The suffering wailing continued. It lasted for around fifteen minutes before Ziggy, who look slightly more muscular than before, struggles to stand firmly on his two feet.
"Huh... Huh..." Ziggy breathed in and out as he trembles from all the suffering he went through during the strengthening process. In these past few months, few candidates went through the same process, but only three survived so far.
Ziggy was the fourth.
Furthermore, to humankind, the power of Exalt seeps deeper into their consciousness. It was different from the Orcs, who mainly rely on magical power, elemental, and body strengthening.
To humankind, the power of Exalt often manifests in the form of magic, visions, insight, and prophecy.
That is also how the Exalt Broth came into their possession. But there's still a difficulty for Cullen Azog or for the Arcadian to obtain them. It takes the smaller Allforge to turn into a single drop of Pure Exalt Broth.
And only from the Pure Exalt Broth can the Impure version be made by diluting it with magical water extracted from the thawed ice magic. If the source of magical water does not come from this method, it will be a waste as no substance could retain Exalt's force right now.
"Congratulations, Ziggy. You're now the fourth human friend that's capable of using Exalt Force. How do you feel right now?" Cullen Azog asked as he retracted his arm that resembles the maw of a beast.
"I felt like I can see some premonitions... But they're very vague." Ziggy answered the chieftain's question based on his feeling.
"The ability to prophesize. It is a good one. Keep up the excellent work, and make glorify Arcadian. The two of you may leave if that's all you have today." Cullen Azog said as he waved his hand, ordering them to leave.
Cullen Azog took a deep breath after the two left his Audience Hall.
'Behaves...' Cullen Azog said as he stares at the bucket made from a mixed alloy between the Abominaculm and Iron. A cut is then made on his finger using the sharp nails from his thumb as he forced a few drops of blood out.
Dripping a few drops of blood with enormous vitality into the liquid Abominaculm that seems alive inside that alloy bucket, a volatile reaction quickly went wild inside. The liquid was feasting on his blood to maintain the power that has been imbued into them.
It seems that the liquid Abominaculm works differently compared to the other metal, be it purely from a natural source or mixed alloy with Abominaculm inside. It has to be constantly fed with his blood with rich vitality to maintain their conduciveness towards Exalt Force.
This made the long battle a detrimental option for the orcs-humans coalition.
Of course, it's not like the conduciveness will be gone in a day or two. But in a battle where every little thing would affect the result in a war, this was a risk they have to consider before advancing recklessly.
After satisfying the eagerness of the liquid Abominaculm, Cullen Azog stands and walks across the corridors leading to somewhere near the soldier's barracks.
A surge of heat capable of burning the skin if exposed for too long almost escaped through the door as Cullen Azog entered. And by closing the door after he entered, the heat was caught inside this room once more.
The room immediately becomes a furnace that capable of refining even their lives.
Inside here, there were more than just a furnace or two. Not counting two Allforges that only Cullen Azog and another human can use, six other furnaces were working at all times.
"Chieftain." the human blacksmith greets Cullen Azog.
"Continue on what you're doing. Has the preparation to refine the Exalt Broth ready?" Cullen Azog asked. Because this matter was more sensitive than refining the Abominaculm, only Cullen Azog was allowed to work with them after all the preparation is ready.
"We're ready to refine a drop of the Pure Exalt Broth." said one of the human workers.
"Great. Pour in the blood now!" two wisps of pyrokinesis flames were created on both of Cullen Azog's hands as he placed both arms into the Allforge. The furnace quickly went aflame fiercely as it refines the blood poured within.
...
...
...
"Tarzul and Salias is back to Arcadian! Look at their loot!" the residents once again gathered around the entrance to withness what kind of thing they have brought back this time.
But to their surprise, it was not something they had expected.
Not a single corpses belonged to the Army of Scales was found inside the cart. Instead, it was filled with survivors who were still trembling due to fear.
There's no doubt that the place they're staying should be razed by the Army of Scales recently, for them to be still traumatized now.
"What happened here?" Rosie Cullen came forward as she felt pitiful towards the few women trembling and likely be in a hypothermia condition.
"They were attacked. But it's not the Army of Scales. It was done by another human settlement not too far from us. From what they witnessed, it seems that the aggressor has a few experts in their group that's capable of using Exalt Force." Tarzul said.
"Human attacking another human? Are they mad?" Rosie Cullen's hand shook due to the anger in her mind. Looking at one of the girls that still maintain a hint of rationality, she gave her face a few light slaps.
"Are you still around? Can you talk?" Rosie Cullen asked. It was a crude move, but this is the only way for her to get an answer quickly right now.
"Who is the one attacking you? Do you know?" she said.
"I... I don't know them... All of them are wearing irons all over their body, with tools capable of releasing lights when they cut apart the shovels, pickaxes, broom, and rakes..."
"And... And they have the head of a wolf on the cloth behind them! All the men were taken away, and the women were all raped." the girl said.
"Bring them and give them a temporary place to stay. Tarzul and Salias, let us go to the chieftain... I have something to tell him." Rosie Cullen said.
From her expression, it seems she had some knowledge regarding the identity of the attackers.