《Post-Apocalyptic Dispatch Society》


 Chapter 1 Greetings, To Your Past

    Copsed buildings, destroyed cars, withered trees, and a pungent stench that pervaded everywhere in the region cast by pale orange sunlight in the ever-epassing dusk. The mirror of a seemingly intact, moss-covered building reflected the image of the setting sun, casting the light onto a strange bird that was seated upon amp post.


    A bird that was predominantly bald, bereft of feathers that had once allowed it to soar through the skies, now rendered into and dweller. Spiky scales jutted out of its squirming maggot-covered rotting flesh, humming from time to time in response to the stale wind.


    Caww!


    It raised its rotting beak, unleashing a cry before coughing out some rotten flesh stumps that had gotten stuck in its throat, pping its fleshy wings tond on the ground, gorging on the flesh of a rotting human that had been dismembered.


    The bird disyed a ravenous state of hunger, ripping apart the human flesh as it ate in relish, rmed when it sensed danger, turning around to fly away.


    But, it had only traversed a couple of metres when a crimson radiance¡ªshaped into a cascading waterfall¡ªsevered its body into two, causing its undead halves to twitch on the ground.


    "Don''t you dare eat my wife!" A man''s enraged shout reverberated throughout the surroundings as the crimson radiance spread around like a tide, shattering the bones of all the birds that had arrived at the ce to feast upon the pile of rotting corpses.


    The man¡ªsporting arge scar that ran from the brow of his left eye to his throat¡ªrushed towards the top of the pile, propping up the dismembered corpse, feeling a minute pulse from the body, shouting, "rise! Wake up! Don''t die on me!"


    He gazed at the ghastly face of what had once been a beautiful woman, his beloved. Now, one side of her skin had been ripped apart, disying sections of her skull at the mouth and the eye socket. Her right half was rtively intact as her eye seemed listless.


    But upon hearing the man''s shouts, the woman''s eyelids faintly fluttered as her intact eye slowly faced his way, taking in the visage of the scar-faced man, mildly tearing up before turning still. The faintest hint of lifeforce remaining in her had vanished.


    The scar-faced man''s hands trembled; tears streamed out of his eyes as he opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, wishing to just unleash a roar of pain, unable to endure the loss, entering a state of self-harm in regret. But in the end, there was just bottomless despair waiting for him.


    After all, he was now alone, the sole surviving human in this entire world. Twenty years ago, when the apocalypse struck their world, through thick and thin, he endured. For as long as someone was apanying him through this hell, he could manage somehow.


    "None of it matters anymore¡­" Tears streamed out of his eyes as he gazed at the dimming sky, letting out a long, exhausted sigh. He had fought for long enough. No more. He was done.


    As such thoughts brimmed in his mind, his gically advanced ears picked up the sounds of a horde approaching his way.


    "Aberrants¡­fuck!" He trembled once, imagining the way he would be devoured by the ravenous horde as the sole living human. For a moment, his body''s survival instincts kicked in, a habitual practice. But it vanished soon after, like droplets of water sprinkled on a hot pan.


    He epted his death, not even bothering to look at the horde that was almost upon him now. He could see some shadows cast overhead, depicting the titan-sized creatures that were targeting him.


    Just their footsteps alone were thunderous enough.


    One of the Aberrants stopped right behind him, tilting its body forward until its gigantic head was right above his face, shing a wide grin as a viscous mucous leaked out of its mouth, dripping onto his shoulder, raising sizzling sounds as a part of his back and shoulder melted.


    The scar-faced man had already epted his death. Maybe it was thanks to this that he didn''t feel any pain, nkly staring at the face of the Titan Aberrant. Tears streamed out of his eyes when he noticed the figure in his hold beginning to move.


    Of course, she didn''te to life.


    The infection had spread deep into her system, turning her into an Aberrant too, also regenerating her limbs. It began with her hand, causing the muscles to squirm like a twister, interconnecting with one another as her arm formed within a second.


    And judging by the strength of her gically advanced body, she was turning into an Aberrant more terrifying than the Titan Aberrant staring at the scene with a gleeful look.


    "Fuck this shitty world!"


    They were hisst words, uttered while summoning the remainder of his mental strength, the final stretch of his willpower. The scar-faced man shuddered when his wife''s hands plunged into his stomach, having grabbed hold of his spine, intending to yank it out to feast upon.


    Swish!


    But right at this time, a feather mmed into her hand, hitting like a dart, barely injuring her. The Aberrant, rise gazed at the feather, wondering what it was when suddenly, a minor explosion resounded within her arm, ripping it apart like a torn fabric.


    Screeee!


    She screeched when immediately, a dozen feathers swerved into her mouth, resulting in an explosion that sttered her head, corroding it into dust. The headless figure plopped to the ground.


    The scar-faced man watched in shock as the upper half of the Titan Aberrant also vanished, as if it had been bitten by something terrifying. And indeed, hovering in the sky was a whale with its mouth open, revealing shark-like jagged teeth, having bitten off the terrifying Aberrant.


    It then unleashed a terrifying suction force that selectively targeted the Aberrants.


    "rise! No!" He shouted upon seeing his wife flying into the whale''s mouth.


    "She''s dead you know." A middle-aged man''s voice resounded as an armoured figure approached the scar-faced man, resembling a bipedal rhinoceros, sporting a toughened body resembling steel. Each wave of his hand resulted in an Aberrant turning into dust.


    "W-Who are you?" The scar-faced man was shocked, blurting out at the sudden change of events, "You''re not a human, are you?"


    "I am human." The armoured man replied, stopping as he looked around, gazing at the crowd of Aberrants that continued to swarm the ce.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The horn on his rhino helmet shimmered with a bright light when immediately, the approaching horde of Aberrants all turned to dust.


    He then gazed at the bleeding figure of the scar-faced man, trailing his gaze over his stomach where his wife''s severed hand dangled out. He crouched before the scar-faced man, asking, "Do you wish to go back in time? If I were to say you could return to the past before the apocalypse struck, would you be willing to do so?"


    "Haah¡­" The scar-faced man wheezed as light returned to his eyes, firmly expressing his desire as he gazed at the armoured man, "I don''t know if you''re a God or not, but please, I beg you. If there is a chance to return to the past, give me the opportunity to right the wrong."


    "This time, I''ll save everyone."


    "Good, I hope you seed." The armoured man snapped his finger, summoning a gigantic tree-shaped pir that he plunged into the ground, saying, "You''ll be sent twenty years into the past. Even though you won''t remember this conversation, maintain your resolve."


    He then extended his hand, handing out a ck-rimmed visiting card, one disying the image of two squares joined together, "Rhizen, from the Post-Apocalyptic Dispatch Society, at your service."


    The scar-faced man cautiously took hold of the visiting card that sparkled into dust, dispersing into the surroundings as soon after, the ground began to quake in response.


    Boom!


    Immediately after, the terrain began to change rapidly, as if time was being reversed. The copsed buildings began to recover their original appearance, and the dead that covered the streets vanished, reced by living beings. People scaled the streets, carrying their respecting belongings while heading to their workce.


    Cars plied the roads as the sounds of honking soon filled up the streets. The cacophony of the industrial settlement became reverberant once again. The sign of apocalypse no longer existed, as if it had never happened, a mere nightmare that one woke up from, unable to recall the contents.


    At the side of the bustling street stood the armoured man, Rhizen, a frame smaller than before, no longer wearing the armour. Sporting a checked shirt and a pair of boot-fitting jeans, donning rimmed spectacles that gave him an academic personality, he had an appearance twenty years younger, that of a youth.


    He looked around, frowning as he took out a pocket watch, gazing at the words shing inside, an inscription of pearl.


    [World Corruption: 96.71%]


    "Even if I turned back time on this world, its state of corruption remains the same." He sighed, mumbling, "We have to clean it up as much as possible before its corruption reaches a hundred percent."


    "Mom, that guy is weird¡­" A kid that was standing nearby pointed at him, stating innocently.


    "Hush, child." His mother covered his mouth, disying an apologetic smile at Rhizen before dragging her son away, saying after they walked a bit, "Remember, never talk with such people, alright? They suffer from a strange disease known as the eighth-grader syndrome."


    "Is it contagious, mom?" The kid asked.


    "It is, once you reach the eighth grade. So, you must avoid them, alright?" Thedy exined in a hurry before boarding him onto the school bus that had alighted nearby.


    "¡­" His eyelids twitched as Rhizen wished he could facepalm, feeling embarrassed upon sensing the gazes of the people nearby.


    He was at a bus stop. And early in the morning, it was pretty crowded. So, a lot of them had heard his rambling, distancing themselves from him a little.


    "I was rehearsing my role, haha." Rhizen scratched his cheek, gazing at a nearby uncle that was casting him judgemental looks, "I got a pretty good role for a movie recently. Today''s my shoot. So, I was feeling nervous."


    "No wonder." The uncle''s mood eased up immediately after as he patted Rhizen, "I worked on a couple of gigs myself back in the day. It''s pretty nerve-wracking."


    "Uncle, are you an actor?" A girl sporting an expression of boredom tugged his shirt, asking in response. "You are pretty handsome."


    Rhizen gazed at the elementary school kid, smiling as he nodded, "Just a small-time actor, though."


    "Gimme your autograph!" She spoke excitedly, taking out a notebook and a pen from her bag as she handed them to him.


    "Haha, alright." He had to put up with the lie, so Rhizen sported a casual smile, gave an autograph, and began to walk away.


    The girl excitedly looked at the autograph, squinting in confusion, "P¡­A¡­D¡­S¡­PADS? What does that mean? His name is Pads? Why is there a rectangle under the name?"


    She then looked around, noticing that Rhizen had vanished from view, asking a stranger nearby, "Where did uncle actor go?"


    As for the person in question, he had transformed into a honey bee, using the opportunity to move discreetly through the bustling street before arriving at the roof of a skyscraper, returning to his human form, staring at the group of people before him, "We''re running out of time. The apocalypse would begin in an hour. And due to the level of corruption, this world would be wiped out in a matter of weeks. So, we should take action post haste."


    "Establish safe zones throughout the city." He ordered.


    "Yes, Saint!" The group consisting of white-cored employees nodded before flying out by transforming into a flock of birds.


    Rhizen arrived at the edge of the terrace, frowning as he gazed at the figure of an old man that was seated on a bench positioned at the side of the road. He was coughing vehemently as his eyes slowly turned red.


    "It''s already beginning, dammit!"

 Chapter 2 Apocalypse Is Our Enemy

    "Aah!" A youth shouted all of a sudden before freezing up in shock, noticing that he was seated in a cubicle, looking around in confusion, observing the nearby white-cored employees looking at him in surprise.


    "Where¡­where am I?" The youth stammered, clutching his head in pain as he recalled everything that he had experienced in the apocalypse. His clothes were partially drenched in sweat as he was unable to make heads or tails of the situation.


    "Felix! Were you sleeping mid-work?" The youth''s boss stormed out of his cabin, having heard the youth shout, expressing his anger, "You freaking cker!"


    "Fuck off!" The youth, Felix waved his hand reflexively, hitting the boss, causing the overweight, unbnced figure to tumble to the ground, panting as he felt his heart racing.


    "Felix, are you okay? Do you want to visit the doctor?" A nearby employee asked cautiously, feeling that Felix''s behaviour was strange.


    Felix looked at the employee, slowly recalling the other party''s identity, ''Isn''t this¡­Domson? Didn''t he die when the bastard boss pushed him into a horde of Tier 2 Aberrants to save himself?''


    Rows upon rows of cubicles, each with shing monitors, pictures, cards, and memos stuck on the cubicle walls, and the ever-present working atmosphere. The familiarity of the ce slowly caused him to calm down, as reality finally struck him, ''Was everything¡­just a nightmare?''


    He gazed at his hands, noticing that they were trembling nonstop while his clothes felt sticky due to the sweat. His breathing was slightly ragged while his heart was thumping at its peak capacity.


    Click! Click! Tap-Tap-Tap!


    The sounds of the employees clicking with their mouse, the tapping on the keyboard, and the faint murmurs; Felix listened to everything, feeling that the situation was surreal. Moreover, there was the figure of the boss on the ground before him, slowly getting up while cursing at him nonstop.


    Upon seeing the other party, intense hatred brimmed forth within him. This level of hatred wasn''t there the previous day.


    Sure, his boss was akin to a urinated oil painting, but at most, he would curse at the boss with his colleagues. And if the boss were to trip and fall, he wouldn''t help him but rather take a picture tomemorate the event andugh at it during drinking sessions with his friends.


    But now, there was a blinding desire in him to kill the boss.


    As everything still felt surreal, Felix gazed at his watch, ''It''s 9:00 AM¡­?''


    He frowned, feeling his head spin as a certain piece of information echoed in his mind.


    [1st August, the 10:00 AM Blood Rain!]


    "You fucker, you dare p me? You''re fired!" The boss got up and bellowed in fury.


    ''So, I came back to the past?'' He clenched his hand into a fist, ''Since the heavens gave me a second chance, I''ll right all the wrong. This time, I''ll protect my beloved.''


    "I''m sorry, boss." Felix apologised to the boss immediately.


    "You fucker! As if an apology would save you now. You''re fired. You hear me? FIRED!" Veins popped all over his neck as the boss''s face was flushed beet red. His cheeks danced like drums thanks to his fury.


    "I hit you by mistake." Felix said his apology, sending a straight right into the boss''s face, "It was too light the first time. I''m sorry about that."


    Saying so, Felix turned around and walked away, heading towards the office''s exit. As for the boss, he had fainted from the punch, bleeding from the nose.


    The people around him just gawked at the scene before saluting at Felix in their hearts, for the brave man had, at the expense of his job, achieved their longstanding wish. Of course, none of them contacted the hospital.


    The employee closest to the boss, Domson hurriedly took out his phone, cursing in response, "Shit, my phone just had to run out of battery. Seriously!"


    In truth, he had switched it off. After all, it was pretty much at full charge. He just didn''t want to help the boss. He then looked at the nearby employee, acting concerned, "Quick, call the hospital! He''s bleeding."


    "My dial pack expired." The employee replied instantly, surprising herself at the spontaneous lie.


    Another employee went a step above, dropping his phone to the ground, causing the screen to crack. He was smarter than the rest, knowing that the CCTV camera was recording everything. So, he had to make his alibi perfect.


    He could just change the phone screenter though. A small expense like that didn''t matter inparison to the personal satisfaction he was feeling now. He wished to revel in his boss''s pitiful state for some more.


    One after another, the employees made excuses before someone that typically licked the boss''s ass¡ªto obtain a promotion¡ªcame forward to pick up him and call an ambnce. There was a collective groan at his action as everyone couldn''t help but openly curse him.


    Felix didn''t pay any heed to the drama that was happening as he unlocked his phone after fumbling around a little¡ªit had been too long since he used a smartphone. He looked through the call list and dialled a number, speaking once the call connected, "Mom, where are you?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I''ming home in ten minutes. Tell dad to be there too. Yeah, it''s important. Where''s the brat? ¡­sheesh, tell her to wait. She can leave for the concertter. Wire me some money. Yes, I need it. It''s not a scam. Yeah¡­yes, I know¡­of course¡­yeah, I''ll be there. I''m not joking, mom!" He hung up the call, driving his car as he headed towards the nearby supermarket, emptying his ount of all money, even spending until he hit the limit of his credit card, purchasing everything he felt was necessary.


    He urged the supermarket to hurry up with the delivery, watching the workers load all the items into a truck that they drove towards his home. He followed them behind just to ensure they didn''t dy the delivery.


    Staring at the scene from the terrace of the supermarket was Rhizen. And held in his hands was a struggling old man who unleashed gargling grunts while bone-shattering sounds resounded from his body; multiple upheavals spasmed through his chest, as if something wished to force itself out.


    "Tch!" Rhizen clicked his tongue, unleashing a mystical power that turned the old man into dust as he frowned, "Indeed, the corruption rate has be too high. The Aberrants are appearing even before the Blood Rain''s arrival."


    He then stared at the ground as his eyes slowly resembled the night sky; countless star-like glimmers shone through them. His vision morphed, allowing him to perceive a mysterious miasma that converged on the dust¡ªthat the old man had been reduced into.


    The miasma slowly began to flow towards the ground as Rhizen scowled in response, noticing that faint smokes of miasma began to exit the road at various locations, seeping into the people on the street.


    And immediately after, there were mild changes in their behaviour. Of course, only he could see this miasma. The people on the ground were oblivious to everything.


    Rhizen wanted to stop the spread of the miasma immediately, but he couldn''t take action rashly. After all, whatever methods he used would be destroyed by the Blood Rain which was the source of corruption.


    Swish!


    A pigeonnded behind him, turning into a human woman as she kneeled on the ground, saluting in respect, "Saint, all troops have been stationed in their assigned spots. We''re ready to take action immediately."


    She was ady, aged twenty, sporting armour that was simr to his in appearance, akin to a rhinoceros. Currently, she had retracted the armour covering her head to convey the information to Rhizen.


    Rhizen observed thedy, noticing that she was trembling in fear, "Is this your first dive?"


    "Y-Yes." Thedy nodded meekly.


    "Your name?" He asked next.


    "I''m Yulna," Thedy replied, "I reached Stage 5 just recently and obtained the Celestial Armour. Hence, I was dispatched to serve you."


    "Yulna¡­" Rhizen frowned in thought, recalling some information regarding her as he asked, "Do you remember your past?"


    "No, sir. I don''t. Saint Sterlena tested me recently and said I didn''t attain the required mental capacity yet." Yulna replied honestly.


    ''She''ll be plenty strong once she recalls her past.'' Thinking as such, Rhizen said, "Do you know the type of enemy we''re about to face?"


    "Systems, right?" Yulna said.


    "Not exactly." Rhizen shook his head, "Systems are our enemies. But what we''ll be facing is a bit different inparison to Secret Society¡­"


    "Ah, I forgot that you don''t remember that yet." He then thought for a moment before speaking, "Systems are entities that enter a Host body, give them Quests and reward them with beneficial items and abilities if they seed or punish them if they fail. It depends on the System''s character in the end."


    "There are four Grades to the Systems." He continued, "Grade 1 Systems fall under the mortal limit, such as the Money-Making System, Engineering System, and the Harem System. They exist as a single entity. Grade 2 Systems fall under the magical limit, such as the Vampire System, Demon System, and the Hunter System. Each Grade 2 System can control thousands of Hosts."


    "Above this lies the Grade 3 Systems, terrifying entities that are in a league of their own. Unlike the Grade 1 and 2 Systems, they don''t make living beings as their Hosts, but instead, turn an entire world into their Host. They shape the world into their liking, change or modify the existing power system, and do anything they please." He said solemnly, "Every single living being born in the respective world after that is under this Grade 3 System''s control."


    "So, terrifying." Yulna shuddered.


    "That isn''t all." Rhizen said, "Grade 3 Systems can make multiple worlds their Hosts. And, our enemy is one such Grade 3 System."


    "¡­Apocalypse," Yulna said, paling in fear as she looked around, gazing at the vast concrete jungle that stretched beyond the horizon.


    "Yes," Rhizen nodded, "This world itself is our enemy. And, the level of corruption shows the extent of the world falling under Apocalypse''s control. Currently, it''s at 96.71 percent. Once it hits a hundred, it means this world is fully under its control. And every living being on it would be an extension of Apocalypse itself."


    "At that time, every single entity in this world would be akin to a Grade 1 System Host, like the protagonists of the stories you usually read." Rhizen said, "That is a frightening scenario. Hence, we have to prevent the corruption from reaching a hundred."


    "Yes, Saint." Yulna bowed in response, "Even though I''m afraid, I''ll give my all to save this world."

 Chapter 3 Tower Of Purification

    "Hurry!" Felix shouted internally, watching the truck travel through the traffic as he continued to gaze at the time, "There''s less than twenty minutes left."


    Soon, they reached his vi as he parked the car in a hurry, watching the staff unload the items into his home. His family stared in shock at the sheer volume of goods, wondering if anyone amongst them was being married off.


    Felix assured them, asking them to stay silent, constantly keeping an eye on the time as he gave a tip to the staff and sent them away, motioning for his family to enter the house immediately, looking at his mother, "All the windows have been closed, right?"


    "What is happening, Felix?" His mother asked in concern.


    "Are they closed?" He asked in a hurry, heaving a sigh in relief upon noticing that all the windows were indeed closed. He ran around the house once, double-checking everything.


    All the goods had been kept in the living room as Felix heard the staff board their truck and start it.


    ''It''s toote already.'' Felix sighed, gazing at the time disyed on the watch.


    [10:00 AM]


    Suddenly, the morning sky darkened instantly, shocking all the pedestrians. Even the workers in therge MNCs stopped their work, gazing out the wall windows to see a pitch-ck sky that shimmered with a crimson hue.


    t!


    A biker drove through the highway, speeding through the traffic like water, allowing his long hair to flutter like a g behind him as he felt the wind. But suddenly, a droplet fell on his forehead, causing him to arrive at a stop soon after.


    Had it just been a raindrop, he would have ignored it like usual. He did like to ride during the rain. But now, the droplet that fell on his forehead emanated a pungent stench, not to mention causing a burning sensation, as if it was a mild acid.


    He hurriedly wiped it with his kerchief, gazing at it to see that it resembled blood, "What the¡­?"


    t! Plot! Patatat!


    A couple of drops fell on him soon after. And in a matter of seconds, it was pouring down like a torrent.


    Blood Rain!


    The people on the street were rmed by such a phenomenon as they hurriedly took shelter. However, most of them were drenched by now.


    Cough!


    The biker began to cough all of a sudden as his throat felt a bit sore. He had taken shelter by entering a nearby caf¨¦, standing amidst other people that had done the same.


    Following him, a couple others too coughed in response as their coughing fits slowly increased in tempo, like a musical rhythm raising a chorus.


    Cough! Cough!


    Everyone drenched by the rain began to cough vehemently, with some of them even spitting out blood in response. Their coughs were dry, causing them to wheeze.


    The biker coughed his lungs out, feeling exhausted all of a sudden, falling unconscious. The rest of the coughers too did the same before copsing like a pile of dominos.


    Those in the caf¨¦ were horrified, wondering if a gue was spreading around thanks to the Blood Rain, hurriedly distancing themselves from the unconscious people, using any fabric they could get their hands upon to cover their nose and mouth.


    In his home, Felix moved the curtain a little, watching the Blood Rain with a solemn expression, "It has begun¡­"


    "Felix, what is happening?" His sister, Raisha, asked in concern, noticing that he seemed aware of whatever the heck was happening, judging by the way he had behaved in the past hour.


    "Have you seen that popr zombie movie recently?" Felix asked in response.


    "Yeah." Raisha nodded.


    "Pretty much the same thing would happen next. This Blood Rain would be the cause of that." Felix said.


    Simr conversations happened in various houses, only that, they weren''t as confident as Felix, and the people hearing them weren''t as reassured as Raisha. Such statements were raised by the apocalypse enthusiasts who lived their entire lives preparing for the eventuality of an apocalypse.


    As for whether or not they were believed was an entirely different matter.


    Rhizen and Yulna stood in a hotel room on the topmost floor of a skyscraper, having a clear view of everything.


    He looked at the pocket watch, seeing the rate of corruption slowly increase as a result of the Blood Rain, "Damn."


    [World Corruption: 96.92%]


    "It''s getting progressively worse." He sighed.


    "Saint," Yulna called out all of a sudden, watching the Blood Rain, "Shouldn''t we be guarding Felix now? If he dies, the corruption would hit a hundred percent immediately."


    "Of course, he was the sole living human previously. And we used him as the gateway to turn back time for this world." Rhizen nodded, "But, he''s not dumb. So, he''ll be fine for the time being. In the meantime, we''ll work on creating a safe zone."


    "Do you have any single-target abilities?" He asked next.


    "I have the Burst Crossbow," Yulna replied.


    "What about your recovery ability?" He asked.


    "I have the Whale, Saint," Yulna said.


    "Hoh," Rhizen raised an eyebrow, "If you were given that at Stage 5 itself, it means Straxia is expecting a lot from you."


    "We''ll be moving out in five minutes. Try to keep up with me." Rhizen said, donning on his Rhino armour. The function of this armour was to keep his body pure by filtering out any and all radiation present in the apocalypse worlds.


    This was a must-have ability, a requirement to join the clean-up crew.<novelnext></novelnext>


    All the agents that Rhizen recruited for the Post-Apocalyptic Dispatch Society hailed from his home world, an apocalyptic hell that looped every twenty years.


    The sentient races of their world had a space stored within them, intangible to the outside world. This space was called the ''Origin Space''. It was where they reared Mutated Beasts whose power they drew out in the form of a myriad of items and supernatural abilities.


    And the energy fuelling their abilities was coined as ''Nacre'' by Rhizen during their 49th loop.


    ''An apocalypse¡­'' He thought, gazing at the Blood Rain and the effects it unleashed onto those it sshed onto. He clenched his hand into a fist, controlling himself from springing into action.


    He was aware that the Blood Rain was the purest form of corruption the Grade 3 System, Apocalypse had unleashed onto this world. Facing it directly like this would be a fool''s endeavour.


    At least, his current self didn''t have that capability.


    Rhizen gazed at the sky, watching the dark clouds vanish as mysteriously as they had arrived, observing the ufortable silence ensuing the Blood Rain.


    There wererge puddles of the Blood Rain on the road, sparking an idea in him. His eyes shone subtly as he snapped his fingers.


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªDust Wave (IX)!


    Invisible to the eyes of everyone but himself, a wave of dust flew out of him, turning the mirror into dust before heading towards the ground, crashing into one of the puddles.


    Tsssch!


    A sizzling sound reverberated through the surroundings as the Dust Wave was indeed effective on the puddle, but the efficacy was too low. It seemed like it would take him minutes just to eradicate the puddle, causing him a headache.


    "I will only expend more of my Nacre in this manner. But dealing with the Aberrants is easier since they can serve as my fuel source." Muttering in response, he motioned with his hand, condensing a pair of wings on his back as he jumped out of the window, "Signal everyone, Yulna."


    "Yes, Saint," Yulna replied, following him out as she condensed a whistle, blowing into it with all her might. A mysterious energy wave rippled out of the whistle and rapidly covered the entire city within a second, continuing to travel further.


    Upon sensing her signal, those simr to her, stationed in the other cities followed suit, unleashing simr signals of their own, transmitting the information further beyond.


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªAll-Devouring Whale!


    Rhizen snapped his finger, bringing out a gigantic Whale that followed him in the air, opening its mouth as it unleashed a terrifying suction force, beginning to suck in the nearby Blood Rain.


    Though, the moment it drank some, the Whale screamed, stopping in its tracks as its body shuddered.


    "As expected, the corruption is too concentrated within the Blood Rain." Rhizen muttered, stopping Yulna when she was about to do the same with her Whale too, "You won''t be able to handle this level of corruption. Inform everyone of this too. Only those at Stage Seven and beyond are permitted to use their Whales."


    As Yulna transmitted the message, Rhizen sensed a dense stream of Nacre flowing into his Origin Space from the Whale. After devouring a couple litres of the Blood Rain, the Whale processed and converted it into Nacre. This was its ability, to create fuel for their expedition.


    Though, as the Blood Rain''s level of corruption was too high, even his Whale was experiencing difficulties. It wouldn''t be able to sustain this operation for long.


    Rhizen stopped the Whale''s actions, gazing at the people taking shelter in the nearby shops, noticing that they were already showing signs of mutation. ''Around forty percent have already been infected.''


    But, he wasn''t nervous, smiling even, "These numbers are significantly better than the sole survivor from before."


    The wings on his back fluttered as immediately after, all the feathers flew out, with each targeting an infected human/animal.


    The feathers formed beautiful trails in the air, acting with a mind of their own as they targeted a living being each, mming into them without any impact.


    "A-Amazing," Yulna eximed in a dazed gaze, observing the exceptional control Rhizen exhibited with his ability.


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªHoming Feathers (IX)!


    "Eh¡­? What are those?" The caf¨¦ owner stared in shock at the feathers that broke through the windows before piercing into the necks of the unconscious people.


    Even though he didn''t know what was up, he was afraid, trying his best to stay as far away as possible.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Rhizen clenched his hand into a fist as all the feathers pierced deeper into the necks of their targets before exploding one after another.


    The mutating beings died instantly from the attack as their body parts sttered around. But, before they sshed upon the bystanders, a mysterious power contained within the feathers enveloped their body parts, turning them all into dust.


    Rhizen observed the corruption coagting within their bodies dispersing through the attack, clicking his tongue, "Only a small part of that corruption has been destroyed by my attack."


    "This would take time." He sighed as the wings on his back were filled with feathers once again. They pped, carrying him forward as Rhizen unleashed the feathers onto the infected people in the next region, killing them all.


    Yulna followed him behind, barely able to keep up, even though she wasn''t attacking a single infected person. She had already summoned her crossbow, intending to kill the infected. But, she never got the chance as Rhizen''s feathers targeted everyone in their surroundings.


    Immediately after, Rhizen continued to fly, not even checking the status of those he attacked, havingplete confidence in his abilities.


    He soon arrived at a park that was located within a busy part of the city, disposing the infected people as he looked around, nodding at Yulna once before condensing a mysterious tower that resembled a tree''s stem. Followed by a grunt, he mmed it into the ground, creating a resounding boom.


    External Item¡ªPearl Buck (IX)!


    Otherwise called the Tower of Purification; the moment it was mmed into the ground, root-like projections sprouted out of it, burrowing into the ground. Soon after, branches formed.


    "Gah!"


    "Kiek!"


    "Grahhh!"


    Immediately after, the people in hiding near the park copsed to the ground, squirming in pain.

 Chapter 4 The Apocalypse Targets Felix

    "Gah!" A middle-ageddy screamed in pain, copsing to the ground as she clutched the hems of her sofa, trying to stabilise her posture, but failing to do so as she lost consciousness soon after.


    Her body trembled like she was being electrocuted and her skin turned bloody soon after. But unlike the blood of a human, hers was slightly green.


    As she writhed around in pain, the green blood evaporated little by little. The process continued for a couple of hours, at the end of which her body seemed like it had deted severely.


    If she wasn''t nursed immediately, she would die soon after. But at this time, a pale-yellow light, in the form of tiny firefly-like bubbles, appeared in the living room, gently seeping into her body.


    Immediately after that, her body stabilised, gaining a bit of girth immediately.


    The same situation was happening to everyone in the vicinity of the Tower of Purification as Rhizen stared at the scene with a frown, "The effective radius is only a kilometre."


    Boom!


    He flinched at the sound, turning around to see part of the Pearl Buck burning up in a sea of fire. This was due to the world''s corruption seeping into it faster than what it could purify.


    After all, he was going against a System''s power, a Greater System that was equivalent to hundreds of thousands of Systems seen in stereotypical stories.


    Of course, it was easier said than done.


    "Heuk!" Rhizen grunted, mming his hand into the trunk of the Tower of Purification, seeping his Nacre into it as it shone with a pale-yellow light, causing the mes to subside; the Tower of Purification regained its stability, continuing to purify the ce.


    Though, the radius of its effect had shrunk to 800 metres and continued to shrink before stabilising at the 600 metre mark.


    "How''s the status for the other towers?" Rhizen asked, watching Yulnamunicating with the rest of the team before giving a report, "Most of them are in the 100-300 metre range, Saint."


    "Guess we can only make do with what we have." Rhizen said, "Tell them to be prepared. I''ll bring in the army in an hour."


    "Yes," Yulna replied and transmitted the information.


    Upon seeing his Tower of Purification working stably, Rhizen observed a yellow dome forming around it, smiling contently, "Safe zone established."


    The formation of the yellow dome signalled thepletion of the purification of the ce. This ensured that anyone within this dome wouldn''t turn into an Aberrant, rid of their corruption.


    He then looked at the pocket watch, noticing that the corruption stopped increasing. It meant that they were going in the right direction with the setting up of safety zones throughout the world.


    This was pretty much his third dive into an Apocalyptic World. And inparison, the current world he had arrived at was the most dangerous. It was because its corruption was the closest to a hundred. The prior two worlds had a significantly lower corruption rate.


    Consequently, a lot of things had to be probed on a trial-and-error basis as Rhizen flew out of the barrier. Hended before an apartmentplex, inhaling a deep breath before shouting at the top of his voice, "Residents! There''s an epidemic going on due to this mysterious Blood Rain. Everyone is advised to remain indoors until further notice."


    Rhizen went around the neighbourhood, shouting the same while also using his Homing Feathers to kill those that were mutating.


    If he simply told them to rush towards the safe zone, none would follow. After all, there was no credibility to his words, especially since people were unaware of what was going on, nervous and scared.


    So, he had to wait until things progressed a little. At that time, Yulna would take care of diverting everyone toward the safe zone. By then, the size of the safe zone would have increased a little.


    ¡­


    "Maintain silence." Felix motioned for his family to remain in hiding as he peered through the window, gazing at the truck parked at their gate. The two supermarket staff within were unconscious as some of the Blood Rain had drizzled upon them when their windows were left open.


    The truck remained at the same spot while its engine continued to rev constantly.


    From time to time, the driver''s body twitched as his skin was turning into a greenish shade.


    Felix watched the scene with bated breath. His hands held a long axe that he had purchased from the supermarket, bolting a spare axe on his back. He covered himself from head to toe, strapping ayer of leather atop to serve as protection.


    Protecting his head was his bike helmet, one perfectly suited for this endeavour. His family was simrly equipped.


    Out of all the weapons, a long axe was the easiest to use, at least for the first attack. Even if they were to mess up the attack, there would be no consequence as the force of impact would destroy the Aberrants.


    Even if it failed, it was sufficient to stun the Aberrant, enough to unleash a more precise second strike.


    And, he had enough spares for them to go around with such a tactic. ''But, this is only useful during the initial wave. Once the Aberrants start to mutate and grow in size, such tactics would prove futile.''


    Grrr!


    Suddenly, the staff seated in the driver''s seat convulsed as he uttered a guttural sound. His neck shot up unnaturally, as if he had no spine, turning his head one-eighty-degrees. He stared out the window, making eye contact with Felix.


    ''Fuck!'' There was a growing sense of nervousness in him as he felt something was amiss, for the Aberrant felt a tad too sharp than what he had been ustomed to at the start of the apocalypse in his previous life.


    "Stay inside." Felix said, "These Aberrants can sense living beings. If we don''t eliminate them fast, they''ll draw more of them here."


    "But, brother." Raisha said in concern, "It''s risky."


    "It''ll be fine." Felix smiled and patted her, reassuring her, "I know what I''m doing."


    Grrr!


    The driver slithered out of the window, plopping to the ground as the sounds of his joints being dislocated resounded nonstop. Scales began to form on his skin as ayer of greenish mucous covered it.


    There was a mild increase in the length of his body as he began to slither on the ground, experiencing difficulty in the process.


    Though, it was only for a short duration as he began to adapt.


    He wriggled in pain as crunching sounds resounded throughout his body, rapidly causing his body structure to turn more serpentine, slightly shrivelled up. His body rapidly morphed into a serpent, coughing out the unnecessary human organs from time to time.


    Swish!


    While it was continuing to change in appearance, Felix leapt onto it, swinging the axe with all his might, targeting its neck; he almost severed it into two in one hit.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Grr!


    The mutating Aberrant retaliated, but as it was still changing forms, it didn''t have the necessary faculty to target him. He had battled such creatures for almost twenty years; Felix was aware of their patterns.


    He didn''t give it any time toplete its mutation, dodging sideways before hacking at the neck once again, targeting the same spot as before, severing it into two.


    Then, like a golf yer, he sent the head flying away, retreating immediately as he observed the headless body twitch nonstop. But, it wasn''t able to do anything without a head.


    Felix slowly targeted its arm joints, satisfied after he immobilised it. ''As long as I leave it here, it would die after a few minutes.''


    Roar!


    He flinched upon hearing the sound, noticing the second staff leaping out of the tempo, sporting a humanoid appearance.


    An erged head, with teeth double in number aspared to a human, thrice the length and girth. A skin that resembled an elephant''s and a pair of hands that resembled a whip, with their ends sporting mouths, simr to a leech.


    The mouth opened, revealing squirming teeth within, tiny, but innumerous. Seeing the scene, Raisha fainted out of disgust.


    As he had seen it numerous times, Felix maintained his cool, slowly stepping towards the Aberrant that had fully mutated, inching forth as he tightened his grip on his axe. He didn''t exert unnecessary strength in his grip though, for that would only serve to exhaust him faster.


    GGraaa!


    The Aberrant leapt towards him as its tentacle-like armsshed out like whips in his direction. Felix slightly served back, watching the whips barely miss him. There was less than a centimetre between the two.


    When he evaded them, the mouths attached at the end of the tentacle arms ttered their teeth, failing to mp onto him.


    The moment the two whips missed their target, they coiled around the Aberrant due to the resulting momentum. It created an opening of a second before it could unleash another attack. Felix used the opportunity and hacked its right shoulder, severing the right tentacle arm before expertly dodging its attack.


    The severed tentacle arm behaved like a snake, slithering on the ground in order to bite him. Felix shed it into three, making its slithering speed too slow to create any difference.


    He then rolled on the ground, picked up the pace and began to run counter-clockwise to the Aberrant, preventing it fromshing out with its left tentacle arm.


    He maintained the pace, constantly remaining in its blind spot, using a feint to expertly close in, targeting the left tentacle arm.


    Felix dashed into it, using the momentum of the crash to force the axe deeper into its arm socket, severing it when they mmed into the ground.


    He then followed up the attack by beheading the Aberrant.


    The moment he finished off the two Aberrants, Felix looked around carefully, hearing growling sounds, sensing Aberrants in nearby locations, ''I should hurry.''


    He unsheathed a knife and plunged it into the Aberrant''s heart, searching for something before letting out a smile, "It''s here."


    He fished out a gtinous substance from the Aberrant''s heart, repeating the same to the serpentine Aberrant''s heart too. Though, he wasn''t as lucky the second time.


    Pocketing the gtinous substance, he quickly returned home, securing the entrance before using a bucket of water to wash the stains off his clothes.


    Roar!


    His mother was just about to help him when a resounding roar turned her legs weak and rattled everyone around her.


    "Impossible! How is it here? This early?" Felix paled in fear, hurriedly sprinting to the terrace as he looked in the direction of the sound, copsing in despair, "My god¡­!"


    There, a bipedal creature strutted about, reaching a height of ten metres, and possessing an explosive set of limbs that allowed it to casually tear through cars like they were nothing.


    Everywhere it tore through, it ate everything, whether human or Aberrant, causing its size to steadily increase in response.


    Suddenly, its hands shot forth, mming into a house before picking up a screaming human that it casually tossed into its mouth before walking away.


    Titan Aberrant!


    "W-Why is it here? The first of its kind only emerged ten years into the apocalypse. Is this because of my regression?" Felix felt his head spin, the number of questions in his mind spiralling out of control. Worry, doubt, confusion, and fear at the uncertainty gued his mind, the emotional shock turning him still for a couple of seconds.


    When he regained his bearings, he was horrified upon seeing the Titan Aberrant slowly making its way towards his house.


    "We have to leave!" He descended the flight of stairs, announcing in a hurry.


    "But how?" Raisha asked, "How will we survive out there?"


    "We''ll manage somehow." Felix said, prompting everyone to move, "But if we stay here, that Titan Aberrant will kill us all¡­"


    Boom!


    He hadn''t even finished his sentence when their ceiling copsed; a hand shot within, intending to grab Felix.


    "Brother!" Raisha shouted in rm, reflexively pushing him away as she was caught instead, screaming in fear, "Ahhhh!"


    "Raisha!" Felix raged, noticing the Titan Aberrant gazing at him while sporting a grin, the same wide, drool-leaking grin shed by the one that was about to eat him in his previous life.


    Moreover, it wasn''t the Titan Aberrant he observed from the terrace.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    Slowly, thundering footsteps reverberated throughout the area. Having survived through the apocalypse, facing Aberrants day in and day out, Felix was capable of judging the type of Aberrant based on the rhythm of their footsteps.


    Now, he determined that the footsteps belonged to Titan Aberrants. And, all of them were headed his way.

 Chapter 5 The Society鈥檚 Arrival

    "Raisha!" Felix roared as he threw the axe in his hand, aiming at the Titan Aberrant''s eye, intending to distract it. This way, he could do something about his sister.


    Thump!


    The axe pretty much ricocheted off when the Titan Aberrant pped its eyebrows, not even sporting a scratch.


    It then casually threw Raisha into its mouth, mping its mouth shut.


    "Nooo!" Felix scaled up the flight of stairs, arriving at the terrace as he leapt onto the Titan Aberrant, losing all sense of reason.


    ''Why? I thought I could protect them all this time! Then, why the fuck is this happening?'' He roared mentally, his thoughts slowlying to a halt as he observed the hideous grin of the Titan Aberranting closer and closer, ''Fuck this shitty world!''


    Suddenly, the Titan Aberrant''s expression felt off before seeming inhumane, unlike what the Titan Aberrants usually expressed.


    Felix mmed into its head, seeing it burst like a bubble as hended on its neck, noticing Raisha kneeling there in despair. But, she was perfectly sound, only suffering minor injuries.


    He didn''t understand what had happened but quickly reacted, grabbing hold of her as he leapt back onto the terrace, hurriedly moving towards the flight of stairs, intending to scale down when his heart thumped all of a sudden, making him feel pain.


    "Brother!" Raisha recovered, asking him in concern as she checked to see if he had sustained any injuries.


    Puchi!


    Suddenly, a feather mmed into the neck of the Titan Aberrant. As Raisha wondered what it was, the feather drilled into its neck before exploding a part of it, disintegrating the bits in the process.


    Immediately after that, there was a whistling sound as hundreds of feathers flew across the skies, branching out into multiple streams as they mmed into the Titan Aberrants one after another, shredding them into bits.


    A youth wearing a rhino armournded beside them, muttering in relief, "Thankfully, my Dust Wave was fast enough."


    "You are¡­?" Felix muttered, feeling a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    "We''ll talkter. Let''s get you to safety first." Rhizen said, snapping his fingers to summon his whale, gazing at Felix and his family, "Get on board. It will take you to safety."


    Felix only hesitated for a moment before he jumped off the terrace,nding on the Whale''s back. He helped his sister and the rest get on board immediately. He could see the figures of countless Titan Aberrants approaching their vicinity, unable toprehend the situation anymore.


    As he didn''t have enough power to do anything, he could only seek refuge from this mysterious individual before him.


    Guooo!


    The Whale unleashed a powerful shout that selectively targeted the Titan Aberrants, causing them to halt for a moment when it used the chance to rapidly gain altitude, flying towards the safe zone.


    Rhizen flew beside it for safety, using his Homing Feathers to target the Titan Aberrants.


    Individually, the Titan Aberrants weren''t his opponent. But, such was not the case in the apocalypse where the enemy swarmed through everything.


    And hence, if he didn''t manage his Nacre expenditure well, he would be defenceless soon after.


    The best option would be to fight defensive wars around the perimeter of the safety zone.


    Kieee!


    A bird''s cry resounded as an eagle-like creature, now spanning a length of 10 metres took off to the sky. Its body showed signs of rotting, but the rotting resembled rust. Moreover, its feathers glistened with the texture of steel.


    Upon seeing it, his eyes glinted as Rhizen erected a wall of Dust Wave in its flight path, frowning when he noticed it sting through it without much trouble. It did suffer some damage, but the Blood Rain collected on the ground in the form of various puddles suddenly began to evaporate.


    And this blood vapour swerved into the eagle-like Aberrant, causing its injuries to heal swiftly while its body continued to grow stronger in size.


    Rhizen continued to erect walls of Dust Wave that only served to pause the eagle-like Aberrant for short durations. And in the meantime, he unleashed countless Homing Feathers that mmed into it, resulting in a round of explosions, wounding it.


    But the blood mist continued to gush into it as the eagle-like Aberrant became more and more powerful.


    "Tch!" Rhizen frowned, noticing that he was expending more Nacre than what was optimal, "Highly corrupted worlds are so troublesome. This world has already lost its natural resistance against Apocalypse."


    When Apocalypse invaded a world, the home world would resist the invasion, just as how the human body reacted against harmful bacteria.


    And in this way, the world would condense a suitable power to go against the Apocalypse, slightly affecting the corruption to leave a way out for the survival of its inhabitants.


    In this world, this hope for survival was a gtinous substance that formed in the hearts of the Aberrants. Consuming this substance strengthened the body, unlocking their gic potential.


    The gtinous substance varied based on the type and power of the Aberrant, stimting their gic potential ordingly.


    And the stronger the Aberrant, the greater the value of the gtinous substance in their hearts. After all, it would strengthen them and stimte their potential ordingly.


    But, this only happened if they continued to win and umte more and more gtinous substances. Judging by the state of the world, it was apparent that the resistance mechanism opted by it to go against Apocalypse wasn''t efficient enough, apparent by how life was almost wiped out.


    And with the corruption standing at 96.92 percent now, the world was no longer able to resist the Apocalypse. This resulted in the instructions of the Grade 3 System taking control of things, elerating the production of the Aberrants, even going to the extent of forcefully fusing them to produce Aberrants that only appearedte into the apocalypse.


    ? The eagle-like Aberrant resisted his attacks as Rhizen only focused on keeping it at bay, ''Thankfully, there''s only one of them. As Apocalypse doesn''t have full control yet, there''s a dy in its actions.''


    Thoughts shed in his mind as Rhizen took advantage of this fact, causing the Whale to elerate while he kept pace with it,unching thousands of Homing Feathers that formed a spiral in the air before mming into the eagle-like Aberrant nonstop.


    The eagle-like Aberrant had no other choice but to pause in ce due to the constant barrage of attacks that were strong enough to cause multiple minor wounds on its terrifying steel-like physique.


    And due to the sheer quantity of attacks, its injuries umted. Moreover, they targeted its wings, preventing it from pping them as soon after, multiple holes formed in it. This prevented it from flying any longer as the eagle-like Aberrant copsed to the ground, resulting in a loud boom as it crashed through a house.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The remainder of the unleashed Homing Feathers continued to hound it, preventing it from getting up for the time being. And in the meantime, Rhizen had already arrived before the safe zone when he intentionally slowed down, acting like he was focusing on the Titan Aberrants that were approaching steadily.


    Kieeee!


    The eagle-like Aberrant erupted with a dense blood mist as its injuries healed rapidly, destroying all the Homing Feathers. It took off to the sky, shattering through multiple houses as it made a beeline towards Rhizen, or rather, Felix.


    After all, it was through Felix that time for this world was rewound. And, he was the final survivor, the sole individual possessing his world''s power to resist the Apocalypse.


    It was apparent that the reason the world hadn''t reached 100 percent corruption was due to him as he was the one containing most of his world''s power.


    So, killing him was the utmost priority, the reason every single Aberrant was swarming in their direction.


    "D-Dammit! What the fuck is happening? I don''t know anymore." Felix clenched his hand into a fist, seeing therge horde of Aberrants that filled the streets.


    ''Okay, now to enter the safe zone.'' Rhizen thought, causing the Whale to approach the safe zone, almost about to make contact.


    Upon seeing this, the eagle-like Aberrant screeched in anger, exploding with a terrifying power as it mmed into the Whale. But right before it had done so, Rhizen condensed an armguard and snapped his finger, smiling as he saw the running figures of all the Aberrants on the ground.


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªStatic Force(V)!


    Immediately, all the kic energy of his immediate surroundings¡ªthe flow of wind, the motion of the Aberrants, the flow of water in the underground, and anything that moved¡ªgushed into his arm guard in an instant before forming a transparent fment, thin in nature, behind the Whale.


    For that moment, the entire region turned still like it had been trapped in time.


    An instantter, the eagle-like Aberrant mmed into the thin fment when all the absorbed kic energy was expunged as a force directly into its body.


    Boom!


    The eagle-like Aberrant exploded, turning into mist due to the sheer force of the impact. Its own speed had be its undoing as the exploded mist was immediately sucked into the Whale''s mouth, and turned into fuel.


    It then entered the safe zone as Rhizen did the same, sighing in relief as he had expended a lot of Nacre, almost emptying his reserves.


    He then noticed a steady stream flowing into him from two sources: one from the Whale, and the other from the Tower of Purification that was releasing Nacre into the air within the dome.


    Rhizen slowly replenished his reserves, expending his Nacre at a rate slower than his replenishment.


    He was constantly unleashing the Homing Feathers at the Titan Aberrants that were closing in on the safe zone.


    He had no other choice but to do this. Otherwise, if they closed in, they would start bombarding the dome protecting the safe zone. This would cause the majority of power absorbed by the Tower of Purification to be spent on defence and repairing the barrier.


    That would reduce their clean-up efficiency while the Apocalypse would continue to progress in strength. Eventually, it would overwhelm them.


    Thirty minutes passed in such a fashion before Yulna said, "Saint! It''s time! The others are also ready."


    "Alright." Rhizen nodded, closing his eyes as he expended all his Nacre, activating another of his power.


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªThieving Heaven (VIII)!


    Boom!


    Immediately after, a mysterious connection formed as the silhouette of another world was visible for a moment before vanishing.


    At the same time, hundreds of society Members arrived within each safe zone, beginning a counterattack against the Aberrants.


    "Hahaha! Boss, I''m here!" The shout of a youth resounded as a shockwave sent a Titan Aberrant flying. He was twenty years old, no more, no less.


    Actually, every single Society Member was exactly the same age.


    "Don''t rush out of the safe zone, Dwun." Rhizen warned the youth that sported a green crew cut, "This world''s corruption is close to a hundred. We don''t know what else might be in store for us."


    "I''ll be careful." The youth addressed as Dwunughed in joy before rushing out of the safe zone, as if he hadn''t heard Rhizen''s warning. With every punch, his gauntlets shone, unleashing shockwaves that sent the Aberrants flying.


    His Nacre formed an explosive element that shaved away the corruption of the ce little by little as he formed a pile of corpses quickly.


    Having expected him to behave like this, Rhizen sighed before gazing at the over two hundred Society Members that had arrived in his safe zone,manding them, "Just as our drill, form teams of five and rescue any survivors. Bring them here as quickly as possible. I''ll handle the defence of the safe zone until then. Hurry up!"


    "Yes, Saint!" The Society Members thumped their chests as a show of respect before turning into pigeons. The difference between them and the regr pigeons was the rhino armour covering them, modified in such a way that it didn''t hinder their flight.


    Moreover, the pigeons reached a metre in height as they flew out, exiting the safe zone as they spread out in teams of five throughout the city.


    In the meantime, Rhizen gazed at the figure of Felix that was sprawled on the back of the Whale, coughing out blood from time to time as the corruption in him was slowly purified.


    The same was true for his family too as soon after, Nacre flowed into their bodies, healing their exhausted selves a little.


    Soon after, once his body was rid of the corruption, Felix was able to move, hurriedly facing Rhizen as he observed the groups of giant pigeons flying away, "W-Who are you people?"


    "You have my visiting card, you know." Rhizen said, retracting his rhino armour as hended before Felix, "Extend your hand and think about it."


    For some reason, Felix already had a thought in mind when he heard Rhizen''s words, surprising him. And for some mysterious reason, the image of a ck-rimmed card shed in his mind when the Nacre around him swerved into his body, rapidly revitalising him.


    Moreover, a dense stream of information gushed into his mind, causing him to clutch his head and scream, "What the heck is all this?"

 Chapter 6 Apocalypse Brings Out The Worst In Us

    Thump! Thump!


    A family was huddled in a corner of their bedroom, shuddering in fear upon seeing the Aberrants walking beyond their house. The only reason they hadn''t been discovered yet was thanks to the Aberrant corpse in their living room.


    The family of four consisted of a father, an ex-soldier that was 45 years old, a housewife that was 44 years old, and two daughters, aged 14 and 15 respectively.


    The youngest daughter ced a hand on her mouth, trying her best to not utter any sounds while the oldest was like a frightened cat, reacting to the slightest of sounds.


    The Aberrant corpse in their living room was her grandfather. He had gone out to buy a cake as a birthday surprise for the youngest when the Blood Rain urred.


    He quickly returned home to grab an umbre,ining about the colour of the rain, attributing it to air pollution and the carelessness of the modern-day youth.


    He fainted soon after that as his body showed signs of turning into an Aberrant immediately after.


    As the family were concerned about him, they wished to bring him to a hospital immediately. But that was when the sharp-eyed daughter, Mian, the youngest, noticed their neighbour running around strangely, pointing at him as she said, "That uncle is making me scared, dad."


    "Who?" Telko, her father looked in the direction she pointed at abruptly. After all, she was a sensible child and never joked around during serious situations.


    The moment he gazed at his neighbour, he was shocked. After all, the neighbour barged into a nearby car by breaking through the window, attacking the couple that had been seated inside to shield from the rain.


    His head bloomed like a flower, revealing rows upon rows of sharp teeth that mped upon the head of the victim, causing a fountain of blood to spill out, as a result, dyeing the windows of the car a murky red.


    "What the¡­?" Telko was rmed as he hurriedly looked at his father-inw, observing that he was having the same reaction, shouting at his family, "Everyone, get back. This is dangerous."


    "What''s dangerous? That''s my dad you''re talking about." Wara, the mother of the two girls shouted in anger, offended at her father being treated in such a way, "After everything he did for you, this is how you repay him when he fell unconscious?"


    "Idiot, not now," Telko grunted, hurriedly bringing his children to safety.


    "Hmph!" Wara snorted and propped her dad''s body, helping him to the top of the sofa before dialling the ambnce.


    But right as she dialled the number, she noticed the hands of her father twitch, asking immediately in relief, "Dad, what happened to you?"


    "Move away!" Telko shouted as he hurriedly brought a chair before her face, grunting as a heavy impact mmed into it.


    A hand that resembled a sword had pierced through the chair a little, stopping a couple of centimetres before Wara''s face.


    Telko pushed her away as he twisted the chair abruptly, using the force to shatter the old man''s de-like arms, staring in shock, muttering slowly, "Father-inw, you''re¡­no longer human."


    Grrr!


    A low, guttural sound leaked out of the old man as he plunged his other hand towards Telko, causing him to defend himself with the chair, barely managing to hold up. After all, there was still a lot of hesitation in his actions, wondering if his father-inw was still in there, within the monster. Otherwise, with his skills, he could have killed the other party by now.


    Though, the majority of his indecisiveness was due to his wife''s hollering.


    "Stop! Don''t attack him! just tie him up. It must be a disease. He''ll return to normal once we cure him." Wara shouted.


    "Do you think something like that is possible? Now?" Telko shouted, pretty pissed by now.


    "If you dare do something to him, see what I''ll do with you," Wara shouted, getting up with a start as she rushed at him, intending to pry him out of the deadlock with her father.


    "You goddamn fool!" Telko shouted at her actions, seeing the old man target her instead, for she seemed like an easier prey.


    Instinctively, he used the chair to defend her, barely managing to block the attack when Wara grabbed hold of him, pulling him apart.


    That created a gap in his defences, causing the old man''s de-like arms to evade the chair and plunge it into Telko''s thigh, causing him to scream in response.


    "Dad!" Muan, the older daughter pushed her mother away, seeing that she did nothing but cause harm to her father.


    "You¡­bitch!" Wara shouted in shock, feeling betrayed by her daughter''s actions.


    "Look at grandpa. He''s be dangerous now. He already injured dad." Muan shouted.


    "He''s a freaking soldier. As if a couple of cuts mean anything to him. He''s been through worse." Wara retorted, intending to get up and help her father once again.


    In this time, Mian rushed out of her room, carrying a hockey stick as she hit the old man''s head, trying to create some breathing room for Telko.


    The old man swerved around at the attack, intending to target Mian when Telko used the chance, mming the chair into his head with all his might, causing him to copse to the ground.


    "Give me that!" He grabbed the hockey stick from Mian and used it to whack the old man''s head until a pool of blood formed on the ground.


    "You killed him? You¡­MURDERER!" Wara wailed at the sight of her father''s death, copsing to the ground weakly as she sobbed.


    "Silence," Telko said nervously, peering through the window to see some strange silhouettes in their neighbourhood. Some of them barged into the houses through the windows, eliciting fearful screams from the people within.


    "Dad, they are like zombies." Mian''s voice trembled as she spoke, clutching the hems of his shirt.


    "Everything will be fine." Telko patted her head, "The army would do something. They have the power to solve any situation that mighte our way."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Ugh!" He suddenly flinched, feeling a searing pain in his thigh, feeling like something was happening to him as his body felt hot all of a sudden. At the same time, he noticed a shadow near their window, hurriedly grabbing hold of his two daughters as he brought them into the bedroom, hiding in a secluded corner.


    The shadow slowly stopped by at the window as a wide-grinned face appeared in view, slowly pushing the windows open, peeking inside as it looked at the corpse of the old man in the living room.


    It then slowly swerved its head, staring at the figure of Wara thaty copsed nearby in a daze. The grin on its mouth widened before revealing a row of canine teeth, slowly climbing into the house by beginning to break the window.


    "Let me deal with him¡­" Telko said, getting up to kill the Aberrant before it could break into their house. But, he was only halfway into getting up when his legs lost all strength, causing him to copse backwards, suddenly gasping for air as his vision turned cloudy.


    "Dad!" The two daughters expressed their concern upon seeing the condition of their father deteriorate rapidly.


    "I messed up big time there¡­" Telko gasped for air, gently extricating himself from the two of them as he crawled away, "A scratch from them is enough to be infected. And I''m¡­done for."


    "Let''s stop the bleeding first." Mian hurriedly took out a syringe from the medical kit in their home, "I''ll suck out whatever is infected through this. That would give us some time, dad."


    "It''s futile." Telko said as his eyes slowly started changing colour, "The infection has already reached my head. I can feel it messing up with my brain."


    "Bring me a knife." He said in seriousness, urging his daughter, "Quick, before I change for the worse."


    "B-But," Mian teared up, "Why dad? Why?"


    "Muan, as the older one, it''s your responsibility to protect our family, alright?" Telko smiled wryly, "Unlike your parents, both of you are blessed with intelligence. So, survive, alright?"


    "I''ll miss you, dad." Muan wiped her tears, hurriedly bringing arge knife from the kitchen, just about to hand it over to Telko with trembling hands when a loud sound resounded from the living room, followed by a sharp shriek.


    Immediately after, Wara rushed into the bedroom, shouting in rm, "Telko! Save me!"


    She was followed by the Aberrant that had broken into the house. To save herself, she had run into the bedroom, hoping for Telko to save her.


    But, the moment she arrived, she noticed an exhausted Telko that wasn''t even able to get up. She then spotted the hockey stick behind him, hurriedly rushing behind him to pick it up.


    As for the Aberrant, it changed its target to Telko as Wara hid behind him instinctively while trying to pick the hockey stick, leaping onto him. Its head bloomed like a flower as the teethed petals expanded in length beforetching onto Telko''s head, crushing it, and causing blood to spill out.


    "Damn you!" Muan bellowed as she tackled the Aberrant, sending it flying into the wall, and pushing it towards the window.


    Its petal head mmed into the window, breaking through as Muan pushed it, trapping it within the broken ss fragments, grabbing hold of the broken fragments with her bare hands, ignoring the wounds she sustained as she dumped all the ss shards into the Aberrant''s mouth, causing it to scream.


    Mian grabbed hold of the knife from her and plunged it into the Aberrant''s neck, "Die! Die! Die!"


    She repeatedly plunged it into the Aberrant''s neck, continuing to do so until the Aberrant stopped twitching.


    The two girls gasped for breath for a few seconds before they got up, turning around in unison as they stared at Wara with hatred, "You killed dad."


    "Why are you ming me for his ipetence, huh? Is this how I raised you?" Wara felt afraid of her children, especially after seeing them brutally murder the Aberrant.


    In order to mask her fear, she shouted as loudly as possible, unaware that it was her very shouts from the start that was attracting more and more Aberrants to the ce, even though the old man''s Aberrant corpse should have provided them with cover to a certain extent.


    She hurriedly raised her hockey stick, stating in rm, "Don''te near me, bitches! I won''t hesitate to hit you."


    "You killed even dad. So, you''ll definitely push us to die just to save yourself." Muan slowly spoke as her voice turned colder while she approached Wara, holding the ss shard in her hand. Suddenly, she flicked her hand, throwing the ss shard at Wara, causing it to hit her face.


    Wara flinched at the attack, shrieking as she dropped the hockey stick reflexively. The hockey stick produced a dull ng as it fell to the floor. Stepping right on it to lunge in with the knife was Mian, stabbing Wara in the stomach.


    "Y-You¡­" Wara stared at her youngest daughter in shock when suddenly, Muan mmed her head with the hockey stick. The two daughters ganged up on her, killing her through repeated hits to quench their hatred.


    Though, once they killed her, only emptiness pervaded their beings, staring at the headless corpse of their father.


    They lost everyone in their family.


    The two girls didn''t even have the time to think when countless Aberrants rushed into their home from multiple directions, drawn over by the loud shouts and the obvious smell of fresh human blood.


    "Mian, I''m sorry." Muan said in regret, "It seems this is where we die. I''m sorry for being a useless sister."


    "No, I was utterly helpless too." Mian shed tears, prepared for their deaths as both sisters no longer had any strength to resist.


    But right as an Aberrant approached them, something resembling an arrow mmed into its head, exploding as it disintegrated its head.


    A figure d in rhino armour leapt into the building through the window, holding what seemed to be a gun with a massive barrel, akin to a hand canon, facing it at the group of Aberrants as he pressed the trigger, unleashing a translucent sphere that exploded upon contact, disintegrating most of the Aberrants.


    Two more simrly armoured people rushed in, hurriedly confirming the safety of the two girls, "Two girls here, humans. Their corruption is still within treatable levels."


    "Our dad! Please save him!" Mian kneeled on the ground, begging in desperation.


    The figure before her, d in rhino armour observed the surroundings, seeing the extent of injuries on both the girls as she got a rough grasp of the situation, sighing in the end.


    "Apocalypse brings out the worst in us."

 Chapter 7 Needle Gun

    Felix gasped for air, feeling a prickling sensation throughout his body as his headache continued to ease up. He lifted his head, looking around from atop the Whale that was hovering in the air, noticing multiple figures rush into the yellow dome, carrying people on what seemed to resemble monsters.


    "What the¡­?" He was shocked to see a pair of sisters being carried by a man wearing a rhino armour suit, noticing the expression of despair in their eyes.


    "They''ve been through a lot¡­truly a lot," Rhizen spoke slowly as veins popped all over his neck and forehead. He seemed to be controlling his emotions, stating while stressing each word, "the apocalypse is a horrible time to be alive."


    "That is true¡­" Felix nodded, heaving a long breath before slowly getting up, "Thank you for saving me and my family. I''m grateful."


    "It''s what I intended to do." Rhizen said before turning around, facing Felix as he said, "It seems you have a lot of questions. Go ahead, ask while we still have a bit of time left."


    "These memories in my head¡­" Felix felt a headache the moment he tried to remember it, "Just¡­what the heck are they? I can''t make sense of anything."


    "I don''t know their contents, but I can tell you what they are," Rhizen said, grabbing Felix as he jumped towards the ground, unfurling his wings as hended gently. As Felix tumbled, unable to bnce himself from the rapid descent, Rhizen ced his hand on the ground, "Those memories came from here, Felix."


    "They are your world''s desperate cry for help. My visiting card only acts as the passage to transmit the contents to you. I don''t know what they entail either."


    "Who¡­are you? And how do you know all this?" Felix frowned.


    "It''s nothing like your first round, right?" Rhizen said with a wry smile, noticing Felix''s expression stiffen in response.


    Sighing, he took out his pocket watch, disying the contents to Felix, "This number disys the extent of your world''s corruption."


    Upon seeing Felix''s confusion, Rhizen thought for a moment before saying, "Think of it as cancer. The apocalypse is a result of this. And these numbers depict the extent of the cancer''s progression. You can also say that your world only has a fraction of itself left."


    "Then¡­these memories that I can''t make sense of but feel desperation out of from¡­" Felix clenched his hand into a fist, "So, what actually happened in my past life?"


    "Your death in your past life only happened a few hours ago." Rhizen said, shocking Felix as he continued, "All I could do was turn back time for your world by twenty years. But, the rate of corruption remains the same. That''s why, the progression of the Aberrants is stronger this time."


    "Then¡­do we have no other choice but to die even faster?" He felt indignant, unwilling to waste his second chance at life.


    "There are four Stages to this Corruption." Rhizen said, "Stage 1 is between 0 and 25 percent, Stage 2 is between 25 and 50, Stage 3 is between 50-75, and Stage 4 is between 75-100, beyond which the world is doomed."


    "If it''s at Stage 1, we only need to turn back time by twenty years using a survivor as a medium like you." Rhizen said, "And in their second chance, they would somehow eradicate corruption and eventually establish a new world order. This chance bes slim in the higher Stages."


    "Your world already reached Stage 4 by the time we discovered it and could arrive here." He sighed, stating, "And, you were the sole survivor. Therefore, the majority of your world''s resistance is condensed in you. So¡­"


    Rhizen pointed at the droves of Titan Aberrants approaching from the distance, "As long as you are killed, this world would reach a hundred percent in corruption within a day. And that''s why the corruption is targeting you specifically."


    "And as for us¡­?" He pointed at himself, "Just think of us as a group of aliens that wish to rid this world of the apocalypse."


    Felix stared at the Titan Aberrants for a short duration before getting up, requesting Rhizen, "Can you help me kill some Titan Aberrants? There''s a gtinous substance growing in their hearts. If I consume that, I can reach my first evolution straight away."


    But surprisingly, Rhizen shook his head, "Normally, I would have epted it. But it''s not feasible at the moment. The stronger the corruption, the weaker your world''s power bes. So, even if you be stronger, your abilities would be less effective against the Aberrants until it is no longer effective."


    "It''s not because they are gaining resistance against our abilities?" Felix asked in shock, "But, we thought that was the case before and worked on evolving faster."


    "The lower the number of people resisting the apocalypse, the weaker the effectiveness of their abilities bes. This is because the world itself is being devoured." Rhizen sighed, "And at the corruption of 96.92 percent, your powers would as well be deemed useless. You can try it if you don''t believe me. I can get you some of that substance from the Titan Aberrants."


    "Fine!" Felix grunted, swallowing the gtinous substance from the Titan Aberrants that Rhizen killed and harvested, sensing insurmountable power welling up from within him, instantly causing his body to evolve.


    He rushed out of the dome, faced a regr Aberrant, and unleashed a de swing. Immediately after, he retreated into the dome, arriving beside Rhizen, panting as he said, "Dammit! In the past, this strength was enough to behead a dozen of them in one swing. But it hardly made a dent this time."


    "See, I told you so." Rhizen nodded.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Then¡­what am I supposed to do now?" Felix asked, noticing the pair of sisters from before shuddering on the ground, coughing out blood from time to time as a ckish smoke seeped out of their bodies from time to time.


    Rhizen gazed at the sisters, saying, "There''s a small corruption in the bodies of everyone as you breathe in the air, drink the water, and eat the food of this corrupting world. Over time, you would gradually lose your sense of self and turn into an Aberrant."


    "Then¡­" Felix asked before he noticed that he didn''t feel any sense of difort in his body now.


    "Yes, your body has already been cleansed of all corruption." Rhizen nodded, "And simrly, everyone brought within this dome would be purified eventually. Also¡­"


    He extended his hand, waving it slowly like pressing the key on a piano when Pearl Buck (IX)¡ªhis Tower of Purification¡ªhummed in response as its branches bore leaves that grew in size. And soon after, it bore thousands of fruits.


    One of the branches wriggled as a fruit fell onto his outstretched hands. Rhizen then gave it to Felix, "If you consume this, you''ll obtain part of our power. This is the most effective against the Aberrants. You''ll be able to fight using this. Though, as to what ability you might obtain, that''s entirely on you."


    "I''ll take it." Raisha''s voice resounded from atop the Whale as it seemed she overheard the entire conversation.


    As Rhizen lowered the Whale, she slid down its side,nding on the ground as she approached Rhizen, stating with a tone of confidence, "I''ll take it."


    "Feel free," Rhizen nodded, extending the fruit to her.


    The fruit resembled a lemon at first nce but looked edible as Raisha stared at it curiously, taking it from Rhizen.


    "Wait, there might be risks¡­" Felix interjected when Raisha raised her hands, motioning for him to stop.


    "It''s fine, brother. My gut is telling me that this would work out." Raisha said, swallowing the lemon in one gulp, "And even if it doesn''t work, at least you''ll be safe."


    "Dammit!" Felix grunted nervously, praying for her safety.


    Standing at the side, Rhizen felt like a third wheel, thinking, ''Bro, I perfected this long ago. Nothing will happen to her. It''s as easy as drinking water.''


    Boom!


    Suddenly, there was a surge of power from within her as the surrounding Nacre swerved into her body, causing Raisha to exim in shock as she perceived a mystical yellowish-green radiance all around her that sparkled, "Beautiful! What''s this?"


    "Nacre, the energy we wield," Rhizen replied smugly.


    "Wait, your head!" Felix shouted suddenly, pointing at her forehead in rm, watching a horn protrude slowly.


    "What''s¡­this?" Raisha asked in wonder, touching the horn as she muttered, "It feels simr to a goat''s horns."


    "Congrattions on sessfully bing a part of the Horned Human race." Rhizen smiled, double-tapping her horn, "Now, focus on it. You''ll find out the ability that you have gained."


    "Okay." Raisha did as she was told, focusing on the horn as immediately after, a dense stream of information flowed into her brain. It felt like she was recalling something she had learned in the past but had forgotten.


    Raisha slowly extended her hand as her horn shone with a bright green hue, condensing a gun with a conical barrel that only had a pin-sized tip. She turned around, pointing it towards an Aberrant that had almost reached the dome, pressing the trigger when a needle-like projectile shed out and mmed into her target.


    Along the way, it expanded in size, boring a fist-sized hole through the Aberrant. The projectile vanished as the green radiance swirled around the hole in the Aberrant''s body, beginning to disintegrate the area surrounding the hole.


    "That''s the Needle Gun." Rhizen nodded in praise, "It''s a pretty powerful ability."


    He then caught hold of another fruit, presenting it to Felix, "Now, I''m curious about the ability you''ll gain."

 Chapter 8 I鈥檓鈥?orry

    "Now, I''m curious about the ability you''ll gain."


    At Rhizen''s words, Felix paused in thought, gazing at the lemon-like fruit before him, one that seemed edible for some reason. ''Might as well.''


    He let out a sigh before grabbing hold of it, observing that it was smaller than he had expected, unable to sense anything mysterious from it, wondering how it caused Raisha to obtain that power.


    "Do I need to swallow it whole?" He asked.


    "It''ll melt the moment you ce it in your mouth. So, it doesn''t matter." Rhizen said, "Though, intaking it in one gulp ensures you obtain a fairly potent power. Otherwise, it would only generate a faulty power that''s ineffective against the Aberrants."


    "I see." He nodded, swallowing it whole, sensing a warm stream flow through his throat before settling in his stomach. Immediately after, he felt weak as his first evolution was undone, turning him into a normal human.


    The warmth then spread throughout his body, seemingly condensing a mysterious pocket in his stomach. It seemed no bigger than a tumour but the space within was rtively bigger inparison.


    Felix could feel something welling up in him as suddenly, his surroundings morphed. Now, he was able to notice a mysterious yellowish-green radiance swirling around, constantly flowing into everyone stationed within the dome.


    As Rhizen had exined, it was Nacre.


    The Nacre then swerved into his body, filling up the pocket space in his stomach as soon after, a horn began to grow on his forehead, simr-sized as his sister.


    And the moment he focused on it, a dense stream of information gushed into his mind, detailing everything in regards to the power he obtained, the ways to control and use it, the effectiveness of Nacre, etc.


    "What ability did you get?" Rhizen asked in a hurry, feeling that he was getting excited for some reason. After all, to a certain extent, Felix was considered the protagonist of this world.


    "I''ll show it to you," Felix said as his horn emitted a bright radiance, slowly causing his Nacre to gush out of his Origin Space and condense into a pair of wings on his back. They were blue-tinted, resembling steel at first nce but had a rough texture simr to chalk.


    With a p of the wings, Felix took off to the skies, gazing at a Titan Aberrant far away as he grunted, causing all the feathers on his wings to tremble before flying out in a hurry, speeding towards the target before mming into it.


    The feathers pierced its skin barely before exploding one after another, causing singeing marks to form on the Titan Aberrant. It was only injured though, but it was already a great feat considering how tough these Titan Aberrants were.


    "This¡­!" Rhizen was surprised for a moment beforeughing aloud, "Hahaha! To think I would see this again."


