In the Name of Frost, I Am Hecalto, Struggle of Wills, the Beginning of Turmoil
Torrent fiery white life force, like magma washing over a riverbed, poured into every inch of skin, muscle, and meridians. Within the magma, there were also cold, sharp "gravels" constantly rolling around.
Ronan felt his body being constantly torn apart, destroyed, melted, and then reshaped under the two forces of heat and cold! The slippery, sticky, evil whispers that lingered in his ears suddenly grew larger, like countless sharp pieces of metal sliding wildly across smooth glass.
They whispered hysterically in Ronan's ear, "Frost Hecalto! Frost! Hecalto! Hecalto!!"
The thick ice on [Thoughtless Lake] cracked and collapsed, and countless violent, cruel, and vicious thoughts surged up from the bottom of the lake.
Ronan's once proud and unwavering will was rapidly eroded and taken over by another flawed, ancient, majestic, and evil will.
His consciousness was in a state of confusion, constantly shifting between Awakening and ambiguity.
"Hecalto! Hecalto!!"
"Hecalto!!"
The name kept repeating in his ears.
His head was throbbing with pain, and the sounds swirling in his ears were driving him almost insane.
Who am I? Who is Hecalto?
Countless voices roared within him, the imprint of Ronan Damien seemed to fade and disappear, those past memories rapidly dissolving. Finally, those countless voices merged into one—
"Hecalto is me!"
Ronan quietly opened his eyes.
In the center of the eyes, which were a blend of dark blue and pure white, the vertical slits suddenly opened, and a scarlet light, a hundred times purer than blood, shone forth.
A deep, hoarse voice echoed through the chest and throat, as if descending from ancient times, buzzing and humming.
"I am Hecalto."
In the name of... Frost.
Meanwhile, inside the crumbling Independent Space.
All the Black Robe Wizard of the [Resurrection Society] stared in the same spot with astonishment and suspicion, including the most powerful black-robed Dark Head.
It was an enormous ball of light, surrounded by countless dark blue and pure white lightning bolts.
An indescribable ancient, profound, and icy aura emanated from the ball of light, gradually permeating the entire space.
A vague sense of unease was growing in everyone's hearts. Instinct warned them that they had to act immediately, but reason made them feel that it was absurd and ridiculous.
These two conflicting emotions made everyone feel very uncomfortable, and the crowd inexplicably began to stir.
"The Dark Head..."
Someone gasped softly.
Standing in mid-air, the Dark Head from the [Resurrection Society] raised his hand and slowly took out a colorful ram's Ram Horn Mask from under his robe.
The mask had a handle at the bottom, and the Dark Head held the mask in his hand, chanting strange, low incantations.
Soon, a terrifying fluctuation of runes emanated from the mask.
A dark, eerie light emanated from the empty eye sockets of the Ram Horn Mask, and black energy blades gradually extended from the tips of the two twisted, upward-pointing ram's horns.
The blade of light was covered with strange and complex runes, and the aura it emitted silently devoured everything around it. The entire space collapsed slightly, and the direction of the collapse was the location of the eerie Ram Horn Mask.
The man in black Dark Head gripped the hilt of the Ram Horn Mask with both hands, as if he were wielding a huge and eerie two-handed sword.
He calmly raised his mask, and countless black energy blades formed from runes cut corrosive marks in the void, making the entire space seem to collapse even faster.
Just as he was about to make the slashing motion, suddenly, the entire space seemed to Stasis, and time stood still.
An indescribable, ancient, evil, and majestic will quietly descended.
All the Black Robe Wizard of the [Resurrection Society] on the field showed expressions of utter horror, and their mental energy fluctuations and bodies trembled uncontrollably at the same time.
The enormous ball of light, interwoven with countless dark blue and pure white lightning bolts, silently burst open, revealing an incomparably ferocious yet alluring body—
A tall, slender body over three meters high, covered in dark blue snake scales, surrounded by countless black and blue frost, vaguely revealing a bewitching yet handsome face.
