Chapter 229 Chapter227-Joining the Devil Guild
"He is Oberlis," Dark Lord Lava Oriel indicated, pointing at the lean man who emerged from the spatial rift.
Oberlis seemed somewhat disgruntled, shouting at Oriel, "Oriel, don't address me in such an ordinary manner. You should add the prefix 'Space Wanderer.'"
"That won't do," Oriel flatly refused.
Oberlis was visibly furious, finally gritting his teeth and saying, "Oriel, for the sake of Flamefruit, I'll forgive your rudeness this time."
Then, under Ethan's astonished gaze, the Flamefruits vanished in an instant.
This is — a Space Ring!
Ethan sensed the familiar fluctuations.
"My fruits!"
"Oberlis, those fruits were to entertain Ethan, they weren't for you. Return them to me right now!" Oriel roared in anger.
"That won't do," Oberlis echoed the same phrase before continuing, "Oriel, calm down, don't disturb my assessment of the new recruit for the Devil Guild."
Oriel subsided, albeit with a fiery glare directed at Oberlis.
Unperturbed, Oberlis turned to Ethan and asked calmly, "You are Ethan, correct?"
"Yes, that's me," Ethan nodded.
Oberlis then pulled out a small booklet, flipping through it.
Soon, he found what he was looking for, briefly reviewing it before closing the booklet and addressing Ethan, "Congratulations, Ethan. From now on, you are a member of the Devil Guild."
"Wait, wasn't there supposed to be a test?" Ethan was incredibly surprised. He hadn't done anything, and yet he was already admitted into the Devil Guild?
Oberlis chuckled, "The test has already been completed. Joining the Devil Guild isn't about undergoing old-fashioned, various tests. You possess formidable power and come highly recommended by Oriel. But most importantly, you are being hunted by Lana Mokos. And we particularly enjoy opposing Lana Mokos."
"Being hunted?" Ethan was momentarily stunned, failing to grasp the situation.
Oberlis slapped Ethan on the shoulder, smiling warmly as he said, "That woman Lana Mokos has noticed something amiss with the Oksd heart, and she is currently tracing your whereabouts. You are in trouble, but we in the Devil Guild have never feared trouble."
Joining the Devil Guild in such a manner was beyond Ethan's expectations.
It seemed far too hasty.
Oberlis didn't care about what Ethan was thinking internally.
He took out a ring and handed it to Ethan, saying, "This is the Devil Ring, it can be used to sense other Devil Guild members. Also, remember this special spell; it will allow you to establish a mental connection with other people in the Devil Guild, making it easier to find them."
"Earlier, it was through this method that Oriel was able to contact others."
"Of course, the most important thing is the gathering."
"Every month, Devil Guild members will have a gathering. We exchange and discuss various pieces of information, share all sorts of knowledge, or trade various treasures during these meetings."
"When the time comes, the Devil Ring will automatically open a space portal."
"And the most crucial thing is that both the Devil Ring and the Devil Guild meeting place are magnificent masterpieces of the great Space Wanderer Oberlis!" Oberlis said with utmost confidence, ceaselessly boasting about himself.
Unable to bear it any longer, Oriel yelled, "Oberlis, your mission here is done! Now, leave my residence; you're not welcome here anymore!"
"Oriel, you're truly heartless," Oberlis provoked Oriel in a peculiar tone.
Just as a furious Oriel swung a punch at him, Oberlis opened a space gate and left directly.
"Don't mind him, Ethan, Oberlis is a cunning person," said Oriel, still very angry and disgruntled.
Ethan, on the other hand, was greatly enlightened.
Not only because of Oberlis' terrifying space magic that could create space portals so easily, showcasing Oberlis' strength, but also because such a powerful individual still childishly snatched Oriel's Flamefruit.
What about the other people in the Devil Guild?
This was becoming more and more interesting.
"Are the other members of the Devil Guild like Oberlis?" Ethan asked curiously.
"No, that guy is an outlier. If it weren't for his mastery in space magic and his contributions to the Devil Guild, we would have united and proposed to expel him from the guild a long time ago," Oriel shook his head as he spoke.
Naturally, Ethan didn't take Oriel's words seriously.
Through Oberlis and Oriel, Ethan gained a bit of understanding about the Devil Guild.
