When Jakob opened his eyes, a piece of shale skin fell from him piece by piece, showing Ma after the spell in front of him

ket West。 He breathed a sigh of relief to find that Heskel had succeeded in lifting the spell, otherwise he would not have been able to escape its control.

The mysterious price of the Stone Plague is that it takes over the summoner's body until the spell is completed, which means that either all living things are consumed and turned to stone, or the spell stops before all this happens.

He looked around at petrified stone carvings, writhing arms and crushed stomachs, and his imagination conquered him for a moment.

What if Heskel didn't stop the spell and let it continue?

If all this comes true, Jacob will now be the only living heir to this life-deprived world. It seemed like a rather cruel fate, but he was sure he could overcome the challenges it posed. At this moment a bird flew through the sky, and he noticed an industrial sound in the distance, and the stones in his inner ear turned to dust and disappeared, and his hearing was restored.

He took a breath of morning air and breathed a sigh of relief. Then he put on his scent mask and walked towards the place where the last bridge was supposed to be destroyed by Heskel.

The ground that had been gelatinous and half-alive a few hours ago was now like gravel, shattering with every step he took, leaving his boot prints in his wake. It didn't take long for him to discover the remains of Mersilla, her veins turned to stone, looking like a strangely shaped boulder. With no vessel to connect her to the world, she is banished into the circle of gluttonous saints she was once born into. Of course, if someone is stupid enough to repeat Jacob's arrogant mistakes, she can go back to reality and take revenge.

The houses around him had collapsed under the weight of the roof, and where there had once been a ravine, now only large holes and pits in the buildings and streets remained. The entire area had been reduced to ashes, but the stone walls of the sewers below seemed to be strong, otherwise he would surely find himself at the bottom of a large pit.

He poked the pile of flesh with his glove, it was Messira, and in a ripple the top layers of the flesh fell together, partially revealing the core of the Hulk, the vessel used to hold her soul during the summoning ritual. Satisfied that he had defeated her once and for all, he began to walk towards the bridge that Heskel had destroyed, which had been destroyed to stop the spread of the plague spell.

More than twenty dead royal guards froze on the other side of the destroyed bridge, opposite where the giant White was waiting for him. Most of them were frozen on the way to the center of the region, and there is no doubt that their mission was to investigate the sudden changes in the area.

"Fools," commented Jacob as he walked past the last two statues, which, unlike their companions, were in a hurry to cross the bridge. He slowly walked to the edge of the broken bridge.

"Don't blame the brute."

"What happens when the beasts are confronted by the people who caused their deaths?"

Heskel snorted mercilessly.

"We may have to find a new place to hide. District guards and guild adventurers are one thing, but the royal guards are accountable to the king. Grandfather made it very clear that we could not draw their attention to us. ”

"Kill them," he retorted.

"Don't be stupid. We're going to move before they find us. Helms Gardens is big enough. ”

A stunned voice came from the mouth of the White family.

"That doesn't mean we're cowards!" We're already hiding, so that won't change anything. Besides, you've seen the consequences of our greed for more than we can chew. Even Grandpa built his private house deep underground because he learned this lesson well. You've been with him for so long, you should know that. ”

As they stood on either side of the ruins of a bridge, Jacob noticed that Heskel's body was tense, and the stones of the bridge were now lying in the water below. Long before they were driven deep into the gutter by the king and their monster killers, they had been serving their grandfather for more than twenty years. It's still a painful topic, but Jacob thinks it's wise to remind him of his life as the result of irresponsible slaughter, careless experimentation, and wanton destruction. If a person ignores the lessons of their predecessors, they are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past.

"You either obey my command without question, or you go back to your former master and beg for forgiveness," Jacob said, trying not to show any concern about what might happen to the latter.

Heskel didn't want to know how he would be punished by his grandfather's wrath, but bowed his head in obedience.

"Okay, now help me cross the river. We need to get back to the guild before the king acts. I want that scroll. Stelgi and our new target should already be there waiting for us. ”

Cabell spat part of his bile and lunch on the cobblestones of the alley where they waited. His neck was still aching, where the monster's tendrils were tethered.

He joked, "I like to take risks, but that's too much for me."

The Lightning Girl immediately ignored him.

"What are we waiting for?"

Still no response.

He climbed down from the stone and observed the pale fellow, who was standing at the mouth of the alley, looking out at the square in the distance. She opened the door, and he took full advantage of that, sneaking closer to her and slowly pulling the knife from the scabbard on his back.

