if he tries to ambush me, he has no confidence in killing me. He may be the one killed instead.”
Reef kept frowning as he asked.
“So what do we do now?”
Sheyan gave it some thought before he replied.
“Call the guide over. Let's ask him if there are any more Gray Dwarven outposts around this area.”
Franklin shouted for the guide a few times but there was no answer. They started getting nervous. After all, there was still a minute possibility of the Stockholm Party lying in ambush.
They searched around and finally found the guide next to a Gray Dwarven underground cave. He actually was killed by the Stockholm Party. A trigger-type magic ice trap froze him into an ice sculpture. The guide was still half kneeling on the ground with a greedy smile on his face.
The ice trap was placed on the body of the guide who brought Drubal's group here. Sheyan's exceptional memory told him that the guide's name was Samomo. The delighted look on his face showed that he died a very sudden and unexpected death. A few rubies on his chest gleamed amongst the wind of the Gobi desert. Sheyan's guide also held a ruby in his hand.
Even an idiot could tell what happened. Sheyan's guide went on a search for his colleague's body, either out of comraderie or for other reasons. He found the body and also found the glimmering rubies on it. Once he touched a ruby, an ice trap was triggered.
The trap seemed simple but the real trap lied in the greed of humans. It completely severed all possibility of Sheyan finding the next Gray Dwarven outpost with the help of their guide. Even after leaving this world, Drubal could still so accurately manipulate their situation. He really was an extremely calculative person.
Sheyan's party only had 2 days left in this world. 48 hours was obviously not enough to return to Eriador to hire another guide. It seemed like they only have one choice left, and that was to use the remaining 48 hours to search around the area and see if they can stumble upon another Gray Dwarven outpost by chance.
Since the scope of the choices left to them was so limited, who's to say Drubal wouldn't lay another trap for them? Don't forget that the Stockholm Party was very influential in the world of the Lord of the Rings, so much so that they could even stir the Ringwraiths into actions.
“We'll go back,” Sheyan announced calmly.
They were shocked to hear Sheyan's decision.
“Go back where?”
Sheyan emotionlessly said.
“Eriador, of course.”
Reef exclaimed in disbelief.
“But we won't make it back here in time.”
Sheyan instead answered emotionlessly.
“We're not coming back here. In fact, we can't stay here any longer. We must leave at once! Every step of Drubal's plan is interconnected. Did you guys notice? Most of the corpses exhibited bite marks. Once it turned dark, there might be a terrifying creature coming here for food!”
Franklin instead laughed and said.
“Our Main Mission has no punishment for failure anyway. The default punishment was only to force us back to the realm. I feel like we've already gained an absurd amount from this trip. So what if we miss out on some rewards from the realm.”
Franklin was telling the truth. He felt that his biggest gain from this world was to become a member of this party called Ace. Truthfully, with Franklin's ability, it's not hard for him to join a major party. But this is a Silver party! To join this party was like winning the lottery.
Sheyan's lips curled into a weird smile as he said.
“It's too early to declare that we will fail the mission for sure. We're not at the end of the road yet. Back at the teleport formation, I saw the name of another destination. I feel like we can try our luck there. I don't think Drubal could stretch his hands so far away.”
They once again rushed back to Eriador. They paid no heed to the cost as all their remaining mounts were worked to death due to exhaustion. As a result, they managed to squeeze out 16 remaining hours from their precious 48 hours.
When they arrived at the teleport formation and asked to use it, they were refused.
The reason was simple. The guide that they hired, Lubaba, had not returned.
Due to the precedence of Samomo's disappearance, Lubaba's disappearance became a big deal. Even though Sheyan explained that the guide died from an accident during the trip, no one would listen to them. These greedy f*ckers had their eyes on the group's wealth. The cost to send 4 people to Isengard was not a small sum at all.
Melody was unexpectedly the first one to act in this situation.
She pulled her bow at an alarming speed and shot out a couple of really sharp arrows. They pierced into the arms of a tanned, stout fella a distance away and pinned him onto a board behind him.
The man screamed in pain as the bottle he was holding shattered on the ground. Next, he was instantly engulfed in a fierce flame, causing him to wail in agony.
For the group of people to even prepare Molotov c.o.c.ktails, this must be a planned operation. The one who was pinned to the board revealed a cruel expression as he slashed his blade at the arrows pinning him, then launched himself to the ground. He rolled around a few times before shouting.
“Kill these bandits! They deceived our people to follow them into the Gobi desert, then murdered them. They must be followers of the Dark side.”
His provocation caused the other local guides to rush madly towards Sheyan's party. All of them used a kind of thick-spined long blades as their weapons. They would leap forward and chop down to initiate their attack, a move which left no ground for retreat for themselves nor for their opponent.
Sheyan faced the a.s.sault of two local guides. He ignored the attack aimed at him as he brandished '+7 West' and lodged it deep into the abdomen of the other enemy. Then, he used his strength to tear a long, deep opening in the enemy's abdomen. The guide's internal organs spewed out with a large amount of blood as he cried in pain. The scene was truly gory.
At the same time, the blade of the other local guide slashed down on Sheyan's shoulder. However, it was clamped by Sheyan's muscles and couldn't move another inch!
Chapter 852: IsengardSheyan didn't even bat an eye when he was struck. He remained as steady as a boulder.
