Bone-Corroding Blade

After Nun Luna left, Li Wen went offline to take care of her biological needs. She only started examining the items she bought from Old Sem after returning.

These materials were primarily common natural ingredients like plant and animal tissues, along with some ores. Most of them did not contain magic, with only a few exceptions such as dried Mandrake Grass, Red Myrtle leaves, and the venom glands of Unicorn Toads, which were common magical ingredients.

However, these were sufficient for Li Wen's needs. Basic and lower-tier rituals prioritized versatility, allowing most materials to be substituted for one another.

Looking at the materials, Li Wen decided to enchant her weapon first.

The ritual of enchantment existed across various Lineages. In ancient times, humans mastered this craft when they applied pigments or drew totems on shields or swords, hoping to gain protection and strength to defeat their enemies.

A ritual called "Bone-Corroding Blade" was very suitable for her current needs. It could grant weapons with sharp edges a poison enchantment. The main material required was the venom gland of a Unicorn Toad, which could be synthesized and formulated with Myrtle sap.

The advantage of poison enchantment over directly applying poison was that the enchanted poison was more potent, acted faster, and was easier to carry. The weapon itself would not be affected after the enchantment's duration expired.

More importantly, the steps for this ritual were also very simple.

The only difficulty lay in the formulation of the composite poison, the main ingredient. Old Sem had already provided a semi-finished product in the materials he gave, so Li Wen only needed to perform a rough synthesis.

[Bone-Corroding Blade (Calamity Nightmare)]

[Knowledge-Ritual-Enchantment (Timed)]

[Requires: 2 Mana, 1 ounce of Composite Poison, 1 Sharp-Edged Weapon]

[A spell once used by the Wild Hunters of the Northern Lands. They implored the King of the Wild Hunt to imbue their swords and spears with a potent poison said to easily corrode bone.]

[Grants the target weapon [+1 Sharpness][+1 Corrosion][+1 Potent Poison]. The weapon is considered an Extraordinary weapon of equivalent tier. Duration: 30 days.]

[Step 1: Prepare a smooth, flat surface of a certain size. Draw a cross-shaped ritual array on the surface using beast blood [Pre-Hunt Rite].]

[Step 2: Place a prey offering at the top of the cross-shaped array to appease the Wild Hunt; place the weapon to be enchanted in the center of the cross-shaped array; place the composite poison for enchantment at the bottom of the cross-shaped array; draw the symbol of the King of the Wild Hunt on the left side of the array; place beast teeth, fur, and skull on the right side to enhance the connection (optional).]

[Step 3: Implore the King of the Wild Hunt!]

Li Wen made a decisive move, simply mixing the two materials together before directly beginning to draw the ritual array on the floor.

She had originally intended to use her own blood as the drawing material, but to her surprise, the wound on her finger healed by itself shortly after she cut it with her short sword.

This...

Li Wen glanced at her status bar. The "Melt into Light" status would last for more than ten hours. She hadn't expected the "slow wound healing" described in the status to be so powerful.

There was no other option. Li Wen had to speed up her drawing, and each time her wound healed, she would cut herself again. After repeating this several times, Li Wen finally managed to complete the "Pre-Hunt Rite" ritual array.

Li Wen placed her short sword in the center of the ritual array, the bottle containing the poison below it, fur on the right side, and the offering slot at the top. She placed a shriveled, one-eyed rat corpse there, which was also one of the materials collected by Old Sem.

Finally, there was the symbolic pattern on the left side of the ritual. Li Wen drew a crown resembling a wolf's head.

Once all the preparations were complete, Li Wen closed her eyes, clasped her hands in prayer, and repeatedly chanted the true name of the King of the Wild Hunt and the hunting incantations of the Northern peoples.

When she had chanted it for an unknown number of times, a chill ran through Li Wen's body, and the sound of howling wind and snow reached her ears.

She felt as if she had been transported to the ice and snow of the Northern Lands, a place where night reigned eternally, devoid of human habitation, and only death and cold endured forever. A noisy trampling sound echoed around her. These footsteps were not from humans or any creature known to the mortal world. They were ethereal, like spirits of the snow, yet they sounded like raging flames as they stepped through the wind and snow.

Li Wen could clearly feel their approach. She could even smell the scent of blood and death that clung to them.

These were the hounds of the King of the Wild Hunt. When the Eternal Winter Night descended, they would patrol the mortal realm on behalf of the King of the Wild Hunt.

Now, they were observing Li Wen, seemingly contemplating whether the human before them could be considered food. However, after sensing the trace of Radiance on Li Wen, the hounds quickly became disgusted and scornful, and departed in haste.

The ice and snow dissipated along with their departure.

Li Wen opened her eyes and shivered violently.

She glanced at her status bar. Her health had dropped to 67%, and a "Frostbite" status had appeared. Her movement speed was reduced by 20%, and she lost 1% health per minute for 5-10 minutes.

This was the power of the Calamity Nightmare Lineage. Even if the ritual succeeded, it would inflict unpredictable damage on the ritualist, something no one could avoid.

But similarly, with great cost came great reward.

[Bone-Corroding Poison Sword (30 days)]

[Weapon-Dagger-Extraordinary (Blue)]

[A blade crafted by a master artisan and imbued with a terrifying poison capable of corroding bone. Even a mere scratch is enough to kill.]

[Enchantment: Sharpness Lv1, Corrosion Lv1, Potent Poison Lv1.]

With this enchanted weapon, Li Wen now had a fighting chance, even against a Mage from the Sunday Secret College.

However, this alone was not enough to guarantee victory.

The Bone-Corroding Poison took too long to take effect, and her opponent was a Mage who had walked the Path. Li Wen might not be able to last until the opponent succumbed to the poison.

Therefore, Li Wen needed something that could truly secure victory.

Li Wen focused her attention on her status bar.

"Melt into Light" was a temporary status Li Wen obtained when she advanced to Supplicant. It allowed her wounds to heal slowly, and the effect was quite significant. In just a short while, her health had recovered to 68%, even after accounting for the damage from Frostbite.

The magical materials from Old Sem were almost depleted, but as an experienced player, Li Wen knew very well that these statuses derived from rituals, which contained residual power, could also be consumed as ritual materials.

Trading a temporary health regeneration buff for a ritual that could save her life at a critical moment.

Li Wen had already made her plan.