Then, a scorching jolt knocked his weapon away, and when he looked back, she was staring straight at him with her strange helmeted face. He threw up his hands in surrender, hoping that she would get close enough for him to pin her to the ground so he could escape. Of course, it was she who saved him from the demon's food, but apparently she was not his friend, and he had an uncanny feeling that she was not protecting him for his own sake, but for some purpose that was unlikely to be good for him.

"I just want to go home," he said, feigning fear to let her down.

Strangely, the creature just stood there, then tilted its head, as if not understanding what he meant, and pointed at him with a strange arm.

"Oh......"

The air began to shake, and he turned to run, but

Next to the place where he was lying on the cobblestones, someone was speaking some strange language. When he heard this, his chest hurt. His whole body was aching from the strenuous activity, and his ears were ringing, as if he were entangled in small bells.

The sound of the leather coat moving made him look up, only to see the face of the "leather robe" wearing a turban and a mask. The young summoner put his hand on Cabell's head and muttered a few more uncomfortable words.

"You're good." Then he said in words that Cabell could understand.

One hand grabbed the collar of his coat and helped him to his feet. A strange scent of flowers came to his nose, and he looked at the giant, who was also wearing a similar robe, wearing that terrible mask.

"Thank you." He couldn't help but whisper.

Why does it feel like he's looking at me like I'm having dinner?

"We're going to the guild. You come with us. Don't tell them what you see, and you can live. ”

"Don't worry," Kabel said to the boy.

"You stay outside and guard. If it looks like someone is coming to hurt or capture us, strike with lightning. Otherwise, just wait for us to come back. ”

"Master......" Stelgi heard the order. Disturbingly, her voice sounded a lot like Messila's, Jacob thought.

He turned to the hunters and switched to the Novarosian language. "Let's go."

They walked through the open doors of the guild hall, and there was a deafening silence around them, and those who had been sitting in line at the tables watched them enter. A round of cheers and applause followed. Several people immediately walked towards them, with the guild leader behind them. One of them patted Cabell on the shoulder.

The hunter smiled happily and said, "I think we're heroes, huh?"

After reporting to the guild leader, Cabell was left behind with his companions, and Jacob and Heskell returned to the guild vault. When the guild leader opens the door, let them go in first.

Although he looked worried, he eventually walked over to the sealed display case and performed the unlocking procedure. Then he handed the metal scroll to Jacob.

"What kind of material is this?" He asked, holding the scroll in both hands. It's surprisingly heavy.

"We believe it's tungsten. This is very rare, and our blacksmiths have no idea how it was made into such thin flakes. Its purity is perfect, something that no means we know can achieve. It's also very strange that it has strange letters written on it. ”

"So you don't know what it's for?" Really?"

"I have some ideas, but I don't know how to use it."

With the help of Heskel, Jacob unfolded the scroll. He froze at the sight of what was painted on it. Even White let out a grunt of surprise and awe.

"You don't know what it is," Jacob agreed. "Or you wouldn't have given it to me."

Through his psychic connection, the tail on his flesh-slit robe unfurled, shattering the guildmaster's right knee and knocking him to the ground.

Leaving the scroll in the hands of his lifeguard, Jacob walked over to Jidaman and bent down so he could look him in the eye. He took off his perfume mask and smiled eagerly.

"Please," the man pleaded with Jacob.

He reached for his head, grabbed his mouth, and held his head in place.

"I'll tell you what gift you gave me."

A creepy scream echoed through the guild hall, interrupting the ongoing festivities.

"What's that?" Cabell asked.

"I think that's the master," one of his bodyguards said worriedly. He left his post to celebrate the achievements of Cabell and his team.

Immediately, a group of corpses rushed up the stairs leading upstairs, each eager to help their guild leader.

"Aren't you coming?" One of them shouted at him.

"I lost my bow," he shouted. "Besides, what the am I going to do?"

Despite some insults at his manhood, Cabell was left alone by a few confused interns and receptionists left in the hall.

He knew very well what had happened to the guild leader, or rather, who had done something, so he did the only sensible thing he could think of and quickly walked out of the building.

Cabell had barely stepped out of the threshold of the gate when a heavy armor glove landed on his shoulder, stopping him.

"Where do you want to go?" A tall royal guard asked. He wears their signature silver armor with the royal coat of arms engraved on it, a proud eagle with outstretched wings and eyes of glittering amethysts and a bright purple armed jacket underneath. Two of his companions supported him, and six others had already moved into the building.

