Bolen Building, Underground Space at Night
At night in Hell's Kitchen, gunshots and shouts are common, but tonight, the area around the Bolen Building seemed eerily quiet. All the streetlights nearby were off, casting the surroundings into a deeper darkness.
The entire building was devoid of light. If it weren't for the moonlight reflecting off the building's glass, the structure would have been nearly invisible from a distance.
In stark contrast to the darkness of the upper floors, the underground space was brightly lit.
A large number of black-clad ninjas were scattered throughout the underground area, as if on high alert.
In the open area at the deepest part of the underground space, the Five Fingers of the Hand and The Black Sky, Elektra, were focused on the man in black robes before them.
"Mister Lawrence, welcome to the Hand Conference," Madam Gao said in her slightly hoarse voice, though her tone retained a hint of indifference.
Lawrence seemed unfazed. Upon seeing the Hand members, a pleased smile spread across his face. However, when he noticed The Black Sky, especially sensing her peak aura, a trace of fear flashed in his eyes.
He then removed his hood, revealing his face. To Madam Gao, Murakami, and the others, Lawrence's forehead was covered with black lines, and dark halos circled his eyes. His entire presence exuded an evil and dark aura.
The Five Fingers of the Hand were not surprised. Instead, they stood in a peculiar formation, their auras connected and also emanating a dark aura similar to The Black Sky's.
Feeling the dark aura from the Five Fingers, Lawrence's caution increased. In just two days since their last meeting, the others' strength had grown significantly. He feared they might have made significant sacrifices recently.
Suppressing his aura, Lawrence forced a friendly smile.
The Five Fingers also restrained their auras in response.
However, The Black Sky maintained her aura, seemingly as a reminder to the others.
"Are you Madam Gao?" Lawrence asked the elderly woman. "I have heard of your name for a long time. I believe our cooperation will be both pleasant and unforgettable."
Madam Gao responded coldly, "Mister Lawrence, I hope so. According to the contract, we have brought the sacrifices." She gestured to the side, and a man clapped his hands gently.
Clap!
The clap seemed to activate something. The white wall behind the Five Fingers suddenly opened, revealing a large number of unconscious, deaf-mute people in cages.
Lawrence's eyes glinted with greed upon seeing the display. He could sense that there were at least a thousand people inside. Although the quality of the sacrifices was not top-notch, it was still considerable.
"Impressive, Hand. You are indeed generous," Lawrence praised. "Rest assured, now that the contract is signed, I will definitely summon my Lord's power to help you break the dragon bone seal."
Hearing this, the serious expressions on Murakami, Bakuto, and the others softened.
"Very well. As long as Mr. Lawrence helps us obtain the dragon bone as per the contract, we will also assist you in dealing with Kamar Taj's Sorcerers," Madam Gao said. She then clapped her hands gently.
Instantly, the wall on the left slowly opened with a clicking sound.
To Lawrence's surprise, the wall revealed a golden door with two golden dragons carved on either side. The dragons seemed to swim and ripple on the surface of the gate.
Lawrence was puzzled as he couldn't sense any energy fluctuations from the door, nor could he see any visible signs of the seal.
"This is the sealed gate of the dragon bone. The dragon bone exists in a micro-dimensional space, and this gate is the entrance," Madam Gao explained.
She then whispered to The Black Sky, "Black Sky!"
Immediately, The Black Sky raised her right fist, infused it with her dark power, and struck the door with a powerful blow.
Buzz!
Elektra's glowing black fist hit the golden door hard, but it felt as if she had struck a piece of cotton. There was no sound of impact, only the whistling wind from her fast-moving fist.
Lawrence watched with surprise at the peculiar scene.
"Mister Lawrence, this seal seems to absorb any power. We even tried high-yield bombs before, but they caused no damage. Now, we rely on your methods."
Madam Gao, Elektra, and others stepped back, leaving Lawrence to handle the dragon bone seal.
Lawrence looked at the seal, visibly astonished. The Black Sky's attack, though not weak, had left no ripple at all.
Thoughts raced through Lawrence's mind. After a moment, he addressed Madam Gao, "Madam Gao, I will now use my Lord's power to break the seal. For success, all sacrifices must be made. Please move these sacrifices to the seal. I will conduct the sacrificial ceremony personally and call upon my Lord. With the magnificent power of my Lord, breaking the seal will be a simple task."
Madam Gao nodded slightly and whispered. Moments later, numerous black-clad ninjas appeared and entered the room with the sacrifices.
They opened the cages, removed the unconscious deaf-mute people, and placed them in front of the dragon bone seal.
Soon, thousands of unconscious people were piled before the seal.
Feeling the vast life force from the sacrifices, Lawrence's heart quickened.
Madam Gao then emphasized, "Mister Lawrence, is everything set now? Don't forget the contract you signed."
Lawrence nodded to acknowledge the reminder.
He then knelt on one knee, and a large stream of dark mist emerged from his body, spreading outward. Due to contract restrictions, the dark mist did not cover the Five Fingers or The Black Sky.
Gradually, the mist condensed into black raindrops that fell onto the sacrifices.
Shortly after, black lines appeared on the foreheads of the deaf-mute people, and their expressions grew increasingly ferocious.
Seeing the spell's success, Lawrence was satisfied. Although the sacrifices were good, adding special ingredients—negative emotions like killing, greed, and desire—would earn him praise and rewards from Dormammu, the Lord of the Dark Dimension.
With the sacrificial spell in place, Lawrence touched the ground with both palms. A large number of black threads began to appear on the ground, gradually forming a strange pattern that wrapped around the sacrifices.
It was a large sacrificial formation.
Lawrence, kneeling and clasping his hands, chanted, "The great Lord of the Dark Dimension, Dormammu, your loyal believer Lawrence offers you these sacrifices, begging for your gaze to break the seal before you. Take the power of the dragon bone and re-enter the world."
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