Extraordinary Pedigree.

Chapter 722: The Dark Lord's Turmoil: Blood of the Grey Harbor Dead (II)

11:00AM.
port area.

Amid the howling of the sea breeze, students from the Deer Academy, Emerald Guardians and members of the Wilson Wildlife Response Team are busy coordinating and calming the white-haired whale Trenco at sea.

This group of magical creatures were rising and falling with the waves, and their white fur emitted a cold glow in the dim light.

Camille Schiffini, the prefect of the Deer House, stood at the front of the line, holding a 10-inch wand.

She gently waved her wand, and deep blue light spread out from the end of the wand like water waves, and the ocean was suddenly shrouded in a layer of spiritual space.

She activated [Thaumaturge Term: Mind Interference], extended her telepathy to the sea surface, and entered a state of mental communication with the Trenkos.

Under this gentle force, Trenco's huge body gradually calmed down, stopped swimming violently, and floated obediently on the water.

Next to her, the leader of the Emerald Guardians, Eldris Valorien, was also directing her members to cooperate in containing Trenko.

She is a half-elf druid with flowing silver hair, wearing a green robe, and has a calm and majestic temperament.

Eldris whispered a natural spell and waved her hands gently, summoning a gentle wind to caress Trenko's back.

The member beside him, Kallian Stoneheart, used [Natural Form] to transform into a giant turtle, and slowly swam towards an agitated Trenco. His solid turtle shell protected him from being hurt by the swing of its tail.

Behind him, Senna Moonshadow leaped lightly onto the back of the Trenko. She transformed into an agile leopard and moved nimbly between the Trenko to help them stabilize.

Eldris looked at the wand in Camille's hand and couldn't help asking:

"You are the prefect of Deer Hall? Wand casting is not a compulsory course, but if you are a member of the student union of the Mystic Group, especially a prefect, a wand is standard. After all, most of the professors in the Mystic Group are blue-robed wizards."

Camille calmed down a nearby Trenco, patted its back gently, and watched it calm down before answering Eldris:
"The third-year head of the Deer Academy Mysticism Group, Camille Sifani, my mentor is the head of the Magical Knowledge Group, Hiro Nimus, majoring in political science, parapsychology, and mysterious animal protection."

Eldris nodded in understanding, looked at the wand in Camille's hand, and continued:
"Professor Nimus, no wonder, her thaumaturgical language programming is indeed first-rate, and her wand-making skills are also learned from Master Ollivander. The trunk of your wand is made of vine wood, and the core is... the antler of the burning deer, right?"

Camille smiled and replied, "Well, I have a Burning Horn Deer as my contracted beast, and it is also my Expected Guardian."

Eldress looked thoughtfully at Trenco, who had just been calmed down, and said slowly:
"You guys brought a magic suitcase, didn't you? Not the kind that can be expanded using the 'Forbidden Magic: Untraceable Extension Charm', but the kind that can actually hold magical creatures, like the Scamander suitcase in the Fog City?"

Camille nodded and gestured to the team of students behind him.

The ghost that had been floating behind the team, Lifen, floated over timidly.

As a ghost, he always looked a little embarrassed, but now, he needed to show some magic. He carefully reached into his empty abdomen and pulled out a beautiful suitcase in front of everyone.

The suitcase glowed with a faint magical light, and the surface was engraved with complex magical runes.

The surface of the box is as smooth as crystal, with a light silver luster. Four small gems are inlaid on the four corners of the box, symbolizing different elements.

There was a faintly glowing mosaic seal on the lock of the box, which had obviously been modified through special magic for the storage and care of various magical animals.

The [Traceless Extension Spell] gave it a huge internal space, and the magic seal could simulate different environments, and even create habitats suitable for aquatic, terrestrial, and even mid-air in different sections of the box. This box not only has the adaptability of amphibious life, but also the space conversion can be flexibly adjusted in the user's mind.

