Scorpion Man and Scorpion Woman
"This is the source, the source of everything!" Leylin sighed. If not for the Scorpion Man dying here while carrying the bloodline of the female bronze giant, the entire world of ice would not have been formed. Hence, it wasn't too much of a stretch to call him this world's progenitor.
Leylin's body floated up to the place and slowly descended, arriving at the floor of the hollowed-out area. After seeing the Scorpion Man in full view, his pupils suddenly narrowed.
In front of him was reclined the corpse of an enormous creature, half human half scorpion. Streaks of icy blue connected to the Scorpion Man through his skin like a spider web, injecting great amounts of life force and icy energy into him.
And on the back of the Scorpion Man, strange green blood wriggled as if it had a life of its own. It even covered the Scorpion Man's entire back, spreading in all directions.
Green veins bulged all over the Scorpion Man's body, writhing around. They were like lifeless pupils, full of eeriness.
The corrosion of the green blood and blood vessels had slightly transformed the Scorpion Man's appearance.
Compared to the body in Leylin's memory, the Scorpion Man's now seemed thinner. Even its face had become more exquisite, appearing more feminine. Female characteristics were showing on its upper body as well.
"Oh, no no no! This isn't a corpse!" Leylin was astonished. Only after drawing close had he realised that the Scorpion Man had a weak breath, his chest slowly throbbing.
However, the small waves of life force seemed incomparably small when paired with the huge body, so small in fact that Leylin had neglected them at the start.
"This Scorpion Man is actually alive!" Leylin stumbled a few steps back. At the same time, the Scorpion Man suddenly opened his eyes.
"You're here!" A familiar soul force wave began to attack Leylin's defences.
"You're not the Scorpion Man! You're the Arctic Queen… No, you're the guardian of the Icy World, the female bronze giant!" Leylin blurted out. Dense black scales covered his entire body, and a few test tubes containing potions exploded out, forming a huge screen of light. His earring was activated, in standby to attack.
Even as he was currently, Leylin did not dare to take the risk of facing an ancient creature that comprehended laws. Although he had made a rough guess before, the truth coming out still dazed him slightly.
As he saw this scene, all the events flashed across Leylin's mind rapidly, and he managed to establish a picture of what had happened quite quickly. The Snake Dowager had attacked the Icy World, and the female bronze giant had died during the war. A drop of her blood fell on the Scorpion Man's body as he fell into a spatial crack, accompanying him as he arrived here by chance. The Scorpion Man had died on the spot, but the green blood on his back had survived!
The female bronze giant was a terrifying creature that had crossed rank 7! She could even control certain laws and can reborn from a single drop of blood!
Her bloodline inherited a part of her spiritual imprint. On top of that, even if the Scorpion Man's Morning Star strength faded, his body retained its vitality. The drop of such an ancient bloodline could obtain a new life here after separating from the main body.
Yet, it was incomparably difficult to be reborn from a single drop of blood. Hence, it acted like a virus, seeking life to live off of, attempting to infect another party and transform it as required.
And in Twilight Zone, was there any creature more suitable for this than the Scorpion Man? Without considering other factors, the mere problem of distance was enough to make a decision!
Thus, the giant's bloodline began living off the Scorpion Man's corpse, even transforming it. This led to the emergence of female characteristics in his appearance.
Such transformations not only required a large amount of time, but also a terrifying amount of life energy.
Hence, the imprint of the giant formed a miniature Icy World through icy radiation, even producing life in this world of ice!
Soon after, she used a portion of the Scorpion Man's flesh to create a guardian for herself, Arwen. A guardian at the Morning Star realm was enough to suppress anything else in Twilight Zone.
Hence, the giant hid behind the scenes while Arwen took charge of all the matters on the surface, regularly gathering icy creatures as blood sacrifices. This was to strengthen the Scorpion Man's life energy, so as to nourish the giant's blood.
Initially, all of this was close to success. Once the transformation was successful, the giant would be reborn from the Scorpion Man's body and become a new life. That is, it would have if Leylin hadn't appeared.
However, there are no ifs in life. Leylin's appearance, and especially Arwen's death, left the giant with no choice but to come forth personally and hasten the collection of flesh and life energy until this point.
The Scorpion Man stared at Leylin and a calm soul force was transmitted from his body. "No! I am only a part of the giant. The current me is a combination of a synthesised memory imprint and this Scorpion Man's body! Thus, I am indeed the Arctic Queen!"
Upon hearing that, Leylin heaved a deep sigh of relief. Even if the opponent had the blood of a creature that controlled laws, its body was still not done with the transformation. It could not be considered a full resurrection yet, only a bloodline imprint struggling at death's door.
Hence, the current Scorpion Man could not move at all. Even speaking needed to be accomplished through soul force, never mind anything else.
"If it's like that, I still have a chance!" A brilliant glow burst forth from Leylin's eyes.
Even if the Scorpion Man was done with its body's transformation, it would only be a peak rank 4 at most, and by relying on the bloodline's strength be comparable to a rank 5 Radiant Moon Magus. However, Leylin had many cards in his hands and could still put up a fight. The opponent's inability to move even gave him an advantage.
"Scorpion Man? This is the creature's name?" Leylin asked.
"Yes! But I don't like this appearance and need to modify him to draw him closer towards a Scorpion Woman. After all, the Scorpion Woman's illusory ability is well known in the entire Icy World. Coincidentally, this innate skill matches with my bloodline as well. It's just that this process and the reincarnation both require a lot of time…"
The Arctic Queen began answering Leylin like she was obliged to, as if she had suddenly become a different person.
"No wonder…" Leylin nodded but his pupils reflected a mocking look.
With a bang, the ground shook and something that seemed like a blue root emerged. Branches and leaves merged with the blue antennae on the Scorpion Man's body, forming a cage which sealed Leylin in it.
Snow white fog emerged from the Scorpion Man's pores continuously, merging with the blue antennae and even forming a natural frosty rune on the surface.
"But luckily you're here! With a human Morning Star's flesh, by using Wor's Sacrificial Rites to offer your point mass to the Ice Sovereign, I believe I can speed up the transformation process, even take it till completion!"
The Arctic Queen's voice was cold, "Since you've killed Arwen, use your flesh to pay back your debt!"
A blood-red light blade emerged on Leylin's palms, slashing the cage suddenly and causing a piercing boom.
Many snow white runes flickered, even forming a layer of hard blue ice. It froze the blade on the cage, and many more blue arms stretched towards Leylin.
"A 700 degree attack is also ineffective?"
Leylin dodged and retreated, analysing the runes on the cage, "Mere energy loops cannot have such an effect, could it be these runes?"
"Frost confinement runes from the ancient Icy World, with a record of imprisoning even Radiant Moon Magi! If you won't believe that, you can try it for yourself!" The Arctic Queen began laughing hysterically, "Did you think that I won't have the strength to strike back because I cannot move? I've said this before, you'll definitely regret coming in!"
Leylin was not bothered by her piercing laughter, instead minding his own business as he came to the edge of the cage. "A.I. Chip, conduct a scan."
[Beep! Ancient frost confinement runes discovered. Effect: Enhances the firmness of the attached item by 5 levels, and frost resistance by 7. Provides reflective abilities to ice. Estimated strength: 890-1120] the A.I. Chip quickly responded.
"I'm afraid, with such a level, I could only escape from this place by attacking a few times with full strength, using Kemoyin Serpent Transformation," Leylin sighed, "Only, is there a need to?"
He stretched out both his hands, revealing a purple radiance. The moment this purple radiance came into contact with the cage, something bizarre happened. Black spots began spreading across the cage, unstoppable even by the ancient confinement runes.
The entire cage was like an old wooden frame. It began to corrode rapidly, and thousands of holes appeared on it.
Leylin only exerted a slight force with his hands, and a huge hole opened up in the cage. He then walked out.
"Impossible!" The Arctic Queen's piercing laughter immediately stopped.
"Nothing's impossible! You 'analysed' my potion in detail, even removing the poison, but how can a potion I created be so easy to defeat?" Leylin laughed as a purple rune on his fingertip flickered irregularly.
As if this rune triggered some sort of chain reaction, large amounts of purple dots appeared on the Scorpion Man's body, even sealing off the blood on his back.
Through his previous setup at the castle of ice and the trick he'd played on the icy creatures, Leylin had turned the tables in an instant, gaining the power to take the initiative.
"Hmph! Mere poison!" The Arctic Queen hummed coldly.
"I know. A bit of poison won't affect an ancient Morning Star creature, unable to even last a few minutes. However, I only need a few minutes anyway…" Leylin averted his gaze from the Scorpion Man, watching the green blood on his back.
"You still don't know right? I'm actually a Warlock, even a bloodline descendant of the Snake Dowager that caused your death! And for us Warlocks, separating blood and purifying genes are the simplest things ever…"
Successful Planning
Leylin's voice held no enthusiasm as he mercilessly released thread-like rays of crimson light that pierced into the Scorpion Man's back. The green blood began to squirm as if it had just seen its worst enemy.
Unfortunately, it was not just the blood of the female bronze giant that was affected by the poison. Even the voice of the Arctic Queen was turning sluggish.
Leylin paid no attention to the fervent pleas and offers of the Arctic Queen, instead focussing on refining the bloodline in his hands.
With his manipulations, the green blood from the Scorpion Man's back was slowly extracted, veins showing themselves one after the other.
"Ahhh! The Snake Dowager… The Snake Dowager again." The Arctic Queen's voice calmed. "Even if I'll die right away and be damned for eternity, I won't let the Snake Dowager prevail!"
The green blood began to boil and rumble, bursting into verdant flames.
