Spellcasting Gods

"You lowly insect! How dare you harm the great me?! Die! All of you, die!!!"

With a deafening roar echoing through the empty hall, the black dragon went berserk, spewing flames around itself and unleashing devastating spells.

In just a few minutes, the already somewhat dilapidated hall was completely reduced to ruins.

As for the young man who blinded the dragon's eye, he was already dead beyond any doubt, and not even a complete piece of his body could be found.

But his sacrifice bought the Dark Believers squad enough time!

Especially the woman who was the spellcaster, who forcibly overdrawn her physical strength and magic power, managed to complete yet another dark spell, injecting dark power into the dragon's body.

Under that unparalleled destructive power, the black dragon's internal organs were chewed to pieces, and it finally collapsed to the ground with resentment, never to rise again.

In the end, almost all of the more than ten people in the two teams died, leaving only three survivors.

Looking at the corpse of the prehistoric beast not far ahead, the archer let out a deep breath and sighed with a wry smile, "I can't believe we actually became living dragon slayers."

“Yes! Unbelievable! But the rewards are also astonishing! Putting everything else aside, the corpse of this dragon alone is enough to make us rich. Dragon scales, dragon horns, dragon blood, dragon bones—every part of it is a rare and top-grade magical material, and someone will be willing to pay a high price for it.” Another member of the Dark Cultist team stood up excitedly and kept circling around the black dragon’s corpse.

Although he had several wounds that were still bleeding, he could not contain his excitement.

"Alright, don't get too excited yet. Don't forget, that guy just said this is a trial of strength. That means there will likely be trials of intelligence and mind next. We'd better rest quickly and recover our strength as soon as possible to prepare for any possible battles," the woman reminded us weakly.

"What? There's more?!" The archer screamed in terror.

He felt that given the three of them's current state, let alone a high-intensity battle, even a few low-level adventurers could wipe them all out.

Just as the woman was about to say something, the ghost reappeared out of thin air and announced in its usual emotionless tone: "Congratulations, you have successfully passed the Trial of Strength. Now, you have one day to rest. After one day, you will face the Trial of the Heart."

"Trial of the Heart?" The archer suddenly had a bad feeling and looked up at the shadowy figure that was emanating black mist.

"As the name suggests, it is a test of the soul. Every mortal has another self hidden within him, a secondary personality that is completely opposite to the primary personality. However, most of the time, it is forcibly suppressed. What you have to do is to talk to it face to face, either persuade it or defeat it. A person whose heart is not firm enough is not qualified to draw the holy sword."

After saying this meaningful sentence, the ghost disappeared from the spot, leaving behind three guys with extremely ugly faces.

Undoubtedly, although the Trial of the Heart does not require dealing with a powerful dragon like the Trial of Strength, it is no less dangerous.

On the contrary, if even the slightest mistake is made in this process, one could very well be replaced by a completely opposite personality...

Chapter 1115 The Qualifications of a Hero (Part 2)

There were no flashing swords or fierce battles.

As the Trial of the Heart officially began, the three participants quickly entered the deepest corner of their consciousness that they had almost never touched before.

Although they all appeared calm on the surface, as if they were asleep, each of them was actually engaged in the most dangerous battle.

This time, however, the enemy he faces is no longer a powerful dragon, but another version of himself, an opponent with no privacy or secrets.

It's unclear how much time passed, but when the woman opened her eyes first, she suddenly pulled out a dagger and stabbed her two teammates in the chest.

puff!

puff!

Crimson blood gushed out immediately, and a moment later he convulsed and breathed his last.

Looking at their lifeless, pale faces, she sighed softly and murmured to herself in a voice only she could hear, "I'm sorry, I have to do this. Only in this way can I ensure everything goes perfectly. I've lost too much for this moment, so I must succeed no matter what."

Tell me, what do you see deep within your own heart?

The ghost appeared in mid-air at some unknown time, staring with two eyes as deep as black holes and asking softly.

