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As the adventurers reveled in their newfound power, Alaric discreetly withdrew from the crowd, making his way to a secluded spot. 

Shortly thereafter, another figure arrived—a stunningly beautiful woman, adorned in lavish attire and emanating an aura of immense power.

"You\'ve done well," the woman suddenly spoke.

Alaric, seemingly expecting this, was not surprised. 

He promptly turned around and bowed respectfully, saying, "Your Highness Lana, I have acted as you commanded, having those adventurers ingest the Oksd crystals. However, this endeavor is perilous, and moving forward—"

"Perilous?" Lana Mokos chuckled softly, shaking her head while looking at Alaric\'s obsequious demeanor. 

"Alaric, you\'ve grown too old, too bereft of ambition! Life itself is a risk; what\'s there to fear, especially when what we\'re facing is hardly worth mentioning?"

Alaric mustered a forced smile. Inside, however, he was mentally cursing: "Damn it! I\'ve agreed to help this woman confront a deity—all for a mere powerful spell scroll. This is madness!"

Lana Mokos seemed to sense something amiss. "Alaric, are you questioning my decisions?"

Detecting the cold undertone in Lana Mokos\' voice, Alaric redoubled his deference, hurriedly denying, "No, no, no, Your Highness, you misunderstand. I\'m merely concerned about the adventurers."

"If they were to discover that the Oksd crystals were actually forged from Oksd\'s lingering corruption and limit them to the confines of this cave, they might rebel."

"Betrayal? You think I care about the betrayal of mere insects?" Lana Mokos sneered threateningly. 

"Alaric, it seems I must remind you. Our objective here is singular: Oksd\'s heart. Regardless of the cost, it must be mine!"

"Or else—"

"You\'ll learn firsthand how the Azure Empire deals with criminals condemned to death!"

Alaric dared not entertain any thoughts of resistance. 

It wasn\'t just that Lana\'s power dwarfed his own; it was also that his very survival depended on her favor. 

As such, he assured her once more: "Your Highness Lana, I harbor no mistrust of you whatsoever."

"That\'s for the best," Lana Mokos replied, still icy in her demeanor.

She continued: "Pay attention to one more thing. Someone from the Chris family is also here. If you encounter them, deal with them discreetly."

"As for your conflict with that black dragon, put that aside for now. Once you\'ve completed the quest I\'ve assigned to you, I\'ll personally capture the dragon as a reward for your efforts."

"Ah, one more piece of information."

"Oksd\'s minion, the Bloody Queen, has already been born. Those blood-soaked mud creatures are her handiwork."

"If the opportunity arises, capture her as well. She could make an excellent resource; perhaps she might even yield some little surprises for my research."

Upon hearing this, Alaric\'s face fell, his countenance tinged with dismay. 

"Your Highness Lana, I am honored that you entrust me with matters of such importance. However, it seems you may be overestimating my capabilities."

"Although I\'ve grown stronger, I doubt I\'m a match for this Bloody Queen you speak of, let alone those other troublesome creatures."

"That\'s not an issue," Lana Mokos said, her brow furrowing. 

"The Bloody Queen has only recently awakened; her powers won\'t be that formidable."

"Moreover, those who have ingested the Oksd crystal will serve as the perfect poison mist against her."

"If she dares absorb their blood, the filth from Oksd will annihilate her on the spot."

"I understand, Your Highness," Alaric replied, breaking into a cold sweat.

He had originally thought that using the residual filth of Oksd to craft the crystals was a way to neutralize the ferocious power of the Blood Source. 

This would allow ordinary people to enhance their abilities with Blood Source and use them to fight against Oksd. 

Now it seemed more like bait—lethal bait. 

Oksd\'s resurrection required the consumption of flesh and blood, and these powerful adventurers were the perfect candidates, yet none of them knew they were walking toxins.

"Her Highness Lana\'s cunning is truly terrifying," Alaric thought, his heart pounding with awe.

Lana Mokos, showing no interest in prolonging the conversation with Alaric, was solely fixated on acquiring Oksd\'s heart. 

The lives of others were inconsequential to her.

