Price, the Strange

"It's very simple."

Evaqu spoke gently, "Just place your hand on the statue. Hafves might put you to a test. If you pass, you will receive his legacy."

Let's give it a try.

Ronan wasn't particularly opposed to it; no one could refuse the inheritance of a legendary dragon's soul, especially when that dragon was also an ancient, learned, and powerful wizard.

Following Evaqu's instructions, he slowly approached the enormous dragon statue and gently placed his hand on the base of the statue, on one of the dragon's toes.

"Empty your mind..."

Ronan closed his eyes, and the ten Spiritual Power Crystal in his mind lit up slightly, releasing mental energy that slowly seeped into the stone statue in front of him.

Cold, empty, and dark. At first, Ronan couldn't sense anything unusual, but Evaqu had told him that this process would require some patience.

The souls of the shamans are almost all asleep, and it will take time for them to awaken.

During this time, all he had to do was try to remain respectful.

As time slowly passed, Ronan gradually noticed a glimmer of light appearing "before his eyes."

Then the light grew larger and larger, as if it were rapidly approaching something.

Suddenly.

"Boom--"

All the coldness, emptiness, and darkness vanished in an instant, and Ronan seemed to have entered another world.

A terrifying world that is fiery red, scorching hot, and [Rage] restless.

The earth trembled and roared beneath his feet, the air was filled with the smell of sulfur and gunpowder, boiling magma surged across the ground, and the void trembled incessantly.

Ronan, standing amidst it all, felt as insignificant as an ant, surrounded by a destructive force.

He strained to open his eyes and peered ahead, and in the dim light, he saw the silhouette of a massive, blurry dragon.

It was almost identical to the giant dragon statue he had seen in the sacrificial plaza, but it was more than ten times larger.

Moreover, the dragon was no longer entirely black; its body was covered in golden Dragon Scale, and its curved, Keen Edge horns, like two ancient spears burning red-hot, pierced the sky. Its outstretched wings covered the heavens, casting a huge shadow. And its eyes, fiery golden-red, were like flowing magma, possessing the power to burn everything and see through everything.

Just looking directly at this enormous dragon shadow made Ronan's body tremble uncontrollably. The dragon exuded a mysterious aura that made Ronan want to kneel down and worship it from afar.

Ronan gritted his teeth, forcing his spine not to bend, and tried to move forward, striving towards the direction of the dragon.

At that moment, a piercing sound suddenly rang in my ears.

"Sizzle—"

"Shhh—"

The sound was like a faulty radio signal, or like someone scratching a smooth glass plate with sharp fingernails, accompanied by a dull thud and a piercing, terrifying scream. It was even more unbearable than the evil whispers he had heard when he received the will of "Hecalto" several times.

Ronan almost instinctively grabbed his head with both hands and squatted down on the spot, his face contorted in pain.

"Bah... Bahafves"

Amidst a cacophony that nearly drove Ronan to the brink of madness, Ronan dazed mind seemed to catch a low, smooth whisper.

The whispering voice, in a strange language, kept calling out the name "Bahafves".

Ronan didn't know why he was able to understand the meaning behind the voice. He was on the verge of collapse and fainting, but at this moment, he miraculously persevered because of a strange curiosity and impulse.

"This is... the perfect opportunity..."

"A once-in-a-millennium opportunity..."

The whispers were intermittent and erratic.

Suddenly, a woman's angry roar rang out, instantly drowning out the whispers.

"Get out of here! You despicable maggot, I... am not you!"

"Idiot!"

The deep, smooth murmur seemed startled, and its tone became somewhat exasperated.

You won't regret it.

"Since that's the case, then I won't stand on ceremony."

Don't even think that I'll... give it to you again.

"Roar!"

Just as Ronan was struggling to hold on, "curiously" listening to the conversation between the two voices he had inadvertently caught in his mind, the golden dragon suddenly raised its head and roared like thunder under the distant crimson sky.

The world before him shattered in an instant, like Mirror Flower Water Moon. Caught off guard, Ronan was violently pulled away by a force that seemed to appear out of nowhere. "Thump, thump, thump—"

In the empty and silent stone statue square, a figure dressed in a black robe with silver trim staggered back a few steps before regaining his balance. He was pale-faced, sweating profusely, and panting heavily.

