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Chapter 761: Chapter 782: Demon’s Domain Heavenly Machine
"Alright, we have entered," Tanya reined in the black mare she had summoned earlier, "Before we continue onward, there are some things that must be done..."
"We’ve arrived?" Bruto, sitting behind Lancelot’s hindquarters, twisted his head to look at the tall wall-like mist behind, "I was wondering why the mist was so strange just now... hey, you came in too?"
"Do you think I would miss out on such a thrilling adventure?" A smile appeared on the Half-elf’s face for the first time since they had arrived in the Fallen Shadow Netherworld, "More importantly, if I hadn’t followed you in here, when the summoning time ran out, I’d be transported back to the place I was before, by then the mercenary legion would have certainly moved on, and traveling alone through the wilderness of the Abyss doesn’t sound very enticing... You summoned me here; don’t you think you’re responsible for me until the end?"
"Don’t be modest; traveling alone in the Abyss would be terrible, but I’m quite sure you could handle it," Lancelot looked at the Half-elf earnestly, "Thank you, Tanya, you are a precious friend and companion."
"Captain, don’t say that, it’s making me quite embarrassed," the Half-elf’s grin brightened once more, "And besides, venturing with you indeed brings rich rewards—not in material terms, although those are great too... The great battle before Volcano Fortress, our experiences in Elgrand, and the final fight with the Barlow Flame Demon, all of it was epic. The emotions, memories, and even some trivial souvenirs, like a piece of Obsidian shard I got from the shore of Volcano Lake, have greatly pleased my mentor, and in turn, she has blessed me with new knowledge, strength, and magic. I’m a lot stronger now than before, just wait till there’s a fight, and I’ll show you all what I’ve got!"
"Haha, that goes for all of us, you might not even get a chance to lift a finger," Lancelot also revealed a confident smile, "You just mentioned some things that must be completed, what are you referring to?"
"Divination," the Half-elf took out a deck of black cards from the saddlebag hanging next to her, "This will give us some hints, or clues, to help us overcome the enemies we will face in this adventure..."
"You know how to do that?" Bruto leaned forward with some doubt, "How come I never saw you use it before?"
"Because the outcomes of my previous predictions were quite far from the actual circumstances," the Half-elf admitted generously, "According to legend, divination is meant specifically to help travelers trapped in dreadful realms find their way out, so it makes sense that it wasn’t effective before. More importantly, my mentor just now suddenly repeated the word ’divination’ three times; maybe she’s trying to hint at something."
"I see..." the Dwarf shrugged, "Then let’s give it a shot; it’s just fortune-telling anyway, we won’t lose a piece of flesh over it."
Hearing this, Tanya deftly dismounted and sat down next to a rock by the roadside, begin to shuffle the cards with not-so-practiced moves, while turning her head to the others and said:
"Who’s going to try? Lancelot?"
Bruto immediately slid down from Nightmare’s hindquarters to facilitate Lancelot’s dismount. The Human Knight sat opposite the Half-elf, asking curiously:
"What do I need to do?"
"In a moment there will be two sets of cards, the thicker deck is the minor arcana, the thinner one is the major arcana. When I’m ready, you need to draw a total of five cards, three from the minor and two from the major. Place the two major arcana cards in the middle and the one farthest from you, the remaining three minor arcana cards go to your left, right, and the spot closest to you, forming a cross," she explained.
The Half-elf’s fingers traced over the stone surface, as if struggling to recall something. After a pause, she continued:
"Once the divination begins, I’ll see some illusions through the content of the cards—three places associated with the minor arcana where we should find something that could aid us, whether it be magical artifacts, useful information, safe locations, anything is possible... The major arcana card farthest from you will reveal a powerful being that could assist us in our fight against the darkness; and the final major arcana card, it will unveil some rarely known, yet crucial secrets about the ruler of Demon’s Domain..."
"Interesting," Lancelot raised one eyebrow, "then, let’s begin."
"Very well, let us..."
Tanya’s pupils suddenly rolled upward, her pale eyes fixating on Lancelot before her as her hands formed a strange gesture. A bizarre power caused the cards in front of her to levitate and spin rapidly around the stone they were sitting opposite each other on. Lancelot saw images of the warrior, the masked man, the monk, the beggar... Then, with a snap, the Half-elf’s palms slapped together, and the fluttering cards instantly fell before her in two stacks, one tall, one short.
"...The Demon’s Domain’s machine of fate will reveal something, won’t it," the Half-elf’s voice turned hoarse and frenzied, as if another soul was speaking through her mouth, "You already know what to do, start with the thicker stack."
Lancelot briefly locked eyes with the other party before drawing the top three cards from the thicker pile, arranging them as previously instructed. Under the unnerving gaze of the other, he drew two more cards from the thinner stack, the topmost two, and placed one farthest from himself and the other in the middle of the stone.
The companions all gathered around curiously, and the Half-elf gently waved her hand, causing the card to the right of Lancelot to mysteriously light up.
"This card speaks of history, ancient knowledge will help you understand the enemy."
Tanya’s voice was still peculiar, and with a simple gesture, the card flipped over by itself for everyone to see clearly, revealing the image of a Priest.
"Knowledge is hidden in places of prayer and supplication, but such places are now abandoned, and the beasts cannot comprehend the value of books..."
The Half-elf trembled as she spoke, as if chilled to the bone. Then she made the card closest to Lancelot light up, whispering:
"This card signifies hope, the guardians in the darkness, the allies you can rely on."
The card turned over automatically, and Lancelot’s expression shifted slightly, for the image on the card was a raven— if this referred to Tanya herself, it seemed unnecessary, didn’t it?
"I see a tavern shrouded in smoke, adorned with many wolf heads. Go there, they are also looking for you."
Lancelot and his companions exchanged glances, no one spoke, and the card to the far left had already lit up.
"This card foretells power, it represents some kind of weapon, one that even the Lord of the Demon’s Domain would fear..."
The card flipped, revealing a beautiful young girl. She was dressed in lavish attire with a crown on her head, seemingly a Princess or a Queen.
"..." The Half-elf fell into a brief silence, then finally spoke in a somewhat surprised tone, "I see one among the dead, right in your midst."
