met free Chapter 241 Wizarding Rules
Chapter 241 Wizarding Rules
Chapter 241 Wizarding Rules
If fate is a torrent with countless branches, only one waterway leads to the vast ocean.
So, if you want to reach the vast ocean, the first step is not to stop rowing and oarsing, but to figure out the direction of the current.
Chris had already dipped his hand into the water, feeling the water lap against his skin.
In the open space inside the cave, a group of wizards gathered.
From the few words he overheard, Chris discerned that their purpose was nothing more than to obtain the staff that had been passed down from the legendary era.
Whoever can get their hands on that staff will become its new master; this has become the unspoken rule in the cave.
Chris also wanted it, but not for the power hidden within the staff.
That was his destiny marker; whoever obtained it would become the king of this region!
It's unclear how that staff will help him obtain the throne.
However, fate had never deceived him until now.
Ironically, although he was a fraud, all he needed to do at that moment was believe.
The premise is that he can live to see the moment the fortune is fulfilled.
Therefore, he cannot take the risk.
Chris walked through the cave, trying to gather as much information as possible about the staff.
Unfortunately, his ice language skills were quite limited, making it difficult for him to obtain clear and specific information in a short period of time.
In that case, it's more convenient to "see for yourself".
If you just ask someone to give it a try, wouldn't that be enough?
He happens to be a con artist; that's his specialty.
Chris quickly identified his target.
The wizard was short, and his cloak was grayish-green.
He was speaking at length to those around him about his solution to the mechanism of the staff.
"—She has been dead for thousands of years. Her body has long since decayed, and her soul has dissipated. The power she left here cannot be inexhaustible. As long as we keep trying, there will eventually be a day when we can get our hands on the staff."
The wizard beside him chuckled and said, "That's true, but this will undoubtedly bring countless casualties. So far, the death toll has exceeded fifty, yet the defensive forces set up by Grellara show no signs of weakening. No one can predict how many lives will be lost."
The short wizard smiled and said, "Sacrifice is necessary for the sake of truth."
"Unless it's your own life," the others scoffed.
"Therefore, I came up with another idea. As long as we can find the conditions for the defense to release its power, and find a way to induce that power out, then we can minimize the sacrifices."
"But what if the condition is the life of a living person? How would you respond?"
The wizard grinned: "Slaves are just expendable commodities to us."
"Since the Slave King disappeared, the slave trade has been in complete chaos. The market for green-eyed people on the frozen continent has long been in short supply, and now the cost of slaves has increased significantly. Your plan may not work—"
"this."
Upon hearing this, Chris interjected:
"But that's all in the future. The important thing is to figure out the triggering conditions."
The wizard replied, "That must involve observation and summarization, and to do that, we need to conduct experiments."
"So, have you figured out how to conduct the experiment?"
“Of course,” the wizard nodded. “Grellala most likely combined witchcraft, magic, and alchemy to create this mechanism. We just need to figure out what she did using these three powers.”
Chris said, "However, these things are still unknown at this moment."
Not entirely.
"Oh? Please enlighten me."
"Witchcraft is a power that works instantly. It is this flexibility that makes it inherently unsustainable and cannot be continued. Therefore, the triggering of the mechanism is by no means achieved through witchcraft," the short wizard analyzed.
"Then there are two forces left."
"Alchemy is a power that depends on matter, and its power can theoretically last forever. Magic, on the other hand, lies somewhere in between. Many runes and magic circles can store power, so both of them have the necessary conditions."
Upon hearing this, Chris suddenly realized:
"If that's the case, wouldn't it be enough to just destroy the magic circle?"
"Of course, some people have thought of this. There have been quite a few people who tried to destroy the magic circle, and they all inexplicably collapsed and died. Therefore, I believe that the magic circle has some kind of self-protection function."
"Wait a minute," Chris raised his right hand, "assuming all powers have a single function, witchcraft can't serve as a trigger, and magic's function is for the self-protection of mechanisms, then wouldn't alchemy be the only one left to serve as the trigger?"
Upon hearing this, the group all turned to look at Chris.
They looked at each other for a few moments, then nodded unconsciously.
The short wizard clapped his hands: "Yes! That seems to make sense!"
Chris hadn't expected that what he had just said might be correct; this was an unexpected bonus.