Instead, it was Melody who shouted. She pulled on that ordinary-looking longbow of hers that contained a destructive force. A blinding ray of green light flew out from the bow to force the local guide who injured Sheyan back by a couple of steps. As spots of green light dissipated amidst his scream, a large hole appeared where his palm should be. His white bone eerily protruded out from the wound.
Sheyan decided to add insult to injury. He silently stepped forward and stabbed deep into the local's abdomen. The local wailed in extreme agony as Sheyan used him as a human meats.h.i.+eld.
He was immediately struck by a few throwing axes, which took away his life. A Molotov c.o.c.ktail shattered on his back to light him up in flame. Only then did Sheyan kick the poor guy away.
At the same time, Reef's silver claw lodged itself into the throat of a local. He exerted strength to push the local back amidst a gory spray of blood. Reef gradually retreated into the building housing the teleport formation as he fought.
The shaman who operated the teleport formation felt that things were going awry and tried to run away. Unfortunately, his sarcastic comments previously had attracted enough aggro to himself. Franklin's staff pointed at him from far away. The shaman instantly felt a violent fluctuation of magic in the air, causing him to stay rooted to the spot like there was a rifle pointing at him. Despite that, his words remained stubborn.
“All you foolish non-believers! How dare you cause trouble in Eriador. If you do not immediately repent for your sins, I will make sure that you will be tied to a horse and be dragged to death!”
Sheyan wiped away the sweat from his forehead – or blood, he couldn't tell – as he retreated back, and coldly said.
“Make him shut his trap.”
The patrol team had arrived by now. The local guides rushed over to the patrol team like they found their saviours and complained in an uproar. The captain instantly whipped hard on the bodies of the enslaved half-orc warriors to make them prepare for battle. They did not plan to hear Sheyan's side of the story at all.
Melody was enraged at the treatment they suffered. As the squad captain shouted at the half-orc slaves to charge, she once again lifted her longbow and released an arrow at an alarming speed.
Her face even turned a little pale after the arrow was released.
A glaring green light flashed for an instant!
The captain, who was clad in a full set of heavy armour, froze on the spot with a strange expression. His left hand trembled violently as he tried to touch his throat, but he felt as if he had lost all strength. A very ordinary looking arrow – not even an arrow, it was a branch with some green leaves on it – was stuck to his throat.
The branch looked like it grew out from inside his throat!
Suddenly, the branch exploded into a green mist and dispersed. The next instant, a mist of scarlet blood burst forth from the captain's throat for a few meters. A fist-sized hole appeared on the captain's throat, revealing torn flesh and muscles.
The captain fell rigidly onto the hard ground as his life left him. A large amount of blood flowed out from the major wound on his throat to drench the earth, while the people around him screamed in shock!
Sheyan took this opportunity to approach the shaman operating the teleport formation.
“Adjust the teleport formation for us at once!”
“Shut up, non-believer! Release me at once, or I'll AAAARRRRGHHHHHH…”
Sheyan chopped down one of his ears before he asked coldly.
“Do I need to repeat myself?”
“”I will never AAARRRGGGHHHHH”
Two more b.l.o.o.d.y lumps of flesh appeared on the ground. Upon closer inspection, one would find them to be the nose and the other ear of the shaman.
Sheyan continued.
“I will give you 10 seconds to adjust the teleport formation according to our requirement. 10, 9, ….”
“Yes, m-m-my lord-d-d, but I don't have suitable gemstones to provide energy to the formation. Even if I adjust the formation to the correct settings, it would be for naught.”
“Leave that for me to worry about. You have five seconds left to do as I say, or prepare to say goodbye to your legs.”
“NO!!!! Here! It's all done!”
“You better not play any tricks because you will be the first one to teleport over.”
“Wait, I forgot to adjust the k.n.o.b! And let me just re-enter the coordinates…”
The shaman was completely ignored after that. Franklin casted a 'Mirror Image' spell on Melody to produce a doppelganger before stepping into the teleport formation. Next was Sheyan, then Reef.
Melody went last to guard their backs. After continuously shooting out 3 arrows, she diagonally hooked her longbow on the building behind her, then used the longbow as leverage to leap lightly onto the roof of the building next door, thus avoiding 5 throwing axes aimed towards her. Next, she broke a side window to jump into the hall housing the teleport formation to teleport away. The whole sequence of actions was so smooth it was a work of art.
Before she left, she threw a bottle of potion to the ground just like Sheyan did. However, the potion she threw was a one bought from the magic shop in the s.h.i.+re called the Parasite Potion. The potion would quickly grow a large amount of parasitic plants within a certain area. The amount of plants would be based on the amount of natural power imbued into it.
An abundance of parasitic plants grew wildly as the potion bottle shattered. Dark green gigantic moss rapidly spread through the hall. The moss produced dark green bubbles the size of basketb.a.l.l.s that would trap the feet of anyone who stepped on them. Even the mighty half-orcs could only howl in anger but couldn't pull their legs out. Some of the moss spread to the teleport formation and destroyed some of its mechanisms with their strong vitality.
Melody had infused the purest of natural energy into the potion, so theoretically the parasites could grow for a whole hour. More importantly, the most direct way of dealing with the moss was to use fire, but they were unable to do so for fear of damaging the teleport formation. By the time the inhabitants of Eriador finished dealing with the situation, Sheyan's group had already been gone for more than 15 minutes. The shaman who adjusted the formation for Sheyan was already killed, so they couldn't give chase even if they wanted to.