The face had a pair of scarlet vertical pupils, a strange protrusion on its forehead, and narrow, strange patterns on both sides of its cheeks, like runes symbolizing coldness and misfortune.
Dark blue hair drifted silently around him, like tiny ice snakes, surrounding and protecting him. The sense of collapse caused by the ram's horn black sword was now completely taken over by this body.
As dawn broke, countless rays of light pierced the sky and fell upon this body, creating an indescribable, wicked yet magnificent scene.
The man in black Dark Head at the alluring figure before him, the two locked eyes in silence.
After a moment, he seemed to snap out of his daze and calmly continued the unfinished action in his hands.
The runic black sword, imbued with terrifying power, slowly slashed down, countless black lights crisscrossing, seemingly slow, but in fact reaching the top of the bewitching figure's head in less than the blink of an eye.
Faced with this terrifying attack, the latter did not make any move to dodge or retreat.
He simply looked up and then smiled silently.
His mouth, covered in snake scales, stretched all the way to his ears, revealing a set of sharp, white teeth.
Combined with those pure scarlet vertical eyes, it created an indescribable sense of eeriness and unease.
"Snap—"
A sudden cracking sound.
Within the isolated small space, the invisible, transparent void all around revealed traces like a shattered mirror.
The two figures who were sitting peacefully in their seats suddenly stood up and looked around.
"The spatial restriction is about to collapse."
Aqi Duo spoke softly.
"Call--"
Caloni exhaled softly, and a powerful mental energy fluctuation emanated from his body.
His already rugged and handsome features became even more cold and hard at this moment, with a faint silver metallic luster emanating from between his naturally drooping fingers.
"Those bastards from the [Resurrection Society]."
The two remained silent, but Jiao Qie's chilling killing intent spread outwards in waves like a rising tide.
Behind the two, Orian complexion had returned to normal, slowly opened his eyes, his expression firm and calm, ready for battle.
"Click-click-click—"
In the space filled with the strong smell of blood, silvery-white cracks appeared amidst the crimson color.
Within the enormous vortex formed by countless blood mists, a grotesque, Flesh Monster suddenly opened its eyes.
As you can see, strange eyeballs of varying sizes are growing on its deformed and bizarrely large body.
Rufus quietly got up, looked at the cracks in the surrounding space, and slowly raised his right hand.
A delicate and beautiful woman's head lay quietly in the palm of a large, grotesque hand with seven or eight fingers, devoid of skin, only revealing exposed muscles and tendons.
Rufus looked up at the sky and could vaguely see the outlines of several large, sun-like orbs of light intertwined in the sky.
"Now... you have nowhere to hide."
"What a rare Feast!"
"Smack!"
Rufus clenched his fingers, and the woman's head in his palm exploded, splattering Blood Plasma onto his face.
Rufus extended his long, slender, scarlet tongue and gently licked away the few drops of blood from his lips, speaking softly, "I'm really looking forward to it."
The signs of the impending collapse of the spatial "prison" were reflected in every individual small space. The battle between the Dawn- level wizards in the sky seemed to be coming to an end. Thick, molten magical energy continued to fall, creating crimson lava, poisonous swamps, and giant craters of lightning on the ground and in the void. One by one, the black-robed members of the [Resurrection Society] retreated. Many realized that the [Resurrection Society]'s home ground was about to be lost, and next would be their time for revenge and counterattack.
The wait felt like an eternity, or perhaps only a few breaths.
Without warning, countless separate, independent small spaces shattered simultaneously at a certain moment.
The panoramic view of the competition venue was once again revealed on the Goblin Plain.
"Boom boom boom—"
One after another, cold and powerful spiritual forces rose up, filled with killing intent towards the [Resurrection Society].
But before these wizards, who had been imprisoned for so long, could retaliate, their minds were completely captivated by the scene before them.
——
In the center of the arena, a figure in a black robe exuding immense power was surrounded by countless rune fluctuations. He held a strange ram's horn longsword aloft, poised to slash at a target.