Camille took the suitcase and placed it steadily on the ground. He looked up at Trenco floating calmly in front of him, nodded slightly and said:
"The next step is to transfer the Trunks to the magic suitcase. Fortunately, the suitcase given by the professors is a top-level amphibious suitcase that can accommodate an entire tribe. Otherwise, it would be difficult to accommodate so many Trunks, at least thirty of them."

The leader of the Emerald Guardians, Eldris Valorien, stared at the calmed Trenko with a hint of uneasiness in her eyes.

She recalled her own hazy prophecy, Trenco's sudden appearance, and the ominous premonition that arose in her heart.

At this moment, a certain prophetic intuition emerged in her heart - these students from the Deer Academy in front of her might be closely related to the Dark Lord's prophecy.

She took a deep breath, walked towards Camille with a gentle look, and said carefully:
"Camille, I have a suggestion. Since you are handling such an important containment task, why don't you come with me to the Hundred Layer World."

Camille frowned slightly and looked at Eldris warily, with a hint of inquiry in her tone:
"why?"

Eldris saw Camille's alertness, but she sensed the strong premonition coming from her mind and realized that she had to convince these students.

She knew she couldn't mention the Dark Lord's prophecy directly, and could only approach it from the perspective of friendly cooperation.

Eldris said with a hint of smile:
"Camille, I have no ill intentions, and I know you may have heard some rumors about the Hundred Layer World.

However, the main purpose of my inviting you is to enhance our cooperation.

Your Luyuan has a very deep foundation in magic research, especially in wand making and the study of the mystical group. I heard that your Professor Nimus specializes in these fields, and our Emerald Guardian also has rich experience in protecting magical creatures.

We can have more extensive exchanges with other wizarding groups in the Hundred Worlds, especially in the areas of magical creature protection and magical research, which will also be extremely helpful to your academic progress."

She paused for a moment, and seeing that Camille was still hesitant, she continued:
“Of course, I can understand your concerns.

If you are worried about safety, I can sign a magic contract with Lu Yuan on the spot, promising that I will never harm you.

You can also contact Luyuan through the Think Tank to confirm my identity and ensure that our cooperation is based on the long-term exchange agreement between the Wizarding Union and Luyuan. "

Eldris' tone was sincere yet dignified. She knew that if she wanted to successfully convince Camille, she had to start from a cooperative and academic perspective and offer guarantees and credible promises.

She spread her hands and said in a gentle tone:
“This is not just a simple visit, but may also open up broader academic horizons and cooperation opportunities for you.

The Hundred Layers of the World is not just the Land of Okrum, there are many places related to magic research and thaumaturgy resources waiting for you to explore."

After listening to this, Camille thought for a moment. Although she still had some reservations in her heart, Aldris's proposal was indeed reasonable. The magic resources of the Hundred Layers World were extremely attractive to her and other students, not to mention that Aldris had offered to sign a magic contract.

"Okay," Camille finally nodded, "We can consider it, but I need to contact the Think Tank first to make sure everything is safe."

Eldris smiled slightly and nodded:
"Of course, by all means. Safety always comes first."

Camille stared at Eldris with some doubt in her eyes, and her tone was calm but straightforward:

"Let me ask you a question. If we finally agree to go with you, where are you going to take us?"

Eldris had intended to answer truthfully, suggesting heading to their hub, the Realm of Okrum.

She was about to speak when suddenly, she heard a faint sound in her ears. The sound was as delicate as silk, as if it penetrated into her consciousness through an invisible gap.

It was a sound similar to the hissing of a snake, with a low tone, but carrying some kind of irresistible temptation.

"Hiss..."

It was as if countless snakes were whispering, the voice circling and entwining in her ears, as if it drilled directly into her mind from the void, the voice was soft and dangerous.

Eldris' pupils shrank slightly, her eyes were dazed for a moment, and her consciousness seemed to be drawn by the delicate voice into some strange thoughts.

Her lips trembled slightly, and she instinctively wanted to say the familiar name "Aukrum Realm", but at that moment, a deeper thought jumped out of her mind with an involuntary impulse.

Her rational consciousness was temporarily obscured, and following the hissing sound, she suddenly said in a ghostly voice:
"To the Naga Ring."