Melody staggered a little after stepping out of the teleport formation. Turned out her foot had been hurt by a throwing axe from the half-orcs. But when she looked around, she was instantly bewitched by the grand surrounding view.
The teleport formation they came out from was built on the peak of a mountain. A flag of Rohan stood next to the hall housing the formation. Even the Dark Lord Sauron didn't dare look down on the blades of the Númenoreans.
The wind was strong on the peak. Mountain ranges surrounded them every direction they looked. A great river flowed fiercely from west to east.
Mountain peaks surrounded a valley below as if they were bodyguards guarding the valley. In the centre of the valley was a metropolis built in the shape of concentric circles. Dense buildings and straight roads occupied the metropolis. It was a prosperous city bustling with activities.
The tight security displayed in the metropolis qualified it to be called a fortress. But with the irrigation of a river, the lands around the area were green and comfortable. Gra.s.sy fields and an abundance of trees surrounded the city.
The key landmark of the metropolis was a tall tower which strangely, had its top split. It was a peculiar looking tower. The tower was originally built when the humans were flattening Isengard in historic times. It was composed of 4 multi-faceted stone pillars grouped together. A small s.p.a.ce was left between the pillars. Horn-like sharp protrusions reached out from the top of the tower. The tower was mysterious! Grand! Dignified!
Even among the many towers in Middle Earth, this structure was one of a kind. One would never mistake it for another. This, is the magic tower of Orthanc!
It was built by the smiths of ancient times, but it did not resemble human architecture. Instead, it looked more like a bone structure that was forcefully pulled from the ground. It was an independent stone peak which black surface reflected sunlight. Four pillars were forcefully melded together but the top was left to branch out into separate protrusions that had tips as sharp as the tips of spears, and sides as sharp as the edges of blades. A platform sat between the sharp protrusions. Many strange runes were carved onto its flat surface. A person standing on the platform can overlook the land from a height of almost 500 feet!
Traditionally, only the rulers of the metropolis can stay in Orthanc.
The one living in Orthanc currently was a strong and imposing presence. He was the chief of the White Council, and was also someone familiar to Sheyan. In fact, one could say he was Sheyan's teacher!
Saruman!
One of the most famous fortresses on Middle Earth:-
Isengard!
Chapter 853: Operation SarumanIsengard was one of the most important towns in Middle Earth with a strategic geographical location. It was also the provisional capital of Rohan. It's importance was comparable to China's Tianjin, Shanghai and other munic.i.p.alities.
As early as two decades ago, King Théoden, the king of Rohan, handed over the governance of Isengard to his good friend, Saruman the White. Saruman had kept his true nature well hidden. Only when he had Gandalf imprisoned did he reveal his true character. This should only happen more than half a year later.
(ED: Isengard is in fact a Gondorian fortress, and was never under the governance of any Rohirrim king, it was given to Saruman by the then Steward of Gondor, Beren. The author, like in many instances, has taken liberty to mess with the continuity here.)
After Isengard fell into Saruman's hands, he found one of the Palantíri in the the Orthanc Tower. Because of his indulgence in the Palantír, his long-term use enabled Sauron's will to gradually corrupt and change him.
At the same time, due to his fanatical research in the One Ring, he was also plunged into a mire of desire for power while he was researching forces of darkness. The reason he allied with Sauron was not because he was enslaved like a Ringwraith, but because of his burning ambition!
The real purpose of Saruman, without a doubt, was to take the One Ring for himself and rule the world instead of Sauron.
The reason why Sheyan, who lost the opportunity to complete the main mission, came to Isengard was very simple. He was looking for Saruman!
Presently, Saruman had yet to expose his true colours, so in the eyes of other people, he was still the respected Head of the White Council, the holy White Wizard. At the same time, it must be acknowledged that Isengard was indeed flouris.h.i.+ng under the administration of Saruman, and the people under his rule were prosperous and happy.
This means that it wouldn't be too difficult for Sheyan to meet him. Secondly, Saruman wouldn't reveal his true nature at this time; more precisely, it wouldn't be worth it for him to do so for Sheyan. This means that Sheyan was not under a great danger.
As for the risks brought about by previous conflicts, Sheyan had also given it some thought. But only the Uruk-hai Lurtz had faced him in a confrontation. Sheyan did not believe that Saruman would be bold enough to keep Lurtz by his side. Lurtz did not look like a human at all. If he kept someone like Lurtz beside him, Saruman would have lost his reputation long ago.
The cost to teleport from Eriador to Isengard was truly astronomical. Sheyan estimated that they had used up gemstones worth at least tens of thousands of platinum coins, if not more. When the four of them emerged from the transport formation and walked out of the hall, there were tax officers who registered their names and origins courteously. When the officers learned that they were merchants trading in Dwarven jewels, they were taxed an amount that was neither too high nor too low, and were then approved to descend the mountain into Isengard.
Looking at Isengard from above, the feeling it gave was one that was mysterious, grand and sad. However, near the city, although there were still a large number of monuments and ancient texts present to remind visitors of the ancient past of the place, the bustling streets and liveliness of the townsfolk gave this place an indescribable vitality.