'Hmm? The toxins were removed ahead of time… As expected, the vitality of an ancient Morning Star creature is more powerful than that of one from the present. The potion's been counteracted…' 'Leylin's brows furrowed, but he did not do anything to indicate he would give up.
It was way too rare to acquire the chance to refine the bloodline of an ancient creature, especially one that could comprehend laws. Such a thing was almost never seen! Obviously, Leylin didn't want to give up just like this.
*Hss!* A large phantom snake appeared, and space immediately froze. Great power burst forth from Leylin's body, locking onto the Scorpion Man and the blood.
"Plan B then," Leylin's voice was cold, his eyes without any emotion.
Great amounts of blood-coloured threads dug into the Scorpion Man's back, forming forbidden runes after mixing with the poison. It caused the Arctic Queen's movements to grow even more sluggish.
"Give up! I know everything already, and have come up with a method specifically to deal with you!" Leylin's voice held no sympathy, he spoke the truth.
After a period of external observation, he'd run over ten thousand simulations with the A.I. Chip, preparing many contingency plans for this trip underground. He'd predicted this situation already, and prepared specific countermeasures against it.
Leylin had stored tens of spell patterns to seal ancient bloodline in the A.I. Chip's database.
The Arctic Queen could not move about freely and had not finished her resurrection. In front of Leylin who had made meticulous preparations, her various attacks were destroyed in practically a single blow.
Her cries had transformed into mournful wails. Even her sorrowful cries grew softer and softer. Her soul was being suppressed and weakened.
"If your main body was around, you'd definitely be able to crush me like an ant, but it's a pity that you're only a droplet of her blood. You haven't even revived yourself completely…" Leylin spoke calmly, eyes flashing with a peculiar light.
There was no reply as the soul force from the other side died down, and then began to weaken at a terrifying rate. Large amounts of green blood withdrew and returned to the back of the Scorpion Man, and the green blood vessels rejoined with the blood.
Green blood mixed together, decreasing in volume yet becoming brighter and more vibrant. It emitted a dark, bronze light.
'What's going on? Has she really given up?' Suspicion flickered in Leylin's mind. He put his guard up, but still retained the same front.
With the Arctic Queen's movements, the green blood that had been spread out gathered to form a single droplet of resplendent bronze blood.
"The original blood of the Icy World's Guardian?" Leylin's eyes grew dazed, his voice full of emotion.
This was the blood of an existence that controlled laws, an existence with rank 7 strength at the very least! It even held the imprint of its original owner, able to revive the being from this single drop.
The effects of Leylin's purification began to show themselves as the blood condensed on the Scorpion Man's body.
"Yield!" Leylin took out a notebook with a slightly yellow cover. He opened it up to reveal a slight lustre from the title page. At the centre of the page was a round sealing spell formation.
"Bloodline Sealing Tome? No!" The Arctic Queen's originally feeble energy undulations suddenly reverberated once more, her voice distorting, becoming androgynous as it turned hoarse.
"The Snake Dowager and her blood, the Icy World shall forever be your enemy!" Her voice became masculine, awakening some sort of ancient memories and sending a malicious curse Leylin's way.
"As the bronze empress, the Guardian of the Icy World, I offer a sacrifice… skmgkl…" Leylin did not recognize who exactly she was making a sacrifice to.
"You may have had the upper hand today, but you could never have thought of laws! That is a strength that surpasses your understanding…"
"I offer up all the laws I possess. Strength of skmgkl, descend!"
The dark green flames crackled as their strength grew tenfold, and even the tremendous Morning Star body of the Scorpion man was eaten into rapidly.
Large amounts of runic chains cracked, and the poison withdrew. Even Leylin's bloodline extraction spell was forcefully interrupted.
"This is… the power of laws? Unthinkable! It's only a single drop of blood…" Leylin's face grew pale, suffering the backlash from a spell being interrupted.
However, he did not have the time to think further. That droplet of blood which contained laws had already been offered. After breaking the seal, it turned into a shooting star as it charged towards Leylin.
The energy defences shattered layer by layer as the blood advanced, unimpeded even by the Kemoyin Scales and the Scarlet Earring.
The blood slammed into Leylin's chest, splattering all across his body. One could hear the hissing as it corroded him away.
White fumes shot up as the Kemoyin Scales on Leylin's chest fell apart visibly, piece by piece. A pool of green liquid had latched onto his chest, burning into it.
The Kemoyin Scales softened and fell off one after another with no end in sight, revealing charred flesh and bones.
[Beep! Host's chest has severe burns. Immediate treatment recommended.] [Beep! Detected corrosion of host by unknown energy. Expulsion procedures recommended] the A.I. Chip reported immediately.
"I've burned the power of the laws in my body as well as the remains of the Scorpion Man. The result is an explosive force that can kill even Radiant Moons…
"Let us be buried together in the ice and snow, you who contain the bloodline of the Snake Dowager!" The Arctic Queen's voice grew lower and lower as it eventually disappeared.
The terrifying green blood had spread from his torso to his limbs, verdant blood vessels crawling over Leylin's face. It caused him to look sinister and horrifying.
[Beep! Warning! Warning! Life and soul force of host is being consumed at a heavy rate. Immediate action required. Time until collapse of genes: 34s…]
The prompt box that the A.I. Chip ejected had a very dense blood-red colour in the frame, displaying the danger of the situation. If he was not careful, he could lose his life.
"It's finally reached this point…"
Though half of Leylin's body was being corroded by the green blood as he laid on the ground, there was no trace of dismay on his ice-cold face. Instead, it seemed as if a scheme of his had succeeded.
"With 3410 possible scenarios as well as 982 sudden occurrences, the opponent chose the method of mutual destruction. Not like that was a surprise…"
Even with preparations, the corrosion from the bloodline of a creature that comprehended laws caused Leylin to cough violently, large amounts of fresh blood seeping through his fingers.
*Hss…* Behind him, the tremendous figure of a Giant Kemoyin Serpent came into view once more. Now, however, its energy was unstable. Tinted dark green, were burning on the body of the giant serpent.
It was not just the figure behind him. Leylin felt even the Giant Kemoyin bloodline in his body being eaten into; expelled and even destroyed!
"Bloodline Ignition!" Blood-red light surged from Leylin's eyes as the purple blood of the Kemoyin Serpent was enriched several fold which was now filled with insanity and fury.
A large amount of his own blood bubbled up, purple confronting green.
Leylin rolled to his side and got up. Though using Bloodline Ignition to fight was like fixing thirst by drinking poison, he now had control over his own body again, albeit temporarily.
"The A.I. Chip has already simulated this several times, and the rate of success is as high as at 90%!" Leylin clenched his fists tightly. "A 90% chance is enough for me to take the risk!"
A resolute look appeared on Leylin's face. "If I can't climb to the top in this lifetime, I would rather die and rot as sludge!
"Sun's Child imprint!"
He abruptly took off the white glove on his right hand, the golden-red bloodline imprint emitting dazzling light.
[Activating plan 'Thoroughfare'. Support and trajectory activated!] The A.I. Chip intoned.
An enormous blazing light spread in this underground world, as if a sun had risen within.
Everywhere the flaming light, be it soil, rocks, or spells of ice, everything was vapourised immediately, causing the underground cave to expand rapidly.
The beings still in the world of ice could see a tremendous sun rising from the castle, imparting heat and light to this underground world. The ever-unchanging ice began to melt, mountains collapsing as doomsday seemed to have arrived.
Ice melted into flowing water, which quickly evaporated itself. The white vapour spread everywhere, turning into a layer of fog in the surroundings. Quickly, the original dark brown soil was revealed once more.
The range of this heat continued to expand, as if ready to transform the entire world of ice.
Snake Emperor
Sun Scorching Nirvana! Formed from the similarly ranked bloodline of the Sun's Child, this was a rank 6 spell that Leylin had spent a lot of effort to create. It had finally displayed its terrifying prowess. The last time it was used, not only had this spell caused the fall of a Radiant Moon Magus, but it also caused near irreparable harm to Sky City.
And now, the emergence of the golden sun was about to completely melt this world of ice.
"Here we go!" Leylin's right palm was placed on his chest, terrifying rank 6 spell undulations flowing out berserkly like a stormy tide. The rank 6 spell this time was going to be used on himself!
Boiling heat caused Leylin's body to immediately turn transparent as if turning him into a human-shaped light bulb.
If not for his outstanding vitality and Fireplume operating at full strength, Leylin would probably have turned into ashes in that instant. Perhaps it wouldn't even be ashes; his body and soul might just have been burned to nothingness.
However, with his high resistance towards fire, the fact that he had experience using this spell, and Fireplume, he could somewhat control the strength of the spell. With the immense control of the A.I. Chip, golden energy flowed past Leylin's body, tangling with the greenish bronze blood.
"Energy of the sun, destroy the power of laws found in the bronze bloodline" Leylin howled maliciously, his facial muscles contorting.
*Rumble!* Boiling golden flames vapourised the green blood. In the process, threads of energy that had been purified to the extreme began to emanate from the bronze blood, flowing into Leylin's limbs and bones.
The Giant Kemoyin Serpent bloodline that had been bubbling and boiling began to absorb this energy frantically, resulting in a strange transformation. The colour of the blood grew deeper, and the phantom serpent grew silent as it was surrounded by a layer of greenish gold flames.
By now, the Kemoyin bloodline was rid of the contamination of the Purgatory World's will and its seals were unlocked. It operated and surged madly in Leylin's body like the bluster of a gigantic dragon.
[Beep! Host bloodline absorbing unknown energy. Evolution has begun…] the A.I. Chip loyally intoned, at the same time displaying a progress bar that rose quickly with help of that bronze blood.
"It's a success!" Leylin's lips twitched, though the tremendous pressure on his body made even such a small action difficult.
