Chapter 342 : Chapter 342

Chapter 342: The Sacrificial Ritual

At this moment, as they watched my departing figure, they couldn't help but feel a little wistful.

Although it was just a brief meeting and a simple chat, they had felt a considerable gap.

Along the way, the so-called apprentices or the scholars who actively struck up a conversation with them all seemed to respect them as outsiders.

Even a few words of conversation would lead back to Little Han.

That kind of look in their eyes couldn't be faked.

And they would subconsciously think that they were very powerful, and some even wanted to ask them very professional questions, which scared them into quickly waving their hands.

And just as they were about to continue forward, they were stopped by the security personnel in the base.

"I'm sorry, you two ladies. The area ahead is a critical experimental zone. You cannot enter without the corresponding clearance."

"Huh?"

The group that was stopped was a little surprised, but then they also expressed their understanding.

After all, the base was not a place for outsiders to just wander around.

Many places had a high level of confidentiality, and were even dangerous.

It was impossible to enter without the corresponding clearance.

"Huh? But you shouldn't be able to stop us, right? What would you do if an outsider tried to force their way in?"

At this moment, Ai Ke, who was more talkative, asked curiously.

"This question... I'm sorry. If we cannot stop them, we will immediately report it and put them on the extraordinary research base's blacklist. Even the entire underground city will not welcome him. We will unite with other outsiders to expel them. Of course, if the trespasser causes relatively serious consequences, the senior management may notify Scholar Little Han. With Scholar Little Han's rigorous attitude towards knowledge and research, I don't think she would sit idly by."

"Huh, no... notify Big Sis Little Han?"

"Yes, are you all friends with Scholar Little Han?"

"Of course! I've fought side by side with Big Sis Little Han. We're very good friends!"

Ai Ke patted her somewhat flat chest and said.

"So that's the relationship. But I'm sorry, you still cannot enter the area ahead. This is a very high-scale containment area that Scholar Little Han participated in building. The danger level is very high. Without special authorization, we cannot let you pass."

"Huh?"

Ai Ke didn't expect that even this wouldn't work.

It seemed there was no hope.

But the more the other party said this, the more their hearts itched.

Especially after learning that this was a containment area, what on earth was being contained to have such high-spec treatment?

"Um... can I ask what exactly is being contained in here?"

"Most of the Nightmares that have appeared in the underground city so far are contained here."

"Huh? You're revealing this to us so easily!"

"This is not confidential information. If you really want to know, you can find out by asking around in the base or by asking Scholar Little Han directly. But I cannot tell you the deeper information. Also, please do not trespass."

In the end, Tan Han and her group did not insist.

Otherwise, it would not do them any good to ruin their reputation.

With the large influx of outsiders this time, the most excited ones were naturally the scholars or technicians in the base.

But after a period of contact with the other party, their enthusiasm had also decreased by more than half.

They also understood one thing in their hearts: not all outsiders were as powerful as Scholar Little Han.

Since they were not the same kind of people, then there was no need to be polite.

That kind of "strangers keep away" and strange temper that belonged to scholars naturally revealed itself, mostly by ignoring them.

After all, in the circle of scholars, they were the ones standing at the top of the food chain of contempt.

Many scholars' evaluation of these outsiders was that they felt they were not as good as... the apprentices of the base.

"Ugh... ah, those scholars really change their faces too quickly, don't they? I'm so curious how Big Sis Little Han manages to get along so well in such an environment. When they mention Big Sis Little Han, they all look so respectful."

After walking out of the base, Ai Ke kicked a stone on the roadside and said a little angrily.

After all, she was a student of the Dwarf Academy, and dwarves' tempers were not necessarily good.

And the dwarf forging technique she had mastered was actually evaluated as "iron-smithing"!

If it weren't for the fact that she hadn't learned more advanced forging techniques at the academy, she would have really wanted to slap them hard in the face!

"Maybe this is Little Han's charm? And... even if the other party doesn't say anything, we should also be very clear. If we also have the ability to capture Nightmares, contain them, and research them, maybe we can also get similar treatment," Tan Han said to Ai Ke with a smile.

"Capture Nightmares... I can kill Nightmares, but it's a bit troublesome... how is it possible to capture them alive? Nightmares don't have a specific body, they're very cunning!"

"That's right. And don't forget, the Earth Patrol Team is also equipped with a weapon called the Type I Nightmare killer. Maybe it's also a product of the research on Nightmares..."

