After entering the portal, Izroth and the rest of his party arrived back at the tree where the entrance to the crusade was originally hidden.
However, both the tree that led to the hidden passageway and the illusion had vanished without a trace.
"It doesn't look like anything has changed since we entered the crusade." Colorful Nimbus commented.
"Tempest and their allies are probably focused on solidifying their foothold along the Demilitarization Belt. The chances of them crossing the border any time soon, while not completely impossible, remains fairly low. Still, at times, even if you hope for the best, it is better to prepare for the worst so that you are not caught off guard." Niflheim stated.
"Well, I'll be sure to keep an eye out on the way back to my outpost. It wasn't easy obtaining permission to leave the area I was stationed. Lucky for me, the Captain I'm under is a kindhearted person. Though since I assured them I would return by the end of the day, I should keep my commitment." Colorful Nimbus said as he looked over towards Gram.
He then continued, "You tagging along with me on the way back, Gram?"
Gram gave a small nod in response. Since he was stationed under the same Captain as Colorful Nimbus, naturally, Gram also made a promise to return by the end of the day.
"It's a shame we have to part ways so soon. However, I hope both of you have a safe journey. It's been a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e." Sacred Blade said.
"Likewise. And, if you ever come across something interesting in the future, be sure to give us a call." Colorful Nimbus commented.
He then faced Morrighan and said with a playful grin, "You, too, beautiful. If you ever call, I'll drop everything and come running at once, you know? We can even call it a date-"
"Shall I help expedite your return to your outpost? Of course, it will be free of charge." Morrighan said as the palm of her hand released a faint purple hue.
"Ha… A joke—just a joke. But, I'm afraid I'll have to decline your generous offer. Let's go, Gram." Colorful Nimbus chuckled.
"I suppose I should get going as well. Niflheim, Palace Master Izroth, Phantom Queen—I would like to express my gratitude to all of you once again. If not for your help, I fear conquering the first stage would have been our limit." Sacred Blade mentioned.
Niflheim shook his head and replied, "Honestly, we should be the ones thanking you. Without your invitation, none of us would have gotten the rare opportunity to participate in a crusade."
"He's right. A crusade is not easy to come by even if one were actively searching for them. As for the favor you owed me—you can consider it repaid." Izroth stated unhurriedly.
"That puts my mind at ease." Sacred Blade said sincerely. He was not the type that enjoyed being in debt to others. Therefore, he was glad that he got the chance to pay back the favor he owed Izroth for saving him during the Great Sea Palace raid.
That being said, a part of Sacred Blade could not help but feel as though he still somehow owed Izroth. After all, it was Izroth who cleared the third stage and allowed them to emerge as the victors.
Once he finished giving his thanks, Sacred Blade took his leave. Fortunately, he was not stationed too far away from their current location and it would only take him about an hour or two to reach his destination.
"I'm going to check out the surroundings for a bit," Niflheim said as he purposely excused himself.
He knew that Izroth and Morrighan still had a few things to settle; therefore, he did not want to get in their way.
The moment Niflheim left, Morrighan opened her inventory and removed a dark circular object. At the object's center was something that resembled the ancient Eye of Ra, but the eye was currently closed.
'The energy it gives off doesn't come close to the Twin Epoch Sentinels, but… it certainly emits an aura that makes one feel uneasy. Just what kind of magic item is it?'
Simply by looking at the magic item, it made Izroth feel as though his mind was being slowly pulled in by an irresistible force.
"This is the A-rank magic item I promised you. It is called the Eye of Macabre. I will apologize in advance as I have already used it twice. However, I assure you, it is not an item that will disappoint you." Morrighan said as she handed off the Eye of Macabre to Izroth.
Izroth accepted the item as he immediately gave it a closer inspection.
Name: Eye of Macabre(Magical Item)
Rank: A
Durability: 120,084/125,000
Uses: 8/10
Usage: When activated, the user summons the «Eye of Macabre». Every time a skill that uses an energy source is used, the «Eye of Macabre» will open a little. Once the «Eye of Macabre» is fully opened, it causes all enemies who meet its gaze, regardless of distance, to become trapped within a terrifying and powerful illusion for 1 minute. Those trapped inside the illusion have all healing reduced by 75% and experience a temporary time dilation of 1:10 for the duration. In addition, every 10 seconds, they will suffer 1,500 + [12.50%(0.50% for boss-type monsters) of their maximum health] as pure damage. Damage from this skill ignores shields. This illusion cannot be dispelled through normal methods. After the illusion ends, if the target is still alive, they will suffer 2.5%(0.10% for boss-type monsters) of their maximum HP as pure damage every second for the next 30 minutes or until they die.
'Interesting. An AOE crowd control ability that's also able to inflict a great deal of damage over time. Moreover, it deals pure damage, meaning defenses and resistances are useless against it. It also ignores range, activating as long as the target looks at the summoned eye. It is the perfect magic item for a magic caster. Yet, she was willing to wager it away?'
The Eye of Macabre was a powerful magic item regardless of who was the one wielding it; however, there was no doubt that magic casters would benefit the most from it. After all, it could buy them valuable time to cast spells or escape in a dangerous situation while letting the effect take place.
The fact that Morrighan was willing to part with it somewhat surprised Izroth.
"If you had offered this along with the information regarding the Immortal Hydra's blood, there would have been no need for you to risk losing a wager. I would have accepted your trade. Can it be that you actually enjoy gambling more than you let on?" Izroth stated as he placed the Eye of Macabre into his inventory.
Izroth collected an entire cauldron's worth of Immortal Hydra blood. Even for the information contained within the ancient scrolls alone, he would have been willing to part ways with a small portion of the blood.
Morrighan was visibly taken aback by Izroth's words.
He was the owner of the first player-owned shop, the Mystical Realm Palace. In addition, he held the first place spot on the Event Leaderboards and had numerous other achievements under his belt.
In Morrighan's mind, that type of person, without a doubt, would be incredibly arrogant and proud—no matter how well they tried to hide it.
Morrighan believed that if she had merely offered Izroth a trade, he would have turned her down. But, if she made the offer in the form of a wager, Morrighan knew that Izroth's pride and arrogance would not allow him to reject the wager. At least, this was the Phantom Queen's original thought process.
"It was an error in judgment on my part. I can only reflect upon my choice so that such a mistake does not occur again in the future." Morrighan admitted as she inwardly sighed.
She then changed the topic and continued, "I have the ancient scrolls in my possession, but I hope you can wait for a day or two. I can't give you the scrolls themselves since they are soulbound to me; however, I will copy their contents and deliver them to your Mystical Realm Palace. At that time, I hope we can further discuss the matter of the Immortal Hydra's blood."
"Since it's out of your control, I can only wait. Then, I will be looking forward to your arrival at my Mystical Realm Palace." Izroth said with a carefree expression.
After exchanging a few words and accepting Morrighan's friend request, the Phantom Queen pointed her wand at the ground as a magic circle formed beneath her feet.
"Until we meet again, Izroth." Those were Morrighan's last words before she vanished along with the magic circle.
'Oh? She's also capable of using teleportation magic? How useful.'
A few moments later, Niflheim returned after being contacted by Izroth.
"So? What's the plan now?" Niflheim asked curiously.
"First, I need to return to Amaharpe to take care of a few things. Once that's settled, we will need to prepare for the upcoming attack on the Night Lord's Crypt." Izroth answered as he began walking, accompanied by Niflheim.
He paused for a second and then continued, "And… don't you think it's about time our Division gets a few new faces?"