Indeed, this has been his original plan! Leylin had no better options regarding the bloodline shackles, and had been looking for a way to bypass them. Through the database he'd acquired at Sky City as well as the A.I. Chip's terrifying calculation and simulation abilities, he'd acquired two methods to do it.
One was to try changing his bloodline, though that would cause issues with the soul. With the A.I. Chip as it was now, though, he had some confidence in achieving this.
The second method was to dig deeper into the power of his own bloodline. Bloodline shackles restricted Warlocks to the upper limit of their base bloodline. Practically everyone thought this was rank 4 in the case of Kemoyin Warlocks, but what if he could dig into the roots of the Kemoyin's genes itself, evolving the bloodline further into the realms of rank 5 and above? That way, he could advance to Radiant Moon successfully!
Of course, both these methods still had the same fundamental problem. They could not break the bloodline shackles themselves. Whether it be changing bloodlines or improving his own, it would only push the bar higher. The bloodline shackles would remain, waiting to present themselves at a higher rank.
However, Leylin still had the method given to him by the Wisdom Tree. Although it was feasible, it was not something he could accomplish with his current strength. Thus, he was confident that once he possessed more strength, he could execute his other plans. This was why his main objective in this journey to the subterranean world was to strengthen his bloodline.
Leylin's soul had already fused with that of the Giant Kemoyin Serpent, so he would not be foolish enough to try and change his bloodline. Even if he could succeed somehow, it would still cause devastating damage to his fragile soul once he did it. Thus, digging deeper into the power of his own bloodline was the only method.
Through Arwen's Icy Breath helping him resolve the problem of his emotional instability, the purity of his bloodline had reached an unprecedented level. Now, it had a chance to advance further. And the bronze giant's bloodline? It was just the kind of powerful force that could push this sort of advancement!
With the Sun's Flames suppressing the world of ice, he had burned away the miscellaneous soul imprints, spirit imprints, and other such things out of the bronze blood, leaving behind only the primal strength of the bloodline itself. This was what allowed him to advance the power of the Giant Kemoyin Serpent.
This was the plan Leylin had come up with. For this reason, he had deliberately provoked the Arctic Queen. For this reason, he'd forced her to offer up the laws in her body in an attempt to deal him a fatal blow!
Now, with no more free will, the bronze blood could no longer stand the burning of the Sun's Flames. Not only did it reduce in volume, even the bronze lustre on its surface gradually died down.
[Beep! Host body igniting ancient bloodline. Giant Kemoyin Serpent bloodline in process of evolution. Progress: 80%… 95%… 99%…] the A.I. Chip loyally intoned.
*Rumble!* At this moment, the bloodline imprint on Leylin's right hand completely dissipated, and the Sun's flames grew to their greatest intensity. Terrifying golden flames fused with the bronze bloodline and the two suddenly exploded, destroying each other.
A bloodline energy that seemed as vast as the starry sky burst forth from that explosion. Leylin cried out as this burst of strength pushed it over the edge. The A.I. Chip showed that the progress bar had been completely filled!
[Beep! Host bloodline evolution complete. Searching for information… Determined to be Kemoyin Serpent Emperor!] [Kemoyin Serpent Emperor: A rare evolved form of the Giant Kemoyin Serpent. Possess a great strength and magical ability. Having broken through their original limits to enter a higher level, these creatures rule colonies of Kemoyin Serpents. Rank 5. Attributes: Darkness, Fire. Supplementary abilities:
1. Control: The Kemoyin Serpent Emperor possesses sovereignty over all Giant Kemoyin Serpents and their descendants.
2. Devouring. The Kemoyin Serpent Emperor can digest all energy not supported by laws to supplement its own life force.]
The A.I. Chip's voice sounded once more, but Leylin was unaware of this all. The moment his bloodline evolution had succeeded, he felt dizzy, his body practically floating.
Large amounts of images streaked past his eyes. In the boundlessly vast starry skies, numerous Giant Kemoyin Serpent figures appeared, lowering their gigantic serpent heads to him as if welcoming their ruler.
At the same time, a terrifying giant serpent that was over a hundred thousand metres long appeared behind him. It had beautiful scales and flowing, graceful curves. On the head, a few protruding bones formed something similar to a crown.
The whole serpent was filled with an elegance and grandeur typical to a ruler, the original savage and terrifying aura having dulled. However, Leylin knew that this ruler of snakes was far more terrifying than before. This graceful demeanor was a facade, concealing the bloodthirst and insanity within.
With but a slight though, Leylin could sense Freya, Gilbert, Emma, and the other Kemoyin Warlocks through their bloodlines.
'This terrifying control… truly worthy of the emperor of Giant Kemoyin Serpents!' Leylin smiled as he observed his truesoul. His soul had gained the most through this evolution.
Crimson light expanded rapidly. His truesoul was now several times larger than before, half as large as the soul of a Radiant Moon Magus. The light within it even surpassed that within the soul of a New Moon Magus!
The soul had begun to expand, about to transform into a full moon.
"With the strength of my soul, I can probably be considered a rank 5 already. As long as I go back and settle things, it won't be a problem to break through." Leylin huffed roughly, but the elation was evident in his expression.
He was currently not in very good shape. Though he had prepared ample defensive measures, it was still no easy task to let his body be a battlefield between the Sun's Flames and the bronze blood.
Leylin laughed wryly as he scanned his body. The injuries to his chest were the most serious of all; skin, blood and flesh had melted away, revealing internal organs that were pulsing slightly. An arm had disappeared, and the rest of his body was severely damaged as well.
If this were a regular Magus or Warlock, such grave injuries would probably have long since resulted in their deaths. However, Leylin's heart was still throbbing powerfully, displaying his tenacious life force!
[Beep! Damage to host body at 45%. Recommendation: Immediate cryostasis in combination with the usage of bloodline force to recuperate.] the A.I. Chip loyally reminded him.
"That isn't urgent. Show me information on the fifth level of Kemoyin's Pupil!" Leylin commanded. Immediately after, he was delighted to see that after attaining the bloodline of the Kemoyin Serpent Emperor, the A.I. Chip's deduction of Kemoyin's Pupil had proceeded successfully. The fifth layer of the meditation technique was completed!
"The last piece of the puzzle is in place…" Leylin muttered.
Having reached Morning Star, he had been thinking about how to break through to Radiant Moon. The bloodline shackles and meditation technique were the two biggest problems, and now that he'd evolved to an emperor bloodline and the fifth level of Kemoyin's Pupil had been deduced, Leylin had spent much effort on them, and now, the fifth level of Kemoyin's Pupil had been deduced, there were no more problems in this aspect. It could be said that all his problems had disappeared.
*Hss!* The phantom of an enormous Kemoyin Serpent Emperor appeared behind Leylin, wrapping him in bloodline energy.
Rank 5 And The Snake Dowager
Gigantic and graceful, the phantom of a Kemoyin Serpent Emperor that held an elegance befitting a ruler appeared behind Leylin's back. Large amounts of blood-coloured energy shrouded him. The serpent emperor snarled as a black hole appeared in front of it, sucking in the surrounding ice, earth, rocks, the remains and even the air.
Once large amounts of materials disappeared into its mouth, Leylin felt a powerful life force begin to circulate within his body. His body buzzed as first the skeleton, then his internal organs, blood, flesh, and finally the skin was regenerated. With the help of a powerful life force, the injuries on his body recovered at a frightening rate.
'Could this be the rumoured devouring ability of the Kemoyin Serpent Emperor?' Leylin had a thought.
Immediately after, he felt his arm go numb, and the limb that had been broken off began to regenerate. In just ten or so seconds, the grave injury was completely recovered.
This speed left even Leylin in shock. 'With this rate of recovery, I can recover quickly even in a battle against a Radiant Moon. I could even endure a Morning Star Arcane Art with just my body, immediately restoring myself afterwards! If the devouring ability is already so terrifying, what about that of control?' he wondered.
The information about the Kemoyin Serpent Emperor had been lost in ancient times, and a large portion of the information that was gathered had been derived by the A.I. Chip from his bloodline memories. It was rather small, but just looking at the description he could tell that his control over Kemoyin Warlocks was great. Great enough, in fact, that if he commanded a Morning Star Kemoyin Warlock to die, the other party would not be able to resist at all.
*Hss—* Though he had completely recovered, the Giant Kemoyin Serpent figure at Leylin's back was still unsatisfied. It abruptly broke through the layer of soil and soared into the air.
A terrifying suction force appeared, and everything, be it living or otherwise, was dragged towards the black hole that had appeared in the serpent's mouth.
The force spread out farther than even the bounds of the castle, radiating into the surroundings. Leylin could see several powerful creatures, many at the Crystal Phase, dragged from the sky by force as they disappeared into the black hole.
Practically every being in this world of ice automatically bowed their heads in respect and fear, trembling bodies paralysed under the suppression of the Kemoyin Serpent Emperor.
The accumulated life force was enormous, eventually forming a cocoon that covered Leylin. The Kemoyin Serpent Emperor at Leylin's back continued to snarl unceasingly, and only after almost devouring the entirety of the central icy plains did it pull back into the cocoon of light, satisfied.
Leylin was undergoing a wondrous transformation within. Powerful bloodline energy fused with boundless life force, aiding Leylin in his bid to charge into rank 5.
He was becoming a rank 5 Warlock, a Radiant Moon! There were likely no more than twenty Radiant Moons in the entire central continent, second only to the Breaking Dawn Monarchs. It was also precisely due to the Radiant Moons in the Union that bloodline Warlocks still survived to this day.
On top of that, this event was even more significant for Leylin. He had finally moved past the bloodline shackles of the Giant Kemoyin Serpent, and now had the wherewithal to try to become a rank 5.