When those words came out of her mouth, even she felt a little surprised.

However, the surprise was fleeting, as if that was the answer she should have given.

"Naga Ring?" Camille asked slowly.

Eldress's eyes flickered slightly, and then she regained her composure. She did not immediately notice her abnormality, but continued to explain with a matter-of-fact tone:

“The Naga Ring is a relatively mysterious and powerful plane in the Hundred Layers World. It is famous for its ancient magic of controlling snakes and its research on snake-related magic.

This plane not only has the oldest snake language, but also gathers many snake-related wizards and creatures. It is a holy place for wizards who manipulate snake magic."

After listening to Eldris's proposal, Camille turned around and discussed it with other students in the Deer Academy.

She whispered, "We do have the opportunity to go to the Hundred Layer World. This sounds like a rare academic exchange. But the Naga Ring... everyone is well aware of its mystery and danger. We need to make a careful decision."

Several students looked at each other and began to discuss in low voices.

Most of the students were eager to try, except for Lifener who was a little timid, everyone else wanted to go.

So Camille, as the leader, announced the voting resolution, and everyone raised their hands to show their agreement. When Lifen saw that everyone wanted to go, he also timidly raised his hand to show his agreement.

The three-eyed girl Ushas couldn't help but say a ghostly word:
"You are from Horror Street, why are you so timid? Muji, a frog the size of a palm, is much braver than you!"

Lifen floated into a corner, drew circles, and fell into autism.

Camille glared at Ushas, ​​then after confirming everyone's decision, she turned to her wand and waved it lightly. A light blue light flowed into the air, asking the think tank of the Deer Court.

A moment later, the think tank's feedback came back quickly. She saw the approval of several professors, including Professor Hiro Nimus, the head of the magic knowledge group, and several blue-robed wizards. They recognized the value of this action and approved the students' proposal to go to the Hundred Layer World.

"The professors agreed." Camille said to the other students from the Deer Academy.

Eldris nodded with satisfaction, and then she took out the magic contract scroll.

The scroll was opened, emitting a faint light, and the words of the contract slowly emerged on the scroll.

She said to Camille and others: “We can sign a security contract to ensure the safety of this journey.

The contract will ensure your safety and stipulate the terms of non-harm. I will also attach the symbol of the Emerald Guardian to ensure that your journey in the Hundred Worlds will not be hindered."

Camille carefully checked the contents of the contract, and after confirming that it was correct, he signed his name together with other students from the Deer Academy.

The contract scroll emitted a faint light the moment they signed, and then dissipated into the air, indicating that the contract was officially established.

Next, the team began to deal with Trenko's containment. Camille took out the magic suitcase and gently placed it on the ground. Lifener floated over, with a hint of nervousness in his expression, but he skillfully assisted her in activating the magic array of the suitcase.

This suitcase is different from the ordinary traceless extension spell. Its appearance is classical and exquisite, with metal patterns inlaid on the edges, complex runes surrounding the surface, and a shining blue light on the handle. The suitcase slowly opened, and the space inside the box seemed much wider than the outside, like another independent small world.

Camille waved his wand and whispered the spell:

"Synesthesia command: On."

As the spell ended, the Tronks on the sea sensed some kind of guidance and began to swim slowly towards the direction of the suitcase.

The huge trunks raised their bodies clumsily from the sea one by one, their huge noses swaying in the air, and each step seemed heavy and steady.

Despite their large size, they are surprisingly light when they enter a suitcase.

When they touched the box, the runes on the surface of the box began to light up, and Trenco's body gradually shrank, as if it was compressed into a beam of light, and quickly entered the interior of the suitcase.

When each Trunko enters the box, it seems as if there is a complete ecosystem waiting for them inside the box, simulating their original ocean environment - rippling water, swaying seaweed, and even a blue sky reflected on the water.

This makes them appear very quiet after entering, as if they have never left their habitat.

However, the last Trenco seemed a little different.

It is much thinner than other Tronks, and its fur is dull and sparse, with some parts even losing hair, revealing gray skin.

