As Skye called them, the sheep raised their necks and looked at him. A few, including sheep number 41, walked toward him, while the rest continued eating as if they hadn't heard anything.
'They're becoming self-aware', Skye thought as he quietly levitated for a while.
Having lived so long, they were no longer the ignorant creatures they used to be.
Everyone had their own life. Could you expect someone to obey you forever just because you helped them?
"As long as you follow me, I will help you increase your natural lifespan," Skye said, his voice lacking the warmth it once had.
Although the sheep didn't fully understand him, they knew it was something beneficial.
In the end, they slowly walked toward him.
Though they hadn't fully gained intelligence, they were undoubtedly a step closer.
After all the sheep gathered, Skye briefly possessed their bodies, modifying them one by one.
Half an hour later, he was done. Over the years, he had developed two skills: Abnormal Regeneration and Controlled Limit Removal.
The first skill regenerated the body at the cost of lifespan, while the second removed the body's natural limit, allowing for strength beyond normal capacity. But it had a drawback: it could only be used for a short period, and exceeding this time could damage or even cripple the body.
What Skye had done was modify their bodies and engrave these skills so they could be activated by simply speaking their names.
Time passed.
Despite his promises, the sheep began to ignore Skye more and more.
If they can survive on grass, why hunt?
Three months later:
"I will be gone for a few days. Be careful while I'm not here."
As soon as he said that, he disappeared—well, not really. Skye simply hid his presence, but to the other sheep, it seemed as if he vanished.
"Baa," "Baa."
The sheep cried, having always followed him. When he was suddenly gone, panic set in.
Without Skye, the feeling of loss welled up within them.
A while later, unsure of what to do, they began eating again.
Time passed, and soon it was noon. The sheep gathered and went to drink water.
At the pond, as usual, the sheep took turns drinking. But they didn't notice the cold eyes of the creature within the pond staring at them.
Once they finished drinking, they left.
Hovering above the ground, Skye quietly watched all of this unfold.
The second day followed the same pattern. The sheep ate when they got hungry, and at noon, they gathered to drink water. This time, the eyes staring at them grew even colder.
On the third day, at the pond.
The sheep, bundled together, cheerfully walked toward the water source.
But suddenly, the air seemed to freeze, and the sheep stopped.
Tension grew as a huge head emerged from the water and slowly crawled its way toward them. Over the years, the snake had grown quite a bit and was now 42 meters long.
Even though they weren't as active as before, after having fought many battles, the sheep were quite brave. The first thing they did wasn't run away, but charge at the snake.
"Baa," "Baa."
The sheep released a war cry.
The air in front of a few sheep twisted as they showcased their magical abilities. Flaming needles and spheres of fire were created, shooting toward the huge snake.
When the attack landed on the snake's body, it hissed slightly, but there was no sign of damage.
As expected, the snake was a real magical beast—a beast of the second stage at that.
The snake rushed forward, biting the sheep at the front, then raised half of its body and slammed it onto the ground.
A pit formed, and inside it lay the sheep's body—it was dead.
The other sheep stood frozen, processing the scene. This was the first time one of their group had died. Even in battle, they had only been injured before.
The snake hissed as the air in front of it morphed, and a two-meter-tall ball of fire with crackling lightning appeared.
The ball of fire and lightning flew toward the center of the flock.
Boom.
An explosion was heard, dust flared up, and gravel scattered. A large crater formed, and within it, more than 10 sheep lay motionless, dead, with missing limbs and blood flowing from their bodies.
The snake continued to bulldoze its way forward, and the flock finally began to run.
But the snake didn't plan to let them escape easily. Fueled by years of oppression and hatred, it relentlessly hunted the sheep.
It continued to rain balls of fire and lightning at the escaping flock.
Explosions erupted, and after a grueling hour, the sheep finally escaped the snake.
But just as they relaxed, they were ambushed by wolves. The sheep were not weak—they fought the wolves and emerged victorious, but not without casualties, many of them dying.
Just as they planned to rest, they were ambushed by other predators attracted by the scent of blood.
And while they were busy fighting, they got ambushed by the giant snake again.
Explosions rained down.
Horror filled the faces of the sheep as they began running again, splitting into smaller groups.
As the hours passed, night soon arrived. The sheep didn't have the luxury of sleep; they were too busy escaping either the giant snake or other predators.
Without Skye's timely healing, their casualties skyrocketed.
The fifth day.
