Chapter 1742: Chapter 1740: First Contact
In the darkness.
A being with a face adorned by fan-shaped ribs,
tentacles representing supreme magic floating on its back,
a withered body wrapped in grey bandages,
and an ancient creature dragging a dark gold tail gradually emerged. A supreme wand with a triangular stone eye was embedded in its back, ready to be used at any moment.
"Black Pharaoh."
Han Dong, having borrowed this incarnation before, immediately recognized it.
Han Dong couldn’t see the Black Pharaoh and the wanderer as the same person... The Black Pharaoh walking out before him seemed like an independent existence.
"Senior..."
Han Dong respectfully bowed.
"Hmm, follow me."
As they approached the central stone chamber of the [Suppression Hall], the Black Pharaoh’s voice emitted a series of low, weighty sounds that even triggered Han Dong’s left arm to transform into a mummified state.
"You must be curious why there is such a noticeable difference between me and the wanderer’s true self."
"Yes..."
"It is both me, yet I am not entirely it.
It possesses a thousand forms, while I am unique... Since it entrusted this matter to me, I shall naturally welcome you warmly.
Of course, I also have high hopes for you.
You once had the ancestral body capable of accepting my will and power, even presenting the complete [Kush Dynasty] through the domain, which at least indicates you are qualified to converse with me and attempt a feasible reading of the Book of Dead Spirit.
However, I still need to warn you.
Once you step into the stone chamber, there is no retreat.
Once you master the Prologue, you will naturally find the way out of the stone chamber; our suppression of the chamber will not relax for a moment."
"Understood."
Following the Pharaoh to the stone chamber’s entrance.
The whispers echoing around became clearer, prompting Han Dong’s desperate desire to understand, read, or, so to speak, possess the Book of Dead Spirit, becoming a holder of the Demon Book.
"While maintaining the suppression, I can only establish an ’instant passage’ for you.
Possibly for 0.1 seconds, or even less, the [gate] will completely disappear.
If you can’t grasp the opportunity, then you can leave."
As soon as the words were spoken.
Without giving Han Dong any time to prepare or react.
The wand embedded in its back already extended, its "stone eye" coming into contact with the surface of the stone chamber.
A circle of sand-like round passage formed on the surface in less than a millisecond.
Even so, quite a bit of demonic aura seeped out opportunistically.
Crack crack crack!
The Faceless Priests sitting on the high platform immediately turned their arms 720°, directing a forced suppression at the stone chamber to ensure the stability of the seal.
Snap!
The small portion of escaping demonic aura was also dispersed by a single strike from the Black Pharaoh’s true self.
The [Suppression Hall] returned to normal.
Only, Han Dong, who was standing beside the Black Pharaoh, had disappeared.
"Not bad, let me see how long it takes you to master the Prologue... The ’candidate’ chosen by the true self should naturally be vastly different from those previous incompetents."
...
In a state of high mental concentration.
No matter when the Black Pharaoh acted, no matter the interval of opening the gate, Han Dong was sure to capture it precisely.
Moreover, upon arriving at the [Suppression Hall], Han Dong had already made comprehensive preparations.
The consciousness space was filled with mad laughter, each tombstone was tied with a black balloon.
A human wanderer, identical to Han Dong, also stood under the talent tree, ready to face the impending consciousness assault.
In a private theater, still playing solo, the Count suddenly glanced at the Seven-Cryptical-Books-of-Hsan placed at the piano’s corner; this Demon Book began to flip through on its own.
The Count’s gaze also changed, clutching the Demon Book, heading towards the outside of the blood mansion.
...
In the silent and pitch-black hexagram stone chamber.
Han Dong did not immediately encounter an erosion from the Demon Book; instead, the whispers grew louder,
as if a corpse hanging upside down, its icy lips whispering into Han Dong’s ear...
"Is this the true remnant pages?"
At the center of the chamber.
On a platform engraved with ancient Egyptian secret text, a collection of different remnant pages floated.
Precisely corresponding to the Prologue,
as for the Eye Remnants, they might be kept elsewhere.
"The Prologue is equivalent to the front page, synopsis, and content list of a book, the threat should be minimal... If I can’t even manage this, it would indicate that this book is not suitable for me."
Stepping towards the platform.
Without touching the remnant pages, if viewed directly, only endless twisted bizarre scripts would be visible, not only incomprehensible but also intensifying the whispers.
To read, one must grasp the remnant pages in one’s hands.
Without a hint of hesitation,
filled with absolute confidence and a thirst for knowledge, he simultaneously grabbed the remnant pages of the Prologue with both hands.
Buzz!
Instantly, as if all the valves of a reservoir were opened.
A mass of ancient, evil, and eerie material poured into Han Dong’s body,
his body, soul, and consciousness all subjected to an ancient erosion beyond comprehension.
1. Strand by strand, hook-like substances wriggled beneath the skin, even ripping through the skin and piercing blood vessels... In less than ten seconds, Han Dong’s body was completely penetrated.
2. A multitude of memory fragments poured into the brain, chronicling once-destroyed civilizations, continents, or planets by the Book of Dead Spirit, all the individuals who perished due to the Demon Book, their consciousness eternally imprisoned within its pages.
They are eternally enslaved by the book, filled with boundless rage towards any entity attempting to seize the Book of Dead Spirit.
3. Within the consciousness space.
An endless stream of ’dead spirits’ in consciousness form fell densely like raindrops.
Crack!
They either broke their necks or snapped their spines... Yet they rose again in twisted postures, launching a comprehensive invasion of the consciousness space.
However.
When they attempted to damage and erode this consciousness space.
A scarlet beam of light flashed by, directly shredding over a dozen dead spirits into fragments.
Holding a Holy Sword in his right hand,
while his left hand transformed into a bloodhound,
the Count’s true self stood beneath the talent tree, devouring a mad laugh fruit... he also started laughing manically.
The Holy Sword, sensing the ultimate evil, vibrated fiercely.
"Is this all you’ve got? I, the Count alone, am enough to kill you all."
At the same moment.
Faceless Skull - [Prison World].
Since the consciousness space was being invaded, the real space corresponding to the brain was similarly subjected to a large-scale invasion.
Countless physical dead spirits continued to plummet towards this prison world, attempting to seize control of Han Dong’s brain center... But as soon as they commenced their invasion, they sensed something was amiss.
Their bodies seemed to be constrained by something, feeling utterly uneasy.
Traversing this prison world was akin to wearing heavy shackles, each step took immense effort.
Even though the Three Giants and the Doctor were not present,
there were thousands of terrifying prison guards watching them from the [shadows].
Ha ha ha~ Unbeknownst to them, the sky was already obscured by the Crowman’s wings.
Various Deep-sea Divers, Ghouls, and Transformed Bloodline individuals, wrapped in chains, swarmed from different directions.
...
In the stone chamber.
Han Dong, with his entire body penetrated, did not show any sign of discomfort.
In fact, within just a dozen seconds, he adapted to these "Dead Spirit Roots" piercing his body... not removing them, instead, integrating them into his body.
In Han Dong’s view.
This state of the body should better adapt to the Book of Dead Spirit.
Amidst the current invasion of the body, brain prison, and consciousness, Han Dong showed no interest in resistance, as if he couldn’t care less.
He understood well, the most crucial task at hand wasn’t ’resisting the invasion’, but ’mastering the book’.
Han Dong maintained a state of absolute focus,
calming himself completely to begin the reading of the Prologue.