Its movements seemed slow, and its eyes revealed a look of fatigue and vigilance.

Camille noticed this unique Trenco keenly.

She frowned slightly, feeling something was wrong, but remained calm, waving her wand to calm it down. The Trunker seemed particularly resistant, and was reluctant to enter the suitcase, as if struggling to reject this fate.

"What's wrong?" Eldris also noticed the abnormality of this Trenco and asked softly.

"This Trenco..."

Camille whispered, continuing to try to establish a mental connection with it.

Finally, under Camille's powerful mental intervention, the Trenco slowly walked towards the suitcase and disappeared into the depths of the suitcase, but at that moment, a trace of complex human emotions seemed to flash in its dim eyes, which made people feel inexplicably uneasy.

After Camille placed the last Trenco, she gently closed the lid of the magic suitcase, and with a click, the suitcase was locked properly.

Her expression remained calm, but there seemed to be a hint of thoughtfulness in her eyes.

The suitcase was returned to the ghost Lifener's hands again. After he took it, he floated in the air with a shy smile on his face.

Then, he skillfully and carefully stuffed the suitcase back into his transparent stomach, and the suitcase disappeared without a trace in his abdomen. The sea breeze blew gently around, and Eldris stood aside, watching everything with a gentle look.

Camille looked up and exchanged a faint smile with the leader. After a few brief exchanges, the atmosphere became slightly relaxed.

Although everyone had different concerns, the completion of the task eased the tension in everyone's hearts a little.

"Are you ready?" Eldris asked softly, with a hint of anticipation in her tone.

Camille looked back at her team. Although the students of the Deer Academy looked tired, their eyes were full of curiosity and excitement about exploring the unknown. She nodded, having made up her mind.

"We are ready," she replied firmly.

The members of the Emerald Guardians then led the way, with their staffs and spells ready.

There were strange fluctuations in the air, which seemed to indicate the opening of some dimension.

As the spell was chanted, the space began to distort slightly, as if an unknown passage was slowly opening.

Camille took a deep breath and looked back at the port - the sea water was still rolling in the mist, and the pier in the distance was gradually disappearing in the blurry background.

Under the guidance of the Emerald Guardian, the students of the Deer Academy followed and walked into the twisted space passage step by step.

The faint light shone on their figures, as if guiding them into the mysterious depths of the hundred-layer world.

As the last student disappeared, the space returned to calm again, as if nothing had happened.

*
*
*
11:05AM.
Misty Forest (East).

Deep in this vast forest, there is a huge lake with crystal blue water like a mirror.

The lake is so vast that it is like a huge mirror, reflecting the ancient trees surrounded by thick fog above.

The lake is surrounded by ancient trees and vines, and is filled with fog, which seems to be swallowing up the light of the earth all the time.

The lake is quiet and deep, connecting to the Misty Sea in the distance, and the Misty Sea is connected to the port of Gray Harbor.

The mist that covers the earth comes from this gloomy forest. It is like a barrier between heaven and earth, isolating the outside world from outside.

Moreover, these fogs have powerful demon-blocking capabilities, so extraordinary people rarely enter here.

Conversely, this is also a dark place where people are killed and buried, or where secret cult transactions take place.

Suddenly, the lake was no longer calm. The water began to fluctuate violently. A whirlpool formed rapidly, and the water in the center was spinning rapidly. Some powerful force was stirring the bottom of the lake.

Water splashed up, as if the earth was torn open.

In the center of the vortex, a figure slowly floated out, with his sleeves gently swaying in the air, like a god emerging from the abyss.

His robe was still clean and tidy, without a single stain of water even though he had just come out of the lake.

He held a silver cane in his hand and a black top hat sat firmly on his head.

Xia Xiu landed steadily on the ground, and behind him, [Vashak] floated out.

His golden eyes narrowed slightly as he followed Vashak's [Time Insight] all the way here. This suspicious aura brought him to the lakeside of the misty forest.

As he walked forward, the scene by the lake made his eyes instantly sharp.