"Are you alright?"

A hand reached out from the side and handed over a small green medicine bottle.

Ronan hesitated for a moment, then took the medicine bottle, unscrewed it, and drank the medicine in one gulp. He quickly felt a cool sensation in his body, and the slight discomfort subsided as quickly as the tide.

"Thanks."

Ronan felt much better after taking the medicine and sat up to thank Evaqu.

Evaqu shook his head casually and said, "When I first tried to communicate with the Dragon Wizard Chief, I was in an even worse state than you are now. Although he has a bad temper, he doesn't actually mean any harm; it's just that we are too weak."

Ronan nodded, thought for a moment, and then asked, "So, did I... fail?"

Did he say anything to you? Did he give you a golden, scale-like object?

"No."

Ronan shook his head. Let alone communicating with the Dragon Wizard Chief Bahafos or receiving any "gifts" from him, he hadn't even really gotten close to him in that dreamlike space.

This result wasn't particularly unexpected for Ronan, whose soul aptitude wasn't outstanding to begin with, and according to Evaqu, the Dragon Wizard Chief Bahafos was the most demanding and picky of the twenty-four witch masters.

Being able to accept oneself... that would be a real oddity.

"It looks like we failed."

Evaqu patted Ronan on the shoulder in comfort, then turned to look at the other stone statues around him and said, "You can try the other shamans."

"Never mind."

Ronan shook his head in refusal. He didn't want to go through a similar experience again, and he wasn't particularly interested in the tradition of spirit witchcraft anyway.

After all, the decline of ancient sorcerers is a fact. No matter how glorious they once were, history has told the world that the end of sorcerers is ultimately darkness.

Why risk a dead end on a path that inevitably leads to a precipice?

"All right."

Seeing Ronan's resolute attitude, Evaqu didn't say anything more.

The two walked to another stone statue in the square, a huge black wolf statue.

The statue's appearance reminded Ronan of the Talent Competition, when Evaqu used his ultimate move against him, transforming into a semi-ethereal Ghost Wolf.

This is probably the path to advancement for the Spirit Witch he chose.

"Wolf Wizard Chief".

Like the Dragon Wizard Chief Bahafos, he is one of the three Grandmaster of the Spirit Witch Soul Transformation system. It was he who gave me this trial of inheritance.

Evaqu faced the enormous wolf statue, his hands clasped together, his expression one of unprecedented reverence and piety.

"Now I will officially begin the test."

What do I need to do?

Ronan finally asked Evaqu about the real purpose of his invitation.

Evaqu took out something shaped like a millstone from his Space Ring and said to Ronan, "Take good care of my Soul Disk while I enter the trial."

If the Soul Disk is turned upside down, please move it back to its original position for me.

"It's that simple?"

Ronan was slightly surprised.

Evaqu shook his head, remained silent for a moment, and then looked at Ronan with utmost seriousness, saying, "Forgive me, Damien, but there's something I've never told you."

The process of activating the Soul Disk will consume a certain amount of your soul's lifespan, but not much; at most, it will consume about ten years of your lifespan at a time.

"Consuming lifespan..."

Ronan paused for a moment, then realized the real reason why Evaqu had been so kind and warm to him all along.

He helped him time and time again with a generosity far exceeding the true depth of their friendship. It turned out that he wanted to sacrifice his own lifespan to help him.

"I'm sorry, Damien, I'm really sorry."

At this moment, Evaqu's face was filled with shame, and he didn't even dare to look Ronan in the eye.

"The Wolf Wizard Chief's test is very difficult. It allows me to fail three times in each round, but the price is that someone must offer up a certain amount of their lifespan each time. I have failed many times already, and the elders of the Uta Clan have exhausted themselves in the process. Originally, I did not want to ask for help from other tribes' witches. I carefully nurtured XX."

Evaqu mentioned a name: the girl in the white wolf-skin dress that Ronan had met in the Uta Clan.

Evaqu appeared to be in immense pain.

"... But I have so little time left, and this is the only chance I have left to take the test. Damien, I... I..."

Evaqu went from rambling incoherently to nearly speechless, looking pleadingly at Ronan.

