Published: March 12, 2025
Chapter 254: Gifts
On Earth, people swear as casually as they drink cold water, lacking any sincerity, especially for certain individuals who use oaths as a means to deceive others.
However, things are different in the Ark Continent. Here, no one dares to make oaths lightly, especially not regarding the deities they believe in.
Zhao Hai didn’t know if there were truly deities in the Ark Continent, but one thing he was certain of was that oaths here could not be taken lightly. He discovered that once you made an oath, there was a special feeling in your heart. Just like the blood oath Xu Wanying and the others swore, he noticed that after Xu Wanying finished swearing the blood oath, he really could not betray him.
Just like now, after Wells finished his oath, Zhao Hai felt that a marvelous connection had truly formed between him and Wells. It felt like a bond of blood, a sensation too vivid to be an illusion.
After reciting the same words as Wells, Wells raised his bowl of wine and drank down half a bowl of sheep's blood. He then handed the bowl to Zhao Hai. Looking at the sheep's blood in the bowl, Zhao Hai still felt a bit uncomfortable, but under the influence of the oath, he felt a surge of excitement and didn’t think too much about it; he gulped down the sheep's blood in one go!
The raw, indescribable metallic taste filled his mouth, nearly making Zhao Hai throw up, but he still closed his eyes and finished the half bowl of sheep's blood.
Only when the last drop of blood slid down his throat did Zhao Hai put down the bowl, though he tightly closed his mouth, fearing that if he opened it, he would vomit.
Wells didn’t feel too good either, but at least he felt much better than Zhao Hai. He turned to Zhao Hai and said, “From today onwards, we are brothers.” After saying that, he bowed deeply. Zhao Hai followed suit, and after three bows, the two finally stood up.
As they both stood, Wells let out a hearty laugh, “My brother, from now on, you are my real brother! Come, meet my sixth brother! By the way, how old are you today?”
Zhao Hai was stunned for a moment. He swallowed hard to dilute the taste of blood in his mouth before answering, “I’m eighteen today. What about you?”
Wells laughed heartily, “Looks like I’m the older brother now; I’m twenty today.”
Zhao Hai immediately responded, “Big brother!”
Wells laughed again and slapped Zhao Hai’s shoulder. At that moment, Mendez walked over, holding a small dagger. This dagger was much stronger than the one Spill had given Zhao Hai; both the sheath and the handle were made of gold, inlaid with jewels, appearing exceptionally noble and full of exotic charm.
Mendez approached Zhao Hai and handed him the dagger, saying, “Little Hai, this is a gift from me to you.”
Zhao Hai noticed that Mendez had already changed how he addressed him, which indicated that Mendez truly considered him one of their own. Zhao Hai wasn't polite and took the shiny dagger, bowing to Mendez, “Thank you, sixth brother.”
Mendez smiled and replied, “No need for thanks; you’re already my brother now. Little Seven, what about your gift?”
Wells smiled slightly and said, “In the tent.” After that, he led Zhao Hai into the tent. Once inside, Wells took down a riding whip from his tent's wall and handed it to Zhao Hai, saying, “Brother, this is a gift for you.”
Zhao Hai examined the whip and could immediately tell it was an ancient artifact. Although it was very clean, it was undeniable that it bore the marks of time.
The whip was not long, measuring less than a meter, and about the thickness of a thumb, made from an unknown magical beast's bone. It was black, resembling ink jade, but when touched, it was not cold at all; instead, it felt slightly warm. There were also complicated patterns engraved on it, which seemed to serve more than mere decoration.
The body of the whip was woven from fine threads, which were not ordinary silk. Zhao Hai noticed that the threads were of several types: gold, silver, black, and other colors, woven thick and thin, interlaced together, making the whip feel quite heavy. Holding it in his hand, Zhao Hai estimated it weighed at least several kilograms, enough to be used as a weapon.