Chapter 447: Chapter 462 Scroll of Darkness Chapter 447: Chapter 462 Scroll of Darkness “Good morning, Kalalin,” Lancelot greeted the Scholar. “Are these two your colleagues? I remember you mentioning only one would be coming.”

“Eh, Lancelot? How did you get here?” Kalalin rose from his seat, somewhat surprised, before introducing everyone. “This is Sir Lancelot that I’ve mentioned to you, and his companion, Miss Isabella. Lancelot, this gentleman is Dr. Hazel Mordanie, an envoy of the Cult. He is in charge of a secret division of the Cult in the Abyss, I regret that I cannot reveal the location of that division to you; the individual beside him is Dr. Jester Fransten, who, after learning about my achievements, has come here temporarily through Ritual Spells. He will take my manuscript directly back to the Cult headquarters.”

“You are Sir Lancelot?” the two members of the Black Cult hastily rose to their feet and gave a respectful greeting, “Please, take a seat. Brother Kalalin has shared many stories about your deeds, leaving a very profound impression…”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” Lancelot replied, returning the gesture before taking a seat, and discreetly observed the two men before him. The one named Hazel appeared to be a man still in his prime, but crow’s feet and a gray beard suggested that age was gradually catching up to him, while Jester was a serious-faced Half-elf, who upon closer inspection, gave off a peculiar sense of detachment, akin to a drop of oil in water.

“Sir Lancelot, perhaps you would like a cup of tea?” Hazel gestured to the Tiflin bartender behind the counter. “Meanwhile, we could discuss a potential collaboration…”

“A collaboration?” Lancelot looked somewhat surprised as he glanced at Kalalin. “What exactly are you referring to?”

“First of all, from the information at our disposal, sir, you are a very powerful Adventurer, leading an efficient and strong team. Based on the documents submitted by Brother Kalalin, you have ventured into at least three different Abyssal planes, engaging in numerous battles with Demons…”

“Rest assured, Brother Kalalin did not divulge any specific contents of the adventures, only made note of observations during the journey and the ecology of Demons,” Jester quickly spoke when he noticed Lancelot’s expression turning a bit sour. “What we mean to convey is that most Adventurers die on their first journey to the Abyss, and very few who survive wish to return a second time. You and your team would be excellent partners for collaboration. When pursuing knowledge related to the Abyss, the Cult is quite generous toward anyone who can offer assistance…”

“I think you might be mistaken; although we are mercenaries, we don’t just undertake dangerous missions for the sake of money,” Lancelot replied coolly, shaking his head. “I’m afraid…”

“That’s not what we meant.” The Half-elf gave his companion a look, and the latter quickly pulled out a bundle of thick scrolls from his bag and handed them to Lancelot, “There are many forms knowledge can take: it could be the antlers or claws of a defeated Demon, the weapons or armor used by Demons, or even a passage that precisely describes an experience traveling through a plane of the Abyss. This is a list of what the Cult is willing to pay for. You will understand that this kind of commission is not well-suited for direct posting in the Mercenary Hall.”

Lancelot opened the scroll and found a long list, with items that were rather vague like ‘Prime Demon bodily residues, one Gold Coin per pound’ and ‘live Coward Devil, five Gold Coins each’, as well as more specific offerings such as ‘the dagger used to kill a sacrificial victim in a successful Demon summoning ritual’, ‘a Perception Stone that recorded the act of lovemaking with a Succubus, priced per second’.

He unfurled the scroll curiously, checking the items with the highest bids.

‘Weapons of good or lawful (non-evil) nature, 10,000 Gold Coins, negotiable.’
‘Captured Barlow Flame Demon, 100,000 Gold Coins, negotiable.’
‘Any form of written texts such as manuscripts, notes, copies, scrolls, and the like by the Cult founder Turcot Noel Ahum and his disciples, the Cult is willing to exchange these items at any reasonable price. Please note that there is a high probability these items will attract the attention of Abyssal Demons, so always remain vigilant when carrying them.’
“This refers to the Scroll of Darkness, right?” Lancelot pointed to the last entry, “You actually let something like this circulate outside?”

“The Cult would like to collect all of the Dark Scrolls, but their very nature makes that impossible,” the Half-elf Jester said with a bitter smile. “The Dark Scrolls are actually a collection of volumes. At the time of creation, they were given to different people for various purposes, each with the power to combat Demons. It’s said that Ahum placed a spell on his manuscripts, commanding them to wander the universe to avoid being collected and destroyed by Demons.”

Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only

“Power?” Lancelot raised an eyebrow curiously, a cup of tea bubbling with purple foam appeared in front of him, though the Human Knight seemed to have no interest in tasting it, “What power? Aren’t those scrolls meant to record knowledge related to Demons?”

“Each scroll is a magical artifact. Initially, they simply allowed the holder to more easily detect hidden traps or see invisible Demons. But over time, the power contained within the scrolls has grown increasingly strong, some even reaching the level of Divine Artifacts, allowing holders to grow a Demon’s carapace to fend off attacks, gain temporary supernatural Life Force, or summon a higher Demon to serve them,” the Half-elf explained without a hint of pride, “This makes the scrolls very attractive to non-Demon researchers, significantly increasing the difficulty for the Cult to collect and transcribe them.”

“They sound very appealing to me as well,” Lancelot nodded, “Let me guess, you already have information on the whereabouts of a volume?”

“Just very vague intelligence, which we usually wouldn’t disclose to outsiders, but Kalalin has proven that you, Sir, are trustworthy,” Hazel, standing beside the Half-elf, spoke up first. “There have always been rumors that among the collection of Kostcheqi, the Lord of the Iron Ice Plains on the twenty-third layer of the Abyss, there was a complete Dark Scroll. Now Kostcheqi has been captured by Archduke Zariel Aphnas, and his treasury was raided while its master was detained, many witnesses claimed that the Dark Scroll has fallen into the hands of a lesser Frost Giant Lord. Those giants are not Demons; therefore, they can normally use the power of this Divine Artifact.”

“I understand,” Lancelot nodded, “but I don’t have any plans to go to that plane any time soon. In fact, I don’t think a volume of the Dark Scrolls is worth taking my companions to a foreign and dangerous plane, and even if I did get hold of that item, I’d be more inclined to keep it for my own use.”