Chapter 1311 No pain No gain  

Liam approached the cauldrons with caution, his senses heightened for any traps that might have been left untouched by the devastation around them.

The first cauldron was relatively small, its surface etched with intricate patterns that seemed to dance and shift under Liam's gaze. The second was larger, with a more imposing presence, its designs more complex and imbued with a sense of depth that suggested layers of hidden meaning.

As for what it contained… Liam let out a sigh looking at the contents. It was a red colored liquid. Probably blood from the sacrifices if he had to make a guess. There was no sign of any flower of any sort like the other guy mentioned. Maybe the flower was already added to the mix? Just what the hell was this thing?

Liam touched the blood like liquid to examine it. But the moment his finger touched the liquid, the thing burnt him and his skin sizzled. He immediately recoiled, pulling his hand back as a sharp pain shot through his finger. The brief contact had left a small but noticeable burn on his skin, a testament to the liquid's potent and dangerous nature.

Liam frowned, staring at the bubbling red liquid with a mix of wariness and intrigue. The reaction was immediate and violent, indicating that whatever this liquid was, it wasn't ordinary blood. It had properties that were clearly harmful, if not outright lethal, to those who weren't prepared to handle it. Was this really the same thing that man was talking about?

It had to be because there was nothing else left in the entire ruins. It was all ruined, to say the least.

Liam wondered if he should try again, this time maybe circulating some of his mana. However, before he put his finger inside, another thought popped into his mind. What if this was a trap?

He paused a moment to think about it and the more he thought the more he was inclined to believe it. What if this was another kind of mental attack? A test by the Spire? Who did not want power? The lure for power was more effective than anything else. Even those who might not flinch in the face of danger, are likely to do something for power. For all he knew, this thing could be extremely deadly for him. Was this a test by the Spire to see if he would foolishly dunk himself into the toxic liquid?

Not that many things could hurt him. At his level and for his stats, it would take an insanely toxic red liquid to do any serious damage but this was the third segment of the Spire and could potentially have such a high-level item.

On the other hand, if he somehow found this bloody liquid beneficial then that meant whatever the random stranger had said was true and his intention was in fact to help him.

Liam groaned. He knew he was unnecessarily over-complicating things. Perhaps it was the effect of meeting that strange person, a sort of lingering fear or some anxiety that made his thoughts very confused.

He stared at the red liquid with a complicated expression. Just as he was wondering what might be the right approach here… enter the elf.

"My Lord… what happened? I sensed a golden glow but it suddenly faded? Did you encounter some unexpected trouble? I am here to lend you a hand. Please let me know how I can be of service!" Eldrin rushed over, panting.

Liam gave the elf a stare with a knowing look on his face. Obviously, the elf had arrived here after confirming that everything and everyone was deader than dead and was now putting on an act as if he was ready to leap into battle at a moment's notice.

But this was good too.

A smile appeared on Liam's face. A sinister smile. He was just thinking about how to test this stuff and a scapegoat had arrived right on time. There were two cauldrons here. He was probably only going to need one of them. It was not as if he could take the leftovers with him to the outside world. On the off chance that he needed the liquid from both the cauldron, then he could at least waste some of it on the elf.

"Unexpected trouble? Not quite," Liam said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. The elf's shifty eyes had already spotted the cauldron and he was now looking at it with curiosity. "Eldrin, since you're so eager to help, I have the perfect task for you," Liam continued, the amusement in his voice growing stronger as he gestured toward the cauldrons. "These cauldrons contain a liquid that's... intriguing. I need you to help me analyze it."

"Analyze, my lord? How exactly do you wish for me to proceed?" The greed in his eyes was not even hidden. "Is this some sort of good stuff?"

Liam pointed at the smaller cauldron. "Start with this one. All you need to do is get inside and maybe try to use your mana?"

Eldrin slightly hesitated. He threw Liam a look wondering why the guy was suddenly so generous. Something was off.

He extended a trembling hand towards the liquid, touching the surface of the liquid. The moment Eldrin's finger made contact, he yelped, pulling back as if bitten. "Hot! It burns!" he exclaimed, nursing his finger.

"It's fine. Get in. No pain no gain." Liam shrugged.

"My Lord…" The elf did not look convinced. He looked at the suspicious red liquid and then back at Liam who did not look like he was going to change his mind any time soon.

Fuck! The elf cursed his bad luck and gritted his teeth. He knew that questioning Liam's instructions out loud might not end well for him, especially considering the situation they were in. With a resigned nod, he steeled himself for what was to come.

"I will do anything for you, my Lord!" Eldrin muttered under his breath, not forgetting to make full use of the opportunity. "Here goes nothing."

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