However, before his ram-horn sword could fall, he was [Penetration] a figure shrouded in dark blue frost. "Whoosh—"
The golden, round sun leaps out from the horizon, its endless golden light spreading across the earth.
Everyone couldn't help but squint.
They saw the black-robed figure wielding a sword fall from mid-air like a stone, and behind him, a strangely slender figure bathed in the brilliant morning sun, looked up and let out a silent, majestic roar.
At this moment, an ancient nobility and chilling aura seemed to be watching. Everyone's mind wavered, momentarily lost in thought.
"Boom!"
A furious roar suddenly erupted from the sky, and the sound of incantations amplified to the extreme, drowning out all other sounds in the world.
An incredibly intense burst of light erupted from the sky.
All the wizards lost their sight, and their mental will trembled slightly.
This is the power of the Dawn level.
As the blinding light gradually faded, everyone regained their sight.
However, the eerie and ferocious shadow that had previously occupied their pupils had disappeared without them noticing.
In the sky, only three great suns—thunder, crystal, and blood—remained hanging high, their light seemingly dimmed compared to the beginning.
Below, the black-robed figures belonging to the [Resurrection Society] wizards were rapidly retreating.
But under the radiant light of the three Dawn Day, they seemed to have nowhere to hide.
After a brief silence, some people came to their senses.
Immediately following, a fierce chase broke out between the wizards. "Crack—"
Inside the Micro Secret Realm Space, Bennigo, who was busy at the experimental table, suddenly stopped what he was doing.
He turned his head to look in one direction and slowly picked up a silver hourglass used for simple timekeeping.
A crack appeared in the middle of the hourglass, and the silver sand inside leaked out.
Bennigo looked at the hourglass in his hand, his eyes flickering slightly, and a strange sense of unease began to grow in his heart.
"Is it the Prophecy Talent inherent in the Gray Elf Bloodline?"
Bennigo casually picked up his notebook and thoughtfully jotted down some data and information.
He paced back and forth in front of the lab table, then went to the ice coffin containing Fiona and examined it carefully, but found nothing unusual.
Bennigo stepped out of the Secret Realm Space, and as soon as he emerged from behind the waterfall that concealed the entrance, he froze for a moment.
The once empty valley was now covered with a thin layer of frost, and a huge ice crystal snake with a single horn on its head and a massive body was coiled within it, staring at him eerily.
"It's you?"
The Ice Crystal Magic Serpent glanced at Bennigo, then looked away, gazing up at a point in the sky, hissing anxiously.
Just as Bennigo frowned, a powerful, ancient, majestic, and evil will suddenly descended upon the valley.
The next second, a figure rapidly magnified in Bennigo's field of vision, and upon seeing the figure's appearance, Bennigo's pupils contracted sharply.
Her long, dark blue hair cascaded down her back, her slender body was covered in snake scales, and ominous markings were etched on her cheeks. Her entire being exuded an aura of nobility, antiquity, and evil.
The figure descended into the valley like lightning, stomping hard on the head of the Ice Crystal Magic Serpent within.
The enormous Ice Crystal Magic Serpent lowered its body almost instantly, letting out a resentful hiss.
"You vile kin. Do you want to rebel against me?"
A low, hoarse sound, like countless shards of ice rolling, rang out.
A bewitching figure with long, dark blue hair stood atop the head of Ice Crystal Magic Serpent, coldly looking down at it until the pressure emanating from the depths of its bloodline reached it, instinctively compelling the latter to submit.
Through the dark blue frost surrounding the figure, which was like thick clouds, Bennigo saw a bewitching and handsome face, and he could vaguely make out some familiar outlines.
"Damien?"
Bennigo blurted out, his voice drawing the attention of a figure who turned to look at him. A pair of icy, crimson vertical eyes fell upon him.
The moment he was stared at by those vertical eyes, Bennigo almost had the urge to kneel down.
