The flames spun to the side of the demon, and then the white bone ring spun between the two of them. The face of the ring was an elderflower carved from the bones:
"The second one is the immortal magic ring, a clerical-level relic that grants mortals almost eternal life."
The devil smiled at Shade:
"Of course, this doesn't make you immortal, it just increases your lifespan. Or, it can offset the effects of certain magic or relics that consume lifespan. Of course, this also comes at a price. Negative characteristics, permanent grinding of emotions. However, for humans with rich emotions, this effect is small, but it is fatal to small animals such as cats and dogs. However, the increase in physical lifespan will not enhance the soul's ability to resist time."
The demon paused:
"Mortals always like to pray to gods or demons for a longer life, but I prefer the words engraved on this ring. The ancient wise man who created this ring is amazing - the interweaving of life and death is the answer to the meaning of life."
When he heard about this relic, the first thing that Shade thought of was not to offset the consumption of his magic "Breath of Time", but that this ring was very suitable for Mia's tail. The negative effect of the plague doctor ring that can resist the negative effect of the "blood thirst" of the vampire ring is that it will consume the lifespan of non-human creatures when used.
Then the red stone the size of a fingernail floated in front of the two of them:
"Third: The Sage-level relic, the Philosopher's Stone, can turn stone into gold, make elixirs of immortality, enlighten wisdom, and is an almighty ritual material. Oh, it has so many uses, but you know its value."
The demon introduced softly, as if tempting Shad.
Looking at the small stone, Xia De suddenly had a very strange feeling in his heart. He couldn't use any words to describe his feelings at the moment. To put it bluntly, he felt that this thing gave him a very familiar feeling. But he had only seen the fake Philosopher's Stone, and the "Philosopher's Stone Macaron" he saw in the "Eternal Night City" was just a photo.
Then came the dark brown wine bottle. It just floated in front of Xia De's eyes, and Xia De smelled the strong aroma of wine:
"Fourth: The Poet-level Relic, the Bottle of Dionysus. With this bottle, you will have an endless supply of fine wine. Perhaps its value is not as high as the first three items, but in the eyes of a true alcoholic, it is a treasure that cannot be exchanged for a divine artifact."
The fourth item had no effect on Shad, as he didn't like drinking at all.
A large black book with a flat skull inlaid on the surface floated in front of the two people. A whisper came into their ears. The skull with a blue light in its eyes tempted Shade to open it:
"Fifth: The Malbas Demon Book. This is not a relic, but a collection of magic and spells related to demons. This is knowledge and power, and it is what mortals desire. Even for the thirteenth-ring sorcerers of this era, this book that records ancient knowledge and secrets is very valuable."
It looked at Xia De, but found that Xia De did not show any expression of being moved.
In Shade's opinion, this book is similar to his own "Pink Book" and "Secrets of Immortality", which are all a collection of certain magic, spells, and ritual information. But judging by the title, the knowledge in this book is not suitable for him at all. He doesn't like to summon lower-level demons as his helpers, nor does he like to sacrifice living people to increase his strength, and he doesn't like to play with souls.
However, Shade was somewhat interested in the knowledge of the devil's contract, but he could definitely ask Dr. Schneider for advice.
"Sixth, some information: Lady Desire. That lady is quite old, yes, very old."
The rolled-up note spun in front of the two of them:
"You have the scent of that lady, but I don't know if you understand that she is much more dangerous than me."
Goethe commented cautiously that the fire in the forest around the manor made the face of the demon in the shadows even more terrifying than usual:
"There's not much I can tell you, but the value of the information on this note is more valuable than the first five treasures combined."
Six objects, instead of revolving around it, flew parallel to it and between it and Shade:
"So, what would you choose as a reward?"
Among the six items, the information about the flame, the ring, the philosopher's stone, and desire were all very valuable to Shade. Unsure of what the subsequent battle would be like and whether he could get all the items later, Shade reached out and took down the rolled-up note.
After all, although the probability of obtaining special flames, relics that increase lifespan, and the Philosopher's Stone is very low, it is possible to obtain them elsewhere in the future. However, if you miss the information about desire, it will probably be really difficult to obtain it again.
Now was not a good time to read the information carefully, so Shade put his reward into his pocket. Then the demon waved his hand, and the other five items disappeared like bubbles.