However, when he asked for more detailed information, Oriel directly said, "Well, let me see... The timing is almost right. In another five days, it will be the monthly gathering of the Devil Guild members. You can enter the meeting place through the Space Ring then, and ask any questions you may have at that time."
With Oriel saying so, Ethan ceased his inquiries and they moved on to discussing other matters.
The two chatted very happily. Oriel even took out several Flamefruits cultivated with Blood Source to gift to Ethan once again, constantly reminding him before he left to definitely give him a batch once the Blood Source was produced.
Ethan agreed heartily.
Afterward, he and Sherry left Oriel's residence, once again embarking on their journey to find Henry Powell.
Just as the two stepped out of the Glacial Canyon, a massive Snow Falcon swooped down, intending to tear Ethan and Sherry to shreds.
However, sensing the terrifying aura emanating from Ethan, the Snow Falcon hastily halted, but unable to control its swift speed, it plunged into a pile of snow.
This brought tears of laughter to Sherry's eyes.
Five days passed, and Ethan and Sherry had reached the depths of the Snowy Plains.
On this day, they weren't hurrying on their journey, as the day Oriel had mentioned, the day of the Devil Guild members' gathering, had arrived.
Ethan and Sherry found a small cave and quietly waited there.
Before long, a burning sensation emanated from the Devil Ring.
Ethan channeled power into the Devil Ring, and a space gate appeared before him.
Before entering, Ethan turned to Sherry and said, "Wait for me here."
Sherry smiled and replied, "Be careful."
Nodding, Ethan stepped into the space gate and instantly arrived at another location.
It resembled the interior of a church — empty, with a long table set up in the central area, flanked by dozens of chairs on both sides.
Soon, other space gates emerged in this space.
Members of the Devil Guild arrived one after another.
Among them were familiar faces to Ethan — Oriel and Oberlis — and about a dozen people he did not recognize.
These individuals also scrutinized Ethan but didn't approach to inquire further, evidently maintaining the gravity customary to these monthly gatherings.
After a while, the founder of the Devil Guild arrived.
Distinct from the others, the founder donned a finely crafted armor and wore a metal helmet infused with magic, concealing their true face.
"Everyone, the gathering has begun."
As everyone took their seats, the armored founder of the Devil Guild spoke.
It was an extremely crisp voice, leading Ethan to surmise that the speaker was likely a young girl.
Through Oriel, Ethan confirmed this guess and learned that the girl's name was Rose.
However, the reason behind her choice to adorn herself in full armor remained a mystery to all members of the Devil Guild.
"At today's gathering, let us first welcome the newcomer," Rose announced.
Following her words, all eyes turned to Ethan, who was seated beside Oriel, and a chorus of greetings rang out.
Next, Rose lifted her hand, and a glow akin to a starry sky emerged from it.
With a graceful sweep of her hand, it soared towards Ethan as she explained, "This is a divination, Ethan. You can place your hand upon it."
Oriel nodded encouragingly at Ethan who had turned to look.
"This is the normal procedure, perhaps a small amusement of Rose's, or possibly a true divination. Naturally, the results are generally quite impressive titles, like mine being the 'Lava Artificer,' and Oberlis being dubbed the 'Space Wanderer,' although Oberlis is the only one who makes it a point to use it regularly," Oriel explained, seizing the opportunity to mock Oberlis playfully.
This commentary likely had Oberlis as its intended audience, for following Oriel's words, Oberlis sent a furious glare his way, igniting laughter amongst some other members at the gathering.
Then, Ethan extended his hand to touch the glowing orb of starry light.
The luminescent sphere dispersed, floating above the long table to form the phantom image of a dragon.
The dragon was immensely majestic, its chest bearing several colorful scales resembling precious gemstones.
Its head boasted five stout draconian horns lined atop its crown. Below its massive body lay sprawling, vibrant cities, creating an image as if the dragon was surveying its own domain.
After a moment of witnessing this grand spectacle, Rose, seated at the forefront, finally spoke with a tone of substantial contemplation, "Eternal Guardian, that is the title bestowed upon you by the divination. You can refer to yourself by this title in the future; it will undoubtedly serve you well."
With a hint of fatigue lacing her words, it was evident that the act of divining was considerably taxing for Rose.
Ethan took mental note of this title, watching as the dragon's phantom slowly dissipated.
A strange, ineffable feeling overtook him, leaving him with questions he couldn't quite articulate.
With the divination complete, they proceeded to the main agenda of the gathering.