Chapter 16: Cruel process
Translated by: Chua
Edited by: TN and Elkassar
Seeing this list of notifications, Sheyan almost vomited blood. His gene mixes required raw materials to concoct, without access to the interspatial region, his support ability would be rendered utterly useless! Moreover, he wouldn’t have the privilege of regenerative foods and medicines! Yet more critically, ‘Ambition’ was stored inside his interspatial region. His explosive might had been reduced by half in an instance!
His only consolation was due to his reward for working for Saruman. The elf maiden Melody, Reef and him had been allocated a separate cell. Their drink came from the melted fresh snow by the mountains, their food wasn’t polluted by filth.
It was currently a sunny day, the sun had risen long ago. As Melody was about to continue meditating and cultivating under the sunlight, several furious and malicious uruk-hais stomped in from outside; binding them forcefully with a black rope. The ropes were made with a unique vine, it was extremely sturdy and unbreakable. Even Sheyan and Reef weren’t able to activate their active abilities! Naturally, Melody wasn’t able to invoke her nature magic. Sheyan sent a probing pulse detector to the black rope, receiving the relevant information.
(TN: He is still wearing his armor and helmet, just that they are disguised)
Black Moody whip
Weaver: Saruman, 4th secret body
Special item
Material: Blood, curse aura, Cold press crystal, Black cricket vine.
Duration: 12 hours
Usage: Binded target unable to activate any personal ability.
Weight: 0.3 kg.
Length: 140 cm to 210 cm.
This Black Moody Whip was extremely precious, personally crafted by Saruman, its sealing prowess was impregnable. Sadly, it had only 12 hours of existence, if not Sheyan really wanted to steal one for himself. However, it appeared like its toughness was not adequate, as the uruk-hais consecutively wrapped another sturdy rope around, absolutely securing their captives.
In this manner, the 3 of them were escorted out, slowly assembling together with other humans/dwarves/elves, curling and shivering with 7-8 others outside the prison. A group of fully equipped orcs and 3 of the tentacle creatures, ocean-freaks, that Sheyan had interacted with made up the guards; escorting them towards the east. After traversing through several shimmering, bare glacier mountains, they began to ascend towards the peak of an ice mountain, following a spiraling frosted pathway.
Sheyan noticed that this mountainous route was primarily formed by thick condensed ice layers, and contained several resting spots along the way. Some of the icy rocks had been grinded till extremely sleek, indicating the high frequency of this route being used.
Even though it was a bright day, the sunlight was drastically dismal in this region, completely not supplying any warmth. The winds carried bits of ice, blowing out ghostly and mournful shrills as they scraped against the ancient glaciers of centuries and millennials. In this environment, all of the captives were shivering and trembling in their hearts and bodies. Some even collapsed breathlessly in fear due to the high altitudes and the arduously harsh journey.
At this moment, the orcs laid bare their vicious appearance, beginning to use cruel methods to torture and usher the unwilling captives. Yet they only dealt internal injuries to the captives, not allowing blood to drop.
After being escorted to the icy peak, they continued along the long mountain ridge, braving the winds of winter. After roughly half an hour, the route ahead was no more. It was a plateau of ice and snow here, roughly the size of a basketball court. Icy stalactites tooth impaled out around them, beneath them was the ten thousand fathoms abyss. A long stone stage was erected in the middle, a person was lying down on it. A strange dark brown colored the rocks surrounding the stage, exceptionally contrasting amidst the pure white ice and snow.
By the side were numerous hastily chiseled stone basins, the crafting was done incomparably clumsily. A clutter of jumbled up rags laid in a mess beside, fluttering sporadically amidst the cold winds, like a torn yellowish paper with a tinge of stubborn toughness. Even though everything was unclear to them, their hearts welled up with an unfathomable sense of danger. Especially the other human captives, as they started to sob and wail uncontrollable, still trying to struggle against their fates.
