Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 636: Chapter 531 Recruitment (Thanks to the Patron of the Eternal Eulogy)_1

Following the alchemists’ instructions, Huai Shi first opened the topmost box, took out the token inside—a bloodstained mirror—and inserted it into the niche of the Secret Ritual device. Then, in order, he threw in many materials, after which a light quickly lit up.

Here it comes!

Huai Shi’s eyes brightened as the familiar card-drawing phase began!

However, when the light died down, there was nothing inside the Secret Ritual device. There was nothing, no sound; not even any existence had heeded the summons to appear.

The Fire Pupil Gathering didn’t respond to Huai Shi’s summons.

He was stunned for a moment, then turned his head and looked at Lin Nineteen in the distance, who also wore a puzzled expression. Soon, Lin Nineteen conveyed the suggestion from the bridge—to continue.

After a short silence, Huai Shi quickly replaced the offering in the device and the token, placing a palm-sized straw doll into the niche.

The light shone and promptly vanished.

Still... nothing.

Thunderclap Mountain didn’t respond.

Silence came again.

This time, without waiting for advice from the bridge, Huai Shi resumed his actions, inserting a shrunken, shriveled monkey’s head into the device and activating the ritual.

After the light dispersed, the Secret Ritual device remained utterly empty.

The Hall of the Divine Invisibility didn’t respond to Huai Shi’s summons.

It was when Huai Shi changed the medium for the fourth time, directing the matrix of the device toward ”A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” that the silence was finally broken as the light came on.

A creature resembling a giant Groundhog materialized from within as a projection.

It wore a miner’s safety helmet on its head and an odd jacket on its upper body; it also carried a shovel over its shoulders.

The Sediment Otter was an Abyss Horde renowned for its digging and underground constructions. They were also one of the Ivory Tower’s collaborators in Hell, having participated in the construction of many of its branches.

But now, after casting down its projection, the Sediment Otter glanced around. Looking at Huai Shi’s unfamiliar face, it paused in confusion. Once it confirmed it was summoned by the Ivory Tower, it opened its mouth and emitted a sharp noise.

”Ah————ah—ah ah ah ah ah!!!!!!”

It had an extraordinarily loud voice, as if several subwoofers had exploded, leaving Huai Shi stunned and unclear about what it was doing. However, the mosaic wolf dog beside him lifted a sign, and the words on it transformed to translate the sharp ”ah-ah” sound for Huai Shi.

[Very sorry—friends, Ivory Tower.]

The Sediment Otter roared as it called out: [Your summons—this time—cannot be heeded—we]

”Why?” Huai Shi asked.

[Someone—has invoked—the Thunderclap Call here.]

The Sediment Otter continued with a forceful bellow: [The battle between realms—last agreement—forbids us—helpless to assist—]

Having spoken, the Groundhog-like Owner of the Great Mob bowed to Huai Shi, then turned and dissolved into the projection.

It was the Thunderclap Call. Huai Shi was stunned for a long time, unable to believe it.

If he hadn’t specifically studied history while learning Alchemy, he would not have known what this thing was.

To some extent, these things were utterly useless—just symbols and decorations, serving to signify identity and represent certain things.

Sometimes they were invaluable, and at other times, worthless.

Just like the archways of the Dongxia Genealogy, the Sacred Statues of the Russian Federation Genealogy, the fasces of the Rome Genealogy, and the New World proclamation of the American Genealogy... It wasn’t just in Current Circumstances; even the great powers within the Abyss had their own representative objects.

These things were difficult to make and could only be used when granted—they were single-use consumables.

But simultaneously, they could also represent certain intentions of the powers to which they belonged.

It was like the Thunderclap Call, representing the Sea of Titans, a Hell Swarm from the Withering Region.

This horde of Abyss Dwarves, heirs to Giant’s blood, were the undisputed masters in the Withering Region. In the last Battle of the Realms, they had utterly destroyed the original masters, the ”Purgatory Factory Masters,” and the Great Torus they represented.

Since the Thunderclap Call had been sounded here, it signified that the authority of the Sea of Titans had also descended upon this place. Any Hell Swarm not under the Sea of Titans was forbidden entry.

It was like rabbits not daring to tread into tiger territory. This was true whether or not the tiger was actually present.

To enter would mean provocation.

But if it were truly the Sea of Titans seeking to contest the ownership of this part of Hell with the Ivory Tower, they would have openly made their presence known long ago. Why would they not sound it when the Ivy League was calling for aid, yet start blowing their horn when it was our turn?

It was clear to anyone with half a brain that the Ivy League was playing tricks.

But what was most vexing about these ritualistic objects was exactly this.

It wasn’t about whether those big bosses were truly present here—it was about... whether you cared about those big bosses or not.

Indeed, Hell was vast, and the Sea of Titans’ prestige might not hold sway everywhere; there was certainly no shortage of hostile factions. But with just one blast from the Ivy League’s horn, the summoning options available to him had been cut by more than half.

Huai Shi’s mood instantly soured.