The knights patrolling the streets all wore solemn faces while they slowly spurred their horses on. Needless to say, the knights were all tall and strong, but the more important thing was that the horses they rode were all pretty st.u.r.dy and muscular. The white breath spouting from their nostrils almost reached one meter in length. While they walked, the st.u.r.dy ma.s.s of muscles underneath their skin would make an elegant squirming motion, demonstrating a powerful explosiveness.
It can be seen that these patrolling knights had a good relations.h.i.+p with the merchants on the street. They greeted them from time to time. Many merchants even took out food to feed the horses. It was eye-opening to see the horses eat almost anything they were fed with, be it eggs, bread, cereal, hay, bacon….
Melody had spent her entire live in Rivendell before this. She had just experienced the gentle, warm and pa.s.sionate s.h.i.+re, then witnessed the cruel and harsh Eriador. Now that she reached the bustling but orderly Isengard, she could not help but be amazed.
As he enjoyed the city's well-organized flow and observed Isengard's vitality and order, Sheyan thought for a while and nodded. He did not do anything else but directly asked someone for the direction to the largest jewelry shop in Isengard.
“Uh, a total of about 4,000 strangers came to Isengard today. 67 strangers arrived through the teleport formation. Among those 67 individuals, there were three people who we need to pay special attention to. We will dispatch 6 groups to keep surveillance tomorrow.”
“Wait, why were there only three? I remember there was a group of people who were also quite suspicious. They are a group of four. Two of them seem to be battle-hardened warriors, and one should be a mage. The last one is the girl who look ordinary, but there's a powerful natural force in the longbow that's on her back. It may be a treasure of the Elves.”
“We have already investigated this group of people. They stated that their business in Isengard was to trade in jewelries and we have confirmed that was indeed the case. After they entered the city, they visited six jewellers and magical item stores. The gemstones they brought were also high in quality.”
“That doesn't clear them of all suspicion. I suspect that their jewels were stolen from Eriador. The place is still in an uproar.”
“I know, but a jewel that this group of people brought had caught the attention of Lord Gansdore. It was supposedly a stone with a strange soul imbued in it. Since the chief wizard under Lord Saruman is watching them, there is no need for us to waste precious human resources on them.”
“You're right, sir.”
The Lord Gansdore mentioned by the spies was currently walking into Orthanc Tower. He respectfully bowed outside the magical laboratory. He showed no reaction to the vague screaming voices occasionally escaping from within. He knew that if he wanted to maintain his position beside Lord Saruman, he must learn to forget things that he should not see nor hear.
Gansdore was not the most powerful of Saruman's subordinates, but he was the most cautious, and the one with the tightest lips. These were the reasons why he could keep his position for a long time.
Gansdore waited for half an hour, but his expression remained respectful. Even the angle of his bow was consistent. After a while, the door of the laboratory opened. A silent attendant stood before him.
“The great Lord Saruman will have his afternoon tea in 10 minutes. You have 1 minute to talk to the lord. ”
Gansdore nodded, straightened his back, and walked into a room next to him.
After he opened the door of the room, what appeared in front of him was a corridor. The marble pillars on both sides of the corridor looked like soldiers standing guard. Purple ivy climbed up in every direction to cleverly form a garden. There was even a sun in the sky. The shadows of leaves on the ground were dyed in a blush of b.l.o.o.d.y red.
From time to time there were servants shuttling through the corridor. Many of them were half-orcs. They were all tall and had dark brown skin. They did not have the kind of unpleasant smell one would expect, but instead had their hair tied up with leather buckles, decorated with some white bone ornaments. The half-orcs all looked numb and expressionless.
At the end of the corridor was another door engraved with words of praises for the G.o.ds and the angels. Through the door was Saruman's reception room. This was a comfortable s.p.a.ce. The ground was laid with a dark brown s.h.i.+ny bearskin. Stepping on it gave a sensation similar to stepping on soft gra.s.s.
The air was filled with the savory aroma of pepper, cinnamon, licorice, and pods. They can effectively help the wizards clear their minds and and recover their magic power. The stained gla.s.s around the living room depicted the rise of the Rohan kingdom. The wall lamps were shaped like angels, showering a gentle glow on all sides.
This was the mysterious magic tower personally laid out by Saruman. In this tower, he could experience the comforts enjoyed by kings.
Gansdore knelt on the bear skin and was careful not to look around with his eyes. He constantly maintained an att.i.tude of humility. After a few minutes, an unusually tall wizard with a flowing white beard and long white hair stepped into the room. He was dressed in a spotless white robe and his eyes were deep and sharp like an eagle's. He sat on a luxurious sofa in the very middle of the room, took the mahogany pipe next to the sofa, and lit himself a full serving of tobacco. He took a deep puff and immersed himself in the rich aroma for quite a while before saying.
“Tell me why you have come.”
Gansdore simply took out a beautiful purse. The clanking of coins could be heard within. He then crouched on the ground and said.
“There are 3,000 platinum coins in this purse, my lord. This is a fee paid to me by a man claiming to be a jeweller. He only required me to do two things.”
“Oh,” said Saruman as he spewed a cloud of smoke. He closed his eyes and continued, “I appreciate your loyalty and honesty, but this topic bores me, so I'll shorten the time for this meeting.”
Gansdore produced another pouch.
“This is the first thing that the person wanted me to bring you, my lord. He claimed that the jewels inside came from another world – yes, another world, not another country. I made sure to confirm that was what he meant.”