    "Is this the same ability as you?" Felix awkwardly crashnded on the ground, retracting his feather-less wings.


    "Yes," Rhizen nodded, "They are called Homing Feathers. It''s my signature ability. Only one other person had obtained it to date."


    "It¡­feels damn powerful." Felix nodded, unused to the power, but he nned to work on getting ustomed to it soon enough. He then asked in curiosity, "Who is the other person?"


    "Well¡­he''s something of a leading figure." Rhizen nodded, "Anyway, since you have the same ability as me, I''ll train you in mastering it."


    "Based on the information in my mind, this seems to be the only power I can wield?" Raisha asked, expressing her confusion as she gazed at her Needle Gun, tilting her head, "But, I see everyone else use multiple abilities."


    "That''s because our power systems are slightly different." Rhizen said, "We rear Mutated Beasts in our Origin Space. And it''s their power that we wield. And, depending on our Stage, we can rear multiple Mutated Beasts. This is something only people from my world can use."


    "But for those like you, people from other worlds that draw upon our power, you cannot rear any Mutated Beasts in your Origin Space. Instead, you''ll only be able to use one ability." He concluded.


    "Why is it like this though?" She wondered.


    "There are some restrictions. And hence, this is the only viable option. Though, you needn''t worry." Rhizen smiled, "As your Stage increases, your ability bes more and more potent while your reserve of Nacre bes greater. Moreover, to grow stronger, you only need to use your abilities as much as possible."


    "But for us, it''s different." He sighed, "To reach a higher stage, we''ll have to be ripped apart by our Mutated Beasts and feasted upon¡­multiple times at higher Stages. So, it bes increasingly harder to reach higher Stages. Currently, I''m the strongest in my world, and I''m only at Stage 9. But among the Horned Human race, there are already a couple that had reached Stage 10."


    "So, there are advantages and disadvantages to both power systems." Raisha nodded, pondering about it further. She then pointed at her horn, "And this horn is the source of our power?"


    "It''s like a beacon." Rhizen said, "It is what absorbs the ambient Nacre into your Origin Space. Otherwise, you''ll have to depend on your food intake to gradually replenish your reserves. It takes a significant time in this way though."


    "And the higher your Stage, the stronger your horn''s rate of Nacre absorption." He continued, "And it would be disyed by the number of rings/segments on your horn. Currently, it''s not segmented, showing that you''re at Stage 1."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "So, we only have to continue attacking our enemies from within this safe zone to grow stronger?" Raisha asked, feeling that it was a pretty amazing deal.


    To use her ability, she only needed to aim her Needle Gun at an Aberrant and shoot it. It didn''t take much effort.


    "Yes, but it''s not as easy as it sounds," Rhizen said, extending his hand towards the horde of Aberrants, unleashing his Dust Wave that turned a significant sum into dust. He then pointed at his surroundings, "See, a tenth of the Nacre here was consumed to fuel that one attack. So, we''ll have to pace our attacks ording to the Nacre production."


    "Don''t worry though." He smiled, watching the rest of Felix''s family get down from his Whale, "That''s why we have our Whales. The stronger ones among us have a Whale of our own to satisfy our Nacre needs. So, the production here is only for the rest."


    Boom!


    "Aah!" A Society Member screamed as he barely jumped into the dome, carrying a child in his arms. He then copsed to the ground, losing all signs of life as his back began to rot. As for his rhino armour, it seemed to have been bitten off by something, also taking away half of his body.


    "Tch!" Rhizen hurriedly summoned his wings and shed before the Society Member, checking his body to notice that he was already dead. Before he could inspect the cause of death, a dark power of corruption exploded from within.


    Rhizen grabbed hold of the child and leapt, creating a Dust Wave barrier that surrounded the corpse of the Society Member, sensing the corruption bombarding the Dust Wave barrier, rapidly eating through it as it seemed sentient.


    "What the fuck is this?" Rhizen stared solemnly as the corruption morphed into the maw of a beast, gnawing through the barrier as its power continued to increase. Moreover, a simr corruption formed beyond the dome, mming into it nonstop in an effort to prate it and connect with the beast maw.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The corruption slowly turned physical, mming into the dome as it caused the Nacre expenditure of the Tower of Purification to spike in process.


    "Sheesh! This ce is more terrifying than the previous world." Dwun skid into the dome, flinching in pain as his Celestial Armour¡ªrhino armour¡ªwas riddled with tears. The moment he arrived within the dome, the Nacre gushed into him, eradicating the corruption that had seeped into him.


    The moment he was fully cured of the corruption, Dwun approached Rhizen, "Boss, what the heck is up with this world? Why are the Aberrants increasing in number this drastically? It has only been a few hours since the Apocalypse."


    "You can consider it as the Apocalypse taking full action to eradicate us since Felix is with us here." Rhizen said before staring at Yulna, "How''s the status of the other safe zones?"


    "Dozens of times better." Yulna finishedmunications, stating with a tone of relief, "The number of survivors there are in the tens of thousands per each safe zone, almost filling up the ce to max capacity. Only the rescue operations here are this stagnant."


    "Rhizen looked around, observing that most of the teams that he had sent out returned by now. And those that hadn''t done so had probably been wiped out. It was evident by the corpse of the Society Member nearby. He was the only one from his team of five that had made it back.


    Among the over two hundred Society Members that had been dispatched, only 150 made it back alive. As for the rescued people, they barely reached two thousand in number.


    "This is a pitiful number." Rhizen sighed, but also knew that this was due to Apocalypse focusing all its strength on them to crush them first. So, the other regions fared many times better.


    "Are you alright?" He kneeled before the fear-stricken child, putting on a gentle smile as he asked.


    "Mmhm," The child nodded bravely, despite tears streaming down her eyes. She had watched her parents turning into Aberrants before her eyes, witnessing them devouring other humans.


    And then shey witness to the team of Society Members hurrying to her rescue as the Aberrants ganged up on them. But despite everything, they ensured that she reached the dome safe and sound, even though they were all annihted in the process.


    She was a mere child, but now, she expressed courage, still holding onto life.


    He could feel the courage from her tiny eyes, a level of courage unexpected from such a small framed individual as pangs echoed in his chest, causing him to feelcking in failing to avert this tragedy on time.


    He then sighed, closing his eyes as he took in deep breaths, regting his emotions before extending a lemon-like fruit to the child, "This power would protect you."


    "If I eat it¡­" The child looked at Rhizen as tears streamed out of her eyes, "Can I save papa and momma?"


    "Will they¡­be normal?"


    "They¡­" Rhizen controlled himself, unable to utter the next word as he hugged the girl. Even though he didn''t say anything, the child was able to feel the answer, breaking into a cry, "Uwaaah!"


    "I''m¡­sorry."

 Chapter 9 The OP Celas

    Boom!


    Rhizen unleashed his Homing Feathers in every direction, clearing the Aberrants mming into the dome. Some parts of the dome had already begun to develop cracks.


    Their side was steadily being overwhelmed by the horde as all areas of the dome were being attacked.


    As for the over two thousand survivors, they looked at everything nervously. At this time, Rhizen hovered in the air before them, announcing aloud, "Everyone! Please hear what I have to say."


    He then paused for a second, observing that the fearful gazes of everyone were trained on him, clearing his throat as he spoke, "The enemies we face are called the Aberrants. They are somewhat simr to the zombies you have seen in movies, but they aren''t undead creatures. They are creatures that had mutated and evolved thanks to the Blood Rain."


    "Coming into contact with them would cause you to be corrupted and as you had probably seen many times by now, you too would be an Aberrant like the rest." He said, noticing the expression of fear permeate strongly through everyone, sighing as he continued, "But, as long as you remain in this dome, you''ll be safe. There''s a mysterious power here that can purify your corruption and ensure you remain human. But¡­"


    He trailed for a couple of seconds, pausing for a dramatic effect before stating, "As you can see, we are short-staffed. At this rate, we''ll be overwhelmed."


    He then extended his hand, pointing at Felix that took off to the air and hovered beside him, "He''s Felix, a survivor just like the rest of you. By consuming a Fruit of Purification, he obtained a power that can protect him in this apocalypse. Simrly, everyone can get one too."


    "We can?" A man with reddened eyes wiped his tears, staring in hatred, shouting at Rhizen, "Those Aberrant bastards! I''ll kill them all!"


    He had lost most of his family. Thankfully, he somehow managed to save his son, even though his son had lost his legs in the rescue.


    Though, a lean Society Member approached the child and began to slowly regenerate his limbs, allowing the red-eyed man to find sce for a moment.


    And now, he wished to seek revenge to cull the hatred in his heart, one at the despicable creatures that copsed his world overnight and the other at himself for being weak enough that he was unable to protect his family.


    "Yes, you can!" Rhizen nodded,nding before the red-eyed man as he handed him the lemon-like fruit. As it was produced by the Tower of Purification, it was called colloquially the Fruit of Purification.


    The red-eyed man swallowed it as he awakened a power soon after, sighing as he felt the horn growing on his forehead. He then slowly approached the edge of the dome, condensing a sword as heshed out, unleashing a beam of energy that cut through an Aberrant.


    Upon seeing this scene, everyone else was convinced as they all consumed the Fruit of Purification, awakening to their respective abilities.


    The majority of their abilities weren''t anything special. Only those like Felix obtained powerful abilities.


    The Tower of Purification expended all the Fruits that it had grown, for a moment turning weak. It was apparent that the corruption wouldn''t leave this chance as suddenly, a massive four-legged creature drilled out of the ground.


    It spanned a whopping length of 20 metres, possessing tough legs that seemed capable of breaking through the toughest of steel. It had a wide head, thick enough to cover the girth of his body, also protected by a hard skull armour.


    The armour glowed with a mysterious radiance, one that seemed dedicated to breaking through defensive encampments.


    Upon seeing it, Rhizen became nervous, thinking, ''Do I have to use it now? Already?''


    Snort!


    The four-legged Aberrant exhaled a breath of turbid air as it opened its mouth and gobbled up some nearby Aberrants before unleashing a terrifying shout, causing the soundwaves to ripple out.


    The soundwaves mmed into the dome, causing its surface to ripple too.


    "Kyak!"


    "What''s that?"


    "My ears?" The inhabitants within the dome shrieked in pain as they clutched their ears which had begun to bleed in response.


    ck smoke began to gush into the bodies of some as the corruption had surprisingly seeped through the barrier and affected them.


    In response, Rhizen could only grunt as the Tower of Purification slowly purified the bodies of everyone. The Society Members were fine as they were protected by the Celestial Armour, but their expressions were pale too. After all, in the part of their armour covering the ear, cracks had begun to form.


    It was apparent that their armour would give in if the four-legged creature roared a couple more times. And in a matter of seconds after the roar, cracks began to develop over the barrier, continuing to seep further; the corruption gushed in from the cracks that had spread deep enough.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "C-Cs¡­? W-Why is that here?" Felix lost his cool as he copsed to the ground, trembling instinctively.


    "When did it appear?" Rhizen asked in a hurry.


    "A year before my death. It destroyed the city that the entirety of humanity had taken shelter in. We had begun to survive by then and were feeling confident in paving a way for the future¡­until it attacked. Within a day, from a city with a million residents, only six survived." Felix said in despair, "It''s infinitely worse than a Titan Aberrant. It''s practically a walking disaster."


    ''No wonder it''s capable of cracking the Safety Dome with a mere roar.'' Rhizen thought, shouting, "Wall Squad! Begin preparations!"


    A dozen Society Members took off to the air before positioning themselves throughout the border, simr to a clock.


    Immediately after, they each brought out a pearl pir, each spanning a height of two metres and weighing weigh less than ten kilograms. Followed by a collective grunt, they plunged the pir into the ground in their respective positions, watching the pir grow in size immediately, reaching a height of twenty metres and surpassing dozens of tons in weight.


    Boom!


    Like a tree rapidly sprouting branches, tendrils gushed out from two sides on each pir, spreading in the direction of the nearby pirs, creating the shape of a dodecagon. The branches crashed amid their travel and grabbed onto each other like a pair of hands, rapidly joining together to form a wall.


    The individual branches connected with one another, smoothening out until there were no boundaries before thickening in response. Moreover, what resembled roots gushed into the ground, erecting a steady foundation as the walls proceeded deep underground.


    External Item¡ªCastle Wall!


    The walls formed the shape of a dodecagon, gaining a breadth of ten metres as they soon turned into a sturdy fort. And the pirs forming the nodes were the items brought out by the twelve Society Members.


    The power system of the Society Member consisted of a pocket space in their stomachs, like a tumour, called the Origin Space. It was where their Nacre was stored.


    This was akin to a dimensional space in that Mutated Beasts could live here.


    Stage 1 was where they started at, a power level where they could only rear one Mutated Beast. Each Mutated Beast allowed them to unleash a certain power. Those at Stage 2 could rear two Mutated Beasts, so on, and so forth.


    After this was the number of horns growing on the Mutated Beasts. The greater the number of horns, the more potent the Apocalyptic Art unleashed using them.


    Those from the Post-Apocalyptic Dispatch Society called themselves Mystic Humans while those from the other worlds¡ªthat began to use their power system¡ªwere called the Horned Humans.


    Depending upon the Stage of a Mystic Human, the maximum horns of their Mutated Beasts varied. For a Mystic Human at Stage 4, the maximum horns of the Mutated Beasts he/she reared could only be four.


    The higher the Stage, the stronger one was. And in their Society, Rhizen was one of the strongest, being one of the three Mystic Humans to have reached Stage 9.


    This meant that he reared nine Mutated Beasts and could wield nine Apocalyptic Arts. And since the size of his Origin Space grew in ordance with the increase in his Stage, Rhizen''s Origin Space could fit a small town inside.


    Unfortunately, only Mutated Beasts could live there.


    The only other substance other than a Mutated Beast that could be in the Origin Space was an External Item.


    External Items could be considered as a bound artifact of a Mystic Human that grew in power alongside them.


    Rhizen''s External Item was called Pearl Buck, the Tower of Purification that allowed them to survive in this apocalyptic world. External Items were strategic tools that could change the game structure of wars.


    Unfortunately, a Mystic Human could only possess one External Item. Horned Humans cannot possess an External Item.


    Upon seeing the Castle Wall beingpleted, Rhizen heaved a sigh in relief, for it gave them a betteryer of defence.


    After all, the safety zone''s barrier became linked to it, slightly amplified in strength while the walls now faced the brunt of the impact from the horde.


    But, all these measures would only work against the horde and not the Cs that the Apocalypse had sent personally to crush them.


    And hence, Rhizen had no other choice but to face it head-on, exiting the dome as he rained down attacks onto the Cs, thinking, ''Do I need to harness my Luck already?''

 Chapter 10 System Observatory

    A reddish sun emanated a fierce orange hue, existing in the centre of awork ofs and asteroid belts revolving around it. A sr re streamed out of it, making a giganticary-sized arc before being pulled into the sun thanks to its gravity.


    It released a sr flux, powerful enough tobust any and all electronic circuits. The flux spread around radially, travelling everywhere when suddenly, arge shadow was cast. The cause was a humanoid creature resembling a goblin but sporting garnish wings that absorbed the sr flux, empowering itself.


    It floated through the void, slowly travelling through a certain orbit, searching for the that once used to exist here.


    The aforementioned had disappeared, but there was no disturbance in the gravitational field of the ce that should have urred with the disappearance of such arge mass in the intricately wovenwork of gravitational fields between the sun, the variouss, and the asteroid belts.


    So, the entity was aware that the it was searching for was still here but just hidden from its senses.


    This wasn''t the sole entity here though as there were multiple entities of all forms searching around, intending to scour for any traces that might exist. They had even blockaded the orbit of the disappeared in order to force it to reveal itself.


    But, they had been trying all along with no signs of sess.


    Each entity contained a powerful presence, embodying a certain concept, representing the peak of their respective race.


    Grade 2 System Hosts!


    B-001; this was the codeword used to address the disappeared world. The prefix of ''B'' was the world''s status as a Mental Energy Farm, with Mental Energy being the food of Systems and the reason they entered the bodies of Hosts in various universes.


    The rankings ranged from S to F depending on the quantity and quality of Mental Energy that could be gathered from the various worlds. And, even a B-ranked world was rare, the aforementioned even rarer because of its uniqueness¡ªof it being capable of looping once every twenty years.


    And, the suffix of ''001'' dictated that it was ranked the highest among the B-ranked worlds.


    Though, this wouldn''t be the reason to mobilise countless Grade 2 System Hosts. The cause was Rhizen himself.


    During the 48th loop of his world, Rhizen had participated in a certain war with the Systems, resulting in his victory, at the end of which he obtained freedom for his world, prying it out of the control of the Systems.


    This independence resulted in the establishment of the Post-Apocalyptic Dispatch Society, dering the eradication of the Grade 3 System¡ªApocalypse.


    This was the first time in their history that a world under their rule obtained freedom. And hence, pretty much every single System in existence was raging to kill and destroy this organisation.


    But, they had yet to find any traces regarding it.


    Of course, the actual situation was pretty different from their expectations.


    Gulp!


    A nervous woman stared at the figure of therge goblin-type humanoid, trembling in fear from time to time as she saw the eyes of the entity spanning bigger than their entire satellite.


    This satellite had been established atop the moon revolving around their home, the one searched for by every single System.


    System Observatory!


    Their goal was to keep a track of every System that was searching for their. And all along, their hadn''t vanished anywhere else. It was still in the same ce, following its original orbit.


    But, they had employed certain tactics to escape the senses of the Grade 2 Systems.


    Currently, in the observatory, countless discussions transpired regarding the moves taken by the Grade 2 Systems as countermeasures were initiated immediately after.


    Suddenly, a woman sporting a crewcut, donning the Celestial Armour while in a meditative stance opened her eyes, feeling pain as the special tiara on her head emanated blinding light.


    Upon seeing the scene, everyone around them became nervous.


    "What''s the issue?" A noble voice resounded, stemming from a youth that had wavy hair reaching his shoulders, sporting scars under his side-burns. He was seated in themanding seat of the System Observatory, the one in charge of everything regarding their home''s defence.


    Saint¡ªWarktor!


    He was one of the three Saints of the Post-Apocalyptic Dispatch Society, taking the management role necessary to run the ce and prepare their rescue operations.


    "Sire, it''s from Saint Rhizen." The woman with the crew cut saluted in response, stating hurriedly, "The enemy is too strong for the current him to handle. So, he''s requesting to harness Coincidental Luck."


    "Coincidental Luck¡­? Already?" Warktor raised an eyebrow, mildly shocked, "Isn''t this too early?"


    He then frowned, gazing at the goblin-like entity flying right beside them, looking like it was about to crash into them. He then shook his head, "ess denied. Our enemies would sense such a massive activation of Luck. He can at most use a form of Luck below level 30."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Tell him this," Warktor said.


    Thedy with the crewcut closed her eyes again,municating with Rhizen before sweating nervously, hesitating on whether or not to convey the information as she looked at Warktor, revealing the details in the end, "Sir, he''s cursing in response."


    Warktor sighed as he recalled, "I believe there''s only one luck that he can use at the moment, right? Among the Luck-based Systems, only one was below level 30."


    "Yes, and he doesn''t have enough capability to harness it properly. So, it''s not that strong." Thedy with the crewcut said, "He would be able to best his opponent if he were to rely upon Coincidental Luck. But¡­"


    "Tch!" Warktor clicked his tongue upon seeing the goblin-like entity almost about toe into contact with them as he said in a hurry, "Tell him that we''ll be in a state of ckout for the next two days. So, he only has himself and the forces in hismand to rely upon."


    "If he fails, we have no other choice but to give up on that world."


    "Yes, Saint." Thedy with the crewcut nodded before transmitting the details. Immediately after that, their satellite station turned ethereal, watching the goblin-like figure phase through them and vanish.


    Their hearts trembled upon feeling the terrifying power emanating from it, nervously watching with bated breaths as its body passed through them, disying a sea of flesh mass of varying grotesqueness.


    It took an entire hour for the goblin-like creature to move past the System Observatory as it then began to phase through their home.


    Following it were countless other entities of simr stature, each brimming with a suffocating strength.


    ''So, this is the might of a Grade 2 System¡­'' Warktor thought as he observed everyone in the System Observatory entering a state of stasis, like they were dolls. Their thoughts were buried in the depths of their mind, unable to transmit any Mental Energy, preventing the Systems from catching onto them.


    Thoughts generated Mental Energy. And hence, even thinking about Systems was dangerous. If not for their defensive preparations in ce, the Systems would have long sensed their location.


    After all, Mental Energy was the food for the Systems and the energy they depended upon to grow and develop. And it was also through Mental Energy that they obtained all the necessary information to generate a Quest for their Host.


    So, a lot had to be done to safeguard themselves against the Systems.


    But, despite the preparations, they were still nervous, hence entering a state of stasis as they nkly observed everything that happened around them.


    ''It will be hard, but I hope you persevere, Rhizen.'' Warktor thought before turning still himself.


    In the apocalyptic world that the Post-Apocalyptic Dispatch Society had entered, Rhizen grit his teeth, feeling a headache as he stared at the Cs that was positioned a hundred metres away from him.


    For the time being, all the Aberrants forming the horde stopped in their ce, creating a wide circle around the safety zone as they stared in silence.


    After all, their intention was only to hinder the remaining Society Members from reinforcing Rhizen.


    Moreover, Rhizen''s Whale allowed him to gobble up the Aberrants and replenish his Nacre easily. Therefore, them distancing was a strategic retreat, giving the Cs a beneficial environment to fight at.


    Rhizen and the Cs stared at each other, not taking any action, able to feel the dense stream of power contained within each other. A careless action might result in their loss. And hence, they were careful.


    Among everyone dispatched to this world, Rhizen was the strongest. And as this apocalyptic world itself was isted thanks to their actions, the corruption in the world was cut off from the Grade 3 System¡ªApocalypse.


    This meant that the apocalyptic world only had itself to rely upon. And, the Cs was the strongest it could produce at the moment.


    If the corruption simmered for long enough, it might be able to produce more Cs. But at the moment, one was the limit.


    And hence, a lot was riding on this battle. If Rhizen won, it would make it a lot easier for them to clean up the apocalyptic world.


    But if the Cs won, then the corruption would eventually destroy all the safe zones and fully bring the under Apocalypse''s control, bing a Host to the Apocalypse.


    And by using the Pearl Buck, it might even figure out a method to track their home world and invade there. So, there was considerable danger involved in this fight.


    ''Level 30 is the limit, dammit!'' Rhizen was exasperated, ''There''s only Bad Luck that I can use now.''


    As a form of Luck, Bad Luck was pretty potent. But, he didn''t exercise much control over this form of luck. And hence, he couldn''t disy much power through it.


    As the most sought-after Host to the Luck based Systems, Rhizen had the ability to harness all forms of luck. And hence, the Systems were guarded against any and all forms of luck activation, no matter the world.


    Due to that, he could only activate the luck that he had the weakest control over.

 Chapter 11 A Moving Calamity

    Grrr!


    The Cs red at Rhizen, slowly inching forward as the corruption within its body continued to build up, bing potent enough to melt through the Celestial Armours of the Society Members and turn them into an Aberrant almost instantly.


    Those at Stage 7 and above were able tost a few seconds against it.


    Only Rhizen could withstand it for extended durations. This was because the Mutated Beast forming his Celestial Armour had six horns, the highest among the lot. The Celestial Armour was one of the hardest among his abilities to upgrade.


    The rest of the Society Members, even those at Stage 7 and 8 only had the Celestial Armour of the three-horned variant.


    Roar!


    The Cs suddenly roared as the muscles on its body bulged in response, condensing a terrifying amount of corruption between its horns. It stabilised its body, swerving its head as instead of Rhizen, it aimed at the safety zone.


    "This turd!" Rhizen red in anger, understanding that it wished to force him into defending against the attack. After all, the dome wouldn''t withstand this attack. So, if he were to evade the attack, his entire team would be wiped out.


    "Fine! Have it your way!" He grunted, riling up his Nacre as he activated an ability.


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªStatic Force (V)!


    Static Force worked by absorbing all the kic energy within the range of this ability before erecting a transparent tform. After that, the moment anything movinges into contact with it, it would discharge all the absorbed kic energy, resulting in enough force to shatter most forms of matter.


    And depending on the amount of kic energy it absorbed, its emissive power varied.


    It was what he used to destroy the bird-type Aberrant from before. But, Static Force had many disadvantages, despite its sheer power.


    It was the fact that anyone could trigger it, including the caster. Secondly, it could not be moved after a spot had been fixed. There were other disadvantages too. But its power outweighed the disadvantages. After all, if used well, it resulted in the strongest attack.


    The more chaotic the ce, the stronger its power.


    Rhizen didn''t use it as a defensive barrier though, targeting the lower jaw of the Cs, creating a tiny, transparent tform there.


    He suddenly condensed a scorpion tail, activating two Apocalyptic Arts one after another, unleashing a hail of spikes onto one side of the Cs'' face.


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªDeath Stinger (VIII)!


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªSpike Frenzy (VIII)!


    The scorpion tail aimed and shot out spikes like a machine gun. Condensed into each spike was potent venom that was capable of melting through all organic matter, resulting in a puddle of blood.


    The spikes all mmed into the side of the Cs'' face, singeing it in pain, causing it to jerk its head in reflex.


    Roar!


    The Cs roared in pain as its head mmed into the transparent barrier, resulting in all the stored kic energy sting off into its lower jaw, twisting his neck upwards from the force.


    From the time he unleashed the Static Force to when it discharged all the energy, only a second had passed. And hence, the Cs¡ªthat was gearing up for a massive attack¡ªhadn''t noticed the Aberrants standing behind it turning still for a moment.


    Right as the energy condensed between its horns was about to be fired, the force from the transparent tile impacted it, sending its head facing upwards, resulting in the beam it fired veering off course, barely scraping by the edge of the safety zone''s barrier.


    Crackle!


    The impacted region''s barrier vaporised, creating a hole through which the corruption gushed in. The Tower of Purification rapidly whirred in response, mending the damage while absorbing the corruption, retaining the purity of the safe zone.


    "Aaah!"


    "Retreat towards the tower!" The Society Members shouted as they unleashed a variety of abilities tobat the corruption that streamed into the safety zone, stalling it while the Tower of Purification did its job.


    In the meantime, the Horned Humans rushed towards the Tower of Purification, huddling in the buildings close by. The strength of the corruption surpassed what they could handle. So, if they were toe into contact with it, they would turn into an Aberrant instantly.


    Hence, they retreated to safety.


    Grrr!


    The Cs stared at Rhizen, focusing on him as it let out a guttural sound, slowly causing its muscles to rx before tightening them up instantly, erupting with a frightening force, rushing at him.


    Bang!


    A transparent film formed before its toes, ejecting enough force to disrupt its bnce, causing it to copse to the ground and slide for tens of metres due to the momentum.


    Another transparent film appeared before its face, making contact before it stopped sliding, the resultant force sending its head up, straining its neck.


    Rhizen rushed at it, suddenly going on all fours as he transformed into a cat, causing his agility to spike as his figure shed across the route. Its only difference from a regr cat was its two-metre-long body and a scorpion tail that was poised up.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The stinger faced the Cs, unleashing a hail of spikes, each brimming with deadly venom that began to corrode the flesh. But, the Cs had a tough physique, not to mention an armour that covered its body like a beetle, making it hard to deal any significant damage.


    So, Rhizen had no other choice but to gradually stack up the damage. But in contrast, one solid hit from it would render him incapacitated.


    Meowrrr!


    The cat evaded a swipe from the Cs, using its superior agility to jump onto its back before plunging the stinger into the armour, causing the area to begin melting immediately.


    Tsssch!


    The cat groaned in pain as it leapt from its back, for its paws showed signs of corroding from the contact.


    The back muscles of the Cs wriggled as a fleshly tentacle rushed out of the melted armour, intending to impact the cat that was in the air.


    In this position, it didn''t have any other means to evade. But in the fraction of a second, the cat transformed into a housefly, swerving around the fleshly tentacle before transforming into a cat once again, using the scorpion tail to riddle the Cs with more injuries.


    His usual abilities weren''t enough to win against this foe. And hence, Rhizen changed tactics, unleashing attacks thatplemented the Bad Luck that he would be unleashingter in the fight.


    Among the various forms of Luck that he could wield, Bad Luck was the weakest. But, since he obtained permission to only use it, Rhizen was worried about the state of his world.


    ''But, there''s not much I can achieve from here.'' He thought, condensing a pair of wings as the feathers shot out, revolving around the cat as a means to distract the Cs from aiming perfectly.


    Using them as the cover, the cat constantly dodged the attacks while the Cs'' attacks mostly fell onto the feathers.


    Grrr!


    The Cs observed that Rhizen was pretty tricky to deal with, suddenly spiking with corruption as the muscles on its body convulsed, ejected out as they transformed into flying creatures.


    These creatures were simr to a housefly in appearance but had gaping maws, flying at terrifying speeds as they opened their maws and unleashed a beam of corruption.


    Meorrr!


    The cat screeched in reflex, barely evading the beams as the number of attacks on it constantly increased in number. It condensed the pair of wings once again, using the feathers as a means of defence while continuing to riddle the Cs with injuries.


    Kuuooong!


    Suddenly, when the housefly-like creatures swarmed toward the cat, Rhizen transformed into one of his Mutated Beasts¡ªthe All-Devouring Whale!


    The Whale opened its mouth, unleashing a terrifying suction force that resulted in all the housefly-like creatures being sucked into it, rapidly digested to be turned into Nacre, replenishing his reserves.


    The Cs seemed to have been waiting for this opportunity as it brimmed with a lot of power, ejecting a spiked tail that pierced through the Whale, shattering the Celestial Armour protecting it.


    Rhizen coughed at the injury, feeling a burning sensation as the corruption invaded his body, rushing towards his Origin Space in order to taint his Nacre.


    He wasn''t going to take it lying down as the Whale suddenly shat out a murky mass, one that curved in the air, carried by the Homing Feathers as itnded on the Cs'' face, causing it to scream in response and thrash on the ground.


    Tens of thousands of Homing Feathers mmed into the tail, exploding nonstop before they severed it, allowing the Whale to free itself and take off to the air.


    The part of the tail stuck in its body slowly seeped into it before the muscles regenerated. The tail was rapidly dissolved and converted into Nacre, same for all the corruption it brought forth.


    Without a constant stream of corruption invading him, Rhizen was able to turn the cut-off portions into his supplement.


    But, it seemed the Cs too was capable of the same as it opened its mouth and unleashed a terrifying suction force, swallowing all the Homing Feathers, melting them using its corruption that grew in strength by tainting the Nacre and digesting it.


    The poop on its face was then eradicated by a myriad of attacks as the Cs finally freed itself. But right at this time, the whale transformed into a humancking any facial features, resembling a puppet.


    But, it spanned a height of hundred metres, a giant with tremendous body weight, one that mmed into it from above, creating a crater upon the stomp, burying it deep within the ground.


    ''Tch! It''s too tough.'' Rhizen cursed mentally as the giant lost bnce, sent flying when the Cs ejected a burst of energy.


    Roar!


    It wasn''t injured much by the stomp, shaking its body to free itself before rushing towards the safe zone, intending to destroy it first to emotionally impact Rhizen.


    The soundwaves unleashed by its roar mmed into the safe zone''s barrier, cracking it rapidly.


    "Noo!" Felix shouted in rm, huddled with his family in a protective embrace, shedding tears as he red at the iing opponent.


    Followed by a burst in sprinting speed, its stomps thundered the ground as the Cs leapt towards the safe zone, mming into the barrier.

 Chapter 12 Too Bad

    Time seemed to have slowed down as the Cs slowly inched closer and closer to the safety zone''s barrier. A suffocating level of corruption was condensed in its horns, potent enough to pierce through the barrier easily and instantly corrupt everyone within.


    Its eyes darted about, focusing on the figure of Felix staring from a faraway home window, remaining in a protective embrace around his family as he seemed to be screaming in despair.


    Its other pair of eyes darted towards the figure of Rhizen that was farther away behind it, bing confident that he wouldn''t be able to interrupt it this time.


    But suddenly, its eyes trembled in shock as realisation finally set in. Its brain was operating at speeds dozens of times faster than normal, at speeds surpassing its mental capacity, causing its brain cells to rapidly die as a result.


    And, the cause seemed to be the potent venom that had been injected into its body all along. Even though it had digested the venom and converted it into its corruption, it seemed there was a hidden effect within it that hadn''t been processed yet.


    Everything tangible could be digested by it. So, this only meant that Rhizen had injected it with something intangible.


    The moment this thought resounded in its mind, its eyes widened as it noticed Rhizen''s whale-like face slowly creeping up with a smile as a sense of dread pervaded its body.


    Luck Arts¡ªBad Luck!


    At the same time, the whale''s features morphed, now fused with a cobra as it turned into a giant serpent of the sky, opening its mouth as a formless effect mmed into the Cs.


    Roar!


    Fusion Arts¡ªDevouring Heaven!


    It was a power resultant from the fused activation of the Apocalyptic Arts of Thieving Heaven and the Apocalyptic Arts of All-Devouring Whale.


    Suddenly, the Cs became absolutely weak as all the corruption in its body was stolen by Rhizen''s power.


    And at the same time, Bad Luck condensed within its body in torrential amounts, suddenly causing its body cells to fail as the cell division became more and more faulty, rapidly resulting in a spike of useless cells that appeared throughout its body.


    These cells weren''t just useless, but they also consumed ten times the energy to be created aspared to the regr cells, resulting in a rapid energy loss. As all its corruption had already been stolen, this deficit tapped into its muscr energy, weakening them just to prolong the cell division.


    Bang!


    The Cs mmed into the safety zone barrier, partially piercing through it as cracks spread throughout it. But, unlike before when it would have destroyed it entirely, it justy there now, trapped in the barrier.


    "Attack!" Rhizen bellowed as the majestic serpent in the sky copsed within the safety zone, exhausted to the limit for having used too much Bad Luck¡ªa power it didn''t exercise much control over.


    The Bad Luck gradually became more and more in the body of the Cs as it continued to weaken. At the same time, the Society Members grabbed hold of it, dragging it into the safety zone while the Tower of Purification worked hard in mending the damage.


    "Everyone! Attack the Aberrants! Stop them until the barrier heals!" Yulna bellowed at the top of her lungs, condensing a crossbow as she took off to the air, ramming arrows into the Aberrants that charged at the safety zone.


    Each of her arrows took down at least a couple of Aberrants while she summoned her Whale, sending it out of the barrier to gobble up the weak Aberrants, replenishing her Nacre this way.


    Moreover, her All-Devouring Whale helped a lot in reducing the number of charging Aberrants.


    "Guh!" The gigantic snake that Rhizen had transformed into shivered in pain, unable to fully digest the enormous volume of corruption that it had devoured.


    Some of the corruption leaked out of its body from time to time as four Whales hovered beside it, consuming all the excess corruption.


    Moreover, a couple of Whales began to gradually eat the weakening Cs that was unable to resist their actions.


    This way, they were keeping things under control. But, everything would fail if Rhizen couldn''t keep the corruption in him. After all, the volume of corruption in him was everything contained in the Cs, the strongest Aberrant of this apocalyptic world.


    "Gaah!" The gigantic snake screeched in pain, thrashing around as patches of its skin began to peel off while portions of the flesh underneath began to rot, showing signs of bing an Aberrant.


    Boom!


    The Tower of Purification worked in tandem, rapidly doing its best to absorb as much corruption as it could from Rhizen, causing a spike in the Nacre production within the safety zone. But, this was only ast-ditch effort.


    By stressing itself now to produce more Nacre, it was giving up on long-term sustainability. There was a good chance it might implode soon after.


    But, they had no other choice but to do this.


    "This is bad!" Yulna observed Rhizen, noticing that his condition was slipping gradually, "We''ll be done for if he falls prey to the corruption."


    "Do I have to kill him now?" She considered the thought once before gritting her teeth, "No, that would imply we lost this war. The Apocalypse would digest all the gains from here, including us and be even stronger. We definitely cannot allow that."<novelnext></novelnext>


    She took her whistle, blowing into it with all her might.


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªRippling Whistle (V)!


    Ripples cascaded from her, quickly travelling to the nearby safety zones as the Society Members there that were simr to her spread the news further.


    "I can only hope that the reinforcements arrive fast enough." She muttered, causing the whistle to vanish as she looked at Rhizen in worry. Even though a lot of Whales were around him, trying their best to help him, the quality of corruption in him was just too much for them to handle, despite them having a seven-horned Whale each.


    "Tch!" She grunted in irritation, causing her Whale to m into the ground and shoot out its poop everywhere, unleashing a dense stream of Nacre through it that caused all the Aberrants to thrash about on the ground.


    "Create a rampart using the Whale poop!" She shouted as those with a Whale arrived beside her, hailing down projectiles of whale poop that rapidly hardened to form a wall.


    This wall emitted a mysterious radiation that began to corrode the bodies of the Aberrants the moment they closed in on it, causing the horde''s approach to slow down.


    And whenever they ran out of poop to shoot out, the Whales opened their mouths and gobbled up more Aberrants.


    Kuuooong!


    A Whale screamed in pain as it copsed to the ground, having its flippers clipped by a Titan Aberrant with scythe-like wings.


    The Whale crashed into the ground, causing arge crater as it formed a trench, killing countless Aberrants along the way. But suddenly, a Titan Aberrant appeared before it, kicking at its head, stopping its sliding, forcing it to stop abruptly.


    The attack caused its head to cave in as the Titan Aberrant grinned in response, plunging its hands into the Whale''s mouth before ripping it open.


    Immediately after, countless Aberrants rushed inside and began to devour its muscles, cleaning its dental cavity of all flesh and blood.


    Tears streamed out of the Whale''s eyes as it was unable to extricate itself from the Titan Aberrant''s hold that grunted from time to time, exerting force to pin the wriggling Whale to the ground.


    The Titan Aberrant with scythe-like wingsnded on its back, racking up countless gashes that the tiny Aberrantstched onto, devouring in frenzy.


    Kuuuong!


    The Whale emitted a high-pitched sound before it was drowned by the Aberrants. It wasn''t the sole Whale that had fallen victim though as the many Whales forming the vanguard began to copse one after another.


    "Dammit!" Yulna''s face paled as she noticed the flying-type Titan Aberrants that had begun to appear one after another.


    She aimed her crossbow and unleashed a hail of attacks onto a Titan Aberrant that was trying its best to pry open the mouth of a Whale. The arrows mmed into its wrist, causing tiny holes as Yulna continued with the action, severing the wrist in a matter of seconds.


    The Whale opened its mouth and unleashed a terrifying roar, momentarily stunning the Titan Aberrant and the smaller Aberrants around it, using the chance to fly away.


    Once it gained some altitude, it transformed back into the human form of a youth that panted, coughing out blood as he gasped for air, quickly covering himself with his Celestial Armour, one that had be tatters by now.


    "D-Dammit! The corruption is bing stronger in me." He grunted, feeling a searing sensation permeate through his internals, causing his vision to be blurry.


    "Retreat into the safety zone and recover!" Yulna shouted, "Don''t die!"


    The youth turned around and stared at the thrashing snake within the safety zone, "The Saint needs all the pure Nacre he can get tobat the corruption in him. If he fails, the Cs would recover immediately."


    "My death is of no consequence. And hence," The youth took in a deep breath before summoning his injured Whale, "Before I die, I''ll hold back our enemy as much as possible."


    His Whale spanned a size of ten metres when it was summoned separately. A momentter, the Whale vanished as he transformed into the Whale himself, now spanning a length of fifteen metres, stronger than before.


    Moreover, he began to use his other abilities in conjunction with his Whale transformation, rushing into the Titan Aberrants that were in the sky.


    "Shit!" Yulna cursed in response, looking around the battlefield as the moment Rhizen was rendered helpless, their side began to be pushed back rather quickly as the Society Members fell one after another in droves.


    "What the¡­?" Suddenly, something mmed into her, sending her flying to the ground, causing her to cough out blood in response, feeling her ribs cracking under the impact. She quickly got up, staring in shock as she looked around before gazing at the gigantic creature before her, "Didn''t I already enter the safe zone? Then¡­why?"


    She stared at the ginormous hole that had formed in the barrier as a Titan Aberrant casually entered it, sporting three wolf-like heads and six pairs of arms. It grinned while gazing at Yulna, opening its mouth to speak, shocking all the Society Members, "Nice try. But too bad,"


    "You fell short."

 Chapter 13 The Humanoid Terror

    "The Cs is our strongest, but we too are here." The mysterious Titan Aberrant said. It reached a height of almost twenty metres, thergest of its kind, possessing a body akin to steel as each of its thunderous footsteps caused craters to form on the ground.


    Swoosh!


    Suddenly, hundreds of feathers mmed into it, raising a lot of smoke. But with a wave of one of its hands, the Titan Aberrant casually brushed away the smoke, emerging unscathed. It then inched closer towards Yulna when another stream of feathers mmed into its three faces.


    A figure brushed past, carrying Yulna away.


    "Felix! What the heck''s this one? Another Cs?" Yulna asked in shock upon seeing that it was Felix that had saved her.


    "It''s not a Cs, but it''s strong enough to be known as a Humanoid Cs. It''s called the Keras, a troublesome Titan Aberrant that can wield weapons." Felix said in a hurry, "It''s equivalent to someone at Stage 8 on our side."


    "Stage 8¡­" Yulna hurriedly looked around, intending to search for one of their few Stage 8 experts, noticing that they were helping Rhizen resist the corruption in his body.


    "I''ll take care of it." Suddenly, a figure ran on the ground, speeding towards the Keras.


    "Dwun! You''re injured. It''s too dangerous!" Yulna shouted in rm.


    "It''s fine." Dwun grinned as he shed a thumbs up, "At worst, I''ll just die. But, ensuring this Aberrant doesn''t disturb Rhizen takes the utmost priority."


    Saying so, Dwun rushed straight at the Keras, cking his gauntlets that unleashed bursts of shockwaves, slowly building up a charge as he arrived before the Keras, punching forth with all his strength.


    Boom!


    The shockwave coursed through the body of the Keras that defended with its hands, causing its muscles to hum sonorously as the shockwave rattled it, causing it to tumble backwards.


    But immediately after, it extended its hand, grabbing hold of a Titan Aberrant before clenching its hand into a fist, shattering the Titan Aberrant''s head before pulling out its spine, wielding it like a whip.


    The whip curved in the air,shing out at Dwun that pierced through the shockwave barrier he had erected, sending him flying away.


    Cough!


    He coughed out blood, gazing at the searing gash on his stomach, turning left to see his arm lying there, severed. His figure was bloody as his armour was destroyed, revealing the countless injuries riddling his body.


    He had been fighting all along to prevent the Society Members from being overwhelmed, taking all the load onto himself. So, a lot of corruption had invaded his body through the wounds, with him not having the time to treat them yet.


    "Hah!" Raisha shouted, aiming at the Keras as sheunched the bullet into its face, not even managing to scratch it.


    The Keras red at her once when she copsed to the ground, hallucinating a sea of blood, of Aberrants using human skulls to scoop out the blood from the ground to drink.


    This was a result of the sheer corruption built up in the Keras, causing her to hallucinate as such.


    Before, when Rhizen was facing the Cs, everyone else was protected by the barrier. But now that it had been breached and the enemy made its way inside, she faced the brunt of its mental impact.


    Boom!


    Hundreds of feathers covered their line of sight as Felix picked her up and retreated to the terrace of a building farther away, shouting in rm, "Stay here!"


    He then pped his wings and took off to the skies, sensing the feathers on his wings regenerating rapidly as he aimed at the Aberrants that had begun to gush in through the breach, targeting them nonstop.


    But suddenly, just as the Keras took a step forward to approach the wounded Dwun, a mysterious force sent it flying, causing it to fly through the breach like a cannonball, mming into all the Aberrants along the way, sending them all flying out.


    "Hah¡­haaah¡­gah¡­" Rhizen gasped for air, barely managing to unleash an attack as he said weakly, "Get up¡­Dwun. Don''t you love to fight?"


    "Yes¡­" Dwun spat out blood as tendrils streamed out of his arm socket, entering the severed arm before joining together into one. Slowly, his injuries recovered as he got up, coughing out murky blood from time to time that was full of the corruption, "My abilities have been nerfed by the corruption."


    Roar!


    The Keras bellowed in anger, getting up as it crunched onto a nearby Aberrant, absorbing its corruption to regenerate its wounds as it sprinted towards the safety zone, rushing through the breach.


    "Screw you!" Dwun shouted in return, crouching low as a pair of boots formed on his foot. Immediately after, his image flickered, travelling the distance of a hundred metres in a second as he appeared right before the three heads of the Keras, condensing a spike on his right that he thrust into his opponent.


    Boom!<novelnext></novelnext>


    His Nacre flowed through the spike, condensing an energy of explosion thattched onto the inner muscles of the Keras, causing one of its heads to explode immediately.


    The Keras brandished the spines it held like whips,shing out at him as Dwun defended himself. His figure flickered to and fro before transforming into a mongoose, clobbering the Keras in numerous ces.


    The two entities exchanged hundreds of attacks in a matter of seconds, causing their body parts to fly with every second, resulting in thundering shockwaves that sted around.


    One of the shockwaves mmed into the Aberrants, exploding them into mist instantly. The Titan Aberrants endured the shockwaves, gradually approaching Rhizen, nning to gobble him up.


    Bang!


    Followed by the sound of thunder, Dwun''s figure was sted away, crashing into a skyscraper as he flew through countless walls, falling out from the other side as a bloody mess.


    But without a moment''s hesitation, his legs touched the walls of the building as his figure flickered, appearing before the Keras once again, raining down hundreds of attacks.


    The Keras too was a bloody mess now, having lost four of its hands already. And when it tried to eat the surrounding Aberrants to heal itself, the shockwaves resulting from their fight mmed them all away.


    Moreover, they were fighting within the safe zone where the Nacre was present in the air. So, it wasn''t able to heal as fast.


    Though, the corruption was steadily gushing in from the breach, gradually overpowering the Nacre. So, it only needed to hold out for some more time before it would obtain a territorial advantage.


    Moreover, Dwun was already severely injured before fighting it, so it was confident in killing him pretty soon, judging by how his limbs were being sent flying from time to time while his regenerative powers continued to slow down.


    "Gah!" Suddenly, he gasped for air, copsing to the ground as his body twitched nonstop, spasming as he frothed from the mouth. His eyes zed over as his skin was slowly turning a murky shade of grey, a sign of corruption saturation.


    His Nacre was unable to heal him fast enough anymore.


    "You''ve hit your limit. Why resist so much?" The Keras finally opened its mouth, speaking derisively as it swallowed a bunch of Aberrants and began to slowly regenerate itself, "Your resistance is futile. You''ll all be devoured by us pretty soon."


    Bam!


    It had just been talking when its second head shattered, startling it as it gazed in the direction of the source, noticing that Rhizen was slowly getting up.


    "You¡­talk too much." He gasped for air, still injured, but the spread of corruption on him had slowed down. The gigantic snake slowly turned its head, gazing its way, making eye contact with the Keras.


    Immediately, the Keras lost strength in its knees, experiencing a hallucination of a celestial hovering in the sky, bigger than a mountain, wielding a formless power capable of affecting cause and effect.


    But its hallucination onlysted for a couple of seconds before Rhizen coughed out blood as the giant serpent¡ªhe had transformed into¡ªcopsed to the ground with a thundering boom.


    "Hah¡­haaah¡­that was¡­terrifying." The Keras gradually regained its bearings as it looked at the horde, slowly smiling as it noticed a couple more Keras making their way towards the safety zone, "There''s two more of me."


    It then turned around, staring in ridicule at Rhizen, "You''re scary, I''ll give you that. But it seems that enormous power in you cannot be used for some reason. And hence¡­"


    "You''ll die here."


    "You''ll all die here."


    "You''ll all be absorbed into us."


    "You''ll make us stronger and allow us to invade your home."


    "S-Shit! What''s happening?" A Society Member condensed a pocket watch, gazing at the rate of corruption before muttering in shock, "Wasn''t the Cs defeated? Why is the corruption close to 99 percent now?"


    [World Corruption: 98.91 %]


    Both the Horned Humans and the Mystic Humans fighting for their lives gazed in shock as the two new Keras entered the safe zone, turning around as they approached the Cs. One of them fought the two Society Members intending to deal with its corpse while the other ced a hand on the head of the Cs, "As our strongest, you cannot fall here."


    "Now¡­" The Keras grunted as a tremendous volume of corruption poured into the Ceras, causing its body to twitch in response.


    "Get up!"

 Chapter 14 Delayed, But Damn Potent

    The corruption from the Keras seeped into the Cs, rapidly empowering it as its body slowly began to twitch in response.


    After it seeped all its corruption into the Cs, the Keras became weak, jumping into the two Society Members as the other Keras¡ªthat was engaging them until now¡ªappeared before the Cs, also supplying it with corruption.


    In a matter of seconds, both the Keras had been rendered weak as they had seeped all their corruption into the Cs.


    "This isn''t enough to bring it to its peak strength, but it can recover from this point onwards." The Keras said proudly when it was swallowed by a Whale.


    "So what if you eat us? With Rhizen out ofmission, the Cs would destroy you all." The other Keras smirked, watching the Cs get up as a suffocating presence emanated from it.


    But suddenly, its legs copsed as the Cs mmed into the ground, rapidly losing strength, shocking the Keras. "What the¡­?"


    "Heh!" A Society Member smirked, aware that the Cs was hit by Rhizen''s Bad Luck. So, there was no way it would ever recover to its peak.


    Even at present, a minor defect would initiate a chain reaction in its body, leading to a major fault, like the shattering of its legs when it tried to get up, etc.


    As the Bad Luck continued to churn within its body, the Cs was as good as done. This was also why they left it as is, for it was bait for the other powerful Aberrants that the apocalypse would churn out.


    And as they had expected, two Keras were rendered useless in their efforts to strengthen it once again. With that, the two Society Members devouring the Cs used their Whales to kill and eat up the weakened Keras first.


    Now, all that remained was the injured Keras that had been fighting against Dwun. It stared in shock before dashing towards the two Society Members, swatting them away while they were focusing all their attention on digesting the corruption they had swallowed.


    It then arrived before the Cs, stating with a solemn tone, "So be it! If you can''t regain your strength, then I''ll do so in your ce."


    Five lines formed on its chest before parting open, blooming like the petals of a flower, revealing jagged teeth inside.


    The petals expanded in size, grabbing onto the incapacitated Cs before devouring it.


    Immediately after, spikes formed on its body as its severed limbs were regenerated. Same for its two shattered heads that regrow almost instantly, causing its body size to bulge in response, reaching a height of thirty metres now as the Keras opened its mouth and unleashed a guttural roar.


    It was still digesting the Cs, but the spike in its body strength already made it confident enough to fight against Rhizen.


    Moreover, a dense stream of corruption began to seep into it through the breach, empowering it further. It was apparent that the apocalypse was storing up its power in it next to take down Rhizen.


    "Hahaha!" The Kerasughed, flexing its arms as one of them expanded in length to grab a Whale that was situated far away, clenching its hand into a fist, resulting in the Whale exploding into pulp.


    "Dammit!" Felix stared in anger, for the attack of the Keras barely missed his family that was situated on the rooftop of a nearby building. If its hand had moved a bit differently, then his family would have been killed then and there.


    "Is this where we''ll die?" He muttered, indignant by this fact, wondering why he failed to aplish anything in his second life.


    "No, it''s fine." Yulna suddenly heaved a sigh in relief, rxing as her nervousness vanished, "The reinforcements are here."


    "Reinforcements¡­?" Felix stared in confusion before noticing a leandy had appeared before the arrogant Keras at some point in time.


    "Hello there, ugly!" She waved her hand, staring straight at the entity that could casually squash her under its foot, "Don''t lift your foot, please. You''re damn smelly."


    "You¡­" The Keras stared in anger at thedy that had appeared before it mysteriously, turning serious upon sensing the vast ocean of power within her. But right as it was about to take action, its stomach bloated before bursting in response, startling it.


    "Eating that Cs was the worst decision you could take." Thedy muttered as she gazed at the limbs of the Keras turn weak almost immediately as its cells began to die in response.


    As its presence plummeted rapidly, she gently touched its foot, causing its figure to vanish, stating happily, "Alright, I''ve taken care of it."


    "Shika, it''s dangerous to store its body in your Origin Space. It''s not dead yet." Yulna said in a fluster upon seeing thedy''s actions.


    "I''ll slowly deal with it there." Shika smiled in response before gazing at Rhizen in all seriousness, "How did he end up like this?"


    "It was the strongest Aberrant of this world. And it took a toll on him to use a power he didn''t have much control over." Yulna said.


    "It was the¡­Cs, right?" Shika heard the discussion around, muttering in response, "How long would Ist against it?"


    "A minute or two at most." Yulna said, "And even that isn''t guaranteed."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "That strong?" She was shocked, sighing in response before snapping her finger. Immediately, thousands of Society Members appeared around them, instantly revitalising the atmosphere of the safe zone.


    "Help everyone!" One of the neers took the lead, transforming into a Whale before charging out, rapidly eating up the Aberrants.


    Immediately after, hundreds of Whales appeared, reducing the load on the safe zone as thousands of abilities were unleashed onto the Aberrants still within the safe zone.


    They were quickly decimated and converted into Nacre as the breach in the barrier began to mend itself automatically. The quantity and quality of Nacre within the safe zone too began to increase in response as they began to push back the enemies.


    "Hah!" Followed by a shout, Shika summoned a pearl pir, stabbing it near the edge of the safe zone.


    External Item¡ªTower of Purification (VIII)!


    The safety zone rapidly strengthened as a result. And with the Nacre growing more potent, it allowed the Society Members to attack with greater vigour.


    Moreover, a team of healers arrived to help all the injured people.


    Once she had erected her Tower of Purification, Shika looked around to notice two of the healers converging around a youth in fluster. Upon noticing that the figure seemed familiar, Shika approached the ce, stunned before shrieking in response, "How did Dwun end up in this state?"


    "He was reckless from the start. But when the Keras breached through the barrier, he fought it despite being injured. And that lead to the corruption in his body bing saturated." Yulna said.


    "Tch!" Shika clicked her tongue, checking Dwun''s pulse before kicking him in the stomach, "Weak bastard! You always boast your strength but look at you now."


    "Hiek!" Dwun regained consciousness, shrieking in pain before shouting in rm, "Idiot! This isn''t the way to treat a patient!"


    "Patient my ass! Get out that and kill some Aberrants. Make yourself useful." Snapping in response, she spat out some remarks before rushing toward Rhizen, helping him deal with the corruption as soon after, he too began to make a recovery.


    "What''s the history between you two¡­?" Yulna asked as her injuries were being treated, "Shika is gentle towards everyone except you."


    "Gentle? Her?" Dwun raised his eyebrow,ughing as he said, "You¡­haven''t recalled any of your past lives, right?"


    "I didn''t." Yulna nodded, "Saint Straxia said that I wasn''t ready yet."


    "No wonder you canment about Shika like this." Dwun smirked, "Gentle and her don''t go in the same sentence. She probably killed more people than me by this point."


    "Then¡­?" Yulna was confused when Dwun raised his hand, motioning for her to stop probing any further.


    "The lot of us have aplicated past. Before the society''s establishment, we''ve killed each other a few times. Unless you recall memories of your past lives, don''t bother probing for more information." Saying so, he got up, feeling that the corruption in his body had reduced to a certain level.


    He thanked the healers, "I can take care of myself from here. Help the rest."


    "Alright." The healers nodded before rushing toward the others with a severe state of corruption in their bodies.


    As his Celestial Armour was in tatters, it wasn''t wise for him to fight. Hence, he approached Rhizen to check up on his state, "Boss, you can puke if you want. I''ll lend my shoulder to you."


    "¡­" Rhizen stared at Dwun for a moment before facing the other side, acting like he hadn''t heard him.


    Upon seeing that he was ignored, as usual, Dwun took a seat, closing his eyes as he focused on his Origin Space.


    As he was a Stage 8 Mystic Human, he had a considerablyrge-sized Origin Space, gazing at the eight Mutated Beasts swimming through the Nacre that filed up the ce.


    Among them, the rhino that represented his Celestial Armour was critically injured, bleeding all over, barely alive. But upon seeing that it hadn''t died yet, Dwun heaved a sigh in relief, "Thankfully, it''s still alive. Otherwise, I''ll be damned."


    "Raising the level of the Celestial Armour is damn taxing." He muttered, gazing at the four Horns on the rhino, observing the Nacre gradually seeping into its wounds, slowly but surely healing it.


    Until it recovered fully, it would be wise to not use the Celestial Armour. And hence, Dwun couldn''t do anything for the time being. After a moment of thought, he condensed a pair of boots, shing to the top of a nearby apartment, taking a seat there as he observed the resounding booms happening everywhere.


    The Whales swallowed the Aberrants as Society Members exploded the ce into smithereens, destroying the Aberrants. And from time to time, the Aberrants would overwhelm some Society Members and devour them.


    Dwun stared afar, sighing when he couldn''t see an end to the horde that resembled a sea, groaning for a moment as he watched the sun beginning to set, "This wouldn''t be easy¡­"

 Chapter 15 Bringing Out All External Items

    Krriek!


    [¡­Bastard]


    [You dare use my power?]


    [Give in!]


    [Fall under my control¡­!]


    "¡­zhen."


    [Kekeke, it won''t be long before I reim my power from you]


    "¡­izhen."


    [The more you use it, the faster I recover!]


    "Rhizen!" Shika shouted, grabbing hold of Rhizen''s shoulders before shaking him violently.


    "What?" Rhizen jolted awake, panting as he clutched his head, sweating profusely as his vision was blurry. What seemed to be standing before him was a humanoid deer, with a protruding mouth that was curled into a smile bigger than its head.


    But gradually, like a fog that was cleared up, the deer-like humanoid vanished and, in its ce, stood a familiar face, allowing him to sigh in relief, muttering, "What happened¡­Shika?"


    "Have youe to your senses now?" Shika said in concern, "You suddenly zoned out on me. I was worried if the corruption took a greater toll on your body and mind."


    "I''m fine now," Rhizen said, getting up slowly as he looked around, seeing the ongoing war, sighing as he stretched his limbs, "How''s our status?"


    "We''re expanding steadily." Shika said, "We''ve already stabilised everything. The other safe zones are faring better since most of the corruption is being concentrated here."


    "I see," Rhizen nodded, condensing a pair of wings as he took off to the air, "Take care of things here for the time being. I need to do something."


    "Wait!" Shika shouted, watching Rhizen''s figure vanish soon after.


    Boom!


    Crashing into a building, Rhizen groaned, struggling to get up as his head ached, muttering as he sweated, "You''re not dead yet?"


    "No¡­" He exhaled a long breath, sighing as he said, "I should have known. I was aware that you would revive eventually, but I hadn''t expected it to be this quick."


    Of course, there was no reply to his words as Rhizen gradually regained his bearings. He then closed his eyes, meditating as he inspected himself, sensing no issues within him.


    All the corruption from the Cs had already been digested and converted into Nacre that had been supplied to the Tower of Purification. Moreover, his injuries had already been treated by the Society Members.


    So, there were no issues in his being.


    But, that was only in terms of the tangible matter. A momentter, Rhizen opened his eyes, sensing the luck of everything around him, including the world itself, seeing swirling streams of luck of various forms everywhere.


    He focused on Dwun''s Luck, noticing that it resembled a fawn dancing happily while wielding a pair of grass gauntlets. It was one of thergest streams of luck around him.


    Following it was Shika''s whose luck resembled a droplet of ink, subtle in nature, many times smaller inparison to Dwun''s luck.


    And in the same vein, Rhizen inspected himself, gradually observing the feet of a celestial humanoide into view, gigantic in size.


    His senses scaled up the feet of the celestial humanoid, one whose height was on par with mountains.


    The celestial humanoid had 22 hands, each seemingly wielding a mysterious power. Some wererger and stronger than the rest, painting a somewhat uneven appearance to the celestial humanoid.


    The face of the celestial humanoid resembled Rhizen at first nce but shared some differences too. First of them were the massive deer horns on its forehead, with each branching out into 22 smaller horns.


    And just like the arms, the smaller horns were of varying sizes.


    Multiple streams of varying shapes gushed into the horns, symbolising a form of luck each. But as Rhizen trailed past the streams, he noticed a formless pair of arms tugging at their ends, gradually pulling the streams towards themselves.


    ''So, the Luck System has begun its revival.'' He muttered, sighing in the end.


    Among the various Systems, the Luck System was his most dangerous foe. After all, both of them held sway over the same dominion¡ªof luck!


    Moreover, before the Luck System came into being, its predecessor, the Coincidental Luck System was his System.


    Rhizen had spent time as Host to the Coincidental Luck System for almost a millennium. It was also the original owner of his world. And after a myriad of schemes, the Coincidental Luck System devoured all the other Luck-based Systems, reaching Grade 2, and bing the Luck System.


    And in the meantime, Rhizen freed his world from its grasp, also plotting its demise.


    But, as the Coordinates of the Luck System, the source of its being hadn''t been extracted, it was bound to revive. And after he used the power of Bad Luck, Rhizen noticed the Luck System beginning to pull back the power of luck that he wielded.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It would be a tug of war as it continued to revive. And if he didn''t do anything, once the Luck System revived, it would snatch the entire treasury of Luck he had amassed.


    "I¡­won''t allow you to revive. It had been hard to gain independence." Rhizen grunted, exerting his strength as the various streams of luck swatted away the hands grabbing hold of their ends, fully under his control once again.


    ''I only cannot use the full power of my Luck in fear that the other Systems would detect our world. But, that doesn''t mean that I''m helpless.'' He snorted, flying out of the building as he soon exited the safety zone, gazing at the stream of Aberrants as he waved his hand.


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªDust Wave (IX)!


    Gah!


    Kreee!


    Kuoong!


    The Aberrants turned into dust in waves, rapidly resulting in the area of a kilometre around the safety zone being devoid of Aberrants.


    Following that, he looked at the Society Members, announcing aloud, "We''ll be expanding aggressively now. Follow my lead and set up your External Items along the way!"


    "Yes, Saint!" The Society Members saluted happily in response, brimming with vigour upon seeing that their strongest had made aplete recovery.


    It meant that they didn''t have to fear anything anymore. After all, the strongest of this apocalyptic world, the Cs was already dead.


    Immediately after his announcement, a Society Member, a Stage 7 Mystic Human took out an item resembling a lollipop, nting it into the ground in the region Rhizen had cleared out just now.


    Immediately, the shaft of the lollipop rapidly expanded into a tower ten metres high, sporting a glowing sphere at the top.


    This tower too was akin to a tree as its roots burrowed deep into the ground, sucking up the corruption to turn it into Nacre that charged the sphere at the top.


    Whuoong!


    The Nacre condensing within the sphere continued to revolve before facing a certain direction, transforming into an arrow before flying away at terrifying speeds, mming into a Titan Aberrant a couple of kilometres away, disintegrating it in an instant.


    It seemed to have expended all its Nacre as it started to umte power once again. A minuteter, it fired another beam, killing another Titan Aberrant.


    External Item¡ªArtillery Canon!


    It was an automatic weapon that targeted the strongest among the approaching horde and killed them one by one. Boasting an exceptional range of two kilometres, it was a terrifying unit.


    Its only drawback was that it was a single-target attack unit and needed a minute to recharge for every attack. This was why it wasn''t deployed during the time the Aberrants had breached the safe zone.


    Not only would it not affect the situation much, but it would also be destroyed easily as it was a somewhat fragile unit.


    But now that Rhizen had recovered, they had more than enough foundation to rely upon to bring out all their cards.


    Immediately after, multiple Artillery Canons were set up around the safe zone, making them target the Titan Aberrants alone.


    "Finally! Things are getting interesting!" Dwunughed, bringing out an item that he mmed into the ground, causing it to quake in response as a massive tree shot out immediately after, reaching a height of thirty metres.


    It resembled a banyan in appearance as its various secondary roots dangled from the branches, gradually growing thicker in response before turning humanoid. Soon after, they extricated themselves from the tree,nding on the ground, resembling humans in body structure but were wholly made from tree fibre.


    External Item¡ªGrassmen Nest!


    "Mow them all, brothers!" Dwunughed, sensing the corruption in the region be weak immediately after. This was why he couldn''t use it within the safe zone before, for the corruption consumption would be too much that it would severely affect the Nacre production by Pearl Buck.


    Upon his orders, the Grassmen, beings that were two-metre-tall grass creatures slowly walked towards the Aberrants, elerating over time before rushing into the horde.


    The Grassman in the lead swiped its ws, unleashing a beam attack that shredded the Aberrant into multiple pieces. But immediately after, three Aberrants ganged up on it, devouring it into bits, preventing it from recovering.


    The two sides tore into each other as the Grassmen created a blockade, preventing the Aberrants from approaching them as easily as in the past.


    But, the production of the Grassmen couldn''t obviously keep up with the horde attacking them as only Dwun had the External Item of Grassmen Nest.


    "Heuk!" Shika retracted her Tower of Purification, imnting it into the new area that they were invading now, serving as a base for the army to retreat in and out of while fighting.


    In the meantime, the Society Members erected walls connecting the two safe zones, lining up the walls with spare Artillery Canons.


    In the meantime, Yulna took out a tiny cylinder, cing it on the ground within the safe zone created by Rhizen, watching roots gush out of the cylinder and enter the ground, causing its upper half to gradually transform into a bowl with a radius of a metre.


    Immediately after, nutrients were sucked from the ground and amassed into edible substances. Within a couple of minutes, a variety of cooked dishes appeared within the bowl as Yulna took them one after another and began to supply them to everyone.


    External Item¡ªVitality Bowl!

 Chapter 16 Mutated Beast Transformation

    [World Corruption: 98.01%]


    [World Corruption: 97.64%]


    [World Corruption: 97.20%]


    Rhizen condensed his pocket watch, observing the corruption of the apocalyptic world beginning to reduce sharply. The change happened ever since the Cs and the three Keras were killed and their corruption converted into Nacre to fuel their exploits.


    The apocalyptic world lost its edge following that as multiple safe zones were set up; the corruption was consumed at a faster pace while the Nacre production spiked.


    Moreover, now that things leaned in their favour, the Horned Humans too could participate and be an active contributor.


    Felix had already reached Stage 2 after a day, experiencing an increase in his strength as he was able to kill the Aberrants better.


    Only those at Stage 5 and beyond could face a Titan Aberrant. So, he was hoping to reach that level as soon as possible.


    External Item¡ªHealing Sprite!


    A Stage 7 Mystic human arrived at the safe zone established by Shika, nting his External Item into the ground, watching it bloom into a fountain that produced a tiny barrier spanning ten metres in radius.


    The water from the fountain gradually evaporated, filling up the dome to create a healing effect as anyone that entered this region noticed their injuries healing at a faster rate. A couple of Stage 7 Whales too hovered beside the Healing Sprite, sucking in the Corruption within the bodies of the injured.


    Only after that could they be treated by the Healing Sprite.


    As the External Items were set up at multiple stations, it sped up their clean-up, allowing them to handle the Aberrants with hardly any casualties.


    By the fourth day, they didn''t face any casualties anymore, having gotten used to the attacks of the Aberrants, safely attacking from the forts that they installed along the way.


    External Item¡ªFortress!


    As they proceeded deep into the region of the Aberrants, Rhizen cleared out a kilometre in area using his Dust Wave as a Stage 7 Mystic Human set up a Fortress.


    The Fortress spanned exactly a kilometre in area, equipped with all facilities to live at. A couple of Mystic Humans then nted Vitality Bowls in it to take care of their food needs.


    Following that was a defensive war until the Aberrants in the region were cleared out to a certain extent.


    After that, the Fortress was removed as they moved over to another region.


    The safe zones established throughout the world continued to expand as the strength of the Horned Humans gradually increased as they continued to fight.


    This resulted in their clearing speed improving drastically. After all, the number of Mystic Humans was limited and their breakthrough was slow.


    Inparison, the Horned Humans could speed through the initial Stages at an rming pace.


    By the end of the week, Felix managed to reach Stage 3, Stage 4 after a month, and Stage 5 after three months.


    At this point, he was able to face the Titan Aberrants, only now feeling that he had made the right choice in trusting Rhizen at the start. Otherwise, if he selfishly stuck to their gic evolution, he wouldn''t have enough power to face his enemies.


    And now, he could feel his strength continuing to grow without any limits. As he already had the experience of fighting in an apocalypse for twenty years, he was the fastest to adapt to his power.


    Swoosh!


    His feathers shot out like the wind, splitting into multiple streams as they mmed into the Aberrants approaching from multiple directions. Each feather uratelynded on their necks, one per each before exploding to kill them.


    Having been using the same power, Felix''s control had reached a terrifying level. After all, he had Rhizen to teach him through the ins and outs of this ability.


    His ability, Homing Feathers was versatile in nature. As they were a pair of wings, they allowed him to fly. Moreover, his mobility was higher aspared to Horned Humans and Mystic Humans that relied on wings to fly.


    That wasn''t all, he could constantly unleash his feathers like bullets, those whose travel paths he could control, able to precisely aim at his target.


    He could either carpet bomb a ce or precisely target his enemy. To defend, he could erect defensive structures using his feathers. So, it was damn versatile in nature.


    He only couldn''t heal himself or recover his expended Nacre. But, for that, he could form a team with Horned Humans that had the rted abilities.


    Even though none of the Horned Humans had the All-Devouring Whale, they awakened to abilities that were like the inferior version to the same, which was also useful in the long run.


    Among them was a Horned Human that could summon a Pufferfish. It devoured the corpses of the Aberrants, digested them and turned them into Nacre. After that, it shot out spikes of Nacre into the horns of the Horned Men, recharging their Nacre this way.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Even though the time it took to do this was almost ten times the Whale at a simr Stage, they were still useful. After all, the Pufferfish acted as a mobile recharge unit to replenish their Nacre reserves.


    Felix gazed at a mirror, seeing the horn on his forehead segmented into five, disying that he had attained Stage 5.


    After reaching this Stage, he unlocked a special ability, one that Rhizen called the Mutated Beast Transformation. It was something Mystic Humans could do at Stage 1 while Horned Humans had to wait until Stage 5.


    Felix took in a deep breath before riling up his Nacre, watching his figure transform into a bird-like creature resembling a vulture.


    It reached a height of two metres and had a wingspan that almost reached eight metres. It pped its wings as Felix thought, ''It''s somewhat ufortable being in this unfamiliar form. But I could feel that my power is stronger in this form.''


    He then thought, watching the size of the vulture-like bird expanding in size, reaching a height of three metres before he felt that he had hit his limit. He then began to shrink his size, bringing it down to almost a metre in height before hitting his limit.


    After that, he returned to his human form, muttering, "I can feel that I would be able to vary my size further after reaching a higher Stage."


    "Brother, I saw arge creature here!" Raisha shouted in rm before rushing into the alley he was at, alert.


    "That was me," Felix said, exining his new power and the advantages it came with.


    "Hmm, I''m curious about the creature I would transform into at Stage 5." She said, bing a tad excited. She had just reached Stage 4 and had a long way to reach Stage 5. But, it wouldn''t be long.


    Besides, as they began to clear one region after another, some of the Horned Humans began to repair the mostly intact buildings, intending for them to be their dwelling.


    And in the future, even though the cities would be mostly vacant, they could somewhat return to their original lives.


    "I hope we''ll get there one day," Raisha muttered.


    "That''s a definite." Felix nodded, "You can see how the corruption is continuing to fall at a consistent rate. Before long, our world would be good as new."


    "It''s not as simple as that," Rhizen said, pouring cold water over their hopeful thoughts.


    "Is there a problem?" Felix asked, feeling nervous immediately.


    "First of all, we''re only clearing out the Aberrants on thend." Rhizen said, "But, we have yet to touch the ocean. And around seventy percent of the corruption is still there."


    "The most we could promise from our side is to ensure that Apocalypse wouldn''t be able to connect with this world again. But, clearing the corruption entirely is impossible. We''ll have to leave that to the natives of this world."


    "So, we''ll have to set out campaigns into the ocean," Felix said, frowning in response. "It won''t be easy."


    At least, onnd, it was a 2D war, with very few Aberrants that could fly. But things in the ocean were a whole other dynamic, for the war there was 3D in nature. Moreover, the water pressure would cause most of their abilities to be weakened.


    That wasn''t all. As the corruption had mixed into the ocean water itself, it would churn through the water cycle, continuing to corrupt the cleansednd through rainfall and other factors.