In the near distance, Lin Nineteen felt the increasingly troubling mood emanating from his teacher and shrank back even further.

Huai Shi didn’t erupt in anger; he simply stood under the dimming sunset, silently finishing a cigarette. After stamping out the stub, he rummaged through the tokens and mediums in the box, filtering out those that definitely would not respond to him. He was left with the hostile factions of the Sea of Titans and those massive hordes that cared little for these turf struggles.

Similarly, the cost of hiring... would definitely be more expensive and demanding.

But did he even have a choice at this point?

He calmly placed a shriveled Snake Corpse into the Secret Ritual, then quietly waited.

As the light brightened, a vast shadow slowly rose from within.

The oppressive aura of the Owner of the Great Mob spread with its scarlet pupils.

”Ivory Tower?”

The Bat Wing Demon—a Gargoyle, seemingly forged from Iron Stone—appeared in the Secret Ritual, looking down at its summoner. ”It’s an unfamiliar face... no matter.”

It paused, then asked indifferently, ”Young man, I have come in response to the Ivory Tower’s summons. Do you need the Iron Stone Village to fight for you?”

The great oppressive aura spread forth.

Yet, the expected panic did not occur. The young man looked up at him and nodded calmly. ”Yes.”

”Disastrous Musician? Heh, I’ve seen humans like you before.”

The Gargoyle seemed somewhat intrigued, but its demeanor soon returned to normal, though its tone was no longer so cold.

”It sounds like you’re quite satisfied with me.”

Huai Shi’s eyebrows slightly raised. ”Can we start discussing the terms now?”

After a long silence, the Gargoyle’s tone grew serious. ”Our price isn’t cheap—”

”I understand.”

Huai Shi shrugged, all ears.

”So, a castle, how about that?”

After a brief exchange of looks, the Gargoyle opened its huge maw. ”It needs to have prayer halls sufficient for forty Gargoyles to be stationed and rest in. The specific specifications are here.”

A piece of parchment emerged from its sharp claws. It meticulously detailed the necessary scale of the castle and its interior arrangements, including specifications for towers, walls, and the Moat. It even detailed the materials required for the internal Secret Ritual setups.

Everything was of the highest standard.

That was the cost of hiring them.

Gargoyles, once revered as guardian deities and also known as ’Nightwalk Dragon Gods,’ not only possessed formidable combat strength but also maintained a level of good conduct and virtue rarely seen in the Abyss. At least, there had never been reports of them betraying their employers.

However, their asking price was always steep, and they could reject any unreasonable demands from their employers at any time.

In short, while they possessed integrity and were not lacking in combat ability, they were quite difficult to manage.

And for those who breached their contracts, they would chase them to the ends of the earth at all costs.

If Huai Shi agreed here and then failed to fulfill his promise, thereafter all Gargoyles in Hell would consider the people of the Ivory Tower their number one enemy.

What the Ivory Tower needed to offer was the construction of a castle in Hell for them to reside in within one year. In return, twenty Gargoyles would fight here for him.

The term was three months.

Once the dawn broke after the last day of the third month, they would not stay a second longer.

Frankly, the price was exorbitant; the Gargoyles were indeed driving a hard bargain. But Huai Shi agreed very briskly.

After all, he was not the one paying!

That wonderful scenario of him swiping the card and Luo Su footing the bill wasn’t going to happen a second time!

As Huai Shi signed his name, dozens of large and ferocious silhouettes walked out from the Secret Ritual. Aside from the Naming Giver who had just negotiated with Huai Shi, twenty Gargoyles from the Abyss Dark Fortress, armed with their Long Spears and throwing spears, appeared within the Secret Ritual.

For the next three months, they would fight for the Ivory Tower.

These flying creatures from Hell, besides their daunting defenses, were composed of Iron Stone itself. This meant that even if exposed to the night in the Town of Dusk, they had no fear of petrification. Their combat capabilities had already been recognized through countless mercenary wars.

Then, Huai Shi waved his hand, signaling Lin Nineteen to take the Gargoyles to the outer garrison. He himself remained before the Secret Ritual and threw in the next medium.

As the light brightened again, a Snake-man riding a giant Lizard appeared within the Engraved seal. He was clad in black scales and carried a Bow and Arrow and a Curved Knife.

His yellow, slitted pupils stared straight at Huai Shi, constricting slightly as if evaluating him.

Huai Shi tilted his head, looking back at him, and after a while, smiled and said, ”Name your price.”

And so, after half an hour, twenty-one Gargoyles, over eighty members of the Snake-man Undead Army, and an Abyss Rat-man Army numbering over eight hundred had joined the ranks of the Iron Crystal Throne, all from various Hell Swarms.

As Huai Shi watched the clamoring Rat-men crowd together and disappear into the distance, he lifted his head. He gazed at the soon-to-fade light of Dusk in the sky but did not stop summoning.

Instead, after a brief silence, he drew out the Sword of Virtue and planted it atop the matrix.

The light brightened once again.