The figure slowly walked towards Bennigo, leaving a dark blue frost mark in the void with each step, resembling a rune.
As the figure drew closer, a vast, icy chill enveloped Bennigo, and he felt as if his throat and heart were being gripped tightly by a pair of incredibly cold, invisible hands.
"Thump--"
Bennigo knelt down on one knee, the color draining from his face rapidly, as if the blood in his body had frozen and stopped flowing.
At that moment, he felt an unprecedented threat of death, which gradually enveloped him like dark clouds.
"Roar!"
Bennigo let out a low growl of resentment, and a faint fluctuation of mental energy emanated from his body, but in the invisible, gathering, heavy cold, his struggle did not even cause a ripple.
Just as Bennigo thought he was about to die in the next second, the figure suddenly stopped.
"Whoosh—whoosh—"
Extremely heavy breathing.
Bennigo looked up and saw a tall, slender figure with his shoulders heaving violently, his face showing pain and struggle.
Those eyes opened, and now, within those vertical, bloodshot eyes, an Awakening calmness and a violent, savage light flickered back and forth.
He reached out his hand to Bennigo and urged him on in a hoarse voice.
"Bennigo, hurry... prepare the Second Bloodline Purification ritual for me!"
The icy chill that had been pressing down on him had vanished without him noticing. Bennigo broke free from the pressure of death and looked at the figure struggling and in pain before him. A thought immediately came to mind.
"Bloodline will devouring?!"
A deep solemnity appeared on Bennigo's face. Without uttering a single word, he turned and swiftly stepped into the secret realm.
A moment later, he carried out the Saint Blood Tree, which was over five meters tall, with lush branches and leaves, and bathed in a mysterious red glow.
The moment it saw the figure, all the branches and leaves of the Saint Blood Tree began to tremble urgently, and countless tiny crimson tubes immediately grew from beneath the branches and leaves, wrapping around the figure.
But as soon as these thin tubes touched the dark blue frost clouds surrounding the figure, they were immediately frozen and shattered.
"Damien, restrain your power... Do not yield to Him!"
Bennigo's eyes flashed, and he spoke quickly.
The figure with its eyes closed let out a low growl, suddenly biting its lip, and blue and red blood meandered down from the wound.
The frost clouds around him surged violently, gradually being drawn into his body like smoke.
The thin tubes released by the Saint Blood Tree were finally able to attach smoothly to its body, quickly wrapping it layer by layer and weaving it into a huge blood cocoon.
At this moment, the struggle between the two wills within the blood cocoon becomes increasingly clear.
An ancient evil, filled with an aura of destruction and violence.
The other one is clear and calm, like a stream flowing under the autumn sun.
The latter, under the former, rapidly weakens and fades, seemingly being swallowed up and dissolved.
Mysterious runes appeared on every thin tube of the entwined blood cocoon, and with each twitch, the ancient and evil aura quickly dissipated.
However, the radiance of the Saint Blood Tree also dimmed rapidly, and the entire tree withered at a visible speed, with countless leaves falling off in a rustling sound. With just one bloodline extraction, the still weak Saint Blood Tree had almost exhausted all its power.
Without hesitation, Bennigo took out a large amount of prepared or unprepared potions and blood from his Storage Waist Pouch and poured them onto the Saint Blood Tree.
After emptying all the potion bottles, he then cut open his wrists, letting the blood flow freely. But even so, the power of the Saint Blood Tree was still insufficient. The huge blood cocoon began to tremble slightly, as if something was about to break out of it.
The massive blood loss left Bennigo pale and swaying, but he seemed oblivious, his brow furrowed as he scanned the scene thoughtfully.
Suddenly, Bennigo's gaze fell on the Ice Crystal Magic Serpent crouching not far away. The serpent sensed his gaze and responded with indifference.
Bennigo's eyes flickered, and he spoke in a low voice.
"I know about your relationship; you resent him and are trying to break free from his control."
"But if you think this is a great opportunity, you are very wrong."