It looked at Osenfurt again. At this time, the shoulders of the stone statue, with only the head still intact, were covered with gray snow. However, Shade spoke again to stop it:
"Wait a minute. I can't let you take this soul."
"After receiving the reward, you want to break the contract?"
"What I promised was only to teach him a lesson, not to help you get his soul."
Xia De said seriously:
"I promised others to take this soul over. Besides, I know what you want to do with this soul, and I can't let you do that."
"So, you want to stop me?"
The demon's eyes narrowed slightly:
"Although I am wary of other things involving you, you don't think I really don't dare to attack you, do you? Or is it the sword in your hand that gives you courage? But the Watson family back then couldn't stop me with this, do you think you can?"
"How will you know if you don't try?"
Shade said softly, moving his feet so that he was completely in front of the stone statue of Oxenfurt.
The Stone Mirror Demon-Goethe showed no surprise on his face:
"Your choice is not surprising."
It snapped its fingers, and Shade immediately heard the sound of the stone statue breaking behind him. But the freed Ossenfort did not attack Shade or the demon, but turned and ran to the broken part of the manor wall.
"I still have some allies."
The devil whispered:
"I know something you think I don't know. Oxenfurt is destined to become a member of the Guardians. This is the gravity of fate. If I let him go, he will find the Guardians on his own and then become one with them."
Shad did not turn around. He knew that the devil must have played a trick on Stone Oxenfurt's soul, so what the other party said was true:
"And you?"
"If you don't want to leave, then don't leave. Someone doesn't want you to attend other things tonight, and I'm still a little curious about your soul."
After confirming that Oxenfort's footsteps had faded away, Shade took out his Rhodes deck. In the demon's surprised eyes, he turned over the first card, Origin: Death.
There was no movement around.
He then turned over the second and third cards and obtained the Origin Balance and Origin Knowledge in the hands of Sister Defulin and Miss Sylvia, but still nothing happened.
The demon shook his head slightly in the gray snow:
"I know you must have called for help, so after you entered the manor, I sealed off Oxenfurt Manor and the surrounding area. Your helpers may know that you are calling them, but they cannot come in for the time being. I am still somewhat confident about this."
"But Oxenfurt must run out of this area before he can contact the guardian. So, Oxenfurt will meet my people."
Shade also said.
Miss Sylvia's arrival was originally insisted by the witches, so it was okay if she didn't show up. As for Sister Develyn, Shade had already anticipated that she might leave because of something more important. As long as Ms. Marilyn Handel was still there, there would be no problem.
"The two chosen ones, Yin Luna Bei Yasi, are in the city, and the nun of the Moon Ruins has been transferred away."
The devil smiled and said:
"Only the Chosen can fight against the Chosen. Even though Oxenfurt is only the second candidate, when the day of destiny comes, no one can stop him tonight except the Chosen. He is destined to meet the Guardian and to fulfill his destiny. Therefore, I will let him leave the area of the manor, and your people will not be able to stop him."
Hearing the devil say this, Shade felt more relieved. After all, Joein Barton was the first candidate for the real Chosen One of Death. Apart from the temporarily imprisoned madman Sir Prisha, he was the only one in the material world who was suitable to stop Osenfurt.
"Want to play a game with me? You set the rules, and we'll use this manor as the venue for a fair bet. If I win, Oxenfurt's soul will belong to me. If you win, I will stay in the manor tonight and will not interfere with anything you do with Oxenfurt's soul."
The test given by the Lady of the Lake had to be carried out after all. Shade was ready to be challenged by the rules of the game, but he did not expect the demon who looked like Stone Oxenfurt to ask in surprise:
"Why would I do something unnecessary like this? Since you dare to put forward the conditions, you must have your reasons for being confident. Do you think I'm a fool? Do you think I would play games with you just because I admire your courage or because I'm greedy for the conditions you put forward? No, no, no, please remember, I'm the devil."
Xia De frowned slightly. Fortunately, this was also in the plan. He even said that this situation was in line with reality:
"After saying so much, it would be more practical to have a fight."
As he spoke, he drank the golden potion, took out the silver shining blasphemous cross in his left hand, and held the long sword in his right hand with the demon hunting seal.
The devil did not stop Shad's preparations, but just watched Shad get ready in the snow.
The effect of the potion took effect almost immediately. The most intuitive manifestation was that Shad's eyes emitted a dazzling golden light in the dark night.