Chapter 254 Chapter252-Breaking the Rules
"Ethan, what are you...?" Rose couldn't make sense of the situation at hand.
Without going into much detail, Ethan simply said, "Sometimes, trials don't necessarily need to be played by their rules, especially when our fists are mightier than theirs."
Such an explanation still left Rose somewhat puzzled.
However, Windsor, standing beside Rose, had already begun to scrutinize Ethan with narrowed eyes.
Especially sensing the noble Dragon essence emanating from him, Windsor trembled, her face flushing deeply.
Yet, no one noticed her reaction.
As Quel pinned Cody to the table, Ethan swiftly uncorked the potion and poured its contents down Cody's throat.
"Stop! Stop it now!" "You demons, how dare you treat me like this! I will never forgive you!"
Cody writhed in fury, but he was no match for Quel.
As the potion flowed into him, immediate changes began to manifest on his body.
Cody's skin bubbled and pulsated as if it were boiling water.
"You... you..."
Cody's struggles grew weaker and weaker.
Finally, he spat out a mouthful of blood and slipped into unconsciousness.
Nobody paid any heed to Cody's fainting.
Ethan picked up the potion again, handing it to Oberlis. "There's a bit left. It's your turn."
Lifting his head with difficulty, Oberlis glanced at the unconscious Cody, then at the green liquid in Ethan's hand.
He managed a weak grin, "Ethan... I might enjoy a jest now and then, but surely this isn't necessary?"
"Ethan, what are you trying to do?" Rose inquired, concern evident in her voice.
Perceiving the bewilderment in their eyes, Ethan realized he hadn't clarified his actions.
"It's the antidote for the Treant Curse," he said promptly.
"However, if someone who isn't cursed takes it, well... they end up like him." He gestured towards the still-unconscious Cody.
Both Oberlis and Rose breathed a sigh of relief.
Without further hesitation, Oberlis drained the potion in a single gulp.
The weeds sprouting from Oberlis's wound withered and died instantly, while the gash itself began to mend rapidly.
In almost no time, Oberlis was fully healed.
"It's truly miraculous," Oberlis couldn't help but marvel.
Then, as if something occurred to him, he turned to Ethan. "Ethan, how did you all end up here? And considering how the earlier trials were designed to be nothing but troublesome, how did you catch up so quickly?"
"There were... some unexpected developments," Ethan replied.
"What kind of developments?" Oberlis pressed.
Rubbing his forehead in exasperation, Ethan retorted, "Oberlis, if I had known you would be this chatty, I might have reconsidered saving you. It's not the time for these discussions now. We should leave quickly; any further delays could be problematic."
"Ethan is right," Rose chimed in.
At that moment, Rose removed her faceguard, revealing the serene countenance of a young girl, yet her voice remained the familiar one they all recognized.
"Let's get out of here then," Quel suggested, pointing towards the still-open door.
Seeing this, Rose expressed surprise once more, but held her questions.
Instead, she followed Ethan and the others - Oberlis and Windsor - as they exited the Trial House Number Six.
As for Cody, Ethan dragged him out as well. This malicious alchemist still had a part to play.
"Village chief, thank you," Ethan said with a smile, addressing Eliamos upon their exit.
"No need, no need," Eliamos responded, waving his hand dismissively.
At this moment, he looked utterly exhausted.
To open the door of the Trial House midway and maintain it in that state consumed a great deal of energy.
Yet, more than anything, he wished for Ethan and the group to leave.
However, this hope seemed unattainable.
Once a trial is activated, it continues until someone completes all the challenges or until all participants are deceased.
Such is the rule.
Naturally, if a force of equal magnitude intervenes, the rule can be broken.
Yet the consequence would be the permanent destruction of the trial grounds.
To avoid such an outcome, Eliamos took the initiative: "Powerful strangers, only Trial House Thirteen and Fifteen remain operational in our village. I oversee Number Thirteen, and I can grant you direct passage. However, as for Number Fifteen, even I am uncertain of its contents. I'm afraid I can't be of much assistance there."
Eliamos's unexpected sincerity took Rose aback.
Before this, Eliamos had been exceedingly arrogant, exuding an oppressive aura that bred despair.
Now, he seemed as subservient as a servant.
"Understood," Ethan responded shortly, paying no further heed to Eliamos.