    "So, the moment we becent or slip up is when the situation would repeat itself." Felix sighed in response, feeling that returning to their original lives would be a lot harder than he had expected.


    He then thought of something, asking Rhizen, "This is the third world you''ve dived into, right? How are the other two worlds faring?"


    "The first world had a corruption rate less than 8 percent." Rhizen said, "So, once we turned back time for it, the one simr to you in that world managed to seed with minimal help from us. Though, it took him forty years to do so. After that, they entered a post-apocalyptic era with our aid."


    "The second world had a corruption around forty percent." He said, "It wasn''t as easy there. And the situation there is somewhat simr to this world as their waters are still corrupted. But, their corruption has stabilised around twenty percent."


    "Thankfully, they too have entered a post-apocalyptic era and have begun to raise the number of people. Over time, they would cleanse the world. And if the situation were to deteriorate, we''ll step in immediately." He continued, "Unlike the first world, the second world is mostly relying on our power, for it''s stronger than their world''s power."


    "The only disadvantage of this power is how weak our bodies are." Felix muttered, "But the Mutated Beast Transformation negates that disadvantage to a certain extent."


    "Indeed," Rhizen nodded, "So, the Horned Humans from Stage 5 and above have fewer weaknesses. Also,"


    He continued, "When you reach Stage 10, your power enters a whole new realm."


    "Would we obtain any new abilities?" Felix asked, excited.


    "You''ll obtain an External Item of your choosing." Rhizen said, "And, the External Items of Horned Humans are somewhat special."


    He then smiled mysteriously, "When you attain Stage 10, you''ll know."

 Chapter 17 They Aren鈥檛 Ready

    Yonka City; it was morning hours as the sun shone brightly, casting warm rays onto the city that now had a wild nature to it.


    Kuoo!


    A bus screeched to a halt, opening its doors as a group of children entered it, varying in age, all bright smiles. They wore neat, ironed clothes, expecting a bright future.


    Among them was a child eight years old, blinking as he massaged the horn growing on his forehead, feeling mild pain at the roots. His horn was segmented into two, disying that he was at Stage 2.


    Just before he entered the bus, the kid raised his head, gazing at the massive dome covering his city, noticing greenish clouds hovering beyond, unable to prate through the barrier.


    And when they came into contact, the clouds gradually dispersed as their power was absorbed by the barrier, fuelling it.


    A hand patted his shoulder at this time; the kid turned around, gazing at his mother''s confident smile, automatically beaming in response as he rushed into the bus, taking a seat beside his friend, happily chatting away as the bus moved.


    His mother continued to wave at the bus until it vanished from view. Following that, she sighed, walking through the pavement as she greeted the passer-by, buying the morning newspaper that she looked at the headlines of, reading them slowly.


    "World Corruption fell to an all-time low at 71 percent. And 99.8 percent of that is concentrated in the ocean while the remaining is within the clouds. Thends are mostly free from the corruption but the values might spike up any moment in the case of a natural disaster or other nature-rted events."


    She sighed in response upon reading the news, "It''s not just the ocean¡­"


    It had been two years since the apocalypse hit them. Thanks to the restless efforts of the Post-Apocalyptic Dispatch Society, the Aberrants on thend have been cleared out by now, with the corruption here mostly cured.


    And as all the survivors had be Horned Humans, they awakened to various abilities, some of which allowed them to inspect the condition of thend, detect the varying concentration of corruption, etc.


    Following that, with Felix taking the lead, as appointed by Rhizen, a world government had been established.


    Those from the PADS only formed figurative members that the world government was answerable towards. Everything else was left to the natives to solve the issues in their world.


    After all, excessive meddling would only lead to disaster.


    But, that didn''t mean they just dumped all the issues on the world government. Rhizen and others from PADS worked on first establishing the authoritative body, appointing key members that they felt were suitable beforeying down all the necessary groundwork.


    And among them was Yonka City, the city Felix originated from and the location where the worst of battles had transpired, now dered the world capital.


    More than a million among the survivors gathered at the city that became the capital of the new world order.


    And in a simr vein, other important cities too experienced an influx of survivors. With enough people in a ce, things resumed, gradually regaining their original flow.


    Of course, the society at the moment was pretty different from two years ago, with technologies being modified to adapt to their powers.


    Among them, one of the institutional bodies that gained a strong voice was the Geographical Society. Its primary function was to detect the corruption in the world and map out the regions with its varying concentration.


    And, the news published in the newspaper was from them.


    Thedy continued to read the article, "More than thirty percent of the remaining corruption is steadily heading towards the inner core of our. This is a n by Apocalypse to ensure it doesn''t get wiped out. The Mantle Protection Board dered data that the rate of corruption seepage through the mantle is around 0.08 percent per 48 hours and is on a continued rise."


    "These are troubling times." She sighed, "Until the corruption is eradicated, we''ll never recover from the effects of the Apocalypse."


    She then exhaled a long breath, folding the paper neatly before stuffing it in her bag, entering argeplex where a monitor scanned her horn, resulting in a mechanical beep.


    "Stage 5 Horned Human, Marine Commander Yanka, wee to the Naval Zone."


    "Marine Commander?" The surrounding Horned Humans¡ªthat had been sipping coffee while reading their respective news¡ªraised their heads in response, hurriedly getting up as they saluted.


    "At ease." Thedy, named Yanka stated with an authoritative tone, watching everyone take a seat immediately in response, her demeanour vastly different from the gentledy of before as she boarded her son on his school bus.


    Slowly, Yanka walked through the establishment, passing by countless rooms before entering the room at the end, the only one withrge double doors.


    There stood a team of personnel, engaged in a flurry of discussion as they stared at a suit before them.


    The moment she arrived, the room turned silent as everyone saluted her in response, "Marine Commander!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "How''s the progress?" Yanka asked curtly, eyeing the armour that was newly produced by their division.


    "We''ve been going through all the knowledge and blueprints supplied by PADS. But, the armour designs used in the other worlds corroded in a matter of minutes due to the sheer concentration of corruption in our waters." The lead engineer said, pointing at a sample cylinder nearby that preserved a damaged armour.


    It had melted at various ces, worse than a piece of rag at the moment, "So, we''ve been working on improving the design. We''ve achieved some level of sess¡­"


    "How long will theyst in the Yalore Sea?" Yanka asked, cutting off the lead engineer''s long exnation.


    "The bottommost depth of the seabed there is only 800 metres. Ourtest armours wouldst three hours in the corruption concentration there. They''ll remain functional for 17 hours if we only move in the region less than a hundred metres from the surface." The lead engineer stated.


    "That''s not enough." She muttered, "Two months. Make them functional in the Yalore Sea for at least 24 hours. Time is running short. The more we dy, the greater the quantity of corruption that would breach the crust and head towards our inner core."


    "We''re trying our best," The lead engineer smiled wryly, "Even the experts from PADS are struggling. Our world has the highest corruption rate so even their experience iscking."


    "That''s precisely the reason we must hurry." She said, giving an ultimatum, "Two months. Request any amount of resources you need. Leave the rest to me."


    "Yes, Marine Commander!" All the engineers saluted as she left the room, heading to the top of the building as she stopped before a room, knocking gently. Her back was straight as the authority she exuded until now vanished, mildly nervous even.


    "Come in."


    The moment she heard the voice, Yanka gulped, taking in a deep breath before entering the room, saluting as she said firmly, "Yanka reporting, Sir."


    "Take a seat." Felix nodded, watching everyone that had gathered, ncing at Rhizen once before saying, "I''ve coted all the data that we obtained in regards to the ocean. The situation, to say the least, isn''t optimal."


    He switched on the projector, disying the scene recorded by a probe that they sent into the depths of the ocean, revealing countless behemoths swimming around freely.


    Even the smallest of theserge-bodied creatures reached a length of ten metres. As for therger ones¡­


    "Tch!" Rhizen clicked his tongue, clenching his hand into a fist, "All the big ones are on the level of a Keras."


    "Yes," Felix nodded, mildly paling in response as he continued, "If they continue at this pace, another Cs might be produced. And, I have never entered the ocean in my previous life, so everything regarding them is a nk te in my memory."


    The people seated here were all aware of the fact that their world had been rewinded by twenty years using Felix as the funnel to channel the power of time by the PADS.


    That was why Felix could freely recount the details of everything that he had experienced in his first life. Honestly, it wasn''t as if Rhizen was aware of the details regarding this world in the first ce when he dived into it.


    Only through Felix did he graduallye to know of the various details and made countermeasures ordingly.


    And since Felix hadn''t entered the ocean before, he was unaware of the horrors that were brewing in there.


    Even those from the Geographical Society could only monitor the concentration, distribution, and movement of the corruption. They couldn''t determine the quantity/quality of corruption within an Aberrant without scanning it on site.


    "How is it possible to produce so many creatures on the level of a Keras while the corruption is sinking into the mantle and further below?" The Director of the Geographical Society stated in shock.


    "The enemy we''re facing is the Grade 3 System, Apocalypse." Rhizen said, "It had plunged countless worlds into a state of apocalypse and destroyed them all. Even if it''s only a fragment of Apocalypse''s power here, even if it''s cut off from Apocalypse, it''s still a power originating from it. So, we can''t treat it lightly."


    "Remember that it had already seeded in destroying your world once. If we had arrived a couple of minuteste, then even Felix would have died, resulting in it seeding by fully turning your world into its Host." Rhizen said.


    "Yes¡­" The Geographical Society Director nodded, sweating buckets upon being berated by Rhizen.


    Honestly, except Felix, everyone else instinctively shied away from Rhizen, feeling a natural sense of oppression, even though Rhizen didn''t exude anything of the sort.


    It generally stemmed from the fact that Rhizen was the one who had singlehandedly created Nacre and a variety of things. And, they could feel his presence in the abilities they wielded, hence feeling a formless pressure from him.


    As for Felix, he was different as a hardened veteran. Moreover, as he had the same ability as Rhizen''s signature ability, he didn''t feel any pressure when talking to Rhizen.


    Felix then looked at Yanka, "Marine Commander, what''s the status of the marine armours?"


    Yanka got up with a start, nervous as she announced, "They aren''t ready sir."

 Chapter 18 Woran The Infiltrator

    "They aren''t ready, sir." Yanka''s words caused Felix to wish he could facepalm. It wasn''t the words themselves that caused this but the vigour with which she announced it, as if they hadpleted its testing and had already manufactured enough to refit the entire army.


    "What''s their current status?" Felix asked.


    "Theyst 17 hours within a 100 metres depth and 3 hours in deeper waters of Yalore Sea," Yanka said in a flurry.


    "Hmm, that''s not enough." Rhizen sighed in worry, "Within the corruption-filled water, only our Celestial Armours with three horns and above canst long enough without being destroyed. But, our numbers are pitiful inparison to the great waters. We wouldn''t even make a dent on the corruption that would recover over time."


    This was the problem with the corruption.


    If left alone, it would gradually spread around like a gue, infecting the entire world. So, the only way to eradicate it was to destroy it at a rate faster than its growth.


    On the surface, they were capable of this thanks to the safe zones and various other powers they wielded. But in the water, this wasn''t feasible, especially since most of their abilities weren''t efficient underwater.


    Consider Rhizen''s powers for example. His Homing Feathers would travel too slow in the waters and expend most of their Nacre through travel itself. Moreover, the radius of their explosion would be more contained.


    His Death Stinger was close-ranged and was somewhat useful, but his Spike Frenzy fell under the same limitation as Homing Feathers, unable to travel quickly through the water.


    His Static Force was useless there with too many variables that could trigger its retaliation prematurely. So, this only left the Dust Wave and the All-Devouring Whale among his offensive abilities.


    And this was in his case, one that had the most number of abilities.


    For the Horned Humans, barely any could fight properly in the ocean waters. The PADS didn''t have enough members to deploy in this world. After all, they had to monitor two other worlds while also searching for other worlds to rescue.


    Moreover, they also had to ensure these worlds were cut off and hidden from other Systems, especially Apocalypse which had been angered by their actions.


    So, a lot of personnel had to be deployed for that.


    Therefore, the only way to truly save this world is to ensure the natives¡ªthe Horned Humans¡ªhave the means to take care of things on their own.


    "I guess the only direction forward is to create something resembling an External Item." Rhizen muttered, "Something like a ship that is fuelled by Nacre."


    "If the Artillery Canon can be modified to be used underwater, we''ll have the means to fight." Felix proposed, "Or, setting up a safe zone at the ocean bed that would gradually consume the corruption there. We can also move in and out of there tounch attacks, even if they aren''t efficient."


    "But, mobility is a problem." Rhizen said, "The moment we create a safe zone at the seabed, the various Aberrants would surround us and cut us off from all supplies. They''ll gradually wear us down before killing us all. Or, they could also use this chance to invade thend once again."


    "Our enemy is a schemer too." He sighed in the end, "So, we should never proceed with a n that has an obvious w."


    Rhizen looked at Yanka, "Work on creating a mobile vehicle underwater that can attack the Aberrants using Nacre. Work on it simultaneously to the armours, alright?"


    "Yes, Sir!" Yanka saluted in response before Rhizen adjourned the meeting.


    Five minutester, she heaved a sigh in relief, rxing in the canteen where she sipped some coffee, eyes lighting up in praise, "The quality of coffee is better than before."


    "Thanks to the Vitality Bowl." A colleague smiled, taking a seat opposite her, rxing as he too enjoyed the coffee, "Nacre has a revitalising property. And since the raw materials are produced through the Vitality Bowl, things are of superior quality."


    "Indeed, they are. This is probably the only sce in these times." Yanka sighed, sipping the coffee.


    The External Item of Vitality Bowl was one of the most basic and famous among External Items. Its entire body wasposed of grass, sporting a texture simr to pearl. Its original form is of a cylinder spanning a height of ten centimetres.


    When nted into the ground, its roots would burrow underground and suck up the nutrients rapidly.


    But unlike a tree, these roots secreted a potent substance capable of breaking down minerals to their empirical forms, capable of then rearranging them into the necessary molecules andpounds.


    So, as long as the wielder of the Vitality Bowl had thought, for example, of a craving to drink coke, then the Vitality Bowl would work on producing it by absorbing all the necessary minerals from the ground.


    And if such minerals didn''t exist, it would break down the other minerals to the atomic level beforebining them to form the elemental bonds, creating the necessary substances. After that, it would gradually condense coke within it.


    Depending on theck of avability of the necessary minerals, the time taken to produce the respective food item was higher. But no matter what, it would create the necessary food.<novelnext></novelnext>


    And as it selectively prepared them like a tree did to its fruits, but with greater control, the products were superior, akin to being grown in the most bountiful ofnds possible.


    That was why, even in the apocalyptic scenario, the people didn''t have ack of food, water, and medicine. This allowed them to focus on survival alone, having a more stabler mindset.


    Otherwise, if there was ack of basic resources, then things would get ugly at the very minimum as humans would disy their vicious nature.


    As Rhizen''s entire goal in diving into these apocalyptic worlds was to prevent that, he ensured the environment within the safe zones was as optimistic as possible while working hard on destroying their problems.


    "Did they specify any deadline for the Ocean Raid?" The man asked, having finished his cup of coffee.


    "Not yet," Yanka sighed, "We hope to be ready by two months. But it''s harder than I had thought."


    "That''s only natural." The man nodded, "If the problem in the ocean was solved, then the other worlds would have gotten rid of their corruption by now, right? After all, they''re facing it for more than twenty years."


    "Also¡­" He suddenly looked around before whispering, "I heard that the PADS members never age. Is that right?"


    "It''s not like that." Yanka massaged her forehead, sighing as she said, "They do age, alright. But, their home world loops once every twenty years. And when this happens, their age regresses, turning them younger."


    "I''m not sure as to how this is possible. But even when their world loops, I heard that only their age follows it. Their umtions aren''t lost." She continued, "And, Sir Rhizen is more than a thousand years old."


    "He is¡­?" The man raised an eyebrow in shock before smiling wryly, "That feels¡­terrifying. So, everyone from PADS is an immortal?"


    "They aren''t immortal, but undying to a certain extent," Yanka said.


    "So, it is true." The man nodded, "Those from my department have been discussing how the PADS members would revive when their world loops. So, even if they die, it''s only temporary."


    "That''s not entirely true." Yanka said, "I don''t know the specifics, but it seems they aren''t entirely unkible. Some have indeed died, never to return. But I don''t know the details regarding that."


    Yanka was rxed at the moment, calmly chatting as she continued to drink her coffee.


    "So, the forecast is to invade the ocean in two months. But, what exactly is Rhizen nning in regards to that?" The man asked, his eyes glinting in response.


    Yanka felt odd all of a sudden, feeling appalled that the man before her dared address Rhizen without any honorifics. But before she reacted, she noticed her mouth moving in response as a string of words leaked out, "He''s building a fleet of ships and submarines that are effective against the Aberrants. He''ll personally take the lead during the raid."


    "What about Felix? Will he be there too?" The man asked, smiling as he noticed Yanka''s aghast expression.


    "Yes," Yanka nodded as cold sweat drenched her back; her eyes darted to the coffee cup, noticing swirling green smoke emitting from it.


    She tried to raise her hand, intending to alert the others when she realised that she was unable to move, for the corruption had invaded her Origin Space, sealing her abilities while constricting her movements.


    "Thank you for your cooperation, Yanka." The man got up slowly and performed a standard salute, turning around to leave.


    ''No! He''s no longer the Woran that I know. Something''s off about him. I cannot allow him to escape!'' Yanka screamed mentally, watching the man, Woran walk away as she hurriedly thought of something, forcing herself to stop breathing, causing her face to turn blue in response.


    "Eh? Are you feeling alright, Marine Commander?" A passer-by asked in confusion before noticing that her expression was strange, frowning when he noticed a faint wisp of corruption steadily spreading through her horn.


    He then observed the direction her eyes were facing, noticing Woran walking away, shouting in rm, "Danger!"


    Bang!


    Immediately upon hearing the shout, Woran dropped all formalities as he bolted out of the building, mming into the walls as he broke through it, rapidly transforming into an Aberrant that took off to the skies, intending to leave as soon as possible.


    It was a Keras with wings, containing a powerful corruption in its body. And somehow, it had managed to infiltrate the safe zone while wearing the skin of an employee, even managing to gather intelligence out of Yanka.


    But despite possessing the power to ughter the people, it didn''t do that, only having the motive to escape into the ocean and convey the intelligence to their forces there.


    Immediately after, a string of abilities trailed after it, targeting it as the Keras, once the man named Woran continued to evade the attacks, soon reaching the barrier, mming forth with a punch that cracked open a hole, allowing it to rush out.

 Chapter 19 Rotten Core And Diamond Skin

    Woran exited the safe zone, condensing corruption in his wings to st towards the ocean immediately after. But, his wings had just pped once when he lost all strength in his body, fainting in the process, "What the heck¡­happened?"


    Bzzz!


    Hovering next to him was a wasp, sporting a scorpion tail that had stung his neck, injecting a copious amount of poison into him that instantly knocked him unconscious.


    The wasp then ballooned in size as its scorpion tail elongated in length. It then coiled around the Keras, bringing it back into the safe zone.


    The wasp then entered a secured building, transforming into Rhizen as he gazed at the figure of Woran that gradually turned into a human once again, with his Keras form vanishing.


    "Hmm¡­?" He frowned, tipping Woran to the side as he looked at a tiny worm-like creature stuck on his spine, "So, this is your true identity."


    This particr Keras was a parasitic individual that had infiltrated the safe zone bytching onto Woran when he had ventured out on a mission. And due to the sheer difference between their powers, he hadn''t even sensed ittching onto him.


    And through that, it managed to use his body to infiltrate the safe zone, fully parasitising him to gain intelligence about the Mystic and Horned Humans.


    And eventually, he targeted Yanka to obtain the most recent information, intending to escape after that. But unfortunately for him, he was found out by Rhizen that happened to be in the same building.


    Rhizen carefully pried out the parasitic Keras, watching Woran grunt as he gradually regained consciousness. He was still profusely injured, unable to move for the time being.


    "Take him to the healing ward and keep an eye on his state. Tell Shika to oversee him." Rhizen said to the couple of people nearby, watching them take Woran with them and vanish.


    He then wrapped hundreds of feathers around the Keras, sealing it up before carrying it with him to an underground dungeon, intending to interrogate it.


    He dropped it on the ground, retracting the scorpion stinger, watching the Keras gradually regain consciousness.


    The moment it noticed Rhizen, it immediately whirred its corruption, intending tomit suicide. But unfortunately for it, the same thing that it had done to Yanka was now reciprocated.


    Rhizen''s poison constricted its movements, also preventing it from riling up its corruption.


    "Now, how many of you have infiltrated this safe zone?" He asked.


    "I alone." The Keras responded spontaneously, surprised at the result as it stared at Rhizen in fear, trembling under his gaze, wondering how he was able to force it to talk. After all, it was a freaking Keras and not a run-of-the-mill Aberrant.


    "What about the other safe zones?" He asked next.


    "Two other safe zones have been infiltrated by the Keras simr to me." The Keras replied.


    "What''s your n?" Rhizen asked next.


    "We need time for the corruption to settle in the inner core of this. And we n to buy time until then." The Keras said, "As long as we settle there, wiping us out would be impossible with your methods. So, this would never be fully cleansed by you. We call this the Rotten Core Principle."


    "How long until a Cs is birthed?" Rhizen asked next.


    "The corruption is stillcking to birth another Cs." The Keras said, "But, once we stabilise in the inner core, we''ll be able to create a stronger Cs."


    "The first Cs was created in a hurry, so it wasn''t strong enough. But the second one would be a lot stronger than you." It spoke.


    Rhizen then interrogated it for a while longer, extracting all the information from it before transforming into a Whale that swallowed it.


    As the dense stream of corruption was transformed into Nacre, he could feel his Mutated Beasts growing in ordance, bringing a smile to his face.


    ''Before this loop ends, I''ll attempt to reach Stage 10.'' He thought, ''But before that, I need to raise the horns of all my Mutated Beasts to nine.''


    He then snapped his finger, watching Yulna kneel on the ground behind him, "Inform the other safe zones of this information. Dispatch Dwun and Shika to deal with the two Keras."


    "Yes, Saint!" Yulna saluted in response before taking out her whistle that she used to transmit the information to the other safe zones.


    Following that, Rhizen transformed into a wasp and exited the safe zone, heading east as he raised his speed, travelling 270 kilometres in an hour, reaching the Yalore Sea, and taking a dip.


    Guoong!


    He transformed into a Whale, covering himself with the Celestial Armour for protection against the corruption while rapidly devouring any and all the corruption around him.


    And once the corruption was digested, the Whale exited the ocean water and shat out arge pile of poop.<novelnext></novelnext>


    This poop was practically solidified Nacre, possessing a corrosive property against the corruption, also able to affect the corruption and convert it into Nacre slowly.


    Since the Aberrants nned to dominate the ocean, Rhizen nned to dominate thend and firm his control over the ce. And for that, thend itself should produce Nacre. As long as that happens, it would imply that the corruption would be trapped in the core of the.


    And over the years, as the Nacre grows stronger and stronger, it would start to purify the corruption deeper and deeper into the, over time eradicating it entirely.


    Moreover, by that point, the itself would begin to produce Nacre naturally, ensuring Apocalypse wouldn''t be able to devour this world easily in the future.


    It was the n that he had created to counter the Rotten Core Principle, naming it the Diamond Skin n.


    The Whale opened its mouth, gobbling up all the Aberrants in the vicinity, digesting everything before shitting out a condensed mass onto the shore. Tens of thousands of feathers flew around, pressing the pile of poop from all sides, beginning topress it.


    Rhizen continued with the action for three days before creating a pile that spanned a height of two hundred metres.


    He then exited the water, arriving before the pile to activate an ability.


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªStatic Force (V)!


    The air around him turned still, including a stretch of the ocean. Moreover, as the ocean currents continued to stream into the still region, the kic energy within it too was absorbed and funnelled into the target area.


    And, this target area formed a surface over the hill, perfectly outlined over it.


    Rhizen waited for a couple of seconds before feeling that he had umted enough kic energy, causing a feather within the pile to gently touch the transparent film.


    Immediately after, the entirety of the kic energy stored within the transparent film was ejected out as a force, mming into the pile of poop from all sides, instantlypressing it into a sphere with a radius of ten metres.


    Upon seeing that this was the limit to the extent of control he had over this ability, Rhizen stopped after a single use, gazing at the tremendously dense sphere of poop that he named the Nacre Ball.


    It weighed hundreds of tonnes, something impossible to lift by human standards, even considering most Horned and Mystic Humans.


    This wasn''t where his work was done though as Rhizen selected a spot a hundred metres inward from the shore, pointing his hand at it as he activated another ability.


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªDust Wave (IX)!


    The Dust Wave bored a hole¡ªwith a diameter of ten metres¡ªinto the ground, stopping at a depth of hundred metres.


    Rhizen created a transparent film at the bottom of the bore using Static Force, triggering it using a Homing Feather. The resulting force emission sent all the dust in the deep bore outward, ejecting out a cloud of dust.


    Rhizen constructed a fan using the Homing Feathers, making them rotate at terrifying speeds to unleash a gust of wind that sent the dust flying away, now able to see his surrounding clearly once again.


    He then inspected the bore to see that its walls were smooth, smiling as he used the Homing Feathers to slowly transport the Nacre Ball to the bottom of the hole.


    Of course, it was tremendously difficult to do so as he had to maintain the utmost concentration. Once it was transported to the bottom, he filled up most of the bore using pebbles,yering the remainder with sand scooped from the beach.


    He then closed his eyes, sensing the Nacre and corruption in the region.


    The Nacre Ball gradually affected the nearby corruption, converting it into Nacre. Even though this was a slow process, it was working perfectly despite the concentration of corruption in the ce.


    "Okay, it''s working." He nodded, returning to the Yonka City as he informed the PADS members, bringing everyone with a Whale with him to the shores.


    Yulna informed the details to the other safe zones, following Rhizen as she too possessed a Whale.


    And with that, their Diamond Skin n began in full swing.


    At set distances of a kilometre from each other, bores spanning a diameter of ten metres and a depth of hundred metres would be created. And ced at their bottom would be a Nacre Ball each before being covered up.


    They would then trail through the shore in the same manner, creating a defensive line that would also begin to affect the nearby ocean water, purifying it of its corrosion too.


    This way, the Nacre production would spike, with the ster quantity leading to a qualitative result.


    The first line of defence would be on the shore. And after that, they would gradually proceed ind, eventually covering the surface with Nacre Balls.


    This was the true Diamond Skin n.

 Chapter 20 Plans For Yalore Sea

    "They indeed aren''t responding." Rhizen frowned, noticing that only the regr aquatic Aberrants were closer to the surface. All the Titan Aberrants had gone the deeper end, beyond the range of their attacks.


    So, their efficiency dropped a little as the number of Aberrants avable for the Whales to swallow decreased. But, that didn''t mean much in the end.


    After all, it was a confirmation of the intelligence given by the Keras that had parasitised Woran. The Aberrants were buying time to execute their Rotten Core Principle.


    This was why Rhizen initiated his Diamond Skin n immediately, taking advantage of the fact that the Aberrants didn''t wish to reduce their power by initiating a conflict with the PADS.


    His Whale swam through the deeper ocean waters, using its suction force that only targeted the Aberrants, devouring the titan Aberrants alone. After all, to him, the Titan Aberrants weren''t a threat.


    Even a Keras didn''t amount to much before him. Only the Cs proved terrifying. So, his Whale casually swam through the deeper stretch of the ocean waters, swallowing any and all Titan Aberrants it came across.


    Once it devoured enough, it surfaced and spat out a thick mass of poop that a group of feathers carried off to the shore.


    The Whales worked nonstop while the Mystic Humans worked on the drilling tasks to make holes in the ground.


    Rhizen only focused onpressing all the Whale poop into a sphere with a diameter of ten metres before gently transporting it to the bottom of the dug holes. He went around the coastline, repeating the same actions while the PADS members did the rest, creating hills of Whale poop.


    In the meantime, Dwun arrived before the Yalore Sea, covering himself with the Celestial Armour as he gradually entered the waters, ''Damn, the corruption is pretty strong here.''


    Yalore Sea was their first target to be purified. It was because of its special nature in that this sea was almost cut off from the rest of the ocean.


    It was almost circr in shape, enclosed bynd, only revealing a mouth spanning a length of eighty kilometres that was in contact with the ocean.


    And thanks to the water currents, there wasn''t much interaction between the two water bodies. So, if they were to purify the water here, it would create a base for them in the ocean war.


    It was a defendable base and hence prioritised in their ns.


    Once Rhizen enacted the Diamond Skin n, Dwun was given orders to enter the Yalore Sea and create a defensive unit.


    He swam through the ocean waters, punching forth any Aberrant he came across, also followed by a group of Mystic Humans, forming a defensive circle.


    As Rhizen''s Whale was prowling around this region, there were no Keras here. And for a Stage 8 Mystic Human like Dwun, anything below a Keras wasn''t a threat.


    Soon after, he reached the seabed, nting his External Item in it.


    External Item¡ªGrassmen Nest (VIII)!


    Boom!


    Immediately after, the corruption in the surroundings was consumed rapidly to fuel its growth as the tiny item soon expanded into a massive thirty-metre-tall tree.


    Its branches bloomed, causing the secondary roots dangling from them to balloon in size soon after, birthing the Grassmen in droves.


    After being birthed, these Grassmen began to walk out in a circle, arranged like an army of soldiers as they gradually expanded. Their numbers continued to increase gradually as, after some time, roots expanded from their toes, prating the sea bed as their bodies turned immobile.


    Slowly, all signs of activity in them died as they continued to gradually absorb the corruption and convert it into Nacre. Beyond a point, they stopped, gently protecting themselves with a Nacre barrier.


    Every hour, around a couple thousand Grassmen were created. Their creation process was energy-consuming. And hence, the level of corruption in the Yalore Sea was mildly affected, beginning to drop in concentration over time.


    This way, as the corruption continues to decrease, the Horned Humans would also be able to enter the sea.


    In the initial n, they had to be prepared against a brutal onught from the Aberrants in the Yalore Sea. So, their armours had to be strong enough to survive long enough in such conditions.


    But now that the ns of the Aberrants were exposed, it meant that they didn''t have to wait so long and could rapidly move in to upy the Yalore Sea.


    And the first step to that process was Dwun''s creation of the Grassmen army that could act as the vanguard against anything the Aberrants try.


    This way, the Horned and Mystic Humans wouldn''t have to needlessly lose their lives.


    Within a week, the number of Grassmen surpassed a hundred thousand before which around fifty thousand of them began to move, marching towards the mouth of the Yalore Sea.


    They intended to act as a defensive wall against the rest of the ocean. Even though fifty thousand wasn''t enough to blockade the entire stretch of eighty kilometres, their numbers would gradually increase over time as the Grassmen Nest continues to produce more and more of them.


    At the same time, standing at the shore of the Yalore Sea was Yanka, nervous as she threw a tiny pearl-like cylinder into the water, watching it gradually expand into a podrge enough to house twenty people.


    Large grass-like roots dangled out of it like feelers, behaving as its limbs to paddle around. Moreover, they functioned by absorbing the corruption from the surroundings to fuel themselves.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Moreover, these feelers were its sole mode of attacking as they would expand in length and target the opponents.


    In their time constraints, this was what they managed to produce.


    "This design was pretty effective in the Green Sludge World. I hope it''s effective here too." Yulna said, watching the Horned Humans board it one after another.


    "We have done some improvements, but everything has been rushed due to time constraints." Yanka said, "We''ve done enough testing but only during a real battle would its effectiveness be disyed."


    "As long as it can handle the regr Aberrants, that''s enough." Yulna said, "Those like you that can move through the water freely can take care of the Titan Aberrants.


    "Yes, ma''am." Yanka saluted in response, wearing her armour before entering the water on her own.


    Her armour was skin-tight equipment resembling grass fibres that had been woven around intricately, forming a tough but flexible exterior. Its primary trait was to absorb the corruption to grow in size, morph its shape, and mend its damage.


    The moment the sea water touched it, the armour changed from its bright green shade to a darker shade of olive green, beginning to absorb the corruption. Yanka swam through the water, moving alongside the pods before her Nacre spiked.


    Boom!


    A muffled explosion rang out as her figure expanded in size rapidly, transforming into a behemoth.


    It had a symmetrical body, scaly even, possessing arge, rectangr head with massive jaws covered by jagged teeth. Growing on its back were five horns, shaped like fins, seemingly made out of bone.


    It possessed six pairs of limbs, bony in appearance, possessing de-like ws capable of tearing through even steel.


    And the most terrifying of them all were the gills covering the entirety of its stout neck and back, constantly pping like wings, absorbing a significant volume of air every time.


    Dromah!


    It was a Mutated Beast that even Rhizen hadn''t seen before. But it supposedly existed in his home world. Only when Yanka obtained its power did he realise that even he wasn''t entirely aware of all the powers that exist in his home world.


    The Dromah was an aquatic giant, one of the biggest and most dangerous in the water body. This was why Yanka became one of the highest officials in their world, reaching the status required to discuss matters with the likes of Rhizen and Felix.


    She was only at Stage 5 but was teething on the verge of attaining Stage 6.


    The moment the Dromah appeared, those within the pods heaved a sigh in relief, feeling a bit more secure than before.


    Swoosh!


    The Dromah apanied them for a couple of kilometres before elerating all of a sudden, generating a strong undercurrent in its wake,tching into a Titan Aberrant before casually shredding it apart to devour it.


    Guong!


    It unleashed a terrifying roar that reverberated everywhere, suddenly gazing at a group of Aberrants that was swimming towards it, opening its mouth as its Nacre was consumed, unleashing a tiny bone fragment.


    It resembled a human''s leg bone but was more aerodynamically designed, thrusting forth as it sped like a torpedo before mming into its target. And what followed next shocked everyone¡­


    Boom!


    There was an explosion, with the st radius reaching as high as a hundred metres. This happened at a depth of 600 metres below the surface, so the extent of force within the explosion could be fathomed.


    As for all the Aberrants within the st radius?


    Not even a speck of their corruption remained behind as the sea water gushed into the created vacuum.


    "Amazing!" Dwun smirked upon staring at the scene, "She''s useless onnd but is indeed terrifying underwater."


    ''If she''s this strong at Stage 5, then when she reaches Stage 8 or even Stage 9¡­'' Rhizen thought, staring at the scene through the eyes of his Whale, smiling as he muttered, "Things are bing interesting."


    Of course, it wasn''t just them that were keeping a watch on the powers of the Horned Humans. Staring from beyond the mouth of the Yalore Sea was a Keras, hovering underwater calmly despite having a humanoid structure, unfit for being underwater.


    Its dozen pairs of eyes stared at the scene happening dozens of kilometres away, frowning, "So, they indeed have ns to dominate the ocean."


    "It seems we have to make changes to our n."

 Chapter 21 Plans, Counterplans, And More Plans

    In the depths of the ocean was arge ind that was fully taken over by the Aberrants. The PADS hadn''t bothered to save this ce as it was cut off from the rest of the world, too dangerous to intrude.


    Even if they were to save it, they would be overwhelmed by the Aberrants surrounding them on all sides, with no way to escape.


    This was why Rhizen had strategically excluded it from their operation. But, that was his oversight.


    Had he been an expert in climatology, he wouldn''t have excluded this ce and instead would have prioritised it. After all, this ind, spanning a length of 180 kilometres and a breadth of 70 kilometres was of principal importance.


    The monsoon season on the maind originated from here as the clouds formed over the ind, absorbing vapour from the ocean along their travel to formrge clouds that irrigated a good fraction of the maind.


    Gasker Ind!


    At the moment, standing on the ind were a group of Keras, umting corrosion in their bodies that they released nonstop.


    And hovering in the air was a Keras resembling an insect, only fist-sized. Even though it was tiny, having been umting strength for a day, it had surpassed in strength inparison to all the nearby Keras.


    Slowly, this insect type Keras took off to the skies, gradually entering a cloud overhead at the centre of which it settled. The corruption continued to flow into the cloud as the insect type Keras absorbed everything, gradually fusing with the cloud itself.


    Cloud Keras!


    There was just one of it in the entire world. Producing it was difficult even for the fragment of Apocalypse in this world. Upon seeing the action taken by the PADS, the Aberrants had to do something.


    Otherwise, their rotten Core Principle would fail. Hence, they counteracted with a rather brilliant scheme, giving it a grand name.


    Heaven''s Will Scheme!


    In a short few hours, the Cloud Keras gainedplete control over the cloud, beginning to move as it absorbed all the water evaporating from the ocean.


    But, it wasn''t just absorbing the water but also the dense corruption emanating from it. And in response, the cloud gradually expanded in size, soon turning into a thundercloud.


    The thundercloud was apanied by a long stretch of clouds that were natural at this time of the year as they steadily approached the maind.


    Upon seeing that they had seeded, the remainder of the Keras smiled, slumping to the ground in exhaustion.


    "Just this alone isn''t enough to defeat them." One of them, a Keras with twenty arms said, "We have to initiate some natural cmities. That would slow down their development."


    "What city should we target first?" The humanoid Keras asked.


    "Yonka City would be thest." The twenty-armed Keras continued, "Rhizen is akin to a disaster himself. Unless our Cs is birthed, we won''t face him. We''ll target the city farthest from Yonka City."


    "Greire City it is then."  The humanoid Keras nodded.


    "It''s the farthest from Yonka City and best of all, it''s situated next to a river." The twenty-armed Keras said, "Through that, we can swiftly attack it. But, there''s one more thing to note."


    "What is it?" The humanoid Keras asked.


    "It seems the PADS have a method tomunicate with other Cities in a matter of seconds. As it''s not following themunication system of this world, it''s hard to block it." The twenty-armed Keras said, "If we don''t deal with their means ofmunication, our ns would be found out the moment we attack Greire City."


    "I can do something about it." A serpentine Keras said, "We''ll mask Greire City with a film of corruption that blocks all forms of Nacre. That should buy us enough time to destroy the city without alerting the rest."


    "By the time they notice something amiss, we would have destroyed at least a few cities. And while they are distracted by this, the Heaven''s Will Scheme would begin." It hissed inughter.


    Such was war, especially between two sides that wished to wipe out the other.


    Both sides created ns and counterattacks to the ns of their enemy. And only the best and the brightest would be able to emerge victorious.


    Their primary n was the Rotten Core Principle. As long as they seeded in that, victory would be theirs. Every other n was just to buy time and impede the ns of their enemy.


    And in the end, depending on thepletion rate of the Rotten Coe Principle and the Diamond Skin n, the victor would be decided. After all, it would end up in a battle of energies, between Nacre and Corruption.<novelnext></novelnext>


    As both sides were aware of this, they moved in ordance, erecting forts for their protection while destroying the forts of their foes.


    While the thundercloud with the Cloud Keras continued to approach the maind, Rhizen and the rest were active in the Yalore Sea, attacking every Aberrant they came across.


    Moreover, the Nacre Balls had already begun to take effect, causing Nacre to dissolve in the waters closer to the shore. And as time passes, its concentration and seepage would only grow.


    As the Nacre crept through the Yalore Sea from the west, the Corruption began to flow eastward, partially avoiding the Nacre while mostly being kicked out by it.


    Within a month, the entire shore of the Yalore Sea was fully covered by Nacre Balls, forming three rows, enough to ensure the Corruption wouldn''t manage to seep into thend.


    "Up next is the water channels," Rhizen said as a group continued to fish for more Aberrants to turn into Whale poop.


    Having turned into the All-Devouring Whale, Rhizen condensed a massive pair of wings on his back, hovering in the air as a group of Mystic Humans gradually fitted him with a harness.


    This harness was attached to a massive container that contained more than fifty tonnes of Whale Poop. It was meant to be transported further ind.


    On any continental mass, there was one thing that connected and also affected everything. And that was the water cycle.


    As the Aberrants dominated the ocean, they were able to affect thend through the water cycle, ensuring the people living on it never got any rest. After all, if the people were to ck off in their efforts, the corruption in thend would gradually increase until the people would start to show signs of turning into Aberrants.


    Underground water channels, underground canals, overground rivers, ciers, ponds,kes, the waterwork created by them all, evaporation and the subsequent rainfall; covered the entirendmass.


    So the one that controlled the water cycle held the initiative in this war. And currently, thaty in the hands of the Aberrants.


    To prevent that, the team of experts from the Geographical Society proposed a n targeting the rivers on thend. And to be more precise, targeting the source of the rivers.


    Most rivers began from ice formed high up in mountain ranges. And hence, if they installed Nacre Balls there, then the water itself would be rich in Nacre.


    This means that as it flows down, through interaction with the various tributaries, the Nacre-rich water would make its way throughout thend.


    And eventually, when it flows into the ocean, it would fight the Corruption there and purify the water there to a great extent.


    This was better than just tackling the Corruption head-on,cking the initiative.


    As long as they took control of the rivers, the initiative would fall into their hands. And the moment the Geographical Society understood the corruption concentration on Gasker Ind, they formted this n.


    Immediately after, Rhizen took action, transportingrge volumes of Whale poop to the river sources.


    Boom!


    Followed by a muffled sound, a hill of Whale poop waspressed into a Nacre Ball with a 10-metre diameter. Rhizen nted it into a hole dug at the centre of ake, covering it up to see a faint stream of Nacre seep into the water.


    ''But, it wouldn''t be able to generate Nacre infinitely.'' He frowned, ''They are like batteries. They would lose power eventually since there''s no corruption here to harness and replenish themselves with.''


    ''Only if the verynd itself produces Nacre can we win this war.'' Sighing in response, Rhizen continued to nt more Nacre Balls, observing mild changes to the water colour.


    He soon covered theke bed with Nacre Balls, nodding in satisfaction at the concentration of Nacre flowing downstream. "This way, even after it''s diluted by the tributaries, its concentration is still potent enough to protect thend from the corruption-filled rain."


    "If only we had more Tower of Purifications¡­" He muttered, sighing in the end.


    The resources required to create a Tower of Purification were steep and also required a lot of time andbour. Currently, the entire PADS had less than a hundred Tower of Purification. Splitting them into three worlds, they weren''t left with much.


    If the first world was fully rid of the corruption, then they could retract the Tower of Purifications from there and bring them over to this world. But, even there, their Diamond Skin n was yet to be finished.


    After all, terraforming an entire world wasn''t as simple as it sounds.

 Chapter 22 City Lord Chain Of Command

    Greire City!


    The City Lord was a Stage 7 Mystic Human, donning his Celestial Armour as he stood on the rooftop of a building near the centre of the city.


    Currently, the city was relying upon his Tower of Purification to produce enough Nacre for the needs of everyone.


    Greire City was one of the smallest cities in this world, codenamed the Aberrant World by the PADS. The current three worlds being helped by Pads were the first world, codenamed the Undead World, followed by the second world codenamed the Green Sludge World.


    The way their society functioned was somewhat capitalistic style. After all, there was a limit to how hard they worked just through a sense of duty alone.


    Maybe for one loop, it might work. But from the second loop onwards, they needed something more tangible. And hence, a certain concept was introduced¡ªbenefits and responsibilities.


    Basically, a Mystic Human at Stage 7 and above would obtain the qualifications to gain control over a city in the apocalypse. They would gainplete sovereignty of this ce, only having to follow orders from the top brass of PADS¡ªthree Saints.


    The first condition to be eligible for this was the possession of the External Item of the Tower of Purification.


    And the range covered by their Tower of Purification was their territory and where they had authority.


    These Mystic Humans were dubbed City Lords and officially recognised by PADS as the lord of their respective cities.


    The work of the City Lord detailed maintaining and developing their respective city. Their goal would be to strengthen these cities as much as possible for future invasions.


    And this was where the benefits came. The first of them was the fact that these Lords can start their families in the cities.


    And, it wasn''t using Mystic Humans, but through Horned Humans. Basically, they could marry Horned Humans to start a family and govern the city better, from one generation to another.


    As all the City Lords were those that remembered their entire past, they had a wealth of experience surpassing thousand years. So, they had considerable patience and would develop their respective cities for centuries without sparing any effort.


    And during this time, their respective Family would grow strong enough to take control of most of the sectors functioning in their city.


    Who wouldn''t love their bloodline to wield power and authority?


    After all, the people from PADS too were humans with human desires. So, they risked their lives fighting the Apocalypse just for the chance to be a City Lord in the future.


    The benefits didn''t just end here though.


    If the child borne between the City Lord and their married partner attained certain qualifications, they would be invited to PADS and turned into a Mystic Human. This meant attaining status as an immortal.


    Therefore, the City Lords had something to look forward to other than just wealth and authority alone. And this didn''t just stop at their children but also extended to their descendants.


    It created a tightwork of control that was exerted upon the native world by the PADS. But, to avoid oppressing the natives and creating a sense of conflict between the Horned Humans and the Mystic Humans, the condition all City Lords had to abide by were two things¡­


    A City Lord can only have one marriage partner that bears their children. The second condition was that only a Horned Human can be their marriage partner.


    This way, the natives and PADS were integrated into a collectivework. There was a problem with the Horned Humans'' lifespan, as they weren''t immortal like the Mystic Humans.


    But, it was part of the parcel. If not, it would only result in a Mystic Human hegemony, and that was something Rhizen didn''t wish to make a reality.


    His goal was to eradicate the troubles originating from the apocalypse and stabilise such worlds, bringing them back to fully functioning societies.


    It was impossible to create perfect worlds. He was aware of that. And hence, he tried his best to make schemes that were as good as possible.


    As for the other Mystic Humans part of the city, those at Stage 6 could establish themselves as nobility, setting up as powers of the city. Each of such nobility could assume authority over various industries, creating aplexwork.


    This would ensure that the City Lord would be a dictator. It wasn''t a perfect setup, but it was how things could be done while considering a bnce between both internal and external stability.


    And the nobility too would follow the same rule as the City Lord''s family in that a Mystic Human could only start a family with a Horned Human.


    Mystic Humans that didn''t like such an arrangement could simply choose to return to their home world. All options were open to them.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Through such a chain ofmand, the PADS hoped that in the likelihood of an invasion by Apocalypse, these cities would be able to defend on their own until reinforcement from PADS arrived.


    After all, it wasn''t a guarantee that Apocalypse wouldn''t invade a cleaned-up world. It personally wouldn''t be able to do so thanks to the world producing Nacre, a power that''s capable of injuring it.


    But that didn''t mean it couldn''t open a portal to this world from a world that it had already fully taken over. This waspletely possible.


    Hence, the City Lord mechanic was established.


    There was a limit to the number of Mystic Humans in Rhizen''s home world. After all, the poption from one world wasn''t sufficient to go against multiple apocalyptic worlds.


    Therefore, only when the native poption of these worlds join their power structure would they be able to raise an intergctic army capable of invading other apocalyptic worlds in the future.


    And the greater the number of worlds under its control, the stronger the power wielded by PADS, allowing it to one day reach a level on par with Apocalypse.


    But, it was something that would happen a long way in the future.


    The Greire City Lord sighed, staring at the conditions of his city, muttering in response, "There''s not many strong in our city."


    "We''re situated on the other side of the from Yonka city." Ady appeared behind him, sporting arge belly, "As the Corruption here has been weak from the start, there''s not much for us to do."


    "But nothing is permanent." The Greire City Lord sighed in response, "Anything can happen. At least, if we''re closer to Yonka City, it''ll be easier for reinforcements to arrive, especially those at Stage 8 or even the Saint himself."


    "Can''t you attempt to reach Stage 8 yourself?" Thedy asked, tilting her head in confusion.


    "It''s not as easy as you make it sound." The Greire City Lord sighed, gently patting her belly as he smiled. It was his child that was growing in there.


    He originally had a wife in his home world. But once he recalled his past lives, his family fractured. After all, when a problem arose, his wife abandoned him to save herself. And this happened dozens of times, making him regret loving her in every loop.


    ? So naturally, he divorced her after the establishment of PADS, having arrived in this world. He had also been a participant in the Green Sludge World, but as he was only at Stage 6 back then, he didn''t have the opportunity to be a City Lord.


    From Stage 5 itself, every breakthrough became more and more dangerous, leading to more deaths than sess.


    After all, their breakthrough was a sheer test of will. To reach Stage 6 from Stage 5, the Mystic Human''s body would be torn in five directions brutally by their five Mutated Beasts. And, this would loop for five times before their breakthrough would seed.


    But, it was hard to tolerate such pain, that too repeatedly. So, failure chances were higher. Moreover, even in the case they seed, their minds would be broken due to the sheer pain.


    And hence, for breakthroughs from Stage 5 onwards, they attempted it only a month before their world resets. This way, they would recover their minds.


    Or in the case of their death due to a breakthrough failure, they would revive. This way, they could maintain their respective tasks and umte as much experience as possible.


    At the end of their twenty-years of stay in the Green Sludge World, he had attempted a breakthrough and seeded in reaching Stage 7. After that, he passed the test set up by Straxia, one of their three Saints, and managed to swap out of his original External Item to get the External Item of Tower of Purification, truly bing one of the elites of the PADS.


    His breakthrough from Stage 6 to Stage 7 was nightmarish as he was ripped in six directions by his Mutated Beasts. And the process looped six times, making him regret attempting the breakthrough multiple times.


    But somehow, he managed to seed and attained Stage 7.


    And it was here that he felt it¡­he wouldn''t be able to reach Stage 8. Maybe he might need to prepare for decades to strengthen his mind and attempt multiple times before reaching Stage 8. Or maybe he might never attain that despite countless decades of preparation.


    Sighing, the Greire City Lord said, "Unlike Horned Humans, it bes progressively harder for Mystic Humans to grow stronger. This is also why the payoff is vastly higher inparison to the Horned Humans."


    "That''s true." The Horned Humandy nodded, "Even though I''ve reached Stage 5, I don''t have the confidence in winning against even a Stage 4 Mystic Human. It''s especially since you can also harness the power of your External Item, not to mention the various Mutated Beasts you can transform into."


    "Yeah¡­" The Greire City Lord had just nodded in response when suddenly, he felt rmed, gazing at the river that flowed through their city. Despite being protected by the safety zone, the water suddenly began to emit corruption.


    Gurgle!


    Corruption bubbled, unleashing toxic mists surpassing the rate at which his Tower of Purification could purify.

 Chapter 23 Against Two Keras

    Gurgle!


    The corruption rapidly spread through the river, rming the people that were nearby.


    The Greire City Lord stared in shock, sensing the corruption invading his Tower of Purification too, at rates beyond what it could handle. "Dammit, signal the rm¡­"


    Boom!


    Suddenly, followed by a minor quake that rattled the entire city, a barrier of corruption oveid the dome of their safe zone. And, it was unleashed through the Tower of Purification itself, and hence couldn''t be destroyed as easily.


    The Greire City Lord clenched his hand into a fist, intending to retract his Tower of Purification, staring in shock soon after, "What the¡­fuck!"


    He was unable to retract it as a dense stream of corruption had coagted within it, preventing him from controlling it. And this power was steadily invading the Tower of Purification, creating ayer of corruption over the dome, cutting off allmunication with the other cities.


    The hairs on his hand stood to the end as the Greire City Lord felt that the situation was surreal, watching corruption billow out of the river water in torrents, affecting the Horned Humans nearby, causing them to writhe in pain as the corruption invaded their bodies, killing them from within little by little, painfully.


    Guooong!


    "Get to safety." He shouted at his wife before leaping from the rooftop, transforming into a Whale that unleashed a sonic wave, for a moment causing the corruption to stop in response, affected by the terrifying sound effused using Nacre.


    "How''s the status of reinforcements?" He asked his underlings in a hurry, watching them take off to the air tobat the seeping corruption.


    "We''re unable to!" One of them shouted, "We''ve been blocked off on all sides."


    "Then, rush outside the dome and try it again!" The Greire City Lord shouted, "We have to alert everyone of this danger as quickly as possible."


    "Yes!" Two of his underlings nodded in response before they pped their wings and sted off towards the edge of the dome, intending to exit it.


    Bam!


    "¡­Shit!" The Greire City Lord''s eyes widened in shock upon staring at the entity that had appeared near the edge of the dome, holding a whip sword that itshed out, severing the two subordinates into pieces.


    Keras!


    Staring at the frightening creature, the Greire City Lord trembled in fear. After all, he was only at Stage 7. And to face a Keras, a Stage 8 Mystic Human was necessary.


    With his Tower of Purification rendered useless, he was even more at a disadvantage.


    The Whale opened its mouth, condensing a sphere of energy before shooting it out like a breath attack, deciding to go all out right from the very beginning.


    The beam of energy mmed into the Keras, mming it into the dome as its skin was readily vaporised from the attack.


    The size of the Whale reduced to a length of two metres as its speed multiplied, causing its figure to flicker towards the Keras, ripping off a piece of its flesh, consuming them to recover its Nacre.


    Boom!


    The Keras punched forth in response, mming into a Nacre barrier, causing sonic booms to resound as ripples formed on the barrier. And surprisingly, the Greire City Lord was able to withstand the attacks of the Keras.


    As an expert in defence, he was one of the best, a reason he had been awarded the Tower of Purification in the first ce.


    Opening its mouth, the Whale unleashed another beam of energy, beginning to vaporise the surface muscleyer of the Keras while pressuring the dome barrier, causing it to crack as the Keras was mmed harder into it.


    "Hahh!" Followed by a shout, he riled up all his power, causing the Tower of Purification to emit bright light, unleashing dense amounts of Nacre as multiple Whales revolved around it, gobbling up the corruption blocking its abilities.


    As they worked on it, theyer of corruption on the dome began to weaken in response.


    ''A little more, and we''ll be able tomunicate with the other cities to ask for reinforcements.'' The Greire City Lord thought, calcting his schemes as he decided to stay on the offensive and not give the Keras any room for a breather, ''I''ve hit this fucker with the strongest of my attack so many times, but it''s barely injured.''


    Boom!


    It mmed forth another beam, causing the finger bones of its hands to be revealed as the Keras defended against it, unable to evade as the dome barrier itself acted like glue, holding its body in ce.


    "No!" Suddenly, a shrill scream resounded, followed by a burst of Nacre as it seemed a strong ability was unleashed before all signs of Nacre vanished.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The Greire City Lord''s eyes widened in shock before tearing up in rage, watching a certain human head fly his way.


    "Damn! You! Bastards!" He raged, for it was his wife''s head. But in the next instant, his emotions cooled down as something ice-cold seeped into him, seeing a second head follow suit his wife''s.


    This was a tiny head, barely forming as the eyes were yet to fully develop, sporting an innocent expression, tender in nature, mildly resembling him, but now dead.


    It was his unborn child.


    The Aberrants hadn''t let go of even him. For a second, he was unable to react as his wife''s head mmed into him, followed by his child, creating a trail of blood on his Whale body.


    His brain seemed to have short-circuited due to the emotional damage, failing to react to a Serpentine Keras that appeared above him, wrapping its tail around the Whale before hurling it towards the ground with all its strength.


    The Whale broke the sound barrier before crashing into a building, causing it to copse before mming into the ground, forming a crater amidst the rubble.


    Dozens of people hiding within the building were smashed into meat paste as their blood drenched his Whale Body.


    Therge Whale Eyes stared nkly as two severed heads gently plopped beside, shattering upon the impact, causing blood to spill all over.


    Bang!


    The Serpentine Keras mmed into it from above, causing the Celestial Armour protecting it to crack in response. It then opened its mouth, unleashing a turbid breath that began to melt through the barrier protecting it.


    In the meantime, its tail elongated towards the dome barrier, melting through it before freeing the Humanoid Keras, "Even if they are at Stage 7, you shouldn''t underestimate them. A Stage 7 City Lord is vastly stronger than a Stage 7 Mystic Human."


    "Yeah, I was a bit careless." The Humanoid Keras nodded as its injuries healed rapidly. It then arrived before the Whale, punching its face nonstop before flinching, gazing at one of its arms, noticing that its hand was missing.


    At some point in time, the Whale had elongated in length to bear resemnce to a serpent, hissing as it slipped through their hold, turning its head to st a beam at the Serpentine Keras, sending it flying away.


    It then transformed into a rhino and crashed into the Humanoid Keras, grunting as it pierced its horn through its chest, injecting Nacre through it.


    "Gah!" The Humanoid Keras grunted in pain as its internals began to burn with a suffocating power. Its hands mped down upon the rhino''s head, trying to stop its charge as its feet dug into the ground, creating long trails.


    But slowly, the height of the rhino began to increase, from its initial height of eight metres to its current height of twenty metres, hulking over the Humanoid Keras due to its body volume.


    The Greire City Lord gave in to his anger, unwilling to stop before he destroyed his detestable opponents.


    The Humanoid Keras rained down punches on the rhino''s belly, but a rippling barrier absorbed all the attacks while anything that went through was endured by its tough hide.


    After all, this rhino was the source of the Celestial Armour. And in this form, his defence was the highest.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The Humanoid Keras continued to rain down attacks, barely damaging much while the Rhino''s horn continued to elongate, piercing deeper and deeper into its chest, injecting copious amounts of Nacre to destroy it from within.


    And suddenly, the horn glowed with Nacre, rming the Humanoid Keras that tried to wriggle its way out. But before it managed to do so, a powerful beam mmed out of the horn, tearing open a massive hole in the chest of the Humanoid Keras, causing it to copse to the ground weakly.


    The Greire City Lord charged forth, intending to pummel his opponent when a dense stream of corruption mmed into him, causing him to lose bnce as a crater formed on the ground.


    Upon seeing the Serpentine Keras returning to the scene, he morphed his appearance, turning into a serpentine Whale that breathed out a beam of Nacre.


    But surprisingly, the Serpentine Keras coiled into a helix, revolving around the beam that it evaded before mming into the Serpentine Whale.


    The two gigantic entities tore through each other, mming into the various buildings along the way, causing them all to crash down as the people there were killed in the ensuing chaos.


    Through the river appeared tens of thousands of Aberrants and a few hundred Titan Aberrants, engaging with the Horned Humans and the Mystic Humans.


    "Gharrr!" The Humanoid Keras roared, leaping into the sky as it condensed a sword in its hands before plunging it through the head of the Serpentine Whale, piercing through the barrier.


    As the Serpentine Whale twitched in pain, almost losing consciousness under the attack, the Serpentine Keras used the opportunity to bite onto the midriff of its body, tearing it apart.


    Following that, the two Keras tore up the Greire City Lord into multiple pieces, partaking in a feast of blood and gore as immediately after, the Tower of Purification lost its light; the corruption rapidly took control over it, causing the Nacre in the region to gradually turn into corruption itself.

 Chapter 24 Gallo Again

    Yonka City!


    Seated in his office was Rhizen, currently resting. Stationed before him was arge board, resembling a wall, spanning a length of five metres and a height of three metres. stered on it was the map of the world, the most detailed map avable on the world scale.


    Seated on his seat, Rhizen picked up a dart that he threw over casually, watching it strike dead centre on Yonka City, nodding in response as he threw over another dart, watching itnd urately on its target.


    Both the darts firmly pierced through in their locations. With a smile, Rhizen began to throw darts one after another, with each hitting the location where a Tower of Purification had been kept in reality.


    Even though it seemed like he was only ying around, his actions had a deeper meaning. After all, the strongest form of Luck that he had control over was Coincidental Luck.


    Meaning, luck through a series of coincidences. It was a frightening power that was effective in almost all formats.


    Even though he couldn''t actively use Coincidental Luck, for the ripples of luck would be felt by the Grade 2 Systems hovering around his home world, he could still extend some basic applications for it.


    Through the use of Coincidental Luck, he could keep a track of anything that happened in the safe zones scattered throughout the world. Hence, he repeated the same action once every four hours or at least once every six hours when he was busy.


    As the darts lodged into the right locations one after another, Rhizen sighed, throwing the final dart, "Thankfully¡­"


    ng!


    The dart failed to strike its target, falling to the ground as it created a sonorous noise, one that resounded in Rhizen''s ears aloud.


    Flinching in response, Rhizen stared at the location where the dart failed to hit, "Greire City¡­?"


    He immediately shouted at the top of his lungs, causing the entire building to tremble in response, "YULNA!"


    "Yesss!" Yulna hurriedly rushed into the room, almost leaping in response as she looked at Rhizen''s foul expression, fearing that she hadmitted a mistake.


    "Greire City has fallen!" Rhizen shouted, "Hurry and transmit the information. I want the nearby cities to dispatch troops to the location immediately."


    "Y-Yes!" Yulna barely had any time to digest the details as she hurriedly took out her whistle before blowing into it, transmitting the contents to the other cities.


    Those simr to her in the nearby cities were shocked by the information, hurriedly transmitting the contents to farther cities before informing their respective City Lords.


    Rhizen then looked at the map, asking, "Who''s the Stage 8 Mystic Human closest to Greire City?"


    "Krager is 220 kilometres away while Neena is 620 kilometres away." Yulna flipped through their records and stated in a hurry.


    Rhizen stared at the map, muttering, ''Neena''s location is further ind while Krager''s is close to argeke.''


    He gave hismand, "Dispatch Neena to the location andmand Krager to remain on standby. The other cities may be attacked next. So, keep constantmunication with all cities. The moment transmission to any city fails, Krager will head there."


    "Yes, Saint!" Yulna saluted before blowing into her whistle until her face became ashen, expending a lot of Nacre to continue the rapid transmissions.


    Soon after, themunication department in their city took charge of the signal transmission, maintaining constant contact with all the cities.


    Yulna was only in charge of rying Rhizen''s orders to the designated departments and rying all information back to him. There were departments for every task established in their city and all cities for the matter.


    The PADS riled up in response, hurrying as they began to prepare for war. In the meantime, the situation in Greire City was akin to the depths of hell.


    "Stop¡­please¡­spare me!" An old man trembled in fear, dragging himself on the floor as his severed legs continued to bleed. His horn had been shattered, now losing its lustre.


    His Origin Space had been destroyed by the corruption, rendering him helpless, staring in fear at the dozens of Aberrants that gradually crept up on him, snickering from time to time.


    He was a Stage 4 Mystic Human, having put up a strong fight when the Tower of Purification was still functional. He killed droves of Aberrants, relying on his faster replenishment rate to cut them down like grass.<novelnext></novelnext>


    But once the Tower of Purification was destroyed, his Nacre was quickly expended as the number of Aberrants exiting the river water continued to increase.


    Soon after, he suffered defeat, having his horn destroyed and his legs severed. The old man turned to his left, staring at a massive Whale that formed a deep impression on the ground, half-buried under rubble from the copsed building, limp, unmoving.


    His tears streamed from his eyes, for this Whale was his daughter-inw. His son was one of the rare few Horned Humans of Greire City that managed to reach Stage 5 in the span of two years, disying frightening potential.


    And, he also fell in love with a Mystic Human, a Stage 6 powerhouse. But in the end, he lost his life while defending the Tower of Purification.


    And now, the daughter-inwy immobile, severely injured, unable to move as she was approaching death.


    "No! Stop! Please, don''t kill her!" The old man screamed in despair upon watching a Titan Aberrant slowly approach the Whale, sporting an over-the-top grin.


    "Something fun is about to happen. Stare and watch." Suddenly, a hissing voice resounded as the old man shuddered in fear. His body felt like it had been plunged into the depths of ice as he was unable to move.


    And slowly, a serpent leaned over him, its mouth near his ear, its forked tongue dancing before his eyes. The faintest of corruption emanating from it caused his skin to rapidly rot in response as the old man trembled, losing strength rapidly.


    In this time, the Titan Aberrant approached the Whale, grabbing hold of its tail as it pulled it out of the rubble rather roughly. A couple of iron beams had pierced through the Whale''s body, tearing open a bigger gash as its body was dragged out.


    The Whale twitched as its eyes blinked, dazed. On its forehead was a massive depression, apparent that it had suffered a strong blow to the region.


    "No!" The old man felt rmed upon staring at the Titan Aberrants gradually congregating around the region while standing at the forefront was the Humanoid Keras.


    And hovering right next to him was the Serpentine Keras, staring with interest while its tail coiled around the rotting Tower of Purification, uprooting it before crushing it into pieces.


    The pieces were divided between the two Keras that felt a mild increase in their power upon devouring them, grinning as they made eye contact, "If we devour ten more of these things, we too would be a Cs."


    At this point, they were brimming in joy. Even though the both of them had received a severe thrashing from the Greire City Lord, they were the victors, in the end, having killed all lifeforms in Greire city.


    And now, only two remained alive, the old man, and his daughter-inw.


    As the two Keras had something nned in store for them, the two were kept alive, for now.


    Suddenly, upon hearing the old man''s shouts, the eyes of the Whale gradually gained focus as they shot open, looking around at the wreckage and disaster, tearing up at the indiscriminate ughter, "You fuckers! I''ll kill you!"


    "You''ll die now. What are you harping about?" The Humanoid Keras snorted, "Besides, you''re merely at Stage 6. There''s nothing you can do to us when even your City Lord failed to kill us."


    "Or, are you nning for the future?" Suddenly, the Humanoid Keras grinned in response, "When you revive, you''ll grow stronger and return to take revenge, right?"


    Upon seeing the Whale''s eyes tremble in shock, the Humanoid Keras grinned, "You seem curious about how we came to know of this."


    It grinned, stating, "It wasn''t that hard to conclude, you know. After all, your world is infamous for birthing the Main Character and the crusade it hadunched against the Main Character eighty years ago."


    "But since your abilities aren''t being reset, it''s apparent that you''vee to control your world''s power." It stated, "The great Regression System has long since published details regarding your world and the modifications it had done to it. Deriving from there, we could arrive at the result, you know."


    "Besides," It stated smugly, "Even though our spies were all killed by Rhizen, we managed to confirm our suspicions."


    "And now, let''s see if it''s possible to prevent your revival."


    "That''s impossible!" The Whale roared, intending to get up when three Titan Aberrants held it down, gradually ripping apart its skin little by little.


    "Wasn''t there a precedent?" The Humanoid Keras grinned, tapping its chin before stating after a pause, muttering a single word, one that caused the Whale to despair.


    "Gallo."

 Chapter 25 I鈥檒l Return Stronger

    "Wasn''t Gallo the first in your world to truly die?" The Humanoid Keras smirked, "So, it means that the possibility exists."


    "And now," It grinned, nodding at the nearby Titan Aberrant that plunged its hands through the Whale''s teeth, prying its mouth open, "We''ll experiment on you and gain the necessary data."


    "Eventually, we''ll figure out the method to kill the lot of you."


    "Arghh!" The Whale screamed in pain as the Titan Aberrant opened its mouth, breathing in a dense stream of corruption that flowed through the Whale''s internals, rapidly affecting the organs.


    The Whale tried to return to her human form, fearing when she failed to transform, grunting in pain as the corruption continued to attack her.


    Soon after, it entered her empty Origin Space, trying to settle there in an effort to truly convert her very being.


    "Gah!" Followed by a scream, the Whale''s skin began to peel over, causing tendrils to develop from the muscles within, gradually blooming like flowers.


    The Whale was gradually being converted into an Aberrant to bring over their side.


    Boom!


    The two Keras watched in anticipation as the countless Titan Aberrants poured their corruption into the Whale, causing it to resemble an Aberrant more and more before soon, a dense stream of corruption erupted from it, rapidly sparking a change.


    "Keuk!" The Humanoid Keras shielded itself, skidding on the ground for tens of metres due to the explosive force emanating from the Whale.


    The Titan Aberrants were sent flying for more than a hundred metres while the regr Aberrants were straight-up killed, their corruption absorbed into the swirling mass in the centre.


    "It''s¡­working." The Serpentine Keras roared inughter upon hearing crunching sounds from within the dense cluster of corruption, sensing the body of the Whale gradually shrink in response.


    A couple of secondster, all the corruption vanished mysteriously, as if they had arrived at the eye of the storm.


    The two Keras stared with expectation as they noticed a woman standing before them, humanoid, barely reaching two metres in height.


    Her body was covered by what seemed to resemble rotten vines, with their ends revealing mouths filled with jagged teeth, expanding like a snake from time to time.


    Her appearance was the same as when she was a human but in the ce of her eyes was a pair of flowers, budding and blooming nonstop, simr to the flutters of a human eyelid.


    And contained in her was a dense stream of corruption that began to settle down, turning into something tangible, causing her to continue to change as her mind too was being affected as a result.


    "This is a pretty good result. She''s almost on our level¡­" The Humanoid Keras muttered when suddenly, it flinched, hurriedly turning around to gaze eastward.


    There, hovering two hundred metres above the ground was a woman, condensing arge sphere of what seemed to be sand as a suffocating stream of Nacre filled it before suddenly, the sphere flew towards them in a torrent.


    "Evade!" The Serpentine Keras shouted as it slithered away, intending to avoid the sand sphere when suddenly, the sphere sshed out like a wave as the sand coated everything in their vicinity.


    "Pah!" The Serpentine Keras gasped, feeling suffocated as the sand flowed in through all of its orifices. But suddenly¡­


    Bam!


    The Humanoid Keras punched it in the face, sending it flying away as its shocked voice resounded, "What the fuck¡­is happening?"


    The woman in the sky raised her hand, bringing it forward as she twirled around, spinning a couple of circles.


    And in response, the Humanoid Keras repeated the same, raising its rotational speed as it skipped a good distance before mming all the stored momentum into the Serpentine Keras, sending it reeling into the ground, causing arge crater to form.


    Hiss!


    The Serpentine Keras turned its tail into a de, plunging it into the chest of the Humanoid Keras, retracting it before a second stab, followed by the third, repeating the same multiple times.


    The Serpentine Keras continued to stab into the Humanoid Keras while the other party retaliated with punches and kicks. Both the creatures began to fight each other, their actions bing more fluid the longer they fought.


    But shockingly, their bodies weren''t under their control, fully controlled by thedy dancing in the air.


    Boom!


    The Serpentine Kerasshed out with its mouth, ripping apart one of the arms of the Humanoid Keras, throwing it into a building farther away, causing it to copse.


    In response, the Humanoid Keras condensed a sword to riddle the Serpentine Keras withrge gashes. Both sides expended their corruption to fight as the sand covering their skin gradually seeped deeper into their flesh.


    And in response, their actions became faster, exploding more and more of the strength in their bodies.<novelnext></novelnext>


    As for the Aberrant-turneddy, she was currently still, her body too covered by the sand. Her muscles twitched nonstop, the signs of her struggle to break free.


    But, the sand ensured to keep her immobile.


    The dancingdy suddenly took out a hairpin that she thrust in her stomach as the Humanoid Keras repeated the same, condensing a long spear that it plunged into its stomach, causing it to bleed profusely.


    The Serpentine Keras used the chance to bite out a chunk of its neck.


    "Stop¡­" The Humanoid Keras tried to warn the other party when the sand began to seep into its throat muscles too. And soon after, its voice resounded even without its intention, "Heh, you''re just trash."


    "What can you do?"


    "I''ll kill you!"


    Sand seeped into its open wounds as the Humanoid Keras began to trash talk its opponent. And slowly after that, its corruption was expended to heal its injuries.


    Even though it was aware that the words from the Humanoid Keras were forced by the dancingdy, as it heard more and more, the Serpentine Keras was eventually offended enough.


    And it expressed its anger, brimming with a powerful corruption that umted in its throat. Its body automatically reacted in response, causing its mouth to open before unleashing a beam onto the Humanoid Keras, targeting its face, and rapidly destroying it.


    In response, the Humanoid Keras plunged its hands into the open mouth of the Serpentine Keras, exerting all its strength to tear its opponent in half.


    Both the entities killed each other simultaneously as soon after, the dancingdy transformed into a Whale and swallowed them both.


    Immediately after, spilling out of its blow hole was a stream of sand that washed out throughout the city, causing every single Aberrant to turn immobile.


    The Whale then transformed back into the dancingdy thatnded before the Aberrant-turneddy, waving her hand as she said, "I''m Neena. Are you conscious?"


    "¡­barely¡­" The Aberrant-turneddy stated, her eyes darting towards the old man that was on the verge of death, "Save him¡­please."


    "Definitely." Neena nodded as she waved her hand, causing a dense stream of Nacre to flow into the old man, gradually healing his injuries while destroying all the corruption in him.


    His horn too began to regrow, gradually regaining its lustre.


    Neena then looked at the Aberrant-turneddy, frowning as she said, "You''ve barely managed to retain some of your sentience. But I''m afraid even that would vanish in a couple more minutes. Your body has fully be an Aberrant."


    "Those bastards¡­" The Aberrant-turneddy took in a deep breath before saying as the flowers forming her eyes revealed a massive mouth covered by teeth, "They are experimenting to replicate Gallo''s death."