"I have come to infighting, strife, and death. No one can resist the temptation of wielding the holy sword, and in the end, only two other people can be killed so that the victor can obtain it." The woman did not try to hide anything and frankly stated her reasons for killing her companions.

Throughout the entire ordeal, she showed not a trace of sadness or regret, appearing calm in a way that was somewhat frightening.

Fortunately, ghosts are not normal life forms, but a special kind of life form that lies between energy bodies and the dead. They are not bound by ethical or moral constraints, nor do they experience emotions like fear.

It simply nodded calmly, then raised its right hand and pointed to the passage that had been opened beside it: "Congratulations, you have passed the Trial of the Heart. You only need to complete the last trial to go to the room where the Holy Sword is located."

"The final trial?" The woman frowned instinctively.

Knowing that the first two trials had already killed almost all the participants, she was unsure if she had enough strength and energy to deal with the unknown dangers.

"Relax. The final trial requires neither fighting nor much thinking; you just need to answer a few questions."

Having said that, the ghost led the way through the deep, dark passage and disappeared into the pitch-black darkness.

"Damn it! I hate this situation where I know nothing and can only obediently follow others' orders." The woman gritted her teeth and complained in a low voice, but still obediently followed.

In fact, at this point, she had no room to back down. Like a gambler who has bet almost everything, even knowing that he will lose, he will still choose to fight to the death.

Filled with nervousness, anticipation, and trepidation, she soon arrived at a room burning with countless magical flames.

In the very center of the room stood a statue of a god or demon, over four meters tall, with a person standing in front of it.

However, due to the refraction of light, the other person's face was not clearly visible at the moment, but there was a sense of déjà vu.

"Ah! You really didn't disappoint me. You finally made it here after passing through so many trials."

The mysterious man took off his hood, revealing an extremely young face; it was none other than Zhang Cheng, who had been waiting for a long time.

"It's you?!" The woman was taken aback, her eyes widening in disbelief.

“That’s right, it’s me.” Zhang Cheng nodded slightly. “You know what? From the first time we met, I had a feeling that you would become the chosen hero, a dark hero unlike the light heroes in most stories. Because you have the qualifications to be favored by the dark forces.”

"I don't understand what you mean." The woman subconsciously took two steps back.

As a very sensitive person, she hated the condescending look in the other person's eyes, as if looking at a lamb to be slaughtered, and she hated even more the embarrassment of being manipulated by others.

"Hahahaha! Don't understand? I think you just don't want to understand." Zhang Cheng laughed, exposing the other party's little trick. He turned around and gently stroked the huge god-demon statue behind him. "Take this statue as an example. More than 1,500 years ago, it was the totem of a once-glorious empire, a dark god who almost awakened from chaos. But unfortunately, at the most crucial moment, this empire collapsed from within, splitting into countless forces. They fought and killed each other, eventually forming the current political structure of the continent."

"The God of Darkness?!"

Upon hearing the word, the woman's eyes blazed with an intense, fanatical light as she stared intently at the dilapidated stone statue.

"Yes, he is Ruva, the God of Darkness, the only deity in this world closest to awakening. Even now, anyone who calls his name receives a mysterious energy response. He awaits a believer to awaken his mind, to rouse himself from his ignorance, and to bring true faith to the world. Tell me, are you willing to shoulder this responsibility, to raise the holy sword and accomplish an unprecedented feat?"

When Zhang Cheng said these words, his tone was full of irresistible allure.

Without a doubt, he knew very well what the woman in front of him truly desired deep down, and he also knew what kind of things she would find most irresistible.

To personally awaken a god of darkness is almost the ultimate goal and honor for a mortal who calls himself a follower of darkness.

In an instant, the woman felt that her usual calmness and composure had vanished, replaced by a heart burning with a raging fire.

After a silence of two or three minutes, she took a deep breath and asked, "Who exactly are you? What do you want me to do?"