He felt like his heart was in shambles. Even in the face of a terrible demon, he had never been so scared. After all, demons can escape, but the Helmsgarten crown can find you even in the darkest corners of the continent, and the Royal Guard is its claw.

Before he could try to defend his innocence, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and his ears start to buzz. He hurried back towards the guards, a dazzling flash of light engulfing him and his two friends.

Before Cabell could regain consciousness, a familiar, wet, sticky rope wrapped around his neck and dragged him away.

"I think I let myself be taken away." Jacob replied as he looked at the lifeless guildmaster on the ground. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and put on his mask.

Heskeel clutched the scroll tightly, and Jacob feared he would break it.

"I want the scroll," he said, but White was reluctant to hand it over.

"Don't be so willful," Jacob reproached him. "Give it to me."

A thunderclap and a crackle of air rang out from outside the building, shaking the foundations even to the ground. After a while, they heard new voices coming from outside the closed vault, mixed with commotion.

After the guildmaster screamed in pain, they had to lock the door to keep the angry adventurers out, but now the newcomers were effectively smashing the door open, each thump slowly passing through the latches and steel hinges.

"We need to get out of here," Jacob said eagerly. "Give me the scroll, get that wall through," he said to Huskel, pointing to the wall that led to the street outside. He had no doubt that they could kill a couple of royal guards by surprise or a lone couple in open combat, but, even for Herskel, a whole force would be too big to confront head-on. At least if they want to survive. After all, they are the top monster-hunting legion hired by Helmsgarten, and many adventurers who have been joined by former Silver and above have joined their ranks, hoping for a chance to serve the royal family directly. Not to mention that a large percentage of them are powerful magicians. They are everything that the Adventurer's Guild doesn't have: well-trained, efficient, and deadly.

White reluctantly handed him the heavy burden, and then quickly smashed the stone bricks with a few punches. When the wall collapsed, they looked down at the pebbles 15 meters below.

Suddenly, the door at the other end of the treasure room was blown open, and a bitter cold wind greeted it, and several royal guards with weapons in hand were ready. They shouted something, but Jacob didn't hear it, for Heskeel grabbed him and jumped off the edge of the ruins.

Flame belts and ice spears followed them, and they landed far down the street below.

Like a meteor hitting the ground, Heskel's body left a crater in the street where he landed, and his heavy, durable body easily protected Jacob from harm.

After a while, Stelgi dragged the unconscious Cabel and ran over.

His lifeguard did not let go of the hunter, but set out towards the north of the market, the leatherman still in his arms, and the forged servants and the leashed hunter following them.

Cabell spat out a third breath of stinking water, coughing with runny nose and tears.

"I swear I'm going to die next time," he complained to his handler.

The young summoner turned to the Lightning Abomination and said a few words with his piercing tongue. The creature replied with its usual answer:

"The host ......"

"She'll be more careful," Jacob told him.

Cabell shrugged, spit still hanging from the corner of his mouth. "It doesn't matter anyway. I am now an accomplice in the crime, so sooner or later the king will catch me. ”

"You'll be safe with us."

"I don't have any other choice, do I?"

"No," he replied bluntly.

The hunter looked around and suddenly realized what the smell was coming from his nose.

"Why are we in the sewers?"

The summoner ignored him and instead shouted orders to his giant manservant. After a while, a crimson rope of blood twitched around his waist, dragging him forward until he began to actively follow.

Yes, there is one thing that is "too much" excitement......

They made their way through several areas underground, and suddenly, Stelgi froze, her arm crackling with the ever-increasing electrostatic charge. She is facing a deeper path to the bottom of the metropolis.

After a while, Heskel and Jakob heard the voices as well. Agile feet and claws, and strong drum-like legs for full throttle sprints. None of these sounds are human, that's obvious.

"He chose to act now......"

"Honor is the reward of the dead," Heskeel quoted the Creator.

"What happened? The hunter asked.

"A new enemy has joined the battle," Jacob replied. "We've got to hurry."

Heskel was in front, Stelgi was behind, and Cabel and Jacob ran through the tunnel as fast as they could. The hunters are obviously unfamiliar with the stone cities below these areas, but if necessary, Jacob can navigate blindly, thus guiding them to escape from the monsters of the deep sea correctly.

While Stelgi remained vigilant after they entered the tunnel underneath the North Market, they were safe for the time being. But Jacob wasn't stupid, he knew that his grandfather's monsters would stalk him wherever he went.

"Hey, did you see that?" Cabell asked, noticing something that neither Heskell nor the forged servant had noticed.