    "Those fuckers!" Neena grunted in anger before cing her hand on the Aberrant-turneddy''s stomach, probing her Origin Space, muttering, "Your Inner Beasts have been corrupted too. I don''t have the means to treat you. You''ll have to wait for the Saint to save you."


    "But, there''s not enough time for that¡­" Neena sighed.


    "I understand." The Aberrant-turneddy nodded, sighing as she spoke, "Just kill me then. Don''t leave behind any intelligence for those bastards."


    She then faced the old man, "Father-inw, I''m sorry for being useless. I couldn''t protect your son."


    "No, you were brave until the end." The old man teared up in response, "We were just too weak. So, we held you back until the end. It is I that has to apologise."


    His breathing suddenly grew ragged as the old man said weakly, "All of us had been killed. I don''t wish to burden you, but please¡­"


    "Avenge us!" The old man said, "Only then can we rest in peace."


    "I will!" The Aberrant-turned woman said resolutely, "You can rest assured. I won''t rest until I wipe out everyst Aberrant from this world."


    "Train hard, child." He smiled, closing his eyes as he breathed hisst, "And return stronger."


    "No!" Thedy teared up in response, roaring in pain as all that her senses could perceive were death, destion, and endless ughter.


    Everything they worked on for the past two years had been razed to the ground, and the people they formed a bond with, creating a happymunity were now no more.


    Everyone had been killed. And she¡­was the sole survivor.


    "Ma''am¡­Neena was it?" She looked at Neena, stating in anger, "Kill me please, do it while my mind remains human."


    "And once I revive, I''ll return stronger."

 Chapter 26 Precursor To The Heaven鈥檚 Will Scheme

    "Your name?" Neena asked, standing before the Aberrant-turneddy, condensing power in her hand.


    "Litta," The Aberrant-turneddy replied in response, grunting in pain as her consciousness began to slip up.


    But, it didn''t matter as she was unable to move her body, for the sand covering her kept her immobile from the start. And with Neena solely focusing on restricting her body, she couldn''t move.


    "I''ll see you in the next loop, Litta. Return stronger!" Neena said as her hands shone with a beam of Nacre, rapidly vaporising Litta into nothing, causing arge gorge to form on the ground due to the power behind the attack.


    Neena then looked around, staring at the dense number of Aberrants in the city, amidst a mountain of corpses whose blood dyed the river¡ªrunning through the city¡ªa deep shade of crimson.


    But the only response to such indiscriminate ughter was a mild frown that had appeared on her face. Neena casually turned into a Whale as all the sand-covered Aberrants moved under her control, jumping into her mouth one after another.


    In short intervals, the Whale pooped a mountainous sum, continuing to consume the Aberrants nonstop. In the matter of a few hours, all the Aberrants in the city had been wiped out, and left in the wake was a mountainous pile of Whale poop.


    The corruption lingering in the city was gradually absorbed by the Whale poop and converted into Nacre, gradually purifying the city.


    Neena didn''t care about the ce after that, watching a group of Mystic Humans arrive at the city as she stared at them, "Clean up the rest."


    Following that, she returned to her human form and sted off like a rocket, vanishing from the city.


    "Was that¡­Neena?" A Stage 6 Mystic Human among the group that had arrived at Greire City muttered hesitantly.


    "That was her indeed." The man that seemed to be in charge of their group nodded before he looked around at the sheer carnage thaty before them and the sand that seemed to be pretty much everywhere, "Let''s not talk about her."


    "She''s an irritating one."


    "Have you been¡­killed by her before?" The Stage 6 Mystic Human asked.


    "Yeah, dozens of times, in fact." The man in charge of the group said, stating in anger, "Let''s ignore her for the time being. She''s a freaking Stage 8 Mystic Human. She''s on a whole other level than us. It won''t be possible to get back at her."


    The man in charge of the group had once been Neena''s colleague when their home world had yet to experience the apocalypse. And, things weren''t exactly harmonious between them.


    It could even be said that there was some bad blood between them.


    And, things became worse soon after as Neena obtained a System, bing Host to the Directional Misalignment System.


    The Directional Misalignment System allowed Neena to control the movements of people to a certain extent. And using that, she took revenge in the most violent manner possible.


    When her colleague¡ªwhom she hated¡ªcrossed the road, she would control their leg, causing them to suddenly take a couple of steps forward, making them m into a moving vehicle, leading to their death.


    And most of the time, the death of all her colleagues was through car ident. This didn''t happen once or twice though, but dozens of times.


    After all, their world looped, causing the same events to repeat, albeit with changes in every loop. But, one thing was consistent in them all¡ªtheir deaths, by Neena.


    Due to the speciality of their world, countless Systems had wreaked havoc in the various loops. And in all those loops, Neena was Host to the Directional Misalignment System.


    And of course, the number of people she had taken revenge upon was in the thousands. But originally, none of them had any memories of the previous loops, including the System Hosts.


    But once the PADS had been established, anyone at Stage 6 and above was able to ess the memories of their past lives gradually, allowing them to live through the repeated horrors of humanity stretched taut in the apocalypse.


    Things were quite contrasting in the PADS. The Mystic Humans at Stage 5 and below were loyal, almost bordering on being devoted to the Saints like Rhizen.


    But those from Stage 6 were entirely different. They were mostly cold, calcting, and had hatred towards a lot of their fellow Mystic Humans.


    But, a Mystic Human cannot act against another Mystic Human. This was one of the core rules that they mustply with. And if they failed to do so, they were punished severely.


    After all, the Mystic Humans that were killed would revive once their home world loops again, allowing them to lodge aint and bring the matter to the court to seek justice.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Such offenders were stripped of their power and jailed, having to repeat the various loops in jail while being unaware of their crimes.


    And depending on the severity of their crime, their sentence extended to the number of loops they have to spend in prison. It was a crime where one had to remain alone for extended durations, spanning lifetimes.


    PADS had a lot of internal problems, some of them grave enough to copse their entire organisation.


    Just consider their three Saints¡ªRhizen, Straxia, and Warktor¡ªfor example.


    Straxia had tried to kill Rhizen multiple times, even seeding a few times. Rhizen had brutally ughtered her and her life''s work many times.


    If they were to pick up the intense hatred between them, the conflict was enough to fracture PADS into two.


    Thankfully, there was Warktor, a neutral party in almost all loops, the mesh between both sides.


    Such a level of hatred existed in the entirety of their higher management, enough to spark conflicts. That was why Neena didn''t even bat an eye at the ughter that happened at Greire City.


    After all, the Greire City Lord was someone she hated to the bone. This was why, once she was done with her assigned task, Neena returned to her city. She cared more about her own city''s wellbeing than someone''s that she detested.


    Even though PADS had been established 62 years ago, its operating time was only 42 years. And that wasn''t long for immortal beings like them that had lived for more than a millennium to set aside their hatred.


    Even Rhizen was unaware as to when all these hidden problems might implode upon them. All he could do was ease up the situation as much as possible.


    This was another reason for the creation of City Lords. Through this, Rhizen at least divided the people based on their inclination toward each other, at least splitting up those with intense hatred between each other into different worlds or regions.


    "Saint, Greire City has been decimated. There are no survivors." Yulna paled in response, trembling as she conveyed the news, "It has been a brutal ughter. Based on City Lord Neena''s report, the enemy has obtained intelligence regarding Gallo and is nning to experiment with a way to kill us permanently."


    "The Stage 6 Mystic Human named Litta was the one they experimented upon. Neena has already killed her." Yulna finished her report, detailing all the information that the team in Greire City has unearthed through their investigation.


    "How did they infiltrate the city in the first ce?" Rhizen frowned, "With the safe zone''s barrier intact, they can''t do this without making a breach forcefully. The Greire City Lord should have sensed it in advance if that were the case."


    "We''re still investigating that." Yulna said, giving her objective view on the matter, "I feel this is a retaliation from Apocalypse to counter our actions in Yalore Sea."


    "Hmm¡­" Rhizen frowned, deep in thought as he stared at the map of the world before him, casually taking a dart that he threw without any aim, unaware of where it might even hit.


    The dart arched in the air, mming into a dart pierced into the map, causing cracks to form in it before splitting it into two.


    In rm, Rhizen shot up in shock, gazing at where the dart had hit to result in this damage, gritting his teeth as he muttered, "So, this is this n."


    Yonka City!


    His eyes darted throughout the map, wondering where the attack might originate from that there was danger of his Pearl Buck¡ªTower of Purification¡ªshattering. It was his Pearl Buck that acted as a gateway to bring in more Mystic Humans into this world.


    Soon after, he recalled what the Geological Society had informed him before while he was making ns for the Yalore Sea, quickly gazing at an ind far to the east, situated in the middle of the ocean.


    "Gasker Ind!" He eximed in shock, hurriedly making Yulna summon the Geological Society Director, shouting the moment he arrived, "Quick! Tell me the corruption concentration of Gasker Ind now."


    "Y-Yes!" The Geological Society Director contacted his team, hurriedly stating in response, "The monsoon season clouds arriving on the maind from there have the same corruption concentration as usual. But the line of clouds is greater this time. There might be a typhoon along the coast."


    "The typhoon might hit deeper ind this time." He concluded.


    Rhizen tapped the desk, somewhat irritated as he thought of a n,manding everyone in the room, "Signal the Air Force to suit up while strengthening our defences."


    "We''ll be having an aerial battle this time."

 Chapter 27 What鈥?s Happening?

    The skies gradually darkened as people in Yonka City scurried off into their homes.


    The army stationed in Yalore Sea dropped all ns and began to sound their retreat, returning to Yonka City.


    After all, a cyclone was gradually forming along the shores, and judging by the intensity of the cyclone that was forming this time, even Yonka City, situated 270 kilometres ind would be affected.


    The cyclone had a dense concentration of corruption in it. And remaining in the Yalore Sea at this junction was disastrous, as the Aberrants would be strengthened while Nacre would be suppressed greatly.


    Even though it was a pity that they had to let go of so many resources that they had poured into the Yalore Sea, there was no other choice.


    They couldn''t go against nature.


    "Set up the Artillery Canons!" A Stage 7 Mystic Human shouted as every Mystic Human with the External Item of Artillery Canon set it up at the rooftops of the various skyscrapers, establishing pipelines of soil that connected to the ground.


    This way, the roots streaming out of the Artillery Canons could travel through the mud pipelines and burrow into the ground that was situated far from the skyscraper rooftops.


    The Artillery Canons were all aimed at the sky, focusing on the approaching clouds that were gradually darkening.


    At the borders of the city, the Mystic Humans set up the External Item of Castle Wall, creating a twenty-metre-tall rampart around the city, preventing it from being affected by floods.


    Even though it was ind, they couldn''t take chances. After all, the phenomenon was somewhat amplified by the corruption.


    The dome of the safety zone would prevent any rain from passing through, ensuring the city wouldn''t be flooded.


    The army from the Yalore Sea arrived at this time, entering the city. Among them was Dwun, apanied by a massive army of Grassmen that filled up the streets.


    The Horned Humans below Stage 5 took shelter while the remaining heldrge shields, standing on the rooftop of the various buildings throughout the city as they gazed at the approaching clouds.


    Rhizen stared at everything, gazing at the Geological Society Director to ask, "What''s the status of the typhoon?"


    "It''s still developing." The Geological Society Director said, "The satellite imagery shows an overwhelming umtion of winds in it. The corruption concentration is still pretty tame, but something feels odd¡­"


    "Ba-Boom!


    Right as he was talking, a thunderp resounded from the skies, terrifyingly loud, akin to the skies shattering, causing everyone to flinch instinctively as lightning sparks flickered across the clouds as soon after, a bolt of lightning mmed into the Yonka City barrier, causing it to crack in response.


    Thunderclouds!


    Fierce winds, intense rain, and lightning strikes were the factors dominant in a typhoon. And as typhoons naturally formed in the region, the Aberrants took advantage of it by using the Cloud Keras, obtaining control over it.


    With that, they were able to use the entirety of the cyclone''s power to target the human cities.


    Using the forces of nature to attack the human settlements. This was the principal motto behind the Heaven''s Will Scheme.


    The first among them was the cyclone.


    Thunder rumbled as gradually, the thunderclouds continued to develop as more and more of them flew ind. It was a natural course for them anyway. The only difference aspared to before was the fact that all their natural processes were now concentrated on the cities, intending to raze them to the ground.


    Boom!


    The second bolt of lightning mmed into the same spot as before, cracking the healed barrier once again. Every bolt of lightning wasposed of a dense amount of corruption, enough to kill those at Stage 7 and below in a single hit.


    Only those at Stage 8 and above were able to survive these high-intensity attacks. And in Yonka City, there were only three such individuals: Rhizen, Dwun, and Shika.<novelnext></novelnext>


    So, it was pretty hard for them to go on the offensive, especially since their air force was hardly developed.


    Conventional aircraft wouldn''t be enough to withstand the concentrated lightning bolts. And they had yet to develop items in this field, so they were pretty helpless in this regard, their only choice being to go out using their own powers.


    Roadways, waterways, and airways, none of them was developed to a satisfactory level yet. They had to do so using their power system to ensure their enemies wouldn''t be able to counter them easily.


    And such things took time, effort, manpower, and resources.


    Guoong!


    An Artillery Canon condensed a dense quantity of Nacre before shooting out an arrow at the sky, causing it to m into the cloud, vaporising part of the corruption there.


    Upon seeing that it was effective, all the other Artillery Canons too began to shoot Nacre arrows, targeting the locations where lightning bolts seemed to be forming. This way, the corruption in them would be weakened.


    Normal lightning bolts wouldn''t even scratch the safety zone barrier, not to mention breach it. Without the dense stream of corruption in it, they weren''t strong enough.


    Hundreds of Nacre arrows wereunched into the air, with each containing enough power to destroy a Titan Aberrant.


    Also taking action to support was Rhizen, unleashing hundreds of feathers into the air, causing them to make a beeline towards the clouds. Both the entities crashed into one another, resulting in a terrifying cluster of energy storms that affected the generated lightning discharge, causing them to be sent in other directions.


    Pitter-Patter!


    Rain began to fall, quickly bing a downpour as the air became heavy with corruption. Immediately, all the feathers turned sluggish before they vanished one after another.


    With the arrival of the rain, all their attacks on the sea of clouds became ineffective. After all, they lost all power before even reaching the clouds.


    It immediately ced Yonka City in a passive situation, unable to counterattack, defending helplessly being their only option.


    And it wasn''t the terrifying lightning bolts that did this, but just the heavy downpour. That wasn''t all, fierce winds began to blow through the region, carrying corruption from the ocean with them, mming into the barrier, applying pressure.


    The pressure originated from the corruption in the air as the Pearl Buck made creaking sounds, facing attacks from three fronts¡ªwind, rain, and lightning.


    At the same time, in the other corner of the world, the Twenty-Armed Keras slowly surfaced from the banks of a river before beginning to march towards the closest city.


    Currently, only two Keras were alive, it and the Cloud Keras. All the other Keras had lost their lives.


    But in the grand scale of things, none of this mattered as it continued to casually approach the city, causing rms to resound within it as Mystic Humans soon blotted out its sky while the Horned Humans covered the ground.


    "The lot of you seriously propagate like ants." Itmented in distaste, watching the Artillery Canons of the city begin to umte power.


    But, it didn''t take any action, calmly continuing to approach the city, as if it wasn''t being targeted by dozens of Artillery Canons.


    Even though a Stage 6 Artillery Canon wouldn''t harm it, if enough of them were to target it, even the Twenty-Armed Keras was bound to sustain injuries. Or at the least, some of its corruption would be expended.


    But, it didn''t seem to care about them at all, smiling as it withstood the Nacre arrows, eventually arriving before the city, only an arm''s distance from its barrier.


    Following that, it just stood there, not even budging an inch beyond, passively tanking all the attacks.


    Honestly, if it had attacked them, then the people in the city would have been more at ease. But now that the Aberrant before them, a Keras at that, stood before them, doing nothing while withstanding their attacks, a strange sense of fear began to permeate through the hearts of them all.

 Chapter 28 Brace For Impact

    Gurgle!


    In the region between the mantle and the outer core of the, the dense stream of corruption began to condense, no longer proceeding towards the core.


    Gradually, it turned into a blob as the entirety of the corruption underground flowed into it, turning sentient. Following that, it gazed deeper into the, frowning in thought, ''It seems I can''t win this war. We''ll only result in a stalemate while allowing them to grow stronger in response.''


    The Aberrants had been investigating the power system of PADS, understanding that killing Aberrants allowed them to grow the fastest. Therefore, a stalemate was the worst oue, one that allowed PADS to grow while the Aberrants wouldn''t.


    After all, they would soon hit the limit, restricted underground while the Diamond Skin n converted the corruption into Nacre at a greater rate.


    And everything they were doing at present, though effective, wasn''t enough to tip the scales of battle in their favour. Hence, ns had to be changed further.


    For that, they had been searching for a suitable target all along, finally finding one. The blob of corruption smirked in response as it vanished, arriving at Gasker Ind where a Cs was growing, touching its head to mutter, "It seems you wouldn''t reach your full potential this time too. But, I need you to distract Rhizen long enough. Can you do that?"


    "Yes!" The Cs opened its eyes, stating in confidence, "Including Rhizen, Dwun, and Shika, I can hold the three of them back for two minutes."


    "That''s more than enough time." The blob of corruption smirked in response, carrying the Cs with it as they entered the stream of clouds above, travelling through it at an rming pace, heading towards Yonka City.


    In the meantime, the Twenty-Armed Keras smirked, withstanding countless attacks as it sensed the signal sent by the blob of corruption, raising its twenty arms high up into the air, "Heaven''s Will Scheme, begin!"


    In the depths of the ocean, tens of thousands of Titan Aberrants were huddled upon a fault line where two tectonic tes met. Suddenly, their bodies exploded as a dense stream of corruption spilt out, creating a strong current that caused the unstable volcanic undercurrents below the tectonic tes to move in response, making the tectonic tes move a little, causing them to collide with one another.


    This resulted in a terrifying seismic quake that spread around for thousands of kilometres. It wasn''t just here though as a simr phenomenon happened in three other locations.


    Rumble!


    The Twenty-Armed Keras stepped back as the area it stood upon until now began to crack; smoke wafted out, gradually gushing out fumes in greater volumes before soon,va poured out to a height of a metre, forming a puddle as it spread forth, touching the city''s barrier, causing sizzling sounds.


    "What the¡­?" The City Lord was rmed to seeva gushing out right next to their city when suddenly, the buildings began to shake, increasing in magnitude soon after as they began to crack in response, with the taller buildings copsing first.


    Earthquake!


    The seismic tremors caused theva to gush out through any vents that had formed, raising like a fountain into the air as it fell upon the city''s barrier, melting through it.


    This was the goal of the Twenty-Armed Keras, as it had been funnelling the underground to create a vent for theva to gush out from. That was why it never retaliated, enduring the attacks passively.


    Even though it was injured now, it was all smiles, watching the people in the city being helpless against the torrent ofva spilling out.


    "Retreat! Vacate the city! Follow me out!" The City Lord bellowed, transforming into a massive Whale as he picked up as many Horned Humans as he could. Those that could fly did the same, picking up as many people as possible while the rest began to run in a hurry, fleeing in the opposite direction.


    At least, thanks to the barrier, theva had yet to gush on them, same for the fumes it was releasing in torrent.


    But, those running on the ground couldn''t sustain it for more than a couple of seconds, copsing as they failed to regain bnce, for the very earth was quaking, causingrge cracks to open up on the ground.


    The ground caved, buildings copsed, and people died inrge numbers.


    "Dammit!" The City Lord grunted in anger, hurriedly flying away asva gushed into his city from within when the entire ground in the region copsed. The fumes alone killed anyone that had yet to escape from the city.


    He hurriedly retracted his Tower of Purification and flew while carrying as many people as possible.


    "How far can you run though?" The Twenty-Armed Keras smirked, watching the smoke cloud spread out at a terrifying pace. The vent it had created grew in size, resembling a hill now, continuing to grow asva spilt out in torrents.


    "My God!" The City Lord was shocked to see the ground below cracking as fumes gushed out from many locations, rming him.


    This was the Heaven''s Will Scheme in action. Everything in nature was connected. And by triggering the cause, one could enact the desired effect onto the target area.


    Multiple cities were affected by the earthquake and some regions were flooded. All the corruption that had seeped into the ocean and crust took the chance to gush out and affect everything.


    Of course, not everything went in their favour.<novelnext></novelnext>


    On argeke situated within a mountain range, the quakes caused this old mountain range to gradually form cracks internally as theva deep underground gradually moved upwards.


    But suddenly, just as theve was about to gush out into theke, it came across hundreds of Nacre Balls buried there, the heat melting thetter. And suddenly, the essence of the Nacre Balls flowed through theva, instantly converting all the corruption into a dense stream of Nacre.


    Whether it was due to the heat or the nature of the vtile substance in theva, the Nacre rapidly spread through it, causing even the fumes it let into theke to be dense with Nacre.


    Immediately after, the verynd itself became full of Nacre, emanating it through the geothermal energy being given out.


    In ces where the Diamond Skin n had been carried out, the corruption turned into Nacre instead and further reinforced the dominance of Nacre in the region.


    The blob of corruption observed the various changes to the world, sighing as it announced, "Neither side can win at this rate. Instead, it''s better to abandon this world to avoid strengthening PADS further."


    Soon after, the blob of corruption apanied the Cs, reaching Yonka City to see that despite the terrifying lightning bolts mming into the city, the barrier stood tall as a mysterious energy seemed to have condensed within.


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªDust Wave (IX)!


    By targeting only the corruption, Rhizen filled the air of Yonka City with as much Dust Wave as he could. Therefore, even when the barrier was breached, all the corruption was destroyed in a matter of metres into the city.


    And immediately after, the barrier healed itself. This resulted in the city standing tall without any problems.


    The blob of corruption then approached the Cloud Keras that had been targeting Yonka City, "Focus all your power onto Yonka City. After that, reduce the attacks here and target other cities. Ensure they cannot send in any reinforcements."


    "Yes!" The Cloud Keras nodded in response as it began to condense a dense stream of corruption, increasing the discharges within the thundercloud as it awaited.


    Roar!


    "What''s that?" Yulna muttered in shock as messages resounded in her whistle nonstop, causing her to shout in rm, "Tsunami!"


    "Tsunami? Here?" Even Rhizen was surprised, "We are 270 kilometres ind. How is this possible?"


    But, they had been prepared for that eventuality anyway, so he wasn''t too rmed. But right after, the Geological Society Director said, pale-faced, "A-Aberrants! Millions of them are within the water body approaching us."


    "Strengthen the defences!" Rhizen shouted, "Brace for impact!"


    He immediately flew towards the edge of the city, riling up all his Nacre.


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªStatic Force (V)!


    He erected a transparent wall that spanned hundreds of metres in length, created in an effort to negate the momentum of the Tsunami as much as possible so that the impact force onto Yonka City would be within defendable estimates.


    He observed the air in the region turn still, as if time had stopped while all the kic energy was absorbed into the transparent wall. But as he focused on the wall of water approaching them, he saw Aberrants filled within the water, packed like sardines.


    He then noticed the Geological Society Director tumbling to the ground, his legs giving out under him due to fear. Upon noticing that he was staring at the thundercloud overhead, Rhizen gazed at the same, asking, "What happened now?"


    "All the c-corruption in the mantle has vanished. And now¡­" He despaired, "All of it has condensed into an entity above us."


    Roar!


    The Tsunami unleashed a deafening roar, ploughing through any obstacles along its path, reaching a height of twelve metres. The sheer volume of water moving through it was rming, causing everyone to doubt if their flimsy defences could even withstand the impact.


    Ten kilometres¡­nine¡­eight¡­seven¡­three¡­two¡­one¡­!


    Rhizen watched as the wall of water approached closer and closer to the city as a pungent stench of rotting fish spread around first. As everyone braced for impact, Rhizen clenched his hand into a fist.


    Three hundred metres¡­two hundred¡­eighty¡­forty¡­twenty¡­


    Ten!

 Chapter 29 Target Achieved

    Three hundred metres¡­two hundred¡­eighty¡­forty¡­twenty¡­


    The sheer volume of water approaching them was terrifying, containing enough power to mow through everything in its path, murky ck in colour due to everything it had washed through, containing countless debris.


    Even Rhizen was nervous while staring at this. For, even though he was a Stage 9 Mystic Human, he couldn''t go against nature on his own. He hadn''t reached such a level yet.


    "Hopefully, it''s enough." He muttered, watching the Tsunami approach the transparent wall he had erected, losing power as its kic energy too was being rapidly absorbed to strengthen the wall further. This was the advantage of Static Force.


    But, he had attained the limit of his power soon enough as the wall stopped absorbing any more kic energy. The Tsunami crashed into it and for a moment, the roars of the ocean subsided when¡­


    B-Boom!


    A muffled sound resounded before a dense volume of vapour spread out into the air. The discharged force was enough to directly convert the ocean water into vapour, sending it flying into the cloud, containing a fairly dense level of Nacre.


    The unleashed force travelled through the wall of water, rapidly slowing down the approach of the tsunami as the water body touched Yonka City wall at speeds less than three metres per second.


    There was a minor rumble due to the impact as everyone heaved a sigh in relief. But a few secondster, the Mystic Humans that had erected the External Item of Castle Wall grunted in exertion as the water currents speed up.


    Rhizen''s attack only put a dent in the speed at the tip of the water body. And once it moved past, the faster water currents mmed into the city walls, causing it to creak in response as debris of all shapes and sizes mmed into it, beginning to dent it.


    Moreover, the dense stream of corruption in the water was rming as it began to dig into the walls.


    Almost a dozen metres on the surface were covered by theyer of water, with a dense corruption while the rain brought down corruption with every drop. And finally, the lightning bolts unleashed by the thundercloud too were the same.


    Immediately, Yonka City was cut off from the rest of the cities on the surface, hit by the peak of the Heaven''s Will Scheme.


    And as disasters erupted in or nearby other cities, it wasn''t possible to expect any reinforcements in the meantime, truly cing Yonka City in a predicament.


    Roar!


    The Aberrants within the ocean water roared as they attacked the Castle Wall, beginning to damage them rapidly.


    "Dwun!" Rhizen shouted in response, frowning as his attacks were mostly drowned out by the rain and ocean water. And any strong attacks he unleashed were countered by the lightning bolts, impeding him.


    "On it!" Dwun shouted as he jumped from the rooftop of the building he was upon, proceeding to the edge of the city as he said, "But, I need a lot of Nacre for the initial setup."


    "I''ll take care of it, just go," Rhizen said, unfurling his wings that carried him towards the city centre. Landing on the Pearl Buck, he closed his eyes, gradually riling up his Nacre as the Pearl Buck hummed in response.


    And with that, he transmitted his power through it, causing it to head deep into Pearl Buck''s roots before affecting the entire region.


    Fusion Arts¡ªDevouring Heaven!


    Boom!


    All the Aberrants in the water screamed in pain before falling limply, carried by the water currents as for a moment, the water turned crystalline, sucked of all its corruption.


    The corruption in the water and underground, present in a radius of fifty kilometres surrounding Yonka City was instantly devoured by Rhizen through Pearl Buck, grunting in pain as he transformed into the All-Devouring Whale that now resembled a gigantic serpent.


    And, appearing within its body was a dense sphere of corruption, rapidly converted into Nacre that was supplied to the Pearl Buck, instantly raising the quantity of Nacre within Yonka City, so much so that most Horned Humans felt difficulty in breathing.


    "Hahaha!" Dwunughed as he exited Yonka City and plunged deep into the water beyond, arriving at the ground as he brought out a tiny cylinder before plunging it into the ground.


    External Item¡ªGrassmen Nest (VIII)!


    Boom!


    The tiny pearl-like cylinder exploded to be a thirty-metre-tall tree that peaked out of the water, its branches bulging in response before birthing hundreds of Grassmen thatnded in the water.


    Theytched onto the weakened Aberrants as roots gushed out of their bodies and burrowed into the Aberrants, rapidly sucking in all nutrients to leave behind withered husks.


    The Grassmen were empowered as a result, able to fight against stronger Aberrants as they continued to grow in this manner, clearing out the weakened Aberrants en masse.


    Instantly, the situation regarding Yonka City was stabilised to a certain extent. After all, the Grassmen Nest was heavily energy-draining.<novelnext></novelnext>


    After using the excess Nacre to quickly set up itself, it began to drain the region of the corruption, causing the damage by the water to diminish on Yonka City.


    "How are the other cities faring¡­?" Rhizen asked in a hurry, worried as he gazed at the thundercloud that was unaffected by everything.


    "Bad, they have all taken substantial damage¡­" Yulna had just begun to speak when suddenly, a breach formed in Yonka City''s barrier; a bolt of lightning mmed between them, sending them flying away as two entities appeared in the centre of Yonka City.


    "What the heck?" Rhizen oriented himself quickly, staring in shock at the Cs that had appeared, pouncing towards him immediately.


    "Tch!" He grunted in anger, unleashing a hail of poisoned stingers toward the Cs. In the meantime, his wings pped, causing all the feathers to fly towards the breach and seal it up first.


    With that, the rain couldn''t fall into the city as the barrier quickly healed the gap while the surrounding Dust Wave formed a secondyer of defence.


    The Cs had personally taken action to unleash that bolt of lightning, managing to easily poke a hole into the barrier through which it and the blob of corruption entered.


    "Shika! Take care of the other one!" Rhizen shouted, transforming into a Whale when he was sent flying by the Cs that was stronger than the previous one.


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªStatic Force (V)!


    The moment the Cs was about to m into the Whale again, the air around it stilled in response as immediately after, a terrifying force mmed into its horns, sending it reeling into the ground.


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªDust Wave (IX)!


    "Grrah!" The Cs flinched as its insides began to burn up, for everything it inhaled or moved through became dangerous. The Dust Wave began to destroy its skin and internals little by little, slightly stronger than its innate defence.


    Dust Wave alone wasn''t enough to wound it severely, but in this case, it was enough to tip the scales in his favour as the Whale''s flippers transformed into gigantic vulture-like wings while its body gradually elongated further into that of a serpent.


    Its tail then transformed into a scorpion''s, brimming with a terrifying poison as the stinger mmed into the Cs, melting through its defences to inject the poison into its body, rapidly affecting it.


    Moreover, the stinger suddenly unleashed countless spikes, with each melting through the corruption.


    Roar!


    The Cs roared in response as lightning arched across its body, mming into the Whale to send it flying. The Celestial Armour covering it was almost charred ck from the attack, with some regions already in tatters.


    Huff!


    The Cs rapidly healed its injuries and began to emanate corruption into its surroundings, instantly turning hundreds of Horned Humans into Aberrants, of a stronger kind that began to attack other people.


    "Heup!" Shika bellowed as countless arrows flew across the ce, killing all the Aberrants before suppressing the corruption seeping into the surroundings.


    The Pearl Buck too shone in response, continuing to suppress it further while the Cs itself felt a tad sluggish.


    But at this time, the blob of corruption arrived behind Shika, unleashing a bolt of lightning that mmed into her, sending her flying towards the Cs that mped onto her.


    Shika barely managed to transform into a snake and slip through the gaps in its teeth¡ªbefore they were closed shut. A secondte, and she would be dead.


    Boom!


    But immediately after, the Cs created a sphere of corruption that exploded, sending her flying towards Rhizen as the Cs leapt into the air, crashing into the two, keeping them upied.


    "Dammit!" Dwun noticed the situation within Yonka City deteriorating; he wished to reinforce them immediately. But right as he moved, thousands of Titan Aberrants surrounded him, attacking him with reckless abandon, preventing him from arriving to their help for the time being.


    "Haha, great!" The blob of corruptionughed jovially as lightning bolts mmed onto the city barrier nonstop, breaching it from time to time as even though they lost most of their power, they were still strong enough to hold back the Stage 7 Mystic Humans.


    And with Rhizen, Shika, and Dwun held back, it had free reign, "It''s time."


    Saying so, it mmed into Yulna, gushing into her body as thetter screamed in pain, her skin peeling off in response as her Origin Space was the first to suffer the brunt of the damage, rapidly causing her Nacre to be expended as corruption filled itpletely.


    The blob of corruption wasposed of almost fifty percent of the corruption that was in the world itself. There was no way Yulna could handle something of such a scale, something only the likes of Rhizen could handle.


    "Saint!" Yulna extended her hand, screaming in despair as her consciousness nked out.

 Chapter 30 Arrival Of The System Host

    "Yulna!" Rhizen shouted in rm, hurriedly contacting the PADS headquarters, practically shouting into the mind of the overseer there, "Can I use my freaking Luck already?"


    In the PADS headquarters, thedy wearing a crown on her head flinched in response upon hearing Rhizen''s shout, hurriedly inquiring with the respective departments regarding the status of the Grade 2 Systems surrounding their.


    She then informed Rhizen, "Saint, the most that are usable now is Luck below Level 50. We won''t be able to handle concealing Luck beyond that."


    "Dammit!" Rhizen grunted in annoyance before he recalled a certain Luck that he had, noticing the statue of the situation around him, ''Wait, that works well enough in this situation.''


    Immediately after, a mystical power burst out of his body as his figure vanished, allowing Shika to reorient herself as he rapidly closed in on the Cs, fully exercising the power of Luck.


    Level 41¡ªDesperate Luck!


    Boom!


    The Cs opened its mouth and unleashed a breath attack, strong enough to destroy the city if Rhizen didn''t endure the entire attack. If he failed to defend it, then all the strong Mystic Humans in the city would turn into terrifying Aberrants, with a good fraction of them bing a Keras.


    Their sheer strength would be enough to overwhelm Rhizen to the extent he might even be killed. But unfortunately, this action only caused the situation to turn more desperate for Rhizen, making it a perfect recipe for his luck activation.


    Time seemed to slow down for a moment as the breath attack approached Rhizen, brimming with enough power to wound him severely. But, right as it approached him, about to m into his face, his expression of desperation was highlighted as he summoned all his power to endure it.


    Desperate Luck!


    His power fused in an interestingbination, causing the All-Devouring Whale to be covered with spikes oozing out poison, covered by a transparentyer that absorbed all the kic energy of the entire region, for a moment making all living beings except the Horned and Mystic Humans immobile.


    Following that, the transparentyer also absorbed the kic energy in the breath attack, turning it immobile. And using this chance, the spikes covering the Whale''s body grew in length before shooting out in all directions.


    And when they shot out, the transparentyer covering them sent part of the power in the breath attack flying, carrying the corruption with them as the spikes glided like his Homing Feathers before all of them exited Yonka City and mmed into the clouds beyond, targeting the Cloud Keras.


    Right before the impact, the corruption they brought with them was destroyed by the transparentyer that vanished, converting it into Nacre that seeped into the poison; the spikes mmed into the thunder cloud, poking holes throughout it inrge numbers, for a moment weakening it significantly.


    With the breath attack disappearing, it ced the Cs at a momentary disadvantage as the Whale desperately mmed into it; another batch of spikes poked out of its body, piercing all over the Cs, injecting copious amounts of poison.


    Raawrrr!


    The Cs screamed in pain as a good fraction of its body began to melt. It opened its jaws wide and mped upon the Whale, tearing out arge chunk of flesh, increasing Rhizen''s risk of death.


    But, this only fuelled his Desperate Luck further, causing the damage he inflicted to spike in response, injuring the Cs further as soon, both the parties became wounded critically.


    Boom!


    The spikes suddenly shone with a resplendent hue of Nacre as the surroundings turned still once again, and immediately after, the Static Force mmed into the insides of the Cs, rupturing it entirely.


    The spikes too were destroyed in the process as the Whale too was moving, with it triggering a good fraction of the Static Force shields.


    Boom!


    Both the Whale and the Cs copsed to the ground, critically injured. The Whale was still able to move while the Csy there limp, its body continuing to melt faster and faster as it red at Rhizen with hatred.


    But a moment, its eyes curled up in ridicule as its body melted into a puddle soon after, "We''ve seeded, fucker."


    "What?" Rhizen was rmed as the Whale stared up in hurry, seeing Shika being sent flying by Yulna, or rather, the entity that Yulna had transformed into.


    "Gah!" Shika coughed out blood, hurriedly seeping more Nacre into her Celestial Armour to be rid of the corruption affecting her, staring solemnly at the humanoid entity before her.


    At a height of three metres, a greenish figure with a horn¡ªten centimetres long¡ªjutting out of her forehead, with parts of what was once the Celestial Armour fused into her body itself, gently whirring from time to time.


    The face still resembled that of Yulna but suddenly, she opened her mouth, causing it to expand in length to thrice the original as a vortex of corruption formed within.


    Swoosh!<novelnext></novelnext>


    The Nacre in the air was rapidly sucked into her mouth and converted into corruption. This was exactly the reverse of the All-Devouring Whale''s ability. The dense stream of corruption circted in her as she condensed a crossbow in her hands, firing arrows nonstop at Shika, causing her to defend against the attacks passively.


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªBurst Crossbow (V)!


    This was Yulna''s signature ability. But now, it had morphed. Shockingly, all her Mutated Beasts too were preserved, having been converted into the corruption itself.


    And that wasn''t all. Rhizen observed that Yulna''s luck was growing steadily before taking on the shape of arge shield.


    He recognised this shield, for it was present in the Luck of Dwun, Shika, and many others at one point in time¡­


    When they were System Hosts!


    "Immunity to instant death attacks¡­" He muttered, churning his Nacre as he took off to the skies once again, noticing that his Desperate Luck was still in effect. He hadn''t expended it entirely yet.


    System Hosts, or typically the protagonists seen in System Novels usually had one terrifying power, seen as an extension of plot armour. It was the fact that they were immune to attacks that were guaranteed to kill them.


    Such attacks would definitely fail for a variety of reasons. And in some cases, they would only cripple the protagonist, allowing them to bounce back stronger at ater date.


    Their loved ones might suddenly jump before them to endure the attack, resulting in their death, allowing the protagonist to survive. There were hundreds of variations to this, but in essence, attacks that should have definitely killed the protagonist would always fail.


    Or if the attack kills them, it was just a crutch, for the protagonist might be in possession of the power to revive sooner orter, depending on the story.


    Even though Apocalypse was a Grade 3 System, its effect on the Aberrant World hadn''t beenpleted yet, so no System Hosts emerged. Only after the world was fully taken over would the Aberrants on it gradually evolve to be System Hosts.


    But now, the corruption in this world decided to skip that process and focused fully on Yulna, someone with enough foundation to ept such arge level of corruption and didn''t have enough resistance to offer against it.


    And now, Yulna had be something simr, a System Host while being an Aberrant, something that would have only appeared after the Aberrant World was fully taken over by Apocalypse.


    Moreover, the corruption had let go of most of its original abilities, instead focusing entirely on the power Yulna possessed, converting it into its own power.


    "Hahaha! This power is terrifying!" Yulna chuckled, her original personality destroyed and reced by the blob of corruption.


    Boom!


    Rhizen¡ªthe Whale¡ªmmed into her, unleashing a stream of Dust Wave at her, rapidly beginning to damage her. Her strength was almost on the same level as the Cs but more versatile in nature, allowing her to fight against Rhizen better.


    Moreover, unlike the Cs, she had the advantage in that Rhizen couldn''t use any big moves against her, for that would naturally not work, thanks to her being immune to instant-death attacks.


    This meant that prolonged fights were the only way for her to be defeated. But, that was easier said than done as Yulna taunted, "Go on, use Coincidental Luck. You won''t be able to defeat me otherwise. You''ve been injured significantly by the Cs."


    "Go on, what are you waiting for?" Yulna jumped around as her pair of wings darted about, at times turning into a de that expanded in length to sever the bodies of Stage 7 Mystic Humans that she came across.


    She constantly taunted Rhizen while being on the run, gradually bing faster as her body limated to her changing powers better.


    In the meantime, the Cloud Keras charged into Yonka City, targeting Shika with lightning bolts, also attacking Dwun from time to time, ensuring the two wouldn''t be able to interfere with this fight.


    The other cities too were being attacked as a result of the Heaven''s Will Scheme, so there was no possibility of reinforcementsing to their aid. And, with the Grade 2 Systems surrounding the home of PADS, they couldn''t bring in more Mystic Humans, for the risks of being discovered were too high.


    ''It seems the level of strength I have isn''t enough to kill Rhizen yet.'' Yulna thought, having attacked Rhizen many times by now, observing that even though he sustained plenty of injuries, there was no sign of him dying yet.


    In contrast, his attacks were bing more and more potent thanks to Desperate Luck.


    After a moment of thought, Yulna sighed, ''It indeed seems like this is my current limit.''


    Suddenly, Yulna''s wings expanded in size, pping with greater force as she pierced a hole through the barrier and left Yonka City, heading towards a farther city at terrifying speeds.


    "You won''t be escaping!" Rhizen bellowed in response, turning into a giant serpent to chase after her.

 Chapter 31 Escaping The Aberrant World

    Thousands of feathers streamed through the air, chasing after Yulna when suddenly, a bolt of lightningnded in their midst, setting most of them on fire.


    And following that, the rain drops weakened them little by little before eventually, they all vanished. Dust Wave too was simr, being countered by the rain, preventing Rhizen from using long ranged abilities.


    Due to that, catching up to Yulna was his only option. Unfortunately for him, he couldn''t ask for help, for Shika and Dwun were held back by the Cloud Keras.


    And every time he closed in on Yulna, lightning bolts would m into him, injuring him, and causing him to slow down as a result.


    Yulna too was able to manipte the thunderclouds like the Cloud Keras. Thanks to it, she was able to keep him at bay, continuing to fly.


    Guooong!


    The Whale suddenly changed directions, gaining altitude as it flew into the clouds, opening its mouth to rapidly suck in a good portion of the clouds, converting them into Nacre before gushing out the excess water.


    Its injuries began to heal gradually as its shape continued to morph. Rhizen was simultaneously using multiple Mutated Beasts, having transformed into them to result in a fusion state, possible thanks to his Desperate Luck.


    The Apocalyptic Art of All-Devouring Whale was from a fish-type Mutated Beast resembling a Whale. The Apocalyptic Art of Thieving Heaven originated from a cobra-type Mutated Beast, Celestial Armour from a rhino-type Mutated Beast, Homing Feathers from a vulture-type Mutated Beast, Death Stinger from a scorpion-type Mutated Beast, and finally, Spike Frenzy from a porcupine-type Mutated Beast.


    And now, Rhizen had activated them all at the same time, causing his appearance to morph grandly, resulting in a spike in his strength. But, he was also pushing himself, for just the Fusion Art of Devouring Heaven, activated by the fusion activation of Thieving Heaven and All-Devouring Whale caused a lot of strain, preventing him from activating it a second time in a short interval.


    So, the moment his transformation wore off, Rhizen was bound to lose consciousness at the very least.


    Therefore, he had no other choice, intending to capture Yulna before his Desperate Luck ran out.


    The body of a whale that had elongated to be serpentine, sporting a tail with a stinger. Scaly eyes with a death re, a head covered by spikes, and a spiky pair of wings resembling des, almost transparent in nature. And finally, ayer of skin resembling a rhino covered the entirety.


    Rhizen had transformed into a beast that spanned a length of 60 metres, a giant in the sky that finished eating up the clouds until its fill before pping its de-like wings, erupting with a sonic boom as its figure made a beeline towards Yulna.


    "Do it! Now!" Yulna shouted, blowing into a whistle as the information resounded clearly in the minds of all the Aberrants.


    Suddenly, in a city that was situated deep ind, having hardly faced any damage from the Heaven''s Will Scheme, the ground rumbled as hundreds of tunnels appeared around it. And exiting it were Titan Aberrants numbering in the tens of thousands, shocking everyone in the city.


    After all, as a city situated in a safe zone, the strength of the City Lord too was on the lower side, only a Stage 7 Mystic Human.


    He stared in rm at the sheer number of enemies that had appeared, all Titan Aberrants. The tunnels lead directly into the ocean, created thanks to the earthquakes that had happened.


    The Aberrants truly had concealed their intentions under multipleyers of schemes, with each scheme having an obvious and subtle effect. But, all of them were to divert attention away from their true goal: Yulna, and Stotte City.


    Upon predicting that they wouldn''t be able to win against the PADS, the Aberrants changed their tactics, intending to concentrate all their power on one individual and steal some of the power wielded by PADS.


    The first key necessary to attain this was Yulna, a candidate suitable to withstand a major amount of corruption. And, the second key was in Stotte City.


    But, it was impossible to target a city so deep ind where even the nearest river passed through at least a couple of cities first. It truly was established in a safe location.


    And hence, in hindsight, it became the best target for the Aberrants. Therefore, they nned to use the earthquakes to form a crack in thend, onerge enough to reach the ocean.


    The sudden creation of a vacuum underground due to the tectonic te movements would force the ocean water into it if the crack reached the ocean.


    Of course, as a Grade 3 System, Apocalypse was an expert on devouring worlds. Hence, the corruption in the Aberrant World was able to make urate estimates, causing earthquakes in such a way that multiple cracks led to the doorstep of Stotte City.


    And on the other side, deep within the ocean waters, Titan Aberrants had gathered in dense numbers, constantly devouring the regr Aberrants to strengthen themselves.


    Once the crack opened into the ocean, the created suction forced the high-pressure water to gush into it at terrifying speeds. And, the Titan Aberrants rode these currents, rapidly rowing their way towards Stotte City in a matter of hours from far away.


    "Dammit!" The Stotte City Lord paled in fright at the sheer number of Titan Aberrants that began to attack the city barrier, beginning to crack it in a matter of minutes.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The defensive battle barelysted for an hour before the horde of Titan Aberrants swarmed into the city, engaging in a ughter.


    Cities in dangerous locations were the most fortified with Artillery Canons and other External Items, for they fought against the worst horde of Aberrants.


    Cities like Stotte City hardly had to face such a horde, so the reserve of Mystic Humans here was very little. And as they fought less, the strength of the Horned Humans too was pitiful, barely reaching Stage 3.


    One needed to be a Stage 5 Horned Human to face a Titan Aberrant, rendering all the Horned Humans in Stotte City useless. This put all the pressure on the scant few Mystic Humans in the city that were overwhelmed soon after.


    "Die!" The Stotte City Lord bellowed in anger, carryingrge hand canons that he used to st everywhere, with each hit killing at least three to four Titan Aberrants. But, he was gradually overwhelmed too, for their allies dropped dead one after another.


    The Horned Humans gradually lost control, turning into Aberrants, increasing the pressure on the Mystic Humans, resulting in a vicious cycle.


    Eventually, the City Lord was the sole human left in the city, struggling to fight as countless Titan Aberrantsmitted suicide to result in a dense stream of corruption that attacked his Tower of Purification, causing its Nacre production to slow down.


    This meant that his Nacre recovery too became slower, causing him to attack at a slower rate. And unfortunately for him, the Titan Aberrants continued to pour out of the tunnels.


    "Haah¡­hah¡­dammit! You fuckers! Just you wait! Myrades would exact revenge!" The Stotte City Lord stared vehemently at the Titan Aberrant that stared at him with a wide grin, crunching his hand into pieces before spitting it out.


    It slowly yed with the Stotte City Lord, torturing him. But, it didn''t go overboard, ensuring he was alive, slowly dragging him towards his Tower of Purification.


    The Stotte City Lord tried to retract his Tower of Purification, but just like what had happened in Greire City, he was unable to recall it as a mysterious ability was chaining it down.


    "She''s here." Suddenly, the Titan Aberrants turned around in unison, gazing at a figure that sped towards them at terrifying speeds.


    [Uproot it!]


    A message resounded in their minds as the Titan Aberrants took action immediately, holding the Tower of Purification as they gradually uprooted it. It was mildly damaged as a result, but the damage didn''t affect its functions.


    "Give them to me!" Yulna shouted as she grabbed hold of the Stotte City Lord, plunging her hand into his stomach as a mysterious power swirled around her hand before she yanked out his Origin Space.


    Her head turned into a whale''s as she swallowed it, causing the Stotte City Lord to scream in pain as nerves protruded all over his body, bursting in response to spill out a fountain of blood.


    Yulna then summoned a cylinder, her External Item that she crushed and swallowed. She then extended her hand, expanding its size before crushing the Stotte City Lord into blood that she sshed onto his Tower of Purification.


    She then grabbed hold of it tightly, seeping in a dense stream of corruption into it, causing it to tremble violently as she bellowed, "Be mine!"


    Boom!


    A terrifying beam of energy exited the ground and flowed into the Tower of Purification as the bodies of all the Titan Aberrants began to dissolve in response.


    "Hahaha! We''ve seeded!" The Cloud Keras bellowed in joy just as Shika killed it. Its corpse suddenly dissolved into energy and vanished.


    "Suck them dry, Yulna!" The Twenty-Armed Keras stared happily as its body dissolved into energy and vanished, forming a gigantic stream that flowed into the Tower of Purification held in Yulna''s hands.


    All the Aberrants in the Aberrant World vanished, converted into pure energy that flowed into the Tower of Purification as Yulna clenched her hand into a fist, connecting it to her Origin Space, turning it into her External Item.


    The tree¡ªTower of Purification¡ªalmost withered as it unleashed a beam of energy into the sky, condensing a portal, one that lead into another world.


    By using up all the energy in the Aberrant World, Yulna nned to escape along with the powers that she had stolen from the PADS, with their signature Tower of Purification being her primary goal.


    Staring at the injured beast that was flying towards her at terrifying speeds, Yulna gulped nervously before flying towards the portal in a hurry, uttering what every System wished to say, "fuck you, Rhizen!"

 Chapter 32 Adapting To The New World

    The portal was condensed by expending all the corruption that was in the Aberrant World.


    Rhizen''s Tower of Purification¡ªPearl Buck¡ªhad the property of shielding whatever world it was nted upon from the senses of Apocalypse, preventing it from interfering with this world.


    Moreover, it also prevented the corruption in the world from making a connection with the System World, the ce where Systems were birthed.


    As all System Skills regarding that were rendered useless, the corruption had only one choice, and that was to consume all the corruption in the Aberrant World to brute force a way through the world.


    As the Tower of Purification had multiple abilities, one of which was to act as a beacon for trans-universe travel, by pouring all the corruption guing the world through it, Yulna prated through the fabric of space of this universe, creating a portal into the adjacent universe.


    And using the Tower of Purification, she locked onto the habitable world there, jumping into the portal right after talking smack about Rhizen.


    Every System in existence hated Rhizen for what he had done in the past. Therefore, now that Yulna had transformed into a Host to arge enough fragment of the Apocalypse System, she expressed her anger.


    But of course, she dared not remain behind, aware that he might interfere and mess up her ns to escape. Yulna had already sessfully stolen part of the power in possession of the PADS, not to mention their Tower of Purification.


    This was better than taking over the Aberrant World. After all, to the eyes of Apocalypse, the Aberrant World was just one among the thousands of worlds it was in control of.


    Losing one didn''t even matter, especially since in exchange, it had obtained valuable information regarding its enemy.


    The moment she entered the portal, it instantly closed up, ensuring none could follow her.


    But of course, Rhizen had no intentions of allowing that, churning thest vestiges of his Desperate Luck as he pointed his hand at the portal.


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªThieving Heaven (VIII)!


    Swoosh!


    His figure vanished, appearing on the other side of the portal as he crashed into a mountain.


    Boom!


    The Aberrant World rumbled as things happened too rapidly on it, confusing everyone. But now that all the Aberrants had vanished, things became safer instantly.


    The Geological Society Director in Yonka City stared at the receding waters as he pulled out a pocket watch, observing the words shing on it.


    [World Corruption: 0]


    "We seeded." He smiled in response, sighing in relief. But suddenly, he turned around in rm, watching the Pearl Buck vanish mysteriously.


    For a moment, it seemed like their world had been exposed to mysterious powers. But immediately after, the silhouette of the home world of PADS shed once as a formless power seeped into the Aberrant World, using the various Towers of Purification there as the node, quickly protecting the world once again.


    Following that, the silhouette vanished as all the Mystic Humans sighed in relief. With this, the Aberrant World was safe, having avoided all harm from now on.


    Even though they had suffered disastrous losses, as long as they worked on rebuilding their strength, the world would get back on track eventually.


    The Nacre production in the various Towers of Purification slowed down drastically due to theck of corruption. They had to slowly extract nutrients from the soil, process it like food and produce a meagre sum of Nacre.


    But best of all, there was nothing in this world to hinder the Nacre production. So, given a few decades, enough Nacre would seep into the world before the Aberrant World itself begins to produce Nacre.


    Only then could they say that the world didn''t need protection from the PADS.


    "Rhizen, I hope you''re safe," Shika muttered, gazing at the sky in the direction where the portal had appeared. There was no indication of a portal being there anymore, but it was where Yulna had escaped through while Rhizen followed after her.


    Unlike before, Rhizen had treaded onto unchartednds where the PADS had yet to set upmunication. So, until he figures out a means to contact them, there was no way to know about his situation.


    All she could do was pray for his wellbeing and hope he could capture and bring back Yulna.


    ¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    Boom!


    Watching the portal crumble into nothing behind him, Rhizen panted in exhaustion, sensing the effects of his Desperate Luck dissipate as he crashed into a hill, watching Yulna''s figure scuttle about from nearby.


    Her expression was one of shock, expressing irritation amid mild hopelessness as her wings fluttered in a flurry, carrying her past the hill and far into the horizon.


    "D-Dammit!" Rhizen grunted in pain, unable to move as his transformations came undone one after another. He expressed killing intent, acting like he was about to chase after Yulna once again, but he had truly hit his limit.


    Immediately, he erected his Pearl Buck, watching its roots dig deep into the hill as it created a small safe zone, one that barely spanned a couple dozen metres in radius, enough for his Whale form to rest at.


    The Nacre production was slow as there wasn''t any corruption in the ce. It seeped into his wounds, slowly healing him as Rhizen fell unconscious.


    His Whale form had the strongest recovery rate, so remaining as such was better than reverting to his human form.


    ¡­


    "Shit! Shit! Shit! How the heck did he manage to make it through despite the short window of the portal''s existence?" Yulna screamed nervously, biting her nails as she continued to fly, able to feel a deep sense of fear root in her heart, as if a terrifying beast was about to swallow her whole any moment now.


    She looked around in a hurry, failing to see any traces of Rhizen, but despite that, she was unwilling to remain in this world any longer.


    Her first intention was to return to the System World and meet Apocalypse, thereby giving it all the data that she hadpiled. After that, they''ll figure out a way to deal with him.


    The only reason Rhizen had yet to truly go all out was due to the fact that his power was too strong, powerful enough to reveal the hidden location of his home world. That was why he only used conservative lucks.


    "If he had used Coincidental Luck back then¡­" At the mere thought of it, Yulna shuddered.


    She then hurriedly riled up her power, intending to connect with the Astral Network, a mysticalwork that all Systems were able to ess from any world in any universe, as long as thework had been set up there beforehand.


    But a couple of secondster, she grunted in anger,nding on the ground before stomping in response, "Shit!"


    Of course, she was unable to connect with the Astral Network. Even if it had been here, from the moment Rhizen nted his Pearl Buck into the ground, this world was cut off from the Astral Network, stranding Yulna.


    This meant that she had to manually search for a way to leave this universe and hope to stumble upon a universe that maintained its connection with the Astral Network. And to do that, she had to repeat the same as what she had done in the Aberrant World.


    Moreover, she had to hope that this time, Rhizen wouldn''t follow her and cut offmunications once again.


    "I have to umte enough energy to pierce through the fabric of reality once again. Thankfully¡­" She condensed a pearl-like cylinder whose edges were covered by a murky green sludge, "With this Tower of Purification, I can do some interesting things."


    She was no longer able to create Aberrants like in the Aberrant World, having lost those powers. But, through the fruits borne by the Tower of Purification, she might be able to give rise to the Aberrant version of the Horned Humans.


    It would of course take her longer than in the Aberrant World, but as long as she persisted with it, she would be able to raise a sizeable army, especially since she wasn''t able to sense any innate energy of this world.


    This meant that the people of this world were mortals.


    "Thankfully!" Moaning in relief, she flew through the air, quickly spotting a city far away, frowning as her eyes brimmed with power, allowing her to zoom in on her target, seeing that it was a human city.


    "Are humans the only sentient species in this world?" She frowned at her appearance, one that was the least humane possible.


    Suddenly, her muscles wriggled as the armour coating her began to fall off as pieces, revealing her tanned skin behind. One after another, the various traits that she obtained as a result of her evolution began to revert, shedding off the excess as Yulna began to retract in her power, settling everything in her Origin Space.


    Before long, she assumed a human appearance, murky green hair with olive green eyes that entuated her tanned skin and petite figure that barely reached five feet in height.


    The parts of her body that had shattered and piled upon the ground whirled up at her will, melting into a liquid before coiling into threads that transformed into a set of garments that she wore.


    With that, her preparations were done as Yulna flew through the region, retracting her wings once she reached the vicinity of the city. Following that, her demeanour changed, making her resemble amoner girl that had ventured out to collect some herbs.


    Grabbing hold of some herbs that she threw in a makeshift basket made out of bamboo, Yulna approached the city, staring at the guards wearing a mix of chainmail and leather armour, letting out an innocent smile, speaking with a chirpy tone akin to a teenager, "Hello, uncles!"

 Chapter 33 Fornol Empress

    "Halt!" The guards shouted, failing to recognise Yulna, for her appearance stood out from the rest. Whether it was the appearance, skin colour, hair colour, or attire, Yulna was different from what they were used to seeing. So of course, they were wary of her.


    This was especially since there only existed one race of humans in Retura City. There might exist other races of humans elsewhere, but the guards weren''t aware of such a thing.


    After all, they weren''t even literate in the first ce, having trained to be a soldier since young and now posted as guards.


    "I''m an imperial envoy sent to greet your City Lord." Upon seeing the suspicion directed at her by the guards, Yulna changed her tone, acting like an ambassador, "Bring me to your City Lord if you don''t wish to see your heads roll on the ground."


    "I''ll stay here. You go inform the City Lord about this." One of the guards motioned at the other guard that immediately left to inform the City Lord about her arrival.


    They couldn''t simply bring anyone inside the city and hence, this level of precaution.


    Yulna calmly stood at the side, whistling from time to time, acting like she truly didn''t care about what happened here. In truth, a mere nce at the fortified city, and she knew that this world indeed didn''t have anything special¡ªa power system¡ªgoing for it.


    The people were mortals in the truest sense. And currently, they were only in an Iron Age, having yet to embark on the Steam Age.


    Maybe in the future, they might head on the same route as Earth. Or if some mysterious material pops up or if a System decides to take things up for a spin, then things in this world might change.


    Otherwise, they might take centuries to enter a technological era.


    Even if there were a million people armed with bows and spears, they wouldn''t even be able to scratch her.


    After all, she was almost on the level of a Cs. Despite her current looks as a fragile woman, her skin was on the same level as the Cs that Rhizen faced first.


    So, even if a bomb were tond on her, she would emerge unscathed. Therefore, there truly was no reason for her to be afraid of here.


    The only threat to her in this world was Rhizen. And upon seeing that he hadn''t chased after her, Yulna began to think of a n.


    ''Maybe he''s already growing an army to target me next.'' She thought, worried as she wished to nt her Tower of Purification immediately and churn out people with power through the fruits it bore.


    ''But first, I must know more about this world.'' Thinking as such, Yulna awaited a good couple of hours before someone arrived from the City Lord''s house, escorting her to the mansion in the centre of the city.


    Yulna observed that the buildings were made of stone, noting that the ground was hard, eyes lighting up in surprise, ''This city was carved on a levelled-out mountain?''


    She did observe that the majority of the ground seemed to be covered by rocks,rge and undisturbed, akin to a mountain, covered by a couple of metres of soil.


    But what she hadn''t expected was for this entire region to be like this, only having a thin upper soil, with the remainder being hard bedrock.


    The person that came to escort her was one of the butlers of the City Lord. He didn''t ask for any details, calmly escorting her first.


    Yulna keenly observed the mild shock expressed by the butler, having never expected a foreigner like her to be here. It seemed he was literate and was aware of there being humans with varied appearances in the world.


    That was why he was only shocked mildly at her appearance and didn''t express anything strict like the guards.


    "Please wait here. The City Lord would meet you shortly." Saying so, the butler escorted her into a study before taking his leave.


    The study was somewhat cold, a room that spanned a length and breadth of twenty metres. A firece was situated at one corner, with the fire snuffed out. The charcoal there had faint embers, emitting a gentle heal.


    Though, it wasn''t sufficient to keep such arge room warm enough. Of course, Yulna wasn''t in the least concerned with something like that. Whether it was a sauna or a freezer, it wouldn''t affect her.


    Instead, her gaze fell on the books as she approached the rack and pulled out a book, calmly reading through it. As Host to the Apocalypse System, and as a fragment of Apocalypse, being able to understand, read, and speak allnguages wasmonce.


    Even if she wasn''t aware of thenguage, things were automatically tranted to her. Moreover, it only took her a minute to grasp the workings of thenguage based on the trantion.


    Following that, she flipped through the contents, casually browsing through the books before soon, she obtained one that delved into the geography of the region.


    The ce she was at was called Retura City, the southernmost city of the Fornol Empire. What surprised her was the fact that Fornol Empire was currently on a conquest for the past century, having destroyed and piged countless kingdoms.<novelnext></novelnext>


    They were a reigning power that continued to grow and dominate other regions. Wars sparked everywhere they set their foot upon as people died inrge numbers.


    The Emperor of the Fornol Empire had an insatiable thirst for power and authority as he continued to send armies everywhere to wage war.


    ''Interesting, this is just what I need.'' Yulna smirked as she looked at the map of the Fornol Empire, located the direction of the capital and casually left the room. The reason for the entire ruse was just to obtain the necessary information.


    Of course, she nned to rule the Fornol Kingdom from the shadows. For that, taking action on the Emperor was the fastest way to spread her power instead of attempting the same from a mere City Lord.


    Condensing her wings, she took off into the skies and sted off.


    A couple of people on the streets coincidentally looked at the skies to seerge bird wings. But before they could exim, Yulna''s figure vanished. Thinking that they were seeing a hallucination, the people that witnessed her went about with their daily lives, unaware of the event that would change the fate of their entire world.


    "Eh? Where is that foreigner, butler?" A middle-aged man''s surprised voice resounded in the study as he looked around, failing to find any traces of her.


    He and the butler then stared at the faces of each other, feeling that the atmosphere had turned eerie all of a sudden. After all, there were guards posted right outside the study, so anyone that wished to leave would have been spotted by the guards.


    So, it was unnerving, as if a ghost had paid them a visit. In truth, Yulna had simply turned into a snake and slithered out through the firece, for that was the fastest exit.


    A couple of hours of air travelter, Yulna arrived in the skies of Deltonne City, Fornol Empire''s capital. The sun had just begun to set as the skies began to darken.


    After waiting for some more time, once night set in, Yulna used the cover of the night to fly into the Imperial Pce, retracting her wings as she transformed into a snake, slithering through the corners between the floor and the wall, avoiding detection as she quickly made her way through the pce''s interior.


    Soon, she arrived at the Emperor''s chamber, surprised to see a scrawny figure with swollen eye sockets that seemed to be shivering from cold.


    Seated nearby, on a seat that seemed to be positioned higher than him was ady wearing regal clothes. A single nce at her, and it was apparent that she was the Empress.


    And based on the current situation, the Empress was the actual one in control, having stolen authority from the Emperor.


    Yulna didn''t make her presence known immediately, waiting to see what yed between them.


    "Millions of people might die, Feleokruna." The Emperor stated, controlling his trembling.


    In response, the Empress sighed, saying in disappointment, "When we were young, you promised the world to me. And from the moment you became the Emperor, you actively destroyed and annexed countless kingdoms. You were charming back then. But now¡­"


    "Why have you be like this?" She stared at him in silence.


    The Emperor didn''t talk for a good ten minutes, speaking as he seemed to be coting his thoughts, "When I was young, I didn''t realise the weight of my promise. Even if I conquer the world, what I''m able to present to you would only be a devastated one."


    "It''s not what I had imagined."


    "A devastated one it is then." The Empress, Feleokruna nodded as if it made sense, "With our wealth and power, amand from us would raise cities. If it was razed down during our conquest, we''ll rebuild it under our rule. We have the manpower, funds, and time to do it."


    "I''m turning 55 in a few days and I''m already this feeble. Let''s stop this war, dear." The Emperor said, exhausted, "It seems like I don''t have long to live. So in my final days, I wish to remain in peace without having to think about war and ughter."


    "You can think about it as you wish then¡­" Feleokruna said as her voice turned cold, "In the afterlife that is."


    "I see¡­" The Emperor muttered in response, noticing blood dripping from his nose, understanding that he had been poisoned. His eyes darted to a sash Feleokruna had brought with her tonight, ''So, it''s a poison that triggers whatever she had been feeding me until recently.''


    In the end, he could only say his heartfelt words before his demise, "Even if you manage to conquer the world, your thirst would never be quenched. Try to be content with the glory you''ve already attained and curb your endless greed."


    "You know that''s impossible." Feleokruna sighed as she closed the eyes of the dead Emperor, "It was you that sparked this desire in me when young. It has be the reason for my existence now."


    "I''ll never stop until I conquer the world."


    "Wonderfully said!" Yulna took on her human form, pping her hands in praise, watching the startled figure of the Empress as she smiled in response, "I''ll help you realise your dream."

 Chapter 34 Blight Human

    "Who are you? How did you enter here?" The Empress asked in rm, shouting, "Guards!"


    Immediately at her shout, dozens of guards rushed into the royal chambers, rmed upon seeing an intruder there. The head of the royal guards was the first to charge at Yulna, thrusting forth his sword into her before tumbling to the ground, losing his bnce.


    After all, his sword failed to even make a scratch on her. And as he wasn''t expecting such a rebound, he lost bnce and copsed to the ground, shocking the guards.


    But, unwilling to believe what they witnessed, they came at her with their weapons, thrusting and hacking at her, failing to even scratch Yulna as thunderous sounds reverberated upon each impact.


    Yulna calmly stood in ce with a smile, watching the guards hack at her until they copsed to the ground in exhaustion. Following that, intense fear crept up in their bodies as they turned tail to run.


    Yulna snapped her finger, unleashing a blob of corruption that mmed into the door, closing it, preventing the royal guards from getting out.


    Yulna calmly took a step forward, walking towards the Empress with a smile. The royal guards dared not utter a sound, horrified as they tried their best to take up as little space as possible.


    Clop! t! Clop!


    Muffled sounds resounded as her boots made contact with the carpeted floor as Yulna arrived before the Empress, watching the expression of the other party. A starlight stream flowed out of the Empress and poured into her.


    Mental Energy!


    Mental Energy was the energy of the mind, created through the expression of the thoughts of people. This formed the basic food of the Systems, the reason they made Hosts in the first ce.


    And just as food variety, the type of thought decided whether or not the Mental Energy was tasty, suitable, beneficial, etc. for the consumption of a System.


    Of course, for a Grade 3 System fragment like Yulna, most forms of Mental Energy were suitable for consumption.


    She sensed the thoughts and emotions within the Mental Energy streams directed at her by the Empress and the royal guards, smiling as she thought, ''It seems I''ve formed a solid image of myself in their minds. To them, my words are absolute from here on.''


    The Empress noticed her smile, shuddering internally as she mustered the final vestiges of her courage, asking, "W-Who are you really?"


    Just as Yulna was about to reply, as usual, she went through the memories of the original Yulna, focusing on one of the stories that everyone in PADS learnt about, smiling in response as suddenly, the Celestial Armour covered her, followed by the unfurling of her wings.


    Of course, her appearance was different from those in the PADS, for it was her corrupted self, sporting an appearance more fearsome than the worst of nightmares one could experience in a fever dream.


    As everyone trembled in fear, almost fainting in response, her appearance reverted to that of the petite girl that tilted her head, stating with a gentle smile, "Guess?"


    "A¡­Devil?" The Empress said, suddenlyughing in response, "Of course, for my actions, a devil making its appearance makes sense."


    "A Devil?" Yulna scratched her cheeks, chuckling soon after as her muffledughter resounded through the room, causing a couple of guards to soil their pants.


    Yulna looked at the Empress in disdain, "It''s pretty insulting to hear myself beingpared to a mere Devil you know."


    "Then¡­are you¡­?" The Empress trailed off, hoping to get an answer from Yulna.


    "Well, if I were to exin it in a way you could understand¡­" Yulna thought before saying slowly, "You can think of me as someone that creates Devils?"


    "Anyway, leave that behind." She waved her hand, speaking before the people in the room fainted out of fear that was constantly growing in their minds, "I''ll give you all an offer to realise your dreams."


    She looked at the Empress, "Do you want true power that helps you achieve your dream?"


    "True¡­power?" The Empress was stunned before she got up and kneeled before Yulna, epting the situation instantly, "I ept it gracefully."


    Of course, as someone that had ordered hell on earth to be recreated through the wars she waged, the Empress was a hardened individual, quickly grasping the situation. Moreover, she dared to pit her life on the line, especially since the allure of power and authority was so tempting to her.


    "Let''s go to the Pce basement then." Yulna said, staring at the royal guards, "All of you, follow me."


    "Do as she says," The Empressmanded from behind, "Anyone that dares flee would bebelled a traitor and have their family executed."


    The royal guards could only meekly nod as they got up and followed the twodies.


    The Empress led Yulna to the basement of the Pce, frowning the moment they entered as it was a ce where nobles that went against the crown were typically imprisoned to be tortured.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Hmm, this is big enough." Yulna nodded upon seeing that the ceiling was around twenty metres in height.


    She inspected the ce, arriving at the centre of the basement where there was a wide enough open space, bringing out her Whale, startling everyone.


    The Whale''s eyes shot towards them, watching them tumble to the ground in response before it opened its mouth, devouring a chunk of the ground, revealing the earth underneath. It then continued to do the same until arge enough hole was created.


    Yulna snapped her finger, causing the Whale to vanish as she condensed a pearl-like cylinder in her hands, throwing it into the hole as immediately, followed by a sh of corruption, arge tree began to grow.


    Tower of Corruption!


    As it was fullyposed of corruption now, the Tower of Purification had be the Tower of Corruption. It absorbed nutrients from the ground and gradually condensed a fruit on one of its branches.


    Yulna extended her hand, watching the fruit drop on her palm. She then threw it towards the Empress, watching her grab hold of it in a hurry, "Here, eat this. I''m not sure of the type of power you''ll obtain, but it''s entirely dependent on you."


    She then looked at the royal guards, "The power you obtain can be either strong or weak, but it depends entirely on you. These fruits¡­"


    She then looked at the Empress, "Let''s name them Devil Fruits."


    "These Devil Fruits only work in granting you power. You''ll have to seize the type of power you need to fulfil your desire." She concluded, thinking while essing the previous Yulna''s memories, ''There''s no way my power can ess the Beast Armoury since there''s no Nacre in me. Therefore, it''s impossible for either me or these people to obtain any Mutated Beast. So, I''m curious as to what kind of power they''ll awaken.''


    Even though she wore a poker face, Yulna was a tad excited to see what would happen to the Empress. She was assured that there was a mysterious power hidden in these Devil Fruits created by her Tower of Corruption, just that she wasn''t aware of what they entailed.


    The Empress stared at the fruit in her hands that resembled a jackfruit in terms of appearance but was only the size of her thumb. Without any hesitation, she ced it in her mouth, feeling it melt automatically as warm energy flowed through her throat before settling in her stomach.


    A couple of secondster, the entirety of her fruit vanished as the warmth in her stomach intensified before it began to spread throughout her body.


    Slowly, the Empress could sense her skin hardening as her entire body felt like it was growing stronger. A mysterious power welled up in her before soon, her hair turned green, a shade lighter than Yulna.


    But beyond that, there were no changes as the Empress clenched her hand into a fist, closing her eyes as she digested the vast surge of information rushing into her mind as suddenly, her hair moved on its own, coiling into a bun.


    The tinge of corruption emitted by the Tower of Corruption flowed into her hair and was absorbed by the Empress.


    ''So, the hair works simr to the Horn of the Horned Humans.'' Yulna nodded in response as she watched in anticipation as to what type of power did the Empress obtain.


    "Please allow me to disy my power, God Mother." The Empress bowed respectfully.


    Yulna didn''t mind the way she was addressed, nodding as everyone followed the Empress to the open grounds nearby.


    The Empress stood before Yulna as suddenly, the palm on her right morphed, turning into a sunflower. She then extended her hand into the air as the sunflower lit up in response before unleashing a beam of sunlight into the sky, brightening up the pce.