Saruman waved his hand and the bag fell off, exposing an egg-size, dark transparent crystal that swiveled slowly in front of his eyes. The crystal was so dark that it appeared eerie.
“Interesting. I hear the fragile soul crying in this crystal. This is indeed not a product of Middle Earth. However, the soul in this soul crystal is too weak. It does not interest me at all. You have fifteen seconds left.”
Gansdore nodded.
“That person said that if my lord is not interested in the first item, then please give this box to you. Regardless of what your reaction may be, the platinum coins in the purse are all mine.”
“Where's the box?” asked Saruman impatiently.
Chapter 854: MediationGansdore looked timidly at Saruman and offered a box. Obviously, he was not optimistic that this thing could move the heart of his lord.
After receiving the box, Saruman's eyes flashed. He caressed the surface of the box with his fingers and wondered:
“The residual aura on this box, why…does it feel so familiar?”
Saruman slowly closed his eyes and traced his fingers across the surface of the box. The back of Saruman's hand had a lot of wrinkles, but his palm had skin that was smooth and delicate. A series of intoxicating and crazy words escaped Saruman's mouth.
“Ah, wait, such familiar dark aura, such frustrated howling and anger…. It's like the feeling of that guy called Dwar! But how is he related to this box?”
Saruman immediately opened the box slowly – he seemed to be guarding against possible magical traps – and then he frowned. The box was empty!
This feeling made Saruman very uncomfortable. He felt like a child who saw his favorite candy, but after excitedly peeling off the wrapping paper with a load of expectation, he found that the inside contained a stone.
“What happened?”
Saruman's words were perfectly calm. One could hear neither joy nor sorrows in his words. But Gansdore, who was familiar with his personality, immediately prostrated himself on the ground and stammered.
“My lord! The object inside this box looks very ordinary, but after the box came into my possession, a lot of strange things happening kept happening to me. I really… I really don't dare to bring it here directly! In order to avoid any mishaps happening to you, I only dare to bring this box that was contaminated by its breath.”
Saruman asked curiously.
“A lot of weird things happening? Interesting. I'm getting more and more interested in this matter. Order someone to bring it in right away! No, you'll take me to where it is!”
“Right away, my lord,” answered Gansdore in fear. He hurried back a few steps, then led Saruman out of the magic tower.
The two men arrived at Gansdore's carriage and immediately saw a guard who had fallen dead on the ground. His eyes were wide open and there was a horrible wound on his throat. It looked as if someone had stabbed in using a red-hot knife.
The situation was also chaotic all around them. A tall horse that was ridden by a security officer had struggled free from its rein. Some of its skin was torn, directly exposing its bulging muscles and blood vessels. Its eyes were as ferocious as a hungry beast as it chewed on the palm of its dead master, spewing flesh and blood everywhere.
Saruman showed no concern for these sights at all. He strode into the carriage and could immediately felt a dense dark aura. At this time, Saruman suddenly moved his head to the side, because the strap he used to tie his hair had turned into a mottled, two-headed snake. The split tongues reaching out of its mouths were black in colour. Saruman pointed his finger at the snake, and it immediately dissolved into black smoke and drifted away.
“So it could infect all objects around it that contained any dark nature…” said Saruman with a bit of admiration. “Gansdore, you did well. You've brought me a great surprise. Where's the fragment? Where did you put it?”
Gansdore awkwardly answered.
“I put away the new box containing the fragment in the carriage drawer, then told the guards to keep their eyes open and pay attention to any abnormality.”
At that moment, a guard ran over in horror and shouted.
“My lord, our horse went mad! It attacked Casey, and the skin of the demonic creature laid inside the carriage suddenly grabbed Sherr's neck….”
“Shut your mouth! Just tell me where the box is!” snapped Gansdore sharply.
“During the chaos, a strange looking person boarded the carriage and reached into the drawer. We cut off one of his hands, but he opened the drawer with his other hand and grabbed the box. Before we cut off his other hand, he swallowed the box and then ran away!” Answered the guard in horror.
“Wow, good job, good effort!” remarked Gansdore sarcastically. “Put the city under a state of emergency and lock down the gates!”
“There's no need for that,” remarked Saruman calmly. He held out his hand and released a “Detect Evil” spell. Instantly, the route that the Dunlending took to flee appeared in front of their eyes like it was drawn in ink.
“I want to see either the box or your severed head in ten minutes. Remember to clean the box.”
The iron-fisted and orderly rule of Saruman in Isengard showed its effectiveness. His will was implemented in five minutes.
The dripping wet [Armour Fragment of Dwar the Nazgul] was placed in front of Saruman. It was retrieved from the stomach of the unfortunate Dunlending, so it carried a stench no matter how it was washed.
“This fragment….it really does not disappoint me! Gansdore, you fool. The fragment was suppressed by powerful natural energy before this, so it could only keep acc.u.mulating energy inside. When it was handed over to you, the power of nature that suppressed it disappeared, and the power of darkness it acc.u.mulated erupted, thus causing all these chaos! This really is a perfect piece of metal, a perfect gift!”
“Um, my lord,” said Gansdore hesitantly.
Saruman impatiently snapped at him.
“What else do you want. Is the city not chaotic enough yet? Why are you still here? Calm the citizens down as quickly as possible.”
Gansdore braved himself and looked at Saruman's face.
“Actually, your series of actions were completely predicted by that person….so forgive my impudence, but I have to pa.s.s on his words to you.”
