The campfire burned bright and hot, tongues of flame rising to roast the lamb. Fat sizzled on its golden-brown surface, and the rich scent of meat mingled with spices, making mouths water.
In the flickering firelight, High Sun Priest Derino's face shifted between light and shadow.
"So this pill is the ancient life-extension technology you mentioned?" Derino watched Xia Lun with a faint, knowing smile. "It's kept remarkably well."
Xia Lun smiled back. He leisurely speared a piece of lamb and ate it, glancing at the pill on the table. A moment later, several lines of deep-blue text appeared.
[Item Name: Borrowed Youth] [Item Level: Ordinary] [Item Category: Consumable] [Item Description: A byproduct of the philosophers of the Sea of Dreams' pursuit of the Philosopher's Stone. When an elderly person takes this pill, they can immediately return to the prime of life at the cost of one year of their lifespan. When a young person takes it, their body rapidly enters its prime.] [Note: What is borrowed must always be repaid.]
"What we found in the City of the Dead was the technology. Naturally, this pill was made recently." Xia Lun met Derino's gaze steadily. "And this is the least significant of the technologies we found there."
He set down his fork and suddenly snapped his fingers.
Snap.
Before the sound had faded, a trace of black crept into the orange campfire. A sudden chill threaded through its warmth.
Fine white frost spread across the roast lamb in an instant, branching like a spiderweb. The golden sheen of fat slowly congealed into something like jelly.
Derino's pupils contracted slightly. At the edge of the hall, the guard holding the Moonblade Axe stared in shock.
A moment later, Derino put on a rather false smile. "How did you do