Even so, even if he could analyze that the triggering function was alchemy, he still couldn't get his hands on the wizard's staff as long as he didn't know the specific process.
So the plan remains the same; he still needs to deceive the wizard in front of him and have him test the waters for him.
Chris immediately said, "Regarding this, I've thought of a phenomenon."
The short wizard hurriedly asked, "What phenomenon?"
"When the wizards who tried to get close to the staff, a thin layer of mist rose from the ground."
"Fog?" The wizards exchanged glances. "Is there?"
"Yes," Chris nodded solemnly, "Therefore, I suspect that the alchemical potion that triggered it was a highly volatile substance, and this substance caused the release of some kind of magical power, which led to the death."
After listening to Chris's words, the people in front fell into deep thought.
The short wizard stroked his chin and said, "So, you mean that as long as we minimize air disturbance and prevent the alchemical potion from evaporating, we can prevent the mechanism from activating?"
"I think that's right," Chris said, deliberately lowering his voice. "Shh, keep it down, don't let anyone hear us."
Upon hearing this, the wizard quickly covered his mouth.
Chris whispered, "Damn it! That wizard heard us; he's been watching us the whole time!"
As he spoke, he gestured to another wizard.
This was, of course, a lie, intended to make the wizards nervous.
Chris continued, "If my analysis is correct, then what we've just been discussing is undoubtedly how to get our hands on that staff!"
"But that's not necessarily the case," the short wizard muttered to himself.
"Yes, that's definitely what they're thinking, which is why they're hesitating."
Chris said,
"But what if it's true? This is Grellara's relic! The value of this staff goes without saying."
You surely know that it's absolutely worth the risk for any wizard.
The short wizard frowned at Chris: "Are you implying that I should try it? If so, why don't you go yourself?"
Chris had already guessed that the other party would ask this question, so he gently raised his left hand:
"Because I don't need it. You see, my hands don't need to hold the staff at all."
The wizards then turned their gaze to Chris's left hand, and couldn't help but utter a few sighs of admiration.
Sure enough, wizards are all the same; they always harbor a longing and fascination for unknown knowledge and technology.
Chris continued, "So you understand now, the opportunity is right in front of you. The one among you with the courage will obtain that staff. Isn't the legendary witch's relic worth the risk?"
After he finished speaking, he looked at the short wizard.
He noticed that the wizard's Adam's apple was moving slightly up and down, clearly indicating that the man had been persuaded.
For a fraudster, the most important ability is not superb deception skills or acting skills, but the ability to identify suitable targets for fraud.
Chris could tell from the short wizard's words and actions that he was by no means a cautious person.
Otherwise, it would be impossible for them to casually disclose the secret information they discovered to the public.
Such people often make decisions without careful consideration, making them excellent targets for deception.
As it turned out, Chris was right.
He waited quietly for a while, then the wizard suddenly slammed his fist into his palm:
"Now it actually sounds quite plausible. Rather than letting someone else benefit, I'd rather do it myself! Even if it means sacrificing my life, it would be worth it!"
Chris said nothing more, but simply curled the corners of his mouth and used his remaining eye to scrutinize the wizard.
The short wizard faced the staff, took a deep breath, and then walked steadily toward it.
Chris has almost no knowledge of witchcraft, magic, or alchemy, and he cannot obtain enough information with the naked eye alone.
However, he was able to foresee the trends of fate.
Perhaps the changes in fate will provide him with enough clues.
Chris immediately focused his power on his right eye and began to peer into destiny.
The wizard stepped into the magic circle, but this action had little effect on fate.
This continued until he got close to the staff.
However, the moment the short wizard reached out his right hand to grasp the staff, a change occurred.
A ripple of destiny spread from where the wizard held the staff, down the path, until it disappeared into the ground.
Just one second later, the wizard collapsed to the ground.
Clearly, he is dead.
Chris smiled slightly; he had already guessed this outcome.
Moreover, he was almost certain that the condition for triggering the trap was touching the staff.
If alchemy is indeed the key to triggering the function, then there must be some kind of alchemical potion attached to the surface of that staff.
So, all Chris needs to do is figure out what that alchemical potion is, and he can get his hands on the staff!
This is not difficult; the wizard's hands must have been tainted with some alchemical potions.