"Trial House Number Fifteen is over there, but there's no rush to head there just yet," he continued, activating the Eye of Alchemy.
[Trial House Number 15]
[Description: It contains a treasure obtained by the Original Elf King during his travels across the continent. However, the Elf King was never able to gain the treasure's approval. Wishing someone might unlock its secret, he left the treasure in the final Trial House.]
"A treasure that even the Original Elf King couldn't win over?" Ethan murmured, a tinge of astonishment in his voice.
Such a treasure must be of immense power.
"Ethan, did you see any information?" Quel inquired. Given Ethan's recent actions, it wasn't hard to deduce that Ethan had acquired a potent ability to gather intelligence.
Ethan nodded, explaining, "The fifteenth Trial House is the last one, possibly the easiest trial to pass. Moreover, I believe there shouldn't be any significant dangers within."
This was Ethan's assessment.
Under typical circumstances, navigating through the previous trials would be exceptionally challenging.
And considering that the treasure within the fifteenth Trial House never even recognized the Original Elf King, it seemed improbable for him to set such a high bar if he was selecting an heir.
Thus, Ethan surmised that the last trial might have been the Elf King's gamble, banking on sheer luck.
Since this was the case, there likely wouldn't be any peril.
However, this was mere conjecture; the actual situation would only be clear once inside.
Ethan's reluctance to enter immediately wasn't solely based on this reasoning.
The other factor was the sinister alchemist, Cody, whom he held captive.
Cody was the second alchemist Ethan had encountered.
The first was Old John, who had taught him the knowledge of alchemy.
"I wonder how my teacher is doing now? And Eileen, Lady Rhine, and the others..." Ethan mused softly, before promptly rousing Cody to consciousness.
Upon regaining consciousness, Cody took in his surroundings and cried out in horror, "What are you going to do with me? Eliamos, save me!"
"Enough," Ethan said coldly.
His eyes then glinted with a mysterious green luminescence as the Eye of Alchemy activated once again.
"Eye of Alchemy!" Cody exclaimed in disbelief.
"Impossible! It can't be! You're so young, and you don't even have the aura of an Alchemist. How could you possibly possess the Eye of Alchemy?"
As much as Cody refused to believe it, the evidence was undeniable.
Within the Eye of Alchemy, all of Cody's details were laid bare, and another transformation took place—Knowledge Deprivation.
It was a skill Ethan had only recently acquired, one that was intertwined with the Eye of Alchemy.
Even Old John hadn't mastered this particular ability.
According to him, Knowledge Deprivation was a rare skill, obtainable only by those on the cusp of ascending to the deity realm and who had mastery over the Eye of Alchemy.
Knowledge Deprivation has the power to strip away the knowledge of others. It's an incredibly potent and malevolent skill. When employed on a scholar, it can instantly acquire all of the individual's knowledge. However, due to the side effects of Knowledge Deprivation, that scholar might be reduced to a state of imbecility.
Ethan was at a loss as to how he had suddenly come to possess this ability.
It might be related to the earlier anomaly with the Soul Language of Nature, but this didn't prevent him from using Knowledge Deprivation on Cody now.
For within the Eye of Alchemy, all of Cody's sins were vividly displayed.
[Name: Cody]
[Description: A malevolent Alchemist of the Dwarf race. During an alchemical experiment, he accidentally created a toxin with no known antidote. Its unintentional release resulted in the deaths of two-thirds of the Dwarves in their gathering place. As a consequence, Cody was expelled. Harbouring deep resentment after his expulsion, Alchemist Cody used alchemical concoctions to slaughter the remaining Dwarves, growing increasingly unhinged in the process...]
"What a scumbag." Ethan muttered, immediately invoking Knowledge Deprivation.
In his now emerald-hued eyes, twin beams of light erupted, enveloping Cody's head.
Subsequently, ethereal entities seemed to be drawn out.
To Rose and the others, it appeared as though there was nothing before Ethan's eyes.
Yet, in Ethan's perspective, he was immersed in an ocean of script, recounting myriad events, detailing countless secrets and hidden tales...
This was the essence of knowledge.
"This is the knowledge being stripped away." Ethan whispered softly.
The myriad texts swiftly converged, ultimately crystallizing into a thumb-sized crystal which directly entered Ethan's eyes.
At that moment, Ethan sensed the presence of another skill.
"Knowledge Bestowal?"
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