"I already reached the peak of Morning Star after fusing Fireplume into my point mass, so I already meet the requirements for the advancement. And now that the bloodline and technique that were holding me back are solved…" Leylin chuckled lightly.
With the cooperation of the bloodline of the rank 5 Kemoyin Serpent Emperor, his advancement was smooth. The fifth level of Kemoyin's Pupil that the A.I. Chip had just deduced began to operate slowly.
The point mass in his sea of consciousness buzzed as it revolved quickly, growing in density as the nebula surrounding it began another round of frantic expansion. Another layer of fine black runes emerged on top of it.
With the probing of the soul through the A.I. Chip, Leylin could see the truesoul located at the heart of the point mass beginning to evolve.
Probing through his A.I. Chip, Leylin saw his truesoul at the heart of his point mass breaking through its limits at the peak of Morning Star, expanding to form the shape of a moon. It was glittering with a fine radiance that filled it with a sense of perfection.
Soul force was constantly poured in, causing the round moon to emanate a cool lustre. Once that was completed, his soul that was a size larger than that of normal Radiant Moon Magi had on it a layer of soul force that looked like a crescent moon that emitted an intense radiance.
'I don't have enough soul force to fill my truesoul. In fact, I don't even have enough to fill half the volume… It seems like I'm a New Moon…' Leylin suddenly came to an understanding of how Radiant Moons trained.
Ranks 4 to 6 involved the training of soul force. Morning Stars were still fumbling around without direction; it was when one advanced to Radiant Moon that they began true training.
The soul, which was in the shape of a moon showed how much soul force one had with its radiance. Rank 5 Magi had to train and fill it up. The different amounts of fullness represented the different stages of New Moon, Half Moon, and Full Moon Magi.
[Beep! Host's soul force has been strengthened. Chip upgrade commencing… Time to completion: 4m24s.]
With the advancement of his soul, the A.I. Chip was undergoing its upgrade immediately as well, having been fused into it. Perhaps it was because it had already gained quite a bit from Sky City, the advancement this time was quite rapid. In less than five minutes, it had completed its upgrade and rebooted.
The sounds of the A.I. Chip rang once more. [Beep! Host's Kemoyin's Pupil meditation technique has reached the fifth level. Advancing to rank 5 Warlock!]
[Beep! Host has advanced to become a Radiant Moon Warlock. All statistics have been significantly strengthened, recalculating…]
The familiar robotic voice seemed to be accompanied with a changed interface, the screen projected in Leylin's mind even more solid than before.
'Looks like the A.I. Chip has undergone a huge transformation!' Leylin touched his chin.
[Data collection complete. Display?] The A.I. Chip launched another prompt. Leylin nodded as he voiced his approval. The A.I Chip immediately projected the refreshed numbers before Leylin's eyes.
[Leylin Farlier, Rank 5 Warlock. Bloodline: Kemoyin Serpent Emperor. Strength: 75, Agility: 61, Vitality: 137.5, Spiritual force: 1326.7, Magic power: 1326(Magic power is in synchronisation with spiritual force). Soul force: 133 (New Moon)]
"It really deserves to be called the bloodline of the Kemoyin Emperor. The numbers were raised to such a huge extent!" Leylin's expression was filled with glee. Not only had his spiritual force broken through 1000, his strength and agility which had not improved in a very long while had increased as well. His vitality had been raised by over 30 points, which was just terrifying!
"I never expected that the growth of Kemoyin Warlocks would only become more frightful with time!" Leylin read through his stats and could not help but sigh.
He felt the soul energy in his body that was as cool as water. It was soul force that had reached rank 5, and was of a higher quality than that at Morning Star, therefore having better effects. However, there was no elation in Leylin's expression.
"The issue of the bloodline shackles still has not been dealt with. I've only pushed it back by a rank, and this time there's no such thing as raising the rank of my bloodline anymore!" Leylin gazed at the prompt at the bottom of the stats frame and turned grim.
[Host's Kemoyin bloodline has reached limits of genes. Unable to advance further.]
The A.I. Chip was plainly telling Leylin that after reaching the Kemoyin Serpent Emperor, he had reached the limits of his bloodline. At least Kemoyin Serpents had no way to advance to a higher realm.
An ominous feeling, like his future path had been cut off, emerged in Leylin's mind…
*BOOM!* The cocoon of light in the world of ice burst apart, revealing Leylin within.
"Whatever it is, I've finally attained my goal in coming to the subterranean world this time. I just didn't expect the remains of the Scorpion Man to be burnt up along with my opponent. It's slightly regretful that I didn't manage to obtain the coordinates to the Icy World…" Leylin sighed ruefully, turning into a black figure that disappeared into the void.
...
The long majestic river that was the astral plane flowed on, many foreign worlds like the stars in the galaxy. They were a brightly coloured array, twinkling with varying lustres.
In one such world, full of flames and shadows, a boundless darkness formed a dense fog that completely covered the continent.
Numerous ancient, terrifying serpents grew and multiplied in this place, terrifying auras at Morning Star advancements appearing everywhere.
At the heart of the continent, the holy land of all snakes, Morning Star serpents could be seen everywhere. The closer one got to the centre, the more horrifying they became, as rank 5 and even ran 6 snakes flashed by on occasion.
In a gigantic spatial crack, a coiled ball of snake the size of a star revealed the alluring figure of the Snake Dowager. The moment Leylin reached rank 5, she opened a pair of misty eyes that seemed like water.
"I'd never thought that today, after the end of the ancient era, an Emperor would awaken among the Kemoyin race!" The eyes of the Snake Dowager seemed to penetrate across multiple worlds and the astral plane, locking onto the Magus World and a young Warlock.
To her, a Morning Star was just a basic soldier. Rank 5s and 6s were worthy of attention, and such a thing as the Kemoyin Serpent Emperor that could control the Giant Kemoyin Serpents was even more worthy of interest.
"The power of destiny is guiding you here…" The life and death of multiple worlds flashed across her beautiful eyes. Two mandara flowers, one bright and one dark, bloomed in them before dissipating.
Destiny, seen through the eyes of the Snake Dowager!
Tracking And The Statue
The beautiful eyes of the Snake Dowager seemed to see into fragments of the future, penetrating the long river of destiny.
After her prophecy, the Snake Dowager coiled back into the ball, seeming to sink back into a deep slumber.
"What's going on? I feel like somebody's watching me and I have an ominous feeling!"
The very instant the Snake Dowager's sight set into the Magus World, Leylin who was in the midst of flying, felt his hair stand on end. An odd mixture of terror and reverence appeared in his mind.
"The Snake Dowager…" Leylin felt a bitterness in his mouth. Never had he expected that once he had advanced into a rank 5 Warlock, he would arouse her interest.
'But this is the Magus World. It isn't that easy for her to come over!' Whether this sort of attention was good or bad, Leylin had no wish to form any sort of relationship with an existence at such a level. He'd always liked to operate after careful planning, and even if it was the Snake Dowager, he hoped to seek her out only after making his own preparations. That was better than being passive and letting her find him.
'A Radiant Moon strength shouldn't be enough to arouse the interest of the Snake Dowager, unless…' Leylin touched his chin, light flickering in his eyes, 'Could it be that my Kemoyin Serpent Emperor bloodline is making her feel… threatened?'
Leylin couldn't help but turn his attention back to the summary the A.I. Chip had given him about his bloodline, specifically the row that detailed his control ability.
"Kemoyin Serpent Emperors have a total dominance over Giant Kemoyin Serpents and all their descendants. Could this result in some overlap and conflict with the Snake Dowager's own rule?"
Leylin suddenly had the urge to try it out. If he and the Snake Dowager were to give a Kemoyin Warlock an order at the same time, what would they do?
However, such an insane idea was quickly suppressed. With his current strength, challenging the Snake Dowager's authority is equivalent to death.
The ability of the Kemoyin Serpent Emperor to rule over others was, in fact, a breakthrough for him to resist the Snake Dowager's control over himself. It was like a seedling that needed to be watered regularly until it bloomed and bore fruit.
Before all this, he needed to keep a low profile, silently amassing strength and prepare to soar, waiting till he completely broke through the bloodline shackles and also broke free from the control of the Snake Dowager!
...
"I've found it! This is it— Mount Asura…" A few figures robed in black appeared over a volcano. Large amounts of lava spurted into the sky, but it bypassed their bodies without even so much as a ripple.
"Time Recall!" One of the black robed figures looked solemn as he used a spell, dazzling light being generated at his fingertips.
The translucent face of a mirror suddenly appeared before him, revealing a blurred scenery.
After summoning this mirror, the black-robed figure seemed fatigued as he spoke to another Magus behind him, "Carol, it's up to you now, you're the most adept in this aspect…"
"Alright!" While the Magus behind him was wearing a black robe, her physique was evidently smaller than the others, and her voice was gentle and agreeable.
"Aura Extraction!" She stood before the screen, right arm as smooth and bright as jade as it went through the surface, grabbing hold of a black gas.
*Wooh wooh…* After this stream of gas appeared, the magic equipment on the bodies of these people displayed a dazzling luster and made noises.
"The nose of the hound has reacted. Looks like he was here before, and not too long ago either!" The leading Magus spoke with conviction.
A Magus began to gnash his teeth. "And here we were thinking he'd return to the south coast. Who'd have thought he'd escape into the underground like a mouse!"
Leylin's concealing techniques were far too complicated, and even Magi who excelled in prophecies could do nothing against him. Things were even more complicated for these Magi.
However, the powerful organisation backing them had gathered a lot of information, and through the method of elimination, they'd found a trace of Leylin's whereabouts.