Ronan could see the longing in his eyes. Before this, Evaqu had kept repeating that "it's not too late for him to regret it now," but now he didn't say that anymore.

Ronan remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "Three chances to fail, which means I need to activate the Soul Disk three times for you, consuming a total of thirty years of my soul's lifespan..."

"If I can pass it on the first try, you won't need to make any sacrifices."

Sensing a softening in Ronan's tone, Evaqu quickly replied, "If your soul's lifespan is exhausted, I will do my best to make amends to you afterwards."

It can at least restore twenty years of your lifespan. If you don't believe me, we can make a contract.

Ronan didn't comment, but looked at the Soul Disk in Evaqu's hand and suddenly asked, "What would happen if your Soul Disk were damaged?"

Evaqu was taken aback, then calmly said, "If the Soul Disk is damaged, my trial will fail immediately, and my soul will suffer irreversible damage."

"I see."

Ronan nodded, glanced at the huge black wolf statue beside the two, and said calmly, "Then... please hurry."

Evaqu didn't say anything more, but simply said "thank you" to him very seriously, then left the Soul Disk in his hand, which resembled a rough millstone, and turned to walk towards the black wolf statue.

He walked up to the statue, whispered a spell, and black ripples immediately spread from the bottom of the statue. Evaqu glanced back at Ronan, then walked in without hesitation.

In the vast stone statue square, only Ronan remained.

After Evaqu entered the trial, the Soul Disk he left behind, resembling a millstone, seemed to take root in the void and remained fixed there, unmovable by Ronan.

Ronan observed the surface of the Soul Disk and noticed that the rough stone mill was glowing faintly and was slowly rotating clockwise.

Ronan had some doubts; Evaqu's test also required him to pay a certain price in terms of his soul's lifespan.

There is no such thing as a free lunch in the world. Selfishness is human nature, especially for those who are already heading towards extinction.

Having figured this out, Ronan looked at the black stone statues in the square again, and his feelings of awe and admiration immediately dissipated.

He even felt that those silent stone statues, casting huge shadows, exuded a cold and cruel aura.

Not every wizard is Schubert.

Ronan sighed silently to himself.

Evaqu left, leaving him all alone, and now he seemed to have nothing to do.

The Soul Disk is crucial to Evaqu's safety and the success or failure of the test. God knows how many sacrifices Evaqu has made in private for this. Ronan didn't want to be distracted by other things, so he wandered around the Soul Disk out of boredom.

Of the eight remaining stone statues in the square, the one that naturally interests Ronan the most is the statue of the Dragon Wizard Chief Bahafos.

Secondly, there is a human-shaped stone statue located at the very center of the twenty-four stone statues.

The latter struck Ronan as the oldest of all the statues. Of course, the main reason Ronan occasionally glanced at it was because the human-shaped statue had so many defects and cracks.

He always felt that the stone statue might collapse before his eyes at any moment, which meant that he had witnessed the complete passing of the soul of an incredibly ancient and powerful wizard.

After looking around, Ronan's gaze returned to the giant black dragon statue.

He couldn't help but recall the conversation he had overheard in the stone statue inheritance space.

"One of the two people was a woman, who resembled Bahafves himself."

"Then who is the other person? One of the other seven chief priests?"

Ronan pondered the meaning conveyed in that conversation. It seemed that the other person was inviting the Dragon Wizard Chief Bahafos to do something together, but Bahafves had refused.

Bahafves's attitude towards him was quite hostile, and he seemed to look down on him extremely. Ronan couldn't figure it out; in fact, he couldn't even be sure if the conversation was real.

It could be his auditory hallucination, or it could be a special test for the successor by the Dragon Wizard Chief Bahafos?

He didn't know.

Just as I was thinking, suddenly, "Gurgle, gurgle—"

A strange sound, like a stone wheel rolling across the ground, rang out in the open square.

Ronan suddenly looked up and immediately checked the Soul Disk left by Evaqu.

The Soul Disk showed no abnormalities; it continued to rotate slowly without making any sound.

Ronan's eyes flickered, and he took a soft breath.

He's all alone here now, and the shaman statue isn't moving, so where did the sudden sound come from?!