On the ground ahead, a group of snakes were greedily devouring a figure that had been almost completely eaten. It was a man in a black robe, holding a bolt gun in his left hand and a chainsaw sword in his right hand. His body had been gnawed into pieces, bloody and his face was covered in rotten flesh, and it was almost impossible to tell what he looked like originally.

The snakes frantically bit his remaining flesh and bones, making a series of creepy "hissing" sounds.

Xia Xiu stood still, his golden eyes swept coldly over the snakes, and a hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

The snakes sensed his arrival and raised their heads, hissing at him threateningly, their sharp tongues flashing like blades, as if they were about to pounce on him in the next second.

He gently raised his left hand, extended his index finger, and a simple [∞] symbol flashed at the fingertip.

"boom--"

With a muffled sound, all the snakes suddenly swelled up, and then exploded in an instant, blood and flesh splattered everywhere, and the air was filled with a bloody smell.

The group of snakes didn't even have time to utter a wail as they were torn apart from the inside by an invisible force. The broken flesh fell to the ground along with the aftermath of the explosion, as if they had never existed.

Xia Xiu lowered his head and looked at the corpse that had been completely eaten.

Almost at the same time, the think tank [Adam] quickly started the recognition program, and a stream of data flashed across Xia Xiu's cornea like lightning and quickly scanned him.

-

【Scanning...】

[Target: Unknown corpse...]

[Matching identity ID...]

[Target identity confirmed - Operator [Eli Cattrall]]

【Identity Overview：】

Name: Eli Cattrall
Item No.:AWC-0456
Organization: Honkai Administration (branch - Gray Harbor Special Response Team)
Position: Senior Special Agent

Special skills: Proficient in blasting and melee combat, good at using bolt guns and chainswords
Final mission: Investigate disappearances related to the Hundred Layer World and monitor the activities of abnormal species
【Analysis of time of death...】

Estimated time of death: within 36-48 hours (assessment of body temperature and decomposition process)

Preliminary cause of death analysis: severe trauma and multiple fatal snake bites, ruptured internal organs and excessive blood loss. The body was eaten by a large number of snakes, resulting in severe damage to the face and limbs.

Additional information: The energy traces left in the body indicate that the subject had engaged in a battle with an unknown thaumaturgical/dark magic entity before death. It is speculated that the thaumaturgical power of the hostile unit was the cause.

Analysis of fatal injuries: The direct cause of death was massive tissue tearing and poisoning caused by snake bites, but there are signs that the person may have suffered severe thaumaturgical attacks before that.

【Comprehensive Analysis】：
After being attacked, Operator Eli Catelan tried to fight back, but he quickly lost too much blood due to the combined attack of the enemy's magic and the snakes. His combat equipment did not work immediately, indicating that the enemy had abnormal combat capabilities.

The time of death is approximately 36-48 hours, and the snakes continue to destroy and gnaw the corpse after death.

-

Xia Xiu looked at Eli Catlan's body, his golden eyes flashing with coldness. He lowered his head slightly, took off his black hat, and gently placed it on his chest, expressing his silent condolences to the deceased in a simple and calm manner.

A breeze blew by, and his golden hair swayed gently in the air, but the murderous intent accumulated deeper and deeper in his chest.

[Adam: The vital signs of other operators in the target area have disappeared...]
Xia Xiu did not respond, but slowly put his hat back on his head, with a cold and sharp look in his eyes. He continued to move forward, his steps firm but silent. With each step, the remains of the operators on the ground increased. Adam's continuous reports came to his ears.

[Adam: Operator Vera Morgan, soul torn apart, dead]
[Adam: Operator Greve Salvatore, suffered magical incineration, body scorched]
[Adam: Operator Eugene Rex was cursed with a soul-tearing curse, his soul was shattered, and he died instantly]
[Adam: Operator Oscar Finn was engulfed by the demonic flames in close combat and has been reduced to ashes]
[Adam: Operator...]
Talia/Isaac Bruce…

Adam reported the dead operators one by one, and Xia Xiu walked along the blood-stained path, and saw corpses one after another in front of him. Bloodstains and broken armor, charred bones, ashes corroded by the devil's fire...