The Magus who had spoken before evidently was very hostile towards Leylin, emanating a dangerous air. "Warlocks have enhanced bodies, and their skin is the best raw material for art pieces. This Leylin's skin will be a perfect addition to my study room!"
The female Magus from before shrieked, "Eugene, if you don't change that disgusting hobby, I'll break off all relations with you!"
"Enough! Though the target is merely a Morning Star, it's publicly acknowledged that he possesses battle strength at the Radiant Moon realm. Don't underestimate him!" The leader said, putting a stop to their conversation, "Be more careful. He's taken a Radiant Moon down before; if you don't want your truesoul to be thrown back into the astral plane, buck up and don't look down on your opponent!"
"Hmph! I alone can take care of two Radiant Moons like Stuart!" Eugene huffed disdainfully, but did not continue speaking after that.
After all, he believed that he could defeat Stuart, but he had no methods that could cause the other party's death.
Not even a peak Radiant Moon or Breaking Dawn Monarch dared guarantee that they could eliminate a Radiant Moon Magus without letting their opponent escape. Leylin, who possessed the power to kill a Radiant Moon Magus, was very outstanding.
"Though he made use of a bloodline imprint to kill Stuart, even I have to admit that he's a genius to be able to push the Giant Kemoyin bloodline to the peak of Morning Star until it is comparable to Radiant Moons. He's a real genius! Even in ancient times, he would be one of the most dazzling stars!" Carol's voice held a sigh within.
"A genius amongst Warlocks!" The leader spoke coldly, causing Carol to fall silent, "The more geniuses the enemy has, the weaker we are. Leylin must be erased!" His voice was icy cold, and Eugene and Carol nodded solemnly.
"Boss, I just don't understand. Even if Leylin's amazing now, he has the Giant Kemoyin Serpent bloodline. Kemoyin's Pupil only has up to four levels, and the Morning Star realm is his limit. Why are we hunting him down so fervently? Even while we were chasing Golden Lion Wayde when he was a Morning Star, we didn't operate on such a large scale…" Carol's face was full of doubt, and Eugene's ears perked up.
"That's because you don't understand the terror that is the Giant Kemoyin Serpent…" The leading Magus answered coldly, but did not continue, leaving Carol and Eugene bewildered.
"I don't care what you think, but whatever it is, killing Leylin Farlier is the most important task sent down by our organisation. It must be completed, even at the cost of our lives!" The leader's expression was solemn.
Carol and Eugene nodded coldly. Amongst Magi, this was truly a rare sight. To be able to bind the ever-rational Magi to this extent meant the organisation backing them was exceptionally powerful.
"In addition, Leylin as he is right now is very difficult to deal with, especially with people from the Warlock Union meddling. They're rather protective of this younger generation…"
In spite of the warning, Eugene was full of confidence. "Don't worry, boss! If the real bodies of those Warlocks dare emerge from the Morning Star area, our Monarch wouldn't let them off so easily…"
"Mm! Based on the intel, the target had been a ruler of Twilight Zone for a period of time and must be extremely familiar with the situation there. We need to act very cautiously when we go down there…"
The leading Magus continued to express his caution before three flickering rays of light pierced into the lava like sharp blades, following the lava pathway and sinking downwards.
If even Morning Star Magi could pass through the barrier, there was no issue at all for Radiant Moons.
...
In Twilight Zone, the headquarters of Nature's Alliance Academy.
The academy had now regained its previous vibrance. Ever since Leylin's return, the humans of Twilight Zone broke away from the darkness of war, and even gained a glorious victory! All this would have been unimaginable in the past, but had been easily attained with Leylin's arrival.
Leylin's gigantic black stone statue was still at the center of the bustling square in all its glory, but now there was another in the corner.
This statue had a distorted human face, nose and eyes squeezed together due to extreme shock and terror; it seemed rather comical. Coupled with the assumed motion of the body, it looked like a clown, creating a stark contrast with Leylin's statue in the middle.
Whenever a few of the official Magi in the academy passed by the statue, their eyes filled with a trace of panic that did not dissipate for a long while.
This clownish stone statue was naturally that Banker from before. Though he was a rank 3 Magus who was once regarded as the strongest human, he'd been killed by Leylin without any chance to retaliate. Even his body had become a stone figure, exhibited here for eternity to be sneered at by later generations.
This method immediately resulted in incessant terror in the Magi's hearts. There were also some who were filled with reverence towards Leylin.
"What is it? Is there anything else?" In the luxurious villa, Leylin reclined on the sofa, watching the Magus that seemed to be short of time.
It was obvious that this young man was extremely nervous, his eyes showed his admiration and apprehension at meeting his idol face to face.
"Lord Protector!" Will's face was filled with emotion and uneasiness, "If you knew my mother, would you know about my father?"
"Jenny never told you?" Leylin watched Will with interest. It had to be said that he was still somewhat similar to his father.
"No. Everytime she talked about it, she got so sorrowful…" Will hanged his head low.
"There are some things we don't know, and something things we can't tell you even if we knew!" Leylin laughed as he stroked Will's head. "The only thing I can tell you is that I'd chosen to bring you into Nature's Alliance Academy…"
Of Curses and Dreams
Will walked out dejectedly. He had gained no further insight than Leylin's encouragement. Other than that, he felt that this father whom he had never seen before was shrouded in a layer of dense fog.
"What's wrong with Will?" Celine had instantly noticed this anomaly as she walked into Leylin's villa carrying a silver plate.
"Freshly grounded coffee, personally made by me!" On the silver plate, white mist floated above the beige can and mug.
"Nothing much! Just a youth's confusion!" Leylin smiled, held up a cup of coffee and said, "The taste is still as good as before!"
"You… How long are you going to be staying this time?" Celine bit her lips, watching Leylin with an evasive gaze. Compared to the previous time they met, Leylin now seemed like an ordinary man; there were no powerful energy waves being transmitted from his body anymore.
And yet, she knew that this was only a sign of Leylin becoming more powerful. It seemed like he had gained many things during his journey to the Icy Cave.
However, even if she'd known beforehand, Celine could only smile bitterly. One could only gain as much as their strength allowed them. Even if she knew about the existence of the world of ice before Leylin, any one of the giant icy creatures in there could kill her without even leaving her corpse behind.
And now, Celine keenly sensed that Leylin had already gained what he wanted, which was why Twilight Zone no longer attracted him. This discovery immediately made her uneasy.
"It may be quite some time, but it won't be longer than a year!" Leylin took a sip of the rich and mellow coffee. However, the words he said caused Celine's face to turn pale.
For a Magus, a year's time was too short. Regardless of what was being done, it was not nearly enough. Even an experiment required a lot more time than this.
Seeing Celine's unwilling expression, Leylin secretly sighed, but he did not say anything else. The entire Twilight Zone was just too barren. This place where even a rank 3 Magus could act like a tyrant and become a ruler was honestly too small. Only the larger central continent and the astral plane where there were endless profound mysteries were worthy of Leylin's residence, allowing him to travel as much as he wanted in the future.
"In that case, can you let me follow you to the central continent?" Celine clenched her teeth.
"Of course you can, but I have to tell you a few things first!" Leylin looked at Celine with a profound expression in his pupils, "In the central continent, rank 2 Magi are merely like ants, their sheer number inconceivable. With your current strength, you will only be in the lowest rung of society there. Also, I already have a wife… Are you going to be willing to give up everything in Twilight Zone and leave with me?"
After hearing Leylin speak honestly about him already having a wife, Celine stumbled a few steps back, obviously not expecting it. And upon hearing that she had to give up the entirety of Twilight Zone, her expression darkened even further.
After a long silence, she finally made a decision. Smiling bitterly, she said, "Alright! I cannot give up on Mentor's wish, nor on Twilight Zone. This is my home!"
Leylin smiled, "Perhaps I can make it up to you in other aspects! For example, didn't you want my bloodline very badly before?"
This was a decision Leylin had made after long and careful deliberation. His current Kemoyin's bloodline had already evolved to an extreme point, even reaching its genetic limits. There was no more room for improvement. Hence, the time was finally right to grow his family.
A rank 5 Warlock's bloodline would be sufficient to form a terrifying power in a short period of time. With the restriction of the bloodline and his own ability as emperor to control all Giant Kemoyin Serpents, these bloodline descendants would become his most capable assistants in the future. Since he was prepared to grow the Farlier Family after his return, there was no harm in leaving another child behind in Twilight Zone.
"Really?" Celine's eyes sparkled, and her face even flushed red with excitement. The terrifying innate abilities Leylin had displayed was proof enough that his descendants definitely wouldn't turn out too bad. They might even inherit some powerful abilities from him. Such a bloodline was one that many female Magi sought, but few could obtain.
One Morning Star's family always had a great chance of producing another among their ranks, much greater than that of other Magus clans. Perhaps one of her own descendants would be a strong Morning Star as well!
As she thought along this line, Celine's breathing could not help but gradually get heavier.
Seeing Celine in such a state, Leylin could not help but burst out laughing. Although this woman had changed slightly, she was still that same old Celine in essence.
However, he did not hold much hope for her at all. Even if she was willing to give up everything in Twilight Zone and return to the central continent with him, she would at most be another good friend for Freya.
Furthermore, letting his bloodline grow in multiple places was also safer overall.
Leylin stroked his chin. His decision to grow his bloodline in many different places was certainly not about something as simple as expanding his influence.
Through his endless study on bloodline mutations and gene changing, he'd come to know that, with enough descendants, there was a chance that a genetic mutation would occur, allowing the individual's strength to rise further than normal. Although such odds were small enough to be disregarded, there was always hope.
In fact, many Kemoyin Warlocks and other bloodline Warlocks practised this method. Whenever descendants of exceptionally rich bloodlines appeared, they would perceive it as fate's blessing.
