EBE Chapter 592 Shamanic Ritual
Chapter 592 Shamanic Ritual
His gaze continued to sweep across the interior of the camp.
Behind the shaman's tent was a huge wooden platform with three thick bone pillars supporting it.
The three bone pillars were as thick as two people could hug, and their surfaces were covered with densely packed runes, the lines of which emitted a faint green light in the night.
What caught his attention was a ball of energy suspended in the center of the area surrounded by the bone pillars—dark red, semi-transparent, and slowly rotating.
Each time the energy cluster rotates, the surrounding air ripples like the surface of water. The ripples disappear after spreading to a certain extent, and then the next one begins.
As he was preparing to retreat from Wolf Fang Hill, his senses suddenly detected a new energy source—neither the disguised totem of the sentries nor the energy of the shaman's altar.
Deep within the tent, there exists a solitary target whose energy response is stronger than that of all the shamans around it combined.
The peak energy fluctuation of this target is more than four times that of an ordinary shaman.
A shaman at least level 85 or higher, and a high-ranking shaman specializing in summoning.
There are no more than three shamans of this caliber in the orc tribes; they are usually high priests or elders.
He waited for fifteen minutes, and after confirming that there were no new changes in the energy fluctuations, he activated Star Leap and disappeared from the top of Wolf Fang Hill.
A streak of light traced a very faint arc in the night, landing on the square surface in the depression.
"withdraw."
The five people quickly returned along the same route.
They encountered another patrol of wolf riders on the road, but this time they didn't even need to stop—Lin Tian had already used his senses to lock onto their route and led his team through the gaps in the patrol route.
His perception range was greater than when he arrived, the amplification crystal's effects were continuously taking effect, and the enemy's movements throughout the buffer zone formed a large, real-time updated map in his mind.
The first layer of hidden markers made his eyebrows twitch, the second layer made him frown, and when the high-definition screenshot of the three bone pillars appeared in the center of the projection screen, Colin's eyes darkened completely.
The runes on the bone pillars weren't the usual Bloodrage or Storm Shield—they were the sacrificial runes used by summoning totems.
Colin had seen it once before, fifteen years ago when the Orcs launched a massive invasion southward. That time, it summoned an 85-level Abyssal Stitcher, and it took the cost of an entire garrison to drive it back.
The energy data of the high-level shaman that Lin Tian marked was three times stronger than that of the shaman from fifteen years ago.
Colin remained silent for a long time before placing the crystal plate on the table. His expression was the most solemn Lin Tian had ever seen him with.
"This is no ordinary ritual. They are preparing to summon a monster that is at least level 90—a complete one, not the half-finished one like last time."
......
The crystal lamps in the Third Garrison's barracks were still lit.
Colin projected the tactical map onto the table and pointed his finger at the screenshot of the three bone pillars.
The screenshot is a high-definition image taken by Lin Tian using a reconnaissance crystal; every rune on the bone pillar is captured clearly.
Those runes were not ordinary Bloodrage runes, but sacrificial runes used exclusively by summoning totems, each line carrying a primal and cruel sense of power.
"Judging from the rune arrangement, this is the complete Blood Sacrifice Summoning."
Colin's fingers traced the runic lines on the bone pillar.
"The Blackrock Horde used it once fifteen years ago, summoning an 85-level Abyssal Stitcher. We lost a garrison that time. This time, the bone pillar is twice the diameter of the last one—the summoned creature will be at least level 90."
Fang Ping stood by the table. The bandage on his left arm had been replaced with a new one, and the bloodstains had dried, but the wound still ached faintly in the low air pressure of the early morning.
He subconsciously scratched the edge of the bandage, then quickly lowered his hand—he didn't want to show any discomfort before taking action.
"Last time, they were only halfway through their summoning when you interrupted them."
Old Luo placed the quiver on the table and examined the armor-piercing runes on each arrow. "This time, the guards have definitely doubled. We won't have enough manpower to force our way through."
Colin looked up from the map and scanned the barracks.
The third garrison's night shift members are all here—Fang Ping, Lao Luo, a mage named Chen Feng, and an archer named Liu Yuan. Including Lin Tian, that makes five people.
"We're short-handed," Colin said. "So this time it's not a frontal assault, it's infiltration and sabotage. Lin Tian will lead the team, and the four of you will coordinate. Fang Ping will provide ground cover, and Chen Feng and Liu Yuan will provide ranged support. Mission priority—destroy the totem poles and prevent the summoning from completing."
Lin Tian stood next to the map without saying a word from beginning to end.
After Colin finished speaking, he simply assigned positions to a few people.
Chen Feng and Liu Yuan were instructed to set up long-range firing positions on the high ground outside the ceremony site, while Fang Ping was responsible for clearing out melee enemies attempting to approach the firing positions.
He was responsible for dealing with the shamans and guards on the perimeter, and for destroying the totem pole itself.
"You're going to be the main attacker all by yourself?"
Chen Feng couldn't help but speak up, his tone devoid of doubt, purely for tactical confirmation.
The tip of his staff glowed faintly with blue light—this habitual preparatory gesture for casting spells had been going on for over a decade and he couldn't break it.
Chen Feng is the most senior mage in the Third Guard Team. He has participated in no less than a hundred city defense battles and knows very well how much firepower it takes to suppress an elite orc of level 80.
Lin Tian's plan essentially left the toughest part to himself.
"Um."
Chen Feng glanced at him but didn't press the matter further.
He had seen Lin Tian's combat data on the city wall—the peak damage of a single burst of Star Rays could instantly penetrate the armor of an 80-level elite.
This number ranks first among all the mages in the Third Guard Team, and this is just one part of Lin Tian's continuous use of normal skills.
If we compare it with data from online games, a battlefield boss that requires at least two tanks, two healers, and four DPS to barely handle in a normal mode is more like an elite monster that Lin Tian is just going through the motions of.
If he has team buffs or enough attribute suppression, he can solo even high-level bosses in raid dungeons.
2:30 a.m.
Five people left the city through the north gate.
Nighttime provides natural cover, but it's also when the orc wolf riders' sense of smell is at its sharpest.
The cratered areas of the buffer zone are even more difficult to traverse at night. Some are thigh-deep, while others are knee-deep, and the edges of the gravel crunch underfoot.
Chen Feng's mage robe was torn at the back by a dead branch near the crater, but he just glanced down at it and continued walking.
Little Black lay low on my shoulder, the dragon's scales reflecting no light in the night.