Of the medium-sized team of thirty people, only twenty-eight bodies were left.

Xia Xiu's heart was cold, his footsteps moved silently in the pool of blood, and all he could hear was Adam's mechanical report, intertwined with the silent anger in his heart.

His golden eyes became deeper and deeper, flashing with a cold light.

Finally, Xia Xiu stopped in front of an abandoned misty palace.

He stood in the shadow of the ancient building, the outline of the palace looming.

The temple is at the intersection of decay and growth. Its structure is alive, and its walls and stone pillars are covered with twisted plants and vines, as if nature is growing out of control here, but it emits an unnatural glow.

The temple is like a huge deformed creature, half sunk into the ground. Vines and mosses have eroded every corner of the building. The exterior of the building looks like a ruin that has been swallowed up. It looks like it has been abandoned, but also seems to be still slowly growing.

The plants entwined between the stone pillars occasionally made slight wriggling sounds. These plants were not static, but were in an endless expansion, with a kind of rotting vitality.

There was a damp smell in the air, a mixture of moisture and the smell of corruption, pungent and suffocating.

Faint whispers could be heard from deep in the corridor, as if dead believers were telling endless secrets to the living.

Unordered growth, corrupt prosperity.

Xia Xiu stood in front of the temple, his golden eyes coldly sweeping over the twisted ruins in front of him.

His presence seemed to have touched some dormant power deep within the temple.

The plants on the wall began to tremble slightly, and the vines slowly stretched out, approaching him like countless tentacles.

The whispers in the air suddenly became clear, and invisible voices lingered in my ears, carrying some kind of temptation and bewitching.

"The Ascending Spider wants domination, but the Crowned Spawn only wants to continue to infect and transform.

We do not believe that borders are limbs of the house, but we dare to assert that all the dead people we met that night became limbs of the crowned offspring.

If you would meet Him, you must become part of that birth...

Suddenly, the palace was no longer a palace.

The originally static building began to twist and wriggle, its foundations themselves never being stable.

Vines and plants expanded rapidly, and the walls of the entire temple cracked like a broken eggshell, and the rubble and debris collapsed silently under the tremendous force.

A huge and deformed creature slowly emerged from the depths of the broken building.

Its body was at least a hundred meters tall, and its twisted limbs looked like endless tree roots and vines, intertwined into a deformed shell.

Countless arms stretched out from its body, each hand trembled convulsively, and the nails were as sharp as claws.

The monster's centipedes were wriggling, and each foot was like some strange plant root, inserted into the ground, absorbing the power of corruption and growth.

The most terrifying thing is its hundred eyes, each of which is strangely open, as if observing and judging the world, emitting a strange green light.

Behind it, a huge distorted halo was suspended, dilapidated and flashing with a strange light, as if it was a distorted power coming from an unknown dimension.

Above the monster, a huge web similar to a spider web was flickering in the air, and a figure dressed in a black robe of the Administration was tied up in the web.

The man seemed to have merged with the monster. Veins bulged on one side of his face and his skin was twisted like the monster's. His right eye was opened evilly, flashing with deformed madness.

The left half of the face was filled with pain, with eyes tightly closed, as if trying hard to resist some irresistible force.

The monster slowly twisted its huge body, and its hundred eyes stared at Xia Xiu on the ground.

Even though he looked so small, the disgust in those eyes made the monster furious.

The monster's voice echoed in the air like thunder, like a roar from the abyss, shaking the heavens and the earth:
"Ant! How dare you trespass into this sacred place of corruption and growth!"

The monster roared, its voice filled with endless contempt and coercion.

"I am one of the Seven Named Ones of the Crowned Spawn, the Son of Spread!"

"Mortal! You dare look directly at my glory instead of kneeling before my divinity?!"

As he spoke, a hundred arms waved forward at the same time, trying to crush the ants in front of him.

Each arm exuded a rotten smell. The vines and plants on the ground grew rapidly with its movements. The entire space was under its control.

An invisible force suddenly pressed towards Xia Xiu.

(End of this chapter)