Chapter 353: The Withering Plague

The flesh was black not from decay but its original color.

Helag sensed the life force within the flesh.

The setup suggested no one had visited for many years.

Yet, the flesh in the glass chamber remained active.

Helag examined the room, finding it narrow and sparse.

He noticed an array connected to the castle’s main array.

The array’s purpose was unclear, but Helag suspected it maintained the flesh’s vitality, with the castle’s array centered around it.

The castle’s owner likely left the flesh here, using the array to prevent decay, intending to retrieve it later.

The owner was likely a powerful wizard, evident from the potion materials cultivated.

The flesh likely came from a powerful being, possibly an Abyssal god-level entity.

The owner dared to study it, indicating considerable strength to avoid backlash.

Helag pondered whether to absorb the flesh’s bloodline power with his Great Dark Heaven spell.

Uncertain of the flesh’s origin, Helag hesitated to absorb its power.

It likely came from a strong Abyssal entity.

Taking it for further study was impossible; removing it from the chamber would cause rapid decay.

Helag had to decide here whether to absorb the bloodline power.

He extended his hand, an ancient stele’s phantom appearing behind him.

Helag decided to absorb the power.

His body already contained the Thunder God bloodline, stronger than the flesh’s.

Any issues could be suppressed by the ancestral bloodline.

Helag used Great Dark Heaven, his magic contacting the flesh, absorbing strands of bloodline power.

The power circulated through his body, settling in his bloodline mark.

Helag’s bloodline mark felt warm, subtly changing with the absorption.

After ten minutes, Helag ceased, having absorbed all the bloodline power.

The flesh in the chamber dulled, its life force nearly gone, becoming ordinary meat.

Without the bloodline power, it couldn’t maintain activity.

Helag closed his eyes, sensing the absorbed power.

He gained a new talent, “Withering Plague.”

“Withering Plague: Absorb life force from living beings.”

Helag understood the talent’s function.

Simply put, Withering Plague absorbed life force, enhancing his own.

Life force could extend lifespan or rapidly heal injuries.

Currently weak, Helag could only absorb life through touch.

Stronger, he could absorb life from beings within sight.

Helag considered the Withering Plague’s relation to the continent-wide blight.

He realized his talent mirrored the blight, both being the same power.

The blight’s creator was immensely powerful.

Helag couldn’t fathom the strength needed to blight a continent for so long.

The blight had absorbed life for countless years.

That life force, if funneled to one being, would be immense.

Imagining such power, Helag felt awe.

Yet, perhaps the creator deemed it insignificant.

Causing such widespread, enduring blight suggested power beyond typical Abyssal gods.

Integrating Withering Plague altered Helag’s bloodline mark.

But without full activation, Helag couldn’t discern the changes.

Having absorbed the power, Helag prepared to leave, finding nothing else in the basement.

Sensing something, Helag’s expression changed, closing the basement door.

Outside the castle, spatial ripples appeared, and six people materialized.

Five men and a woman, led by a white-bearded elder, the others appearing in their twenties or thirties.

Wizards’ ages couldn’t be judged by appearance.

The elder’s strong magical aura marked him as a second-level wizard.

The others were first-level wizards, ranging from gaseous to crystallized.

“Professor Buck, your teleportation coordinates still work after so long, impressive,” Martina praised, patting Buck’s horse.

Buck eyed his shapely student approvingly, placing a hand on her back, “I’m old, but I still have some skills.”

The others seemed unfazed, accustomed to such behavior.

Seeing this, they flattered Buck.

Buck enjoyed the praise, “Bringing you to the polluted zone is to broaden your horizons. You’ve been sheltered too long, unaware of the dangers outside. This can’t continue; you need experience.”

“With you, we’re safe,” Martina clung to Buck’s arm, rubbing against him.

Buck enjoyed it, but maintained a serious expression, “I can protect you for now, but not forever. Ultimately, you must rely on yourselves.”