Chapter 397 Rune Mutation?
Shadows could be seen moving toward the swamp. The area that appeared so peaceful some time ago is now filled with a strange presence. The cold wind started blowing as if trying to alert someone; soon the shadows moved around and started approaching the inner region of the swamp.
Multiple strange things of humanoid reptilians were hidden on the top of trees or inside them, guarding that place, but they didn\'t notice shadows approaching them. Before they noticed it, they were silenced. After a moment, they also joined the shadows and followed them.
The Shadow Priest leading them, eliminated many opponents; he then decided to raid the base of the Wyvern Riders, about which he had gotten information. Rishi had also given him the tool to extract the dragonblood; he did everything he was told, as he knew Rishi could eliminate him at any moment.
As he appeared in the heavily guarded area, he ordered the shadows behind him and eliminated them one by one before reaching the central area. There he saw wyverns tied to trees and the Riders resting on the beds; five were present here.
They moved quickly and eliminated the Riders first before eliminating the Wyverns. They extracted the blood and eyes before turning them into shadow creatures and leaving. Their attack was swift, and Skinks had little time to react.
When they realized they had been attacked, they grouped up and searched for their opponent. The only thing they found were the corpses of many of the Skinks tribe. The priest looked at the state of their corpses and felt a chill down her spine. They looked similar to the corpses of the Saurus tribe members; she quickly guessed that it was the same opponent.
She asked everyone to group up and return to their village. The more separated they were, the easier it would become for the opponent to attack. The rest of the night passed, but there were no more attacks.
***
A girl could be seen sleeping on top of a giant six-meter creature. She used him as a soft bed, but the Beast showed no hostility. It was sleeping peacefully; at first, it had broken due to the incident. It could not sleep peacefully as it was addicted to the tree, and the girl who saved him fed him a strange pink potion.
As he consumed it, he was able to sleep peacefully as he spent more time with her. He became fond of her; she even fed him different types of tasty food he had not eaten before.
Kajal was happy staying with the Beast but also missing Rishi. She knew she had to be with him until she contracted him. She also drank a little of \'Dream Potion\' and started dreaming about the future.
***
Rishi received the dragonblood and eyes from the Shadow Creatures, and for the first time, he felt that they were not completely useless. He asked them to go back and guard this area and the area around Kajal.
He then started working on the corpse. He started the process again. He covered the Rider and Raptor corpses in a layer of ice. He then inscribed the rune on them. These runes were to help them absorb the energy around them—mana and draconic energy.
He then used the blood of the beasts to create a demon magic circle. He lit up the candles around it and chanted some incantations. After it, he surrounded them within a circle of daggers with a strange rune inscribed on them. He then took a deep breath.
His heart was beating faster as he proceeded. He used \'Shadow Casting,\' and the shadow behind him moved and stood behind him. It then grew and started making hand signs. Its eyes opened, and a purple-colored flame became visible. Its mouth moved, and it started chanting.
It continued for a moment before the corpses shook. The ice around them broke apart. Their shadows started entering their frozen corpse and merging with it. This continued for a while before a small explosion took place. They both moved and slowly stood up.
Their bodies looked to be made up of shadow and ice. They looked very real, with their bodies covered in shades of black and white. Additional purple and icy blue colors appeared in them and added more details to their appearance. They roared before bowing down to Rishi, as if thanking him for giving them another chance.
Rishi checked them to make sure that everything was working properly. He then used the \'Shadow Contract\' skill. A seal appeared that looked like a magic circle below the creature before him; the same pattern appeared on his hand. After some time, the contract was complete; he had created this after getting inspired by the \'Book of Contracts\'.
He understood the emotions of the creature in front of him after completing the contract. He saw that it was loyal to him. He asked, "Do you want to become stronger?"
It replied with a \'Hisss\' Rishi said that as long as you can survive, you will become stronger. He first activated the rune on its chest, and the wind around them started moving faster. The draconic energy and mana entered its body and started to make it stronger.
The creature saw strength entering its body and felt that it was becoming stronger. Then, a purple light shone around him, and it started becoming stronger rapidly. The rune created by Rishi was modified itself. Rishi looked at it and was confused. He moved back, thinking that some error might have occurred, but he soon discovered that a bright light was emitting from the creature, which grew in size.
Rishi understood that the being hidden in shadows had helped it, but this time Rishi was not concerned, as he could sense that the creature\'s loyalty had increased towards him. He looked at the rune and tried to understand it; he had to use its spiritual energy to read it.
This continued for a moment before it stopped, and the creature\'s body became stronger and tougher. Its presence also became stronger. It now appeared as if it were a mid-stage epic beast. Rishi also learned a lot by observing the rune. He also felt that he should meet the being. If he is that strong and connected to \'Evil Shadow\', he might help him learn many things and become stronger.
While it had a lot of risks, Rishi felt like he couldn\'t miss this opportunity. It was a chance for him to become stronger. He clenched his fists and decided that he was going to take this risk; he couldn\'t back down and miss such an opportunity because he was a little scared.
He also felt like he should leave the creature in front of him in this condition for some time, as it would help him strengthen his body. The stronger its body is, the more chances there are for successful evolution.