"Nightmare killer... oh! It seems there was indeed this in the batch of armaments that Ninglan Qiuyue brought up from the underground city before... I'm so envious... how does Big Sis Little Han know everything?"

...

As the huge blackout cloth covered the radiance of the Earth Vein, the underground city also entered nighttime.

After I left the base earlier, I was thinking of going back.

But after some consideration, I still didn't decide to go back immediately.

First of all, one thing was very clear, and that was that Ninglan Qiuyu and the Nightmare Demon were indeed in collusion.

The probability of all three Nightmare Demons lying was not high.

Plus, there was indeed a Nightmare Demon on Ninglan Qiuyu, which confirmed this even more.

And before evening, the city guards had already retreated to the surface and begun to prepare for the new City Lord's inauguration speech.

But the main character, Ninglan Qiuyu, did not go up with them.

Plus, Ninglan Qiuyu's ambition to unify the surface and the underground, and the thing he had that could summon the Nightmare Demons, with these conditions combined, I could guess what the other party might do even with my eyes closed.

The only thing I didn't know now was in what form the other party would bring disaster to the underground city.

But the only thing that could be confirmed was that this young man, Ninglan Qiuyu, couldn't wait and had already started to act now.

It just so happened to be at the point when I was going back to rest, and I ran into him not far from the base on my way back.

The area I was standing in at this moment was the place where they had been before.

They had left a very complex pattern here, a blood-red pattern.

It was obviously a kind of magic circle, or rather, a ritual, prepared with blood.

I could feel the aura of the transcendent power unique to the Nightmare Demon in it, but more seemed to be the fluctuation of soul-substance.

In other words, their drawing of this bloody ritual meant that one or even more people had already died.

"What is this thing... a thing to summon a Nightmare Demon?"

I frowned and looked at the complex arrangement and combination of runes on it.

This was a combination method of runes that I had never seen before, so I didn't know its specific effect.

Perhaps I would have been very troubled before, but not now.

You know, my main body had teleported over, so I naturally had everything I needed.

Then, my hand took out something from my storage equipment.

It was the portable Earth Vein operating system.

I hadn't used it for a while.

But since it was so close to the Earth Vein here, the startup speed was very fast.

It was easy to rely on this to simulate the effect that this ritual could achieve.

Of course, I could also use the Dream Rewrite Spell to replicate a copy in the dream to try, but I was also afraid of accidents.

What if I really summoned a Nightmare Demon?

So, to be safe, I used the Earth Vein operating system to simulate it.

It was also convenient to back up a copy.

Of course, the main thing was convenience.

After some operation, I finally made this ritual run successfully on the Earth Vein system.

After the system's analysis, this seemed to be a sacrificial ritual.

Some structures showed that this seemed to be a part of a large-scale ritual, because this independent ritual was not complete, and seemed to have a structure that linked with other rituals.

But one thing could be confirmed, and that was to sacrifice flesh, blood, and soul-substance to summon an unknown existence.

This was all the possibilities given by the Earth Vein operating system.

"Sacrifice... flesh, blood, and soul-substance. This Ninglan Qiuyu is going to make a big move," after figuring it out, a cold sweat broke out on my back.

Although I also didn't like those ordinary people in the underground city, at least up to now, I hadn't planned to kill them.

And Ninglan Qiuyu had no grudge against these people, yet he directly sentenced these ordinary people to death and directly treated them as consumables.

"Oh? Isn't this Miss Yang Yuehan? I really didn't expect us to meet here."

A sudden voice sounded behind me.

It was shockingly Ninglan Qiuyu, whom I had thought had already gone far.

"Hmm? Indeed," I put away the Earth Vein operating system and looked at Ninglan Qiuyu at this moment.

I didn't think I would be exposed so quickly, but I still didn't understand why they would kill a carbine.

Unless... they knew I was following them.

But how was that possible?

"I wonder if Miss Yang Yuehan can pretend that nothing happened?"

Ninglan Qiuyue subconsciously touched her chest, the pendant that was somewhat similar to Ninglan Qiuyue's.

I could feel the aura of a Nightmare Demon inside.

"Of course. I can't be bothered to meddle in your crappy business."

"Hehe, as expected of the outsider who can see the Nightmare Demon. It seems my emphasis on you was not wrong."

"Are you going to have a showdown with me?"

I thought the other party would just let it go.

I didn't expect that I wouldn't play by the rules, and the other party would have a showdown first.