'I have to go back once my Kemoyin Serpent Emperor bloodline has fully matured and I develop my Radiant Moon strength.' Leylin's pupils dimmed…
The boiling lava boomed endlessly. Many fiery dragons splashed about, and rocks shattered to expose a passageway that led upwards. A few black figures rushed out of the place directly.
"Damned Leylin and damned Twilight Zone! Chief, don't you know that concentrated fire elemental particles are a great enemy for a female Magus' skin? My maintenance charges for this mission are going to increase!" Carol pouted coquettishly, taking out a mirror and looking her skin over carefully.
However, the leader and the Magus called Eugene evidently did not care much.
"As long as this mission can be completed, no one would care even if you rested for a hundred years!" the leader snorted coldly. He ignored his subordinate's complaints, much more interested in this territory.
"Tsk… This underground… the elemental particles are already so barren… It's simply a desert for Magi!" On the other hand, Eugene also sighed while clicking his tongue, showing his disdain towards the barrenness of the Twilight Zone.
"Compared to the central continent, this place is indeed a desert. However, the darkness and earth elemental particle concentration is still passable, even if barely. Use spells of these two elements as much as possible to conserve your soul force…" The chief's head tilted to one side, looking at Carol, "Carol, found the opponent yet?"
"Let me see…" Carol took out a transparent crystal ball. In the core of this ball was a black wisp of air that swayed back and forth. This was Leylin's aura, collected from Mount Asura.
Although Leylin had covered his traces very carefully, as long as such Magi had the correct location and suitable spells, finding his tracks was only a matter of time.
A black stream of air emerged on Carol's face. After pondering for a moment with her eyes closed, she pointed towards the north and spoke confidently. "He's in that direction, I'm sure of it."
"Good! Now that we've discovered the opponent's position, won't three Radiant Moons like us be able to deal with a simple Morning Star?" Eugene licked his lips, "That rascal made me run about outside for such a long time. I want him!"
This leader nodded, "We can. But the target is still as strong as a Radiant Moon himself, do not underestimate him. However, I have information that the target still has a weakness. Even if he has fighting strength at the Radiant Moon realm and powerful bloodline imprints, he is still a Morning Star at his core. The strength of his truesoul is limited to the peak of Morning Star. If we cast curses or attack the soul…"
"It'll be very safe!" Carol nodded. "Just nice, there's been some progress in my research on soul curses recently, just leave it to me!"
"The two of us will assist!" The leader looked at Eugene, and the latter agreed with a little reluctance, "Alright! You're the leader. Whatever you say goes!" Evidently, he was a little depressed because he was unable to draw blood directly.
...
"Leylin! Hurry to school, you're going to be late!" A foreign yet familiar voice echoed in his ears, making Leylin a little confused.
"Where is this? A.I. Chip?" Around him was a road, cherry blossom trees in full bloom on both sides. Blossoms drifted down to the street one after the other.
The ground was very clean, without any sorts of paper scraps. Leylin looked at his own hands, his skin that was milky white without much musculature was full of youth.
"…" There was no response from the A.I. Chip, causing Leylin to fall into a deep silence.
At this moment, a large chunk of memory entered his brain. "I'm Leylin! Innocent Saints High School, year 3 student! I also have an elder sister and a younger sister in my family, I'm supposed to go to the campus festival…."
"Why… Why do I feel like I've forgotten something important, and what is an A.I. Chip? Why did I remember it subconsciously?" Looking at the checkered shirt on his body and the student name tag on his chest, Leylin became quiet in an instant.
"Hey Leylin, what's wrong with you?" A blonde haired student walked over, pulling Leylin's arm along with him.
"Serway…" Leylin called out the student's once he opened his mouth, which made him fall into greater confusion, 'I need to calm down… Why do I know his name? Where exactly is this?'
"What are you waiting for? We won't make it in time!" Serway stopped a taxi, shoving Leylin into it before following closely behind, "Driver, Innocent Saints High School!"
"Have you lost your mind? The famous singer, Carol has a concert at the campus festival today…"
Carol
"Carol?" Leylin leaned back against the couch while feeling the familiar rumble of the engine, his mind fuzzy. 'Seems to be a very famous singer, said to be the idol of teenagers in the Furze Federation… Also seems to be slightly related to me, but… I don't remember anymore…'
Memories related to the other person immediately emerged in Leylin's brain, 'Only, why do I keep feeling that something's wrong? This shouldn't be my life… My life…'
Leylin stretched out his right hand and a word suddenly emerged in his brain: "Fire!" This was pronounced in the ancient Byron language, but tens of seconds passed and nothing happened.
"What's wrong with you Leylin? Devising new words? Why haven't I heard this before, is this German or Spanish?" Serway asked thoughtlessly as he looked at the scenery outside the window from time to time.
"Neither! I may have pronounced it wrongly…" Leylin's face was slightly flushed, but his heart was stirring, 'What happened just now, why did I have a premonition that something interesting would happen after reading that phone… No! Why do I remember this syllable?'
*Skrrrrr!* Following the sound of sudden brakes, the taxi stopped in front of a beautiful institution.
A large coniferous tree and a holly tree stood on both sides of a white marble statue. In front of the entrance was a banner— Innocent Saints 57th Campus Festival.
Below the banner, there was a row of tiny words written in black ink using felt-tip pens and spray paint — Welcoming the beautiful Miss Carol's arrival. We will support you forever! A smiley face was even drawn after it, and Leylin felt like laughing upon seeing it.
"This lad is a student of Innocents Saints High School? Work hard…" The taxi driver waved his hand and disappeared into the road. Leylin secretly rolled his eyes at the hand that was stretched out of the car's window.
After walking into the school, Leylin could see the bustle of a large crowd. Many teenage boys in shirts and teenage girls in dresses hovered around a colourful tent that was set up temporarily. From time to time, playful giggles also echoed from within. Colourful confetti fluttered gently while a sweet, symphonic music permeated the place.
"Brother! Why aren't you moving? You were the last one we were missing!" A small girl came over and pulled Leylin by the hands, giving him a feeling of warmth.
Leylin fell into a trance for a moment as chunks of memories emerged one after the other in his mind. This young lady was his younger sister Gail, currently in year one. And yet, this familiar face seemed foreign as well, causing him to be somewhat dazed. "Aren't I here now?" he said in reply.
"Let's go! Let's go!" Serway and Gail, one behind the other, brought Leylin to the side of a large open stage.
"Hurry and start work, oh Debugging Master!" Serway pushed Leylin to a mechanical platform that was filled with joysticks and buttons, taking out a huge heart shaped bouquet of roses from his back as if he was performing magic. He shifted his attention towards a tall girl in the dance team, a sight that caused Leylin to roll his eyes.
"What's the matter? Is there a problem? Nooo! Miss Carol will be here soon!" Gail was looking at Leylin who stood looking silly in front of the debugging platform. Thinking that the machine malfunctioned or something, she couldn't help but pace back and forth as a layer of tears appeared in her eyes.
Seeing Gail like that, Leylin secretly heaved a sigh of relief and came before the debugging platform, "Oh it's fine, I was just thinking about something and my mind kind of wandered off…"
The moment he came in front of the platform, his hands moved to its surface, beginning to work subconsciously. Numerous lights lit up, and the curtains on the stage were slowly drawn back.
'Okay! The joysticks and sliding platforms are all normal, just do it according to the previous procedure and it'll be fine…' Leylin rubbed his forehead, feeling that things had grown more unexpected. The knowledge of the debugging machine seemed to have been shoved into his brain all of a sudden, and although he felt extremely familiar with it fear began to rise in his heart.
"Yay! My brother is the best, you're awesome!" Gail jumped in glee. Seeing her like that, along with the gentle and kind memory of his elder sister, Leylin suddenly felt that such a life… didn't seem all that bad.
This thought seemed to have only come up for a moment, but it made his heart stir as if he discovered something incredible. Fragments of memories poured into his mind, as if he was watching some sort of movie.
He'd seen an ignorant and underdeveloped world that was filled with a mysterious force called magic. He seemed to have been exploring that place.
'Hmm… Is this what I dreamt of last night? Maybe I can use it as an idea for a novel or something…' Leylin stroked his chin, but he still had the nagging feeling that things weren't so simple.
While Leylin had sunk into deep thought, a loud, deafening clamour sounded out. Many people rushed out to gather at the front of the stage in a flood, breaking his train of thought.
"Look! Sister Carol is here!" Gail shouted in excitement as well, squeezing forward on tiptoes.
"Isn't she just a celebrity? Just you wait, I'll get a few autographed photos and postcards for you later!" Leylin snorted.
"Of course you can take as many photos of her as you want, but the current scenario is different! I'm so excited…" Gail squeezed forward even more, but Leylin grew confused, "Wait, what do you mean I can take as many as I want, am I very close to her?"
But Gail had already disappeared into the crowd, making Leylin lose someone to question.
Carol slowly walked to the centre of the stage, accompanied by the hysterical shouts of the crowd. The many spotlights emitted a dazzling brilliance even in the day as colourful mist spread out and surrounded her.
"Carol!" "Carol!" "Carol!" "We love you!"
Numerous teenagers screamed at the top of their lungs, almost to the point that Leylin could not help but cover his ears, feeling as if his eardrums had been destroyed.
At the same time, his gaze shifted, attracted to the girl at the centre of the stage. Carol wore a magnificent costume that wasn't the dazzling kind, with two plaits hanging down gently from her haid. Her face was so exquisite she looked like a doll.
"Thank you! I love you all too!" Carol looked at the fans below and smiled sweetly, causing many fanatical fans to cover her in another round of adulation.
Her voice was very airy, melding well with her personality to form a unique aura. Even a few words from her generated an extraordinary attraction.