Jacob followed his index finger and noticed it too. A child-like creature with golden scales stood in the middle of the tunnel about twenty meters away, staring at them with big black eyes.

"Heskel, do we know of any other summoners in the North Market?"

"Nope."

Before Cabell could ask, Jacob turned to explain to him. "That's the little devil. Someone must have summoned it to track us. ”

"If I had my bow with me, I would have been able to kill it."

"If they're hacking the little devil somehow, it's already too late......"

Without warning, the little devil placed its claws on his upper and lower lips and began to twist his mouth wide, accompanied by a series of disgusting popping sounds and tearing skin and tissue. When Stelgi walked to the front, the air around them was filled with static, but before she could fight back, Jacob put his hand on her shoulder.

From the cracked stomach of the little devil crawled a tall figure, both familiar and unfamiliar to Jacob. He grew taller and his face was more reptile-like. His eyes glistened in the dim light of the tunnel, and his entire lower body was covered in red fur and his upper body was covered in jade green scales. Both of its arms now have claws, its horns have lengthened and its shape has changed, and its tail has grown muscles.

“Veks ?”

"I'm not Wex anymore. Fortuna is my name. They call me Lord of the Shining Tent. ”

Jacob took a step back. "Are you an enemy or an ally?"

"You helped me get out of that hellish prison of blades, and I should be grateful to you for something, so the answer depends on which one you prefer."

"We were hunted by our grandfather and the royal family."

"I'll give you shelter." The God of Wealth replied, as if he was just protecting them from the rain.

"I don't know what's going on," Cabell commented.

"Quiet," Jacob admonished him.

"So, what do you say?"

"The king of greed certainly doesn't give anything for free," he said obviously.

"Oh, but you owe a debt. Besides, a crafty person like you has the services I need. ”

Heskel wisely remained silent, but with a single glance at him, Jacob knew he didn't think it was a good idea to trust a demon lord. After all, they are in trouble because of a demon many times smaller than the God of Wealth.

Jacob handed the heavy scroll to the lifeguard and calmly told him, "No matter what happens, this scroll must not be lost."

He nodded solemnly in response.

"Lead the way," Jacob said to the Demon King.

They walked along the familiar sewer corridor, but after leaving the path that led to a manhole near the apothecary, they began to walk down the tunnels, which Jacob knew did not exist in this area before the arrival of the God of Wealth. He walked along these newly opened paths, and although he was momentarily at a loss, he realized that their destination was somewhere in the aristocratic district.

What's even stranger is that the stones in the tunnel slowly turn into some kind of strange golden alloy bricks, which shimmer inside. The scent of spices and stimulants wafted towards them from farther afield in the golden corridor. While he had witnessed this distortion of the western market firsthand, there was a chasm between the corrupt influence of Messira and the God of Wealth, not to mention the complexity of their influence. The Greedy King's soul was so powerful that the demons, imps, and other creatures of his homeland manifested around him, either in faint whispers, fleeting shadows, or in flesh bodies that were not usually able to remain firm in the mortal realm without the restraint of a summoner.

The farther they went, the stronger the aroma permeated the air, and the stronger the natural scent of the God of Wealth. Heskel is unsurprisingly indifferent, but Stelji and Kabel are soon enslaved by demonic vices, staring at the golden walls with fascination and desire. Jacob is slightly better, but most of his attention is focused on not being a victim of the spell.

No one in their right mind would summon a demon with such power because they have a tendency to permanently alter the fabric of reality. The Summoner's rule is not to summon creatures that you can't control. As far as Jacob knew, it was impossible for a mortal to bring a powerful demon to its knees. There are many stories of nations and city-states in mythology that fell into chaos overnight because powerful demons were summoned. This made Jacob start thinking about something.

"Why don't you expand your reach?"

"Why should I trample on the beautiful flowers around my territory?"

Realizing this, Jacob paused.

"Do you want to stay at Helms Garden?"

"I know that my relatives are notoriously contemptuous of the secular world, but there is no vice that affects humanity more than greed, and this city is especially prevalent. Hey, it's a haven of indulgence. ”

"You must fight off adventurers and knights. I can't imagine that they would leave you unchallenged. ”

The Demon King waved a clawed hand in the air. "It's none of my business."

"And what would you ask of me?" Jacob asked aloud, as he initially thought the demon wanted to return to the arms of the greedy saint.

Fortuna stopped, forcing Jacob's team to stop as well, and then he turned around and looked the "butcher" in the eye. "Transform me into a dragon