People were shocked by the death of the child, even if they understood what Aaron had said. However, they were not the only ones who appeared saddened.
"Could I have saved the child if I had arrived a few days ago?" Aaron wondered to himself. He clenched his fists tightly and squinted his eyes as he looked at the body of the child, now free from being a chimera.
After a few seconds, a loud but gentle voice spoke up, "We should burn the body."
Upon hearing this, Adara cast a small fire spell and calmly directed it towards the child's body. At that moment, a middle-aged person from within the tower asked a question, "Why did you burn the body, sir?"
"The creator of the chimera had infused a part of its soul into the child, so as the child's soul was slowly being destroyed, the chimera's soul was deeply embedded in the child's body. This suggests the possibility that if it expended some energy, the small soul it had given could recombine and return to life. The child's body has endured enough suffering," Aaron calmly replied.
People now seemed to understand how dangerous this patron monster truly was.
"But sir, what should the people who are trying to hunt outside do if such a patron monster exists somewhere?" the middle-aged man asked again.
Aaron surveyed the people with a glance. Among them were the wounded, the elderly, the young, and the healthy ones. Just one glance was enough for him to realize that they were capable fighters.
"Those who wish to fight will fight even if they lose limbs, risk their lives, and eliminate their enemies. The patron monster outside designates a specific area, so even a simple fool can understand where the danger lies. If you encounter such a place, run. That's enough," he stated.
Upon hearing this, people seemed to realize their own mistakes and flawed thinking. It seemed strange to them that they had been brought to this situation by just one monster, as they had fought and survived until now.
"If you have no further questions, my group and I will be leaving," Aaron said, turning his back and preparing to depart. He had politely indicated that they should refrain from asking more questions. But just then, another voice came from behind, but this time it was very different.
"Lord Aaron! Please be cautious. We know you are powerful, but you don't have to bear the burden alone."
Aaron stood still with his back still turned, his head slightly bowed. Then, in a small but clear and definite voice, he said, "Thank you." And he began walking again. Each step he took instilled determination in the people and earned their respect.
"Stay vigilant. We are in danger from now on. The patron monster we face is cunning and powerful, comparable to Alshain in intelligence and skill," Aaron stated as he walked with purpose.
Upon hearing this, Camelia asked in surprise, "But sir, Alshain was excessively powerful. How can a patron monster be compared to him?"
"You misunderstand, Camelia. The Mad Scientist is also a patron monster like Alshain, but Alshain is a fragment of a constellation, each one carefully created by the constellations themselves. There are even some among them created by the gods," Aaron explained in a serious and comprehensible manner.
The members of the group seemed to be filled with anger and fear, but according to Aaron, these were the emotions they needed to feel and learn from. When the world began to change a few months ago, they were undoubtedly shocked and frightened. However, the fear they had realized was only a fraction of what they would face in the future. After all, the world was constantly changing and expanding, with its dungeons and World Towers completely transforming and extending the known reality.
"These are the emotions you need to feel. Don't belittle or distress yourselves," Aaron added, sensing the prevailing atmosphere.
"But, my Lord," Kevin spoke in a calm voice.
"Hmm?" Aaron responded, curious about Kevin's words.
"In that case, does this make it as powerful a patron monster as Lord Alshain?" Kevin asked.
"No," Aaron replied seriously.
"Then why should we fear this monster? Isn't its intelligence and skill its only asset?" Hector interjected.
"That's true, but it has one more thing," Aaron replied, capturing the curious gaze of everyone as he continued speaking.
"This monster has an army: the Mad Scientist, the creator of Chimeras. When released, it can possess a significant army capacity. The child whose body it possessed earlier is just a small example of that," Aaron said, his tone growing more irritated.
"Just like that, it can enter the soul of any living being, be it human or monster, without even sending its own soul. That's why no creature with a high-level willpower can stand against it, not even a dragon," he added.
"So how do we stop it?" Pule asked, curious.
"With this," Aaron said, taking out the Cold Steel from his inventory. Pule and the others were shocked by the heavy aura emitted by the steel, and the questions quickly followed.
"What is this?" Pule asked.
"Good question, Pule. What you see here is Cold Steel. It ranks among the top 10 in terms of hard and conductive metals, among the ten most powerful metals in all universes," Aaron explained.
"So, are you saying that we can stop the monster because of its conductivity?" Pule asked, puzzled.
"That's right. It ranks third in the hierarchy of metals that conduct heat. We'll burn it in such a way that it will lose control over the Chimeras. The rest will be up to you to deal with the Chimeras while I kill it," Aaron said, storing the Cold Steel back into his inventory and quickly continuing on their journey.
After a long journey, Aaron arrived at the area he suspected to be the location of the Mad Scientist: Rotherham.
He had assumed that there would only be dungeons in Rotherham, but the fact that he hadn't seen any Chimeras or even traces of them could only mean one thing.
By splitting the soul of the Mad Scientist and sending it into a child, allowing him to enter the World Tower, Aaron had temporarily put the Chimeras he created to sleep, successfully keeping his den hidden. However, when Aaron tried to sense the tainted mana in the surroundings, the traces pointed clearly to Rotherham.
The mana felt so dirty and repulsive that it could hinder even someone with weak willpower from breathing in Rotherham. Aaron's group was no exception to this.
