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Chapter 288 – The Mystery Artifact
I used magic to search inside of the High Lord’s body.
“Hmm? What is this?”
I detected something that had a suspicious energy around it, and so I pulled it out. It was right between the heart and the diaphragm.
I grabbed it with my right hand and tore it free.
“GAAHHHH!!”
The High Lord screamed.
By removing this, I had also removed any enhancements on the High Lord as well.
And just like that, his magic energy began to drop rapidly.
“To strengthen yourself by putting magic objects in your body. You do think of strange things.”
I muttered as I used magic to inspect the object.
It was about the same size as my fist, just like a human heart.
The material seemed to be fool’s gold, magic stone, and orichalcum.
Once this incident was over, I would have to ask Philly to analyze it.
Also, the magic circuits were complex and strange.
Even though Magic Exploration allowed me to see all of it, I could not understand what it was meant to do.
“This is amazing.”
I couldn’t help but mutter.
“Give that back! You filthy animal!”
The High Lord shouted angrily as he attacked. But I held him back with my left hand.
In the meantime, I continued to inspect the object with my right hand.
Yes, this was likely the thing that had opened up the hole in the divine protection barrier.
What was dangerous about these things, is you couldn’t just destroy them with brute force.
They had to be analyzed, and only after you fully understood the structure, could you destroy it in the appropriate manner.
If you just destroyed it by brute force, there was a fifty percent chance that the object’s function would stop and the hole would close up.
However, there was no predicting what would happen with the other fifty percent.
It could lose control, and perhaps the hole would just get larger.
There was even the possibility that the core of the divine protection barrier could break.
“This is very complicated.”
“Let go of it!”
It was troublesome having to analyze it while fending off a furious High Lord.
“You better die.”
And so I used the Devil King Sword in my left hand to cut off his head.
I also cut him vertically as well.
“…You will be punished for this.”
“Shut up.”
Just as he was about to transform into mist, Lord Gerberga cried.
And so the High Lord was turned into ash.
‘Thank you, Lord Gerberga.’
“Cluck-cluck.”
‘The thralls have turned into ashes!’
‘That’s good to know. So I guess this High Lord was their master.’
If the one who turned them into thralls died, then they would die as well. And those who were charmed would be freed.
So all of the charmed who we had locked up in the room earlier have likely regained their senses as well.
I would have to go and look.
“And now…”
Since there was no High Lord to pester me, I could focus on analyzing it.
That is what I thought…
“He died so easily…”
“What a shame. He could not even carry out the True Ancestor’s order…”
Two vampires appeared as if growing from the floor.
Up until now, I had not been able to detect their magic energy at all.
They had slipped through the floor, just like how wraiths could move through walls.
Their bodies were semi transparent, and looked like they were partially made of myst.
Lord Gerberga must have thought the same thing.
“Cock-a-doodle-dooo!!!”
He crowed loudly.
However, neither of the vampires turned into ashes.
“Hmph. A god fowl. That won’t work on us.”
“Cluck?”
Lord Gerbera was shocked.
‘There must be some trick to it. After all, if they are vampires, then they cannot be immune to your voice, Lord Gerberga.’
“Cluck.”
And then the two vampires seemed to materialize completely as they stood on the floor.
As far as I could see, they were completely whole, ordinary vampire High Lords.
‘So a new type appeared? We’ll go and help you.’
‘We have tied up the ambassador.’
Now that the thralls had turned into ash, the lone ambassador could do nothing against them.
‘Thank you. I would like to focus on analyzing this object.’
‘Leave it to us!’
Shia and Serulis rushed into the room immediately.
And they attacked the two High Lords.
“We have come to kill that sorcerer.”
“You two child apes should stand back!”
The High Lords unleashed their magic as they attacked Shia and Serulis.
However, Shia and Serulis dodged all of the attacks and slashed at them with their blades.
Shia and Serulis’s attacks were sharp. And both High Lords had to unsheath their swords to defend themselves.
The two High Lords widened their eyes in surprise.
They did not think that Shia and Serulis would be this strong, due to being young.
“You aren’t even worthy of fighting Mr. Locke!”
“Indeed. Children can easily deal with the likes of you.”
“You mock us!”
The High Lords became more ferocious with their attacks, but Shia and Serulis just swept them aside and attacked even harder as well.
Eventually, the High Lords were pushed back, and it was clear that they had become frantic.