Han Shuo was quite surprised. He did not know how or why Han Hao had taken in these ne'er-do-wells. Han Shuo stared blankly for a while before nodding and asking, "Is it settled?"
"It's settled," Han Hao replied. After a short pause, Han Hao instructed the teenagers who had just pledged their undying devotion to him, "Go and get ready. Remember the signals I have taught you. I will take you with me when I leave the Omphalos. That's all. Dismissed!"
The teenagers looked at Han Shuo, trying to remember his face. Some seemed confused, but none asked any questions. They submissively left as Han Hao had instructed.
After they left, Han Hao began to explain to Han Shuo his plans with the teenagers and gave a simplified account of Kage's assassination.
After hearing everything, Han Shuo smiled and said, "Very good. Well done. I knew you would handle the task well." Han Shuo was surprised that Han Hao had thought of controlling these family clans by training the teenagers. He had not expected Han Hao to develop such sophisticated thinking.
"Let me introduce you. This is Romon and this is Zovic. Our new members," Han Shuo said to Han Hao. Then he turned to them, pointed at the serious teenager and said proudly, "This is Han Hao, my son!"
Romon had rarely left his swamp and had little contact with the outside world. Zovic, however, had heard of Han Hao. He stared for a moment before asking in a trembling voice, "The Godhunter leader of the Death Dominion?"
Much to Han Shuo's confusion, his son was famous. He looked at Zovic and asked, "How did you know that?"
Zovic learned from Han Shuo's answer that his suspicion was indeed true. Astonished, Zovic gasped, "So it's him! A large number of violent criminals from all the Twelve Dominions enter the Fringe every day, so we are more or less aware of what is happening around Elysium. Also, the Death Dominion isn't too far from the Fringe. We can get information there relatively easily. Han Hao is highly respected in the Death Dominion. There's hardly a soul, dead or alive, in the Death Dominion who doesn't know his name!
Han Hao had the same indifferent face, as if his emotions were not at all affected by Zovic's words. He seemed to have little interest in Zovic. He took out a glass jar and threw it at Han Jin as he said, "Little Gold, this is for you."
"Huh?! Kage's head?!" Zovic promptly covered his mouth with his hands, realising that he shouldn't have shouted.
Just like Kage, Zovic also possessed Mid-stage Highgod Strength. But unlike the former, Zovic did not command a large group of ferocious gods. Recently, news of Kage's death had spread. Everyone had guessed who the murderer was. Zovic had not expected to see Kage's severed head being thrown out by Han Hao.
"Thank you, big brother!" " Han Jin caught the glass jar. Then he suddenly exclaimed as if he had found something pleasantly surprising, "Brother, is Kage's soul still inside?"
Han Hao nodded and explained, "He is still conscious. I have trapped his soul in a corner of his skull. He has no divine energy left, so you can torture him as much as you like. Right, when you are done playing with him, just give his soul to Father."
"Haha, wonderful!" Han Jin said happily. He began to laugh mischievously at the glass jar and injected golden light into it.
The group was in a rather desolate part of the Omphalos, and Han Hao had placed a boundary before removing Kage's head. The boundary blocked the senses of all outsiders and could prevent anyone outside the boundary from spying on what was going on inside.
Zovic stared at Han Hao in astonishment, for it seemed to him that Han Hao should not have the power to kill Kage. But there was Kage's severed head right in front of him!
"Romon, you will help Han Jin and the others to go to the Omphalos to buy some materials. Zovic, you know this area best. Go and scout around, find out the latest news about the Fringe. Keep an eye out for any unusual activities," Han Shuo ordered.
"Understood." Zovic, Romon and the others set to work.
Many of the demonic formations in the Pandemonium were missing their main ingredients. Although Han Jin and Han Mu were able to obtain some of the ores and wooden materials, the resources that could be exploited in this area were limited. Therefore, Han Shuo had to come to the Omphalos to purchase the materials he needed.
As the only trading centre in the heart of the Fringe, all kinds of strange items were for sale. Many of the openly traded items would never be found in any of the Twelve Dominions. For example, some extremely potent poisons, vicious divine weapons made from the skulls of gods, magical devices powered by the soul energies of imprisoned divine souls, and the like.
Anything that was illegal in the Twelve Dominions could be openly practised here. Godhunting, organ trafficking, experimenting with poisons on living gods - nobody cared.
