201: Life Box

Chapter 198: Phylactery

Arthur, now awake, pondered how he could escape these persistent nightmares.

He thought that after dealing with the Plantation, perhaps it would be a good idea to find an opportunity to ask Shanteya.

Fortunately, despite not getting a peaceful rest,

he hadn't yet been plagued by constant hallucinations like others who had encountered those otherworldly beings.

This meant he hadn't gone mad yet.

It was still deep night, but Arthur was wide awake. He opened his intelligence panel to check, and the first thing that caught his eye was a golden piece of information.

“Wow~ Golden Legend!” A powerful otherworldly being has noticed you.

You can find the traces he left, follow his footsteps, and explore his mysteries.

You can also choose to refuse his grace, adhere to your initial beliefs, and step into the realm of gods through the mark left by the otherworldly being.

If he hadn't already known the consequences this otherworldly being would bring, he might genuinely have embarked on this path of no return.

By the faint light of the bonfire, Arthur looked down at his chest, where a not-so-obvious but eerie mark was imprinted.

Typically, followers of the king in yellow would call this mark the “Yellow Sign.”

Those branded with this mark, like him, would repeatedly see that terrifying god in their dreams.

It seemed he absolutely had to visit Shanteya’s garden soon.

The next piece of information, coincidentally, explained why he was having nightmares.

“Blue Intel (Enhanced)” Isgrasa’s phylactery is hidden beneath the Wine Plantation.

The phylactery has corrupted this land, and anyone who approaches it will be bewitched.

Please be sure to watch out for those around you whose wills are not firm enough.

Arthur guessed that the phylactery’s corruption was why this nightmare felt so real.

The corrupting power weakened his spirit, giving the evil god an opportunity.

The young Baron temporarily put these thoughts aside and continued to check other pieces of information.

“Blue Intel” The grapevines in the Grape Plantation have been corrupted.

Its core is located in the center of the winery; only by destroying it can the entire vineyard be purified.

“White Intel” Do not cut down the forest west of Mist Town.

“White Intel” The Mud Crab Swamp’s frogmen have occupied the aqueduct. Drive them away to restore the town’s irrigation system.

Aside from these two insignificant white pieces of information, all other intelligence reminded Arthur that great danger lurked in the Wine Plantation.

“Flora, Sariya, walk with me.”

Arthur said to his two subordinates who were still awake.

The three put on their coats and walked out of the camp.

Along the way, Arthur relayed the information he had received to both of them.

Sariya’s mind was always quick, and after listening, she immediately asked, “My Lord, are you planning to select a few people to enter the vineyard with you?”

Arthur nodded: “I am not doubting the soldiers’ loyalty or ability.

“But that phylactery corrupts hearts. I truly do not wish to see the weapons in your hands eventually turned against our own people.”

“Is that thing really so sinister?” Flora asked.

As a devout believer, she never worried about being corrupted by evil forces.

She also firmly believed that as long as one held steadfast faith, they would surely be able to resist any temptation.

Arthur agreed with her idea but could not guarantee that everyone in the team would be as firm.

This was also why he specifically wanted to discuss it with Sariya.

As the Commander of the squad, Sariya knew best who was reliable enough to go to the vineyard together.

“How many people do you need, My Lord?” Sariya asked.

“I cannot determine that yet,” Arthur replied, “because I don’t know what strength the enemy possesses.”

“So, are you planning to personally scout it again?” the female warrior monk asked.

Arthur did not answer.

Because even he himself was unsure if he could resist the phylactery’s corrupting power.

He had originally thought Isgrasa was merely a wizard who delved into necromancy.

But he hadn't expected the opponent to be a Lich.

As far as he knew, only Liches possessed phylacteries.

As recurring villains in various fantasy stories, Liches always possessed extraordinary cunning and powerful magical abilities.

These creatures would use their unnatural immortal lives to pursue magical attainments far beyond what a mortal could achieve in a lifetime.

Once a Lich’s transformation ritual succeeded, their soul would be bound within a specially prepared magical container, which is the phylactery.

This “holy relic” would firmly anchor the Lich’s spirit in the mortal world.

Thus, even if their body was destroyed, their soul would remain safe within the phylactery.

Therefore, only by first destroying the phylactery could a Lich be truly killed.

Because of this, these evil creatures always go to great lengths to hide and protect their phylactery.

But now, such an important item was simply hidden in the center of the winery.

Either the winery itself was heavily guarded,

or the phylactery itself had extremely terrifying defense mechanisms.

When Kaven'er, the previous head of the Candy Family, tried to possess him, he learned a lot of information from the opponent’s memories.

Isgrasa, an ancestor of the Candy Family, had once found the method of eternal life for the Dark Lord.

Those were several magic scrolls containing the Lich transformation ritual.

This poor wizard joyfully handed the scrolls over to his master.

But by then, Marcus had already received a revelation from an otherworldly being; he abandoned those scrolls but still gave his loyal servant a reward.

That was the rule of Mist Town.

It wasn’t until later, when the allied forces led by Amn overthrew Marcus’s rule, that Isgrasa naturally faced judgment.

He had already prepared for it, though.

His descendants and followers secretly took away his hanged body.

They transformed him into a Lich in the ancient tomb.

Since then, Isgrasa had been lurking in Mist Town.

He secretly manipulated his descendants, advancing his long-term plan step by step.

For a Lich like him, time was of no consequence.

It wasn’t until later that he was jointly defeated by Stepan Lovich and his companions.

But Stepan did not destroy his phylactery, which gave him the opportunity to make a comeback.

Fortunately, the current Isgrasa has not fully recovered his power.

He is merely a pathetic being possessing Marcel Candy.

If they could find and destroy his phylactery, his power would become even weaker.

So this was no longer about a wine recipe.

This was a golden opportunity to completely put an end to Isgrasa.

And they didn't have much time; the ancient tomb was set to close in two days.

So Arthur had to take the risk no matter what.