All he needs to do is find a way to get the other person's skin to obtain a sample!
But just as he was pondering his next move, all the wizards around him were staring at Chris.
One of them said, "You're lying."
Someone tried to expose Chris's lie, which startled him, but he remained outwardly calm.
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"I was definitely watching the air around the wizard's footsteps, and there was absolutely no visible air evaporation."
"I didn't say it was visible," Chris smiled confidently. "Besides, it's none of your business. Wizards don't have a penchant for taking sides, do they?"
"Haha," he chuckled softly, "all wizards are selfish and only pursue power and knowledge in their lives, so his death has nothing to do with me."
Chris shrugged upon hearing this:
"Since you've put it that way, then—"
"—But," the other person interrupted Chris, "you broke the rules."
Chris frowned: "Rules?"
"Wizards are allowed to conceal information, but deception is absolutely forbidden, lest erroneous theories spread; this is to protect truth and knowledge."
The man said,
"But you chose to deceive, letting this wizard die in lies, which is the most humiliating way for a wizard to die."
After this person finished speaking, the other wizards around him echoed his words:
"Truth must not be profaned!"
Those who break the rules must be punished.
Upon hearing this, Chris couldn't help but take a step back:
"What do you want to do!"
"Wizards will not tolerate those who break the rules; we must kill you," the wizard before us said.
"Or, you can atone for your sins with good deeds."
Chris felt he had miscalculated; he had never imagined that such a rule existed in the wizarding world.
He might try to continue lying to get by, but that would only provoke more anger and make the situation even more irreparable.
But now, at least the person in front of me says there's still a chance to redeem myself:
"How can I atone for my sins?"
"It's very simple," the wizard squinted. "You try to pull out that staff. If you succeed, this gathering will be a complete success. If you fail, you'll have provided us with a sample."
Chris protested, "You're sending me to my death!"
"You broke the rules first,"
The man raised an eyebrow.
"Either die or atone for your sins, the choice is yours. Don't even think about running away or resisting. From the moment you chose to break the rules, all the wizards in this cave became your enemies. You cannot succeed."
Upon hearing this, Chris realized that countless eyes were now staring at him.
He immediately realized that the wizard wasn't trying to scare him.
He had no choice but to step forward and try.
At least, there's still a chance of survival.
Chris comforted himself, telling himself that fate had led him here and that he shouldn't die.
With his right eye, which could glimpse fate, he tried desperately to find hope for life.
However, the overall fate of the cave remained remarkably stable.
Therefore, he could only pray that a miracle would happen.
At this moment, Chris had already arrived in front of the staff.
The wizard from before simply grasped this staff and fell to the ground dead.
What should Chris do if he doesn't want to die?
Trying to grab it through a layer of clothing?
This is one possible approach.
But someone must have thought of this direction long ago, and he believed that the chances of success were very low.
Just then, he remembered his left hand.
Yes, left hand!
This left hand has become twisted and contorted.
Although the wizards praised it, to Chris it was undoubtedly disgusting.
The wizard he killed with his staff told Chris that ancient power was surging in the head's hands.
This staff is also an ancient relic.
Perhaps this left hand can neutralize the staff's deadly trap?
Chris, who had reached the edge of a cliff, had no other choice.
He stretched out his left hand and grasped the staff.
One second.
Two seconds.
Ten seconds.
Chris was certain he was still alive.
The wizard had clearly collapsed and died instantly.
This proves he was right!
Ancient can counteract ancient!
"Hahaha—" Chris suddenly burst into laughter.
That's it!
Everything is guided by fate!
So that's how his hands ended up—it was fate!
The purpose was to enable him to wield the staff and become king!
destiny!
destiny!
It's absolutely wonderful!
Chris tried to take advantage of the situation to pull out the staff.
But suddenly he realized he couldn't muster any strength—
To be precise, it's that I can't control my left hand.
Chris turned his head and stared in surprise.
His left hand is rapidly changing.
From the forearm, past the elbow, it has reached the upper arm and is now moving towards the shoulder.
He had lost control of his left hand, and if he just watched it continue to spread—
So his body, even his brain, cried out, "Help! Someone, save me! Stop it—"
Chris screamed in terror.
"or-
"Chop it down..."