“That person??” asked Saruman wildly.
“The gem trader, my lord. The original owner of this piece of fragment.” answered Gansdore boldly.
Saruman pondered for a while before enquiring.
“What else did he have to say?”
Gansdore answered in a mysterious tone.
“He said that he has something else that will make you feel even more tempted – and, if I pa.s.s on these words, he will pay me an extra two thousand platinum coins. If there is nothing else, then I will take my leave.”
Saruman's slender eyes revealed a glimmer.
“This person is really interesting. Very well, go and tell him that because of the surprise he gave me today, I decided to give him a chance. Half an hour later, I will meet with him in the magic tower. I have already received a very nice gift today; I hope he can continue to surprise me.”
The work efficiency of Gansdore in implementing Saruman's order was quite high. Sheyan and his team soon came to Saruman's guest room.
Of course, for safety reasons, Sheyan did not bring Melody along. It's difficult to say whether Melody's disguise would be seen through by Saruman as the disguise of the Ring if Air wasn't impregnable after all. Once she was seen through, the consequences would be disastrous!
Currently, there was only one hour or so left in the time limit of the mission. Shenyan believed that since Saruman was so concerned with the armour fragment of the Ringwraith, the [Elven Illusion Bone Crystal] they had should interest Saruman even more.
Even if they fell out with Saruman, with the huge temptation of the [Elven Illusion Bone Crystal], they should be able to delay for an hour. When the mission failed, they would naturally return to the realm. At most, they would suffer a bit of hards.h.i.+p.
They knew that Saruman would not immediately brandish his weapon against them even if they came to a disagreement. That was a behaviour for Lurtz the Uruk-hai. An old fox that had lived for thousands of years like Saruman would first consider 'what benefit would I gain if I kill them….'
When the three stepped into Orthanc Tower, they did not notice any special changes – maybe Saurman was unwilling to allow them to see any special changes. An attendant led them into Saruman's magic laboratory. They finally came face to face with the “evil hero”.
Sheyan was surprised to find that the layout seemed to be very familiar. It looked very similar to the interior of the rough mage tower in the orc city of Misty Mountains. The tall, majestic, burly and powerful wizard glanced at them, then calmly asked.
“I heard you wanted to meet me?”
Sheyan stepped out and said with a smile.
“My name is Seaman. I am a believer of the High G.o.d. There is a saying among my people – there are no eternal friends and enemies, only eternal profits. Under some special circ.u.mstances, we managed to obtain some objects on Middle Earth which are said to be quite precious and mysterious. My friend told me that the Gray Dwarves outside Angmar may be interested in these things, but their offer couldn't satisfy me. So, we came to Isengard in search of a better price for these goods.”
“Ah, so you are believers of the High G.o.d,” Saruman nodded slightly, then gently said. “Please sit down. I must first thank you for gifting me with the armour fragment that was full of an evil and dark aura. You made a wise decision.”
Chapter 855: NegotiationSheyan smiled.
“It seems that you still don't understand what I mean. There is no difference between justice and evil for us believers of the High G.o.d. We gave the fragment to you because we believe that we will gain greater benefits from you. As for things such as light and darkness, righteousness and evil, they are all but an illusion. If one were to state it in a more direct term, victory is justice, and failure is evil, because history is always written by the victors.”
Saruman gently clapped and smiled.
“Your opinion is wonderful, Mr. Seaman.”
From the short conversation up to this moment, Sheyan found that Saruman's reputation was well-deserved indeed. His voice and speech were extremely convincing, and his rhetoric was strong. People who were not determined enough would find their minds shaken when they hear him speak. In addition to that, his voice contained a sense of spring blessings. It was no wonder that Saruman could keep his ident.i.ty so well-hidden after becoming Sauron's secret ally, and only exposed himself when he imprisoned Gandalf.
Sheyan also felt at ease by now, because his guess was indeed not wrong – the one he was facing was an old sly fox – and it looked like he was also very greedy, so at least he wouldn't do something ridiculous like instantly ordering his underlings to kill the three of them. That was to say, the worst case scenario for them was just to fail the main storyline mission.
Therefore, his confidence soared. He then added.
“The great Lord Saruman must know that the High G.o.d is known for His strictness and omnipotence, so if we can't get a satisfactory price here, then our consequences will be quite severe….”
Saruman laughed and told them pa.s.sionately.
“Of course I have enough wealth to satisfy you, but the point is, I still don't know what you are selling.”
Sheyan smiled and said.
“I guess my lord must know of a shocking event that happened recently – the eight great Ringwraiths grouped up to attack the leaders of the Elven tribe.”
Saruman's expression turned heavy.
“Yes, my friends.h.i.+p with the elves has lasted for thousands of years. This kind of despicable behavior has of course caused me serious concern.”
“The fight was fierce, and both parties suffered heavy losses. According to the intelligence we gathered, at least the Ringwraith Dwar was almost destroyed – the second gift I presented to you was proof of that. But the Elven tribe had also permanently lost an important figure.” said Sheyan gravely.
Saruman was moved.
“Who?”
Fang Senyan stared into his eyes and said very seriously:
“The Lord of Rivendell, the holder of the Ring of Air – Lord Elrond.”
“That's impossible!” Saruman cracked the handle of his chair that he was grabbing. His white beard and white hair all fluttered up. At that moment, he exposed an overbearing aura akin to a lion looking down on all existences!
