Chapter 301: Three Unsealing Hammers

Chapter 301: Chapter 301: Three Unsealing Hammers

Artemis knew full well what this item did. And what’s more... besides her own and Seaview’s, she also had Rex Shaw’s.

If Blacktiger wanted two...

If it hadn’t been for Blacktiger’s tip today, she would’ve never even known Seaview was plotting against her.

’I’ve already come this far with the monopoly. Giving up now is out of the question.’

But credit where credit was due. Right now, she really did need to thank Blacktiger.

Two Unsealing Hammers were definitely a worthy thank-you gift.

She agreed readily and sent the Unsealing Hammers over as a gift without hesitation.

A gift notification immediately popped up for Seraphina Sinclair.

"You have received a gift from the survivor [Artemis]: Unsealing Hammer (B-level) x2! What a lavish gift, go thank them!"

This time, Seraphina Sinclair thought the Evaluation at the end was a perfect fit for the gift.

With two Unsealing Hammers secured, Seraphina Sinclair lost all interest in chatting with Artemis.

Just as she was about to take out the ring and use an Unsealing Hammer, another gift notification popped up.

"You have received a gift from the survivor [Zane Pierce]: Unsealing Hammer (B-level)! What a lavish gift, go thank them!"

Seraphina Sinclair stared at the second gift notification, raising an eyebrow slightly.

’Zane Pierce?’

’Why send the gift over all of a sudden?’

Seraphina’s confusion lasted only for a moment before she understood.

Zane Pierce must have noticed she hadn’t replied for a long time and decided to go all-in on a final gamble.

He had probably also seen the announcement on the Zone channel and knew that Artemis had won.

Fear had overwhelmed everything, forcing him to let go of his lingering attachment to the Unsealing Hammer, desperate to grasp any possible chance of survival.

This wasn’t so much a gift as it was payment for Zane Pierce’s life.

With the gift acquired and three Unsealing Hammers in her possession, Seraphina Sinclair felt much more at ease.

’If the ring’s grade is too high, these few Unsealing Hammers probably won’t be enough.’

’However...’

’Seraphina Sinclair had plenty of ways to get more Unsealing Hammers from others. This was just a good start.’

As for Zane Pierce’s life...

Seraphina Sinclair reopened her private chat with him. Several new voice and text messages had already piled up, filled with nothing but increasingly desperate pleas, pledges of loyalty, and promises of more benefits.

She glanced over them and cut off his pointless spam.

[Blacktiger Ford]: I’ve accepted the Unsealing Hammer.

Those five words made Zane Pierce’s breath catch on the other end, followed by a surge of wild joy!

’She accepted it! Master Blacktiger accepted it! Does this mean...’

In the midst of his excitement, he saw a second message from Blacktiger Ford.

[Blacktiger Ford]: This item is compensation for you goading me into using the Arena Certificate. As for that incident, we’ll call it even.

’Compensation? Call it even?’

Only then did Zane Pierce finally realize that he, too, had apparently provoked this powerhouse.

His rational mind told him there was nothing wrong with what Blacktiger had said.

But emotionally, he couldn’t accept it!

Zane Pierce’s face was ashen with turmoil, his fingers trembling so badly he could barely hold his panel.

He wanted to type a rebuttal, to plead his case, to sweeten the deal further, but looking at those four cold words—"we’ll call it even"—everything he wanted to say got stuck in his throat.

Blacktiger Ford’s attitude couldn’t have been clearer.

’We’re even. Don’t bother me again.’

’If he said anything more, Blacktiger would take care of him before Artemis even had to!’

Seraphina Sinclair paid no more mind to Zane Pierce’s reaction. She closed the private chat and, while she was at it, added him to her blacklist.

The dust had settled. Or, to be more precise, all value had been extracted from the pawn that was Zane Pierce. Any trouble that followed was no longer her concern.

Seraphina Sinclair’s gaze shifted from the notification, returning to the cold, jet-black ring in her palm.

She had three Unsealing Hammers in total. She took one out, gripping it in her hand.

The body of the hammer was warm, a stark contrast to the deathly cold of the ring.

Without hesitation, she once again placed the ring on a flat surface, raised the hammer, and brought it down.

THUD.

The moment the hammerhead made contact with the ring, a golden light erupted once more!

This time, the light was more solid and even emitted a faint, low hum, as if fighting against a more stubborn barrier.

The dark-red cracks reappeared on the ring’s surface, but unlike last time, they didn’t dissipate so easily. It seemed she had reached a deeper layer of the seal. The crimson lines twisted as if they were alive, resisting and clashing fiercely with the invading golden light.

The black miasma billowed up again, coalescing into an even clearer image.

Countless pale arms stretched out from the depths of the ring, clawing at the golden threads and making a scraping sound that would make one’s skin crawl.

If she didn’t know what was happening, the scene before her could almost be considered a rare and magnificent spectacle.

Seraphina Sinclair held her breath, her eyes fixed on the silent struggle.

She could feel that this layer of the seal was far sturdier than the outer one. It even carried a kind of deep-seated malice that grew more resilient the harder she tried to wear it down.

She would likely need more Unsealing Hammers than she’d originally thought—many more.

But this was a merger of over twenty Zones; there was bound to be no shortage of Unsealing Hammers.

Seraphina Sinclair took a deep breath and continued to watch the contest unfold.

The Unsealing Hammer’s golden light advanced inch by painful inch, wearing away at the pale arms and dark-red cracks.

The entire process was slow and harrowing.

In the end, the golden light vanished without a sound, leaving the ring utterly unchanged.

The result was obviously disappointing, but Seraphina Sinclair had been mentally prepared. Her expression didn’t change in the slightest as she picked up the second hammer.

A moment later, she used the third.

This time, the dark-red cracks finally shattered completely, dissolving into crimson motes of dust that vanished into the air.

The pale arms let out a silent wail before retracting deep into the ring.

The black miasma dissipated, and the golden light faded away.

The ring was still jet-black, but that heavy, deathly stillness seemed to have... lessened, just a fraction.

Seraphina Sinclair tried using Insight again. Although it still yielded no results, she felt she was now much, much closer.

’Perhaps with just a few more Unsealing Hammers, she could finally break the item’s seal.’

As she stood up, she caught a glimpse of the Gloom Hatchling cowering in the corner.

It was still keeping its distance, but its blood-red, slitted pupils were fixed unblinkingly on the ring in her hand. Its nostrils flared slightly, as if it were carefully sniffing out a scent.

Seraphina Sinclair watched it for a moment, then tried placing the ring on the floor. The Gloom Hatchling’s gaze followed it intently, instantly shifting to the floor.

Now Seraphina Sinclair was certain. The Gloom Hatchling had indeed smelled... or rather, sensed something emanating from the ring—an aura it was constantly radiating.

This was even more proof that the Unsealing Hammers were working.

’In fact... the seal might be on the verge of breaking.’

’Otherwise, why would its aura be leaking out?’

At this thought, Seraphina Sinclair opened the group chat Chrona had created without a moment’s hesitation.