NOVPUB
Chapter 758: Chapter 688: Otherworldly Oathbinding
"Magic can do that?" Lancelot asked with some curiosity, "What kind of creature will be summoned? An angel?" 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓹𝓾𝓫.𝓬ℴ𝓶
"Angels, demons, mortals, even talking frogs—who knows," Kalalin said with a shrug, "The key is it meets the three conditions described by the magic: the ability to help us, the willingness to help us, and the capability of being summoned by the spell. But really, as long as these conditions are met, does it matter what we summon?"
"Indeed, it doesn’t matter. Even if it’s a stinking orc, I’d accept it," Bruto nodded somberly, "So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get started."
"First, this spell, called Otherworldly Oathbinding, has a somewhat costly price..." Kalalin said somewhat sheepishly as he looked at Lancelot, "It requires a rather precious gemstone as the casting material."
"That’s no problem," Lancelot immediately reached into his Dimensional Bag and pulled out a handful of gemstones that twinkled faintly, "Let’s see, here I have diamonds, rubies, black sapphires, opals, emeralds... take your pick; we can’t use these gemstones to make money anyway."
"An opal will do," Kalalin took a gemstone from Lancelot’s hand—one with a translucent waxy base and a surface sparkling with green and gold spots, "Another thing is the casting might take a while, up to an hour to get a response. During this time, you must protect me from being interrupted, otherwise, we’ll have to start all over..."
"That long?" Bruto looked even more somber, "Damn it, my old man might be suffering in some dungeon, and all I can do is wait endlessly..."
"Be patient, my friend," the elf patted the dwarf on the shoulder with his palm, then shook his body vigorously, "All of us are as eager as you are to rescue Uncle Barrend, but rash actions without considering the consequences won’t lead to good results. This could jeopardize not only ourselves but could also harm Uncle Barrend. Do you understand what I mean?"
"...Huh," the dwarf took a deep breath and then nodded, "I understand. I’m sorry. Please start, Kalalin. Before your spell is completed, I won’t let anything touch you."
"He’s already started," Lancelot nodded towards the scholar, whose eye sockets were being filled with a deep red Magic Aura, "Everyone, rest here for now. If I sense any enemies, I’ll..."
Lancelot didn’t finish his sentence because a Portal with edges emitting black smoke had already appeared mid-air, and a figure with white hair was struggling to climb out of it.
"Ha! Didn’t he just say it could take up to an hour?" Bruto, who had sat down, sprang up, "Uh... wait, why is it you?"
"What’s happening?" The newcomer was just as confused, "Why would I come back early... and why are you here?"
The one Kalalin’s spell had summoned was none other than the white-haired, red-eyed Cursed Swordmaster, the Half-elf Tanya, a member of Lancelot’s team during the battle at Volcano Fortress. She had infiltrated the interior of the fortress with the elite squad, disrupted the core defense matrix, and also helped defeat the suddenly-appearing Barlow Flame Demon—at least for once.
"How’s the team?" Lancelot responded with another question, "Are the mercenaries on their way back to Twin Bridges Town?"
"Hmm, not long after you left, we set out. We’ve already covered about half of our journey, and everyone’s in good spirits," Tanya turned her head, surveying the surroundings. "But just now, I suddenly felt an incredibly compelling summoning, an almost irresistible call for help. With just a thought, I was brought here... I guess it was you who summoned me with magic, right?"
"To be precise, we hoped to summon someone who could offer assistance through magic, and it seems the Multiverse considered you the most suitable candidate," Lancelot scratched his head and gestured towards the two Half-elves his companions hadn’t seen before. "Allow me to introduce Kalalin, the Scholar from the Dark Cult we mentioned earlier, and this is little Isa, a..."
"Vampire. I remember her story quite well," Tanya nodded politely to the two companions. "Hello, I am Tanya Irilina, a Half-elf."
"Hello, Miss Tanya," little Isa greeted warmly, "Lancelot has told us about your adventures. He said you can summon a pike made of shadows, indestructible..."
"Haha, that’s nothing compared to his technique that makes a Sword Blade glow," Tanya shook her white hair. "Ah, such a familiar scent, the Fallen Shadow Netherworld... It seems you really are in great trouble. Come on, tell me what’s going on?"
"Do you remember that day when I suddenly had to leave early and handed over the captain’s duties to Sir Ivendell?" Lancelot began slowly, "Here’s the thing, I received a mind message from Tijana, the Succubus Lord of Twin Bridges Town..."
Lancelot took about ten minutes to explain the ins and outs of the situation, of course omitting most of the details about Cranvo and midnight. Tanya listened patiently, and after Lancelot finished, she nodded and said:
"I see, so what you’re looking for now is a clue about the witch gathering, right?"
"Yes!" Bruto nodded vigorously, "Do you already know who they are?"
"No, I don’t know yet. But I know who to ask..."
The Half-elf took off her gloves and placed two fingers in her mouth, blowing a loud whistle. Lancelot felt a very faint magical vibration in that sound. Then, he heard the sound of wings flapping from far to near and a black bird descended from the sky, landing on a stone in front of the Half-elf.
Lancelot recognized it as a Raven, but what was different was its surprisingly large size, standing over three feet from claws to head. This beautiful bird had glossy feathers like black satin, a sharp beak that reminded one of a pickaxe, and a pair of black eyes sparkling with intelligence. It was now scrutinizing them with an evaluative gaze.
Tanya made a respectful gesture to the Raven and then spoke a lengthy sentence in a strange language. After she finished speaking, the Raven nodded, gave everyone another glance, and flew away with flapping wings.
"It will be back soon with useful information," the Half-elf explained to the group, "We just need to wait a little while."
"Tanya, you..." Alamir had a very strange expression on his face as if discussing a highly forbidden topic, "...your master, could it be... that lady?"