    People from throughout the royal capital stared in the direction of the pce, gazing at the beam of light that illuminated a good majority of the pce, with the heat able to be felt even a couple of streets away from the pce.


    The guards nearby the Empress began to sweat in response to the heat, staring in shock before one of them eximed, "Fornol Sunflower!"


    Yulna''s eyes lit up as she turned around, gazing at a row of flowers growing in the garden nearby, noticing flowers simr to the one that the Empress'' palms had turned into.


    Even though it was nighttime, they glowed faintly. The flower emitted a beam of light simr to amppost, but it was too weak.


    The flower, Fornol Sunflower was what represented the Fornol Empire, for it was a bioluminescent nt that absorbed sunlight during the day and emitted them at night. And due to the symbol they represented, the Fornol Empire passed down the decree that the Fornol Sunflower could only be grown in the royal gardens.


    And now, its natural property was expressed by the Empress.


    ''The power of the PADS is derived from the mutated beasts living in Beast Armoury located in their home world. And, the power here is derived from the nts native to this world.'' Nodding in response, Yulna smiled, "It seems there are interesting nts in this world."


    She then stared at the Empress, proiming aloud, "From this moment forth, everyone that consumes a Devil Fruit and follows the footsteps of the Fornol Empress, Feleokruna will henceforth be called a¡­"


    "Blight Human."

 Chapter 35 Fornol Sunflower

    The Empress watched her palm revert back to normal as she felt exhausted, panting as she bowed before Yulna, "God Mother, that''s the end of my demonstration. There''s still a lot of my power left to unlock that I can only ess once I grow stronger."


    "That''s good. Tell me in detail every time you unlock a new facet of your power." Yulna said before gazing at the royal guard, asking, "So, who wants to go next?"


    "Me!" The head of the royal guard raised his hand, enamoured by the power the Empress had disyed. He was no longer reeling in fear as his mind was fully upied by greed.


    He would definitely kill to get his hands on this power. That was why he was ready to respond the fastest.


    Moreover, as the head of the royal guard, his authority caused the other royal guards to hesitate in jumping the order when everyone knew that they were all going to obtain this power.


    "Take care of the chaos that will happen next," Yulna said, staring at the Empress upon hearing a flurry of footsteps from the other guards in the pce that were rushing to the region following the beam.


    "I don''t wish to make my existence known beyond the people here." She continued.


    "Please leave it to us, God Mother." The royal guards saluted in response, thumping their chests.


    "Sure, I''ll be next to the tree until then. Come see me once you''re done here." Saying so, Yulna''s figure vanished, followed by a burst of air.


    None were even able to see her figure fly away as the Empress clenched her hand into a fist, wondering when she would wield so much power.


    She was already damn excited as is, having inherited the power of the flower that symbolised her Empire''s might.


    When she was young, it was what herte husband used to propose to her. And just the sight of them casting a beam of warm light on the ground during nighttime was akin to walking into heaven.


    After all, nights in the Fornol Empire were cold, but the region with the Fornol Sunflower was warm. This was the major reason the flower became the symbol of their Empire.


    Moreover, only private ownership of the flower was banned. And to disy the might of their Empire''s symbol, they had dedicated royal gardens in the centre of every city where tens of thousands of Fornol Sunflowers bloomed daily. It was a sight everyone could bask in, for the flowers were arranged in such a way their warm light would be cast on the gazers.


    During the peak of the winter, most of themoners with poor living conditions would upy the roads surrounding these royal gardens that were warmer than their homes.


    Just this one reason was enough to keep the people happy, for even in the coldest of winters, they could remain warm. And this warmth caused them to feel warm towards their Empire too.


    This was one of the reasons their Empire could expand so fast with little internal friction. It was a brilliant strategy, to say the least.


    The Empress smiled upon recalling this, watching the guards arrive from all areas of the pce, carrying torches to light up their surroundings, kneeling on the ground in a hurry upon spotting the Empress.


    "You can return to your posts now. You''ll understand in the morning." She said curtly, waving her hands as the guards left immediately.


    After all, they noticed the royal guard apanying the Empress, understanding that there was no danger.


    As for any doubts they had, they suppressed them for the time being, recalling the words of their Empress, anticipating what they would be told the next morning.


    "Let''s go." The Empress said once all the guards had left, leading the royal guard to the basement to see Yulna calmly seated on one of the branches of the Tower of Corruption, ying around with a fruit.


    "Take this," Yulna said, throwing a Devil Fruit to each royal guard respectively, watching them consume it in a hurry before soon, all of them closed their eyes, sensing the information stream gushing into their minds.


    The head of the royal guards opened his eyes first, noticing that his hair too had turned green, though the quality seemed a tad inferior to the Empress, making him understand as he looked at the condition of the green hair of the rest of the royal guard, ''So, the quality of our hair determines the quality of our power.''


    He bowed towards Yulna respectfully, turning his palm into a flower resembling a lily, saying after a moment of thought, "I need to prepare a little. Can I return here after a couple of minutes?"


    "Yes," Yulna nodded, wondering what type of ability the Royal Guard Head had obtained for him to express such unconceble joy.


    A few minutester, he returned, holding a sleeping butterfly that he had captured from the garden. His right hand transformed into the lily-like flower once again as this time, the butterfly seemed strangely attracted to the flower as it pped its wings and danced through the air, graduallynding on the centre of the flower.


    It then began to drink the nectar stored at the base of the stamen, filling its belly when suddenly, it began to shudder in response.


    Yulna observed the corruption in the Royal Guard Head''s body be consumed rapidly as it congregated in the butterfly''s body through the nectar, sparking a reaction as the butterfly began to grow in size, soon bing as big as his head.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It was faster, stronger, and had a more robust body. Appearance-wise, it seemed the same, but it had changed biologically to adapt to a bigger body.


    "My real power is disyed when using insects with offensive abilities." He said in the end.


    The Empress gazed at the butterfly, condensing corruption at the tip of her finger to beckon it, smiling as she watched the butterfly gentlynd on her outstretched finger, obeying her as she spoke, "So, you''re able to control them too."


    "Yes," The Royal Guard Head nodded, "But the range isn''t far. It''ll only increase once I grow stronger. And, from here on, they can only consume my nectar as food. Otherwise, they will die. So, the food needs is a limitation."


    "Can you modify them, Luncress?" The Empress asked next, addressing the Royal Guard Head by his name.


    "Nothing beyond their size at the moment. But in the future, I should be able tobine the traits of two or more insects into one." He nodded.


    The Empress also observed the changes in the hair of everyone, understanding the rtionship it had with their power, ''So, this means my power is the strongest.''


    Which was indeed the truth. Even though her power seemed simple, its usage was terrifying. And most of all, during the daytime, she wouldn''t run out of power, for she wasn''t a nt but was harnessing a nt''s power.


    This meant that she could unleash her beams whenever she pleased while absorbing power from the sunlight. And considering the amount of power even her first beam had, as she continues to grow, she would only be stronger.


    Among the rest of the royal guard, one could shoot out pollen like bullets, one could condense wines that were able to drill through walls, etc.


    Each of their power was strong in its own right. And as long as they were developed, their strength would only continue to increase.


    Yulna stared at the group patiently, watching the royal guard be excited at their newfound powers. After some time passed, she slowly sat up, watching the Empress bow in respect immediately, followed by the royal guard.


    "Continue to expand your Empire just like usual. You''re free to wield your powers as you deem fit." She looked at the Empress, "It seems the tree can produce around 136 Devil Fruits daily. You can distribute it ordingly to your needs, but don''t just hoard them. I want as many Blight Humans in the Empire as possible."


    "Is there an enemy?" The Empress noticed the change of tone in Yulna, thinking of a possibility as she asked.


    "Yes," Yulna nodded, "Someone with simr powers as mine but with a different nature. His army invaded my world."


    "And now, he''s chased after me to this world. But, he doesn''t have his army here. So, he''s probably doing the same thing as me to raise an army." Yulna said as she stared at the Empress, "He''ll probably select an Empire strong enough to rival your own. So, as my representative, you''ll work in destroying his army."


    "I was going to do it anyway. This just makes things interesting." The Empress bowed once again, expressing joy as she grinned. World domination was her long-cherished goal, and things had just be more interesting.


    "Okay, you all can leave now. Make the necessary arrangements and do as you see fit. Come here at dawn every day to collect all the produced Devil Fruits." Saying so, Yulna closed her eyes, "I''ll be preparing to face my enemy until then. So, unless it''s necessary, don''t disturb me."


    "Yes, God Mother!" Everyone said in response.


    The Empress pointed at four of the royal guard, "You remain here to ensure the God Mother isn''t disturbed."


    She then looked at the remainder of the royal guard, "Your task is to clean up the basement. Just dispose of those useless prisoners. After that, turn this ce into the embodiment of luxury, fit for the God Mother to reside in, you understand?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty!" The royal guards began to take action immediately.


    "Come with me." The Empress pointed at Luncress as the two of them left the basement, heading towards the royal study as the Empress had no ns to sleep the night.


    She unfurled arge map of the world, gazing at the borders of her Empire as she analysed the geography of the ce.


    Luncress acted as a wall, standing in one ce, unmoving. His only goal was to ensure nothing happened to the Empress. In all thismotion, everyone had glossed over the Emperor''s corpse in the royal chambers.


    "I see," The Empress nodded after some time, tapping at one region on the world map, "At present, the Lerni Empire poses the biggest threat. If the enemy wishes to expand their army, then whether strategically or geographically, the Lerni Empire is the best choice."


    And indeed, she was right about that as once he recovered, Rhizen made a beeline towards the Lerni Empire.

 Chapter 36 Changing World Order

    The morning the next day, four people kneeled in the throne room before the Empress, two men, and two women, all dressed in regal attire befitting royalty.


    They were her children, grieving as they expressed sadness for the death of their father. But soon after, the Empress snapped her finger as four royal guards brought forth a box each, setting them before each of the prince and princess respectively. "This is the fruits of your father''sbour."


    "This is?" The eldest prince opened the box, staring at the tiny jackfruit within, wondering what it was. Only then did he notice that the royal guard before him, the same person he was used to seeing daily, appeared strangely¡­strong?


    ''No, it''s not him alone.'' The eldest prince was able to feel that all the royal guards seemed a lot stronger than usual. His gaze then fell on his mother, the Empress, only now noticing that she seemed even stronger than the others. Moreover, she seemed to have aged in reverse, at least by a decade.


    She was currently brimming with vitality, akin to a nt.


    The eldest prince, Felor stared at the fruit, asking the Empress, "Do I need to eat it."


    "Yes," The Empress nodded in response, saying with a smile, "You''ll be surprised once you do."


    "Alright," He didn''t ask further as he popped the fruit in his mouth directly. Unlike the rest of her children, he wasn''t afraid. After all, he was the most liked by his mother, so there was no way she would plot against him.


    He sensed the Devil Fruit melting before a warmth spread out of his stomach as information surged into his mind, telling him everything he had to know about his power.


    Gradually, his eyes lit up as he sensed a gentle heat emanating from the palm of his right before noticing the sameing from his mother too.


    The moment he looked at her, he noticed the Empress'' face beaming with a wide smile before she couldn''t control herself anymore, bursting intoughter.


    Theughter was for a simple reason: Felor too had obtained the Fornol Sunflower.


    What did this mean? It signified that the abilities they obtained couldrgely be a gic influence. Meaning, all the royalty would obtain Fornol Sunflower as their power, the symbol of royalty.


    This was a direct disy of their power and bloodline. Moreover, this was by far the strongest ability one could obtain.


    The other three siblings of Felor couldn''t understand what was happening anymore. But upon seeing the wide smile on Felor''s face and their mother''s uncontrobleughter, they stopped thinking anymore and directly swallowed their respective Devil Fruits.


    And just as the Empress had expected, all three of them too awakened to Fornol Sunflower as their power. Moreover, each of them was able to sense the warmth emanating from the right hand of each, understanding the reason for the Empress''ughter.


    "Mother, just what is this?" After some time had passed, Felor asked, expressing his curiosity at the mystical power he had just obtained.


    "Currently, only I and the royal guards here know the truth." The Empress said, "Once you seed me, you too would gain the qualification to know about this. Until then, remember this¡­"


    Her voice turned solemn immediately, containing power that caused everyone to instinctively prostrate before her, "The truth is linked to the rise and fall of our Empire. So, guard it with your lives."


    "Now," Her voice then turned jovial as she descended from the throne, motioning for her children to follow her as they arrived at a balcony. Except for the Empress, everyone else was surprised to notice therge crowd of people that had gathered below.


    "Mother, what¡­is this?" Felor was surprised.


    "Just follow my instructions." The Empress said as she looked at the crowd, waving her hand as the crowd turned silent, hearing her every word, "Today marks the saddest day of our Empire, for our Emperor that we pride in is no more."


    The news mmed into everyone as a shock. Themon popce wasn''t able to handle the news, for a moment unable to believe it.


    It wasn''t just them, but the nobility too. But their fear was for another reason entirely. It was because the Emperor passed away without naming an heir. So, they feared unrest due to the infighting among the four princes and princesses that might happen next.


    But, a single nce at the Empress and their worries eased up immediately; the same thought resounded in the minds of everyone, ''The power is in the hands of the Empress.''


    "But fret not!" The Empress''s voice resounded loud and clear through the masses, calming them automatically as she announced, "The Late Emperor used all his power to ensure our Fornol Empire''s glory would continue to shine through generations. And the result of that undying effort is this¡­"


    Saying so, she raised her hand, motioning for her children to follow her a secondter. The crowd followed her hand, feeling the cold, morning air turning warm all of a sudden as a bright beam of sunlight emerged from her palm and travelled towards the sky, vanishing into the clouds.


    It not only was bright but also emitted dense heat.


    Immediately following that, her four children too raised their hands, pointing at the sky to unleash simr sunlight beams. Theirs were a tad weaker aspared to the Empress, but most among the crowd didn''t notice that detail, just bbergasted with the scene before their eyes.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "This is the might of the royal family that protects the great Fornol Empire. Rest assured! The sun is with us!"


    "The Sun is with us!"


    "The Sun is with us!"


    The crowd erupted with a roar as the people lost their minds, echoing the words nonstop as even the nobles were affected by the same, roaring as, in their eyes, the royalty had surpassed humanity, bing a higher lifeform.


    A couple of secondster, the Empress retracted her hand, stopping the sunlight beam as she whispered, "Don''t fall unconscious now."


    "Y-Yes¡­" Her children muttered weakly, masking their exhaustion as they waved their hands as briskly as possible.


    Slowly, they turned around and began to make their leave, hearing the nonstop roars from the crowd that resounded throughout the capital.


    "Phew!" Felor copsed to the ground in exhaustion the moment he was away from prying eyes, "That was exhausting."


    "As long as you continue to train, you''ll grow stronger." The Empress said, patting his head gently, "You should know through the memories that there''s no limit to how much you can grow, right? Once you reach Stage 5, you''ll unlock the true potential of our power."


    "I''ll work hard, mother." Felor said, immediately frowning upon seeing the seriousness on his mother''s face, asking, "Is something up?"


    "I''m wondering what power will our enemies possess." The Empress said, deep in thought.


    "You mean, there are others with this power?" Felor asked in shock.


    "The ones we consumed are called the Devil Fruit." The Empress said, "It is what granted us this power. Only I can procure these Devil Fruits. So, we''re the sole ones to have this power. But, there is another counterpart of the same, a different power originating from a different fruit."


    "It''s called a¡­Beast Fruit." She said, iterating Yulna''s words, "And they''ll be our sworn enemies."


    "The world is changing, and we have to do everything in our power to reign at the top." The Empress concluded as she looked at her children, "Fornol Sunflower is the strongest variant in our power. This means that we''ll be the strongest sword to exist in this Empire."


    "So, the task of destroying the strongest of our enemies automatically falls on our hands." She said, continuing, "Though, if you ck off in your training and allow others to surpass you in terms of the Stage you attain, you won''t be strong enough anymore. As our enemies gain strength at the same time, we''ll have to train without wasting a single second to be at the lead."


    "Yes!" They nodded as the Empress informed them of the ways to train their power. It was something she experimented with the past night and had drafted up. Of course, Yulna had helped her to finalise everything.


    After all, both of their goals aligned, so Yulna ensured the Fornol Empire developed the fastest.


    Following that, the Empress began to draft up names among the nobility based on their contributions in war until now, allowing them to be Blight Humans with priority.


    She first nned to arm all the nobility and turn them into Blight Humans. Following that, soldiers amongmoners with achievements would be given a rank and awarded the opportunity to be a Blight Human.


    And with that, the Blight Humans would take part in the wars to decimate their enemies faster and conquer more territory. But, she couldn''t just expand without control, for that would cause cracks to form in leadership.


    To prevent that, a solidmunicationwork had to be established. And upon seeing that one of the recent nobles gained a power that allowed him tomunicate over long distances, she smiled, drafting up the necessary ns.


    Yulna didn''t even need to observe their actions. After all, whenever the Blight Humans thought of their power, a Mental Energy stream flowed into the Tower of Corruption, allowing Yulna to digest their thoughts, understanding that her n was a resounding sess.


    "That Empress is as talented as she is ambitious." She smiled, muttering after a while, "So, what will you do now, Rhizen? You''ll never be able to find me without employing Coincidental Luck or Destiny Luck."


    "And," She smiled, turning into a bird to fly out of the basement, "I''ll nevere before you until I''m strong enough to kill you."


    A strong barrier had formed around the Tower of Corruption now. Even for Rhizen, it would take a second to break through it. And that was enough time for her to retract her Tower of Corruption to escape somece far away.


    As the Empress would store enough Devil Fruits in her treasury, it wouldst her enough until Yulna returned. So, Rhizen would only end up making a futile trip.


    And unless she was killed, the number of Blight Humans would only continue to increase.

 Chapter 37 Rhizens Dilema

    It was dawn as the gentle rays of the sun seeped in through the gaps of the foliage, highlighting parts of the ground below when the hooves of a horse stomped the location, rushing in a hurry as it neighed from time to time.


    "Hurry!" The voice of ady in her early twenties echoed through the forested path as she urged the horse to run faster.


    She wore a skin-tight leather jacket and leggings, draping a hip-length cloak overhead to cover her features. A mask covered her nose and mouth while her forehead and above were covered by the hood that extended from the cloak.


    Her eyes glinted with a cunning light as they darted about, looking around the changing scenery of the ce, suddenly focusing on her back as her ears pricked up in response.


    She noticed shadows emerge from the forest as suddenly, vines jutted out of the ground like snakes, slithering towards her rapidly. "Shit! They are fast!"


    "Damn monsters!"


    She tugged the reins, urging the horse to run faster as she pulled it all of a sudden, forcing the horse to make a long leap, barely evading a vine that was about to wrap around its leg.


    Avoiding bing trapped by the vine, the horse continued to run, but thedy was tense, noticing the horse panting worse than before, having been on the run for hours already. ''I should have made my escape sooner. I shouldn''t have been greedy.''


    She gritted her teeth, ''Even though I found out about the secrets of the Blight Humans, they noticed me in the end.''


    She was a spy sent by the Lerni Empire to gain intelligence from the Fornol Empire. After all, the two Empires were currentlypeting with one another in a quest for world domination.


    And she was one of the best of their spies, having been sessful for over a decade now, having been sent to the Fornol Empire when she was a mere child.


    The spies were pretty sessful until recently, allowing the Lerni Empire to have an advantage over the Fornol Empire during their various expeditions.


    But, things changed over the past month when the Blight Humans began to appear one after another. Their exceptional senses allowed them to detect the spies that spied upon their actions, quickly capturing them to interrogate the details.


    Following that, they began to gain intelligence at a sharp pace and soon managed to capture all the spies.


    She was the only one that managed to remain in hiding while still gathering details regarding the Blight Humans, even managing to make her way into the pce basement where she nced upon the Tower of Corruption.


    That wasn''t all, she even stole a couple of Devil Fruits from the Royal Treasury and made her escape, intending to return to the Lerni Empire, for it was getting too dangerous to be in the Fornol Empire anymore.


    She nned to submit all her gathered intelligence to the officials back home and retire. Moreover, she safely tucked away a Devil Fruit, just in case she wished to use it.


    Unfortunately, her tracks were discovered while she was on her way to the border of the Fornol Empire, being pursued by an army of trackers immediately, led by a Blight Human that controlled tree roots.


    Neighhh!


    Suddenly, her horse neighed uncontrobly as its leg bones fractured all of a sudden, throwing her off as it crashed into the ground.


    Coincidentally, vines were hanging from the branch of a tree growing overhead that she managed to catch onto, avoiding a horrible fall.


    Landing on the ground, she noticed thorny vines coiled around the horse''s legs, having shattered its bones.


    They thenshed onto her, intending to capture her when coincidentally, the branch she had just dangled from copsed, falling onto the vines to trap them for a couple of seconds, allowing her to evade them and run away.


    "Huff¡­puff¡­haah!" Thedy began to gasp for air soon after, running through the thicket of trees to avoid pursuit on horseback. This way, she had a better chance of survival, continuing to sprint nonstop as she heard sounds of her chasers shouting from the very end.


    "Catch her!"


    "Don''t let her escape!"


    "She stole valuable treasures from the Royal Treasury!"


    The leading Blight Human announced, "The one that kills her will be awarded handsomely but the one that captures her alive will never have to worry about money for the rest of their lives. You might even obtain a chance to be a Blight Human."


    At his words, the eyes of the chasers turned red with greed, exerting more effort to chase after thedy as they didn''t even bother with the injuries sustained from the thorns they scrapped past in their hurry.


    "Keuk!" Thedy jumped over a protruding root when she was rmed, noticing that she had miscalcted as the tip of her boots hit the edge of the root, causing her to tumble in response before rolling onto a slope.


    "No!" She iled her hands, hoping to grab anything that might save her, clutching some roots but despairing when they broke off, causing her to slide faster through the slope, ''Is this where I die?''


    "Shit!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Glop!


    Her heart thumped as thedy suddenly felt a sense of weightlessness, sliding over a cliff before plunging into a brook, almost drowning in response. But she regained bnce, getting up as the brook barely reached her hip in height, muttering in relief, "This saved me."


    She then flinched in pain, for her body was riddled with injuries. Just as she wished to hide somewhere and treat her injuries, thedy stood rooted to the spot in shock, noticing that just ten metres away along the brook was argeke where the water poured in.


    And sleeping there, beside a tall tree was arge whale, spanning a length of thirty metres, colossal in nature.


    She had never chanced upon such a massive creature, for a moment stunned in shock.


    "She went this way!" Her pursuers had caught up to her by now, skidding through the slope before all of them stood rooted to the spot in shock, staring at the massive creature before them.


    Even the Blight Human leading them was the same. But a momentter, he let out bloodcurdling screams as his green hair turned white, falling to the ground as he slowly turned bald.


    A mysterious power seemed to have affected him as his body began to break down little by little as he copsed to the ground, vanishing in a matter of seconds.


    Everyone was aghast, fear overwhelming them as due to the Blight Human''s shouts, the prehistoric creature before them seemed to have been awakened.


    Its eyes¡ªbigger than their bodies¡ªshot open, the pupils adjusting to re at them as suddenly, they focused on thedy.


    "You¡­what the hell is in your possession?" Suddenly, an ethereal voice resounded in her ears as thedy was stunned before noticing the prehistoric whale had vanished. And now, standing before her was a bipedal creature resembling a rhinoceros, as if fully built with steel, oozing strength.


    The bipedal entity extended its hand, grabbing hold of the pouch in her possession, tearing it open to see a box inside. It broke open the box, gazing at the two Devil Fruits as an irritated voice resounded, "So, this happened in the end."


    "They got us good this time."


    Thedy wasn''t sure as to what the entity was saying, but for some reason, she feltpelled to speak, saying, "T-They are called Devil Fruits. If a human consumes them, they turn into Blight Humans."


    "Devil Fruits? Blight Humans?" The entity muttered beforeughing self-deprecatingly, vaporising the two Devil Fruits.


    It then stared at thedy, saying, "There''s one more of it on you. Take it out."


    "Y-Yes," Thedy nodded, afraid as she pulled out a box from under her clothes, only big enough to contain the Devil Fruit. She noticed the chasers behind her and the mysterious entity before her, sandwiched.


    ''If this is where I die, might as well be a Blight Human¡­'' The moment the thought resounded in her mind, her hands took action, opening the box to pop the Devil Fruit in her mouth. But it was unknown as to what happened, but her hands coincidentally slipped while grabbing hold of the Devil Fruit, causing it to be thrown somewhere else instead of her mouth.


    Forming an arc, itnded on the entity''s hand that looked at her to say, "Trust me, you''re better off not eating this."


    The Devil Fruit was vaporised as the entity gazed at thedy''s chasers, observing them for a moment before waving its hand, "The lot of you, leave."


    "Y-Yes," The group of people felt like they had been pardoned as they scurried off from the ce, unwilling to be here any longer, feeling like they had just survived a brush with death itself.


    Thedy was the only one to remain behind, for she hadn''t been told to leave yet as the entity gazed at her, asking after a moment, "Where did you get this Devil Fruit?"


    "F-From the basement of the Fornol Empire''s Imperial Treasury." Thedy said in a hurry, hoping to live as she continued, "There was a tree in the pce basement that produced these Devil Fruits. I only managed to sneak a peek once."


    "How many people have consumed these Devil Fruits?" The entity asked next.


    "Thousands!" Thedy replied, "Most of the nobility have already be Blight Humans. And now, even the high-ranking officers of the army are bing the same one after another."


    The entity didn''t seem interested in her words though, instead looking at her before letting out a smile, asking her, "You¡­are you a spy in this¡­Fornol Empire?"


    "Y-yes¡­" Thedy could only nod helplessly, feeling that there was no way she would be able to escape from the entity before her, someone that resembled the mythological Gods.


    "For some reason, just when you''re about to be captured, you either chance upon a way of escape or the others coincidentallye across something that needs their attention, allowing you to escape, right?" The entity said, watching thedy''s eyes widen in shock.


    Ignoring that, the entity was somewhat conflicted, wondering what to do with thedy, for she could either turn up into his benefit or a crutch depending on how she matured. For, she innately possessed the power that Rhizen became infamous for.


    Coincidental Luck!

 Chapter 38 Reinforce Her Luck

    Thedy before him was blessed by the power of Coincidental Luck, but unlike him, she wasn''t able to harness this power of her own volition. It only aided her passively.


    ''But still, the power of Coincidental Luck is by far the strongest in her among everyone I''ve witnessed.'' He thought.


    Every living being had a level of innate luck from the moment they were born. And depending on their luck, their life panned out.


    As thedy had been blessed by Coincidental Luck, she avoided being found out by the Fornol Empire until now, being the best spy of the Lerni Empire.


    Of course, Luck wasn''t omnipotent. After bing Blight Humans, their luck values became strengthened, allowing them to interfere with her Coincidental Luck, increasing the chances of her being discovered, which happened in the end.


    ''If I were to help strengthen her, I''ll be able to harness her Coincidental Luck instead of using my own. That way, I wouldn''t have to worry about alerting the Grade 2 Systems of my world''s location.'' He nodded before worrying about it. For there existed a major drawback to this too.


    It was Yulna.


    Originally, Yulna was a member of PADS, but the corruption had destroyed her mind and possessed her body, gaining ess to all her knowledge and power.


    If the same were to happen to thedy before her, the enemies might gain ess to wielding the power of Coincidental Luck. He didn''t wish for that to happen, for that would only strengthen the revival of the Grade 2 Luck System, his fated enemy.


    He thought for a good few minutes, considering various possibilities as he concluded, ''No, even if she bes an enemy, it would only hasten the Luck System''s revival. Since it''s bound to revive anyway, I should prioritise dealing with Yulna. Otherwise, secrets regarding our ns would be divulged to our enemy.''


    Following that, he decided to help thedy before him, gazing at her as he asked, "Your name?"


    "Xuna," Thedy replied, calming down somewhat by now upon seeing that the entity before her didn''t have any ns of killing her.


    Moreover, she nced at the tree behind him, noticing that it shared some simrities to the Tower of Corruption she had seen at the bottom of the Fornol Empire pce''s basement. But, the one before her was even grander.


    "Xuna¡­" Rhizen muttered as his Celestial Armour vanished, revealing his human form as he noticed the look of surprise in her eyes, asking as he extended his hand, "Do you want power?"


    "Simr to the Blight Humans?" She tilted her head in response, recalling the terrifying vines that had chased after her for dozens of kilometres, asking, "Will a be a Blight Human too?"


    "It''ll be different, but it''s a power that counters the Blight Humans," Rhizen said, pointing at the location where the Blight Human chasing after her had stood before being vaporised.


    Her eyes lit up as Xuna expressed her willingness, prostrating to the ground, "Yes! Only then can I protect my home from the invasion of the Blight Humans and the Fornol Empire that controls them."


    "The one that created the Blight Humans is my foe. So, I''ll help your Empire in response." Rhizen nodded, snapping his finger as the Pearl Buck condensed a good fraction of the Nacre that it had umted, bearing a fruit.


    Rhizen didn''t stop at that though, wishing to turn Xuna into a champion strong enough to put a stop to Yulna''s ns.


    And for that, he nned to rile up her Coincidental Luck, gazing at the face of a deer-like figure whose horns were dancing like the sea waves, trailing past like a river stream.


    Xuna''s Coincidental Luck was a miniature version of his own, but wasn''t active, expressing the difference that he was able to harness this power while she was only assisted by it passively.


    Slowly, the river of Coincidental Luck on him connected with hers, transferring the luck to her as her rivers becamerger gradually.


    Rhizen didn''t use his own Coincidental Luck to do this but instead, harnessed the luck in nature and gradually converted it into Xuna''s, thereby strengthening her luck.


    This was only possible because the power she had was Coincidental Luck, the power he was most well-versed with wielding. It was not to mention that Coincidental Luck was the strongest form of luck, a power that dominated over lucky coincidences.


    "What¡­is happening?" Xuna was confused when she noticed that Rhizen stared at her in silence, not moving an inch. But even though it seemed like nothing was happening, Xuna felt that something within her was changing, causing her to feel like she was able to grasp something mystical but had yet to do so.


    It was a strange feeling brought about by her innate luck being strengthened to terrifying levels.


    A feather then flew in the air, gently carrying a fruit that fell from the tree, bringing it over to Xuna as Rhizen said, "Here, eat this."


    "Is this the¡­Beast Fruit?" Xuna gazed at the lemon, hearing the term uttered by one of the princes that she spied upon.


    "Beast Fruit?" Rhizen tilted his head before sighing, "That damned Yulna."


    He nodded, "You might as well call it as such. Though, it''s more urate to call it the Fruit of Purification."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "The Fruit of¡­Purification¡­" Xuna muttered as she held the lemon, feeling that it was no different to the lemons she had seen until now, hesitantly cing it in her mouth as she braced herself for the citrus to kick in, surprised when all she felt was a warm feeling.


    Immediately after, a dense stream of information surged in her mind as a horn began to grow on her forehead, causing her to grunt in pain at the sheer volume of data she had to process.


    It took her a few minutes before she was able to gather her bearings, panting as she looked at Rhizen in a new light.


    Rhizen wasn''t looking at her though, but instead observed the changes to her luck values, watching it transform into what seemed to be an amoeba in shape, sporting four tendrils that grew heads each, full of jagged teeth, appearing vicious.


    Mutated Beast¡ªKlock!


    Rhizen''s eyes lit up in surprise at the ability Xuna had inherited, for it was something he had seen just once, wielded by Chenger¡ªhis wife¡ªin one of the loops. It was a versatile ability that was useful in most situations.


    The Mutated Beast Klock was one of the smallest mutated beasts, spanning a total size of a metre, the majority of which consisted of fourrge necks. Its tiny heads were terrifying, able to unleash an ability each.


    Chenger came across the Klock when she had been trapped in the icecap of a mountain, one of the tallest in their home world. There was just one of its kind, remaining inactive while trapped within a sheet of ice.


    She somehow managed to steal its power using that chance.


    And now, Xuna had obtained the same as Rhizen thought, ''First was Felix that obtained my Homing Feathers and second is Xuna that obtained Chenger''s power.''


    ''Coincidental Luck, huh.'' He nodded, understanding that it was his power at y here. Something beneficial happening was coincidental only if it happened once. If it happened more than once, it was deliberate.


    And that was what his power did, bringing forth benefits for him coincidentally.


    Xuna''s eyes widened in shock as only now was she able to observe the dense stream of Nacre surrounding her, flowing into her horn to reinforce her.


    With a flick of her finger, she summoned a barrel, noticing a ring attached to it, pointing at four states.


    With a thought, the ring pointed at the first state, elongating the barrel as a trigger appeared on the other end. A bullet condensed within it, containing a dense stream of Nacre.


    It was a sniper rifle as Xuna aimed with it, thinking of something as the ring now pointed to the second state, causing the barrel to shrink in length, bing something she could hold easily and shoot multiple targets. It was now an assault rifle.


    Following it, the barrel expanded in diameter as it became heavy, bing a canon that would st an area into smithereens.


    The final form reverted it back to the original barrel. And in this state, it unleashed a thrust from one side, acting as a rocket that Xuna could hold and fly away.


    Once she reached Stage 5, she''ll be able to use the multiple states simultaneously, which is when the true power of her ability would be unleashed.


    "Let''s go," Rhizen said, condensing a pair of wings on his back as he took off to the sky, grabbing hold of her using a bunch of feathers that carried her alongside, "We''ll go to the Lerni Empire."


    But first, he changed course, hearing Xuna point in the appropriate direction as they flew towards the capital of the Fornol Empire, sneaking into the pce basement.


    Of course, the Tower of Corruption wasn''t there as Yulna had already fled from the ce.


    Though, fearing that she might target his Pearl Buck using this chance, Rhizen didn''t stay behind for long, making a beeline towards the Lerni Empire. Before fighting Yulna, he had to ensure that his Pearl Buck was safe.


    For the moment it was removed, Yulna would be able to ess the Astral Network and leave this world. That would prove disastrous.


    So, he had to first raise enough Horned Humans to protect it while he chased after Yulna. That was the only feasible oue.


    Sighing, Rhizen could only fly towards the Lerni Empire as quickly as possible, soon reaching their capital as he directly sauntered into the royal pce, breaking through the ceiling tond in the throne room, startling everyone present there.


    "W-Who are you?" The Emperor asked in shock, staring at the sprawling wings on Rhizen''s back before his gaze shifted onto Xuna, gasping at the horn growing on her forehead.


    "I''m Xuna." Xuna said, kneeling on the floor as she announced, "I''ve finishedpiling information regarding thetest incident happening in the Fornol Empire. Moreover¡­"


    She pointed at Rhizen, "I''ve brought with me the hope that would save our Empire."

 Chapter 39 It鈥檚 Not Easy To Kill Luck

    "Xuna?" The Lerni Emperor tried his best to maintain hisposure, but his eyes couldn''t help but dart towards the broken ceiling from which Xuna and Rhizen had sauntered in.


    "What''s the situation in the Fornol Empire, Xuna?" A minister took charge to question them. He was the one maintaining the intelligence circle, having personally trained all the spies, including Xuna.


    So, even though he hadn''t seen her for a decade, he could still recognise her, asking, "What happened to the rest of our spies? Everyone went dark in the past month."


    "They have all been captured, interrogated, and killed." Xuna sighed as she said, "I only managed to barely escape, and that''s only thanks to him beside me."


    The minister looked at Rhizen in response, feeling his heart rate elerate automatically in the process, for there was an air of power emanating from him.


    Of course, even if he just stood inly, Rhizen''s countenance would overwhelm the average person unless he tried to conceal himself.


    The reason for this was simple: his experience.


    Once, he was Host to the Coincidental Luck System, hunted by dozens of Systems loop after loop. But even through everything, Rhizen had schemed to eventually outwit his foes and be free, also gaining independence for his world from the control of the Systems, bing the first in history to do that.


    Moreover, he had even stolen a priceless treasure of the Systems in the process and now was developing to openly oppose one of their Grade 3 Systems.


    He was the head of the PADS, an organisation that now controlled three worlds. So, as the head of an intergctic society, the sheer presence he exuded was on a whole other level.


    All in all, the minister was terrified of the other party. Though, only he was like this, the rest of the people in the court, including the Emperor weren''t able to sense anything.


    This was because, as a retired spy, and as someone that controlled intelligence and trained the next generation of spies, the ability to peer into details further than what a human normally caught on was the essence of being a spy.


    And having been in the field for many decades, it had be his second nature. This was why he realised one thing while staring at Rhizen.


    Terrifying!


    He could sense that a single thought from Rhizen would decide the fate of the Lerni Empire, unable to control himself as he asked with a trembling voice, shocking everyone else of the contents as he looked at Rhizen, "A-Are you¡­God?"


    "I''m not." Rhizen shook his head, "I''m only human."


    He then looked at everyone, pointing at Xuna as he said, "Xuna too is a human. Or rather, after inheriting my power, she has be a Horned Human. Horned Humans are the only ones that can face the Blight Humans of the Fornol Empire."


    "Choose," His voice boomed, "You too would be able to inherit this power should you side with me."


    "If you don''t¡­" He shrugged, "You won''t receive my protection when the Fornol Empire''s Blight Humans invade your Empire inrge numbers."


    "Is this true?" The Emperor looked at Xuna, "How strong are these¡­Blight Humans? Are they something my canons can''t destroy?"


    "Can I show them?" In response, Xuna looked at Rhizen, asking for permission.


    Upon seeing him nod, Xuna condensed her power, switching to the canon state as she pointed at the ground, pressing the trigger as an elongated sphere of Nacre sted out, resulting in a rumble as arge crater, two metres in diameter was created on the hard ground, stunning everyone.


    Panting a little, Xuna observed the stupefied expression of everyone, saying, "I''ve only just be a Horned Human, so my power is still weak. But a monthter, I''ll be a lot stronger than this. And a few monthster¡­"


    She looked at the Emperor, "None of our Empire''s canons would be able to harm me."


    "This is true for the Blight Humans too."


    Hiss!


    Everyone inhaled sharply in response, their eyes staring at the crater that had formed in shock before realisation finally hit them.


    The world was changing!


    And if they failed to adapt, they would be left behind in the changing times. There was only one option as the Lerni Emperor, being the cunning man he was, submitted to the change.


    ''That was simple.'' Rhizen smiled in response as his wings pped, bringing him out of the pce as he hovered above the expansive pce grounds, muttering as he extended his hand, "This ce seems good enough."


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªDust Wave (IX)!


    Arge crater was created in the ground, one spanning a radius of thirty metres and a depth of ten metres.


    He transformed into the Whale, opening his mouth as all the nts in the vicinity were sucked into it, rapidly digested in the whale body before ejected out as poop.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The Homing Feathers carriedrge bs of Whale poop and mixed it with the dust created by digging the crater in the ground.


    Arge sludge was created as Rhizen unleashed his Apocalyptic Art of Static Force,pressing the sludge to the limit to create a pir.


    He then nted the pir into the ground, bordering the crater that he had created, nodding in praise before erecting a dozen pirs in total, covering the perimeter of the crater.


    He then used the same means to erect a dome that covered the entirety of the crater, acting as a form of protection for the Tower of Purification.


    Following that, Rhizen arrived in the centre of the crater, inhaling a deep breath as he closed his eyes, sensing the location of the Pearl Buck as he raised his hand in its direction, clenching it into a fist.


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªThieving Heaven (VIII)!


    Thieving Heaven was a spatial ability that allowed him to steal a variety of things. But, it also allowed him to intrude into enclosed ces, the means he used to enter the portal in an instant to chase after Yulna to this world.


    That was also what he used at the battle of Yonka City where he stole all corruption from a region of thirty kilometres surrounding it. Of course, he unleashed Devouring Heaven instead of Stealing Heaven to rapidly convert the stolen corruption into Nacre.


    Thanks to the power of Thieving Heaven, his Pearl Buck vanished from its original location and was imnted in the centre of the crater. This way, he didn''t have to deactivate it, which might prove risky considering how the Astral Network might take the chance to reconnect with the world.


    The Pearl Buck was transnted sessfully as it began to absorb nutrients from the ground and generate Nacre slowly.


    The generated Nacre spread out before seeping into the dome that he had created, slowly reinforcing it. This was for the dome to act as a finalyer of defence against any attacks aimed at the Pearl Buck.


    It also made defending the ce easier for the Horned Humans that would appear next so that he could focus fully on chasing after Yulna.


    That wasn''t all, a couple of secondster, the Pearl Buck whirred with Nacre before erecting the safe zone. And this time, as there wasn''t any corruption to hinder it, the safe zone spread out to epass the entire capital city.


    Of course, he could make it bigger if he wished, but that would stretch its defences too thin. After all, the barrier protecting the safe zone too needed Nacre to maintain itself. And once the Horned Humans begin to appear, their horns too would absorb the produced Nacre.


    This would mean that the Nacre production would be strained further. So, the bigger the safe zone was, the greater the strain. And as Nacre production was naturally slow here, he calcted its size, keeping it small, only epassing the capital city.


    By the time the Emperor, the ministers, and Xuna arrived at the training grounds, he was done with all preparations, watching them stare agape at therge dome-like structure that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.


    Rhizen was just that fast in setting everything up.


    "Come in." He said, opening the doors to the dome as he allowed everyone to enter, pointing at the fruits hanging from the branches of the Pearl Buck as he said, "Consume one of them each. You''ll be a Horned Human once you do that."


    ¡­


    Fornol Empire pce basement, the four guards were sweating profusely, having just seen Rhizen arrive and leave in a matter of seconds.


    But as Blight Humans, they were able to sense a vast amount of power from him, akin to an ocean, capable enough to drown their world, causing them to despair.


    A couple of minutester, they were startled to hear rumbling sounds behind them, turning around to see the Tower of Corruption regrowing as Yulna''s figure appeared, sighing as she wiped her sweat, "I was almost caught by him."


    In the past month, she had been digging underground tunnels to escape through the moment she detected Rhizen''s approach.


    As to how she detected his approach? It was through Mental Energy of the Blight Humans that were posted sentry throughout the ce.


    The moment they noticed any mysterious entity, through the Mental Energy¡ªfrom their thoughts¡ªthey generated, Yulna would learn of his arrival. Following that, she would escape from the ce along with her Tower of Corruption, returning only after confirming his absence.


    "G-God Mother¡­" One of the four royal guards meant to protect her muttered in shock, "Is t-that¡­"


    "Yep, that''s my enemy, Rhizen." Yulna nodded, sighing as she looked at their terrified expressions, "He''s strong, right?"


    "Can he even be killed?" One of the royal guards asked, barely reigning in his despair.


    ''If it were easy, why else would I be having so much trouble?'' Yulna sighed, feeling a headache, "He''s one damn lucky bastard that can be considered the embodiment of luck itself."


    "But," Her expression turned serious, expressing killing intent as she emanated a dense stream of corruption, "He must be killed, no matter what."


    "And he will be."

 Chapter 40 Don鈥檛 Go Overboard

    "Keuk!" The Fornol Empress grunted in pain as she copsed to the ground, watching the corruption part of her bubbling out of her body, condensing into a sphere before her.


    A thin strand of corruption formed a tether between her and the sphere, acting like a cord extended from her hair. It was what prevented her power from being extracted out of her permanently.


    Yulna frowned as she stared at the sphere before her, deep in thought as she observed it. Even though it was still the corruption that she controlled, it had absorbed the essence of the world, a signature ability of the Grade 3 System, Apocalypse.


    And absorbing the essence of the world had resulted in the corruption turning into the Fornol Sunflower, the power wielded by the Empress. But, even though it was resulted from her power, Yulna was unable to use it or absorb it into her own, the reason why she was frowning at the moment.


    The previous Yulna was only a Stage 5 mystic Human, possessing the abilities of five Mutated Beasts, with the strongest of these Mutated Beasts only having five horns.


    This formed a stark contrast to Rhizen that was at Stage 9, possessing nine Mutated Beasts, with a good fraction of them having nine horns.


    Therefore, even when she had as much corruption as a Cs that had been able to face Rhizen, she wasn''t strong enough to fight him, for her abilities were weak.


    The potency of her abilities wasn''t enough to kill Rhizen if she were to face him in the future. Therefore, Yulna wished to integrate the powers of the Blight Humans into her to strengthen herself.


    But, it was easier said than done, even if she wished to exchange her current powers¡ªMutated Beasts¡ªto gain the power of Blight Humans.


    She had five abilities in total: Burst Crossbow, Rippling Whistle, Celestial Armour, Rapid Wings, and the All-Devouring Whale.


    Among them, the only useful ones were the Celestial Armour and the All-Devouring Whale. Rippling Whistle was useful before tomunicate with fellow Mystic Humans. And now, she could use the same tomand Blight Humans all over the world.


    But no matter how well she organised the Blight Humans to destroy the Mystic Humans, they would only serve as an annoyance. In the end, she was the one that had to face Rhizen.


    This was because, even if a Blight Human were to reach Stage 10, they would never be able to kill Rhizen, someone that could harness his luck to affect Cause and Effect should the need arise.


    So, only she could fight him, thanks to her immunity to instant deaths and innate resistance to his luck abilities.


    ''It''s not working.'' Yulna frowned as the sphere of corruption only sparked from time to time, failing to merge into her body.


    Sighing, Yulna snapped her finger, watching the corruption turn into a stream and flow into the Empress, watching her gasp for breath as she regained her powers.


    "You may leave now." Yulna waved her hand, turning silent as she fell deep in thought.


    "Yes, God Mother," The Empress bowed before leaving.


    Staring at the back of the leaving Empress, Yulna thought of the characteristics of the Empress'' ability, Fornol Sunflower, ''It''s a terrifyingly powerful ability. I''m missing something that''s preventing me from integrating this power into my own.''


    She then summoned her Whale, watching its figure oozing out corruption as she thought long and hard, "The Whale''s characteristics will allow me to do something about it. But first, I must evolve my current abilities."


    She summoned the rest of her Mutated Beasts, intending to experiment with them, ''I should use them to somehow evolve the Whale to make it possible for it to devour Blight Humans to integrate their power into my own.''


    "Something like treating them as my Mutated Beast¡­" She sighed in the end, snapping her finger as she gazed at the four guards before her, "Why don''t the four of you fight? I''m bored."


    "Yes, God Mother." The four royal guards nodded in response before they began to fight one another, unleashing their respective abilities.


    Currently, they were all at Stage 2, having grown with extensive training that Yulna had given them over the past month. ''But, it''s not enough.''


    ''They need to reach Stage 5 at the very least before they be strong enough to help me.'' She thought, watching vines and flowers with various effects sh with one another before her, ''But, the actual prize is at Stage 10.''


    Every world had a champion of its own to face the apocalypse. Some were stronger than the others, but all of them had the capability to be the strongest of their species, which they did in the end, whether they won against the apocalypse or not.


    In the Undead World, the champion had reached Stage 10, the only Horned Human in their world to do that. As even Rhizen was only at Stage 9, this was a significant feat. The same was true in the Green Sludge World too. Moreover, in the Aberrant World, Felix would reach that level in the future.


    But, it was once the first Horned Human reached Stage 10 did those from the PADS understand the true worth of Horned Humans. They were the essence of resistance their world expressed when being invaded by Apocalypse.


    When a Horned Human reaches Stage 10, they gain the qualification to obtain an External Item.


    Tower of Purification, Vitality Bowl, Fortress, Castle Wall, etc. There were all sorts of External Items that the PADS had manufactured over time. But, it was manmade, a fruit of their genius.


    In contrast, the External Item of a Stage 10 Horned Human was created by their homeworld itself. it was special, granting the champion tremendous power to wield, in a ss of its own.


    They were able to harness the power of their world to fight.<novelnext></novelnext>


    And this was Yulna''s true goal in forming the Blight Humans. Among them, the Empress was the target that she was nurturing to be that champion.


    After all, even though Blight Humans were created using the power of Apocalypse, they didn''t try to take over the world as Apocalypse did but instead were gradually being integrated by the world itself as the power of the Blight Humans was derived from the essence of the world.


    Meaning, Blight Humans too had the chance of gaining an External Item at Stage 10, as they shared the same power system as Horned Humans.


    So, if the Empress were to reach Stage 10 first, she would gain control over the world''s power, allowing her to even face Rhizen.


    ''With the two of us joining hands, we''ll be able to force Rhizen into a corner, at least enough to damage his Pearl Buck and allow the Astral Network to reconnect with this world.'' Yulna thought.


    Just that was enough, for once that happened, Apocalypse itself would descend onto this world to fight Rhizen.


    She was aware that no matter how strong she became, she couldn''t kill Rhizen, at least, the current her couldn''t see the possibility.


    But, once she connected to the Astral Network, dozens of Grade 2 Systems and even Apocalypse could take charge of that to destroy Rhizen once and for all. And following that, they could use his corpse to locate the homeworld of PADS and reim the power stolen from them.


    ''But before that, I should be strong.'' Yulna firmed herself, intending to experiment further, ''After all, Rhizen too should be doing the same. If he reaches Stage 10 before all my preparations are done, I''ll die.''


    "No¡­" She muttered, "Once he reaches Stage 10, everything bes meaningless. He would be way too powerful."


    ¡­


    "Tch!" Rhizen clicked his tongue, closing his eyes as he failed to make contact with his home world, ''It seems what I feared has be reality.''


    His connection with his home world worked in a vein simr to the Astral Network used by the Systems. And just as how his Tower of Purification blocked the Astral Network, Yulna''s Tower of Corruption blocked him from contacting the headquarters of the PADS.


    This meant that the two of them would remain stranded in this distant universe unless one of them is killed, or at least their Tower of Purification/Corruption is destroyed.


    ''But, the Horned Humans are still able to inherit Mutated Beasts from the Beast Armoury.'' He nodded in thought, ''That means the connection isn''t entirely cut off.''


    This was because Yulna''s Tower of Corruption, when it was wielded by the Stotte City Lord was only at Stage 7.


    An External Item grew on par with its user. And as the Stotte City Lord was only at Stage 7, its development too was on that level.


    Therefore, even though Yulna''s Tower of Corruption blocked Rhizen''s connection with the PADS, it didn''t block off everything, allowing the Horned Humans toe into existence without problems.


    ''This means that once I reach Stage 10, the sheer power difference between us would allow me to contact home once again. Yulna''s Tower of Corruption wouldn''t be able to block me anymore.'' Thinking as such, Rhizen watched the Emperor and the ministers be Horned Humans one after another.


    He then looked at them, saying, "Summon envoys from the neighbouring Kingdoms. Ask them to ally with the Lerni Empire by promising them the power of the Horned Humans."


    "And, also warn them that if they dare ally with the Fornol Empire, they''ll be decimated."


    "Yes, we''ll follow your orders." The Emperor made a formal bow in response, heading to the pce to make preparations immediately.


    After bing a Horned Human, he was finally able to sense the vast ocean of power originating from Rhizen as a thought resounded in his mind, ''He''s a Deity.''


    The same thought resounded in the minds of everyone, for even after obtaining power, they realised that Rhizen was on a whole other ne of existence aspared to them.


    Rhizen observed that the expression of some of the ministers changed rapidly as they seemed drunk on power already, even though it had only been a few minutes since they had obtained it. ''They will definitely use it for selfish needs andmit horrors upon the weak.''


    As someone whose goal was to prevent that, Rhizen didn''t like his power being used tomit horrors on anyone. And hence, he took action, appearing before the Pearl Buck as he ced his hand on its stem, pouring in a dense stream of Nacre as it lit up, unleashing a beam into the sky as the energy rippled out.


    Immediately after, Rhizen''s voice travelled all across the world, transmitted by the Pearl Buck whose influence enveloped the entire world, resounding in the ears of everyone.


    "To both the Horned and Blight Humans, I order you¡­"


    For some reason, all the Blight Humans began to tremble in response, feeling that the corruption in their bodies was vaporising rapidly just by hearing his voice as their expression paled. As for the Horned Humans, they instinctively submitted to his voice, for the very Nacre in their Origin Space heeded his orders.


    "You can only kill those with power. If you were to use your power as a Blight Human or a Horned Human to kill the general popce, I''lle to know." His voice, exuding amanding authority turned further serious.


    "And, I''ll erase you from existence."

 Chapter 41 Training Her Luck

    "And I''ll erase you from existence."


    Rhizen''s voice resounded like a heavenly decree, subtly affecting the power structure of the world itself.


    As the world didn''t have an innate power system, he was able to influence it easily. Though, his power wasn''t strong enough to take action like Apocalypse.


    All he was able to do was add simple restrictions using the connection his Pearl Buck shared with the world. While it was shielding the entire world from detection by the Systems, he added one more use into it.


    Restriction Order!


    This was the power that he had stolen from the Systems, used to create Nacre. And now, he harnessed that power in its empirical state, unleashing it as suddenly, all the Blight Humans and Horned Humans around the world felt their heart rates jumping up in response, feeling that something had changed in them.


    This was the Restriction Order in effect that prevented Blight Humans or Horned Humans from harming themon popce.


    Though, this power wasn''t absolute, as Rhizen wasn''t able to wield it to its full potential. Had that been possible, he could have simply sealed all System rted Skills and would have been able to destroy his enemies easily.


    Unfortunately, the entirety of the Restriction Order''s power was being harnessed to protect his home world, so he couldn''t use it. So, using the tinge of power that he was able to unleash through his Nacre and Pearl Buck, Rhizen was able to add a simple use.


    But, even the effects of this use weren''t absolute as eventually, the Horned and Blight Humans would figure out a way to go past it.


    ''At least, it would prevent them from being able to openly harm themoners.'' He sighed in response, feeling that this was the most he could do.


    Whether or not there was a power system, people in power always had the ability to affect the lives of those under them. If they were benevolent people, then the people lived happier lives.


    But if they were scum, life was hell for the people under them. And having a power system only made this process easier.


    ''Though, this also allows themoners a better chance to protect themselves or take revenge if the need arises.'' He stopped thinking about it in the end, understanding that he alone wasn''t able to assume a hands-on approach to the state of things that took ce in the world.


    Gradually, the aristocrats of the Lerni Empire became Horned Humans one after another as an official statement was published for the citizens to learn about. Moreover, Rhizen instructed the Lerni Royalty to turn the heads of various departments into Horned Humans too.


    After all, if the Horned Humans were simply used in war, the Lerni Empire wouldn''t develop. But, if the abilities of the Horned Humans helped in building structures, paving new roads, ports, clearing routes, voyaging, etc. then the Lerni Empire would truly develop.


    That level of development would ensure that they would be ahead of the Fornol Empire, which was enough to restrict the Blight Humans, preventing them from taking action against Rhizen.


    It would also allow him the time and manpower to find Yulna and take care of her. Currently, Yulna had hidden herself, always on the run by relying on the Mental Energy supplied by the Blight Humans.


    The Blight Humans had first set up towers throughout the Fornol Empire where they resided, keeping watch over everything. The moment they spotted Rhizen, their thoughts would be directed at Yulna, alerting her to escape.


    If he didn''t wish to alert her, then Rhizen would have to transform into an insect and behave like an insect. Unfortunately, doing so would take him years to arrive at the Fornol Empire. It was just a waste of time, and in this duration that he spent travelling, Yulna would have improved upon her strength.


    Even if she didn''t grow by much, as long as she converted all her corruption into a power she could wield, she would reach the same level as a Cs. And without relying on his Luck, a Cs was a terrifying opponent that had a shot at killing him.


    Therefore, Rhizen couldn''t waste so much time. Due to that, he focused on strengthening the Lerni Empire as much as possible. With that, the Horned humans would gradually cover the entire world, reducing the locations where Yulna could hide at.


    And eventually, if a dozen or so Horned Humans were to reach Stage 9, they alone would be able to chase after her, making things easier for him.


    Moreover, just having another world under the control of the PADS meant more troops they could call upon to help them save the apocalyptic worlds.


    Following that, Rhizen observed delegates from nearby Kingdoms arrive one after another, pledging their submission to the Lerni Empire in order to be Horned Humans.


    The best thing about being a Horned Human was that as long as both the parents were Horned Humans, the child too would be born a Horned Human. This meant that eventually, everyone in the Lerni Empire would be Horned Humans.


    Unfortunately, the same applied to the Blight Humans too.


    So, he had to create a means to convert them into Horned Humans. ''Moreover, I have to innovate. Things have remained the same in four worlds till now. It''s about time Apocalypse creates a countermeasure.''


    Mystic Humans wielded the power of the Mutated Beasts that lived in their Origin Space. The Mutated Beasts could either be summoned out, transformed into or turned into a weapon to wield.


    That was all there was to their power system. The Mutated Beasts could only grow in strength by increasing their number of horns.


    The only aspect of change or evolution in their power system was the External Items. Depending on the necessity, they could change their External Items and create new ones.


    There was also the scope of evolving the animals in their homes world to give birth to new varieties of Mutated Beasts, such as how they created the All-Devouring-Whale.<novelnext></novelnext>


    But, this was easier said than done. In the end, their change was innate and required a lot of time, nning, manpower, and a lot of luck to achieve.


    Unfortunately, a moment''s carelessness would allow Apocalypse to steal the fruits of their efforts. Through Yulna, they not only stole the power of her Mutated Beasts but also a Tower of Purification which allowed her to oppose him already by creating Blight Humans.


    So, what Rhizen needed to focus on next was to steal from the Apocalypse. Only then would both sides be on the same page.


    ''I need to create a power simr to Compass that allows us to steal the fruits ofbour of our enemies.'' Thinking as such, Rhizen left the royal pce, arriving at the doorstep of a rather decent mansion, entering it.


    The maid inside was stunned to see him before alerting the master of the house of his arrival.


    "How''s living in your own house been for you, Xuna?" Rhizen asked upon seeing thedy of the house arrive in a hurry to meet him.


    "Master!" Xuna eximed in joy as she pointed at the horn growing on her forehead, "I already reached Stage 2!"


    "Well done," Rhizen nodded in praise as he motioned for her to be seated, saying after observing the increase in Nacre in her Origin Space, "There''s one thing you need to know about. It''s an innate power that has always been protecting you."


    "I have something like that?" Xuna became a tad excited in response. In the Lerni Empire, only she was acknowledged as Rhizen''s disciple, garnering tremendous status.


    As he wasn''t narcissistic, he forbade people from calling him a God or anything along those lines, telling them to address him a Saint, as that was something he was already used to, for people in the PADS called him as such.


    And as the sole disciple of the Saint that created the Horned Humans, Yulna''s status was actually above the Emperor himself. After all, she was the first to reach Stage 2, the strongest among the Horned Humans.


    And now, to hear that she had an innate power all along, Xuna wasn''t able to reign in her excitement.


    "Remember what I asked you when we first met?" Rhizen smiled in response.


    Xuna''s eyes widened in surprise, "Is it rted to why I''ve managed to survive so long as a spy?"


    "Pretty much," Rhizen nodded, saying in the end, "It''s thanks to Coincidental Luck."


    "Coincidental Luck?" Xuna tilted her head in confusion, unable to determine what it meant.


    "Do you know what it means to be lucky?" He asked.


    "Yes," Xuna nodded, "We always use that term whenever someone gets a windfall for things they hadn''t prepared but still ended up benefitting from."


    "Then, what do you think about coincidences?" Rhizen asked next.


    "Chance encounters¡­?" Xuna said as her eyes slowly widened in surprise, "Y-You mean¡­"


    "Yep, that''s the power supporting you." Rhizen nodded with a smile, "You''ll chance upon encounters that end up benefitting you."


    He then shook his head, "Unfortunately, unlike me, you''re unable to control this power. So, you''re only able to benefit from it passively. That means that you wouldn''t always benefit from it. And at times, you might even lose your life if you end up relying on it too much."


    "Then, that means I wouldn''t be able to take advantage¡­" Xuna just began to speak when Rhizen raised his hand, motioning for her to stop.


    He then snapped his hand, gradually extracting a portion of her Coincidental Luck, causing it to resemble a blob that hovered before her, "Can you sense something different about yourself?"


    "I feel like¡­something in me has changed, but¡­" Xuna shook her head, "I can''t make sense of it."


    "Don''t worry, that''s what I''m here for." Rhizen nodded, "I''ll help you perceive Coincidental Luck. Even though you cannot harness it, as long as you can sense it, you''ll be able to determine where your lucky encounters exist and actively pursue them."


    "And, you''ll also know when to stop relying on it based on the amount of Coincidental Luck remaining in you." He said, watching the blob retreat into her, "Also, through it, I''ll ensure that you can perceive the Luck of everything."


    "This way, you''ll be able to recognise Yulna through her luck alone if you evere across her in disguise," Rhizen concluded.


    As Xuna was supported by Coincidental Luck, as long as he taught her well enough, she''ll be able to rely on it and reach Stage 10 the fastest, thereby gaining the External Item of her world.


    Moreover, as long as she grows strong, her Coincidental Luck too would grow to amodate her strength. This would mean a stronger reservoir of Coincidental Luck that he could draw upon during times of need.


    After all, a Rhizen that wielded Coincidental Luck was the worst nightmare of the Systems.

 Chapter 42 Xuna鈥檚 Journey (Part 1)

    Swish!


    A feather flew across the air, speeding towards ady holding a long-barrelled gun in her hand, at speeds beyond what she could see.


    But, thedy scraped the soles of her shoes on the floor, sensing the moment she slipped, furthering her action as she slipped faster, evading the feather well in advance.


    The feather made an abrupt turn in the air, heading towards her shoulder from behind her. Even though she wasn''t able to see it, thedy felt a sudden urge to scratch her knee, bending ordingly as she fell to the ground, hearing a thud beside her.


    Only now did she open her eyes, watching a feather lodged into the ground right next to her shoulder, cutting a portion of her sleeve in response.


    "You''re getting good at relying on Coincidental Luck." A man''s voice full of praise resounded as thedy, Xuna got up, exhausted but chirpy.


    Sheughed in response, "Even though I cannot see Luck as you had said, I can at least feel when Coincidental Luck is taking effect."


    "Yeah, as it works through coincidences, most of the triggers regarding it would be something silly like scratching an itch or slipping on the floor for no reason." Rhizen nodded.


    He then looked at her gun, "But, you''ve yet to fire a single shot. This won''t do."


    "But, I have to focus all my attention just to evade your feathers. If I tried to retaliate, I''ll just mess up." Xuna said, scratching her cheeks, "They are too fast¡­"


    Swoosh!


    Her words failed toe out as she felt a prickling sensation throughout her body, shuddering in response to see that everything below her neck was covered by ayer of feathers. The feathers pointed at her, gently touching her, packed like sardines as it felt like she was wearing jute clothes on bare skin.


    From below her neck, there wasn''t even a portion that wasn''t covered by the feathers. Even if she were to pour water over them, the water wouldn''t reach her skin. They were that densely packed.


    Rhizen exhaled lightly, causing all the feathers to dissipate as he observed her ashen face, "My feathers aren''t even moving at their natural speed. The speed I''m making them move is something that you''re already able to evade and counter."


    "I''ve already calcted it based on your current capability." Rhizen said, stopping before her as he extended his hand, propping her up, "So, don''t shut yourself up and block off the possibilities."


    "As someone supported by Coincidental Luck, you should be open to all possibilities, no matter how absurd they seem. Only with that mindset would you be able to harness this power to its full potential." He spoke.


    "Yes, I''ll keep that in mind, master." Xuna nodded, asking after a moment of thought, "Would I be able to use Coincidental Luck to defend myself? Is it useful for things other than evasion in a battle?"


    "Of course, it is." Rhizen smirked as he pointed at his forehead, "I''ll show it now. Just shoot me anywhere you wish."


    "C-Can I?" Xuna was stunned for a moment before asking. "Wouldn''t I harm you?"


    "That''s impossible, so don''t worry about that." Rhizen said casually, "All forms of Luck can exhibit this to a certain extent if their wielder possesses a decent quantity of them. But, Coincidental Luck takes it a step further."


    "Then¡­" Xuna gripped her gun tighter, suddenly aiming at Rhizen''s shoulder before pressing the trigger.


    The bullet flew out at terrifying speeds, condensed with a dense amount of Nacre, approaching the targeted spot.


    A couple of seconds earlier, in the firece of the living room where the maid had been stirring the firewood, a piece of wood had turned bright red from the heat. Unfortunately, unlike the rest of the firewood, it wasn''t burning due to the hollow within it.


    And somehow, vtile gases had seeped into this hollow,busting as they absorbed all the heat from the fire licking the piece of wood. Due to that, the air pressure within the space continued to build up to rming levels as somehow, the shape of the hollow ensured the wood didn''t break so easily.


    But this was only a matter of time as the air pressure eventually reached a terrifying level before the air pressed onto a direction that seemed weaker than the rest, causing a small piece of the wood to break off.


    This allowed all the pressurised gas to flow out through the gap, causing the wood fragment to be shot like a bullet. The mes from the firece made a small arc in the air before dissipating while the wood fragment flew straight towards Rhizen, mming dead centre into the bullet approaching his shoulder.


    The momentum of the two resulted in the sh, changing their directions as the wood fragment burned up from the sheer heat that formed during the collision while the Nacre bullet changed directions, missing Rhizen''s shoulder as it mmed into the wall behind him.


    "What the¡­?" Xuna was shocked, staring at the dissipating mes that burst out of the firece, also noticing ck fumes before Rhizen''s shoulder that resulted from the wood fragment burning up, "H-How is this possible?"


    "This doesn''t make sense!"


    "Think of it like this." Rhizen used his feathers to create a bag full of air, holding it before her face as he pressed it, watching the air within blow on her face, causing her hair to flutter, "Do you understand what happened just now?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Yeah, the air within the bag flowed out when you pressed it." Xuna nodded, "I can understand this. We even have a musical instrument that produces sound through a simr mechanism. Though, we use goat skin to make that bag."


    "Have you ever seen what happened to that instrument if its user yed it next to a bonfire?" Rhizen asked.


    "Yes, the sound turned weird. And one time, the bag exploded when he tried to forcefully blow into it." Xuna nodded, "Though, this happened in the Fornol Empire. I just thought it was because they didn''t know to y the instrument."


    Rhizen then used the example to exin the principles of air pressure and its variation regarding temperature. Finally, he spoke, "Simrly, there was air trapped in that piece of firewood that expanded rapidly due to the fire. And when it broke out of the confined space, it sent a fragment of the wood flying in my direction. And it so happened to hit the bullet."


    "But, this feels absurd!" Xuna protested, "How did it burst right at this time? How did it have enough force to change the trajectory of my bullet? How did a big enough wood piece hit the bullet? There are too many variables."


    "You''re right." Rhizen nodded, "There are thousands of variables once you begin to think about it. But, among those variables, a few of them would result in the bullet failing to hit me, right?"


    "Yes," Xuna nodded.


    In response, Rhizen smiled smugly, "That small chance bes a definite possibility. That''s what wielding Coincidental Luck means."


    "And the smaller this chance, the greater the volume of Coincidental Luck you have to expend to evade that oue." Rhizen said in all seriousness, "So, what should you always ensure to have around you?"


    "Um¡­" Xuna thought, failing toe up with an answer. "Master, I don''t know."


    "Variables," Rhizen answered, "It doesn''t matter what they are. Just ensure that the number of variables around you is as high as possible. That will ensure that Coincidental Luck can save you by expending as little of itself as possible."


    "This is the way to defend yourself with Coincidental Luck. And now," He suddenly grinned, observing her luck values, "You have more than enough amount. Let''s put it to the test, shall we?"


    "What?" Xuna was stunned when suddenly, hundreds of feathers wrapped around her and carried her out of the house, taking her to the air as her figure disappeared.


    Two hourster, in a tranquilke where no human had made an appearance in the past century or beyond, Xuna''s screams resounded as her figure plunged into theke, turning it vtile.


    After all, living in thiske was a school of fish capable of shredding any creature in a matter of seconds, simr to piranhas.


    "What the?" Xuna was stunned to see the fishes approaching her rapidly, intending to devour her.


    Coincidental Luck!


    As she had been relying on it until now, her body was still sensitive, allowing her to rely on its effect as her body curled up in response, causing most of the fishes to hinder each other.


    Following that, her gun changed its state to the rocket form, unleashing a violent thrust that caused strong undercurrents, pushing away the fishes.


    And strangely, the currents worked in her favour, keeping the fishes at bay while she was pushed towards the surface, soon causing her to fly into the air as Xuna changed directions,nding on the shore nearby.


    "Haah! That was close¡­!" She had just uttered as such when a snake sprung up from the nearby bushes, intending to mp her neck.


    Boom!


    The thrust from her rocket burst out automatically, unleashing a shockwave that pushed her away while at the same time making a nearby vine whip the snake, causing it to miss its lunge.


    The vine coiled around the snake while its thorns pierced through its skin, causing the snake to struggle. After arriving at safety, Xuna remembered Rhizen''s advice, keeping her weapon activated as she watched the snake twitching about, its actions only serving to further tangle it with the thorny vine.


    "I''ll be observing your actions. You have a month to return home." Rhizen''s voice resounded in her ears as Xuna looked around, failing to find him.


    ''A month?'' She was shocked, understanding that if she was given such a long time, it meant that she had been brought somewhere far away.


    Considering the speed his feathers had disyed before, she was aware that they were capable of travelling a long distance within two hours.


    Looking around, all she could see was a dense, sprawling jungle, "Where the heck am I?"

 Chapter 43 Xuna鈥檚 Journey (Part 2)

    Xuna couldn''t make heads or tails of the ce she was at, for the dense foliage prevented her from gazing at the sky. Moreover, the tree growth expanded into theke, preventing any open space for her to stand and stare at the sky.


    At least, by relying on the stars that she could make out in the nighttime, she might be able to figure out the direction of her home. As a spy, she was capable of this.


    But, the only area that wasn''t covered by the tree foliage was above theke. And that wasn''t feasible to approach due to the terrifying school of fish living within.


    Moreover, she couldn''t even go deeper into the forest, for after a couple dozen metres, it got dangerously dark.


    At least, around the shore, the sunlight managed to seep in thanks to the reflection from theke.


    ''Wait, can''t I use my rocket to fly away?'' Thinking as such, Xuna jumped up as she grabbed her rocket tightly, watching it fly over theke as countless fish jumped out. But, they weren''t able to reach her due to the thrust from her rocket keeping them at bay.


    Following that, she flew high up, going beyond the tree foliage to immediately curse in response, "Where the heck is this?"


    After all, for as far as her eye could see, there was only a green stretch of expanse, unending. It was apparent that she had been dropped in the middle of a vast jungle. "I have to leave this ce?"


    She definitely didn''t have enough Nacre to fly through the sky. At Stage 2, her Nacre would run out within a minute of using her rocket at full power. And considering the distance she had to travel, she wouldn''t be able to manage it.


    Moreover, she failed to spot any hill or the like where she could stop as a checkpoint to stock on supplies and recover her Nacre.


    In the capital city, thanks to it being turned into a Safe Zone, there was Nacre in the air, allowing her to replenish her Nacre reserves quickly. But now, the only way to do that was to eat food and allow her body to digest and convert it into Nacre. This was a slow process.


    ''So, I should first procure food supplies, at least enough tost the journey.'' She thought, looking around to sigh in relief, ''At least, I won''t have to worry about food and water thanks to thiske.''


    Even though the school of fish was terrifying, she could catch them for food.


    Besides, there was already the snake nearby for her to eat first, for it was limp from losing a lot of blood. Xuna first blew up its head using her gun before grabbing its body.


    Her eyes then lit up as she observed a banana leaf growing nearby, ripping it out as she made an impromptu basket out of it. She tied it to her gun that she switched to its rocket state, for its barrel was the longest in this form.


    Following that, she gently extended the snake''s body over theke, watching its blood drip into theke when immediately, dozens of fish jumped out of the water.


    Her other hand shed as she used the basket to catch the fishes, unleashing a thrust with her rocket as they flew deeper ind, mming into a tree before sliding to its bottom, twitching there. Unfortunately, due to the tree roots blocking them, they wouldn''t wriggle their way into theke.


    Xuna repeated the same action for a few minutes before sighing in relief, having gotten arge haul, "This willst me for a while."


    She arrived before the pile of fishes, staring at them as she waited until they all stopped twitching. She then bent forward, intending to pick up one of them to skin when suddenly, a stinger popped out from within the pile, stinging her hand, "Ahh!"


    Xuna flinched in shock, noticing that a scorpion had been hiding within the pile, waiting for her to approach the caught fish to ambush her.


    "Dammit!" She was flustered, for scorpion bites were deadly. But immediately after, she felt an urge to run, doing so as she sprinted deeper into the forest, stumbling upon a shrub whose smell automatically caused her to calm down.