“As a believer of the High G.o.d, lying is a heavy sin,” said Sheyan indifferently. “More importantly, the merchandise I am offering this time has a lot to do with Lord Elrond.”
“How could Elrond fall? Was he not protected by the Ring of Air?” Saruman was still in disbelief.
“We don't know the exact details either,” Sheyan immediately lied.
“The ones present on the scene at that time was another group of believers of the High G.o.d. The only thing I care about right now is how much the great Lord Saruman can pay us for the goods we bring.”
Saruman closed his eyes, apparently to digest the impact this news had caused him, and then very seriously said.
“I must first look at what you brought in.”
“The essence Mr. Elrond left behind after his death….three of them in total,” said Sheyan as he pulled out the crystal belonging to him from his private storage s.p.a.ce.
When Saruman saw the crystal, he was visibly moved! He grabbed the [Elven Illusion Bone Crystal] from Sheyan's hand, and closed his eyes while he stroked it. One can feel the powerful magic on Saruman's fingers. s.p.a.ce seemed to be distorted around the crystal!
“An Illusion Bone Crystal! It really is an Illusion Bone Crystal! This is an Illusion Bone Crystal that recorded the life experiences of Elrond!! With a bit of time and luck, I can obtain Elrond's power!”
After Sheyan saw Saruman's reaction, he casually said.
“Mr. Saruman, because you haven't paid for it yet nor have you shown any tendency to pay, please be careful when you inspect the goods….”
Saruman suddenly lifted his head. The look on his face at that moment was one of brutality mixed with ridicule. The voice he emitted was extremely cold.
“Lurtz! These three are your dinner! There are still such crystals on the other two, so search for them and hand them over to me before you do your thing.”
The door of the laboratory suddenly burst open, and the familiar face of the Uruk-hai Lurtz appeared in front of Sheyan. He licked his lips with his scarlet tongue and coldly told Sheyan.
“You weakling. We meet again. I could already sniff your unique smell the moment you walked into the Mage Tower. You can rest a.s.sured that my stomach will be the best grave you can find.”
Sheyan sighed.
“Mr. Saruman, you seem to have forgotten one thing.”
Saruman stared at him in disdain. At this time, Lurtz had already punched the face of Sheyan, flinging him away! But at that instant, the Illusion Bone Crystal in Saruman's hand suddenly disappeared. Saruman was stunned for a moment, then he couldn't help but release a painful roar!
Sheyan, who lay weakly against a wall, suddenly burst into laughter.
“Mr. Saruman, I am a believer of the High G.o.d! Maybe you can kill me, but the Elven Illusion Bone Crystal was stored inside my personal s.p.a.ce bestowed by the High G.o.d! My soul is still connected to it, so trying to take it by force is a huge mistake. You're this close to kissing Elrond's Illusion Bone Crystal goodbye, but lucky for you, it's still not too late to turn back!”
Saruman suddenly froze, but after five seconds he revealed a pa.s.sionate smile and laughed.
“That was just a joke, my friends! How can you take it so seriously?”
Sheyan touched his swollen face, forced out a mouthful of blood, spat out a few teeth, and gnawed.
“This joke isn't funny at all.”
Saruman raised his eyebrows and smiled.
“I apologise for the rude behaviour of my servant.”
As he said that, he pointed at Sheyan and applied a healing spell. Only then did Sheyan give him an insincere smile.
“Do you mind if I joke with your servant too?”
Saruman instantly breathed a sigh of relief and said happily.
“Feel free.”
Sheyan walked over and instantly kicked Lurtz's groin! Lurtz's face immediately turned green. His simple mind apparently hadn't figured out what was going on. Then Sheyan followed up with a punch to his nose! Lurtz snarled wildly and was about to retaliate, but his action immediately halted when Saruman pointed at him. Saruman's eyes were cold as he said.
“My esteemed guests are just joking with you. What do you think you're doing?”
Sheyan unceremoniously knocked Lurtz down and gave him a hard beating. Although he did not cause any substantial harm to the tough body of the Uruk-hai, it was still extremely humiliating. Lurtz's eyes turned blood red! He gritted his teeth so hard that they made a grating noise, but there was nothing he could do!
Sheyan exhaled a breath of satisfaction and smeared his soles on Mr. Lurtz's face, then clapped his hands.
“My dear Mr. Saruman, I think we can go back to our original discussion now – how much can you pay for these goods? Of course, the price for that piece of Nazgul armour fragment must also be included.”
Saruman spread his arms and said.
“Money isn't a problem. State your price. How much platinum coins do you want?”
Sheyan suddenly laughed.
“Mr. Saruman, we don't lack platinum coins.”
“So it's Mithril you want?” asked Saruman.
Sheyan continued to shake his head.
“Let me tell you about my personal wish. Mr. Saruman, I am ashamed to admit that I once encountered a note by accident. The note recorded your experience in producing Uruk-hais. I feel that this note had helped me a lot, but there are still a lot of things that I don't understand, so I hope you can help me make great strides in this area…. As for confidentiality, you can rest a.s.sured. As you can see, I've been acquainted with Mr. Lurtz for a long time, but there had never been any bad rumours circulating about you.
Saruman's face sank.
“I must first see what you learned!”