"Next, let's invite Miss Carol to perform her famous song for us — Flight!" Because of Carol's presence, the two emcees were almost forgotten. Patiently waiting for their chance, they immediately announced the song.
"Okay! Start the background music!" Leylin wore his headphones, but Carol who was on the stage, made a signal to stop.
"Wait! I have another piece of news here for everyone," Carol smiled, carrying a rare hint of excitement in her voice. "My trip to Innocent Saints' campus this time was on my boyfriend's invitation. Yes! I'm in love!"
The place instantly fell into a deathly silence. Carol, who was famous across the entirety of the Furze Federation and had always been lovely idol, was actually in love, and with a high school student?
This storm immediately petrified the surrounding audience. Soon after, a howl echoed, livening the atmosphere at the scene.
"What? No! Carol, you're my goddess, how can you…" "Oh! No! How is that possible?" Many teenage boys clenched their chests in pain and collapsed. Leylin even felt like he could hear the sound of their glass hearts shattering.
But even more of the audience waved the fresh flowers, lightsticks and other items in their hands and said, "Carol, we support you!"
"Thank you!" Carol bowed at the audience below with reddened eyes, "I'd like to invite my boyfriend up to sing Flight with me! To commemorate this day…" Upon hearing this, many of the students looked at one another, as if they were trying to identify Carol's boyfriend.
'Wahaha… This Carol's boyfriend is going to get unlucky!' Leylin thought gloatingly.
"Then, aren't you going to hurry up there?" Who knew since when, Serway and Gail had appeared beside Leylin again, pulling him onto the stage.
"Brother! Sister Carol has already mustered her courage like that, what are you still waiting for?" Gail tugged on Leylin's sleeve, laughing like a small fox that had successfully stolen a chicken.
"Eh? What what? It's me?" Leylin pointed at his own nose, "Carol's boyfriend is me?" Suddenly, another memory appeared again.
"Leylin, remember our promise!" Wearing a pretty ribbon on her head, Carol pulled Leylin's hand.
Only at this moment did Leylin recall. it seemed… As if… Should be… Roughly… Carol had actually been his neighbour for 3 years, and it was at that time that the two had embarked on a romantic relationship.
After being dragged onto the stage with Carol pulling his hand, facing the multiple spotlights and the fervent gazes of many geeks, Leylin's face was still a little stiff.
"Are you serious? This scenario just isn't right…" Leylin felt slightly dizzy. At this moment, the gentle background music started playing, and an angelic voice echoed from beside him.
Leylin looked slightly dazed as he watched this beautiful fairy-like girl beside him. Her voice was airy like no other, as clear as spring water. It seemed like even her spirit could cleanse him, it was extremely refreshing. This was especially true of her eyes. Those eyes were full of emotion as she sang, making it extremely difficult for him to part with her.
'An affluent life, and the admiration of a celebrity, all this is so wonderful… What am I still waiting for?' Leylin could not help but question himself.
But at the same time, the uneasiness in his heart grew stronger, a feeling that he would regret the wrong decision here for the rest of his life.
'That's right! My dreams, my goals, my original pursuits, what exactly are they?' Leylin asked himself repeatedly.
Fleeing and Awakening
"My goal?" Leylin stood on the stage. Although he was the focus of attention of thousands of people, his mind still wandered off.
"Is it to live my life ordinarily and peacefully? Yes! With time, money, and a wife who loves you, what's there to hesitate?"
'But why, why do I still feel a little indignant deep in my heart?' Leylin touched his chest, 'If everyone is like that, then fine. But if there is a path leading to eternal life, and I don't try and pursue it, how could I face myself?
Eternity? Eternity! Yes, pursuing the ultimate of everything and obtaining eternal life, that is my pursuit!'
Leylin's pupils instantly grew resolute. Grabbing Carol's hand, he gently said, "Sister Carol… S–Sorry…"
Right at this moment, an intense rumbling explosion echoed, engulfing the place in crimson flames. The crowd screamed and dispersed as a black, armoured car barged recklessly into the campus, stopping at the side of the stage.
Numerous figures in steel armour jumped out in an orderly manner. Clearly, they were well-trained.
"External armour? And nuclear-powered laser guns?" As Leylin looked at the metal skeleton in their appearances and the oddly shaped gun barrels, he could not help but show a shocked expression, his pupils narrowing rapidly.
"Seize her!" These armoured men did not even notice the other students running about, as if all of them were ants in their eyes. They lunged towards the centre of the stage directly with cold expressions in their eyes. This was the disregard one developed for life through years of bloody warfare.
"Carol! Their target is Carol!" Leylin was surprised.
"Brother Leylin!" The girl shrieked, holding Leylin's hand. Given that she was a celebrity, she naturally had a few bodyguards by her side, but they'd been burnt to ashes by the lasers before they could even pull out their weapons, becoming what seemed like piles of charcoal.
In an instant, the screams of the crowd grew more intense. Those armed soldiers looked like steel mountains. All obstructions they encountered on their way, be it furniture or even human life, were ruthlessly destroyed.
'These people… they're definitely not normal soldiers or mercenaries…' Leylin's pupils narrowed and every muscle on his body stiffened. And yet, the moment he looked at the pathetic Carol beside him, her face full of panic as she nearly fell limp to the floor, he suddenly started running.
"Go!" He shrieked, pulling her along. Using the obstruction from the crowd, he successfully brought her off stage and headed in the direction of a teaching block.
"Seize her, we don't need that boy alive!" A person who seemed like the leader of the soldiers commanded. Immediately, Leylin saw many laser guns aimed at him.
"Get down!" He suddenly pressed Carol's head down, pinning her to the ground.
A dazzling radiance shot out as laser blasts sounded everywhere. When they stopped, the stage behind him had already become flat ground. A broken, burnt arm fell in front of him.
"Leylin!" Carol's eyes turned white, her fingernails tearing into Leylin's hand and causing it to bleed.
"I know! Go quickly!" For some unknown reason, Leylin felt very used to such bloody scenes and did not feel the slightest bit of discomfort. He was still able to think calmly in this situation.
'The opponent's target is Carol… At a crucial time, if I abandon her it'll give me the chance to survive!' He then glanced at Carol, 'Still, we're neighbours and lovers after all. I'll escape with her for a while, but if we're unable to pull away from the enemy even with our best efforts, I can only give up…'
Although a bad thought stirred in his heart, a determined look emerged in Leylin's face as he grabbed Carol and ran. At a corner, he glanced at the entrance where many students had gathered in a crowd, no longer daring to look at the figures in black. It was like they were some sort of monsters.
He caught a glimpse of Serway's eye-catching blonde hair and the small girl beside him.
'Hmm… Serway and Gail are both there, I can't draw fire to the place…' Immediately giving up on the entrance where the students were, he brought Carol along as he ran into another crowd.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!* Large amounts of flesh flew into the sky. With Leylin and Carol drawing the enemy's firepower to this place, these people were instantly met with annihilation.
With the bombardment of laser guns, these students grew more panicked in their frantic running, Under the bombardment of the laser guns, these students ran around in an even more panicky way, making it difficult for the enemy to recognise people.
And with this as a cover, Leylin successfully brought Carol and escaped to the teaching block.
"Stay here! Don't run!" Leylin shoved Carol into the changing room's cabinet as he chose another ventilation duct for himself and crawled in.
'There's another way out here. I should be able to escape through this duct if Carol gets caught…' Leylin's eyes glowed from their depths. His relationship with Carol only consisted of fragmented memories. Although both Serway and Gail said that Carol was his girlfriend, Leylin still felt a strong sense of disconnect. The weight of these 'feelings' in his heart had dissipated completely during their escape. Or, put in other words, this relationship was only worth so much to him.
After this, she would have to rely on her own luck. If she faced the fate of being captured, Leylin would not rescue her, as in doubt as he was right now.
Furthermore, the enemy evidently wanted to capture Carol alive and did not care about others' lives. Leylin would certainly not risk so much for her. Carol would still have a chance of survival after falling into the enemy's hands, but for him, it would be game over. Thus, he naturally knew his choice.
"Close this place off! I saw them escaping into the building and they never came out!!" A large boom echoed, accompanied by footsteps. They were heavy footsteps, every thud beating right into his heart like the steps of Death itself.
"Search every room. Don't miss even a single corner" the enemy's cold voice echoed over again.
Now, Leylin could only smile bitterly and pray. How could he and a small girl outrun such elites? It was only because of the cannon fodder that he'd managed to get here successfully. If he'd left the shelter of the building, he would be a sitting duck.
Moreover, this was a school! With something like this happening, as long as they waited for a period of time there would definitely be some sort of response from the authorities.
As the seconds ticked by, the rummaging sounds coming from the surroundings echoed out without end, drawing closer and closer to the changing room. It made Leylin feel a little suffocated.
"Dammit! The government is useless in this area, I'll never vote for them again!" Leylin scolded hatefully.
Right at this moment. the changing room's door was pushed open violently and numerous footsteps invaded the place violently. The rummaging sounds continued for a moment, followed by a girl's alarmed cry. Leylin's heart stopped, knowing that Carol had already been captured by the enemy. His body slowly moved backwards, already prepared to retreat at any time.
"And the other student? Where has he gone to?" A buff man asked.
"I'm not saying!" Carol's stubborn yet airy voice echoed, but it made Leylin roll his eyes instead. Two crisp slaps sounded in reply to it.
"Not saying instead of not knowing, which means he's nearby. But we don't have anymore time! Let's go!" That hefty man waved his hand, taking Carol out with him.
Through the blinds, Leylin saw a member of the troop throw a round metal object on the ground as they left, the thing shining with light.