    Feeling an urge to eat it, she plucked a leaf and munched on it, sensing the burning sensation in her body be mildly controlled. "So, this is the antidote?"


    Typically in nature, the area a poisonous creature or nt lived was also where the nt or grass forming its antidote lived too.


    Thinking as such, she gobbled up more of the leaves before the burning sensation calmed down, surprised at its effectiveness. Moreover, she felt strangely invigorated, causing her to wonder what was up.


    Though, after recalling Rhizen''s words, she nodded in response, "If there is a chance it might benefit me, it would definitely happen."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Before, she wasn''t sure about this. So, even if something happened to her benefit, she wasn''t sure of that and ended up missing the opportunity. After all, as a spy, she had to be careful every step of her life.


    But now that she had been trained to grab hold of the opportunities when they appear, she did exactly that.


    ''That scorpion¡­'' She thought, gradually approaching the pile of fish as she grabbed hold of a vine, extending her hand to the pile once again. Her heart thumped in tension as she was aware that the scorpion would sting her. She was afraid as doubt set in her mind on whether or not the leaves she ingested would work again in neutralising the poison.


    What if she was a stepte in ingesting them? What if the neutralisation effect was only temporary? Despite everything, scorpions caused an innate fear in humans, especially since most scorpion bites resulted in death.


    At most, few were lucky enough to chance upon an antidote that actually worked. So, she was nervous. But, upon recalling the fact that Rhizen was observing her, she became braver, ''Master might save me if I were to fail.''


    Moreover, Rhizen''s words constantly reminded her to be more confident in her abilities as her outstretched hand grabbed hold of a fish at the top of the pile.


    And just like before, the stinger popped out of the pile and stabbed into her hand. But this time, she didn''t retract her hand in reflex, prepared mentally as her other hand grabbed hold of the stinger and yanked it out.


    "What the fuck!" She couldn''t help but curse in response, for the scorpion¡­wasn''t like the others that she had seen. It was¡­damn ugly, terrifying even, sporting five eyes on a bulged-out exoskeleton.


    Its stinger was way too long, almost spanning fifty centimetres in length while its body was asrge as her feet.


    Xuna almost dropped it due to its monstrous appearance but reigned in her disgust, coupled with fear as she threw the vine. Just as the scorpion struggled to escape, the vine coincidentally wound around it; Xuna took advantage of that, expertly tying it up into a bundle to prevent it from escaping.


    She wrapped another set of vine around its pincers to prevent it from clipping the vine to free itself. Finally, she wrapped its tail into a bundle, only allowing its stinger to peak out.


    And due to the weight of the vine constricting it, the scorpion was unable to move its tail any longer.


    Xuna made her way to the shrub and ate its leaves until the burning sensation in her body vanished. She then nodded, able to sense that she was feeling fresher than before, as if she hadn''t been tired in the first ce.


    Since she had been training to evade Rhizen''s feathers before, her body was already exhausted, and the mental toll of being dropped into theke further exhausted her. But now, she felt as if she had just taken a nap.


    She was then surprised to see the stinger wound on her hand already beginning to scab, breaking into a grin as she stared at the grotesque-looking scorpion, causing it to flinch this time instead, "Interesting."


    She then picked up a fish and broke off the sharp teeth of one of them, using it like a de to cut open its body, beginning to work on it as she had already begun to adapt to the ce.


    Seated on the branch of the same tree was a housefly, observing her actions all along. It was Rhizen, unable to conceal his surprise as he observed the changes in her luck.


    ''Miraculous substances exist in nature. And the rightbination to bring out their effects takes decades, if not centuries of research. But, thanks to Coincidental Luck, she skipped all that and chanced upon it while trying to save herself.'' Rhizen thought. Until now, he was the only one taking advantage of it.


    But now that he saw someone else repeat the same, he understood just how absurd this power was. Maybe this weird scorpion species might go extinct by the time humans reach this forest area or maybe due to climatic changes, it might evolve and lose its current properties that reacted with the leaves to result in such a benefit.


    There were billions of variables in nature that constantly were in a state of change. New ones appeared while old ones vanished. Only by stumbling upon them at the right ce at the right time would one take advantage of it.


    Such medicine wouldn''t even have an effect on Rhizen, considering the level of power he had attained. So, he might not even notice this even with the aid of Coincidental Luck, for it gave him no benefit. But, due to how weak Xuna was, the chances of her finding them were guaranteed, especially since¡­


    Rhizen stared at Xuna''s luck values, noticing that one of the Klock''s heads had its mouth open, ravenously drinking a luck stream pouring into it.


    And the source was none other than himself. He was supplying her with endless Coincidental Luck that he harnessed from nature by using Xuna herself as a catalyst. This was so that she would be able to use her Coincidental Luck to chance upon as many benefits as possible without ever expending it.


    Not only would she get used to using Coincidental Luck, but she would also be damn strong in the process, ''And that''s how a champion is born.''

 Chapter 44 Xuna鈥檚 Journey (Part 3)

    Rhizen''s goal wasn''t just to strengthen Xuna, but also to find beneficial means to strengthen the rest of the Horned Humans. This way, the overall strength of the Lerni Empire would trump the Fornol Empire, allowing them to achieve victory faster.


    As even the smallest of things were able to affect the current Xuna, she might stumble upon a lot of interesting things thanks to the effect of her Coincidental Luck that Rhizen was keeping filled to the brim constantly.


    With that thought in mind, Rhizen continued to observe her, watching her use the teeth of a fish to skin the bodies of the rest.


    "Never thought it took this much time without proper tools." Xuna sighed, having spent the past three hours just removing the unnecessary things from the fish. She formed a pile of the unnecessary parts, thinking for a moment as she crushed them into a paste using a couple of t roots that she cut out.


    Putting them into a basket, she ced it before the scorpion, watching it hesitate for a moment before consuming them, ''Thankfully, it seems to like it.''


    Even though she didn''t like to eat raw fish, she didn''t have much of a choice, especially since she was in a humid environment where starting a fire was simply impossible.


    Thankfully for her, her physique had improved after bing a Horned Human, allowing her to digest all organic matter. Thanks to that, she didn''t fall sick from eating raw, untreated fish.


    As she was eating, Xuna noticed the ce darkening as it was already evening time, causing her to worry about spending the night in the open. It definitely wouldn''t befortable enough.


    ''Wait, I remember seeing a banyan tree¡­'' She thought, slowly making her way into the deeper sections of the forest as she soon came across the banyan tree, making her way up its branches before she began to tie up their secondary roots, creating a hammock of sorts.


    She oveid some banana leaves to cushion herself before tying her haul of fishes and the fully fed scorpion onto nearby secondary roots.


    She then climbed aboard her hammock and closed her eyes, falling asleep immediately. Mosquitoes buzzed soon after as they approached Xuna, intending to drink her blood when a gentle wind blew past, causing the secondary roots tying the scorpion to dangle past the hammock.


    The scorpion generally consumed insects too, and it seemed the mosquitoes were one of its snacks, for its mandibles mped, eating up a mosquito with each try.


    And surprisingly, the winds allowed the scorpion to move beside the hammock from time to time, allowing the scorpion to have a feast as a dense stream of mosquitoes congregated there.


    Its five eyes blinked as the pupils dted, allowing it to stare at the legion of mosquitoes that buzzed around before coincidentally rushing into its mouth.


    Soon after, the muscle walls of its mouth shivered, emanating a subtle sound wave that lured the mosquitoes towards it, resulting in a feast.


    Xuna noticed her Coincidental Luck taking effect, shooting her eyes open as she was surprised, watching the scorpion having the time of its life as it swung around, using its tail to bnce its movements to eat up the mosquitoes.


    She observed its actions until it was nighttime, making it too dark for her to spot anything. Soon after, she fell asleep, only waking up when the rays of the morning sun were incident on her face.


    Due to the angle of its rise, the rays of the sun were reflected closer to the ground by theke, allowing the sunlight to reach deeper into the forest.


    "Why¡­are you fatter than yesterday?" Xuna was shocked the moment she woke up, watching the scorpion sleeping soundly, seemingly having put on more weight aspared to the previous night.


    "Wait¡­something''s different." Xuna touched her horn, feeling that it was warmer than usual as she closed her eyes, sensing her Origin Space to see the Klock swimming within the Nacre there.


    Its four heads were the same as usual, swinging around from time to time before remaining still, as if they were dead.


    But strangely, a fifth head had budded from the body, startling her, ''Didn''t the Klock only have four heads? What''s up with the fifth?''


    Even Rhizen was surprised at this discovery, noticing the changes based on her luck, observing a fifth head budding there, ''Is this a mutation due to this world''s essence seeping into her Origin Space?''


    There was a possibility of that, for this was a property of the Horned Humans.


    After all, the Beast Fruits were created by the Tower of Purification by absorbing part of the world''s essence into itself. This was why when a Horned Human reached Stage 10, their External Fragment was created by the world itself.


    But until now, Rhizen hadn''t seen any mutations happening among the powers of the Horned Humans. Normally, they might surprise him by inheriting a Mutated Beast that was either really strong or rare even in the Beast Armoury.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The mutation was a first though. Still, as he continued to think about it, Rhizen obtained a fair enough answer to this puzzle. ''The first three worlds were all consumed by Apocalypse to a certain extent. So, the essence of the world wasn''t whole there and was mostly geared towards countering Apocalypse. Since the Horned Human abilities were already perfect in this case, there was no need for a mutation.''


    ''But here,'' He nodded in thought, ''This world''s essence is still pure. Therefore, it''s able to affect the Horned Humans better since there are a variety of reasons to mutate.''


    After all, whether it was the Horned Humans or the Blight Humans, both formed powers that didn''t affect the world. Or rather, they weren''t capable of taking over the world itself, as Apocalypse or any other Grade 3 System did.


    Therefore, its essence flowed into both the Blight and Horned Humans. The Blight Humans obtained the powers of exotic nts that grew in their world.


    As for the Horned Humans, their Mutated Beasts originated from another world. Due to that, the essence of the world might be trying to mutate these Mutated Beasts further to convert them into forms suitable for this world.


    Though, this should have been a slow process, the effects only bing apparent as the Stage of the Horned or Blight Humans increases over time.


    But as she was supported by an enormous amount of Coincidental Luck, too many coincidences ended up bing a reality, causing her Mutated Beast to change after a single day itself.


    It seemed Xuna too was able to notice the changes, staring at the scorpion as she grinned, aware that it was the one that had contributed the most to this change.


    With that, she descended from her hammock, gazing at the sleeping scorpion as she gently touched the tip of its stinger with her hand, flinching as its venom was injected into her bloodstream.


    Immediately, her head began to spin as a fiery sensation pervaded her body, causing her to be light-headed immediately.


    Xuna rushed towards the shrub from before and ate the leaves until the effect subsided. Sighing, she repeated the same a couple more times until all the venom in the scorpion had been used up.


    ''Too bad.'' She thought, sensing that a fifth head had fully budded in her Mutated Beast, learning that she would be able to see the fifth head grow fully in a couple of days, nning to feed the scorpion until the limit.


    For the next two days, Xuna didn''t do much other than following a routine of capturing fish and injecting the scorpion venom into her body before rushing to consume the shrub''s leaves. Moreover, she was alert against any insects and reptiles that ambushed her from time to time, not to mention the fishes of theke that jumped at her whenever she tried to draw water from it.


    All these experiences weren''t something she was ready for like in a training session. They happened abruptly, without any rhyme or reason. But, they ensured to be the best teachers, allowing her to perceive Coincidental Luck better.


    And by sticking to this strict survival regime, Xuna attained her initial sess, watching the fifth head finish growing fully as a stream of information flowed into her head, allowing her to understand what this ability did.


    She summoned her gun, watching it elongate into a shorter shaft aspared to her rocket form, aiming it at a tree when an arrowhead mmed out at terrifying speeds.


    It was simr to a grappling hook as it pierced the tree trunk, lodging within as tension in the rope connecting it to the shaft pulled her towards the tree trunk, allowing her tond on the trunk.


    With a thought, the grappling hook changed shapes, allowing it toe out of the trunk as Xuna fell to the ground, losing her bnce. "Hahaha!"


    "This is fun!"


    The grappling hook was a lot more interesting than her other weapon states precisely because she could control its movements through her mind, allowing it to curve in the air in the same way the scorpion''s tail moved.


    This meant that she would be able to use it in a variety of ces, especially since it hardly consumed Nacre upon use.


    Xuna shot the grappling hook to the top of arge tree far away, feeling her body being pulled towards the tree by the strong tension as she almost crashnded into the top of the tree trunk. Somehow, she coincidentally managed to avoid a crash, gaining bnce while standing on the side of the trunk, using the rope extending from the grappling hook to steady herself.


    "Phew!" Taking in a deep breath, she made the grappling hook let go of the tree trunk, falling vertically as she shot forth the hook once again, curving it in the air ording to her wishes, watching it pierce a tree trunk farther away as it reeled her in, avoiding a fate of her crashing into the ground.


    Moreover, as she was able to control the grappling hook, including the rope attached to it, she was able to use it to move her body mid-air, allowing her to evade the branches, brightening up in surprise as soon¡­


    "Wheee!" Three hourster, she was swinging from one tree to another, herughter echoing throughout the forest region surrounding theke. The five eyes of the scorpion shot open in response, staring at her antics before it closed its eyes, resuming its sleep, fatter than before.

 Chapter 45 Xuna鈥檚 Journey (Part 4)

    The scorpion poison didn''t cause any changes to her Mutated Beast once the Klock grew its fifth head. But, it still mildly strengthened her body.


    A few dayster, Xuna realised that this poison and the leaves worked like a drug that allowed her to skip months of training in a day, thanks to them working synergically with her Nacre.


    This allowed her to truly tap into the physique of a Horned Human, capable of jumping to a height of two metres easily. And this was just the growth of a few days.


    Even though there was no body tempering effect in their power System, that was only true until Stage 4. Once they reached Stage 5, they could transform into their Mutated Beast, able to rely on its tough body to tank attacks better.


    So, by reaching the peak of her physique now, Xuna would be able to tap into her physical strength at Stage 5 better.


    A week after arriving in this forest, Xuna was currently slinging from one tree to another, carrying a backpack made out of the banyan tree''s secondary roots. Stored in it were a variety of seeds, stems, etc. of various precious nts that she came across, each giving her a benefit of their own.


    In order to nt them at home, she scooped enough. It wasn''t just the nt products that she scooped, Xuna also brought the grotesque-looking scorpion with her, not to mention a bunch of scorpion eggs that she chanced upon.


    There were also eggs of a variety of insects that all seemed to affect her Mutated Beast''s evolution. Unfortunately, her Klock didn''t seem to be budding the sixth head anytime soon.


    Xuna continued to swing for a couple of hours until her hands hurt. She stopped atop a branch to eat the rations that she had procured, resting for an hour before resuming her journey.


    Thankfully, the trees here were tall, each at least twenty metres high, allowing her to have wide swings and travel at a pretty quick pace, faster than if she were to walk the distance.


    Xuna travelled for four days in such a fashion beforeing across a river, surprised to see such arge stream, arriving at a stop along its banks as she muttered in surprise, "The water here is so¡­fresh!"


    There was ayer of pebbles covering the river bed, ensuring the water wasn''t polluted with mud or anything of the like, keeping it crystalline.


    She scooped some water and drank, smacking her lips in wonder at its taste, couldn''t help but exim, "Howe news regarding such a river wasn''t known to the Empire?"


    Rivers were usually long, spanning a massive stretch as they keptrgendmasses fertile. And since humans were always in search of fresh water to live with, they would have chanced upon a river of such a scale, especially considering the water''s pure taste.


    Just the sheer breadth of the river seemed to surpass two kilometres, so it was massive while the depth was at least thirty to forty metres.


    A river of such a scale was enough to support multiple kingdoms, especially considering its high rate of flow.


    It meant that a lot of fresh water was flowing nonstop, enough to feed arge poption, at least in the millions.


    "Hmm, I''m curious now." She muttered, feeling a strange itch in her senses as she was aware that there was something here that would benefit her. And of course, since that was the cause for her being dropped here in the first ce, she didn''t wish to miss it.


    Xuna retraced her steps, finding a tree with a wide enough trunk in the forest as she switched to the canon state of her weapon and sted it down. Following that, she used its assault form to st dozens of bullets, cutting out a concave section in the trunk where she could take afortable seat within.


    She then used the strong thrust from her rocket to smoothen out the cut surface before smearing soft topsoil through it, ensuring the ce was cushioning enough.


    The boat spanned a length of five metres and was almost three metres wide. Her work on it was rough at best, but it was enough to row it on the river.


    She grabbed a few branches to use as rows but didn''t have any ns to do so, for she had a better alternative.


    She didn''t row the boat immediately as Xuna was aware that the journey might take time. Hence, she made preparations, collecting as much food as possible, including herbs, fruits, nuts, meat, etc.<novelnext></novelnext>


    There was also a set of rope that she had created out of the banyan tree''s secondary roots, tying everything into a neat bundle as she ced them in the seating area of the boat, taking a seat as she used her grappling hook totch onto a tree closer to the banks of the river.


    As the grappling hook tugged, Xuna held onto the boat tightly, causing it to move towards the shone before it gained some momentum, allowing it to slide into the river.


    Xuna immediately switched her weapon to its rocket form, facing it back as the thrust it unleashed allowed the boat to move upstream. After gaining some initial momentum, she switched over to the grappling hook, using her ability to control its ropes to make them act like an extension of her hands.


    The rope coiled around the rows and paddled the boat forward. This demanded less effort than moving the rows by human effort. After all, while controlling the boat, Xuna could casually eat some food to replenish her expended Nacre.


    Moreover, she was surrounded with fresh water to drink and hence wasn''t worried about being blown downstream eventually once she tired herself.


    The reason she was rowing upstream was to head to the source of the river first. And from there, she would map out its route until its end, hoping to chance upon some civilisation at least at one stretch of the river or another.


    Even now, she couldn''t find any end to the forest; Xuna felt that it was faster to travel on the water than through the forest. At least, travelling downstream took no effort. All she had to do was sit on her boat and act cute.


    The river currents would do all the work.


    The boat continued to move upstream as Xuna focused all her attention on Coincidental Luck, alert on her senses, feeling that from time to time, she was able to sense something mystical.


    Rhizen was constantly supplying her with Coincidental Luck after all. And since she was constantly expending it to chance upon various beneficial encounters throughout her journey, Xuna was gradually getting ustomed to sensing it better and better.


    From day to night, following with another day and so on, the boat continued to move upstream as even though Xuna was getting tired by now, she was also getting a lot of expertise in using her abilities.


    When she was too tired, she rowed her boat to the banks and stopped there for some rest. During this time, she used her gun to aim at her targets for shooting practice. After tying her boat to a tree, Xuna used her rocket to fly into the air, surveying the surroundings to see the same expansive forest as usual.


    But on the morning of the fifth day, while surveying from the air, as usual, she noticed the river thinning out in the front, watching a waterfall farther back that fed into the start of the river, "I''m close to the source!"


    Xuna stared at the massive mountain that seemed to pierce the sky, with more than half of its top covered with snow.


    The melting of the snow was what resulted in the waterfall which fed into the river that flowed downstream.


    Now that she was able to see it, Xuna was excited, unwilling to waste any more time resting as she rowed her boat faster. The closer she approached the source, the weaker the water currents became, allowing her to sail faster as soon after, thundering sounds of the waterfall were all that she was able to hear.


    The air was somewhat chill due to the moisture resulting from the cold waterfall, causing her body to tremble a bit soon after. Xuna wrapped a makeshift rug made from the banyan tree''s secondary roots, feeling a tad better as she parked her boat nearby, moving it up on thend to ensure it wouldn''t be swept away.


    After that, Xuna sted forth using her rocket, heading straight for the waterfall as she moved to the side after a while,nding on a protruding rock to stare from the height, observing the massivend beneath her.


    She was already at a height of a kilometre within a minute of travel, staring at the vast forest stretch as she roared, "Wooo! Hooo!"


    The sights of the ce refreshed her, for this was the first time since childhood that Xuna could truly appreciate the wonders of nature, having lived only to gather intel on her enemies until now.


    She then stared up, smiling as once she recovered, she used her rocket to take flight once again, heading toward the snow-capped region.

 Chapter 46 Xuna鈥檚 Journey (Part 5)

    Boom!


    Xuna crashnded on a region of snow, flinching in shock when the snow before her suddenly caved in, creating arge hole. She was standing on the edge of the hole.


    Had she been a bit careless or slow to react, she would have fallen into the hole. Thinking that the snow would cushion her fall, Xuna had leapt from high up in a yful mood.


    But at this time, her attention suddenly fell on the tree farther away as she reacted spontaneously, using her grappling hook to grab hold of the tree trunk.


    The rope began to pull her when shended on the ground. Had she been a momentte in using her grappling hook, she would have jumped right into the hole.


    Xuna then peaked into the hole, noticing a sprawling cave inside, thinking, ''Is this where I was drawn towards?''


    She still was unsure where her lucky encounter was. It was somewhere on the mountain, but she didn''t have anything concrete to go about it.


    Therefore, she could only probe around until Coincidental Luck gives her a clearer hint. ''If only I can see it as Master does, then I''ll be able to harness it better.''


    Xuna held the shaft of her grappling hook, slowly descending into the hole as she looked around, seeing that it was not only narrow but also forced her to crouch forth to move. But she was able to see that it was a sprawling cave, for multiple paths branched out and a couple of them were pretty straight, allowing her to see at least a couple dozen metres forward.


    Crrick!


    Xuna crouched forward, moving underneath a protruding rock when suddenly, the sound of a critter resounded, rming her, causing her skin to crawl.


    ''W-Where is it?" Xuna lost her cool, definitely not a fan of the creepy-crawlies.


    Tuta-tat-ta!


    Goosebumps appeared on her skin as the tail of something brushed past her ear; she began to sweat in response, jittery.


    She felt cold all of a sudden as her body was losing its heat rapidly, terrifying her as Xuna was unable to control herself, summoning her rocket between her legs as she assumed a sleeping pose, allowing the thrust to carry her through the tiny hole quickly.


    Tuta-Tat-ta!


    Unfortunately for her, the sounds only became worse in response as Xuna ventured into a wider section of the cave, noticing jagged rocks strewn everywhere on the floor. ''I can''t walk over them easily¡­''


    She didn''t even conclude her thoughts when the jagged rocks began to move. Or at least, it seemed to be like that when Xuna blinked her eyes in confusion, noticing that they were in the same position as before.


    ''Are my eyes ying tricks on me?'' She wondered. After all, it was dark in here, for the only source of sunlight was the hole she had arrived from. And this deep inside, there was barely any sunlight for her to rely upon.


    Therefore, she wasn''t able to see things clearly.


    But, it seemed her eyes truly weren''t ying tricks on her as the jagged rocks on the ground gradually turned around to face her, rming her, "No, no, no¡­"


    "Kyak!" She let out a shrill scream when all the jagged rocks rushed at her, pointing her rocket at them to unleash a strong thrust, blowing them all away, "Go away!"


    Tuta-tat-ta!


    Rhythmic beating resounded from time to time as the creatures of the cave were blown away by Xuna. It was getting hard for her as she didn''t wish to spend more time in this cave. She wasn''t good with such things.


    At least, the forest was wide open, but here, the cave was too narrow, causing her to feel a bit suffocated.


    Unfortunately for her, just as she intended to leave, her eyes came into contact with the eyes of a strange creature, reptilian in nature, spanning a metre in length.


    Its scaly eyes were degraded, having evolved to see in the darkness as they were mildly bioluminescence. While Xuna was blowing intense winds using her rocket in all directions, she missed one particr region as the walls were too close to her here.


    But, what she didn''t know was that this closeness was thanks to the creature that had been chilling here from before.


    And now, the moment she turned around, she came face to face with the creature when suddenly, her hands shot back in reflex, mming on the wall for support.


    The walls were cold as a chilling feeling seemed to be emanating from them. Her eyes were locked with the lizard''s as a sense of doom enveloped her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Time seemed to have slowed down for her as she saw the lizard''s eyes tearing up, letting out a droplet that condensed into a pearl that was sucked into something that resembled a nostril, hidden underneath its eye like a vent.


    And then, its mouth shot open, causing the tongue within to fly at her with terrifying speeds, and ced on the tip of the tongue was a pearl-like item, condensed using the tears it shed.


    The peal was tiny, a tenth of her nail, but it was through this that a violent sense of death enveloped her.


    But suddenly, just as the tongue was about to touch her and spell her doom, the air seemed to coincidentally crack, making no sense as suddenly, a static charge developed in the ce, discharged through her clothes that mmed into the lizard through its outstretched tongue, shocking it.


    The pearl-like substance was vaporised while the lizard flinched, numbed by the electric discharge. It was only numb though, for the level of discharge wasn''t much.


    But, it still allowed her to survive as Xuna panted, feeling like she was drained of all her strength. Her eyes widened in shock as she noticed that she was now able to see her surroundings clearly, ''Strange, was it always this bright?''


    She was stunned to see that it was her body that was emitting all this light. It was a pale-yellow light, gentle in nature, illuminating her surroundings. The light resembled her Nacre in nature.


    Xuna noticed that the numb lizard before her was emanating a greyish-blue light, way weaker than her in terms of intensity.


    She then noticed simr greyish-blue lights scattered all over the cave. And now that she could see, she realised that they were all lizards.


    ''Is this¡­Luck?'' Xuna recalled her master''s teachings, looking above her to see the silhouette of a Klock.


    After she became a Horned Human, her Luck transformed into the shape of the Klock, remaining as such. Rhizen had oncemented on the way her luck looked, describing it in detail.


    And now that she witnessed it, Xuna confirmed that she was indeed able to see the luck of all living beings now.


    It was the light from this luck that illuminated her surroundings. If she didn''t perceive luck, she wouldn''t have been able to see much in the cave, just like before.


    Every lizard had a small greyish-blue outline over its body, showcasing its luck. It was a tiny sum, nothing noteworthy, signalling that these creatures could die anytime under any cause.


    Her focus finally fell on the numbed lizard staring at her. Its body was twitching but based on the signs, it would be able to move after another ten seconds.


    Thinking of something, Xuna took out some rope from her pocket and tied up the lizard into a bundle, taking care to not touch anywhere near its eyes, for its tears seemed to be a death sentence for her.


    ''Is it a type of toxin?'' She wondered, noticing a greyish-blue coating that covered sections of the walls, increasing in area the deeper she went.


    Soon after, she ventured into arge enough cave where she could freely walk forward, noticing that the walls here were entirely covered by the greyish-blue substance that was produced from the tears of the lizards.


    Tuta-tat-ta!


    Tuta-tat-ta!


    The lizards stood on the walls, making sounds while staring at her, not daring to attack as this was the first time they had seen a human. So, they too were nervous.


    Thankfully, this worked in her favour as Xuna continued to walk forward, noticing that all five heads of her Klock¡ªthat the projection of her Luck formed overhead¡ªstare forward, deeper into the cave.


    Thinking that they were guiding her in the direction of her lucky encounter, Xuna continued to walk, expressing no desire to attack the lizards. They were slowly moving, keeping pace with her, contemting whether or not to attack her.


    Xuna was nervous, afraid that they would suddenly spring onto her. That would pronounce her death sentence, especially since she had no idea of the nature of toxicity their tears produced.


    But, her thoughts came to a smooth halt as Xuna arrived at the end of the cave, noticing hundreds of lizards huddled on the walls, sleeping or doing whatever they wanted.


    From time to time, their eyes secreted tears that flowed over the greyish-blue walls, the thickest colour disyed in the entire cave. The tears didn''t seem to be absorbed by the walls like in the rest of the cave as the walls here seemed saturated.


    And along one section of this saturated wall, there was a protrusion that created a cup-like structure in which the tears had been collecting gradually, for decades, if not centuries.


    Collecting, and vaporising, the same had been repeated, thanks to the tears shed by generations upon generations of the lizards. And when the tears vaporised, they left behind some remnants that had over time condensed into a sphere.


    The moment Xunaid eyes on the sphere, all five heads of her Klock roared in desire as simrly, a serpentine head emerged from the sphere itself, staring at her in silence. This was her lucky encounter.

 Chapter 47 Xuna鈥檚 Journey (Part 6)

    The sphere was a darker shade of greyish-blue, humming with a luminous lustre in her senses, condensing the radiance into a long serpentine head that gradually morphed into a Klock head.


    It stared at her, emotionless. But, Xuna noticed that the five Klock heads above her were willing to ept it.


    ''Can I actually touch it?'' Xuna wondered, for even a tiny pearl condensed from the lizard tears was enough to kill her. So,ing into contact with a fist-sized version of the same was suicidal in the least.


    It was not to mention the fact that this greyish-blue sphere seemed to have been condensed over a long duration.


    But of course, since she was aware that this was her lucky encounter, Xuna wasn''t afraid. Hence, she didn''t touch it with her hand but instead touched it with the shaft of her rocket. Nothing happened though.


    After a moment of thought, she emitted some Nacre from the rocket nozzle, watching it seep into the sphere that lit up in response immediately.


    "Xuna!"


    Suddenly, it seemed like a heavenly voice resounded in her mind, unclear, garbled. But she was aware that it was her name that was being uttered. The voice felt unique, but at the same time familiar.


    The sensation it gave was familiar, as if it was the wind whose sounds she heard daily. It was a strange feeling.


    The sphere mixed with her Nacre, dissolving as it flowed through her shaft and into her body, seeping into her Origin Space.


    "Huff¡­" Xuna felt her body heating up in response as the mysterious energy from the sphere merged into her Nacre, causing the Klock swimming in her Origin Space to wriggle in response as immediately after, not one, not two, but five heads budded.


    "What the¡­?" Xuna was startled, having never expected such an oue. She had only been expecting this fortuitous encounter to develop another head on her Klock, having never expected five more heads to pop up almost immediately.


    "Oh shit!" She didn''t even have the time to bask in the gains as a dense stream of information flooded her mind, causing her to grunt in pain as she copsed to the floor, rolling around like a maniac that lost her marbles.


    The lizards flinched at her screams, retreating further away from her as they watched her body turning a shade of greyish-blue, just like their walls.


    But a minuteter, the colour subsided, reverting to her original skin colour as Xuna sat up, noticing that she was sweating profusely, feeling a tad weak.


    She then noticed her horn shining brightly, touching it to see that it was segmented into three now, "I reached Stage 3¡­? Already?"


    She had just reached Stage 2 prior to this journey, so hitting Stage 3 so soon was shocking. But, it didn''t seem to stop at that as soon enough, her horn developed one more segment, rming her as her Origin Space ballooned in size, causing the Nacre levels to seem pitiful.


    The Nacre reserves in the almost full Origin Space at Stage 2 didn''t seem much in the Stage 4 Origin Space as the Klock too seemed to be growing in response, attaining four horns.


    Just as she thought it would stop here, her Klock wriggled as its heads finished growing. Now, there were ten heads in total, facing all sides from its amoeba-like body.


    And the moment all ten heads finished growing, another segment formed on her horn, bringing her to Stage 5, causing Xuna to shout in rm, "W-What''s happening, master?"


    "Evolution, nothing else." A mosquito buzzed before her, transforming into the figure of Rhizen as he said, "The essence of your world is flowing into you through these events. That''s what I''ve been aiming for by allowing you to constantly harness Coincidental Luck."


    "Now, your powers are more geared to be used in this world." He said, transforming into a mosquito that buzzed away, vanishing from the cave, "As for everything else, you must figure out on your own. That''ll help you grow better."


    "The essence of my world¡­?" Xuna thought, closing her eyes as she focused on her Origin Space, observing that the Nacre there seemed mildly different aspared to before.


    Even though it was still the same Nacre, it seemed more attuned to this world for some reason, as if it''s something that belonged to her, to her world.


    "I can wield it better now." Xuna was surprised at the changes, sensing that the Nacre listened to her thoughts better, allowing her to control it faster and with greater uracy.


    Moreover, she gained five more states to her weapon, not to mention being able to transform into the Klock itself.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The first of them was a gun that unleashed a petrifying beam. The tears secreted by the lizards petrified anything that came into contact, turning them into stone gradually as they solidified.


    That was why the walls were covered by it. And now, she was able to use the same, though the range was limited, produced simr to the thrust of her rocket.


    The next ability was pretty unique in that her gun transformed into a tiny syringe as Xuna stared at a nearby lizard, throwing it towards it.


    The lizard evaded the throw when a piece of rope coiled around the syringe and turned it in the air, stabbing it in its body.


    The lizard became stunned, twitching in response for a couple of seconds before remaining immobile.


    Xuna approached it, transforming into the Klock that shrunk in response, bing only as big as a thumb nail, entering the lizard''s mouth.


    Her Klock bodytched onto the lizard''s tongue, settling underneath it as its ten headstched onto its nerves, gradually gaining control of its body.


    Following that, the lizard''s eyes shot open as it began to move, ''Awesome! I can control its body now!''


    This was her power. The syringe injected a serum that numbed the target body, causing it to be in a state of sleepwalking. Taking advantage of that, in her Klock form, Xuna would enter its mouth as her ten heads wouldtch onto the creature''s nervous system.


    And thanks to the effects of the serum, she would be able to control the creature''s body for a short while.


    The lizard moved across the cave, soon reaching the exit as it opened its mouth, allowing the Klock to slither out. The Klock expanded in size before transforming into Xuna while the lizardy there, paralysed.


    It would remain in that state for a few more hours until the effects of the serum vanish.


    As a spy, this was the best power she could ask for. It allowed her to hide within animals and infiltrate enemy lines. And best of all, as the animal wasn''t her, the Blight Humans wouldn''t be able to sense anything amiss.


    Using her rocket, Xuna exited the hole, staring at the snow all around her as her weapon expanded in size, resembling a vacuum cleaner now as it began to suck in all the snow, ejecting the unneeded air.


    This was her eighth ability, vacuum cleaner, allowing her to suck in any item from reality and store them in the vacuum cleaner''s body. The space within it was prettyrge, somewhat resembling the Origin Space but was able to store all matter.


    So, just for fun''s sake, Xuna began to suck in all the snow in her surroundings, intending to bring them out whenever she wanted some snow to cover her backyard.


    Or if she chanced upon an enemy, showering them with snow would freeze them to death. Unfortunately, whether it was the suction or the ejection, both were somewhat slow. So, she couldn''t use it as a weapon against simr levelled opponents.


    Against weaker foes though, it was perfect.


    Once the vacuum cleaner was filled to the brim with snow, Xuna stared above, noticing the Klock formed by her Luck curl up, disying that there weren''t any fortuitous encounters meant for her here.


    ''I should get going now.'' Thinking as such, she admired the sights for a few more minutes before making her way to the base of the mountain, taking a seat on her boat as she began to row downstream.


    She wished to chance upon a bird that she could inhabit in the mouth of and fly back home. Unfortunately, she had yet toe across one.


    But as she had decided to head downstream anyway, Xuna did just that, aware that she woulde across plenty of birds the closer she was to the sea.


    With that, she watched as the boat be carried by the river currents, travelling at a steady pace, proceeding in such a fashion for almost three days when she spotted a human far away, brimming in joy as she rowed the boat towards the human, observing that she was a middle-ageddy.


    The middle-ageddy had arrived at the banks of the river to draw some water using her earthen pot. But upon noticing her arrival, she shrieked in fright, dropping her earthen pot to turn tail and run away, scurrying while shouting in rm as her voice resounded throughout the region, "The monsters are here again!"


    "Monsters?" Xuna frowned for being addressed as such.

 Chapter 48 A Village Of Abandoned History

    "Monster?" Xuna felt that something was up with the ce as she brought her boat ashore, tailing after the middle-ageddy from far away, without alerting the other party.


    From the shore, the middle-ageddy ran for a distance of two kilometres through a beaten path, arriving at a vige by the mountainside.


    There were around two hundred houses situated there, so it was a sizeable vige. The middle-ageddy rushed into the vige, shouting at the top of her voice, "Monster!"


    "Monster? Another one?"


    "Where is it?"


    "Dammit, take all the children inside!"


    The vigers moured in response as the able-bodied men among them rushed out, holding swords and spears.


    ''They are armed?'' Xuna was pleasantly surprised. Typically, the vigers would have used tools like hooves or sickles as weapons in such emergencies, and note out fully equipped with proper weaponry.


    "Hmm, wait?" She frowned all of a sudden, condensing her rocket to take to the skies as she arrived above the vige, looking around as she observed traces of blood on one end of the vige.


    There, strewn amid a sea of arrows was the carcass of a giant monster, spanning a size of two metres. It resembled a honey bee at first nce but possessed the scythe of a praying mantis for hands and a long tail simr to a scorpion.


    Moreover, its mouth resembled the mandibles of an ant, all overgrown, portraying a terrifying sight, especially since parts of its body that were protected by ayer of exoskeleton armour, apparent of its defensive strength considering how the arrows had broken upon impact and there were more than dozens pierced in its body, resulting in only surface level wounds.


    It had only died due to blood loss.


    "The insects modified and controlled by Luncress." Xuna frowned, sighing in response, "He must have fused the characteristics of various insects into a bee. This way, he only needs to control the queen bee while shemands everyone else."


    The modifications on the bee didn''t seem bnced enough as parts of the scythe''s movements had clipped its own body, not to mention the scorpion tail interfering with its bnce and wing movements.


    ''But, that''s the first generation. Now that he had imparted the desired characteristics, they would gradually evolve upon sessive generations until they ovee these defects gradually.'' She understood the details, grasping Luncress'' character to a certain extent, having spied on him a lot, for he was the head of the Fornol Empire''s royal guard.


    Xunanded beside the honey bee carcass, using her rocket to prob its body, "This is a scout¡­"


    Swoosh!


    An arrow flew towards her as Xuna didn''t even bother with it, going about inspecting the insect carcass as every time she moved, the arrow would go through the gaps, missing her.


    Soon, more than ten arrows had beenunched, with none even scratching her, riddling the ground. A small crowd had surrounded her, weapons hoisted, forming groups of two.


    There was one that held swords and spears, forming the closebat unit while the other held bows and arrows, forming the ranged unit.


    Xuna observed the men surrounding her, noticing that their arms were ripped, a result of years of training. And judging by their posture, they were veterans at the very least. Currently, they were all staring at her, weapons gripped, nervousness evident in their expressions.


    "Do you mind telling me about this monster carcass here?" Xuna didn''t care about their expression, nning to direct the interrogation to her pace first. After all, she was curious about this vige as it seemed everyone here had a story to tell.


    "Who¡­are you?" Suddenly, a soft voice resounded as a man walked out of the group. He sported a head of brown hair that was strewn with grey hairs. His eyes shimmered with vast experience and knowledge, something that was rare in this world.


    The vigers moured a bit in response as two able-bodied men immediately stood guard at his side, protecting him against harm.


    "Vige Head, it''s dangerous here. Please stand back." One of the able-bodied men said nervously.


    Though, upon seeing the man addressed as the Vige Head, Xuna was stunned, muttering in response, "Chief Yubak?"


    The man''s eyes widened in surprise as he stared at Xuna, "You¡­know me?"


    "Chief Engineer of the Fornol Empire, one that single-handedly created the siege weapons that allowed the Fornol Empire to win repeatedly, also the one to develop the most recent battleships. Of course, I know about you." Xuna said before staring in puzzlement, "But¡­what are you doing here?"


    "This isn''t the Fornol Empire."


    "Judging by the way you speak, you don''t seem to be from the Fornol Empire." The man addressed as Chief Yubak said, shaking his head in the end, "I''m just an escaped convict, nothing else."


    "What about you?" He stared at Xuna, "Are you the creator of this monster?"


    "Nope," Xuna shook her head, "They are created by Luncress."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Luncress?" Chief Yubak was surprised, staring in shock, "Ridiculous! How is this possible for him? It doesn''t make sense."


    "Chief, it seems you aren''t aware of the Blight Humans yet," Xuna said, sighing as she noticed the expressions of confusion on the faces of everyone. It did make sense though; it hadn''t been long since the Blight Humans had made an appearance.


    The greater portion of the world wasn''t yet aware of it, not to mention a secluded vige like this. Secluded because it seemed all the people here had escaped from various Kingdoms and Empires to live here in peace, away from all conflict.


    "The aristocracy of the Fornol Empire had turned into Blight Humans, able to wield a strange power that allows them to do a variety of superhuman feats." Xuna exined, "Luncress is able to create and control these monsters."


    "Things have changed in the past few months. Currently, the world is being shaped by the actions of the Blight and Horned Humans." She said, pointing at the horn growing on her forehead, "I''m a Horned Human by the way. All Horned Humans have a horn growing on their foreheads like this."


    She then pointed at the segments on her horn, "The greater the number of these segments, the stronger the Horned Human is. Simrly, the hair of the Blight Humans would be segmented to disy their strength. And, they all possess shades of green hair."


    "Is this the truth?" One of the vigers muttered.


    "What is happening to the world?"


    "Nothing makes sense anymore."


    The vigers discussed, tense, worried about their fate as they were only regr people. Even though they had taken down the monster that arrived at their vige, it was just one monster.


    And even that proved tough. But if more of them were toe, their vige would be decimated. So, they were worried, afraid of these changes.


    "Do you wish to be Horned Humans?" Xuna asked all of a sudden, watching the eyes of everyone lit in surprise. But, they also contained fear, unable to trust her words.


    "Hmm?" Xuna thought for a moment as she pulled out the arrow lodged on the ground beside her, condensing her petrify gun as she activated it, unleashing the petrifying beam that formed a greyish-blue coating over the arrow.


    Xuna turned the arrow greyish-blue in a matter of seconds, nodding as it had be heavier now. But in contrast, it was tremendously tough, so much so that even she had difficulty in snapping it in half.


    The arrow was somewhat cold to the touch but wasn''t harmful once the petrifying beam vanished. Smiling, Xuna threw the arrow towards one of the vigers with a bow, "Check it out."


    "T-This is?" The viger was surprised to see that the arrow was tougher aspared to before while still maintaining some of the original flexibility. He nocked it on his bow andunched it, watching it pierce the ground.


    Even though it was somewhat slower, its pration power had increased. Moreover, the edges on the arrowhead were sharper.


    ''If we had more of these arrows, taking down that monster would have been easier.'' The same thought resounded in the minds of all the archers as Chief Yubak pulled out the arrow and observed it, muttering in response.


    "Hmm, this coating improved its toughness. But the arrow lost some of its original flexibility and the feathers controlling its flight are too hard, making it unstable¡­"


    "Yeah, it was just a demonstration." Xuna nodded in response, "If applied properly, this can improve all weapons, armours, and even buildings."


    "Can all Horned Humans do this?" Chief Yubak asked next.


    "Nope, this is my power." Xuna replied, "We Horned Humans rear a Mutated Beast in our body whose power we transform into weapons to wield. Your power depends on the Mutated Beast you get¡­"


    "Which is entirely dependent on you."


    "I see¡­" Chief Yubak nodded before cupping his fists at her, "Since it seemste, why don''t you spend the night in our vige."


    "But chief¡­"


    "We can''t trust her."


    "What if she attacks our vige at night?"


    The vigers expressed their concern when Chief Yubak raised his hand, motioning for them to stop speaking.


    He then thought of something while staring at Xuna''s face, muttering after a while, "Say¡­"


    "Have we met before?"

 Chapter 49 Galtori Village

    "Maybe this might jolt your memory¡­" Xuna said as she tied her hair into a bun, letting out a lock of hair cover one side of her face. She then hunched, causing her body to tremble as she touched the side of her face shielded by the lock of hair, acting like it hurt.


    "You¡­!" Chief Yubak eximed in shock, trembling as he muttered, "Idiot Yuwol?"


    "Yes, that was me." Xuna smiled as she corrected her hairstyle.


    "But how¡­" Chief Yubak felt that it was hard to believe, "One side of your face was burned up in an ident. How are you perfectly fine now?"


    "It was never burned in the first ce." Xuna said, revealing her identity, "I''m a spy of the Lerni Empire that was operating in the Fornol Empire for a decade. I infiltrated your department to seal secrets regarding the battleship you were building."


    "So, I yed the part of Idiot Yuwol to do so."


    "I see¡­" He sighed, feeling a headache. Idiot Yuwol was the name given to Xuna after he took pity on her and rescued her from the streets. As she seemed dumb, he gave her simple servant roles to earn her keep.


    The engineers called her Idiot Yuwol because she was somewhat scatter-brained. But thankfully for her, most of them were decent human beings and actually treated her well.


    Unfortunately, during one of the testing of their battleship, Idiot Yuwol fell into a canal and was pronounced dead.


    "I had already prepared a path before hand and swam my way through. There were three other spies helping me at that time, so we managed to sessfully copy all the data." She spoke.


    "So, that was why the Lerni Empire managed to outmanoeuvre us." Chief Yubak nodded in response.


    "But Chief, why the heck are you here?" Xuna asked, "With your capability, the Fornol Empire should beg you to remain with them. Just what happened?"


    "Just a case of simple rivalry." Chief Yubak shook his head, "The deputy chief wanted my position. So, when our battleships lost the first skirmish in the seas, he med it on my faulty design and jailed me."


    He let out a breath of air, "But, I had a lot of supporters among the men I worked with."


    The engineers he was on good terms with didn''t like the deputy chief and had been dissatisfied for a while. So, they saved the chief from his prison and escorted him out of the Fornol Empire along with his family.


    "These idiots followed me all the way to these sticks to establish this Galtori Vige." He said, watching their wide grins before he stared at Xuna, "Will you reveal this location to the Lerni Empire?"


    "Honestly, I''m tempted, since you''re that valuable." Xuna nodded, stating after a deep thought, "But, I don''t wish to force you. I''ve worked under you, and I respect you. So, I won''t do it."


    "When I acted as Idiot Yuwol, you treated me the best." Xuna smiled, "Life as a spy is pretty vicious. So, those days were by far my mostfortable days spent in the Fornol Empire, so much so that I hesitated to steal all secrets in the end and only ended up stealing the secrets regarding the battleships."


    "Thank you," Chief Yubak thanked her in response, "Had you stolen any other secrets, I would have been hanged. So, you invariably ended up helping me."


    "There are difficulties in this vige, but I''m happier here aspared to when I was in the Fornol Empire."


    It was alreadyte in the evening as the vigers began to return to their homes. Chief Yubak motioned for Xuna to follow him, making her stay in a room he emptied out.


    "Dumbass!" Xuna shouted, raising her hands high up upon seeing a youth seated in the living room.


    "That action¡­" The youth''s eyes widened in surprise before he muttered, "Idiot?"


    "Well duh!" Xunaughed in response, then staring in confusion to see the youth remaining seated. In her memory, he was a chirpy guy.


    Her eyes widened in shock as she pulled aside the table that he was seated behind, staring at his legs to see that one of them was missing, "Your leg¡­what happened to it?"


    "The monster did this." Chief Yubak expressed his worry, "We didn''t have a perfect victory. Yihan was carrying water from the river when he was attacked by the monster. He protected the rest but ended up losing his leg in response¡­"


    Chief Yubak didn''t even finish recounting the incident when Xuna condensed a rod, causing it to emit a gentle yellowish-white light as she touched his injured leg.


    "What the¡­?" Yihan flinched in shock, staring agape as he saw his injured leg regrowing in a matter of seconds.


    "I can also do this." Xuna said, patting his leg as she smiled, "Good as new!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    She then pulled him up, grinning as she saw that he was standing on two legs, "Dumbass!"


    "T-This is¡­" Tears streamed out of his eyes as he stared at his regrown leg, in disbelief, touching it to see that it was as good as new, just as in his memory.


    He then faced Xuna, only now noticing the horn growing on her forehead, "Thank you¡­"


    "It wasn''t much," Xuna nodded, "Healing abilities are rare among Horned Humans, but there exist a few."


    "Horned Humans¡­" Yihan wiped his tears, asking, "What exactly are they? I have been hearing the discussion outside. You''ve also mentioned the Blight Humans, right?"


    "What is the difference between the two? What''s their purpose?" He wondered, "And why did they appear all of a sudden?"


    "It makes no sense."


    "Well¡­" Xuna felt at a loss of words before pping her hands, shouting, "Master, care to exin? I''m curious about it too. I know you''re here."


    "You''re getting better at wielding Coincidental Luck." Rhizen''s voice resounded, startling the two men as a mosquito appeared before them, gradually growing in size until it became as big as their head.


    It then transformed into Rhizen as he yawned a little, looking tired, "I hadn''t had a wink of rest for the past few days."


    "Even I slept pretty well, master." Xuna frowned.


    "If I wasn''t constantly aiding you from the back, you would have taken more than a decade just to get to this point." Rhizen rolled his eyes.


    He then observed the trace of fear evident on the faces of Chief Yubak and Yihan, taking a seat nearby as he motioned for Xuna to sit too.


    Xuna slumped on the sofa beside Yihan, patting his back, "Rx, dude. Master is terrifyingly strong. If he didn''t stress it otherwise, everyone in the Lerni Empire would have begun to worship him as God."


    "I''m not a God though," Rhizen smiled wryly, "I''ve just fought nonstop for a millennium. That''s all."


    "Anyway," He thought for a moment before speaking, "There''s this entity called Apocalypse. Its only goal is to destroy all civilisation on every world it encounters. My goal is to one day destroy Apocalypse, but it''s easier said than done."


    "It has destroyed thousands of worlds already and would continue to do so." He spoke, watching all three listeners shudder in response, trembling in fear.


    Upon seeing that Xuna too paled in fright, Yihan realised that she too didn''t seem aware of it. He controlled his thoughts, hearing what Rhizen had to say.


    "I established an organisation to go against it. We call ourselves the Post-Apocalyptic Dispatch Society, and our goal is to aid the recovery of all the apocalyptic worlds." He then used Dust Wave topress and shape them into three worlds, "Currently, we''re active in three worlds, the Undead World, the Green Sludge World, and the Aberrant World."


    "Apocalypse''s power had been concentrated the most in the Aberrant World. But, its peak power wasn''t able to win against me, and hence, they extracted all their power and made an escape." He stated in annoyance, "And they did so by infecting my subordinate, Yulna, transforming her into an Aberrant."


    "She also stole a Tower of Purification and turned it into a Tower of Corruption. And when she pierced through space, the closest habitable world was this." He said, controlling his tone to prevent scaring the other party too much, "Yulna isn''t strong enough to kill me. And hence, she wishes to take over this world''s strength."


    "She would either kill me or use all that strength to contact Apocalypse." He continued, "That''s her goal. And for that, using the Tower of Corruption, she''s feeding people Devil Fruits to turn them into Blight Humans."


    "Then¡­" Xuna stared in shock, "On that day when I came across you, had I consumed that Devil Fruit¡­"


    "I would have killed you," Rhizen nodded, "But that wouldn''t have happened because of your Coincidental Luck. So, you needn''t worry."


    "So yes, war between the Blight Humans and the Horned Humans is inevitable. It would eventually swallow this entire world." Rhizen concluded in the end, "That''s just how things are."


    "But, if we destroy this Tower of Corruption, then our world is safe?" Yihan thought for a minute before asking.


    "Unless Apocalypse personally makes an appearance, yes, it''ll be safe." Rhizen nodded, "Without her Tower of Corruption, Yulna wouldn''t be unable to create any more Blight Humans. It would cripple her growth and make it easy for me."


    ''But, if he''s the enemy, our world is doomed, right?'' Yihan made eye contact with Chief Yubak as the same thought resounded in the minds of these two intelligent men.

 Chapter 50 Hoil Bee, Mudmite, And Spageon

    "Hmm, one of the scouts died." Luncress frowned,municating with the queen bee to obtain the details.


    The queen bee reached a size of six metres, sporting gigantic mandibles that seemed too heavy for her head to carry, a pair of wings too small for her weight, a scorpion tail that was hard to control and mantic scythes that did more harm than good.


    She was the first sessful queen bee among the thousands that he had experimented with to mutate. Even though the queen bee was struggling to get her work done, she somehow managed.


    Though, it seemed everything was taking a huge toll on her body as day by day, her eggying capacity was dropping at an rming pace.


    ''A couple more months, and she would be incapable.'' Luncress thought, but didn''t seem worried, smiling as he looked at four eggs cared by the brood. They were all potential queen eggs. And as long as at least one of them hatched sessfully, he could continue with the experiment.


    After all, even though the current queen was having a hard timeying eggs, with the passing of every day, the newly hatched honey bees were adapting to the changes better.


    The defects of the harmful fusion were reducing. Even though the mutated traits vanished a little in response, they were more assimted into the biology of the honey bee.


    ''Of course, nature is epic. Over due course of time, everything would be corrected.'' This was the thought Luncress had abided by since young. And now, he felt that the words were more profound that he had thought.


    On his head, there were three splits of the patch of green that was his hair, split horizontally. The split was by a lock of jet-ck hair, forming a sharp enough contrast, disying that he had attained Stage 3 already.


    Currently in the Fornol Empire, six people had attained Stage 3, with more on the verge of attaining it.


    Of course, the Empress was a long way into Stage 3, seemingly like she would reach Stage 4 after a few months, given how her strength continued to grow with the passing of each day while she continued to grow younger.


    Her body brimmed with the vitality of a nt, gradually bringing her to the prime of her being as the Empress looked like she was in her early twenties now.


    Luncress too had grown a tad younger, but it was nothing inparison to the Empress.


    Thanks to his unique powers, he had been granted the title of Duke and granted arge estate closest to the capital where he moved in with his family.


    And as the Empress had stated, people of his bloodline too awakened to the same power as him. His wife had some other power though, same for his father.


    His mother though, had the same power as him, showing that it was her bloodline that had inherited this ability. This did cause some shift in the power dynamic of their family as the authority fell in the hands of his mother whose assumed position as the main family line while his father became the outsider that married into the newly established Duke''s house.


    Luncress had three children, two sons and one daughter, all three of which gained his power¡ªTurman Lily!


    And each of them had erected a building that served as an experimentation facility. Luncress focused on the honey bee, naming the mutated ones as the Hoil Bee. The Hoil Bee were geared for war, intending to serve as the unit that would harm the Lerni Empire.


    "Send three more scouts to probe around that region. It might serve as a vital asset for our expansion in the future." Luncressmanded the aging queen bee, watching her ry the orders to three scout Hoil Bees that left the next immediately.


    The nest had been established by digging through a 900-metre-tall mountain. The Hoil Bees had used their mandibles to do the job, creating the foundation for their nest. They had riddled it with holes inside out,yering everything with their wax.


    Only a quarter of the mountain had been turned into a nest ad Luncress nned to turn its entirety into a nest for his Hoil Bees. That was his end goal, to produce an army of Hoil Bees capable of taking down an entire army on their own.


    And the best thing of all, as he continued to grow stronger, it was getting easier for him tomand the Hoil Bees to target themon popce.


    Rhizen''s restriction had plenty of loopholes to be taken advantage of. And, he had already discovered one.


    After all, the primary food required by the Hoil Bees were humans. Not just humans, but anything edible served the purpose as they attained the omnivorous nature from ants.


    And since humans were the greatest number of flesh creatures onnd, they directly became their primary source of nourishment.


    With this, when a Hoil Bee hunted a human, it wasn''t to abuse them, oppress them or anything of the sort, as dictated by Rhizen. They were simply relieving their hunger, which was entirely fine.


    As long as they only killed humans to relieve their hunger, it was fine. So, what Luncress did was simple. He sent out starving Hoil Bees to gather food, keeping them half satiated.<novelnext></novelnext>


    They deposited the remainder in the next and made subsequent trips. Of course, Luncress never targeted the humans from his domain or anyone from the Fornol Empire.


    He targeted the neighbouring kingdoms that had allied with the Lerni Empire and gained the power of the Horned Humans.


    As he was working on his research, watching a young Hoil Bee sport a lighter chitin armour that covered more of its body now, reducing its overall weight while giving it better protection.


    "Generation after generation, they are evolving." He smiled in response when suddenly, a figure rushed into the ce, shouting at the top of her lungs.


    "Dad! I hatched the queen!" Thedy sported a head of green hair just like him, bearing some resemnce as she was around seventeen years old. She was Hakhena, his youngest daughter.


    Hakhena had been interested in his profession since young and had been trained to be an expert swordsman, hoping to be enlisted into the royal guard in the future. And indeed, she had made into the list of those that would guard the Empress.


    She hadn''t taken up position because of her young age.


    Hakhena carried a tiny creature in her hands, one that was around twenty centimetres in size.


    Luncress stared at the creature, shocked, "That''s a¡­queen?"


    "Yep!" She grinned, stating smugly, "I''ve been working on some modifications myself. I used the same form as you, but I also added in a little something myself."


    "They are the same Hoil Bee as yours, but I''ll call them the fertiliser variant." She spoke.


    "Fertiliser variant?" Luncress asked in confusion.


    "I''ll show you." She said, bringing him to a corner as she nudged the queen, "Go on! Do your thing!"


    The queen was still young, so it wasn''t much active. But at her orders, it gently pped its wings and approached a flower jutting out of a shrub nearby, hovering before it as the queen gently sucked in some nectar.


    But strangely, the flower seemed to exhibit some changes immediately.


    Luncress blinked his eyes, unable to believe it as he asked, "Did the flow just¡­grow bigger?"


    "Yeah, the growth is mild, but the effects would be pronounced on arge scale." Hakhena grinned brightly, "With this, we''ll be able to grow the ntation bigger. With that, if the produced fruits are bigger and more nutritious, they''ll be a better source for feeding the younglings."


    "After all, the humans among our enemy kingdoms wouldn''t remain helpless and vulnerable for long. We need to enact sustainable measures. That''s why Luran and Lortwik have taken simr routes of development."


    Luran was the oldest of Luncress'' three children, aged 23, the next heir of their household. When Luncress was experimenting with the honey bees, Luran chanced upon some termites that had been eating up a tree.


    He became interested by them and worked on experimenting with them, focusing on their ability to build things by adding in such traits from other ant species.


    As the Fornol Empire had piged from various ces, they had a lot of records maintained regarding the exotic flora and fauna of such locations. And using their newfound authority as part of a Duke household, he ordered for nests of ants to be shipped back.


    And he used those to create a race called the Mudmite, consisting of fist-sized ant-like creatures that were able to build structures using soil. And surprisingly, they were sturdy enough, inferior only to stone structures.


    They had a better life than most wooden structures. And this was only the beginning. In the future, he would evolve to make them as efficient as possible, allowing them to create massive structures overnight that wouldst long under attacks from the Horned Humans.


    Finally, there was Lortwik, one that focused on birds that drunk on nectar, fusing in them traits of other birds to create a race called the Spageon. And their entire function was to act as a means of transport, boasting wingspans surpassing five metres, withrge enough bodies to carry at least two people at a time and able to travelrge distances.


    And with this, their newly established Duke household, the Turman Dukedom gained a lot of credibility in the Fornol Empire.

 Chapter 51 Guardian Pathway

    "Monster attack!" A scream resounded in the dead of the night as the sounds of metal hitting something resounded.


    "Danger¡­" Xuna woke up with a start, leaping out through the window as she rolled on the ground, summoning her rocket to st off towards the source of the sound.


    Suddenly, followed by a buzzing sound, a scorpion tailshed at her, intending to pierce her neck with its stinger.


    Of course, Xuna sensed the attack, causing her rocket to unleash a stronger thrust to keep the tail at bay as she red at the Hoil Bee hovering nearby, "So, you''re Luncress'' creation."


    She began to fall, having turned her rocket into the assault state as she sprayed dozens of bullets into the opponent, poking holes easily through its hide, targeting the locations that weren''t protected by the exoskeleton.


    Some of the bullets thatnded on the exoskeleton only formed dents but didn''t draw out any blood, causing Xuna to be surprised, ''My bullets pack a punch. But even they failed to fully prate its armour?''


    Her assault mode was to deal with multiple enemies, so its fire power wasn''t concentrated enough. But even they were able to prate trees that were at least a couple of feet thick, rying the sturdiness of the Hoil Bee''s exoskeleton armour.


    And they were still in the development phase as Xuna observed that theyer of exoskeleton on the Hoil Bee before her was somewhat greater than that on the corpse that she checked before.


    This meant that in due time, the Hoil Bees would finish evolvingpletely, coveredpletely by the exoskeleton armour, turning them into frightening creatures.


    "Hmph!" Snorting in response, Xuna used the rocket to appear behind the injured Hoil Bee, using her rocket as a spear to pierce through the opponent''s hide as the thrust it produced spiked rapidly, mming the Hoil Bee into the ground.


    Boom!


    Its body was crushed by the impact, forming arge crater as the impact sound was akin to a thunder, waking up all the vigers.


    As they rushed out of their homes in a hurry, Xuna had already killed the second Hoil Bee, having sniped it from afar.


    ''Where''s the third?'' She frowned, looking around for she had heard the buzzing sounds of three at the start when she woke up from her sleep.


    "Xuna! It''s here!" Chief Yubak''s shouts resounded through the vige as he rushed out of his home, pointing at their shed, "It''s eating one of our horses."


    "What? The horses? Why?" Xuna wasn''t able to understand. After all, it seemed the objective of the scouts this time seemed to be capturing the vigers, for that was why the first two had targeted people to kill and transport.


    But, Xuna had intervened, killing them before they seeded.


    Surprisingly, the third Hoil Bee entered the shed of the Vige Head to gorge on the horses instead?


    ''No, this isn''t good.'' Xuna thought, hurrying as she noticed the luck of the third Hoil Bee gradually condensing into a brick as the number of bricks split from one to two and two to four, increasing in number as they seemed to be constructing a pir.


    ''Its Luck is building up at an rming pace¡­'' It was just now that a thought hit her, causing her to realise that she had stored her bag of supplies in the shed, including the five eyed scorpion.


    Of course, the Hoil Bee wasn''t just eating the horses. Its first target had been the five eyed scorpion. And since it too possessed the powers of the scorpion, it was able to actually devour the scorpion and digest its gains.


    The scorpion''s poison was pretty potent, capable of killing the victims in a matter of minutes. But unfortunately for Xuna, the supplies in the bag also contained the leaves that turned the scorpion venom into a beneficial serum that reinforced her body and strengthened her.


    And now, after the Hoil Bee devoured the five eyed scorpion, including all the supplies in her bag, it had obtained all the benefits that she had procured for future use, allowing its strength to grow rapidly as it was evolving.


    At first, Xuna was about to snipe it. Considering the power her sniper rifle had, shattering the Hoil Bee''s head was an easy feat.


    But upon observing the changes to its luck, Xuna changed her mind, whispering, "Master, is that¡­?"


    "Yep, it''s harnessing this world''s essence into itself to evolve rapidly. I''m curious to see how this would develop too." Rhizen''s voice resounded in her ear.


    "Master, I have a n." Xuna said, observing that the Hoil Bee seemed to have forgotten about everything else as it continued to munch on a horse, providing its body the much-needed nutrients to sate the evolution that it was experiencing currently.


    Upon hearing what she had to say, Rhizen was shocked before chuckling in response, "I''ll leave it to you. Do what you feel is right."


    "As your master, I''ll support you. After all, you have a better understanding of your world than an outsider like me."


    "Thank you," Xuna smiled in response as she transformed into her Klock, turning small as she crawled on the ground, moving awkwardly as after ten minutes, it had appeared behind the Hoil Bee, watching its evolution.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The exoskeleton armour covering its body had shattered into pieces, copsing to the ground as a new armour was growing underneath. Its scythe-like hands had moved over to the side, elongating further as the joints morphed, now bing simr to chain des.


    Its wings shifted further back, resulting in short burst of flight that was faster aspared to before, sacrificing long time flight in response. But thanks to its body modifications, its stamina was less wasted, allowing to travel efficiently now aspared to before.


    The essence of the world seeped into it as the corruption mixed with it, changing nonstop as the Hoil Bee even seemed to have gained some sentience in response.


    The vigers were about to converge upon the shed when Rhizen appeared in his human form, erecting a cage of feathers to prevent any outside interference, watching the Hoil Bee''s luck take the shape of a pir connecting heaven and earth.


    ''As I suspected, it''s the natives that are able to shape the world the best. No matter how much we appear to be saviours, to the native worlds, we are no different to Apocalypse. The only reason we gained support in the first three worlds was to use our power to resist Apocalypse better.'' Rhizen nodded, gaining an enlightenment, ''It''s like all the worlds are alive.''


    The Hoil Bee finally finished its evolution after two hours. But, just when it was about to break its state of reverie thanks to nonstop evolution, the Klock manifested behind it, growing in size to fill up the entire shed.


    All ten heads surrounded it, facing it as their mouths opened, unleashing the greyish-blue petrifying beam that mmed into the Hoil Bee.


    The Hoil Bee shrieked in response as its body turned into stone immediately. But shockingly, it wasn''t dead, evident by the pir of luck that had yet to dissipate.


    The Klock continued to unleash its petrifying beam for a good couple of minutes, stopping only when Xuna noticed a greyish-blueyer covering the luck pir too.


    "Master, it''s done." Xuna reverted to her human form, smiling contently as she felt a tad weak, observing that a majority of her Coincidental Luck had been expended in the short two minutes.


    Boom!


    Only Rhizen and Xuna that were able to observe the world of luck noticed an ethereal bubble forming at the tip of the luck pir as a mysterious blob of energy appeared there.


    At first, it was the corruption, but gradually, it transformed into Nacre, resulting in the blob transforming into the Hoil Bee. But unlike before, it now grew a horn, signifying that it had be a Mutated Beast.


    Rhizen observed the statue, noticing that the corruption within had been transformed into Nacre by the essence of the world thanks to Xuna''s interference. After all, she had been modified first by the world essence.


    So, she used that signature to affect the internal mechanism of the Hoil Bee, turning it from a monster into the first Mutated Beast of her world.


    And strangely, she opened a new pathway for the power system that relied upon Nacre as Xuna patted the Hoil Bee statue that spanned a height of two metres, closing her eyes as she felt the changes, "Master, can you feel this?"


    "Yeah, but not as clearly as you. Thanks to the world''s essence in you, the connection you share with them is stronger." Rhizen said.


    "Is this the Beast Armoury that you talked about?" She asked next.


    "It doesn''t feel like that." Rhizen frowned as he stared at the bubble that appeared at the top of the luck pir, "There''s just one here. But it doesn''t seem like it could be brought out from there."


    Xuna thought for a moment, using uprooting arge enough tree from nearby that she nted in the centre of the vige, startling the vigers. She then cut off its foliage, watching tree sap ooze out from the exposed trunk.


    She then took the Hoil Bee statue and stabbed it in the centre of the tree trunk, watching the tree sap touch the statue before it was surprisingly absorbed into it.


    Xuna smiled as she observed the essence of the world flowing into the roots before converging from the cut section of the trunk, seeping into the statue embedded in its centre.


    After thinking for a moment, Xuna unleashed her petrifying beam onto the tree trunk, covering it with a greyish-blueyer, stopping only after the entire tree, including its roots had been turned the same.


    And, this actually hastened the rate of the world''s essence seeping into the statue, causing the Hoil Bee within the bubble at the top of the luck tower to grow stronger.


    Xuna then stared at the crowd of vigers, pointing at Yihan, "Come here. There''s something I wish to experiment with."


    "Sure," Yihan smiled, walking towards her when his father, Chief Yubak held him back.


    "Son, it''s dangerous."


    "I''ll be fine, dad." Yihan extricated himself from his father''s hold, muttering as he walked towards the statue, following her orders as he pricked his finger and dripped a drop of his blood on the statue, "To believe in something, one must take a leap of faith."


    "And, I''ll be that foolish individual."

 Chapter 52 Guardian Beast

    Before Chief Yubak could persuade him otherwise, Yihan dripped a drop of his blood on the extended tongue of the Hoil Bee statue. His blood was absorbed by the statue in a matter of seconds as its eyes lit up, unleashing a beam onto Yihan who began to grunt in response.


    Immediately following that, a dense stream of Nacre emerged from the statue and flowed into Yihan, slowly morphing his body as a horn grew on his forehead.


    "This is¡­?" Even Rhizen was shocked to see a tendril of Luck exit the Hoil Bee figure that was within the bubble at the top of the luck tower. And this tendril tangled with Yihan''s Luck before forming a connection.


    ''He''s inheriting this power instead of the Mutated Beast itself.'' Rhizen probed through things, understanding the new power mechanic. It was closer to the power used by the Blight Humans than the Horned Humans from the other worlds.


    An image of the Hoil Bee appeared in Yihan''s Origin Space, appearing more or less simr to a Mutated Beast, but it wasn''t a living entity but just a projection of power. And this power originated from the Hoil Bee statue.


    Rhizen noticed that the moment their luck was connected, both seemed to be reinforced by taking equal parts of one another.


    For Yihan, the benefits were small, but for the statue, things were different, especially since the greater the number of people it turns into Horned Humans, the greater the reinforcement to its power.


    Moreover, Rhizen noticed that the Hoil Bee at the top of the luck tower seemed a bit more sentient aspared to before. Also, it was staring at Yihan, expressing a desire to protect him.


    ''So, this is the change, the way this world adapts the Horned Humans to its nature.'' Rhizen nodded in understanding as he looked at Yihan to ask, "How are you feeling now?"


    "Great!" Yihan nodded, clenching his hand into a fist as he gradually digested the memory influx, rxing his hand when ayer of chitin armour covered him immediately.


    He focused, grunting as the chitin armour gradually covered his entire body, making him resemble a humanoid version of the Hoil Bee as a pair of wings appeared on his back.


    He suddenly grabbed the chitin armour on his back, pulling out what seemed to be a pair of des, resembling a mantis scythe. He then inserted them back into the armour, watching them vanish as he pulled out from his thigh this time, taking out a knife that seemed to be a shorter version of the des that he pulled out first.


    He then did the same to his chest, taking out a shield, saying, "The primary power I have is to create weapons out of my armour, whether they are ded or blunt."


    A tail then protruded out of his back, appearing gentle in nature, unlike a scorpion tail as he continued, "While wearing this armour, I''m able to even regenerate lost limbs. But, I''m also able to heal others by injecting the substance in the stinger into them. Though, it seems this process might take a long time to heal others."


    "My body also feels stronger." He nodded in response before retracting the armour, gasping to catch his breath, having exhausted the pitiful Nacre reserve that he had umted.


    ''The beneficial property of the five-eyed scorpion and the herb has mixed to result in this. And everything that I''ve gathered had fused into this entity.'' Xuna understood the state of things, observing the Luck Tower hovering above the Hoil Bee statue to learn more.


    She then looked at Chief Yubak, "Do you wish to try next, Chief?"


    "Hmm¡­" Chief Yubak hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth, intending to take the plunge too as he arrived before the statue, staring at the wide opened mandibles that seemed like they were devouring something.


    He flinched upon staring at it in closeup before pricking his finger to ce a droplet of his blood on its tongue that dangled out of its opened mouth.


    The blood was absorbed into it as its eyes lit up in response, a lot slower than before, unleashing a beam of light that turned him into a Horned Human.


    His power was the exact same as Yihan.


    "At this point, it''s no longer a Mutated Beast." Rhizen spoke, coining a term, "A more appropriate addressal for it would be a¡­"


    "Guardian Beast!"


    "A Guardian Beast¡­" Xuna muttered, nodding in response, "Since it is protecting them and sharing its power with them, calling it a Guardian Beast is apt."


    Another viger approached the statue when they were talking, excitedly dripping a drop of his blood too before staring awkwardly when its eyes didn''t light up.


    "It needs time to charge up power." Rhizen said, sensing the essence of the world gradually seep into the statue through the tree roots, calcting the rate of absorption as he concluded, "At most, two per day."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I see," The viger standing before the statue was somewhat disappointed as he retreated into the crowd. But, none made fun of him as they all wished to do the same, especially after seeing Yihan''s demonstration.


    As it waste into the night, everyone returned to their homes.


    Seated in their living room, Yihan and Chief Yubak were conversing excitedly about the various prospects regarding the usage of their powers.


    Yihan noticed Xuna''s confusion as he said, "Using my armour, I can make weapons. If I expend enough Nacre, I can create des that won''t lose their effect for at least a few weeks. And if I reach a high enough Stage, they can retain their power for even longer."


    Basically, a de that he creates would be suitable for harming a Blight Human more than conventional weapons. After all, the Nacre in these weapons would directly counter their power, causing them more harm.


    Though, once the Nacre in them was expended, they would end up bing useless scrap, brittle in nature.


    At present, even without any usage, a de that Yihan creates wouldst a weak before shattering. At Stage 2, the duration increased.


    But no matter what, when all its Nacre was consumed, it shattered. And its Nacre couldn''t be replenished even if a Horned Human were to wield it.