"Try to breathe at a steady pace and remain calm," Aaron said to the group, and upon hearing his words, they followed his advice. They instantly noticed that breathing had become easier and they felt more relaxed.
This was mana. Mana was a strange thing indeed. Neither physical nor "inner and spiritual" strength could contend with it. Mana was the essence of nature itself. The dirtier it became, the more harm it caused to humans and other living beings. To pollute mana was considered one of the gravest sins.
"There's a safe zone nearby. We'll head there, stay for a short while, and then continue our journey," Aaron said calmly, changing their route slightly, and the group followed him.
After about 10 minutes, they reached the Science and Adventure Center, the designated safe zone. As soon as they arrived, Aaron found a quiet spot for himself and sat down. The group looked at him with questioning eyes, wondering what he was planning to do.
At that moment, Aaron took out a cushion and the Supreme Dragon Egg from his inventory. He placed the cushion on the ground and carefully placed the egg on top of it. The entire group watched him in astonishment, and Kevin couldn't resist asking:
"My Lord, if you don't mind this humble servant asking, may I inquire about the significance of this egg?" he said.
"This thing is the most dangerous entity that can enter this universe, the God of all monsters," Aaron said, his eyes filled with sadness.
"And for now, that's all you need to know," he continued. The group understood this and stopped their questioning gazes, assuming their positions for guard duty. This was not the World Tower, and people could be harmed here, albeit by other humans. Therefore, the group had established a system of shifts among themselves to keep their Lord safe.
First, it was Nicole, Hector, and April. Then, Adara, Camelia, and Kevin. And finally, Pule and June.
According to this shift system, the group aimed to keep their Lord safe while he was occupied with something else. The first shift had now begun.
Meanwhile, Aaron looked at the egg and tried to observe its information, but there was very little he could see:
"Supreme Dragon Egg
The egg of the 12th Supreme Dragon, one of the mightiest among the Supreme Dragons, and the offspring of the God Elajiah. It is a creature that could be among the most powerful of its kind and possess enough strength and power to defy even the Gods.
Gender: Female
Age: -
Elemental Power: ????
Element: ?
Incubation Progress: 1.73%"
Aaron was surprised by the information. He knew Elajiah was powerful, but he had never considered her to be one of the most powerful of his kind. After all, even though his ability technically brought him back to life in this world, he was still facing another God.
Could the God of Death kill a God?
As he contemplated these thoughts, the incubation progress of the egg puzzled him. According to the incubation information, he was supposed to provide elemental power and an element for the egg's incubation progress to advance, but he hadn't done any of that.
"Could it be?" he suddenly thought with anger, and he started to laugh.
The egg had progressed in its incubation rate as much as he had fought. The egg was so powerful that it could draw elemental energy even from the inventory, which could be considered another dimension. That was why the rate had increased significantly. His own elemental power and Alshain's had boosted it further.
This was... a complete trickery.
After considering all these things, Aaron stood up and put both the cushion and the egg back into his inventory. He gathered his focus and realized that there was only one thing left for him to do: meditation.
In his current state, he couldn't create any more abilities because he had reached his limit. Therefore, he wanted to meditate and relieve himself at least to some extent.
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One breath after another broke the silence in quick succession. For three days, Aaron hadn't moved an inch from his spot, only breathing. With each breath, the flames of the surrounding candles rose and flickered. He was literally breathing fire.
One after another, shifts were taken, meals were eaten without him, and duels were fought, but he hadn't moved an inch. He was like a monk awaiting enlightenment, cleansing his soul, and inhaling and exhaling the pristine mana of the safe zone.
With each breath, you could see the air entering his mouth, and with each exhale, you could feel the air leaving him. He sat in a meditative position, rhythmically, without disturbing his peace.
By the dawn of the fourth day, the energy around him had changed significantly. It was more aggressive yet strangely happier—an obscure but radiant darkness, intimidating yet nourishing.
On the evening of the fifth day, Aaron suddenly opened his eyes, and the energy around him shattered like a broken ice fragment, its aura dispersing and emitting a low but sharp sound.
His eyes glowed with flames. Pink, red, orange, yellow, white, green, turquoise, blue, purple, and black flames danced in his eyes. At that moment, massive notifications appeared in front of Aaron, swarming in groups.
"Many legacies from the previous owner of the Elements are behind this. The purity of your soul has even convinced the most powerful form of flames," the notifications stated.
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Those skilled in speaking say from the beginning of time, "Oh beautiful universe, how do you fare?" And the universe turns to them and replies, "The flames of creation have brought me into existence and bound me to infinity."
"Then who created your flames, who forged them, and where are they? If they are not here, to whom have you entrusted them?" the skilled speakers inquire. "I was created by God, and if He is not here, my flames are ruled by the sovereign," the universe answers.
"Who is this sovereign?" the skilled speakers ask, driven by curiosity. "Who knows... they are gone now. But if they were to return, they would be the one," the universe replies, melancholy yet sorrowful.
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"Oh mighty God of the Elements, they say you are the sovereign, they say you have been searching for a long time. You vanished but managed to exist again. Allow the 'Flames of Creation' to serve you once more."
After these notifications, they disappeared into a vortex and then formed another notification, with letters emerging from within:
"Congratulations, Aaron Light Corbyn. The 'Flames of Creation' (Impossible) have been reclaimed. I offer my gratitude to the God of the Elements."