The orcs and the ocean-mysteries remained motionless, they were prepared for this situation. The captives were bound strictly by the magical black ropes, any resistance was utterly futile.
At this moment, one of the ocean-freaks with a slightly bigger head than others slithered out from the parade of orcs. Using its tentacle to fiddle inside a bag, it retrieved a drinking pouch made of cowhide. It then pulled out its cork, and allowed the captives to drink its contents in succession.
The captives were obviously unwilling to drink anything at this moment. The ocean-freak first demonstrated by drinking a mouthful from that drinking pouch; then it retrieved a bowl and poured the liquid into the bow. A splendid blue liquid glittering with speckles of stars filled the bowl, it was thick and glutinous. Even though the bowl was firm, the liquid seemed to have a life on its own as it rippled proactively, tiny waves splashed against the side of the bowl.
The captives were originally injured after being captured, being imprisoned for days had weakened them, and now they were incomparably exhausted after trekking for so long. They gulped down the drink, even Sheyan was no exception.
Yet contrary to his expectation, this blue liquid was frighteningly cold, like an ice thread endlessly terrorizing down his throat into his belly. The sensation lingered for long, his body started to tremble unconscientiously; it was the feeling of being frozen alive. His chest and lungs flushed with an icy chillness, suddenly fatigue left his body. His body started to heat up, as though energy was being ignited in every bone and vessel of his body.
His nightmare imprint transmitted the following notification:
“You’ve drank an advanced gene mix: ‘Mucus of the Ocean-freak of Moria’. This is a powerful gene mix concocted personally by Saruman’s doppelganger, it is a secret dosage blended with the gene of the colossal octopus, ocean-freak of Moria, and various other materials.”
“Drink permanent effect: HP +50 points, MP +50 points. (This reward can be brought out of this world).”
“Drinking temporary effect: Your HP regeneration speed greatly increases. Every 10 seconds additional regeneration of 1 – 10 HP, duration lasts for 120 minutes.”
“Pointer: The worse the condition of the user, the more potent the gene mix will be, causing the HP regeneration to progress rapidly! However, residual repercussions may occur.”
“What are they trying to do?” Reef’s heart surged with delight after receiving such a random bonus just from drinking this liquid, he couldn’t resist asking Sheyan. They two carried no trace of fear, having the option to return to the realm.
Sheyan was normally an expert in reasoning, but in this instance, the strangeness of the situation left him speechless. The orcs and ocean-mysteries definitely harbored ill intentions bringing them here; but in the most desperate of desolation, they provided them with such a miraculous medicine drink!
After everyone drank their share of ‘Mucus of Ocean-freak Moria’, a short and grouchy orc stood out. Its face was filled with scars, looking like a little devil, its expression apathetic. Its eyes burned with an unexplainable fervor, a thick leather belt strapped against its waist. The orc’s face gave Sheyan a seemingly familiar feeling, probably having met him before back in the wizard tower.
Following that, two orcs seized a human captive and dragged the human up the stage, completely disregarding his struggles, finally tying him onto the stage. The stubby orc pulled out several sharp tiny knives from its waist, arranging them along the edge of the stage. The orc then licked the tiny knife blade in his hand, slowly carving open the captive’s arm. Under the bone-chilling screams and miserable shrieks of the unlucky captive, the orc started to leisurely slice his body in front of his very eyes!
Even though this matter was extremely cruel, the orc’s motion and attitude had no difference to certain humans when they slaughtered and skinned animals. In the orc’s eyes, elves and humans were equally like animals.
Instantly, Sheyan realized what those rags were by the side, they were actually dried up human skin; bare skin that was carved out gruesomely! Even the cold and calm Melody was gripped by terror, and started to tremble. Because this was the first time in her innocent life, she had discovered something so terrifying and gruesome in this world! Yet the suicidal abilities of the elves were completely sealed by the Black Moody Whip, even death was not an option!