    Though, such limitations only existed for now as Chief Yubak and Yihan were already nning to create weapons whose Nacre reserves could be recharged. Rather, their powers allowed them to do so, since it was pretty versatile in nature.


    "But, it seems those that can inherit power from this Guardian Beast are only the vigers of this vige," Rhizen muttered at the end, surprising the two enthusiastic men.


    "Why¡­is it like that?" Yihan asked.


    "I''m not sure myself. But it seems to be the inherent characteristic of a Guardian Beast." Rhizen said, "And, I can see that the Guardian Beast has already connected itself to all the vigers."


    Yihan was aware of the Guardian Beast, having seen it when he obtained its power. Moreover, he was also able to feel its presence from within the Hoil Bee statue. So, when Rhizen addressed it as a Guardian Beast, he epted the term and began to use it.


    "Master, I can feel that the Guardian Beast is growing smarter." Xuna said, staring in the direction of the Hoil Bee statue as she observed the Luck Tower above it, focusing on the Guardian Beast, "Its eyes look livelier aspared to before. Moreover, it is also actively staring our way, as if trying to understand our discussion."


    "Yeah," Rhizen nodded before disappearing from the room, "Xuna, since I''ve interfered a couple of times already, I''ll extend your time to six months. And your goal this time is to create four more Guardian Beasts. Name them in terms of directions. This will be the West Guardian."


    "Also, I need to leave for the time being. I can feel that Yulna is acting up once again. Since you''re strong enough to protect yourself, I won''t travel with you anymore." His voice resounded in all seriousness now, "I''m also cutting off all support. So, be careful, and be safe."


    "What?" Xuna was stunned as she noticed that her Coincidental Luck felt¡­finite and limited all of a sudden. It was a sharp contrast aspared to before when she relied upon it 24x7.


    Now, it had be a resource that she had to use judiciously.


    But, with the Coincidental Luck supply cut off, she understood that Rhizen indeed had left. ''For Master to make a move, it seems the situation is indeed serious enough.''


    She then felt a headache, facepalming, "How am I supposed to create four more Guardian Beasts?"


    "I''ll help you with this." Yihan said, grabbing her hand, "Having inherited the West Guardian''s power, I can sense things ordingly. Maybe I''ll be able to help you find creatures that have the potential to be Guardian Beasts."


    "Thank you, dumbass," Xuna said, bursting intoughter as Yihan followed suit, recalling their past from when they were in the Fornol Empire.


    "It''s toote already. We''ll catch up on the rest tomorrow." After some time, Xuna excused herself to her room and slumped on her bed, falling asleep immediately, "four Guardian Beasts in a little more than five months."


    "Is it possible for me?"

 Chapter 53 Galtori Clan

    There was a bustle early in the morning; all the vigers huddled before the statue as the viger from the previous day sat at the very front, staring at the eyes of the statue.


    He didn''t drip his blood again but just sat in patience, watching the eyes of the statue gradually glow up. Yihan had told him that dropping blood once was enough as once the statue charged up enough, it would automatically turn him into a Horned Human.


    Moreover, the viger himself could sense a certain attraction towards the statue, one that gradually grew stronger over time. This was why he arrived before the statue early in the morning.


    As all the vigers woke up early, they noticed his actions and followed him, congregating around the statue as they observed in anticipation.


    A couple of hours after dawn, the eyes of the statue fully lit up, casting a beam onto the viger, turning him into a Horned Human.


    Everyone confirmed that the viger too obtained the same power as Yihan and Chief Yubak.


    Observing that the eyes of the statue turned dim, Chief Yubak started at it patiently, seeing that its eyes were gradually growing bright once again, saying, "It seems it would be charged up by dusk. So, we''ll follow the same schedule."


    He said, "At dawn and duck daily, we''ll make one of us be a Horned Human each."


    Following that, Chief Yubak made everyone drop a droplet of blood into the mouth of the statue in the order that he decided. This way, the vigers would know when it was their turn. At that time, they only needed to arrive before the statue to be a Horned Human.


    He did this to prevent anyone from giving in to their desire and obtaining the power beforehand, which might create problems. But now that their order had been decided, they avoided the problem altogether.


    Chief Yubak thenmanded everyone, "We''ll create a temple around the statue. It''s best to keep it hidden from view."


    "Dad, why don''t we turn the temple into a watch tower?" Yihan said, staring at Xuna, "Xuna''s power allows us to form a defensive coat over any substance. So, if we were to create a stone temple andyer her power over it, not only would it be grand, but it''ll also be safe from harm."


    He said this due to the Hoil Bees that approached their vige. Four of them had already arrived. So, there was no guarantee more of them wouldn''t arrive in the future.


    And if they were to see the statue, things might get dangerous, especially since they were aware of the Fornol Empire''s nature.


    They would either destroy the statue or pige it in order to unearth its secrets.


    "This is our lifeline in this changing world. And many centuries down the line, this would be our symbol." Yihan said. After all, at this rate, everyone in their vige would inherit the same power, which was basically their identity going forward.


    There woulde a time when there wouldn''t be any normal humans in this world anymore. It was either a blight Human or a Horned Human.


    And in that scenario, their vige could be considered an ancient n as the powers of everyone remained the same throughout the ages.


    They possessed a tough armour that protected them from head to toe, a pair of wings that gave them high-speed mobility, natural regenerative powers, an ability to heal others through the substance secreted in their stinger, and finally, their ability to create items from their armour.


    Everything one needed was avable in their power. So, even as the world changes, they''ll remain relevant as one of the strongest closebat ns of Horned Humans.


    As Yihan hinted at that, Chief Yubak too understood the significance of it, especially after knowing about Rhizen''s task. Xuna would be creating four more Guardian Beasts.


    This meant that four more viges like theirs would form.


    Gradually, news regarding their vige would reach the Lerni Empire through word of mouth, allowing the popce to learn of the existence of five secluded viges: North, South, East, West, and Centre.


    If more Guardian Beasts could emerge, Rhizen wouldn''t have named their vige the West Guardian Vige and informed Xuna to name the rest ordingly.


    This meant that he already realised that only five Guardian Beasts could appear in this world. And, it was Xuna''s task to create them.


    The two men discussed as Chief Yubak informed the rest of the vigers, "As Saint Rhizen has dered, we''ll rename our vige to the West Guardian Vige, and the statue to the West Guardian Statue. And in honour of the vige''s original name, we''ll call ourselves the Galtori n from now on."


    "Galtori n..." The viger that had just be a Horned Human smirked in response while staring at Chief Yubak, "So, this means that we''re all family from today onwards."


    "Yes." Chief Yubak nodded in response before pping his hands, "Now, we''ll begin working on our temple. We''ll needrge rocks to serve as the building material."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "We need toplete this before more monsterse here and learn of our secret. So, we have to hurry up." Yihan said as he pointed at the mountain nearby, "We''ve already scouted such locations in the mountain before. So, we''ll work on those areas to mine the rocks."


    "With me helping you, things would get done quickly." Xuna said, flexing her arms, "Leave the task of carrying the rocks to me."


    With that, the engineers among the vigers got to the task of mapping out the structure of the temple that they wished to build. As it would be a stone structure, they had to first make a foundation ordingly, one that wouldn''t obstruct the statue''s functions.


    The top of the temple would be a tower as Xuna told them the ceiling height, ensuring to create an open room where the bubble at the top of the Luck Tower was located.


    This way, both the Luck Tower and the tower in reality would be aligned to one another, resulting in harmonious protection for the vige.


    Moreover, it served to protect the Guardian Beast without obstructing its vision.


    At least two Horned Humans were left on duty to protect the vige while the rest began to work on the temple. At least once a day or two, a Hoil Bee approached the vige and was killed by the Horned Human stationed on watch.


    It wasn''t easy for a Horned Human to win against the Hoil Bee as their powers were more or less the same. And as the Hoil Bee had been alive for longer, it was more developed than the Horned Human that just obtained the power a day ago.


    But with Xuna overseeing everything, things went smooth as the Hoil Bees were dispatched to the afterlife without any casualties. As all the Galtori n Horned Humans possessed healing abilities, any injuries could simply be treated.


    Thanks to that, the rest of the vigers too became healthy. As for the Horned Humans, not only did they be healthy, but they also became young and strong, making it easier for them to work for extended hours.


    Krrr!


    A circr de sawed through the mountainside, cutting out arge piece of rock. The entire instrument was created by Chief Yubak, using his knowledge as an engineer.


    As for the propelling force required to generate enough cutting force from the circr de, Xuna took care of that.


    "When I told you I''ll help, I didn''t mean it like this. Why am I given such a boring job?" Xunained, seated on a chair under the shade of a tree, blindly causing her rocket to unleash its thrust.


    The rocket had been attached tangentially to a disk that rotated due to the thrust it produced. And using a set of gears created using their armour, the power was transferred into the circr de that spanned a metre in radius.


    Two Horned Humans pped their wings, hovering in the air as they cut into the mountainside using the circr de, resulting in a loud noise.


    After a while, they managed to cut out arge rectangr b of rock. It spanned a length of two metres, a height of a metre and a thickness of a metre.


    This thickness would corrte with the wall thickness of the resulting temple.


    "It''s yours, Xuna," Yihan said while wiping his sweat.


    "Finally!" Xuna jumped up in joy, relieved as she approached the rectangr b of rock, "It''s been hours!"


    She transformed into the Klock, shocking everyone. Only then did she realise that they weren''t aware of her transformation, saying, "You''ll all be able to do this at Stage 5."


    Her bodynded above the top of the rock b as her ten heads coiled around it, with their ends facing up. Their mouths opened as a thrust was unleashed, gradually lifting the rock b.


    Four of the heads altered the direction they faced, stably moving the rock b towards the vige as everyone stared in shock.


    "How heavy is this rock?" Yihan looked at his dad.


    "A few tonnes at the very least." Chief Yubak said, staring at Xuna in shock to say, "She''s damn strong."


    It took a couple of minutes before the Klock brought the rock b to its destination in the vige where a team of engineers began to work on grinding it a little to add in grooves and carvings.


    "Phew! That was a good exercise!" Xuna said after returning to her human form, grabbing her rocket as she arrived back to her chair,ining as she stared at the Horned Human group before her, "Cut out another piece quickly."

 Chapter 54 The Massive Gharial

    Two weekster, the temple was constructed sessfully. The newly emerged Horned Humans used their armours to create a variety of sharp tools that they used to carve the rock, iying a bunch of information regarding their power, culture, and values that could be passed on to future generations.


    Once everything had beenpleted, Xuna unleashed her petrifying beam on it, coasting it with ayer of greyish-blue. It immediately gave the temple an ancient feeling as after a moment of thought, Yihan took out a pair of scythe des, shing them onto the greyish-blue wall, noticing that he barely managed to form a scratch.


    After pausing in consideration, he shed a tree, staring at his des lodged at least half deep into the trunk of the tree, muttering in shock, "The rocky coating is tremendously hard."


    A few hourster, Xuna finished applying the first round of coating on the temple, waiting until the poisonous effect of her petrifying beam faded before she added in a second, third, and fourthyer, only stopping after adding tenyers.


    "Now, even someone stronger than me would have to spend a lot of time to damage this structure," Xunamented in satisfaction, having thrown her gun on the ground, watching it absorb the sunlight and convert it into Nacre steadily.


    Each head of her Klock represented a type of gun, and after attaining Stage 5, Xuna was able to condense them separately; it resulted in there being ten guns on the floor now. Even though it was called a gun, in this form, it was no different from a nail with arge head.


    And, Xuna had stabbed them into the ground, for theirrge heads were what absorbed sunlight.


    Once she could condense the power of her ten heads separately, Xuna could perform things in a variety. The first of them was to stab therge needles somewhere with good reception of sunlight.


    This way, they acted as a transmission channel that replenished her Nacre constantly. Following that, she could simply use two guns to spam bullets nonstop while the eight nails generated Nacre for her.


    And, if she managed to stab a nail on pr opposite sides of her world, it would mean that she would always receive a steady influx of Nacre, for when it was the day on one side, it would be night on the other and vice versa.


    "I''ll get going now," Xuna said once she was done, boding farewell to the vigers, of course without first being showered with a variety of locally produced goods from clothes to fruits.


    "Take care of her, alright?" Chief Yubak stared at his son Yihan, "A part of her is still a bit na?ve, despite being a spy for over a decade."


    "I know, dad. Some of the characters she portrayed seem to have had an obvious influence on her." Yihan nodded, having observed Xuna for the past two weeks, having a good enough grasp of her character.


    "This is¡­too much!" Xuna groaned, carrying arge bundle of goods given to her by the vigers.


    With around thirty Horned Humans in the vige now, the mood of everyone was pretty bright, especially since they had be healthy and no longer had to fear wounds, diseases, or injuries. And, they also possessed terrifyingbat abilities to take care of any crisis that might emerge.


    After all, upon seeing that the Hoil Bees continued to die in their region, they stoppeding after a week, causing the vige to be peaceful.


    "Come with me." Yihan grinned in excitement as he dragged Xuna to their shed, revealing a carriage that he had created out of wood.


    But, instead of the rectangr carriages typically used in their world, this was more streamlined, resembling a boat. There were four wheels on the tter back to support its movements while the fifth wheel at the front was situated on an individual axle, rotatable. This served as the steering, simr to a cycle.


    What was surprising here was the suspension system that had been attached to the vehicle, an ingenious method to trap high pressured air into a sealed chamber.


    This acted to keep the carriage steadier while allowing for morefortable travels. Yihan then pointed at four grooves, two at the back and one along each side of the carriage, "This is for your rockets, Xuna."


    "So, I''m still the driver," Xuna said, sighing a little. Even though she acted like it was a pain, she was already seated in the carriage, ring at Yihan for being slow.


    "I knew you would love it." Yihan grinned, taking a seat as he stored all the goods in apartment at the top, watching Xuna slide four cylinders into their respective grooves.


    She then asked, "What about the brakes?"


    "Simple," Yihan smiled, pressing a lever as the two rockets along the side rotated by 180 degrees, the nozzle facing the front now, "With this, breaking is simple."


    "Let''s go!" Now that she was assured that Yihan had already thought through things, she caused the four rockets to unleash a mild thrust, watching the carriage slowly move forward.


    Xuna had stabbed five Nacre Generation Needles along the mountain, so wasn''t worried about replenishing her Nacre reserves.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "In which direction do you want me to go?" Yihan asked as he drove the carriage slowly through the vige, waving his hand at the vigers that stared at the scene with interest.


    "To the sea," Xuna said after a moment of thought, intending to travel by the route she originally intended, feeling that this might be the fastest way she could achieve her objective. She then asked, "Can this travel through water?"


    "Of course," Yihan said in pride, "This is a boat with wheels attached externally. It can travel both onnd and water."


    Xuna increased the thrust a little as the vehicle made its way through a beaten path and entered the river, moving downstream.


    Thanks to the undercurrents, she didn''t have to expend much Nacre as Xuna reduced the thrust, keeping it at an extent equal to her Nacre replenishment.


    "Is it strange that I feel like exploring the world all of a sudden?" Yihan spoke as they travelled through the river water.


    "No, I''m of the same mind as you." Xuna said, staring at the two segments forming Yihan''s horn, "We didn''t have such convenient means of travel before, not to mention travel was risky. But now¡­"


    Sheughed, raising the thrust of her rockets to make the boat move faster, "Even without this vehicle, the both of us can fly through the air. And our tempered bodies are less susceptible to harm, illness, etc."


    "If only the Blight Humans didn''t exist, things would have been more peaceful¡­" Yihan said before sighing, shaking his head, "No, nothing would change."


    "Indeed, warlords would wage wars no matter, whether the enemy is external or among us." Xuna nodded, "I''ve seen that both the Fornol Empire and Lerni Empire wish to conquer the world."


    "It''s just a matter of picking sides now." She spoke.


    "Then, what about the Saint?" Yihan asked, "Did he choose the Lerni Empire for a reason?"


    "It doesn''t seem to be that way, especially since master hasn''t even given a tenth of the attention to Lerni Empire as he had given me." Xuna stated, "I feel like he only picked the Lerni Empire because they had the capability to oppose the Fornol Empire."


    The two continued to travel downstream before eventually arriving at the river delta, moving into the sea as Yihan stared at Xuna, asking, "Where to, now?"


    Xuna closed her eyes, sensing the streams of luck around her as her senses coincidentally picked arge mass of luck swimming forward, spiking the thrust of the boat as she chased after it.


    As she neared therge mass of luck, Xuna observed that the creature seemed to be a Gharial, muttering in shock, "Why is it so huge?"


    Yihan observed the creature as he rushed into their storage to pick up a book from within, quickly flipping to the section where creatures of the sea had been recorded, stating, "This is a Gharial, a freshwater creature that has toppled small boats in the past."


    "But, aren''t we already in the saltwater stretch?" Xuna muttered in surprise, "Besides, are they generally this big?"


    After all, the creature she spotted was at least five metres in length, a behemoth. Moreover, it was calmly swimming underneath the water surface.


    "Wait¡­" Yihan thought of something as he dipped a bucket into the sea, scooping out the water from the section the Gharial had swum through, taking a sip of the water as he frowned.


    He then dipped from the surface and sipped it, following the same but from deeper, muttering as his eyes lit up, "It can survive in freshwater only, and that hasn''t changed. There''s actually a freshwater stream in this sea."


    "How¡­is that possible?" Xuna was confused as she tasted the water in the region. Except for a small column of water through which the Gharial was swimming, the surrounding water was salty.


    It was pretty surprising to see such a phenomenon exist in reality, something they wouldn''t havee to know about unless Xuna noticed the Gharial.


    After a moment of thought, she smiled, patting Yihan, "Let''s tail it."

 Chapter 55 Stealing Your Gains Coincidentally

    On the sandy beaches situated adjacent to a steep cliff sat ady wearing a bikini, treating it as a holiday getaway. There was no one else apart from her in the region, but she didn''t seem concerned about that.


    Thedy leaped into the sea, swimming through the wavy tides until she had her fun. When it was sunset, she returned to the beach, taking a seat on the wooden chair that she had created, slumping on it in exhaustion.


    She then noticed a crab wash out of the sea, running across the beach, beginning to dig into the sand as if it wished toy eggs.


    Thedy''s eyes lit up in excitement as she walked towards it in silence, ''Finally!''


    She took out a thumb-sized fruit from a box ced next to the chair, arriving before the digging crab as she extended her hand, "Here, fishy fishy!"


    "Come to momma!"


    The crab flinched at the sound, running away from the hole it was digging, only to see a wood wall surround it now, tough enough for it to not be able to dig a hole through it.


    The crab scurried around the ce in fluster but was trapped. The trapped region spanned less than three square metres, with the only possible exit leading to thedy, or at her outstretched hand, to be urate.


    Thedy was Yulna, having been camping at this beach for the past few weeks to research and grow stronger.


    On her palm was a Devil Fruit, one that she had modified extensively by taking the help of her All-Devouring Whale form. The crab was trapped in this cage, and if it wished to leave, it needed to destroy the one blocking the exit.


    And hence, the crab rushed at her, mping down on her hand before staring in confusion to see that its attacks failed to even scratch her hand. The crab mped a few dozen times before running away, unable to understand just what was happening anymore.


    Its eyes stared at the Devil Fruit but didn''t seem willing to eat it. The same had happened a few times already. And every time, the crabs would run away or get killed by her out of anger. But this time, she came prepared.


    With the trap, the crab couldn''t escape and she wouldn''t mistakenly kill it while trying to prevent it from moving.


    The sun set soon after as the crab began to dig into the sand, intending to burrow out of the ce. Unfortunately, the wood wall extended deep underground too.


    After some time passed, the crab simply gave up as itid its eggs in a hole and then covered overhead with sand, deciding to rest there for the night.


    Yulna remained still like a statue, keeping watch on the location where the crab hid within, patiently waiting throughout the night.


    Eventually, it dawned as the crab rushed out of the sand, scuttling about as it failed to find any modes of escape. Eventually, its gaze fell on the Devil Fruit as its two eyes focused on it.


    The crab slowly approached the Devil Fruit, feeling hungry, touching it before flinching in response, and running away.


    A few hourster, it approached again, running immediately after touching the Devil Fruit. All Yulna did during this time was to stare at it in patience, watching the intervals at which the crab approached the Devil Fruit continue to shorten.


    Two more days passed in such a fashion as the crab remained in contact with the Devil Fruit for more than a minute. Eventually, it wasn''t able to control itself, opening its mouth to mp upon the Devil Fruit, eating it whole.


    ''Sess!'' Yulna smiled in response, sensing a faint stream of corruption coagte in the crab, forming a solid core that began to subtly affect it.


    There wouldn''t be any significant changes as the crab would remain the same. But the next batch of eggs itys down would be different as the next generation would be somewhat evolved.


    Yulna nned to take control of the ocean. Even if she fails to kill Rhizen, her goal was to break through the space once again, just like what she had done in the Aberrant World.


    She would continue escaping until she came across a System or was able to connect with the Astral Network.


    Smiling at the sess of her operation, Yulna removed the wood wall, watching the crab make its way into the ocean. She was done with one part of her n, intending to begin the next one when she became alert, sensing the information in a Mental Energy stream directed at her.


    The scene showed a streak in the air that was like a jet, heading straight in her direction.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "He''ll be here soon." Frowning in response, Yulna noticed that the crab had already vanished into the sea by now, its aura so weak that even she wasn''t able to sense it.


    With that affirmation, she transformed into a tiny winged whale and escaped from the ce, having no intention ofing within the radar of Rhizen. With his capabilities, he could steal all her corruption and convert it into his Nacre.


    If he does that, she would be rendered helpless. So, she had to ensure to not fall within this range.


    In the Aberrant World, Rhizen was able to unleash this attack on everything within thirty kilometres of him. This meant that she had to maintain a distance of at least thirty kilometres between her and Rhizen.


    Ten minutester, Rhizen arrived at the scene, staring at the wooden chair that Yulna had created, failing to find any traces of her, "Seems I''mte."


    He wasn''t angry though but rather smiled in response,nding on the shore as he stared at some crab eggs that were buried in the sand.


    Sensing the stream of Coincidental Luck swirling around him¡ªsomething he harnessed from Xuna¡ªconstantly, he understood that he wouldn''t be disadvantaged this time.


    And just as he expected, when it was dusk, a crab came ashore. This was the same crab that Yulna had modified. It had returned to take care of its eggs that were yet to hatch.


    Upon seeing it, Rhizen smiled contently, aiming a finger at it.


    Fusion Arts¡ªDevouring Heaven!


    All the corruption in the crab was devoured, but the modification resulting from the Devil Fruit still existed.


    In response to that, he took out a potted nt that had been grown using a Nacre Ball. So, the nt contained a faint trace of Nacre flowing through it, growing like a vine.


    Rhizen plucked out a branch and turned it into dust with the help of his Dust Wave, piling it up before the crab.


    He had selected a food product that crabs generally ate, watching the crab only hesitate for a moment before it ate the powder greedily. It had been weakened after Yulna''s exploits, and hence wasn''t able to hunt properly in the sea.


    So, it wasn''t able to satiate its hunger. And now that it changed upon food that was to its preference, even though it felt resistance to the Nacre¡ªa foreign substance¡ªin the food, it couldn''t be picky due to hunger, devouring it in its entirety.


    The trace amount of Nacre flowed through its body and entered the solid core that had formed in its stomach. Upon seeing that it was mildly effective, Rhizen smiled, "I have to thank you for this, Yulna. I was still thinking of a way to integrate the creatures of this world under my power. You just made it easier."


    Yulna''s power made it easier for her to transform the creatures into her power structure. So, she could quickly figure out the means to do so.


    And now, by taking advantage of the fact that Yulna''s powers stemmed from her Horned Human self that was corrupted, Rhizen used the simrity to take advantage and steal her gains.


    He sat on the shore, not budging an inch as he fed the crab as much food as it needed, gradually raising the Nacre concentration in it, causing the crab to limate to it.


    It took two weeks before the eggs hatched. And by then, the crab waspletely used to consuming the Nacre-rich food, now no longer finding regr food to its taste.


    Moreover, Rhizen had mixed the Beast Fruits into the mix while feeding it. Beast Fruits only turned humans into Horned Humans. They did not affect non-sentient creatures.


    But now, his goal was only to convert the core in the crab''s body to adapt to Nacre instead of corruption. And the Beast Fruits were the best way to do that, since the cause of the crab''s change was a Devil Fruit.


    Due to the inherent simrities, Rhizen was able to cause the change sessfully, especially since he constantly devoured any corruption that formed in the crab''s core, ensuring that it was always free of corruption, this way allowing the Nacre to generate gradually.


    And now, it had changedpletely. Since it had been fed enough the past two weeks, the crab began toy down eggs once again by selecting another spot on the beach.


    Rhizen noticed a faintyer of Nacre coating the eggs, smiling in response, "Let''s see what happens next."

 Chapter 56 Rapid Changes To The World

    The crabid thousands of eggs that hatched over the course of the next two weeks. Rhizen watched the hatchlings, sensing a tiny core in the bodies of each that contained a trace amount of Nacre.


    There didn''t seem to be any other changes to their bodies. They were somewhat stronger and healthier aspared to before, but the difference wasn''t obvious.


    ''So, this is the type of change Yulna had been seeking.'' He understood now. Unlike in the Aberrant World, her goal wasn''t to turn the aquatic creatures into monsters.


    Instead, Yulna only nned so that the aquatic animals would form a core that contained corruption. This would imply that the entire aquatic food chain would now revolve around corruption as therger fishes would eat the smaller fishes and gain or strengthen their core.


    Eventually, the entire marine region would be under the effects of the corruption. This was to make the world''s essence gradually assimte into it further, resulting in corruption bing the core power of this world.


    It was a sort of soft takeover. As Yulna didn''t have enough power to directly swallow the world like Apocalypse, she hoped to first gain the world''s acknowledgement before gradually taking control of the world.


    As long as the world recognises the corruption as its inherent energy form, it would mean that Rhizen had lost, for Nacre would be resisted by the world following that.


    ''But now, I''ve taken advantage of this.'' He smiled, watching the hatchling crabs eat up the powder that he had piled nearby. As they grow, their cores too would follow suit.


    As the hatchlings continued to roam in the vicinity of their mother, a few feathers shed past, picking up one per each.


    Rhizen walked a short distance away, staring at a dog that he had captured, cing the hatchling crabs before it.


    The dog had been starving for half a day already and hence, pounced upon the hatchling crabs, even if they were too small to even satiate its hunger. It quickly ate them all when Rhizen knocked it unconscious, touching its neck to see minor changes in its pulse.


    Slowly, as a few hours spanned past, a tiny core formed in its stomach, only spanning the width of a hair. It was almost impossible to detect even for him. But now that it had appeared, he smiled, waking up the dog as he fed it normal food.


    Even though the efficiency was many times worse aspared to Horned Humans, a small fraction of the digested food was turned into Nacre, causing the core to grow ever so minutely.


    "Good," Rhizen patted the dog, shooing it away as he returned to the breeding spot where the crab had begun toy another batch of eggs.


    He piled up enough Nacre-rich power for the crab to eat, hoping for it toy as many eggs as possible in the one to two years of its eggying stage.


    Just in case Yulna interfered, he erected Static Force defences all over the region before turning into a whale to plunge into the sea.


    He then captured fishes from a variety of species that had justpleted their mating stage and were about to enter their eggying stage, feeding them a few hatchling crabs each.


    Upon seeing each of them develop a core, he fed them as much Nacre-rich food as possible, watching their cores develop gradually as they umted energy to begin the creation of eggs.


    Weeks passed in such a fashion before the respective fishes began toy down eggs, all of which contained a trace of Nacre now.


    And once they hatched, the newborn fishes had the Nacre Cores, even though they were only hair-thick in size.


    But as long as they grew, their core would develop in response. Moreover, if one of them lived long enough toy down eggs in the future, all the newborns too would be born with a Nacre Core.


    As a Whale, Rhizen watched some of these newborns be consumed by other fishes that developed a Nacre Core.


    Upon seeing how easily the Nacre Cores formed in them too, Rhizen failed to conceal his surprise, "You''ve outdone yourself this time, Yulna."


    As long as a creature consumed an animal with a Nacre Core, they too would develop a Nacre Core. This implied that within the span of a few years, the entire waters would be filled with fish that possess a Nacre Core.


    ''Wait, does this apply to humans too?'' He wondered, waiting a week for some fishes to grow slightlyrger before taking them with him as he arrived at a random city, chancing upon a hungry beggar to whom he fed them.


    The beggar ate the fish with relish, even though they weren''t enough to satiate his hunger.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''This is¡­'' Rhizen felt his heart race as he noticed a Nacre Core appear in the beggar''s stomach. This showed that a Nacre Core would form in the bodies of any living being that consumed a creature''s Nacre Core.


    Wondering what might happen, he fed the beggar a Beast Fruit, watching him be a Horned Human. As for the Nacre Core, it was absorbed into his Origin Space, reinforcing it a little.


    ''I see, this is good then.'' He sighed in relief, watching the beggar prostrate before him. Rhizen simply uttered some words of constion, motioning for the beggar to live a better life and help others needy like him.


    Following that, he arrived at another kingdom, feeding a Nacre Core to a Horned Human, observing that the Nacre Core was dissolved and absorbed by his Origin Space, causing a mild increase in its Nacre reserves, not to mention a minor growth of the Mutated Beast living within.


    ''This solves one of the major defects of this power system.'' Rhizen nodded. The defect was the over-dependency of the Horned Humans on the Mystic Humans, especially on the Nacre produced by the Tower of Purification.


    That was the case in the other three worlds under PADS. But this world was different as they were more self-sufficient thanks to these Nacre Cores that would be widespread in the future.


    It would also cause the Horned Humans to grow stronger, as unlike simply replenishing their Nacre reserves, the Nacre Cores also developed the Horned Humans.


    Rhizen swallowed a Nacre Core, sensing that even though insignificant, his strength grew. It immediately ced the value of this world at the top of the list as Rhizen ensured to protect it to the limit.


    ''With this world and its production of Nacre Cores, PADS would be able to grow stronger faster.'' He thought, smiling in the end as he returned to the sea, swimming through the waters to protect the growth of the fishes, ensuring as many of them reached maturity as possible so that they would mate and enter the eggying stage.


    Once there was enough of a poption of creatures with Nacre Cores, the food chain would take care of the rest. And what best way than to target the fishes thatid thousands of millions of eggs upon a single seating?


    In the span of two months, the number of fishes with a Nacre Core exploded exponentially, now having enough numbers to warrant an automatic expansion.


    Rhizen didn''t just stop there. After all, it would still take time before the rest of the waters became the same. The world was just that vast. Hence¡­


    Boom!


    A massive container resembling a hill emerged out of the water, containing millions of fishes swimming within it.


    Thousands of feathers were lodged along the sides of the container, carrying it as it flew at rapid speeds, moving towards a region two thousand kilometres away before dumping all the contents.


    These fishes were in foreign waters now, immediately ganged upon by the natives there. And with that, a good fraction of the fishes in this region developed a Nacre Core.


    Rhizen repeated the process, dumping millions of fishes with a Nacre Core into foreign waters, causing the aquatic poption with Nacre Cores to boom from various locations. At this rate, within a year, there would be a fish with a Nacre Core in every region of the vast aquatic world.


    Of course, Yulna wasn''t twiddling her thumb while all this happened. She too released fishes with a Corruption Core into the ocean waters.


    Though, she wasn''t able to dominate like him as she had to first create another Devil Fruit, causing her ns to dy by two weeks. Moreover, she had to be subtle in her approach, unwilling to run into Rhizen.


    So, she was slower than him. And hence, Yulna focused on the secludedkes, seas, rivers, and the like, creating a region where fishes with Corruption Cores dominated the ce.


    There were plenty of locations where the seas had small mouths leading into the ocean. Such ces were enclosed byndmass and served as the perfect locations.


    After all, when the humans fished there and ate the Corruption Cores, the Blight Humans would grow while the Horned Humans would be poisoned by the same.


    The case was simr to what would happen if Horned and Blight Humans consumed fishes with Nacre Cores. It was beneficial for Horned Humans and poison for Blight Humans.


    As these two pinnacle entities waged a geopolitical war, the entire world was changing at an elerated pace. Now, there existed one question.


    Would the inhabitants be able to adapt fast enough?

 Chapter 57 Not A Human?

    "Slow down a little. Don''t startle it." Yihan said when he noticed the Gharial slightly elerating in response.


    "Alright." Xuna reduced the thrust produced by her rockets, tailing the Gharial from thirty metres away as they followed it.


    Two hourster, she shuddered as it became cold all of a sudden, wondering aloud as she noticed the Gharial still swimming as usual, "Wait, howe it''s still swimming? Aren''t lizards coldblooded or something?"


    "Hmm¡­" Yihan dipped his hand in the water, thinking for a moment as he jumped in the water, shuddering in the cold as he swam a bit under to reach the depth at which the Gharial was swimming through.


    He stayed there for a couple dozen seconds before surfacing, condensing a pair of wings that carried him out of the water and helped him blow off all the water on his clothes. Hended on the boat and touched Xuna.


    "Wait, why are you warm now?" Xuna was surprised.


    "The freshwater stream is actually warm now. Pretty mystical, right?" He spoke. Immediately, he and Xuna made eye contact with one another, "Are you thinking¡­"


    "Let''s go!" Xuna said as Yihan condensed his armour and created a container out of that. Xuna coated it with her petrifying beam, giving it ayer of instion. They made a bunch of such boxes before Yihan jumped into the water, swam deep a little and filled the boxes with the warm water.


    He then surfaced and ced the boxes on the boat safely, repeating the same for the rest of the boxes. As they were insted, they retained the heat of the water within.


    "Ahh!" Xuna moaned as she ced her hands in the warm water, "This is the best against the cold!"


    "Why are you acting like an old man?" Yihan stared at her as if she was weird, but he too was doing the same. The two bantered to curb boredom as they followed after the Gharial that continued to swim nonstop, as if it would never tire out.


    This typically wasn''t the case with lizards of such types, confusing Xuna. But soon, she got her answer, observing that the Gharial was simply floating while strange creatures, only the size of her nail had gathered in the tens of thousands underneath the Gharial''s body, carrying it through the sea.


    They were cleaning the Gharial''s sales, eating the moss growing there while carrying it in the process. And during this time, the Gharial rested.


    An hourter, these tiny creatures vanished as it began to swim once again, having rested enough. Soon, the ocean became colourful as coral reefs came into the picture, blooming like sprawling underwater flowers.


    As some of the corals were luminescent, they caused the sea waters to glow, creating a beautiful sight.


    And at the end of this sight was a gigantic mountain, highlighted by the light cast by the enormous stretch of corals.


    The Gharial arrived on shore and rested there by digging into the sand a little to feel the warmer portion underneath, protecting itself from the cold.


    Yihan changed course, bringing the boat to a secluded location on the beach, and cing it behind arge boulder.


    He then looked around, asking, "Where is this ce?"


    "I''m not sure. I''m not a traveller." Xuna said, condensing her rocket as she flew to the top of the three-hundred-metre-tall cliff, staring at the massive mountain stretching beyond. It reached at least a height of eight kilometres.


    And in this ocean region, it stood out like a celestial object capable of piercing through the heavens.


    "This cliff surprisingly forms a teau to live on," Yihan said, pping his wings as hended beside her at the top of the cliff, staring at the vast nds that were covered by grass, shrubs, and trees alike.


    It wasn''t a forest, but the vegetation wasn''t sparse either.


    The teau stretched for at least a couple of kilometres in length before reaching the base of the mountain. And a short distance up along the mountain base, there seemed to be a building.


    Made of stone, seemingly carved into the mountainside itself, sportingrge rocky beams, somewhat crude, it resembled a temple of sorts.


    Just as they nned to investigate the ce, Yihan''s ears pricked as he heard some sounds; his wings burst into action as he grabbed hold of Yulna and flew to the side, watching a spearnd on their previous location.


    Xuna turned around, staring at a group of men dressed in light garbs rushing at them with spears. One of them threw a spear, causing it to whizz in the air and m right at them.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Yihan condensed a shield, defending against the spear throw as he grunted, "It''s heavy."


    Only now did he notice the people rushing at them, noticing that they were all ripped to the extreme, possessing fluid muscles that were full of power, something that couldn''t be achieved through simple fighting alone.


    "Do they not listen?" Yihan cursed in response, hearing their roars as he pulled out his scythe des, intending to chop up their weapons first before forcing them to listen. But just as he was about to do so, Xuna patted his shoulder.


    "I''ll take care of this." Saying so, her figure transformed into the Klock as she expanded, turning into a monster that spanned forty metres in size, causing the rushing people to stop in shock.


    Her five heads roared in response before unleashing violent gales that forced the people to the ground, forcing them to desperately grab hold of any tree or shrub to not be blown away.


    Three secondster, just as the shrubs were uprooted, the Klock stopped unleashing the violent gales as Xuna reverted to her human form, walking towards the group of people as she said, "We''re not your enemy¡­"


    "Wait¡­who are they?" She muttered in shock, "They''re¡­not human?"


    At first nce, the group of people appeared to be humans thanks to their humanoid physique. But, they didn''t seem like humans.


    Longer ears that were somewhat pointy, a smaller nose that seemed to be covered by a gtinous substance, resembling a gill, and a mouth twice a human''s in length. And the most shocking of all was their tail, long enough to reach the ground when they stood.


    Swoosh!


    Xuna was just observing them when one of them picked up a spear from nearby and thrust it in her direction. Though, just before he could impale her, his legs slipped a little, throwing his aim off, and causing him to barely miss her.


    ''No, I don''t think I''ll be able tomunicate with them.'' Xuna thought, reflexively punching forth, sending the other party flying a good distance. She was worried that she had killed him, surprised to see the man getting up immediately in response, as if he wasn''t affected much. ''That punch would have knocked an adult man unconscious¡­''


    The man simply patted his cheek where he had been punched, not caring about it beyond that as he charged at her once again. But this time, a rope swerved around like a snake, coiling around all the humanoid creatures, binding them.


    Xuna carried them with her as she and Yihan approached the structure that resembled an ancient temple, entering it as she condensed her Healing Rod, lighting up their surroundings when she circted Nacre through it.


    The light was enough for them to see around as they noticed worn-out carvings and words on the wall.


    There was no sign of life in the ce as Yihan approached the closest mural, staring at the scene that depicted a group of people, seemingly pirates based on their attire arriving at this ind to seek refuge from a storm.


    Following it, they all contracted a strange disease, falling sick as a majority of them died following that. The survivors had be too weak to leave the ind and brave the storm to reach the maind and hence decided to live here.


    They gradually adapted to the ce and gave birth to the younger generation when they realised an issue. It seemed that even though they had survived that strange disease, their bodies had taken a toll.


    After all, their newborn was born with defects¡ªack of intelligence.


    Afraid that they would lose all signs of their humanity, the first generation used all the tools and equipment from their pirate ships to build this temple and inscribe the murals here.


    Generation after generation appeared on this ind. Even though their numbers were small, they adapted to the ce, despite their defects. Eventually, their defects umted due to in-breeding when something seemed to spark, resulting in their bodies growing strong following that.


    They became tough, barely fell sick, and could even move better through the waters. It turned them strong. Though, they also took a severe hit to their mental department as a result, making them dumber than an average human.


    And for more than a thousand years, they had been living on this ind. As Yihan finished reading through everything, the sounds of footsteps resounded as a humanoid creature entered.


    Upon staring at them, he asked, "Can¡­you¡­talk?"


    "Yeah," Yihan nodded, realising that there should still exist at least a few on the ind whose brains hadn''t been damaged so much. He retracted his transformation, watching the humanoid creature sigh visibly before walking into the temple, allowing his appearance toe into view under the light.


    "What?" Xuna was shocked to stare at the humanoid creature, "What the heck is that?"

 Chapter 58 In-Breed

    Skin fully covered by hair like a chimpanzee, a tail the ends of which had scales forming on it, like a lizard, a headrger than most humans, and the same for his body too, which almost reached three metres in height.


    But the strangest of all were the two pairs of eyes and therge parted jaws, simr to a lizard that emanated an eerie sensation when he talked.


    His ent was strange and the words he used, even though they were from the samenguage, the style of speaking seemed ancient. After all,nguages constantly evolve over time due to the behavioural changes of the people from generation to generation.


    But on this ind, things had mostly remained the same for centuries at a stretch. Due to that, Yihan had a harder time understanding his words. But it was still possible tomunicate.


    "We''re not entirely cut off from the maind, you see." The three-metre-tall person that arrived said, "From time to time, soldiers and fishermen wash up on our shores. We learn of the outside world through them. And also¡­"


    He let out a smile, which was way scarier than a lizard staring at its prey. He was like a lizard with human semnce, saying, "Thanks to their seeds, we''re able to stabilise ourselves better. We''re especially thankful to the Fornol Empire for their failed naval expeditions."


    The Fornol Empire had sent out scouting ships in various directions, intending to chance upon newndmasses to conquer. And of course, a good fraction of them ended up meeting their end to a storm or some other natural disaster.


    And among those, quite a few had washed up the ind''s shore. The indigenous people captured those people and mated with them, forcefully assimting with their gic material.


    Thanks to that, the problems originating from their excessive in-breeding regressed a little. Though, it seemed that the in-breeding also sparked quite a few strange evolutionary traits.


    "How many among you can still talk?" Yihan asked, aware that the reason the indigenous tribe had attacked them at the start was to capture them and mate with them. Xuna would bear their children while Yihan''s seeds would be used to impregnate the women of the indigenous popce.


    It would be a living hell for both of them. Of course, such a thing didn''te to pass as Xuna tied them all up easily.


    "Less than twenty." The three-metre-tall humanoid spoke, "I can speak the most fluent among them all. It''s only because our parents were people from the maind."


    Upon seeing that the other party was actually afraid of them, Yihan smirked in response, ''Seeing Xuna''s Klock form seems to have terrified at least some of them.''


    He then talked with the three-metre-tall humanoid for some more time, understanding the details of the ce.


    There were around five hundred people living on this mountainous ind, surviving by fishing mostly. And, thanks to their evolution, they had figured out the freshwater stream that reached their ind through the sea, obtaining their fresh water supply from there.


    And once every year, they actually took care of the Gharials that arrived at the ind toy down their eggs, never disturbing them.


    Based on what the three-metre-tall humanoid told them, the Gharials warded of the dangerous predators of the sea that gathered near the ind during this time every year.


    Thanks to this, the native poption of fishes survived mostly as the Gharials feasted upon the predators to gather enough nutrition toy down their eggs.


    Thanks to this, both the races had formed a symbiotic rtionship of sorts.


    Upon learning of this fact, Yihan and Xuna made eye contact, grinning as the same thought resounded in their mind, ''Jackpot!''


    Considering the level of luck Xuna witnessed within the Gharial that they had followed, she could turn it into a Guardian Beast. But as for the specifics, she wasn''t sure yet.


    Things were lucky back in the West Guardian Vige.


    So, if she wished to repeat the same, Xuna had to figure out the means to create a Guardian Beast. With that thought in mind, they first apanied the three-metre-tall humanoid, one named Tui. As for the names, they had less than ten names, five for men and five for women in the vige.


    So, everyone just took simr names.


    Their vige was situated hundred metres uphill, situated within a massive cave that had formed naturally within the mountain,rge enough to house the over three hundred people.


    Xuna and Yihan apanied Tui as the rope of her grappling hook carried the other people that she had bound. Currently, they were hoisted up in the air, helplessly carried by her.


    As they entered the vige, the vigers were startled, having never seen such a mystical scene where one woman carried dozens of men casually.


    Though, less than twenty people gave such a reaction. The majority of the remainder only expressed mild fear while the rest charged at Xuna, intending to capture her. their intelligence had regressedpletely, inferior to even wild animals.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Mainders?" A two-metre-tall humanoid, named Hu arrived before her, staring at the rope Xuna used, muttering in surprise, "Are you a¡­God?"


    "Hmm¡­" Xuna thought for a moment before saying, "I''m the disciple of someone simr though."


    As Rhizen didn''t wish to proim himself as a God, she didn''t go overboard either. But, that was only limited to herself. She didn''t wish to ce her master on a pedestal any lower. In her eyes, he was a divine being himself.


    Transforming into a Klock, Xuna unleashed fierce gales that sent the approaching people flying as they hit the walls at the farther end of the cave, injured enough to not move for the time being.


    In just one action, she paralysed everyone that wished to capture her. Following that, she reverted to her human form, staring at Tui and Hu, the two that seemed the most intelligent among the group, "do you wish to reim your intelligence?"


    "The defects of your bodies would also heal." She spoke.


    "Yes, please." Both Tui and Hu prostrated on the ground in response, having witnessed Xuna''s power. They didn''t have any eloquent mode of expressing their wish, stating curtly, "We''ll pray to you daily."


    "Then¡­" Xuna thought for a moment, recalling the scene of the lizards in the snowy mountain from where she obtained her petrifying gun. Recalling what they had done to create that greyish-blue sphere, she spoke, looking at Yihan, "Create arge vat for me."


    "Is a stone vat enough?" He asked, transforming into the West Guardian upon seeing her nod, taking flight as he flew out of the cave, found a good enough rock and carved out a concave section within using his scythe des.


    He arrived within twenty minutes, cing the stone vat before her.


    Xunayered the stone vat with a greyish-blueyer before taking out her syringe whose contents she poured into it.


    She then looked at the vigers, "Pour a few drops of your blood into this. I''ll take care of healing your wounds."


    She summoned her healing rod, grabbing the knife that Yihan created as she made a gash on Tui''s arm, watching his blood drip into the vat. Once enough of his blood dripped, she healed his wound, extracting Hu''s blood next.


    Under their orders, the rest of the vigers followed suit. As for those that were unwilling, she forcefully extracted their blood and healed their injuries.


    After almost half a day, Xuna managed to extract the blood of everyone as she stared into the vat, seeing the murky blood within, one that emanated a nauseating stench.


    Xuna then dropped the healing rod into the vat, keeping it constantly activated as its healing energy mixed into the blood, enriching it. And from the top, she dripped the contents of her syringe, one that allowed her to control animals.


    The droplets of this mysterious solution dripped one after another as it mixed into the blood thanks to the healing energy that vitalised the blood, turning it energy rich.


    While this was happening, Xuna flew over to the shore and captured the Gharial, repeating the same using its blood in a separate, smaller vat.


    She stared at the mixture patiently, adding in new blood daily, watching the old blood evaporate a little over the course of the day as the concentration thickened.


    She even kept it under the sunlight, watching the mixture turn harder gradually.


    The Gharial struggled at first, but when Yihan fed it with more than enough fishes that it loved to eat, it stopped struggling. Moreover, even after drawing out its blood, Xuna immediately healed it while Yihan fed it until its belly was full.


    So, after a week, it stopped resisting, happily providing its blood.


    Once this happened, Yihan stopped taking care of it, making Tui take over his work while Hu tended to it in ce of Xuna, using Xuna''s healing rod as she healed the Gharial, making it seem as if she was the one doing the healing.


    The rest of the vigers were also given tasks regarding the Gharial, making them worship it as if it was their deity. Even though it was a beast, the Gharial was gradually able to sense the feeling that everyone was expressing towards it.


    Two more weeks passed by in such a fashion when Xuna stared at the vats, noticing the blood in both had dried uppletely. And at the bottom was a sphere in each, tiny in size.


    She was nervous as Xuna gently picked up the crimson sphere from therger vat, feeding it to the Gharial, ''Whether I seed or not depends on it.''

 Chapter 59 Second Guardian Beast

    The Gharial consumed the crimson sphere as the effects of the syringe''s solution took action. The solution would generally ce an animal in a state of suspended animation while she would enter its mouth to take control.


    But, this wasn''t limited to her alone. Others too could do that, provided they could be small enough to enter the bodies of animals. This was why when she obtained this power, Xuna felt that it was perfect for her as a spy.


    After all, it wasn''t just her that could infiltrate enemy areas using it, but could also bring her allies in the same way.


    And now, what she had been attempting was something simr.


    By dropping the blood of all the people in the vat, she was storing their gic information. While the collected blood dried, the information was being concentrated further. And the presence of the healing rod was to ensure the gic material didn''t begin breaking down as it did naturally.


    Thanks to that, not only did it not break down, but it was also concentrated over time. And when the resultant crimson sphere was ced in the Gharial''s mouth, it became as if the gic information became the one controlling it.


    As Xuna had been adding enough of her syringe''s serum at regr intervals, its power had seeped into the gic information, resulting in a change.


    Thanks to this, it was as if a connection had been formed between the Gharial and the vigers where they were piloting it. Though in truth, it was their blood that was piloting the Gharial.


    The Gharial stood on its elevated tform¡ªbuilt for it by the vigers¡ªwith a nk expression, having been affected by the crimson sphere that was slowly dissolving in its mouth.


    Upon seeing that it was effective, Xuna took out the crimson sphere from the smaller vat¡ªone created using the Gharial''s blood. She arrived before Tui who seemed the most bizarrely evolved among the vigers, feeding it to him, "Whatever happens, just allowed it to finish its course."


    "Yes¡­" Tui nodded as he entered a trance, losing his sense of self as the Gharial''s thoughts began to influence his body. Due to the concentration of the serum in the syringe, the effect probably wouldn''t dissipate even after many decades.


    Though, what was required was only a short duration of connection as Xuna stared nervously, observing the Gharial''s luck wriggle like a tentacle and slowly crawl towards Tui, tugging at his luck before eventuallybining into one.


    ''Sess!'' Xuna pumped her fists as she stared at Yihan in excitement, only to see his face paling all of a sudden.


    "Xuna¡­this wasn''t what I thought¡­" He muttered, pointing at the Gharial that began to approach Tui before suddenly mping upon him, tearing his limbs apart to eat him up.


    "No¡­what is this?" Xuna was bbergasted, having never expected something like this to happen.


    In the West Guardian Vige, she had created a statue through which the people of the vige obtained their powers from.


    So, she had been expecting the same here too, having never expecting the Gharial to end up eating Tui.


    "Don''t." Just as she nned to stop the Gharial, thinking that her ns went awry, Yihan stopped her, "I can sense the powers of a Guardian Beast forming here."


    "This¡­" Only after that did she noticed that the Gharial''s luck was taking up shape slowly, transforming into a Gharial that seemed mildly more sentient than its physical counterpart.


    The Gharial''s body grew in size a little as Nacre began to form in its body. It then appeared before Hu who stared at it with a strange sense of fanatism.


    A momentter, it began to munch on her too, eating her up in a matter of seconds as its body became slightly bigger.


    Its luck became more pronounced and sentient as the Gharial made its way to the next viger, eating up him, continuing in the fashion as within two days, all the three hundred plus vigers were eaten up by it.


    By now, it spanned a length surpassing ten metres, a hulking creature that was emitting a dense flux of Nacre, making its way to the shore as it stared at the rest of the Gharials that had arrived at the banks by now.


    What followed next was a brutal massacre as it killed and devoured its own kind, not leaving even a single one alive, even chasing the escapees into the sea to kill.


    A weekter, it arrived at the shore, spanning a length surpassing thirty metres now, a behemoth that was barely able to handle its own body weight, crawling up the ind mountain as it made its way into the cave, grunting in exhaustion in the end.


    Its eyes stared at Xuna and Yihan that had followed it all along, brimming with intelligence as it opened its mouth, letting out a guttural sound beforeying down hundreds of eggs.


    It spent an entire day in the process, groaning in the end as its body seemed to be giving out, unable to handle such an extreme evolution.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It closed its eyes, dying, havingpleted the task.


    "Xuna¡­" Yihan said, staring at the scene, wide-eyed.


    "I know," Xuna replied as she cast her petrifying beam on the over thirty-metre-long Gharial corpse, turning it into a sculpture. Though, it seemed that wasn''t enough as the luck version of the Gharial had tethered itself to the mountain itself.


    This meant that the mountain ind itself acted as the altar where the Guardian Beast resided. That was why it left its body, done with its purpose afterying down its eggs. Each egg was at least a foot high, massive.


    Soon after, one of the eggs cracked, revealing a humanoid baby inside, one sporting scaly eyes and thin fins that extended out his ears.


    His skin too wasn''t humanlike, having a mild, almost transparent texture resembling a Gharial''s. The baby didn''t let out any cries, but instead stared at Xuna and Yihan to perform a bow, struggling with the baby body but still managing to do so.


    Xuna stared at the luck above the baby in shock, stammering as she muttered, "this luck is the same as Tui¡­"


    "Reincarnation?" Yihan was shocked, staring at the baby as he asked, "Are you¡­Tui?"


    The baby blinked his eyes as a sign of affirmation, shocking the duo.


    After observing the baby''s mouth, Yihan flew out of the cave and plunged into the sea, returning with some fight that he had caught, giving it to the baby to see him eating it happily, albeit with mild difficulty.


    Unlike a human baby, his teeth were all formed, and they were sharp, enough to consume fish right after birth.


    There was an obvious growth in his baby body after he had his fill. It was a minute but noticeable difference as within a week, the baby was able to talk, this time able to articte his words better, "I feel¡­smarter."


    It wasn''t just Tui that had been reborn, but Hu and the rest of the vigers too. This was not to mention the Gharials that had been killed. They too were reborn now as humanoid entities.


    They weren''t able to talk though.


    Only twenty babies¡ªthat originally could talk¡ªwere able to do the same. But, the rest were slowly learning thenguage, showing promise of being able to speak sooner orter, just like normal human babies.


    One thing that was surprising was the fact that they were growing at a consistent pace, though limited to the first generation, as they were undergoing a process simr to rebirth. Those from the second generation would grow up slower and take as much time as a human to reach maturity.


    Tui arrived before the sea, staring at the water as his scaly eyes spotted a fish swimming close by, leaping into the water immediately.


    Boom!


    A yellowish-white light emanated from his body as ayer of thick scales appeared all over his body, glimmering with a tough hue. His speed in the water blossomed as he grabbed hold of the fish easily, surfacing soon after.


    All this happened a week after his birth, when his body still resembled a three-year old baby. So, it was pretty shocking for Xuna and Yihan who watched him peel off the bones and other unnecessary parts from the fish and consume it raw in relish.


    Following him immediately after were the rest of the babies, capturing fishes easily. Though, whenever any predator arrived, their lives were in danger.


    But, Xuna swooped in to ward off the predators. She didn''t wish to kill them, for these babies would do it themselves once they grow enough.


    Staring at how they were natural born killers, she didn''t interfere with them, instead creating a massive greyish-blue wall over which Yihan inscribed theirnguage, mathematics, and a bunch of other subjects.


    This was to ensure the ind would develop on their own and not be cut off from the affairs of the maind. Even if they wished to remain secluded, they shouldn''t be caught unawares. Hence, Yihan nned to impart enough knowledge to them through this inscription.


    Considering the nature of inscriptions that were prone to wear and tear, the information wouldst for at least a millennium or two. And with that, he inscribed a set of words at the top of the inscription, symbolising the vige''s identity.


    "South Guardian Vige."

 Chapter 60 New Powers

    Tui arrived before the sea as usual, capturing a fish that he ate in relish, suddenly noticing the horn on his forehead glowing in response before it segmented into two, causing his Nacre quality to spike in response.


    As his Nacre evolved, Tui could sense his Guardian Beast staring at him from the mountain, smiling upon seeing that the other party too grew in response to his growth.


    And that wasn''t all, the moment he became a Stage 2 Horned Human, his body began to grow rapidly, now bing an eight-year-old boy, way stronger than his three-year-old self.


    Within an hour, he limated to the changes, hunting in the water better as he caught more fishes for the rest of his weaker people to eat.


    That wasn''t all; only now, after reaching Stage 2 did he notice that his senses had improved, allowing him to notice something that resembled a rice grain in one of therger fishes he had hunted.


    Curious, he tted its stomach and pried out the rice grain-sized object, noticing that it resembled a pearl somewhat but was more colourful, emanating a rainbow''s gradient depending on the angle he gazed it from.


    Tui thought for a moment before cing it on his tongue, noticing it melt immediately as its essence swerved into his Origin Space, causing his Nacre to grow in both quality and quantity. That wasn''t all, he observed the Guardian Beast experiencing mild growth too.


    And thanks to that, he was able to harness its power better.


    For a normal Horned Human, consuming a Nacre Core only developed their own Mutated Beast. But in the case of Tui, consuming a Nacre Core strengthened his Guardian Beast and their connection, allowing him to harness more of its strength.


    This meant that by consuming more Nacre Cores, the Guardian Beast would benefit the most, growing to heights unimaginable at a rather quick pace. And depending on one''s development, they would be able to harness its powers better.


    The best thing of this was the fact that this development wouldn''t vanish followed their deaths as the Guardian Beast would still be there.


    This would imply that even at Stage 1, their powers would be more evolved aspared to regr Horned Humans, refined inparison. It would result in a Horned Human with a Guardian Beast being a lot stronger than a regr Horned Human.


    There was also the fact that their powers were more all-rounded aspared to the specific nature of the other Horned Humans.


    The moment she noticed changes in the Guardian Beast''s luck, Xuna understand what had happened, hurrying towards the shore to see Tui now resembling a child, "This is absurd."


    "I¡­am strong!" Tui grinned in response, leaping into the sea once again as he began to hunt for stronger fishes.


    "His growth is startling." Yihan said, feelingpetitive as he too was only at Stage 2, despite being a Horned Human for a longer duration.


    But, he couldn''t ask to fight Tui as they specialised in different terrains. The West Guardians were experts of closebat on ground and air while the South Guardians were experts of the sea. They didn''t have anymon grounds to fight, unless they decided to fight onnd. But, that way, they wouldn''t be using their advantages, making the fightck value.


    At this point, Yihan sighed, saying, "Our work here is done. This ind will sustain itself after this."


    The reason he said this was because the in-breeding culture of the vige now became their gic evolutionary trait. Meaning, the South Guardian Vige were self-sufficient in all formats, capable of raising their poption on their own without any external influence.


    And this time, the birthed children wouldn''t sport any defects. After all, their Guardian Beast would take care of their natural evolution, capable of altering their gic material over time.


    Though, it wasn''t capable of that at the moment, it would surely be able to do so once it grew some more and reached higher Stages.


    "Thank you for saving us!" Tui and the rest bowed, staring at the figure of Yihan and Xuna that were leaving on their boat.


    "Live freely and don''t allow any Blight Humans to attack your vige." Xuna waved her hands until the ind was out of sight.


    Following that, she steered it by observing the direction in which the Klock Heads¡ªformed by her luck¡ªstared at. The boat travelled plenty fast, sooning across what seemed to be a mouth formed by two outstretchedndmassesing close.


    The gap at the mouth was barely a kilometre in width, leading into a smaller sea within, enclosed by thendmass on all other sides.


    The moment the boat entered the region, Xuna frowned, "Can you feel that?"


    "Yeah¡­" Yihan pinched his nose, able to observe faint corruption emanating from the sea water, "Theis is a faint stench here. So, this is corruption."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Yeah, it''s still faint here." Xuna said, "You''ll observe stronger concentrations in a Blight Human though, so be careful."


    Her rope slithered like a snake into the water, grabbing hold of a fish as she yanked it out of the water, frowning as she stared at it, sensing a rice-grain sized Blight Core, "This Blight Core is bigger than the Nacre Cores I''ve found."


    It was troubling because the Blight Core only originated from a random fish in the sea. There were millions of such fishes there.


    This meant that the fishes with Blight Cores were developing faster inparison to the fishes with Nacre Cores.


    "Wait¡­" Yihan spoke all of a sudden, motioning for her to remain silent as he closed his eyes, focusing on his ears as he slowly picked up the sounds of people fighting. Though, judging based on the sounds, one side was getting ughtered.


    "Let''s observe the situation first." Yihan said as he tied the boat to a boulder on the shore before apanying Xuna as the two rushed past the sparse vegetation, hiding behind a home as he peeked out, observing the situation at y.


    ¡­


    "Archers! Come into formation! Keep raining arrows on those bastards!" A soldier shouted, taking up charge as theirmander had already been killed.


    He thrust forth with a spear, piercing a vine that was climbing up the fort wall. The fort was a pretty small one where the lord of the group of viges lived. So, it wasn''t fortified enough tost against an army for long.


    The vine struggled for a moment before extricating itself from the spear head,shing out at the soldier who defended with a shield, grunting in response.


    "Hahaha!" The sounds of a man''sughter resounded as he stood thirty metres away from the fort walls, creating a mini hut type cover using vines that jutted out of the ground. His vines created tunnels that lead up the fort walls, allowing his soldiers to climb up through it easily and reach the top of the walls.


    As for the defending sides, they were already on the losing end, losing more men than they killed.


    The Blight Human was at Stage 2, having the power to control vines. His vines took time to grow in size, but once they did so, he was unstoppable. Any damage the vines sustain would heal over time thanks to their blinding vitality.


    Moreover, thanks to their simple structure, it was just a matter of them growing new vines by absorbing nutrients from the soil.


    Arrows mmed into the vines that formed the hut, failing to prate through. Even the ballista only managed to pierce through the defence before losing all power, failing to touch the Blight Human.


    "See, this is the power of Blight Humans." The Blight Human smirked, ying around with the head of a Horned Human that he had killed, "Horned Humans are weak."


    His hands glided over the Horned Human''s head when vines jutted out of it like grass, absorbing all the fleshly mass in the form of nutrients before falling to the ground, revealing a pure skull behind.


    The Blight Human stared at the in Horn, "He was only a Stage 1 Horned Human. But still, he wouldn''t have been my match even if he reached Stage 2."


    In the current world, Stage 3 was the strongest, with themanders of the Fornol Empire at this Stage, followed by the strongest from other allied Kingdoms.


    As for the Royalty of the Fornol Empire, they had already attained the peak of Stage 3, with the Empress on the verge of attaining Stage 4, or maybe she had already done so.


    But in sharp contrast, the strongest among Horned Humans were only at Stage 2, with none reaching Stage 3 yet. This sharp contrast caused the Blight Humans to possess a sense of superiority as during the initial shes, they managed to win most, if not all battles against the Horned Humans.


    Bam!


    The vine crushed the skull as the Blight Human grabbed the horn, one that hadn''t been crushed, "The horn of a Horned Human is tremendously tough."


    He then grinned, "This will be my souvenir. It''s not much, but eventually, I''ll boast my collection to the rest in the military."


    Started by the Royalty, the Fornol Empire developed a tradition of showcasing the horns of Horned Humans. It was said that the Empress personally wore earrings carved out of the horns of a Stage 2 Horned Human that she hunted.


    So, it became a fad in the Empire, making the horns of Horned Humans a prizedmodity.

 Chapter 61 First Clash: Horned Vs Blight

    "Xuna, what do you wish to do?" Yihan asked, only expressing a mild frown at the war. After all, war was plentymon in their world. And as an engineer from the Fornol Empire, he had witnessed his fair share of war.


    It was only because he was fed up with it did he apany his dad to escape from the Fornol Empire to live a life of peace at the Galtori Vige that was now the West Guardian Vige.


    "That''s a Stage 2 Blight Human." Xuna said as she noticed the green hair of the other party parted in two. "Aren''t you curious about how you''ll fare against him? He seems strong even among Blight Humans."


    "Besides, as long as he''s killed, this war might stop."


    "Hmm¡­" Yihan didn''t simply rush out at her words as he first observed the battle. The invading side had around two thousand soldiers while the defending side had less than three hundred.


    So, even among the grunt soldiers, they were overwhelmed. This was not to mention the Lord of the Fort had been killed. He was the Stage 1 Horned Human whose horn now ended up as the Blight Human''s collection.


    So, the defending side''s morale had already reached rock bottom. It was only moments before their defeat was signalled. ''But, if they are being invaded, it means this territory has some significance of the Fornol Empire''s expansion.''


    And, that wasn''t something he wished to see. He had already taken his side by bing a Horned Human. Therefore, he didn''t like seeing the Blight Humans win. This was not to mention an innate sense of hatred he felt while staring at the Blight Human, understanding that this originated from his Nacre that hated the corruption.


    "Xuna, you remain on the fort and prevent further casualties." Yihan said as he slowly walked out, taking in a deep breath before rushing straight at the enemy, "As for the Blight Human, he''s mine."


    "Ahh!" Five soldiers screamed in pain as they copsed to the ground, their limbs cut by a long scythe de that moved like the pping of an insect wing, thin, light weight, and sharp to the extreme.


    "Commander Goss! There''s a Horned Human nking us!" A soldier rushed into the vine hut, shouting in a fluster, "He already killed ten of us in a matter of seconds."


    "Hmph!" The vine hut expanded in height, growing like a tree as from within its safety, the Blight Human, Commander Goss stared at the figure of Yihan casually killing his soldiers. His des glinted in the sun and severed through the armour worn by the soldiers.


    "Even though this is a cheap armour meant for the grunts among the foot soldiers, he''s still slicing through them like paper." Commanded Goss muttered as he focused, causing more of his vines to begin growing underground, nning to bring them up when he needs them.


    "So, his ability are those des." He waved his hand upon noticing that Yihan was at Stage 2, intending to probe through the other party''s strength first.


    At hismand, a group of archers faced Yihan, unleashing a string of arrows at him. Yihan jumped back, picking up two soldier corpses that he hoisted up, defending against the arrows.


    He then threw it at a soldier that intended to trust a spear through his defensive stance, leaping to the side as his scythe des shed, severing the heads of three soldiers in proximity.


    Their blood sshed as Yihan rushed through the army, slowly making his way towards Commander Goss like a grass cutter that was mowing down awn.


    The acting Commander on the fort noticed Yihan, observing him for a second before feeling hope, shouting in response, "We have reinforcements! Lord is a Stage 2 Horned Human. Assist him!"


    "Let him deal with the Blight Human!"


    "Reinforcements?" The soldiers blinked in a daze before their hope was rekindled. The archers quickly hurled their arrows at the soldiers approaching Yihan to ensure they didn''t exhaust him.


    "Hmm¡­" A soldier stared from behind a pile of corpses on the wall. He was from the enemy side that had climbed up during the chaos, hiding behind the corpses ofrades that fell victim to the desperate resistance of the defending side.


    And now, he was biding his time, lying in wait until the opportune moment to kill the actingmander. He was thest with authority over the troops. With his death, the defending side would have no other choice but to surrender.


    It was his n to take the actingmander''s head, for that contribution would allow him to climb the ranks faster and gain more authority, including the chance to be a Blight Human.


    Upon seeing the actingmander riling up the morale of the troops, the soldier took in a deep breath, clenching his sword tighter to see the actingmander approaching the pile of corpses, and soon¡­


    ''Now!'' The soldier leapt out of his hiding spot under the pile of corpses, thrusting his sword forth as he aimed at the actingmander''s neck, smiling upon seeing his de reach the targeted spot.


    ng!


    Suddenly, a projectile of sorts mmed into the sword, shattering the depletely as he missed the target, allowing the actingmander to react and guard against the tiny de attached to the hilt.


    "Argh!" The soldier screamed when the ws of a crow pierced his eye, causing him to reach slower as the actingmander unsheathed a knife and slit his throat.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Caww! Caww!


    The crow cawed as itnded on the actingmander''s head, opening its beak to unleash a human woman''s voice, "The lot of you focus on defending your walls. Let that Horned Human handle the rest. He''s strong."


    "W-Wait, a talking crow?" The actingmander was shocked to see the crow talk, so did the rest of the soldiers that heard the crow''s voice.


    "I''m a Horned Human that''s controlling this crow." The crow said as it opened its beak and unleash a projectile that sttered the head of a enemy soldier that climbed up the wall, "I''ll help you maintain formation here. Focus on mitigating the casualties as much as possible."


    "You heard the Lord!" The actingmander was quick on the uptake as he shouted at his soldiers, "Focus all your attention on those climbing up the walls. Ignore everything else."


    The crow was Xuna, having turned into a Klock that was hiding in its beak and controlling its body. And when the crow opened its beak, one of the Klock heads shot out a projectile.


    That was how she was attacking from within the crow.


    The reason she arrived like this was to prevent information regarding her power from leaking to the enemies. After all, the general notion was of Horned Humans barely having a couple at Stage 3.


    So, if she were to reveal herself, everyone would be able to see her horn, revealing the fact that she was at Stage 5. Information regarding her would quickly circte, unless she nned to kill everyone here, which wouldn''t happen.


    And once the information became known, the Fornol Empire would take steps to trail her, causing the chances of her ns failing to increase. It has to be noted that she still had three Guardian Beasts to create.


    So, if the Fornol Empire were to interfere with all their power, she would fail. Hence, she acted like she was controlling the crow from afar, a power simr to Luncress.


    With her arrival, the defending side was able to stabilise their situation better, preventing any enemies from setting foot on the wall.


    This allowed Yihan to rampage freely through the ranks of the enemies without having to worry about arrows from the fort injuring him.


    With only having to focus on the enemy, he had an easier time.


    Swoosh!


    Yihan dodged a spear thrush andshed with his scythe de, cutting the spear before he thrust it into the chest of the soldier, killing him. But right at this time, a vine jutted out of the ground, its edges filled with thorns, stabbing into his stomach.


    The impact sent him flying a few metres into the air, drawing out blood as Yihan grunted, ''That''s a heavy attack.''


    He then noticed the vines emerge from the gaps between the soldiers, mming into him one after another. His eyes focused on Commander Goss, noticing the other party remaining within his vine hut high up in the air, enjoying the vantage point to target better.


    ''It seems I cannot hold back any longer.'' Yihan thought, observing five vines approach him as immediately, the injuries covering him healed rapidly before an armour covered him, beaming with a bright yellowish-white light.


    The soldiers stared in shock,ying witness to a humanoid insect that appeared in the air, emitting a scuttling sound signature to insects, one that caused their skins to crawl as its bloodthirsty sent chills down their spine.


    The knees of the soldiers turned weak as Yihan''s wings pped, allowing him to rotate in the air as he shed apart all the vines approaching him before making a beeline towards Commander Goss.


    West Guardian!


    "Tch!" Commander Goss was rmed at the transformation as he leaped out of his vine hut, watching it be shed into two by Yihan.


    A vine coiled around him as Commander Gossnded on the ground, quickly running into the small vine forest that formed. With that, he hid in a domain advantageous to him as the dozens of vines acted as a protective shield, some of themshing out at Yihan.


    Boom!


    One of the vines mmed into a boulder nearby, shattering it into pieces, disying its sheer destructive might.

 Chapter 62 Pyrrhic Victory

    Boom!


    A vine mmed into the ground, raising dust while sttering out rock fragments like shrapnel. Even though the vine was only as thick as a human hand, it possessed concentrated firepower, enough to shatter boulders.


    That wasn''t all, the vines could also grow and regenerate any damage sustained while battle by absorbing nutrients from the ground, their primary advantage.


    Thanks to this, the corruption expended by the Blight Human¡ªCommander Goss¡ªwas lower than what one might expect for the disyed firepower.


    Yihan hovered in the air, staring down at the dozens of vines that had cropped up, observing the figure of Commander Goss hidden amongst them, in safety, thinking, ''If I just fight them head on, I''ll only end up exhausting myself.''


    After all, unlike him, Commander Goss could sustain himself for longer durations thanks to his vine''s ability to regenerate by absorbing minerals from the ground. Though, this process took a longer time than healing using corruption alone.


    But, if the intensity of the attacks were to drop down, then they could recover on their own over time. That was why the moment Commander Goss noticed Yihan, he began to grow more vines underground.


    This way, he had enough to defend himself with in case of emergencies while allowing the damaged ones to heal naturally. Moreover, he reserved as much corruption as possible, allowing the vines to grow to their full height naturally over time while he waited.


    Thanks to that, he had more than half his corruption reserves in his Origin Space. And that wasn''t all as Commander Goss clenched a tiny metal container that was within his pocket, held securely.


    Contained within it were Blight Cores, harvested from fishes. They were his emergency rations to replenish his corruption in times of necessity. He had only refrained from using them at the moment to see what Yihan would do.


    If Yihan refused to engage with him, consuming the precious Blight Cores would simply be a wastage. It was because finding Blight Cores big enough to make a difference in the corruption reserves was hard.


    And even if there were seas full of them, fishing them still took time, not to mention the processing and transportation time, resulting in the Blight Cores going for a premium.


    Commander Goss had spent more than a month of his wages on acquiring the biggest of Blight Cores, enough to fill up his entire corruption reserves in a matter of seconds. That was what he was holding securely now, staring at the figure of Yihan high up in the sky through the gaps between the vines.


    "Fire!" A soldier shouted,unching an arrow at Yihan as many soldiers followed suit. They slowly converged around the vines, using them for protection whileunching arrows at Yihan.


