The day passed quickly.
As a round moon as bright as yellow jade slowly rose above the horizon, Richard had already led the Hum-Ha Duo and Nehru into the stone chamber beneath the lake with the dwarves.
Bringing the spellcasting group along had been Robbie's request. Although the three of them were each more unreliable than the last, they were ultimately experts in the field of magic and might be able to help.
Robbie had said that the activity of the source essence changed with the phases of the moon. Now was the Full Moon Night. That Titan eye was indeed countless times brighter than when they had first seen it, faintly illuminating one side of the skull until it seemed translucent.
To keep the news as contained as possible, the dwarves had brought only a few people: the elders and several relevant individuals. They were busy making preparations, bringing horns and a large pile of ritual instruments, giving the entire scene a strong ceremonial air.
The five candidates for Titan succession were all in position. Even among the short and stocky dwarves, they were exceptionally stocky. Every one of them had bulging, well-developed muscles knotted across his body and looked so resolute that they seemed less like people about to inherit the source essence and more like members of a suicide squad.
The heirs had reportedly consumed only water and unleavened flatbread since the previous day, hoping to awaken their own "spirituality."
Richard watched from the side with great amusement—the fellows were naked from head to toe, except for wolf pelts wrapped around their waists. They looked incredibly primitive and authentic, evidently doing their utmost to recreate the clothing worn by dwarves in the age of the Titans.
At the moment, several elders were surrounding them, muttering incantations while