Chapter 57: 29 This must be very yes! yes!

Chapter 57 29. This must be very yes! yes!

Life remained dull.

Darcus began practicing outdoor archery in the wind, using a very simple method.

Baine tied the tail of a bolt with a rope and hung it from the flagpole in the plaza. The head of the bolt swayed against the whistling cold wind, and Darcus needed to move and shoot to hit the arrowhead from a distance.

One day, Manul suddenly contacted Darcus again, telling him that Klar, the patriarch of the Heart-Eater family, would once again hold the traditional family trial.

The Heart-Eater family's traditional trials were quite heavy-handed. Klar often arranged cruel tasks to test his sons' abilities—for example, letting some strong, young Norscans escape into the forests of Krakalond, while Klar's sons had to bring back a token to prove the slaves were dead; otherwise, they would be barred from returning to the city forever.

In a previous trial, Mangir had successfully pursued and slain his target, cheering wildly upon his victory. He first smeared blood on his face, then gouged out the target's heart and took a deep gulp from it, and finally skinned and ate the target raw. Clad in blood-stained human skin, Mangir strolled back into Krakalond, earning his father's respect and making a name for himself.

Was it not enough that their affairs were scandalous? Perhaps the return of their Black Ark had given them too much confidence?

Darcus expressed his skepticism. Looking at the flickering image of Manul in the crystal ball, he teased, "My dear brother, are you sure? Is your legal brotherhood making such a grand show of leaving the city not a trap for us? Are we actually the real prey?"

On the other side of the crystal ball, Manul hesitated upon hearing this.

Seeing Manul's silent expression, Darcus rubbed his forehead with some anxiety.

The House of Hellfire placed great importance on blood ties, even more so than some clans from his previous life—at least, that was the case while the family's core Matriarch, Annasara, was present.

As a member of the direct lineage, there were many things Darcus could not distance himself from, nor could he ignore; instead, he had to participate actively.

Knowing that Manul was waiting for him, Darcus sighed and said, "Send a few experts out of the city, and contact Dastan of the Cold-Eyed family as well; tell him to bring a few experts too! I'll go meet your legal brothers. My dear brother, you know the price!"

Manul did not immediately grin and agree like someone whose face had suddenly changed; instead, he said with an even more solemn expression, "I'll consider it and give you an answer tomorrow."

Darcus shrugged and said to Alisha, who was continuously supplying mana to the crystal ball, "It looks like we have more work to do."

Alisha replied respectfully, "Please give your orders, My Lord."

Darcus snapped his fingers, stood up, and smiled sinisterly. "There is indeed something I need you to do. Come, let's go test those glowing green stones."

The test was simple: slaves would pick up dimensional stones of various sizes and place them on marked points. Nearby, straw targets and armor were set up for Black Ark crossbowmen to practice, used to detect the explosive power and kill radius of the dimensional stones.

These dimensional stones were stock from the Hag Grave mines. When they were first excavated five thousand years ago, they were abundant, but as mining deepened, they had run out. Now, one could only wait for dimensional stones to fall from Morslib, like a rain of green meteorites. However, meteorites usually fell in the dark lands of the Old World, and Naggaroth had no recorded instances of such falls. Fortunately, the stock in the House of Hellfire's warehouse was enough for Darcus to squander.

Dimensional stones had many names, such as Blackstone, Filthstone, Prophetstone, and Burnstone. They were a bright, greenish crystal substance, actually a solidified form of pure Chaos energy. Since the Winds of Chaos were the true source of all magical winds, Druchi sorcerers believed dimensional stones were the ultimate physical manifestation of pure magic. These things were extremely unstable; a bump, a scratch, or a magical surge could trigger a violent explosion.

Every race had different views and uses for dimensional stones. Four thousand eight hundred years ago, before there were so many rules, Nuker used an extremely high-end method to bribe the offspring of a Night Warden, who then sprinkled dimensional stone powder onto his father's sleeping bed.

Dimensional stones had no distinct scent, but they felt somewhat warm to the touch. Unrefined stones were highly toxic to all living beings; prolonged contact would lead to madness, mutation, and death. Furthermore, the addiction caused by long-term consumption was far greater than any other drug—an addiction that would never cease and would torment the victim for the rest of their life. One could imagine the fate of his father.

Consuming this stuff in powder form provided a high unlike any other. Of course, it was best eaten raw and chewed; it was said to have life-extending properties, and it was recommended to be taken with Slaaneshi musk—perhaps even the God of Love and Pleasure would give it a thumbs up.

Alisha was to use her mana to trigger the unstable dimensional stones to explode, testing how much distance and mana were required to detonate them.

Darcus was a Druchi who prioritized stability; he did not want to fumble or make a fool of himself at a critical moment. He wasn't filming a movie or a TV drama; he had no desire for any melodramatic, cliché scenes.

Naturally, such a dangerous and radioactive experiment would not be held in the stronghold, but at a downwind location outside. Those stiff Shadow-sticks still stood there, and they would have the honor of participating in this experiment.

Darcus stood on the fortress wall, covering his nose and mouth with silk and watching through a telescope, while Alisha began testing from near to far.

Darcus needed to supervise the entire process to ensure that the dimensional stones used in these experiments were completely exhausted, without leaving a single speck of powder. He did not want any Druchi coming to deal with him using such things.

Darcus was very satisfied with the experimental results. The explosion effect of the largest one in the box was definitely very yes! yes!

The next day, Manul contacted Darcus through the crystal ball again.

Looking at the equally flickering Darcus in the crystal ball, Manul said firmly, "Tomorrow, Dastan will go to the timberland. His family has agreed to join the game."

Darcus said plainly, "You know the price. Has Young Lord Nuker agreed?"

"The Young Lord told us to handle it ourselves. As long as the Matriarch is happy on the day of Hanir Hala."

In the eyes of Annasara and her son, these powerful Druchi nobles in the city of Krakalond were only suitable as practice targets and tools for the children of Hellfire.

Reality was often that cruel. Although everyone was Druchi, no one was truly "one of them"; the difference between one Druchi and another was immense.

To Darcus, this city of soaring spires was no different from a primitive slaughterhouse. The only luck was that he was the butcher, not the struggling livestock. But even a butcher must have skill; being knocked over by the cattle would be a laughingstock.

"I'm only sixteen. I'm young, a child, and still naive. Why do I have to deal with this crap? And why is all this crap happening at once? Isn't it said that a conspiracy needs a hundred years to ferment?"

Darcus thought for a long time before saying slowly, "Keep an eye on the movements of cults in the city lately. I have a feeling your fiancée is a cultist."

Manul nodded. "I suspect she is a cultist too. After all, we need a reason." He shrugged and continued, "But it doesn't matter. By the time it comes, she'll be one anyway."

The brothers ended their conversation.

Sorry, there is only one chapter today _(:з」∠)_

(End of Chapter)