Leylin cursed. "Damn it! A High-explosive magnetic grenade!" His entire body suddenly moved backwards as he began crawling desperately.
A blue glow suddenly swept across behind him, followed by many blazing flames. The sound wave caused even Leylin's ears and nose to bleed.
A blind was kicked opened with a bang, and Leylin suddenly fell down along with large amounts of dust and rubbish.
"Finally out!" Leylin heaved deep breaths and patted his chest. However, when he looked at the surrounding scene, his expression changed.
Dozens of soldiers in steel armoured were walking over with a girl in tow, their faces growing dazed for a moment when they saw Leylin.
"Brother Leylin, I knew that you'd be back to rescue me!" Carol, who was being escorted by them, began cheering instead.
"I…" Leylin rolled his eyes speechlessly. It was like the saying went: Man proposes, but God disposes.
"We meet again, you rascal. What a lucky life you have!" A man wearing a steel skeletal mask came out, eyes shining with a vicious red radiance, "Kill him!" The opponent looked at Leylin as if he was looking at a piece of garbage.
The dazed Carol then realised something and immediately began begging, "No! Let Brother Leylin go! I'll go with you!"
However, she seemed unable to change these men's attitudes even slightly, and a dazzling white light shot out from a cannon. Leylin's vision went black.
Suddenly, time seemed to stop at the moment, and a voice echoed out of nowhere, "Between Carol and yourself, who do you choose?" Confusion emerged in Leylin's eyes.
"Of course I choose…" Leylin glanced at Carol, whose face was frozen in a panicked expression.
"Neither, you idiot!" A hint of calmness appeared in Leylin's eyes once more, "I finally regained a portion of my memories… Trying to trick me into signing a contract?" The stagnated time shattered apart with a crash, as numerous lasers shot to him once more…
"Fire!" Once again, Leylin read out a word from the ancient Byron language. Only this time, the moment the rune syllable was heard, space itself seemed to be mobilised. A large amount of an unknown energy gathered together, combining to result in an amazing transformation.
Trial and Destruction
A Magus created spells by using his spiritual force to draw the energy particles in the air. The current Leylin could cause a mysterious change with just a spoken rune syllable and the injection of spiritual force.
A ball of flames formed in front of Leylin and a huge wall of fire spread out, blocking the white light.
The figures that were armoured in black could only see a huge amount of flames appearing out of thin air to collide with the laser. The teen himself was still safe and sound.
*Plop!* An armoured man loosened his grip and dropped his laser gun. A peculiar scene such as this was still a first for them despite their years of war experience and the gory training they'd undergone.
"Mutants!" The leader cried.
"Mutants? Is this what your world calls people with mysterious powers?" Leylin laughed and placed his hands behind his back, sizing up his surroundings with a sense of nostalgia. 'Is this a dream? Or a world generated from my memories? Though there are many similarities to my previous world, there are still quite a few differences…'
"Our target is her, you can leave!" The leader said in a low voice. Being one of the few higher-ups that knew of the existence of Mutants, how could he not be afraid of Leylin's abilities?
"Scram!" But Leylin only looked at them apathetically as if he was looking at prey.
"You-" The leader's face flushed with anger.
He pulled out a glimmering ring from his waist.
"Magnetic Hybrid Storm No. 2! This is specially created to counter weapons created by Mutants! If you are to leave now, we will treat it as nothing happened."
"Hm, interesting!" The ring disappeared from the leader's hand in an instant and showed up in Leylin's.
"Spatial power? Or high-speed movement?" Cold sweat gathered on the leader's forehead.
"How ignorant and stupid!" Leylin looked at them sympathetically and colour drained from the leader's face.
This was a Mutant who allowed him no chance of resistance and who could snatch the weapon from his hand in seconds. Leylin was definitely someone beyond what he could handle, and it was highly possible for his whole team would die here!
"We have to leave quickly!" The leader shouted as a mini laser gun appeared in his hand. He aimed several fatal beams at Leylin.
*Pew!* All the laser rays were blocked by a golden curtain before flames burst forth.
The massive flames illuminated the surroundings with a fiery red glow, the last sight this leader would see before he left the world.
Carol stood rooted to the ground, suddenly realising that the Leylin in front of her was very much different from the Leylin she knew. He seemed a lot more confident and exuded a monstrous aura. Although she thought of things such as power and aura as a joke, she learnt then that there was true power in this world.
Just a mere flash of red light could turn those threatening enemies into ashes. If someone with such power wasn't greater than the rest, who was?
"You are Carol, right?" In front of her stood the person she was familiar with speaking with a voice she was familiar with, but she couldn't help but move back.
"Who are you? Don't come near me! Where is Leylin?" Tears gathered in the girl's eyes. She wanted to leave this person, but an invisible force brought her in front of him.
"Are you the focal point in this world?" Leylin smiled gently at her and began to say things that made her mind spin. "Through the allure of choices presented to me and tricking me into making decisions through emotions, my truesoul will forever be confined in this makeshift world huh?"
Carol knew the meaning of each individual word Leylin was saying but was confused at their intended meaning.
"Seems like someone's been targeting me…" Leylin touched his chin, "A.I. Chip, how do I get out?"
[Beep! Host body affected by unknown radiation, truesoul at a loss.] [Beep! Fog appeared in host's sea of consciousness, affecting cognitive abilities. Beginning projection of guiding coordinates…]
The A.I. Chip's reply came instantly this time, accompanied with numerous status updates.
The A.I. Chip was fused with leylin's very soul. No matter where he went, his truesoul's survival meant the A.I. Chip's survival. Enemies stood a chance of intercepting this connection for a short while, but they couldn't break it.
The A.I. Chip was continuously trying to awaken Leylin's truesoul. This was also why he was so quick to see through the hazy world so quickly.
"A.I. Chip, begin scan. The target is this entire world." Leylin commanded.
[Beep! Mission established, scan beginning…] With the update after his advancement to Radiant Moon, the changes were not merely cosmetic. The Chip's various functions had been updated as well.
[Scanning 3D structure! Instability detected! Absence of plane curves, concluded as unstable world!] [Curse detected. Concluded as dream curse.]
The A.I. Chip responded quickly.
"As expected, someone dragged me into a trance with a curse… " Leylin's face slowly warped as he read through the data.
"In order to break out of this trance, we have to start from the 'key' of this world and then neutralise the counterattack!" Leylin came to Carol.
"W-What do you want? Don't come near me!" Carol moved backwards in fear, but Leylin maintained his poker face and pointed a finger at her forehead.
*Boom!* The world shook, and Carol fell down.
Though she had yet to die, Leylin could feel the connection between her and some form of entity weakening.
"Carol is only a shell, the counterattack should be coming soon after I'm done dealing with the 'key'!" Leylin said, floating in mid-air as the very space vibrated.
"Gail, look! That person over there, he looks like Leylin!" Serway's jaw dropped.
"It, it really is him! Did he become a superhero?" Gail ruffled her hair and seemed to be a little dizzy. Had her useless brother been pretending all along, hiding a secret life as a superhero? Was he one of those who secretly guarding the world's peace?
A piercing anti-aircraft alarm sounded, and violet light filled the entire city. A large number of UFOs surrounded the area, armoured men flying out from within. Complex energy circuits flashed from on their armours, that worn by the troops from before complete trash in comparison.
These people with peculiar energy undulations should've been the Mutants that the leader of those troops was talking about. They looked pretty advanced.
"UFOs… Is this the extraterrestrial colonisation fleet of the federation? God!" Many students and passersby started screaming on the ground. The few figures in front especially made them feel like they were suffocating just by looking at them.
Delusion and reality, illusion and mystery, things that only existed in conjectures, were all suddenly appearing front of everyone's eyes, giving them a strong sense of intangibility.
A ray of blue light scanned over Leylin's body, and the scanned data flashed across the glasses of the person leading the troop. It was like he instantly knew Leylin's identity.
"Leylin, year 3 student of Innocent Saints High School… How dare you use your powers carelessly in public as a Mutant? Return with us to the headquarters to receive your punishment!"
"Well…" Leylin shook his head and sighed, "Why weren't you here before when we were being attacked? And now you come over with such speed when everything's solved? I protest!" The mocking tone in Leylin's voice caused the person to furrow his brows. He decided to teach a good lesson to the arrogant young man in front of him.
"Who do you think you are? The headquarters only take actions against our own kind; humans are exempted. Prepare to be tried for your crimes!"
The troop leader waved his hand, and two figures ran towards Leylin.
"Hmm… As expected, weakness is a sin no matter what world you're in." Leylin sighed, and frenzied energy undulations burst forth from his body.
*Whoosh!* Huge clouds of smog wrapped around two Mutants. The sound of blood dripping was heard, and when the smog cleared, a few damaged bones and metal components fell down. The two people were nowhere to be seen.
*Boom!* The glasses of the leader's eyes exploded, the scratches from the shrapnel forming blood red lines across his face. Yet, he didn't seem to care at all, only glaring at Leylin as he muttered in disbelief, "Silvan-ranked! He is a Silvan-ranked Mutant!"
Many of them took a step back, as if realising they'd been surrounding a monster all this while.
Mutant of the Silvan-ranked is the highest of all the levels as of current times. They only existed in rumours, and were strong enough to cause energy probes to blow up!
The thought of going against someone of this standard made many of the troop members shudder.
"If the situation is as such, your Grace, shall we…" The leader clenched his teeth and walked forward, but Leylin did not want to waste any more time on them.
"What a group of clowns. The counter-measures of this world are weak, so weak that I'm disappointed!" A tiny black orb appeared on his finger, and he flicked it forward.
"You lot haven't seen real strength! The pitch-black orb absorbed all light, causing space itself to collapse.
The terrifying turbulence enveloped all the UFOs and enemies.