socalfunplaces Chapter 269 The Ritual Problem of "Puppet"
Chapter 269 The Ritual Problem of "Puppet"
Chapter 269 The Ritual Problem of "Puppet"
The struggle against the "Iron-Blooded Cross" has temporarily come to an end.
However, the conflict remains. After all, the "Iron Blood Cross" has suffered two consecutive setbacks. If they seize the opportunity, they will definitely kill Raphael.
If Raphael has the chance, he will definitely take out some more members of the opposing team.
However, it is unlikely that the two sides will clash again in Backlund, because Raphael has completely unearthed and wiped out the Ironblood Cross's power in Backlund.
If they try to send more people to Backlund to expand their influence, Raphael will find a reason to eliminate them.
Raphael was under the protection of the Aurora Order in Backlund, and the demigods of the Ironblood Cross had no reason to enter Backlund to kill people, otherwise it would be tantamount to a complete declaration of war.
Although the Aurora Society appears to consist of only a few saints and more than twenty "middle-order" divine messengers, this organization also has angels. In a real fight, the "Iron-Blooded Cross Society" might not have the upper hand.
Raphael continued to practice diligently, and before he knew it, it was late February. Through constant practice of the Western Continent's techniques, Raphael's strength increased dramatically, and he felt that he could now fight a group of Sequence 5 opponents.
This also means that the "seclusion" phase has officially ended, and Raphael is ready to start making things happen.
Raphael stretched at the window and saw a procession outside.
He had been hearing a lot of noise outside for the past two days, but it hadn't really bothered him. He hadn't expected it to be a protest.
After listening to their slogans for a while, Raphael understood that these people were marching to urge the government to lower food prices and find a way to feed everyone as soon as possible.
Raphael doesn't know how high food prices have risen, but they have certainly seriously affected the lives of the middle class, and may even have affected their survival.
That's why there are protests; otherwise, if only the poorest people were starving, they wouldn't even have the strength to protest.
This also means that roughly half of the population in Backlund is starving.
Raphael ignored the protests outside, changed his clothes, and went to a bar to inquire about the situation of the four major grain merchants.
Currently, not only the four major grain traders, but all grain traders in Backlund are the subject of much discussion.
Everyone knows that these grain merchants still have grain on hand, but they are waiting and watching, hoping that the price of grain will continue to rise.
Raphael asked, somewhat puzzled, "Why don't those starving people go and steal food?"
Some people in the bar laughed, some were surprised, and some shook their heads in disdain.
At this moment, a middle-aged male customer said, "Sir, you must have never dealt with these despicable grain merchants before, have you?"
Raphael thought for a moment before saying, "We've dealt with each other twice."
It was those two episodes about "gluttony" and "greed".
"Then you should know that they've hired a large number of thugs to guard the granary," said the middle-aged patron with the bulbous nose. "And they've already bribed the police. Even if they beat someone to death, at most they'll pay a fine and be released."
Raphael didn't say anything more. He just felt that it was better to risk stealing than to starve to death.
If they get killed, so be it; they won't have to suffer anymore. If they don't get killed, the food they steal will be enough to keep them alive for a while longer.
However, in the frigid conditions of Backlund, no one was willing to be the first person most likely to be killed.
Raphael couldn't tell if they had been beaten into spineless by the Extraordinary Ones, or if no one was willing to resist at all.
He was too lazy to think about the problem and continued to inquire about the grain merchants.
Of the four major grain merchants in Backlund, the three who died earlier have all had their grain companies taken over by their heirs, while the remaining one frequently travels between Backlund and Prydz Harbor.
Theoretically speaking, to save his life, he'd better not go back to Backlund.
However, he was unwilling to give up the opportunity to speculate on grain prices and make huge profits.
So he kept traveling back and forth between the two places. If there was something that needed his personal attention, he would come back; otherwise, he would go to another place to hide.
By the time Raphael drank his second beer, he already had a new goal.
Just as Raphael was about to write his "premonition letter" after returning from the bar, he suddenly sensed something and looked at the glass in the window.
At some point, a woman with delicate features, wearing a long court dress and a soft hat appeared inside.
Raphael put down his pen and smiled, "Miss Sharon, please come in."
Miss Sharon's phantom "jumped" into the study: "Let's talk about the deal we discussed last time."
Raphael was stunned for a moment before he remembered that Sharon had considered trading the "Magic Source Scripture" before, but that was about two months ago.
"No problem, please have a seat," Raphael said immediately.
Sharon did not sit down, but said in a tone that was almost completely calm: "No need to have the servants serve tea, let's just talk about business."
Raphael smiled and said, "To start talking without even a few words of small talk is like—like lunch without an aperitif."
He originally intended to say "like sex without foreplay," but even though his mental state was occasionally off, he knew that he wasn't very familiar with Sharon and that making such a joke was inappropriate.
"I'm not here for lunch," Sharon said. "I intend to trade you for a method that can effectively alleviate the pain of the curse. Have you decided what you want in return?"
Raphael noticed that Sharon said "I" instead of "we".
Isn't this the kind of deal their organization wanted?
Raphael had already envisioned what he would receive in return: the materials and rituals to "prepare the puppet," or "the heart of the One-Eyed Demon of the Abyss" and its illusory dust.
The main ingredients of the "Puppet" potion are: the complete brain of the Cursed Four-Winged Bird and the heart of the Abyss One-Eyed Ghost.
The ritual involves possessing a demigod-level mummy, manipulating it to drink a potion while it is under a curse. The higher the mummy's level, the better the effect. However, the prerequisite is that one can withstand the curse attached to the mummy.
Raphael has already obtained the complete brain of the Cursed Four-Winged Bird from the Ironblood Cross, but is still missing another key ingredient.
Furthermore, Raphael still has no clues about the high-level mummies required for the ritual.
Sharon scrutinized Raphael carefully, clearly not expecting that he was already preparing to advance to demigod status.
The mummy she used for her previous promotion cannot be used again in the short term. It must be buried underground in a special way and used again after more than ten years, when enough vicious curses have accumulated.
So she said, "Neither of your two conditions can be met in the short term."
Raphael nodded: "I know."
"However, given the trust we've built up through our previous collaborations, I can give you the first part of the content first, so you can also check it out."
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