Sheyan then showed the “Rank 6 ability: Uruk-hai Genetic Mix (Damaged)” that had not been upgraded for a long time. After Saruman observed for a while, he exclaimed in slight surprise.
“You learned all this by yourself?”
Sheyan sighed.
“Mr. Saruman, have you ever taught me? Who else can teach me this knowledge besides yourself? If I didn't figure things out myself, who else could I have relied on?”
Saruman apparently did not expect Sheyan to propose such a condition. He thought for a moment before replying.
“I can help you improve this ability, but your friends' demands can't be too high.”
It seemed that Sheyan would need to take a share from Reef's and Franklin's rewards to complete his request. However, the three were all in the same team now so they naturally have nothing to say to that. At that moment, Saruman called Gansdore over and asked him to fulfill the requests of both Reef and Franklin. He planned to waste no time in taking Sheyan to his orc laboratory.
Chapter 856: Black Artmix Technique lvl max!At the same time that they reached a compromise with Saruman, the three of them received simultaneous notifications from the nightmare imprint.
[You have completed the main mission: Choice]
[You have chosen: Hidden faction, Saruman of Isengard]
[You received a reward of achievement points +2 ]
[You received a reward of utility points +10,000]
[You received a reward of potential points +5]
[You have triggered a hidden main storyline mission: Saruman's Ambition/Isengard's Hidden Dangers]
[You can choose either one of the main storyline missions to complete.]
[Selection deadline: 24 hours]
[In the meantime, you can try to enquire about relevant mission content from relevant plot characters]
After hearing this notification, both Reef and Franklin expressed their joy, especially Franklin who sang praises in the party channel.
“Boss, how did you even think of this?”
Sheyan smiled wryly.
“I was just clutching at straws to be honest. The idea was from the name of the main mission, Choice. It's obvious that this main mission was to let us choose either the Middle Earth side or Sauron's side. After all, the War of the Ring would happen soon. Since we couldn't join Sauron's side, why not try Sauron's ally instead?”
Reef suddenly said.
“If that's the case, then the hidden main storyline mission on the side of the forces of Light could be to join the forces of Rohan, or even the Army of the Dead of the Men of the Mountains.”
Sheyan nodded.
“That's highly probable.”
Reef suddenly looked towards Franklin and said.
“If Moyi, Shuren, and Yerna are still alive, then this intelligence is worth at least 30,000 utility points.”
Franklin thought for a while before replying.
“I can try to contact them.”
While the three were communicating in the party channel, Sheyan was brought by Saruman to his biochemical laboratory.
Sheyan very clearly remembered that when they were brought to the previous room, they should have only reached the second floor of the Orthanc Tower. Now, when Saruman led him to the biochemical laboratory, he felt that he had climbed one floor at most. However, after taking a turn at a corridor, he actually saw the radiance of the setting sun and looked down upon the grand view of plains and rivers! At that moment, Sheyan was shocked to find that he had already reached the top of the Orthanc Tower, hundreds of meters high!
This magical experience was really worthy of such a powerful relic magic tower! One's senses and perceptions were thoroughly disorganized without one knowing it, thus distorting the distance in s.p.a.ce and time!
The environment in the biochemical laboratory was not as bad as Sheyan imagined. It could barely count as “tidy”. Of course, the smell in the air was certainly not that pleasant. Looking at the large piles of cut plants with their fiber tissues dissected out, as well as a variety of brewing utensils, Sheyan suddenly had a sense of traveling back in time to the kitchen of large restaurants in the real world.
Saruman stood before a test bench with his white robe fluttering in the wind. He asked with a malicious expression.
“Are you sure you want to receive my teaching?”
At the same time, the nightmare imprint showed a notification:
[You are about to receive Saruman's teachings. Your action will cost a total of 6,000 Fate points. Since your own Fate points are insufficient, the remaining Fate points will be evenly deducted from the rest of your party members.]
Sheyan was a little surprised and immediately inquired.
“So what use are the [Armour Fragment of Dwar the Nazgul] and the [Elven Illusion Bone Crystal] that I brought?”
The nightmare imprint's reply was: [They were proofs of your ability. You can use this kind of items to grab the attention of storyline characters and gain more valuable services from them.]
Sheyan immediately understood the meaning of the nightmare imprint. The two objects could not be used as trade goods. They were symbols of status. Only Fate points could be used as trade goods. It was similar to the cafeteria of a large company. If you did not have a work permit of the company, then there was no way to enjoy the discount and the extra dishes they offer….
After Sheyan reconfirmed once again, he was asked by Saruman to mix a few bottles of potions. Thanks to his previous “work experience” in the magic tower of Orc City, Sheyan mixed a few bottles without much difficulty. Not only that, he also made some mantis gene-mixes that he developed himself.
“Oh? So you can actually try to use insects?”
While he observed Sheyan's actions, Saruman's eyes were glimmering. To tell the truth, there was no lack of magic a.s.sistants around him. However, most of them were only people who follow the instructions. Very few of them could provide him with new ideas.
Saruman mused for a moment and suddenly waved at a half-orc who very respectful walked over. Sheyan glanced at the half-orc and was instantly stunned. There was a thick layer of grey scales on the cheeks of this half-orc, and all the skin he exposed was stiff and dead, with spots of back and grey. His skin cracked as if it was a riverbed exposed to a fierce sun for seven days, and flakes scattered as he walked.
“He's an example of someo