"You can think so. Did you kill the Nightmare Demon on Ninglan Qiuyue?"

"Who else?"

"I see you haven't shown any surprise so far. You haven't started to suspect me from the beginning, have you?"

"Yes."

"Then why didn't you expose me?"

"Because I can't be bothered to meddle in your crappy business."

And I had already revealed this matter to the senior management of the base.

But looking at the other party's attitude, this was... they hadn't been informed yet?

"You can't be bothered to meddle, but I can't just pretend I didn't see you."

"Oh?"

I looked at Ninglan Qiuyu and the two personal guards beside him.

I could also feel the aura of a Nightmare Demon on the personal guards beside him.

This was directly letting the Nightmare Demon occupy their bodies.

Did the Nightmare Demon have such a method?

Plus, the Nightmare Demon had also shown a similar method to the Nightmare before, pulling the consciousness of the city guards into the dream.

Then the means of this Nightmare Demon were more terrifying than I had imagined.

But looking at them approaching me so recklessly, I confirmed one more point, that is, the senior management of the base had also not revealed my strength to him, and... the matter of me being able to interfere with both the dream and reality.

Just this, just this?

How dare they?

"So you're treating me as a thorn in your side?"

"Of course. I started to take you seriously when I knew you could see the traces of the Nightmare Demon. I even started to be wary of all outsiders. But after testing, it seems only you are special. Then it's simple."

"Is that so? So you went to such great lengths just to get rid of me?"

"Great lengths?"

A strange smile appeared on the corner of Ninglan Qiuyu's mouth at this moment.

"How can it be great lengths? Dealing with you is just a side matter..."

"The main thing is to sacrifice the commoners here?"

I said it before him.

Although it was a question, my tone was very certain.

"Hehe... the guys at the base hold you in high regard. It seems you really have some knowledge. You even have some understanding of the Nightmare Demon's methods. It seems the relationship between you outsiders and the Nightmare Demon is really not ordinary, huh?"

"Guess whatever you want, but don't associate me with those disgusting things," I said in a low voice.

But looking at the two personal guards who were gradually approaching me, my spellbook was also in an activated state, ready to kill these two guys at any time.

"And... who gave you the confidence that two Nightmare Demons are enough to take me down?"

"How do you know if you don't try?"

Just as the other party said this to me with a smile, two slender focused Fireball spells directly pierced through the foreheads of these two guys.

Even though I knew these two guys were just puppets controlled by the Nightmare Demon, and that they were innocent, I wouldn't be soft-hearted at this time.

With two thuds, these two people fell to the ground.

Even the two Nightmare Demons controlling them were completely killed in the powerful and sudden spell.

The bursting Fireball spell of the focused compression ignited their bodies in an instant.

In the next moment, the two bodies that fell to the ground turned into charred bodies.

At this moment, the smile on Ninglan Qiuyu's face froze.

Fear grew in his contracted pupils.

He dared to personally come over and drive the Nightmare Demon to kill the other party, wasn't it because he was relying on the fact that the outsider was in the dream and couldn't harm him?

He looked at the two charred bodies on the ground.

Those were living, breathing people in reality just like him!

Subconsciously, Ninglan Qiuyu's body began to tremble uncontrollably.

It was the sorry state of someone who had been living a pampered life when facing death.

Fear had already taken over his body.

The smell of burnt flesh from the two people in front of him stimulated his nostrils, making him understand that he had provoked the wrong person at this moment.

In the next moment, the other party's knees went weak, and he knelt directly on the ground.

"Don't... don't kill me..."

He pleaded with a voice that was almost trembling, his posture so low as if he wanted to drill into the ground.

"Sigh... if you knew this would happen, why did you... hmm?"

Just as I was sighing and thinking about how to deal with the current situation, a strong aura suddenly erupted from Ninglan Qiuyu's body.

A dark power slowly emanated from his body, and Ninglan Qiuyu's limbs tensed up, his muscles bulging, directly tearing open his clothes.

And the Nightmare Demon in that pendant also appeared at this time.

"You should have accepted the blessing of the abyss long ago. Only with power are you qualified to completely become the new king of Ninglan New City. Your previously weak body was just your shackles."

"I also have to thank you," this Nightmare Demon said, her gaze turning to me.

And I was not polite either.

I backhanded a focused Fireball spell.

Tch—!

The other party waved her hand and propped up a shield, blocking this blow.

"Don't play these little tricks in front of me. They're still okay for dealing with some of my clones."

"Clones?!"