The Wizard's Journey: Infinite Power

Chapter 4: The Blood God Necklace

Unraveling the Mystery

Chris's curiosity was piqued by the system's prompt, and he quickly accessed the Tidal Modifier's interface to learn more:

[Item Analysis]

Item Name: Blood God Necklace

Item Level: Beginner

Item Function:

Magic Amplification: Temporarily enhances the wearer's magic power but may have potential side effects.

Blood Sacrifice Link: Linked to the Blood God Sect's blood sacrifice ritual. Can be used for tracking or control when worn in close contact.

Blood Atonement: The wearer may be subjected to unknown curses affecting their mind or health.

"Hmm..." Chris glanced down at Vivianna's neck, where the ruby-shaped necklace rested against her snow-white, graceful neck. The chain, adorned with intricate twisted runes, shimmered with a faint red glow in the light, and a larger blood-colored gem sat at its center.

Upon closer inspection, the gem bore a slight resemblance to the ruby ring worn by the red-robed goat-masked man he had defeated earlier. The blood-colored gem lay against Vivianna's flawless skin, as pure as freshly fallen snow, and it seemed to pulse with life in sync with her breathing.

Recalling the string of bizarre events that had transpired recently, Chris knew he couldn't afford any delays. He gently removed the necklace from Vivianna's neck, its weight feeling odd in his hand. He twisted and turned it, then, on a whim, held it up to the window, curious to see if it would react to the sunlight.

As the gem was exposed to the light, a black inverted pentagram pattern emerged within it, reflecting onto his deep blue robe. It was identical to the bloody symbol painted on the bodies of those who had been offered as sacrifices.

Chris recalled that Vivianna had only started wearing the necklace after passing the church's trial and becoming an apprentice knight. Combining this information with the system interface's insights, he was certain that this "Blood God Necklace" was somehow connected to the strange events that had unfolded.

As he studied the necklace, the pentagram pattern slowly faded away. Simultaneously, a red inverted pentagram mark appeared on the gruesome scar on Chris's wrist, quickly sinking into his flesh and disappearing from view.

Within his body, a strange blood-red magic power began to operate, forming a small cyclical magic array. The center of the array pulsated, as if trying to convey a message, drawing in threads of magic that were tainted with a blood-red hue.

However, compared to the vast ocean of magic power within him, this small-scale magic array seemed like a drop in the bucket, its efforts to taint his magic futile and insignificant. The red magic slowly dissipated into the blue sea, assimilated and unable to create even the slightest ripple.

Rather than corrupting his magic, the blood-red array was now continuously generating red magic, automatically healing his wounds and serving his purposes. Chris felt a slight itch on his wrist and, upon inspection, found that the gruesome scar had already faded significantly.

Without hesitation, he knew the most unstable factor at the moment was the necklace in his hand, and it needed to be dealt with immediately. Chris summoned the system interface and initiated the Magic Item Recycling function. With a confirming selection, a flash of blue light enveloped the red necklace, reducing it to blue particles that dissipated into the air.

Simultaneously, the remaining attempts for Deep Exploration in the system interface changed from 0 to 1. Just then, Chris noticed an unusual shift in the temperature around him. At some point, a fire had started, and the corridor and room were now ablaze.

Chris glanced up at the small window in the vast room, realizing it was no longer safe to remain in this enclosed space. He bent down and lifted Vivianna into his arms, suppressing the urge to sneeze as her hair brushed against his face. With quick strides, he made his way toward the corridor.

At the turn of the corridor, he spotted a severed hand lying on the ground, a thumb adorned with a ruby ring that had two fine cracks. Next to it lay a dusty animal skin book.

These were the spoils of his first victory over a formidable opponent, an opponent who belonged to an organization that indiscriminately killed civilians and worshipped an evil god. Chris's decision was swift and pragmatic—he stepped on the hand, pulling the ring free, and tucked the book into his robe alongside the other items he had acquired.

With Vivianna still in his arms, he strode toward the exit, his footsteps echoing in the now-empty corridors. The path ahead was filled with twists and turns, the walls stained with blood, but there were no other signs of life.

...

The sky was painted with a breathtaking array of colors as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a fiery red curtain over the mountainside. Chris emerged from the cave, his gaze fixed on the town nestled at the foot of the mountain—Gal City, the place of his birth and upbringing.

In the distance, silver-white lines stretched toward the mountain, indicating the arrival of the church's knights. It seemed like an overreaction to the fire in the mountain, as a few water-based wizards could have easily extinguished it.

Vivianna, if all went well, would soon be a full-fledged member of the church's knighthood, graduating from her apprentice status. For now, Chris's priority was to get her to a doctor in town and ensure her health and safety, keeping her away from further turmoil.

With his items secured and Vivianna on his back, Chris set off down the mountain path, heading straight for the city gates.

Half an hour later, they arrived at Gal City. Just in time before the sun completely set and the city gates closed for the night, Chris reached the gate, his breath coming in short gasps from the brisk pace.

To maintain order and security and deter any potential threats from bandits or marauders, Gal City had long implemented a curfew, prohibiting civilians from entering or exiting the city after dark. The two guards standing watch at the gate, clad in armor and armed with spears, gave Chris a brief glance before returning their attention to the road ahead.

Due to his frequent last-minute returns from collecting herbs and hunting small animals for quests, the guards had become accustomed to his hurried arrivals. While extermination quests offered higher rewards than collection or retrieval quests, Chris's lack of skill and courage had kept him from pursuing them.

Stepping into the city, Chris made his way through the dwindling crowds, most of whom were heading home after a long day's work. He followed the familiar route to the end of the main road, where the ancient and majestic "Wings of the Guardian" cathedral stood.

A thousand years old, the cathedral was one of the reasons for the town's peaceful atmosphere. Attached to it was the "Guardian" knighthood, a legion of three thousand formal knights who were dispersed throughout the surrounding towns.

Since becoming an apprentice knight and undergoing the church's baptism, Vivianna had moved into the cathedral's residence. Chris had once considered joining the church himself, drawn by the promise of food and shelter, but his lack of devout faith had put an end to that plan before it began.

After entrusting Vivianna to the care of the nuns who greeted them, Chris turned to leave, reassured by the improvement in her complexion and the healthy flush on her cheeks. It was time to return home and take stock of the "loot" he had acquired during his unexpected journey as a sacrificial offering.