The Smiling Death-Chapter 373: It Is Time

Ethan stood quietly among the members of Malphas’s group, adjusting the strap of the leather armor around his shoulder. His usually energetic face was far more serious now.

Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind.

"Ethan!"

He turned around immediately. Walking toward him were three people. His parents and his little sister.

His mother looked worried, her brows slightly knitted as she hurried closer. Beside her walked a small girl with light brown hair tied in two messy ponytails. She looked no older than nine or ten. Both of them were beastman like him.

Behind them came Ethan’s father.

Unlike his mother and sister, his father was already wearing armor. A sword hung at his waist, and a round shield was strapped to his back.

He was going to fight today as well. In the same group as Ethan.

Ethan’s little sister ran the last few steps and grabbed his arm tightly. "Brother... you have to be careful," she said, her voice small but firm.

Ethan chuckled softly and gently patted her head. "Of course I will. Your big brother is strong, remember?"

His mother stepped closer and placed both her hands on his shoulders. "Don’t do anything reckless," she said quietly. "Stay close to the others."

Ethan nodded seriously. "I will."

Then his father stepped forward. For a moment the two men simply looked at each other.

Then his father suddenly grinned and punched Ethan lightly on the shoulder.

"Don’t embarrass me out there."

Ethan snorted. "You should worry about yourself, old man."

His father laughed loudly. "Ha! Let’s see who fights better today."

Even in a moment like this, the two of them still joked. But the warmth in their voices made it clear they were both aware of the danger ahead.

Ethan’s mother looked between them with a helpless sigh. "Both of you are impossible."

His little sister tightened her grip on Ethan’s arm again before finally letting go. "Come back after winning."

Ethan smiled. "Of course."

Around them, similar scenes were happening everywhere.

Families gathered together. Parents spoke quietly with their children. Husbands held their wives.

Friends exchanged firm handshakes. Some people smiled. Some tried to hide their fear. Others openly showed it.

Many worried gazes were exchanged. Yet despite that... no one tried to stop the warriors from going.

Everyone understood. This was the only chance they had.

Amon watched it silently.

"Feeling lonely?" Amusingly it was Scarlett who asked him from beside.

He turned and looked at her eyes. With smirk he said, "Me? Lonely? I am not lonely. Afterall I have you with me."

"Tch!" Scarlett clicked her tongue and looked away.

Amon just giggled.

Slowly, the farewells ended.

----

The four groups soon began moving.

Each group headed toward a different direction of the surrounding land where the massive magic structures created by Vetaal had been carved into the ground.

Roland’s group moved toward the south.

Kael’s group headed toward the north.

Nora’s group walked toward the west.

And finally, Malphas’s group moved toward the east.

However, something unusual could be noticed.

The leaders themselves were not present with their groups.

They had already left earlier.

Those four were needed elsewhere.

They had to assist Vetaal by supplying him with mana so he could activate the massive spell required to break the seal trapping them in this place.

The villagers moved carefully across the quiet land until Malphas’s group finally reached their destination.

A massive pattern was carved into the ground.

Deep lines spread across the earth in a complex circular formation.

Strange symbols, runes, and geometric shapes were etched into the soil.

The entire structure was enormous, easily stretching across dozens of meters.

Amon stopped near the edge of the carved formation and looked down at it with interest.

"Alright. Bring the blood."

Scarlett’s clear voice echoed across the group.

Several villagers immediately moved forward.

They were carrying large wooden bowls. Each bowl was filled with thick, dark red liquid.

Fresh blood. Extracted from animals over the past few days. The iron scent of it was already strong in the air.

Scarlett pointed toward different parts of the huge circle. "Now go to the corners."

Her tone was firm and commanding. "And start filling the lines with blood."

Four people stepped forward and moved to different edges of the enormous pattern.

Amon and Ethan watched the scene with surprise. Scarlett stood straight with her arms folded as she oversaw everything.

Her usual calm and quiet demeanor had changed.

Right now she looked completely different. Like a commander directing her soldiers.

Ethan leaned slightly closer to Amon. "Did you know she could act like that?"

Amon shook his head slowly. "Not really."

The four villagers knelt down and carefully began pouring the blood into the carved grooves.

Because all the patterns were interconnected, the liquid slowly began flowing through the lines.

The thick red liquid crawled along the symbols and runes like veins spreading across the earth.

Amon stared at the sight. "It needs a lot of blood," he muttered.

The smell of iron grew even stronger as more liquid spread across the carved ground.

"Yeah..." Ethan replied. "We had to capture and kill a lot of animals for this."

Meanwhile, far away in the other directions, the same process was happening.

Roland’s group.

Kael’s group.

Nora’s group.

Each of them stood near identical patterns carved into the ground. And each group was also filling those massive formations with blood. Not too far from the village, another scene was unfolding.

Five powerful figures stood together.

Roland the human.

Kael and Malphas who were demons.

Nora, an elf.

And then Ophir who was werewolf.

All five of them were Transcendent-level warriors. Each of them wore partial armor. Not full sets, but enough to protect their vital areas.

Between them stood Vetaal. The strange man looked as unsettling as ever. His body looked almost like a corpse.

His skin stretched tightly across his bones as if no blood flowed within him.

His long, dirty black hair hung down messily around his face. His lips were dry and cracked. And his white eyes stared forward without emotion.

The five warriors surrounded him in a loose circle, each standing about a meter away.

They were waiting. Waiting for the signal. Minutes passed.

Then suddenly from the northern sky, a small fireball shot upward. It rose high into the air before fading.

It was the signal. The blood had finished filling the pattern. Soon after, another magical flare appeared in the western sky.

Then one from the east. And finally one from the south.

The signals might have been far away and difficult for normal villagers to see.

But for Transcendent-level warriors... They were impossible to miss.

Vetaal slowly spoke. "It is time."