Skye finally released his aura and appeared in front of a fleeing group of sheep. There were about 30 of them.
"Baa," "Baa."
The sheep cried out with grief, rushing to him, constantly crying as they expressed their agony.
Although they couldn't see him, simply knowing he was there eased their worries.
"Calm down. Now that I'm here, everything's going to be okay."
A while later, after they calmed down:
"Abnormal Regeneration."
The skill activated, and the battered bodies of the sheep began healing at visible speed. Their wounds stopped bleeding, and missing chunks of flesh were restored.
Once they finished healing, Skye said, "Let's go," and they quickly followed him.
Skye guided the sheep, searching for the missing members of the flock.
Half a year later, Skye sat atop the giant sheep number 41, his gaze fixed on the blue egg embedded in its chest. It slowly rotated, emitting a soft blue glow.
This planet also had a strange energy flowing through it, though not as potent as the one in Hell.
All these years, Skye had absorbed this energy and stored it within the artifact.
It didn't require much effort, as a simple thought was enough to absorb the energy and simultaneously feed it to the Blue Egg.
Suddenly, the glow around the Blue Egg dimmed as part of the energy stored in it was consumed.
It's time, a smile formed on Skye's face as the information appeared in his mind.
"Follow me—it's time for revenge."
"Baa," "Baa."
The 1,200 members of the flock simultaneously released a blood-curdling cry, their eyes filled with killing intent.
At the pond, the snake, now grown to 50 meters, slowly slithered out, looking at the flock of sheep marching toward it.
No, to be precise, it was looking at the invisible being with the threatening presence. In its absence, it had bullied the flock at will, but now that Skye was back, a fight was inevitable.
The air in front of the giant snake trembled as a ball of fire and lightning appeared.
"Controlled Limit Removal."
The snake's eyes barely managed to follow the sheep as they appeared in front of it in a blur.
"Hiss."
It adjusted its head and aimed the attack at them.
Boom.
An explosion was heard, but the snake wasn't pleased as it missed its target by a few inches.
The scales on its body glowed with a strange luster as it clashed head-on with the sheep.
A clanking sound echoed as the sheep were flung aside. But just as the snake relaxed, a few sheep rammed their horns into the side of its body.
The snake hissed loudly in pain.
Thanks to the defensive skill the snake had cast on itself, its scales were much tougher. The impact only caused the snake to bleed a little, while the sheep's horns broke, their heads bled, and their skulls fractured.
"Baa," the sheep cried in pain.
"Abnormal Regeneration."
Before the sheep could properly feel the pain, it vanished as their injuries healed and their horns regrew.
With anger clouding their judgment, they relentlessly rammed into its body, with the other sheep following.
The air in front of sheep number 1049 twisted, creating a ball of fire that smashed right into the snake's face.
As more fireballs rained down, the surviving three giant sheep arrived before the snake, continuously smashing their hooves into its body.
Everything was going smoothly until a problem arose. The normal sheep had reached their limit, and the Controlled Limit Removal skill automatically shut off.
Without the skill, their attacks barely caused any damage and only served to irritate the snake.
Realizing this, the snake began its counterattack.
"Hiss."
It bit down on a sheep, slamming it to the ground and crushing it. Abnormal Regeneration wasn't invincible; if vital organs were badly damaged, the target couldn't be healed.
The snake, mad with pain, created a ball of fire and lightning, radiating heat and crackling. It controlled it and made it explode immediately.
Boom.
The sheep in front of it were blasted to death, and the snake sustained some injury from its own attack.
"Hiss."
"Don't panic, it's trying to fool you!" Skye shouted.
Before panic could spread, Skye's voice improved their morale, and they fought on fearlessly. Ignoring the growing death toll, they continued attacking.
Sure enough, the luster on the snake's scales disappeared as its energy depleted. Without its skill, the sheep's all-out attacks began to damage it.
In its final struggle, the snake wrapped around a giant sheep and constricted its body.
"Baa."
The sheep released a painful cry and bit down on the snake's head.
It successfully took the snake's last breath, but unfortunately, it died along with it.
"Abnormal Regeneration."
The battle was over, but Skye's purpose for the fight had just begun.
"Drag the body of the snake and your fallen comrade into the pond."
After healing, the sheep didn't question his strange order and immediately began executing it.
When the giant snake and the last of the dead sheep were thrown into the pond, a red glow emerged and quickly dyed their surroundings.
"Baa," "Baa."
The startled sheep cried out, confused by the strange occurrence.