"Once his will is completely devoured by the lingering will of the Ancient Frost Hydra in his bloodline, then you will truly have no chance of ever rising again!"
"Roar--"
The Ice Crystal Magic Serpent let out a furious growl, as if expressing disdain for Bennigo's words.
Bennigo met his gaze calmly.
After an unknown amount of time, seeing that the blood cocoon released by the Saint Blood Tree was beginning to crumble, the Ice Crystal Magic Serpent finally wavered, hissing as it reluctantly swam its massive body over.
With the support of the Ice Crystal Magic Serpent's abundant blood, the Saint Blood Tree's power could be barely maintained.
Bennigo's gaze relaxed, but when it shifted to the blood cocoon, it was immediately covered by a thick gloom.
He was well aware of Ronan's current situation, as it was mentioned in the Bloodline Transplant notes the other party had given him.
That was the backlash suffered by the host after the forced fusion of bloodlines failed.
The will of self and the will of blood enter into the most primal and direct struggle, and only the victor is qualified to gain ultimate control of the body.
If one is not careful in this process, one's will may be devoured, and one may [Depravity] complete depravity, turning into a monster that acts only on instinct.
If it were a normal monster bloodline, it might be fine, after all, Ronan once consumed a full six bottles of "Murphetira's Kiss" in a row, his willpower was so strong and tenacious that even Bennigo was shocked.
But what is rooted in his body is the unprecedented Ancient Frost Hydra Bloodline.
Once the will of this ancient overlord awakens in one's bloodline, even a tiny, scattered glimmer of consciousness carries a danger that no one else can fathom.
Damien
Bennigo gazed at the blood cocoon, his eyes filled with complex emotions as he murmured softly, "I will do my best to do what I can, but the rest... is up to you."
After saying that, Bennigo took out a bottle of healing potion from his Storage Waist Pouch and slowly swallowed it.
Then, expressionless, he slashed his wrist, which he had been using to water the Saint Blood Tree, again, making the blood flow even faster. The incident on the Goblin Plain shocked half of the south.
Ancient Wizard Revival Society.
This name, so ancient that many had almost forgotten it, has once again come into the view of all the wizards of the South.
In their quest to seize the shattered World Stone, the Ancient Wizard Revival Society unleashed its hidden power, revealing to everyone the extent to which this evil organization had infiltrated the major wizarding factions in the south.
In the Goblin Plain, the current patriarch of the Sakiel's Family Molten Crystal Lake, the chief wizard of the Thorn Palace, and two other Dawn Wizard with strength reaching level four rebelled. Under the joint suppression of several wizards of the same level, led by the Thunder Council Speaker, one escaped and the other died.
The latter side paid a heavy price: the death of a Dawn Wizard in the Black Nightmare Swamp, the serious injury of a Dawn Wizard in the Crimson Tower, and the loss of the Shattered World Stone that had just been unearthed from the Ancient Mirror Court.
And at the level below Dawn.
In the Black Nightmare Swamp, a total of twenty-three wizarding geniuses of level two or above, Anglie, rebelled; Jupiter, the top genius of the Thunder Council, was critically injured and on the verge of death; in the Crimson Tower, apart from the chief genius Rufus, all the wizarding geniuses from second to seventh place were dead; the entire Sakiel's Family Molten Crystal Lake betrayed them, and the blood of the Ancient Fire Demon wreaked havoc on Molten Crystal Lake; the Thorn Palace was also plunged into a huge internal strife, with wizarding blood staining the Thorn Forest red. The top genius competition held by the six major wizarding forces on the Goblin Plain, a broken World Stone, kept drawing out the forces belonging to the Ancient Wizard Revival Society.
A massive upheaval in the Wizard World, affecting a large part of the south, is slowly unfolding.
One month later, the Silver Magic Ring, the first tower.
No, I'm not a jerk. I just have some health issues. I'll take it slow, stop arguing, and prepare for a long battle. Sorry.