All the protective barriers in the summoning hall instantly shone to the extreme. Upon sensing this aura, Matthew instinctively felt a shiver, prompting him to immediately activate all the protective witch arrays.

"It's probably a big one," Matthew kept a close eye on the situation inside the altar.

Under normal circumstances, even if the summoned entity was strong, it could at most exert the energy of a Level 4 Life.

This was still within the defensive capabilities, at most making the scene appear somewhat dangerous, but in reality, it wouldn't pose any major threat.

Thus, Matthew hadn't forcibly interrupted the summoning ritual just yet. At least for now, it didn't seem to be a pressing issue.

After feeling that aura, Duke's heart also contracted fiercely, and all his muscles tensed up instantly.

He sensed that the presence on the other end of the passage had an absolute level of power that gave him a feeling of lethal threat.

From within the passage, there came the crisp and rhythmic sound of high heels tapping on the ground.

Clack... Clack... Clack...

Accompanied by a melodious sound of metal components subtly colliding, but within this melodiousness was a chilling unease.

Immediately after, an extremely enchanting and breathtakingly curvaceous silhouette gracefully stepped out of the passage.

She stood about one meter and eighty tall, her figure perfect as if it were the painstaking work of a divine craftsman.

Her body clad in pitch-black armor that adhered to her skin, not made of ordinary iron, but rather a fusion of some living shadow material and unknown metal, exuding a dim luster, perfectly outlining her full bosom, narrow waist, and long, powerful legs.

Behind her were not damaged wings, but three pairs of massive fallen wings seemingly woven from the essence of night itself.

These wings were not made of tangible feathers, but appeared to be composed of flowing shadows and dark energy, the edges flickering with a dangerous purplish-red aura, and with a slight flutter, tiny dark star fragments drifted down, beautiful yet deadly.

Her face was breathtakingly beautiful, yet carried a cold, inhuman majesty and wickedness.

Her skin was pale and flawless, her features exquisitely sculpted like the most perfect statue, with long, narrow eyes that contained deep, swirling nebula-like purple-black pupils, and slightly upturned corners, naturally harboring a disdainful allure and cruelty toward all beings.

Her head bore two elegant yet perilous white horns curving gracefully, indicating she possessed the bloodline of an Enchanting Demon or a demon.

"This is..." Matthew was stunned, briefly entranced before quickly regaining clarity.

He couldn't discern the specific aura from this demon-like entity, nor could he gauge its strength.

The demon-like being raised those purple-black eyes capable of ensnaring all beings, lazily and indifferently scanning the surrounding barriers, as if admiring the luxurious cage that confined her.

Ultimately, her gaze pierced through layers of obstacles, precisely locking onto Duke outside the barrier.

The instant Duke was locked by that gaze, he felt as if his soul was being drawn into the depths of those swirling nebula eyes, overwhelmed by a mix of extreme allure and extreme terror.

However, the Divine Status of the God of Light in Duke's mind trembled slightly, instantly suppressing these emotions, allowing him to stabilize his mind.

"My name is Yarbede. It was you who summoned me here?" Yarbede gazed at Duke, seemingly sensing the earlier tremor of the Divine Status, her mouth curling slightly.

"Yarbede?" Although Duke couldn't understand her language, through spiritual power, he could grasp her meaning.

Duke didn't know exactly what caliber Yarbede was, but it was certain that she was most likely beyond his imagination.

"I am Duke," Duke introduced himself after regaining his composure.

Yarbede looked at Duke with interest, making him feel as if he was being seen through entirely.

"I expected the one who summoned me to be... I didn't expect it to be such a weak human, but I find you somewhat intriguing."

While speaking, Yarbede walked forward, reaching out a hand that penetrated the layers of barriers to touch Duke's face.

This scene caused Matthew to break out in a cold sweat instantly; he hadn't expected several layers of protective witch arrays to be considered insignificant.

This was certainly beyond just the power of a Level 4 Life; it was unknown what rank of existence the opponent represented.

In this situation, Matthew dared not act rashly, as Duke was directly under her hand, and should Yarbede wish it, a mere thought could annihilate Duke and Matthew outside the altar.

Matthew did not feel safe at all, as those layers of witch arrays had no effect, and the ones outside were unlikely to make much difference either.

Despite many summoning rituals having been held here, it was the first time they'd encountered someone able to directly disregard those protective witch arrays.

Elsewhere, after Yarbede touched Duke, he could see her exquisitely beautiful face and the wide black wings behind her clearly.

He neither resisted nor retreated but faced Yarbede, seeing his own reflection in her eyes.

"Since you have summoned me, let's make a deal. You are too weak, and I can't establish a Summoning Contract with you, but I could serve as your Messenger," Yarbede said with a slight smile, withdrawing her hand.

"Messenger!" Duke's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the term.

He knew of Messengers, having heard of them before, though they were incredibly rare.

A so-called Messenger refers to certain existences in the Endless Plane, capable of delivering messages across planes.

There were very few across the West Coast who had Messengers, and having one means you could send messages to anyone in any plane from the Wizard Plane directly.

The term 'messages' here is just a metaphor, as it could actually be anything.

However, there is a premise that for Messengers, you must have met the person to whom the message is delivered in person.

Due to this incredibly unique ability and the extreme rarity of lives capable of serving as Messengers, each Messenger's value is immeasurable.

Duke was not carried away; he knew rewards wouldn't simply fall from the sky.

He cautiously asked, "Ms. Yarbede, what is the cost of the Messenger?"

Sending messages is not free; each requires the payment of a price.

This is a rule of the Endless Plane, even if the Messenger doesn't wish to charge anything, they must collect a price before delivering a message.

The price required by different Messengers varies, and it's said some Messengers require a virgin with each delivery.

This isn't a fanciful story; there are real precedents of this.

Some Messengers require a finger for each delivery, others might require a toenail, and so forth.

Some Messengers even require you to give a soul; all these costs have been recorded.

Duke had to inquire carefully, as should the proposed cost be something he absolutely couldn't afford, it would dig a grave for himself instead.

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