"So, Alaric," she said, issuing a final directive, "I leave matters here in your hands. I trust you won\'t disappoint me."

"Your wish is my command, Your Highness Lana," Alaric responded.

Alaric lowered his gaze, lifting it only briefly to watch Lana depart. 

In his line of sight, Lana Mokos took out a transparent crystal sphere and began channeling mana into it. 

As the mana flowed, the crystal gradually levitated, eventually opening a vortex-like portal in mid-air. 

Lana Mokos stepped through the swirling void, her figure vanishing from sight.

"How convenient," Alaric murmured enviously. 

His face darkening, he then turned and walked back toward the gathering crowd.

...

The Azure Empire, masters of the sea, boasted not only expansive maritime territory but also considerable land holdings, including three large islands and hundreds of smaller ones. 

Among these, the largest—Rose Lake Islands—were owned by the royal Mokos family of the Azure Empire. 

Lana Mokos was indeed a member of this imperial lineage.

At that moment, within the courtyard of a luxurious residence on Rose Lake Islands, a vortex appeared out of thin air. 

From it stepped Lana Mokos.

"Your Highness, you\'ve returned," greeted a maidservant who had been tending to the estate. She hurriedly approached.

Without showing emotion, Lana put away the crystal sphere and turned toward the maidservant, instructing, "Summon Lord Bain. There are matters I wish to discuss with him."

"Yes," the servant nodded, hastening toward Bain\'s residence.

The Bain referred to by Lana was no ordinary man. 

As the most renowned Grand Scholar of the Azure Empire, he had been specially appointed by the royal family as the curator of the Empire\'s Grand Library.

Likewise, Bain was also Lana\'s teacher.

It wasn\'t long before the maidservant returned, bringing Bain with her. 

With a wave of her hand, Lana signaled for the servant to leave. 

Once she had, Lana turned respectfully toward the newly-arrived Bain and said, "Teacher, I have just returned from the cave where Oksd slumbers."

"Ah, and what concerns you?" Bain looked to be of middle age, sporting a modest beard.

As his disciple, Lana was acutely aware that her teacher was far from an ordinary man, even if his appearance suggested nothing more than a scholarly demeanor.

"I\'ve tasked Alaric with retrieving Oksd\'s heart," Lana began. 

"However, as I was leaving, I was suddenly struck by an unsettling premonition—as if something might go awry with our plans. This has me deeply perplexed."

Lana had always placed great trust in her own intuition.

Upon hearing her recount, Bain\'s expression remained unchanged. 

He leisurely poured himself a glass of wine, savoring its aroma and flavor as he spoke: "Lana, no plan is ever perfect. Devourer Oksd is a deity of man-made origin—a feat which is astonishing even when compared to the marvels of those ancient kingdoms now lost to time."

"Kingdoms which, let us not forget, were destroyed by their own audacity."

"You must remember that deities are not to be trifled with, not even the dead ones. So, having someone else fetch Oksd\'s heart for you is a sound strategy."

"As for the unease you\'re feeling, it could mean the plan will fail."

Bain\'s explanation was so blunt that Lana was taken aback. 

It took her a few moments to find her voice: "Fail? Are you saying that you expect my plan to ultimately fail?"

"No, I wouldn\'t know about that; I\'m no prophet," Bain shook his head, continuing, "In my opinion, your plan seems a bit too idealistic. Lana, in trying to deceive others, you also open yourself up to deception."

"While it\'s true that possessing Oksd\'s eyeball grants you the unparalleled advantage of freely navigating the cave Oksd has transformed, it has also made you somewhat arrogant."

"Alaric, for one, is not a man to be so easily trusted."

"Additionally, the kingdoms on that continent may not measure up even to the strength of a single island in the Azure Empire, but that doesn\'t mean you can afford to underestimate everyone."

A chill ran down Lana\'s spine as she realized her errors.

"Teacher, what should I do?"

Bain shook his head and sighed, "This time, I will assist you one last time. Give me Oksd\'s eyeball; I\'ll add a small feature to it."

"Certainly."

Lana had utter faith in Bain. Without a moment\'s hesitation, she reached for the transparent crystal sphere—Oksd\'s eyeball—and handed it to her mentor.