"Who I am isn't important. What's important is that I happen to have a great script, and I hope you can play a very important role in it. Of course, in return, I will fulfill your long-held desire to find a final resting place for your empty and lonely soul. God is the spiritual anchor and home of humankind, and often the emptier a person is, the more they yearn for it. Your unfortunate childhood experiences have determined that you are someone who desperately needs the support of faith, so nothing would bring you more pleasure than awakening a god of darkness." Zhang Cheng casually stated the undeniable truth.

Because of poverty, one yearns for wealth;

Because of their lowliness, they crave power;

Because they are weak, they crave power;

Because of emptiness, I yearn for faith.

Ordinary people often crave something the most they lack.

This is an immutable law, and it has nothing to do with whether a person is intelligent or has a high level of education...

Chapter 1116 The Holy Sword

Zhang Cheng, who always liked to set conditions based on each person's desires, had almost never encountered rejection, and this time was no exception.

After a series of inner struggles and hesitations, the woman ultimately could not escape her fate of becoming a pawn, signing a series of unequal treaties, and finally arriving at the room where the Holy Sword was located.

As soon as I crossed the threshold, I saw a weapon exuding a sacred aura stuck in the huge rock.

"This...is the Holy Sword?!"

She approached cautiously, then gripped the hilt of the sword with her gloved right hand, attempting to pull it out of the rock.

But just as he began to exert force, the golden radiance on the surface of the sword, as brilliant as the sun, suddenly faded, followed by a continuous stream of cold power, causing the weapon to swing from one extreme to the other.

next second...

boom!

The energy of darkness announced its arrival in the most violent way!

The hard rock was torn into tiny particles that were indistinguishable to the naked eye, scattered around like dust.

The woman, who had thought she would be seriously injured even if she didn't die, suddenly discovered that she was not only unharmed, but also that a mysterious power was continuously flowing into her body.

In less than a minute, she discovered that all of her physical attributes, including her maximum magic power, were rapidly increasing.

powerful!

Its power is beyond description!

Only when she gripped the hilt tightly could she feel why this weapon deserved to be called a holy sword.

Because those who possess it will invariably gain unimaginable power; even an elderly person lying in bed on the verge of death can instantly possess the strength to kill a dragon with their bare hands.

What's even more interesting is that although this weapon is called a holy sword, it is not necessarily a sword. Instead, it can change its appearance at will according to its owner's wishes.

It can be a dagger, a staff, a shield, a helmet, or bracers...

In short, as long as you have a clear image in your mind, you can perfectly replicate it.

However, the woman did not transform the holy sword into any other shape, because she liked the sword as it was now, especially the runes that shimmered with an eerie light, each one so mysterious, as if hiding unknown secrets and knowledge behind them.

"Incredible...it's truly incredible. I can hardly imagine what kind of person could forge such a powerful weapon. Gods and demons? Or those races that have vanished into the annals of history?" The woman murmured excitedly to herself as she lovingly stroked the sword.

Even now, many mysteries remain unsolved in her mind, but the moment she grasped the holy sword, none of that mattered anymore.

After all, the power of this weapon is so great that it was worth it no matter what heavy price was paid before.

However, after calming down, she realized that this place was not safe, so without saying a word, she crawled into the only exit leading to the surface.

Zhang Cheng, in particular, whose identity had never been revealed, instilled in her an inexplicable fear.

……

Watching the woman hurriedly return to the surface through the magic mirror, intending to cross the wasteland directly back to the civilized world, Zhang Cheng suddenly revealed a playful smile and asked without turning his head, "What do you think she's capable of?"

"Do you mean to awaken the God of Darkness?" Youyu asked back, her tone uncertain.

“No, I mean how far she can go on the path of exploring her true desires. You have to understand, the emptiness in the hearts of certain individuals cannot be filled simply by faith and God. When this intense thirst cannot be satisfied, guess what will happen?” Zhang Cheng pursed his lips, revealing a playful smile.

He too had experienced thirst and understood how intense and urgent that desire was.