All manner of perverted, evil and deranged alchemists and poisoners were to be found in abundance in the Fringe. These professions usually flourished in the Omphalos. They regularly traded the results of their evil research for large sums of Black Crystal coins, allowing them to continue to live safely in the Omphalos. They would then have more funds to conduct even more research and improve in their fields.
For Han Shuo, this had to be the most wonderful marketplace in the universe. Many of the special materials needed for his demonic formations and sinister concoctions that only the most evil of alchemists could create could only be purchased in the Omphalos and nowhere else on Elysium.
Since there were simply too many materials needed for his Pandemonium, Han Shuo had his children go out on their own to purchase the materials. Han Shuo was not concerned about their safety. He knew that the Omphalos was perhaps the safest place in the world.
After Rose, Romon, Zovic and the Five Elite Zombies went about their business, Han Shuo and Han Hao, father and son, were left to their own devices.
"Father, I don't think I should spend too much time with you. I'm a godhunter from the Death Dominion. The Fringedwellers don't care, but the rest of the world does. Being associated with me won't be good for Father," Han Hao said as he looked at Han Shuo.
Han Shuo knew this might be a problem. He thought for a moment before asking, "You can change your appearance, right?"
Han Hao nodded and replied, "Of course. I can even turn into another person if I want to."
"Then just be more careful in the future and change your appearance often. That way we won't be linked. I trust you know what to do."
"I understand. I will try to avoid getting Father into unnecessary trouble." Han Hao was silent for a moment before he continued, "However, the best solution is still to avoid being with Father as much as possible. I have been counting the days and my troops should be arriving at the Fringe soon. They will need their leader. I should stay away from Father for a while at least. After all, my troops can't change their appearance."
Han Shuo knew that by letting Han Hao take on the world alone, he could gain experience and strength. Besides, Han Shuo doubted that an average powerhouse in the fringe could hurt Han Hao. So Han Shuo nodded and agreed, reminding Han Hao to always be on the lookout for danger.
The father and son then discussed their future methods of communication. Han Shuo informed Han Hao of the location of the Pandemonium before they said goodbye. Han Hao then left on his own, perhaps to gather his new followers.
After Han Hao left, Han Shuo put most of his time and energy into acquiring all the most exotic materials he needed. Han Shuo would spare no crystal coins to make his Pandemonium the most fortified bastion on Elysium.
It must be said that the Omphalos was a wonderful place. Many of the unique materials he needed for his demonic formations could be found here. However, after the incident outside the Omphalos checkpoint, some of these merchants, or rather, swindlers, dared not deal with Han Shuo, no matter how much he offered, for fear that Han Shuo might lay his deadly, treacherous hands on them.
In the Land of Chaos, information spread faster than an epidemic. It barely took the blink of an eye for all the powers that dwelt in the fringe to recognise Han Shuo. Wherever he went, people whispered to each other as they pointed and stared at him. There were some who looked at him with angry eyes, but no one dared to provoke him.
After going around the Omphalos for a few days, Romon, Zovic, Rose, and the Five Elite Zombies had spent more than five million black crystal coins and filled up more than ten space rings with the materials that Han Shuo had instructed them to acquire.
Han Shuo was nearly out of black crystal coins but luckily, Han Jin had made plenty of them from his Goldstone Enterprise. They may not have gotten by otherwise.
One day, Han Shuo felt a ping in his consciousness. He suddenly sensed that his demonic bloods were approaching the Omphalos. Han Shuo expanded his consciousness and gradually spread it outwards. Soon, he sensed the presence of Goron and the others.
Enter the Omphalos and look for me! Han Shuo could command his minions from hundreds of miles away via the demonic blood implanted in them.
The gang lead by Goron entered the Omphalos one after another and assembled around Han Shuo. Within a month, all those Fringedwellers that hosted Han Shuo's demonic blood had returned to Han Shuo. However, unlike the last time, there weren't just thirty-something experts – there were now more than two hundred experts gathered around him!
Some of those thirty-something Fringedwellers who had survived the Penta-elemental Undead Formation were leaders of their own factions. They had brought their followers to the Omphalos as Han Shuo had commanded.
The impressive number of Fringedwellers gathered around Han Shuo had to pay a great amount of black crystal coins each day they spent in the Omphalos. But fortunately, they had deep pockets and the expenditure wasn't too much for them.
However, the Omphalos guards had been keeping a close eye on them during their stay lest they cause trouble in the demilitarized zone.
One day, Luolong came to Han Shuo and asked, "Bryan, are you free to meet Lord Ossora now?"
"Of course, I've been waiting for him!" replied Han Shuo cheerfully. Finally! he thought.