    "Keep up the pressure." Commander Goss announced coldly as he concentrated, causing a vine to slither before the archers as the thorns growing on it expanded in length, popping out in droves.


    The thorns now resembled arrows, no different to the ones they were using, albeit for mild variations. Inparison, these arrows were somewhat better than the poorly manufactured arrows that they could get their hands on.


    Originating from a weakpany belonging to the Fornol Empire, they didn''t have the funds necessary to arm themselves with better equipment. But at least, they wouldn''t run short on arrows, the reason Commander Goss dared to attack this fort in the first ce.


    After all, through his vines, he was able to produce a consistent supply of arrows.


    "Commander is awesome!" A soldier shouted in excitement as he grabbed the newly produced arrows, cing them in his quiver as he nocked the first in his bow, aimed at Yihan and shot it, muttering in surprise at the generated sound, "It''s better than I thought."


    Swoosh!


    Yihan raised his altitude, going beyond the range of the arrows as he red at the opponents. He then observed the state of things on the fort, watching a crow fly towards him as Xuna''s voice resounded, "Do you want my help?"


    "That won''t be necessary." Yihan took in a deep breath as he stared at the enemies, "I was just thinking of a n of attack."


    He then said after a moment, "Be ready to heal me, alright? There''s a good chance I''ll be messed up pretty grandly after this."


    "You needn''t worry. My Nacre reserves are full." The crow flew past, circling in the air before heading towards the fort.


    Yihan stared at the sky, inhaling the fresh air as he red at Commander Goss, announcing with an overbearing tone, "Blight Human¡­surrender! Or, be ready to die!"


    Boom!


    The wings on his back blurred in an instant, unleashing a jet as his figure sted towards the vine forest, the sudden eleration causing the opponents to jerk in response, startled.


    Commander Goss caused the vines to coil around him in a protective embrace as the rest of themshed at Yihan.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Swoosh!


    Yihan patted his chest and pulled out his scythe des, twice longer than usual as his wings pped at varying frequencies, causing his body to rotate rapidly. His scythe des shed around him, shredding apart the vines approaching him.


    The impact still affected his flight, the generated shock rattling his internals. But Yihan relied upon his natural regeneration to sustain himself as he sped downward like a drill, cutting through the vines before mming into the ground with a loud thud, raising smoke in the process.


    Bam!


    The vinesshed on the ground in droves, resulting in thunderous sounds that drowned out all sounds, causing the crowd to stare at the scene, ck-jawed. Each hit was akin to an explosive, rattling their ears.


    And, dozens rattled every second, raising a smoke cloud, hindering the vision of everyone.


    Buzz!


    Suddenly, intense winds were generated as the dust cloud began to spin, gradually taking shape into a twister at the centre of which were Yihan and Commander Goss, engaging in the fight.


    Boom!


    A vine jutted out of the ground, from right under his feet as Commander Goss was sent flying like he had stepped upon a spring. The vine too expanded, as a result, taking up a helical shape wound around him in a protective embrace while he passed through the twister.


    Another vine sprung out of the ground and grabbed hold of him, making himnd gently as he shouted, "Die!"


    Boom!


    The vines mmed at Yihan, for he was trapped at the centre of the forest of vines now. The attacks rained down on him, shatteringrge pieces of his armour as he suffered from fractures at multiple locations.


    "Huff¡­" Yihan inhaled a deep breath before pulling out a couple of chakrams out of his armour that he threw with all his strength, causing them to curve in the air and head straight at Commander Goss who hurriedly sprung up a vine to defend himself.


    The chakrams cut through the vine, barely redirected as they scratched his cheek before flying past, hitting a soldier in the forehead, resulting in his death.


    Only a secondter did Commander Goss feel a stinging sensation as he noticed blood leaking out of his cheek, realising the sheer sharpness attained by the des Yihan created, shouting in a hurry, "Rain down arrows on the bastard! Destroy him!"


    "Shoot! Kill him!" The soldiers shouted as they unleashed dozens of arrows at Yihan.


    Though, they meant nothing as Yihan pulled out a shield that he defended himself with, holding a scythe de in the other hand that he used to cut the vines.


    The shiedsted for at least ten hits from the vines as Yihan relied upon his natural regeneration to endure the damage.


    Swoosh!


    Whenever an opportunity presented, he threw out chakrams, killing the soldiers one after another. Moreover, the vines couldn''t regenerate fast enough as every sh from him severed them into pieces.


    "Shit!" Commander Goss realised that he didn''t have a choice anymore, dodging as the vine helping him was cut into pieces too. He broke the box he held dear and downed its contents, sensing the Blight Cores melt instantly as his corruption boomed.


    "Die!" He poured all the corruption into the vines that instantly regenerated, mming into Yihan from behind, taking him by surprise as his wings were clipped first, followed by his armour that shattered into pieces, causing his battered body to m into a rock, turning it bloody.


    Commander Goss red, causing a vine to m into Yihan to deliver the killing blow when the scorpion tail growing on Yihan''s backshed out, deflecting the vine before coiling around it to tug with force.


    The tail snapped from the shear tension it unleash in an instant, but that was his n as the forceshed Yihan''s body towards Commander Goss as he turned into the West Guardian once again, pulling out a long scythe de that pierced through Commander Goss''s head.


    He crashed into his opponent as his armour wore off, causing him to tumble to the ground, coughing out blood as he lost consciousness, his limbs twisted unnaturally due to all the hits he endured. But, lying next to him was the corpse of Commander Goss, his head pierced through.


    It was a pyrrhic victory.

 Chapter 63 Victory Governance

    "C-Commander Goss is dead?" A soldier muttered, gulping in fear, still reeling from the aftershock of the battle that just transpired.


    "The enemy is still alive. Kill him!" Another soldier shouted, riling up everyone, "As long as he''s dead, it''s our victory. Taking over the weakened fort is easy!"


    "Right!" A soldier muttered in excitement, "Now that ourmander is dead, the one that performs the best would be the nextmander and even be turned into a Blight Human."


    A couple of soldiers around him heard his mutterings, bing excited as they rushed at Yihan, intending to deal the killing blow.


    But of course, Xuna wouldn''t allow that to happen as the crow hovered in the air, opening its beam to unleash a fierce gale that caused the soldiers to lose their footing due to the sheer dust that blew into their faces.


    "Charge!"


    Some of them covered their faces and rushed into the dust, leaping onto the location where Yihan had been lying, only to find that the bodies of both Yihan andmander Goss were now missing.


    "What the¡­?" They looked around, iling their weapons, only to find the wilting vines, failing to see their target. But, that only continued for a minute before the dust cloud began to settle down.


    Buzz!


    At the familiar sound, the soldiers stared at the sky to see Yihan flying there calmly, uninjured, brimming with power as his insect eyes stared at them, his voice resounding with an insect''s sharpness, "Surrender if you don''t wish to be my meal."


    ng!


    Feeling the intense winds generated by the pping wings, the soldiers were aware that if they were to run away, Yihan would ughter them all. After all, they had zero chances of outmanoeuvring him, especially when he had aerial superiority.


    ? One by one, they dropped their weapons, kneeling on the ground to surrender. With that, the soldiers on the fort could heave a sigh in relief at their victory.


    ''Thankfully, Xuna healed me.'' Yihan patted his chest, feeling pain in some ces as he controlled himself to put forth a strong front. There wasn''t enough time for Xuna to heal his injuriespletely.


    So, she only treated the worst of his injuries. This meant that he had to endure the pain while hovering in the air, watching the soldiers of the fort exit and take the invading side as prisoners.


    As to how the prisoners would be treated, he wasn''t concerned. That wasn''t part of his task, but one left to the actingmander of the fort.


    "Thank you for saving us, my Lord." The actingmander bowed before Yihan, "If not for you, our fort would have copsed."


    "How''s the condition of the people?" Yihan asked, returning to his human form as he walked around the fort, entering the building within to see droves of people huddled on the floor, trembling in fright, nervous.


    They were those from the surrounding viges that had been evacuated to the fort the moment the war erupted.


    "But, we didn''t manage to bring in everyone." The actingmander expressed his helplessness, "We couldn''t save everyone."


    "You did everything in your power. So, don''t be disheartened." Yihan patted his back, consoling him as he asked, "Who has the authority over the viges here?"


    "My father, followed by my older brother." The actingmander said, tearing up as he said, "But, both of them were killed by that sted Blight Human."


    "Then, that means you''re the next Lord of this region." The crow perched on his shoulder before saying, "So, you should make a trip to the capital and be a Horned Human. Don''t dy, as war would be frequent after this. You need all the power you can get to protect your home."


    "I''ll do as you say, my Lord." The actingmander bowed in response.


    Even though they had won, there was nothing to celebrate, for they had lost too many lives in the process. Sad, the vigers began to return to their homes, beginning to conduct repair work.


    After all, the invading army had destroyed the viges along their way, piging the stock there for supplies that they relied upon to mount an invasion for a longer time.


    Moreover, they had applied scorch and burn tactics, burning up the fields to ensure the vigers couldn''t get back on track even if they were to survive. Abandoning thisnd was their sole option, left with no food to sustain themselves with.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Keuk!" Ady teared up, clutching the burnt body of her son that fell victim when his house was set fire by the invaders, seething in anger as she bit her lips, "Those bastards¡­will pay."


    She then stared at a meat cleaver among the debris, lifting it up, ignoring how hot it was by remaining in contact with the burning home for so long. She slowly made her way towards the captives being escorted into the fort, staring at a group that had attacked her vige as she rushed at them, "Die!"


    "Aunty, stop!" One of the soldiers escorting the prisoners shouted, but it was already toote as thedy hacked the hot meat cleaver into the skull of the captive, killing him in one blow as she pulled it in a hurry, tumbling to the ground in response before iling in response despite that, cutting into the leg of another captive, causing him to scream as he copsed to the ground.


    She dragged her body, applying weight on the meat cleaver to sever the captive''s leg, enduring kicks to her face from his other leg.


    "Arrgh!" The captive screamed in pain as his leg got severed when thedy climbed over him and stabbed his face repeatedly.


    "Die! Die! Die! Why did you kill my son? Die!" She screamed hysterically and hacked at any captive that came her way.


    Even though the captives had surrendered, that was only because they didn''t wish to lose their lives. But now that a viger was trying to kill them, despite being unarmed, they struggled to survive, killing her in the process while she was hacking the third captive.


    "That poor mother lost her son to these savages¡­" A middle-aged man said, tears dripping down his eyes as he grabbed a hoe and approached the captives. And following him came the other vigers, those that had lost their loved ones to the invaders, grabbing hold of anything that served as a weapon.


    The soldiers escorting them tried to stop the raging crowd but failed as most of the angry vigers, left with no outlet to vent, beat up the captives, killing them slowly by breaking them little by little through blunt hits or amateur stabs through their flesh.


    The mob became violent as the soldiers could only stare in a daze, unable to stop them. It wasn''t just that, some of the soldiers even took the lead in ughtering the captives, having lost their precious ones too in this war.


    "T-This is¡­?" The actingmander exited the fort as he stared at the carnage of the vigers, rooted to the spot in shock. But immediately after, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "STUPID IDIOTS!"


    His shout was like a thunderp, causing the vigers to break out of their bloodthirsty rage as they turned around in unison, staring at the actingmander that was expressing his rage.


    Though barely a youth, the actingmander didn''t shy from his responsibilities as he walked through the crowd of vigers that parted way for him, his eyes spewing forth anger as he red at everyone, "Imanded you to take them prisoners, didn''t I?"


    He pointed at the captives strewn across the ground, "Are you happy now? Did you fully vent? Now, what do you think this makes us?"


    "Monsters!" He uttered coldly, "You see, if we lose our humanity now, it wouldn''t be them that ughter us, be we ourselves."


    "If you wish for such a future, then continue this senseless ughter."


    At his words, one of the vigers gritted his teeth to ask, "Then, what should we do? These bastards ughtered my entire family. Do you want to spare them?"


    "Spare them?" The actingmander red at the viger in disdain, startling everyone, including Xuna that was observing everything from the air. "Are you a fool?"


    He then spoke slowly, "My family too died under their hands. The reason I asked to take them captive was to use them to rebuild our viges."


    "They are dead men in my eyes, but before they die, they have to pay for their sins by helping us rebuild our vige. And once they''ve served their purpose, we can kill them." He red at everyone in anger, "But now, you''ve killed most of them. This means we lost this extra manpower."


    "Do you understand what I''m getting at?" He emanated killing intent beforemanding everyone, "Now, escort those that are still alive inside. Once we patch them up, we''ll use them for all the hard work and tide through this situation."


    "Wars would be frequent after this, so these captives would be useful as meat shields at the very least."


    He then arrived before Yihan, bowing in response, "My Lord, I''ve observed your regenerating powers. Will you be able to treat our injured?"


    "Sure," Yihan nodded, thinking as he asked, "What''s your name?"


    ''He''ll be a viciousmander in the future.''


    "Gha," The actingmander said, "You can address me as Gha."

 Chapter 64 Lake Of Viciousness

    "Commander Gha, you should make a trip to the capital as soon as possible." Yihan urged him, "I''m currently on a mission. So, I don''t have time to waste here. If another army were to attack during my absence, you''re doomed."


    "Then¡­" Gha hesitated for a moment before wising up as he bowed in response, "Please help me, my Lord. I request your service."


    "Take this." The crow interjected, spitting out a rod that grew in size.


    Curious, Gha grabbed hold of it, startled to see one end of the rod emitting thrust like a rocket, creating enough force to lift him up easily, causing him to shout in a fluster, "My Lord, this is?"


    "It will bring you to the capital the fastest." The crow said, "Do you have any means to prove your identity?"


    "Yes, I have it with me." Gha said, taking out a medal, "Having this medal is enough proof."


    "Alright, be on your way now. You''ll die if you let go of it though, so hold onto it for life." The crow said as the rocket took off into the sky, zing towards the capital.


    There wouldn''t be any problems since the higher-ups in the capital could recognise her powers. So, they wouldn''t make things difficult for Gha and turn him into a Horned Human quickly.


    "Heal the rest." The crow spat out a healing rod as Yihan picked it up and patted himself, rxing as his injuries began to heal now. It took almost ten minutes before he was fully healed as the crow muttered, "You were indeed pretty battered. If you didn''t have the power of the West Guardian, you would be a corpse by now."


    "True," Yihan nodded before approaching the injured soldiers and vigers, healing them one after another.


    Xuna wasn''t bothered with the Nacre expenditure, gaining enough thanks to her five Nacre Generation Nails stabbed in the mountain next to the West Guardian Vige.


    Once they were healed, the vigers began reconstruction, repairing the fort walls before tending to the burned fields. As for the surviving prisoners, they were healed enough to not die before being thrown into the dungeon for now.


    They were waiting for Gha to return before nning on using the war prisoners. Thankfully for them, they didn''t need to wait for long as on the morning of the next day, followed by a piercing scream, Ghanded on the fort walls, having be a Horned Human.


    If it wasn''t for the fact that the rocket expended way too much Nacre in a short time, he would have been faster. It had taken a day because he had stopped once every few minutes for Xuna to build up enough Nacre before resuming the journey.


    "Thank you, My Lord." Gha prostrated on the ground, "I''ll never forget this favour for as long as I''m alive."


    "Be a great Lord for your people." Yihan said, transforming into the West Guardian to take flight, heading north beforending in a nearby forest, staring at the figure of Xuna seated on a branch, "Did you wait for long?"


    "It''s alright," Xuna said before pointing further north, "You should see this. It''s too bizarre, so I was waiting until you arrived."


    Yihan carried Xuna in his arms and took flight as his flight was more energy efficientpared to her rocket. The moment he flew high up, Yihan muttered in shock, "What the heck is that?"


    "Strange, right?" Xuna said, staring in all seriousness.


    The forest stretched for around a few kilometres. It wasn''t a dense rainforest due to the nature of the soil present in the region, one that prevented thick vegetation from growing.


    But the strangeness was beyond the forest as there was a desert, one that spanned tens of kilometres.


    Yihan flew across the desert, feeling hot winds brush past his face as he felt strange, "Was there a desert here before?"


    The ground was parched, having faced a drought, sporting wide cracks as if it hadn''t seen a single drop of water for years.


    But, this was strange, for the desert was right next to the sea. And considering the nature of the soil here, there was bound to be some form of vegetation and not a desert.


    "If my memory serves right, this was a meadow. It wasn''t all green, but definitely no way close to a desert." Xuna said, having been to the ce once during her spy years.


    After all, further north was a small frontier kingdom that was a puppet to the Fornol Empire. So, she had arrived at the ce to gather information before, especially since the frontier kingdom was famous for its precious mineral resource.


    The duo continued to fly straight for around thirty minutes before Yihan stared in shock, "T-This is what you meant by bizarre?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Fuck!" He lost his cool, afraid to go near as he stared at a massive nt with a pot-shaped flower silently turning his way. The thing to worry about was the fact that this pot-shaped flower spanned twenty metres in height.


    And as for the nt that bore it, Yihan couldn''t even describe it in words, for it surpassed a hundred metres in height. If it was just one nt, then they could at leastbel it an anomaly and research it.


    But¡­


    "Screw this, I''m out!" Yihan turned around, intending to fly away. After all, hundreds of thousands of such nts stretched beyond the desertndscape, covering a vast area like a dense forest. And, the nts along the boundary turned their flowers to stare at them, rming all his senses.


    "Wait!" Xuna said in a hurry, stopping Yihan from escaping as she urged him, "We need to check this ce out."


    "Have you finally lost your remaining two brain cells, idiot?" Yihan shouted in anger, pointing at the forest, "My West Guardian is warning me of the danger present there. I''ll be a damned idiot to ignore that and foolishly set foot into a death zone..."


    "Ugh!" He hurriedly covered his nose, watching Xuna do the same as they retreated in a hurry. The scent was mildly pungent at first but the longer they inhaled it, the sweeter it felt, almost akin to nectar.


    The pot-shaped flower opened its lid, revealing its insides as a mysterious liquid was present at the bottom, the cause for this sweet scent.


    It was no different to a Pitcher nt, the only difference being its insane size. And the most shocking of all was the fact that Yihan was able to sense Nacre from it.


    ''No, that''s not urate.'' He thought, focusing as he retreated to observe that some of the nts emitted Nacre while the others emitted corruption.


    There were nts of both the variety there, never interfering with one another.


    Yihan raised his altitude, almost reaching a kilometre in height as he was able to finally observe the vast forest that stretched before him, full of such nts, one that spanned more than a hundred kilometres.


    And at the centre of it was ake, spanning a length of thirty kilometres and a breadth of twelve kilometres, with the depth unknown. It was the heart of this forest region, supplying the necessary water to all the nts growing there.


    Following the first nt, the rest of the Pitcher nts too opened their lid, producing a scent that spread out throughout the desert and stretched beyond.


    Kiek!


    Kieeek!


    Kieee!


    Chirpy sounds resounded from all around them as the duo were rmed, noticing long trail lines form on the desert as some form of underground creature seemed to be moving through it, turning the soil loose.


    "Look there!" Xuna pointed at the shore, gasping for breath as she observed mysterious creatures that seemed to be a fusion between a crab and a scorpion exit the sea and burrow into the desert, making a beeline towards the forest underground.


    It wasn''t just one or two but millions of the same that were doing this. Their actions stirred up the food cycle of the region as bird cries resounded in the sky as soon after, thousands of birds flew past, forming their respective flocks, resembling a raven at first nce, but also sporting the traits of a peacock and a woodpecker.


    Their beaks were long, spanning a metre in length as one of them pierced through the ground before taking off, holding the creature¡ªthat was a mix between a crab and a scorpion¡ªin its beak, that it had skewered through.


    A couple more birds apanied it, tearing the shelled creature''s hard-shelled body into pieces before devouring it in the air itself. All the birds emanated Nacre which was only reinforced the more they ate.


    In contrast, the shelled creatures brimmed with corruption. Strangely, both species seemed to have been integrated into the region as while the birds preyed upon the shelled creatures, they moved closer and closer to the Pitcher nt Forest.


    Some of the birds fell into a daze, lured in by the scent unleashed by the Pitcher nts emitting Nacre, diving into its pitcher as if they had lost control. Droves of birds flew into them before gradually, the Pitcher nt''s lid closed.


    The shelled creatures rushed into the Pitcher nt that emitted corruption, consuming the nectar produced within. But, while they were consuming the nectar, just as with the birds, the lids here too closed.

 Chapter 65 Overgrowth Of Nature

    One after another, the lids of the Pitcher nts closed shut, trapping the creatures within. There was silence following that, as not even a squeak resounded, with everything happening within the pitcher enclosed tight, preventing any sound from emitting.


    Gradually, the scent pervading through the air dissipated as the shelled creatures stopped moving, lingering within the ground, stopping right where they had been moving until then.


    Following that, they remained still, unmoving like rocks. But what happened next stupefied the duo, for tiny saplings jutted out of the ground, emerging atop the shelled creatures.


    The saplings resembled bamboo, growing at least a centimetre every hour. They varied from one to another, with some even growing as much as five centimetres every hour.


    What was surprising was the fact that once the sapling reached a height of half a metre, it sprouted a flower, looking no different from the Pitcher nt''s, but was closed.


    The first to express any change were the saplings that grew the fastest, having reached their full height of half a metre within three to four hours. The pitcher they bore burst all of a sudden, spitting out a dozen shells that cracked upon impact with the ground, revealing a tiny shelled creature inside.


    These shelled creatures rapidly inhaled the aromatic scent in the air before making their way towards the sea, entering it to disappear soon after.


    Of course, a good fraction of them was eaten up by the birds still flying in the air. It was evening by the time the birds had their fill, making their retreat. Of course, plenty of saplings had yet to sprout the pitchers, for they were still growing.


    These were the ones that would survive and create the shelled creatures that would enter the sea.


    Yihan noticed a de of grass in a section of the beach, situated along the path of a few shelled creatures that just hatched. Surprisingly, they treated the grass as the most precious of food,tching onto it immediately to uproot it before devouring it in full, not leaving anything behind.


    ''So, those cracks resembling a drought were actually paths that these shelled creatures had dug?'' Yihan understood the reason there was no vegetation in this region, for the shelled creatures were omnivorous, almost like a swarm that ate everything in their path.


    After hatching, they would enter the sea to grow and mature. And once matured, they would arrive on shore, lured in by the Pitcher nt Forest to be killed inrge numbers and also to be a feast for the birds.


    The ones that survived would sprout into a sapling bearing a pitcher that would burst upon developing fully, spitting out dozens of shells that would hatch tiny shelled creatures, repeating the cycle.


    "Just¡­what have they done to our world?" Yihan muttered in shock, feeling an intense headache, for things were changing at a rapid pace. "Forget the war. If we aren''t careful, we''ll be wiped out by nature itself."


    "You''re right about that." Xuna nodded, pale-faced as goosebumps appeared on her skin, "These things are evolving too fast."


    It was then that she stared at the shelled creatures, looking at the birds to say, "If the poption of the birds was to dwindle, the intricate bnce attained here would copse, causing the poption of the shelled creatures to explode out of control. They could swarm entire kingdoms in a matter of days."


    "It seems we needn''t worry about that." Yihan''s eyes lit up as he pointed at a Pitcher nt excitedly. It was one emanating Nacre, its lid now open, revealing a bird inside.


    The rest of the flock trapped there seemed to have be the Pitcher nt''s food, but the one that survived seemed stronger than the rest now, its muscles more developed than before, almost sporting a metallic sheen.


    The bird took off to the skies, joining with its flock as it was instantly epted as the leader. Through his senses, Yihan observed that this bird had a Nacre Core that was a quarterrger than the rest of the birds.


    Overnight, it seemed to have be a better hunter, able to eat the shelled creatures with greater efficiency as Yihan said, "It seems the birds would make up for the shelled creatures in terms of quality."


    But, even after witnessing the entire process, Yihan was afraid to approach the Pitcher nt Forest, for the moment he gazed at them, the pitchers of a few nts turned around to face his way, frightening him.


    "They definitely aren''t mere nts." Yihan said before looking at Xuna to ask, "Can you sense anything different through your Luck?"


    "No, I don''t." Xuna shook her head, "I cannot see anything different from the norm. Strangely, the Luck of these Pitcher nts is no different from regr nts. As for those shelled creatures, it''s the same as a random crab you cane across. The case is the same for the birds too, even the evolved bird only has a mildly reinforced Luck aspared to the rest. The difference isn''t significant."


    "It''s strange and puzzling indeed." Yihan said as he gritted his teeth, firming himself as he said, "Let''s take a closer look, shall we?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Alright," Xuna nodded, transforming into the Klock as she slithered to his back, stering herself over his back while her heads peaked around his torso to stare at the front, making it seem as if he had multiple head-shaped hands.


    "This way, I won''t hinder you and can assist you ordingly." She spoke.


    "Thank you," Yihan felt morefortable now, his hands free as he could move without any hindrance. Moreover, Xuna would assist him timely as she was the strongest in her Klock state.


    Bzzz!


    His wings emitted a buzzing sound as Yihan gradually approached the Pitcher nt Forest, alert, intending to fly the moment anything stirred up from within. After all, the closer he moved to the forest, the stronger the danger signals going off from the West Guardian Beast.


    Eventually, he arrived ten metres from the closest Pitcher nt, only now observing its leaves, noticing that they were¡­rather strange. The fact that they seemed strange despite the twenty-metre-tall pitchers spoke volumes.


    "Oh, fuck!" Yihan cursed in response as he focused on the leaf, noticing it wriggle before zooming towards him like ash.


    The four Klock heads facing the front unleashed a thrust, sending him flying back in a hurry, causing him to barely evade the leaf that parted in the middle, along its veins, revealing a beastly mouth that mped shut.


    It barely missed him as Yihan stared at his bleeding legs, observing that a couple of his toe bones were missing, perfectly removed, as if cut by aser. Only a couple of secondster did the pain register in his senses as he screamed in response.


    One of the Klock heads faced his legs, unleashing a healing beam that rapidly regenerated the lost body part, healing the rest in a matter of seconds, easing up the pain as Yihan gradually rxed, now no longer having the mood to approach the forest ever again.


    "Nope, I''m done! I shouldn''t have acted bravely. It''s beyond what I could handle." He raised his hands in surrender, his courage vanishing like a poof, for more than a hundred Pitcher nts were now facing his way, staring right at him.


    He sensed the West Guardian Beast express fear in response, understanding that death was guaranteed if he were to set foot within the forest.


    "Hmph!" Xuna snorted in response as one of the Klock heads opened its mouth, facing the leaf that tried to kill him as a cluster of Nacre spiralled into a sphere in the opened mouth, elongating a little before shooting forth like a missile, mming dead centre into the leaf to result in a loud explosion.


    Boom!


    The leaf was obliterated, only leaving behind a portion of a thin branch that connected the leaf to the stem of the Pitcher nt. It seemed the Pitcher nt was pissed in response as dozens of leaves flew out in an effort to destroy them, but as they were beyond range, they remained unharmed.


    "See, they aren''t invincible." Xuna stated, regaining her cool as she said, "I can camp here and shoot them down over time¡­"


    She hadn''t even finished her sentence when the damaged branch began to regrow, slowly forming another leaf. It took an hour to do so, but it was still a tremendous disy of vitality, causing Xuna to shut up in response.


    After all, even if she were to st attacks on them, they would eventually regrow or even outgrow her attacks.


    And, as if to mock her efforts, more saplings jutted out of the ground, the pitchers bursting to produce more hatchlings of the shelled creatures that made their way into the sea. They would eventually return and feed the Pitcher nt Forest, fuelling its growth.


    "Wait!" Xuna frowned, looking around as she made a mental count, "Howe the number of Pitcher nts with Nacre be the same as the Pitcher nts with corruption?"


    "Are you serious?" Yihan was shocked as he quickly made a count for those that were in his line of sight, realising that the number of both Pitcher nt types was the same, "How is this possible? There''s more food with Blight Cores than Nacre Cores."


    "So, it just doesn''t make sense."

 Chapter 66 Flower King

    The corruption-consuming Pitcher nts had the shelled creatures to eat. Whereas, the Nacre consuming Pitcher nts only had the birds to rely upon for food. And, there just wasn''t enough of them, not inparison to the millions of shelled creatures that flooded out of the sea daily.


    But despite that, the number of both the Pitcher nts was the exact same.


    Yihan remained in the air, counting further as he noticed the pattern. Even in any given area, the number of both nts was the exact same, as if they were bncing one another.


    So, it was pretty strange, given the rtionship the two energies had with one another.


    "Wait, look at the bottommost part of their shoot¡­" Xuna said in surprise, "What''s that?"


    "Eh?" Yihan stared at the ce she pointed at, noticing a small mound, akin to an ant hill. He hurriedly focused his strength into his eyes, staring at the scene with greater rity, noticing that the mound was indeed an ant hill.


    And surprisingly, in this case, they were just regr ants. But it was these ants that maintained the bnce of the ce.


    Yihan observed thousands of ants form a line from the ant hill towards a corruption-consuming Pitcher nt, beginning to eat its leaves. They were simr to weaver ants but sustained themselves by consuming the leaves of these Pitcher nts.


    But, they limited themselves to only the corruption-consuming Pitcher nts. As their leaves were constantly eaten, the corruption-consuming Pitcher nts expended their corruption to regenerate the lost body parts, which was done with a mixture of corruption and nutrients from the soil.


    Thanks to this rich food resource that was pretty inexhaustible, the poption of the ants exploded as there existed one ant colony per Pitcher nt. These ants stored the food in their home, collecting it to feed their brood.


    After that, the ants stored their excreta in one corner, turning them into tiny crystalised lumps that wereter carried out during the night when they didn''t consume food. These ants formed a trail as they then arrived at the shoot of the Nacre-consuming Pitcher nt, dumping them in a deep pit dug there.


    The pit spanned a radius of ten centimetres and a depth surpassing ten metres. Beyond a depth of two metres, tiny tendrils of the Nacre-consuming Pitcher nt''s root system jutted out, innumerous like awork of fibres, thinner than hair.


    As the excreta dropped through the pit, they were caught by the hair-like rootwork and gradually absorbed over time.


    There was no corruption within the excreta, but it was rich in energy, enough for the Nacre consuming Pitcher nts to build up more Nacre this way.


    It was precisely due to these ants that the Nacre-consuming Pitcher nts could grow and develop on par with the corruption-consuming Pitcher nts. But of course, there wasn''t any external enemy for the ants here as neither Pitcher nts tried to attack the ants even once.


    So, without an external opponent, the number of ant colonies, including their own poption continued to grow exponentially. It was bound to be a problem that would destroy all the corruption-consuming Pitcher nts.


    But, this was where nature''s delicacy in bnce came into effect, as on the morning of the next day, the shelled creatures exited the sea once again. Lured in by the scent released by the corruption-consuming Pitcher nts, they entered the forest, jumping into the pitchers of the nts in the outermost region of the forest.


    Once these pitchers became full, their lids closed, stopping their emission of the fruity scent. Following that, the shelled creatures proceeded deeper into the forest to find the next batch of pitchers to jump into.


    This way, the shelled creatures eventually reached theke at the centre before they all made their way into a pitcher or other.


    There wasn''t even a single excess shelled creature there as once the pitchers began to close at the outskirts, the fruity smell began to grow weaker, thereby luring less shelled creatures from the sea.


    As time passed, with more and more pitchers closing up, the scent got weaker and weaker, eventually to an extent the adult shelled creatures were no longer lured in, pausing as they buried themselves in the ground, beginning to sprout a sapling.


    And during this journey where they travelled through the forest, they of course trampled upon the ant hills, killing millions of ants along the way. And as this happened during the peak hours of the ants'' food collection, it was a massacre every time.


    This was how the ant poption was kept in check.


    This was just oneyer.


    There was furthermore. As, if the ants devoured too much of a Pitcher nt''s leaves, causing it to expend too much corruption, it would emit a stronger fruity scent the next day to lure in more shelled creatures to regain its lost corruption.


    This meant more shelled creatures would trample upon the ground surrounding it while making their way through its stem to reach the pitcher. And all these would be through the ants'' routes.


    As every ant colony was limited to one Pitcher nt each, this would mean that the moment an ant colony''s poption spiked, it resulted in greater food needs, which corrted to overfeeding over their respective Pitcher nt.<novelnext></novelnext>


    This meant too much corruption losses for the Pitcher nt to curb, due to which, it released a stronger aroma, attracting more shelled creatures which trampled the routes of the ants more, killing them, thereby reducing their poption.


    There were multipleyers to this setup, a reason such a bizarre ce could exist and be functional in the first ce.


    Having spent three days in the ce, Xuna and Yihan were amazed at the delicate control nature had over everything.


    Following that, they finally embraced themselves, after rounds of pep talk to one another as they took flight. Xuna was in her Klock form,tched on his back as her multiple heads peeked from under his arms or coiled around them.


    In his West Guardian form, Yihan took flight, hovering at a height of two hundred metres, looking down from above as he slowly made his way over the forest.


    The leaves were indeed stirred up as a result as the leaves of both the corruption-consuming and Nacre-consuming Pitcher nts shot up, ttering their beastly mouths when failing to reach them.


    It wasn''t just curiosity that drove them to enter this dangerous location, but a fervent desire to understand just what was happening, and if whatever was happening was to their benefit or not.


    Currently, the Fornol Empire''s development was faster than the Lerni Empire. It was simply due to the fact that Fornol Empress was morepetent than the Lerni Emperor. Therefore, their development varied ordingly.


    Yulna was actively helping the Fornol Empress, Feleokruna to understand her powers better, training her to grasp things faster and also making her strength grow the fastest.


    Inparison, Rhizen too did the same, but his target was Xuna and not the Lerni Emperor.


    Therefore, the Fornol Empire basked in the advantages originating from the Empress'' development.


    In contrast, the Lerni Empire didn''t experience any such changes. But, the establishment of the secret viges was a whole other level of a game changer, especially the Guardian Beasts.


    So, it couldn''t be said whether the one in the lead was the Fornol Empire or the Lerni Empire. Both had only begun their development, after all.


    Only the passage of time would verify their effectiveness.


    With such a thought in their mind, the duo flew across the Pitcher nt Forest, hoping to chance upon something beneficial that would help their side in the future and allow the Horned Humans to dominate the political sphere.


    As they exercised caution, they journeyed at a slow pace, taking more than a couple of hours to reach the centre of the forest, now above theke, only now noticing a tiny object located in its centre.


    It resembled a tform in the first ce, but upon a closer look, it was a pitcher. But, as only a tenth of the pitcher peaked above the water, they hadn''t noticed it while gazing from afar.


    "There''s a Pitcher nt underwater?" Xuna was surprised, intending to see it better when suddenly, Yihan flew backward, staring in shock as dozens of leaves jutted out of theke, heading straight for them.


    And this time, their length didn''t seemcking.


    Boom!


    The Klock heads unleashed canon balls of Nacre at the leaves, sting them into smithereens as a couple of heads unleashed a fierce thrust, sending Yihan flying backward.


    "What is this?" Xuna shouted in shock, noticing the pitcher gradually emerge out of the water while the leaves continued to dance and chase after them, "It''s¡­damn big!"


    Ten¡­twenty¡­thirty¡­fifty metres!


    The pitcher of this Pitcher nt spanned a height of fifty metres, a gargantuan that was in a ss of its own. And judging based on how all the Pitcher nts turned around to stare at it, with their pitchers slightly lowering themselves in response, as if a sign of submission, they were aware of one thing.


    The entity before them was the king of flowers!

 Chapter 67 King Of The Territory

    "Xuna¡­" Yihan gulped in nervousness, staring at the leaf before him as he was trembling from time to time, "Aren''t we¡­kinda screwed?"


    "Don''t jinx it¡­" Xuna whispered, turning immobile as her Klock heads looked no different to decorations now.


    The reason was simple. They were surrounded by the leaves on all sides, including above, trapping them in the centre. Due to that, they had no room to escape.


    But of course, when they actually tried to mp upon them, the leaves coincidentally crashed into one another or their viny branches tangled into one another, preventing them from moving freely.


    All sorts of minor factorsbined to result in major changes, resulting in the leaves failing to mp upon the duo.


    This continued for five minutes before the leaves turned still, nkly staring at them while covering all means of escape.


    The Pitcher nt King didn''t seem to have any ns for them at the moment as time seemed to have stopped there, for there was no signs of movement from the other party. The only sound in the region originated from the rhythmic fluttering of Yihan''s wings.


    "On my word, let''s break out of this encirclement." Xuna said after observing their surroundings, "I''ll st my canons in all directions as you fly straight up. We''ll go as high up as possible. I''ll use one of my heads to produce enough thrust to send us flying up."


    "No, instead of that, just use it to add a rotation to us instead." Yihan said, gently patting his armour, "I''ll create multiple des. So, as long as we rotate fast enough, I can drill through this ce. That''s our best bet in surviving against the leaves. You''ve seen their speed. They are able to attack even if you thrust with four heads."


    "This is somewhat troublesome." Xuna sighed in worry, for the strength of her Coincidental Luck wasn''t enough to break free of this encirclement that easily. The previous time, when she relied on it, the most she could do was prevent herself from getting attacked by the leaves.


    A path to escape didn''t crop up, no matter what she did. That was what led to the current situation, so she was somewhat concerned if their n would work or not.


    "Curiosity killed the cat¡­" She sighed. ''Is this my fate?''


    "Except, this cat isn''t even cute." Yihan let out a breath of disappointment when Xuna twisted his ear in anger.


    "Did you just say I''m not cute?" She red at the other party, "Do you want to die by my hands first? I promise to be more brutal than these leaves."


    "Wait!" Yihan raised his hand, motioning for her to quiet down all of a sudden, acting like something was up.


    Xuna turned serious immediately, looking around as she noticed that nothing changed. Yihan was just pulling her leg to distract her from hisment.


    "You brat¡­" She was just about to rebuke him when the lid of the Pitcher nt King''s pitcher opened, revealing its insides, startling the duo.


    After all, seated within the pitcher, or rather embedded within its walls seemed to be a humanoid entity, androgenous,cking a gender, a humanoid that spanned at least a height of ten metres, with hair resembling vines.


    The entity''s eyes were closed while embedded on its forehead seemed to be a circr gem, half filled with Nacre and the other half with corruption, constantly revolving like a yin-yang formation.


    The moment it was revealed, the duo sensed thin streams of energy pulsating through the inner walls of the pitcher along its veins, flowing into the mysterious entity.


    The veins carried both Nacre and corruption, sourced from the other Pitcher nts from the Pitcher nt Forest.


    Only now were they able to sense that the roots of the Pitcher nts had another purpose, and that was to release their energies¡ªNacre or corruption respectively.


    Their roots seemed to be connected to one another, as if they were a giantwork. There was onework formed by the Nacre-consuming Pitcher nts while the second was formed by the corruption-consuming Pitcher nts.


    And, the Pitcher nts forming the inner periphery, surrounding theke had roots extending into the water, from where they released Nacre and corruption into theke itself.


    As the two energies were immiscible in nature, they formed discrete streams of flow within theke from where they were absorbed by the Pitcher nt King.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Eventually, the two energies funnelled their way into the Pitcher n King''s pitcher, ending up within the humanoid entity there.


    Right as they were observing it, the eyes of the humanoid entity shot open, ring at the duo flying in the air as immediately, the leaves moved, parted in the centre as they mped upon them faster.


    Boom!


    The Klock heads sted canon balls at the attackers while one of them sprayed bullets like aser, shredding the leaves approaching them. But despite clearing a path of escape, by the time they tried to make their way through, more leaves obstructed them.


    There were just too many leaves around, not to mention the sheer regeneration speed of them that made the situation worse. After all, the Nacre and corruption of the entire Pitcher nt Forest congregated in the Pitcher nt King.


    Yihan began to rotate like a Beyde as his scythe des shredded through the leaves while Xuna healed the both constantly to ensure their injuries didn''t pile up too much.


    A few secondster, they didn''t even know where they were, feeling their heads spin as their rotations continued to grow faster and faster. All Yihan could sense were the hits from the leaves that impacted them nonstop.


    But a minute into this, he almost lost consciousness, continuing to spin at such speeds that he couldn''t make sense of anything more. His scythe des continued to shatter nonstop as he made new ones, holding them steady in their respective positions, repeating the same like clockwork.


    Xuna too wasn''t aware of where they were anymore, continuing to spray bullets and cannonballs in every which direction, hoping that they were making their way up.


    She nned to stop once the hits on them stop, for that was the best bet at knowing that they had arrived high up in the air, beyond the range of the leaves.


    It seemed like ages, but in truth, only a couple of minutes spanned past before which, Yihan stopped feeling any impacts on him, understanding that they had arrived at safety. But, just in case, he persisted with the rotation for another minute before saying, dizzy, "Xuna¡­stop!"


    Xuna stopped the thrust as she gradually moved her heads, unleashing a slow thrust on the opposite side to gradually slow down their spin. In the meantime, Yihan felt his heated head cool down slowly, still unable to see as all he did was mechanically p his tired wings.


    It took more than five minutes before they could recover from the aftereffects of their intense rotation, ustoming to their senses as they stared, shocked at the same time, realising that they had been fooled all along, observing that they were actually within the pitcher of the Pitcher nt King now.


    It seemed the hits from the leaves constantly sent them downward. But, what was shocking were two vines that revealed mouths out of which intense wind blew past. This mmed down on them from above, making them feel as if they had been moving upward when in truth, it was only to fool their senses.


    They were gradually brought to the ground level and even moved in such a way that they ended up within the pitcher itself, disying the enemy''s frightening capabilities.


    "What the¡­?" Xuna stared in shock, observing the humanoid entity embedded in the pitcher''s walls look at them, seemingly contemting something.


    She urged Yihan to fly away, shocked to see the other party grunting, seemingly struggling from something as his wings failed to p faster, only moving enough to keep them hovering at the same eye level as the humanoid entity.


    Xuna hurriedly unleashed her thrust, realising all of a sudden that her body wasn''t listening to her well, feeling a numbing sensation as the thrust she unleashed was too weak to even lift them up.


    Only now did she notice an aromatic scent wafting into her olfactory senses, the cause of her body''s numbness. And in a matter of seconds, the aromatic scent grew stronger as Xuna felt limp all of a sudden, her body slipping over Yihan, calling to the bottom of the pitcher as the nectar there sshed in response.


    A secondter, Yihan too fell, sshing the nectar as it went into their mouths, forcing them into a daze as they couldn''t think of anything anymore, as if they were drunk.


    "D-Dammit¡­Yihan¡­get up¡­" Xuna gasped as the nectar seeped through the mouths of her Klock heads, causing her to faint soon after, unable to hold her consciousness any longer under the effects of the potent nectar and the scent it emitted.


    "S-Shit¡­" Yihan gasped for breath as his eyes turned nk before he copsed into the nectar, almost submerging in it.


    The eyes of the humanoid entity continued to stare at them as the lit to the Pitcher nt King''s pitcher closed.

 Chapter 68 Kekua Fornol

    "Mydy¡­" A man donned in a jet-ck suit said, staring through a pair of binocrs as he observed the approach of a carriage, well protected by a team of guards, including three Blight Humans, all of which were at Stage 2, with the leader seemingly on the verge of attaining Stage 3. "They''re¡­strong."


    "Of course, they are." The one he addressed with respect nodded in response, ady donned in a jet-ck suit, wearing what seemed to be a crown affixed within her hair that was tied into a bun.


    Her eyes glinted with a cunning light as she stared at the iing carriage, raising her hand to signal her men to be ready.


    There were more than fifty people under hermand, with a dozen of them being Blight Humans, all at Stage 1. She was the only one among them that had reached Stage 2, the leader of the group.


    At her signal, the men behind her quicklymunicated through hand signs, alerting the people that were atop arge tree.


    t-tak-katak!


    The carriage made muffled noises as it sped through the forest path. The expression of the guards was serious as they rode their horses alongside the carriage, surrounding it on all sides.


    The leader, the Stage 2 peak Blight Human rode to the front of the carriage while the remaining two Blight Humans rode at its back, currently chatting as they were bored.


    "Seriously, why are we taking this route?" One of them, a man with a goatee said.


    "The sea route has beenpromised, that''s why." The other Blight Human, one that had dyed his hair red said. There wasn''t any harm in dyeing their hair, so he simply changed it, for he liked the colour red better than green.


    Or at least, he hated the shade of green that he had, and hence changed it.


    "Thanks to the rapid proliferation of the Blight Cores and Nacre Cores among the marine species, even though they haven''t changed much, some new predator species have emerged. There probably only existed a few of them before, but with the Nacre and Blight Cores, they grew stronger and gained enough vitality to rapidly increase their numbers." He sighed, continuing.


    "Hence, our original sea routes have beenpromised. Until we forge a new route, we''ll have to rely upon thend routes."


    "This is such a pain though." The Blight Human with a goatee sighed, "Being used as mere guards for a shipment feels insulting to my status as a Blight Human."


    "We''re just decorated war heroes, stronger military dogs." The red-haired Blight Human said, "That''s what being a Blight Human means in this world."


    "Wall anyway, I heard the women of the Tundra Duchy are rather bountiful. Let''s have fun once we get there." The Blight Human with a goatee grinned, expressing his lustful desire, "I''ll go through so many of them until I faint for a week."


    "Don''t kill yourself." The red-haired Blight Human snorted in disdain, "You became no different to a withered corpse thest time you did this. Seriously, do you always need to sleep with dozens of women overnight?"


    "That''s what being a healthy young man means." The Blight Human with a goatee gloated, "These are war times. Even though I''m a Blight Human, I may not survive long enough. So, might as well enjoy my life and hope one of the women gets knocked up with my seed. That should be enough contribution to the world from my side."


    "Sick bastard." The red-haired Blight Human said.


    "Silence!" The leader of the group shouted all of a sudden, his voice stern as his gaze expressed a frown, observing that the forest stretch they were passing through had be dense all of a sudden.


    The ce was teeming with vitality as his senses focused on a fist-sized flower bud that was growing on the trunk of a tree, akin to a parasite. Upon staring at it, his eyes widened in shock, noticing simr flower buds hidden behind leaves, but present everywhere around them.


    And as the carriage passed by them, the flower bud bloomed, only now emanating a dense corruption as he shouted in rm, "Guard!"


    Pata-pat-pata!


    The flowers shot out the seeds contained within like bullets, causing them to sprinkle everywhere, turning the region into a death trap.


    At his shout, all the soldiers raised their shields, intending to defend against the pelleting seeds. Unfortunately for them though, the seeds shot out from literally all directions, mming into the regions not covered by a shield.


    Neighhh!


    The horses screamed and copsed to the ground, riddled with holes as blood spurted out like crazy.


    "Hah!" The leader of the group leaped out of his horse, condensing a pair of leaves on each hand, ones that grewrge enough to wrap around his body, guarding himpletely.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The other two Blight Humans though, weren''t as safe, for their abilities were more offensive in nature, riddled with injuries all over as they copsed to the ground.


    The red-haired Blight Human coughed out blood as roots jutted out of the ground, coiling around his body before wrapping around him fully, protecting him from head to toe. This wasn''t the best way to use his ability, but given the situation, this was the only way he could survive.


    But, the moment he got up, he was rmed to see a shadow pass by, turning around to see the trunk of a tree m into him, sending him flying away. It had been made into a trap that swung past when its reins were set free.


    The momentum was enough to send him crashing into another tree, hearing the soldiers scream in pain, dying in droves as they were injured all over.


    The Blight Human with a goatee was still alive as he condensed a flower on his palm, releasing pollen into the air, ones that seemed capable of parasitising any living entity they came across.


    One of the pollen fell on the corpse of a soldier, immediately blooming into another flower that grew in size by sucking in nutrients from his body, turning him into a pile of bones in a matter of seconds.


    The pollen that fell on the trees too did the same, blooming everywhere, turning the part of the forest into a sea of flowers.


    Unfortunately, his outstretched hand dropped as the eyes of the Blight Human with a goatee closed shut, his weak voice resounding in regret, "I wanted to visit the Tundra Duchy¡­"


    His injuries had been too severe, with one of the seed pellets piercing through his lungs, which was what resulted in his death.


    Among the entire group apanying the carriage, only two were alive now, the leader and the red-haired Blight Human.


    The leader leaped towards the carriage, swatting away the corpse of the coachman as he broke into it, picking up the trunk secured within, the sole item being transported amidst a pile of junk meant to mask it.


    He leaped out of the carriage, ''I need to get this to the Tundra Duchy without fail. Even to escape, that''s the closest ce of safety.'' He thought, creating a leaf that heshed around with, unleashing a gale that riled up dust and debris, masking his location.


    Using the chance, he leaped, causing a leaf to jut out of the ground, spanning a size bigger than him as hended on it. The leaf bent under his weight, almost touching the ground before its tiny stem craned in reflex like a spring, causing the leaf to sh upward, sending him flying into the air.


    The leader focused, causingrge leaves to jut out of the trees, acting as a trampoline for him as his figure leaped from one location to another.


    "Mydy, he''s escaping¡­" A figure d in a jet-ck suit said from his hiding spot.


    "He won''t." Thedy he addressed said in all seriousness, gazing at the Blight Humans under her as she pointed at the red-haired Blight Human, "Deal with him, I''ll take care of their leader."


    Immediately after, she leaped from the branch, free falling towards the ground as corruption billowed out of her body, causing her hair to shine with a greenish hue, the intensity stronger than the leader, disying that the quality of her ability was at the peak of the Blight Human powers.


    Vines jutted out of the ground and caught hold of her, wrapping around her as her figure retreated underground.


    Swoosh!


    The leader continued to jump from one tree to another in a hurry as he noticed the red-haired Blight Human engage in a battle with a group of assants, "Who the heck are they?"


    Boom!


    Right as he sped past an area, what seemed to resemble a turnip jumped out of the ground, clenching a fist made out of root arms as it sent a punch at the leader.


    "Damn!" The leader condensed arge leaf that absorbed most of the impact, surviving it at the cost of his momentum being impeded.


    Hended on the ground, staring in all seriousness as a turnip, spanning a height of five metres appear before him, sporting a pair of arms and legs created out of its roots.


    Staring at it, his eyes widened in shock before spewing out a curse in anger, "Damn you, traitor! I''ll kill you¡­"


    "Kekua Fornol!"

 Chapter 69 Plant-Based Beast?

    Bam!


    The red-haired Blight Human crashed into a tree as parts of the roots covering his body fell, shredded to the limit.


    "Keuk!" He raised his arms upon spotting two flower buds nearby, shielding himself as the two flower buds bloomed, spitting out seeds like shrapnel, piercing through his defences. He hurriedly slipped behind the tree, hearing the sounds of the seeds impacting the tree trunk.


    But just as he was about to move, his foot stepped on a patch of grass that riled up in response, transforming into a mouth that mped upon his foot, digging into it little by little, "Shit! Not again!"


    Roots jutted out of the ground and ripped apart the patch of grass, freeing his leg as he moved away, grunting in pain as he was injured all over. But, it was apparent that he wouldn''t get any time to rest, for a pleasant aroma began to waft into his nose, causing his skin to itch.


    It was a familiar ability, onecking potency as an itch was all it caused. Those with strong willpower could resist it. After all, the ability was useless as long as one refrained from scratching themselves. And the red-haired Blight Human was confident in his willpower to withstand it.


    Unfortunately, that was in the case he was free. But in this chaotic battle, he had to focus a good fraction of his attention to resist the urge to scratch himself, one that caused his reflex to turn sluggish, causing him to be prone to more attacks.


    "What the¡­when did this appear?" He was shocked to see a wall of cactus surrounding him, its thorns pointed his way, damn sharp. Each cactus reached a height of four metres.


    It wasn''t much, for this was a height the red-haired Blight Human was capable of traversing if he focused all his power on the jump. But, in a scenario where he was being bombarded by attacks from all sides, there wasn''t much he could do.


    His bulky form was necessary for him to defend against their attacks. And in this form, he couldn''t jump past the wall of cacti. Moreover, ramming into it would only hinder him, for the thorns on the cacti would pierce and attach to his root covering, only serving to further endanger him.


    Pata-pat!


    Fist-sized seeds rained down from above, falling within the region covered by the wall of cacti as the red-haired Blight Human was rmed at their appearance, also recognising them, hurriedly causing a group of roots to jut out of the ground around him, forming a wall to protect himself from the attacks.


    The seeds on the ground drilled into the ground as soon after, a sapling grew out from each, creeping upon the ground as their numbers intensified, soon covering the ground within the cacti walls.


    They reached the roots created by the red-haired Blight Human,tching onto them to siphon all their power, thinning them out while the vines multiplied.


    This was a parasitic variety of creepers that were deemed useless and banned by the Fornol Empire for the sole reason that they were only useful against the abilities of the Blight Humans. Therefore, it was decreed that those that awakened to any form of parasitic nt wouldn''t be supported by the Empire.


    Neither will they be given any resources nor a sry that every other Blight Human received. Moreover, those discovered rearing such Blight Humans would be sentenced to death.


    Of course, the royalty had a troop full of Blight Humans with such abilities, created as a means to counter any overambitious group of Blight Humans. That was why the rule was imposed in the first ce. It was also to give them a way out, making them choose between the option of death or serving the crown.


    And now, all the abilities used by his attackers were parasitic in nature as the red-haired Blight Human shouted in rage, "The lot of you will be killed! Surrender, if you don''t wish to implicate your families too."


    "Our families are safe. You needn''t worry about them." A ck-robed young man snickered in response, going around as he nted more flower buds in the trunk of the trees, causing them to bloom and shoot seeds at the red-haired Blight Human.


    As all abilities ran counter to his Blight Human powers, the red-haired Blight Human was pushed into a passive situation, constantly sustaining injuries that pushed him to the brink of death.


    Just as he nned to retaliate with ast-ditched suicidal attack, the red-haired Blight Human stared, pale-faced as a vine began to grow on his hand, digging into his body as his hair too turned into a set of vines, causing him to faint as their roots dug into his brain and sucked in all his brain matter.


    "Shit!" The leader of the group was the sole person that was alive now, ring in anger at the turnip, growling in rage, "Kekua Fornol¡­"


    "I''m surprised you know my name." A smug voice resounded from the turnip that lightly danced before rushing at him like a bulldozer.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The leader scowled in response, creating a leaf right beneath the location where one of the turnip''s legs stomped, sending it flying back like a springced trap. But, the turnip simply rolled on the ground, kicked back, and returned to its sprint, chasing after the leader that tried his best to run away.


    "Everyone knows of the sted thief that dares attach the grand Empire''s name to her own." He screamed, leaping from a leaf as he watched solemnly at a rock that mmed into the leaf, wrecking it apart.


    The turnip was like a giant that hurled debris at him, turning it all the more dangerous. Of course, it too was a parasitic nt but the most shocking of all was the fact that it was a mobile unit.


    There was one constant in the powers of all Blight Humans, it was the fact that they had to rely upon the ground to create. It was not to mention that they could only fight defensively, as their powers were nt-based.


    Even though it gave them an overwhelming defensive advantage, their mobility was grandlycking.


    Consider the leader''s ability, for example. He could condense leaves to move. But in truth, if he remained in one ce and surrounded himself with a wall of leaves, his defence would be impregnable.


    Unfortunately, the situation meant that he couldn''t be trapped alone in the middle of nowhere, amidst enemies. Hence, he had to let go of his advantage and fight wielding his disadvantage instead.


    But, Kekua Fornol was an exception, for her power was a mobile unit. It was originally a parasitic nt, a vegetable that could only grow on other nts. But, as a vegetable, it was prone to be eaten by herbivores.


    Hence, over the ages of evolution, it became capable of storing water in a certain part of its body, creating awork of fibres there to act simr to a jellyfish, a sort of pseudo nervous system, thereby allowing it to detach itself from the nt it parasitised and jump over to another nt.


    Unfortunately, it was only capable of this once in its life, at a time right before it matured. But, after obtaining this as an ability, Kekua Fornol was obviously able to take advantage of this trait that had evolved to the extreme.


    Thanks to that, she created a mobile fortress to sitfortably within and fight her battles, receiving great infamy as a result.


    The roots at the end of the turnip''s arms coiled around a boulder, exerting strength to cause it to crack. Following that, the turnip threw with all its might, watching the boulder emit a sizzling sound and fly towards the leader at a tremendous speed.


    But unlike before when they all targeted him, this boulder mmed into the trunk of a tree near the location the leader passed by. It exploded into dozens of rocks that sttered everywhere, some of them mming into the leader, catching him off guard.


    His leaves barely protected him but unfortunately for him, they couldn''t guard the trunk he was guarding, causing it to slip out of his hands and fall to the ground, "No!"


    "Haha!" A chirpyugh resounded from the turnip that leaped into the air and caught hold of the trunk. Its body formed a crack that parted to reveal a mouth, swallowing the trunk before vanishing.


    Now that the trunk was secured in her custody, the initiative fell in her hands as Kekua Fornol turned around and began to run away.


    "Damn you!" The leader bellowed in rage, knowing very well the importance of the trunk, aware that a failure in transporting it safely meant his life in the Fornol Empire was no more. Therefore, no matter what he did, he had to retrieve it from her.


    In his rage, he jumped on a leaf and made a beeline towards the turnip, unaware of the ck-robed figure standing on one of the branches nearby, sporting a wide grin as he installed a flower bud on the tree trunk.


    By the time the leader realised, it was toote as the seeds of the flower bud pelted the leaves protecting him, the force of the impact sending him to the ground, right into a patch of grass that ripped apart theyer of leaves while a pair of seeds mmed into them, drilling through them before generating creepers that ate them up.


    Thump! Thump!


    "No, spare me!" The leader was rmed, the leaves he created being eaten up by the grass and vines, turning him helpless as he stared at the turnip walking towards him with thundering footsteps.


    His screams vanished after a loud thud, resulting from the turnip''s fist pummelling his body into a paste in one hit.

 Chapter 70 Failure Of A Beast

    "Mydy, we''ve fed the flesh of all the soldiers to the nts and buried the bones within the trunk of arge enough tree." A ck-robed man said, "There are no traces left behind."


    "Cover those trees in such a way that it looks natural." Kekua Fornol said in all seriousness, "There are plenty of potent investigative abilities in the Fornol Empire. We shouldn''t underestimate them. Triple check this ce. Even a grass pointing at us shouldn''t be left behind."


    "Yes, mydy!" The ck-robed back walked away, seriously doing as he was told.


    As for her, she stared at the trunk before her, opening it to see exactly three hundred Devil Fruits within, grinning in response as she shouted, "We''ve hit it big this time!"


    "Wow!" All the people under her cheered in response. They were a guerri force, bandits to be exact that had been living in hiding for more than a decade now, part of a Kingdom that was invaded and colonised by the Fornol Empire.


    Kekua Fornol was the sole remaining of that Kingdom, one whose culture was entirely wiped out as the people there had been brainwashed into bing loyal ves to the Fornol Empire''s crown.


    Therefore, she resisted the Empire by proiming herself a legitimate heir to the crown, daughter of thete Emperor''s older brother who had been assassinated by thete Emperor to gain the crown.


    Her people were aware of her scheme, wholeheartedly supporting her, intending to rece the Fornol Empire''s crown one day and alter the Fornol Empire into what was once their Kingdom.


    And as their nature suggested, they all awakened to parasitic abilities. This wasn''t the first time they were stealing a batch of Devil Fruits being secretly transported to other important locations. They had nted spies in many locations, loyal to their cause.


    Their first battle to snatch the Devil Fruits resulted in a pyrrhic victory, leading to the deaths of many people. But following that, once they became Blight Humans, their rate of victories rose up at an rming pace, allowing Kekua Fornol to be infamous in the Empire.


    Her reputation became the de-facto ally to all Blight Humans with a parasitic ability. And as a result, many among the nobles of the Fornol Empire that awakened to parasitic abilities joined hands with her.


    Surprisingly, she had great charisma, automatically making them follow her. And thanks to her superior fighting strength, they followed her.


    But most of all, as Blight Humans, they were invested in her potential, for the shade of her hair was almost on par with the Fornol Empress herself. This meant that her ability was inferior only to Fornol Sunflower.


    This was the reason why everyone that joined her bought the lie that she hailed from the Fornol Empire''s royalty. After all, only the current Empress and her descendants possessed the power of Fornol Sunflower.


    So, it could be argued that the past family line might have had an affinity to other powers, just that it could never be verified.


    "This is our greatest victory to date." Kekua Fornol smiled, locking the trunk as she kept it in the turnip safely, personally checking the battle ground to ensure that they had indeed wiped out all traces of battle.


    Following that, she motioned for everyone to enter the turnip as she too entered it. The space within was mildly cramped, but none minded that as the turnip began to run through the forest, soon arriving at the shores as it entered the sea, paddling its way through the turbulent waters.


    The turnip travelled twenty kilometres in such a fashion before arriving at arge ind, one that spanned a radius of around five kilometres. Currently, a small town had been established here, one where all the residents harboured some king of resentment against the Fornol Empire.


    And shockingly, there were more than fifty Blight Humans patrolling the ce against any attacks. Thankfully, the rough sea currents surrounding the ind acted as natural protections for their ind, making it hard for any ships of the Empire from reaching it.


    That was why it worked perfectly as their base of operations. But, this also meant that they were also isted, for only Kekua Fornol had the capability to traverse the waters.


    The moment she arrived on the ind, before she could announce their victory, Kekua Fornol noticed that the atmosphere was grim, approaching the crowd huddled on the beach, surrounding something.


    "What happened?" She arrived at the scene, frowning to see the solemn faces of the people among the crowd.


    "Mydy, you''ve returned." The crowd parted way for her, allowing her to see what was up.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Laying in the centre was a whale, spanning a whopping length of twenty metres, sporting arge flower on its head. The roots of the flower had burrowed into his brain, controlling it through them.


    It was a parasitic flower with basic mind control properties, something that could only be applied on creatures withcking intelligence.


    The one in the two with this ability was the sole other Stage 2 Blight Human, acting as the temporary leader in her absence. He was only able to create two such flowers and hence had to use them strategically.


    He first applied it on a whale that they had captured through great trouble, using it to capture fish to feed the townsfolk daily.


    The people were able to capture fish by relying upon their means, but the truly valuable and nutritious fish schools were only avable deep underwater. And for that, the whale was necessary.


    After all, these fishes had already formedrge Blight Cores in their bodies, the consumption of which greatly assisted their growth, many times better than the Blight Cores present in the fishes they captured at the surface level.


    The second inmand Blight Human was called Himsha, a runaway noble of the Fornol Empire, someonebelled an illegitimate son after awakening to an ability different from the rest of his family.


    As it was this town that weed him with open arms, he treated it as his home and oversaw most of its development using his knowledge gained as a noble hailing from a powerful family.


    And now, his expression was solemn, staring at one of the two whales he controlled, currentlyying before him, dead.


    The reason for his expression was the massive bite-shaped wound on the whale''s stomach, one whose width spanned at least five metres. This meant that there existed a predator in the deep seas, capable of eating even whales, as indicated by the size of their jaws.


    It meant that if their numbers were to increase in the future, not to mention fishing, their very lives would be in danger, unable to swim to the maind anymore,pletely isted on this ind.


    As the whale only captured fish within a kilometre from the ind, it meant that danger lurked rmingly close. At worse, this predator could aim for Kekua Fornol when she makes a trip between the ind and the maind in the future.


    The death of Fornol Kekua meant their end, for she didn''t even have an heir. It would mean that their ind had no future. That was why their expression was so grim.


    Himsha exined everything to Kekua Fornol, extracting whatever information the flower had collected from the whale''s brain before its death. His ability worked by instilling a set ofmands in the creature he controlled.


    And when in contact, through its stamen, he was able to extract information, understanding what the controlled creature experienced. This was one of the reason his ability was so valued.


    Through the whale, he had indeed obtained some info regarding the predator, finally revealing details regarding it, "It''s a type of killer whale, one that has mutated. It''s at least twice faster than what I''ve witnessed in the fast and deadlier. My whale didn''t even know what hit it before a piece of its flesh was ripped apart. It took it everything to arrive at the shore before its life ran out. If it wasn''t because the killer whale was chasing after something else, my whale wouldn''t have made it ashore."


    "Then, we only need to capture it." Kekua Fornol said, staring ta Himsha, "Once it''s under your control, we''ll have gained a strong ally to gain dominance over the sea."


    "But how?" He expressed his worry, "Unless we manage to lure it closer to the surface, there''s nothing we can do against it. And worst of all, considering its speed, it can outmanoeuvre whatever we throw at it."


    He sighed, staring at the corpse of the whale, "This is a failure of a beast when faced against a true monster."


    "You needn''t worry about that. There might still be a solution." Xuna said, causing the turnip to arrive as she picked the trunk from it, opening it to reveal the three hundred Devil Fruits, "With this, we have hope."


    She then looked around the group, "I''ll be selecting three hundred of us that express the most potential. Your aim is to awaken to the powers of an aquatic nt. Only then can we achieve dominance over the sea and ensure our survival."


    "There are plenty of uninhabitedrge inds that we can take over in the future to establish an ind nation of our own. But for that, and for our ns against the Fornol Empire, we need to gain marine dominance first." She announced, "And for that, I''m counting on the lot of you."

 Chapter 71 Is It True?

    "Guh!" A youth grunted as corruption condensed in his body, turning his hair a shade of green as an Origin Space was formed in his stomach, causing it to be filled with trace amounts of corruption.


    Following that, information flooded his mind, allowing him to understand the ins and outs of his ability, causing him to shake his head in disappointment, "My ability isnd based."


    Sigh!


    Kekua Fornol exhaled in disappointment, quickly concealing her emotions to avoid worrying the people too much. She then nodded at the youth, prompting him to leave, "Record details regarding your ability with Himsha."


    Himsha was in charge of the team that maintained records of all Blight Human abilities. It didn''t just consist of those in the ind town but also from the maind. Information regarding that was procured by their informants stationed in various cities, delivered to them periodically.


    Know yourself and your enemy!


    This was the ssic moto they followed. After all, their goal wasn''t to destroy the Fornol Empire, but to deport the current royal family and take their ce. Therefore, they were gradually umting all information in the Fornol Empire.


    And as Blight Humans have taken centre stage in the Empire''s affairs, they began to gather all information regarding them already. Moreover, whenever a chance presented itself, they falsified the records in various cities in an effort to feed wrong information into the Fornol Empire''s records.


    As long as they keep up the efforts, there woulde a time when the Fornol Empire create a critical error due to the umtion of fake information, thereby causing the credibility of the royal family to fall.


    At that time, Kekua Fornol would step in and right the wrong, sweeping over things to gain control. Until then, she would gradually disseminate her fame through the masses and gain enough public support.


    Things had to be nned long term. It might take a decade or two for her to deport the royal family and take control. Therefore, Kekua Fornol was ying the long game.


    One after another, she watched the people she selected awaken to powers that were allnd based. But thankfully, things weren''t too grim, for after a while, there arrived some that awakened to marine nts instead.


    They were part of those that had originally been living on ind nations, living a primitive life with little to no necessities of civilisation. And hence, they had a higher chance in obtaining powers regarding marine nts, part of the domain they had adapted to in the first ce.


    Among them, there arrived one youth whose powers caused a pleasant surprise to the people of the ind. For, his ability had zero offensive nature and was purely strategic.


    It was perfect for construction purpose, especially underwater. The Blight Human in question was named Lawark. His ability was called Water Shell; it was what they named given how he was able to create solid structures in water.


    To demonstrate, Lawark entered the water, causing vines to jut out of the ground from under his feet. The vines quickly coiled to form a hut, one that hardened immediately like a shell, rather solid in nature.


    Though, there was a stark difference disyed by the hut between the part submerged and the part exposed to the air.


    The submerged part was tremendously tough, capable of withstanding attacks from even Stage 2 Blight Humans for a good minute or two, disying potent regenerative powers. But the part exposed to the air was akin to a paper, tearing apart with a mere tug of his hand.


    Still, the sheer fact that he could build whatever underwater structure with a solid foundation was a testament to the potential his power held. After all, it meant that they could establishrge structures underwater to create an empire if they so desired.


    These nts were autonomous in nature, healing naturally over time as new cells were created over time to rece the old, worn-out cells, allowing the structure to grow strong over time. And best of all was the fact that these structures were capable of absorbing Blight Cores to strengthen themselves, just like Blight Humans.


    The rate of strengthening was only a fraction of a Blight Human, but this meant endless potential. After all, given they could procure enough Blight Cores, they could strengthen the underground structures to a rather terrifying level.


    It simply meant that over time, the structure they create would be impregnable. A yearter, it would be strong, a decadeter, it would reach a terrifying level of umtion, and a centuryter, it might be akin to a naturalndscape that was almost impossible to destroy, given it was consistently reinforced with Blight Cores.


    There was a limit to this method, given that the peak of reinforcement was limited to the quality of Blight Cores fed to it. But as the world continues to develop, the quality of the Blight Cores would too, which would invariably mean the strengthening of these structures.<novelnext></novelnext>


    And best of all, this could be done without Lawark''s intervention.


    "Himsha, here''s your answer." Kekua Fornol smirked in response, bringing Himsha and Lawark with her to a nearby room as she pulled up a parchment on which she drew rough drawing of the ind cluster in their sea region, followed by the maind.


    She then drew lines connecting them all, saying with a smile, "We''ll create underwater channels connecting the various inds to set up our base of operations. In the future, the growing strength of the marine creatures would be our natural shield."


    "And," She smirked, pointing at the line leading to the maind, "This will be out route to the maind. I''ll connect it to this massiveke from where we''ll draw out freshwater for all our consumption. There would be an underwater pce within thiske, hidden from view where we''ll station our troops."


    Her n then detailed how they''ll make simr routes from theke, making tiny inds a few square metres wide where at most a tree or two would grow, camouging an entrance their people would use to proceed towards the maind.


    And anyone tracking them would lose all trails at theke where it would seem as if the one they were tracking hadmitted suicide, all while a massive pce was situated right there.


    Moreover, it wasn''t as if these underground lines would remain unmanned as the n also indicated underwater forts,rge enough to station at least two to five thousand men in each and smaller stations for around a hundred in each, set as checkpoints through the routes.


    This ensured that even if the Fornol Empire were to discover these routes, they had to battle these underwater forts that acted like checkpoints in the tunnels. And worst of all, if the Fornol Empire were to dispatch arge enough army, they would need considerable time to move through the narrow passages, for only the areas with the forts were massive, while the rest were onlyrge enough for two carriages to pass side by side, definitely not enough space to move an army through easily.


    Therefore, the armies would have to make arge file, making it easy for the forts to defend. And best of all, if they deem the strength of the invading army to be beyond what they could handle, all they needed to do was to break a part of the tunnel, allowing the water to flood in and drown the trapped army.


    Kekua Fornol would definitely ensure that Lawark produced as many descendants as possible to ensure that they could create and destroy as many underwater structures as necessary, always maintaining an initiative.


    It was a solid means to establish a marine nation and even invade the Fornol Empire in the future. It gave her the means to change her ns, if necessary, ''After all, just this means that I can grant asylum to all indignant people dissatisfied with the Fornol Empire in the colonies under their rule. Just by that, I can rapidly increase the number of people under my rule.''


    ''But first, I might gather enough Blight Humans, especially those with parasitising abilities. That would make us a strong deterrent against the Empire.'' Kekua Fornol finished strategizing, grinning as she announced, "We need as many Devil Fruits as possible. But other than that,"


    She looked at Himsha, "We need all the Blight Humans to birth a second generation of Blight Humans. This way, even if we fail to procure enough Devil Fruits, our poption of Blight Humans would reach a solid level within the next two decades."


    "We must prepare on all fronts to achieve our goal."


    ...


    Fornol Empire; a youth walked gantly through the pce''s main hall, nodding in response as each of the soldier stationed there saluted upon spotting him, gasping in shock upon seeing his dense green hair, one that was parted into three, signalling that he was at Stage 3.


    And given the sheer extent of corruption condensed in his body, and the sharp aura he emanated, it was apparent that he was approaching the peak of Stage 3, one of the strongest of the world.


    The youth soon arrived at the throne room, kneeling before the Empress as he took out a scroll and extended it up while kneeling respectfully, "The Lerni Empire''s nning something ridiculous."


    A servant took the scroll and presented it to the Empress, Feleokruna who opened it, frowning subtly upon staring at the picture drawn on it, rather vividly at that, "Lortwik, be honest and tell me if you''re kidding me."


    "I wouldn''t dare, your highness." Lortwik, son of Luncress bowed respectfully, "I''ve personally witnessed them myself, almost losing my life in the process."


    The Empress noticed deep scars on his body, also observing that he wascking many fingers, nodding as she stared at the figure of the Horned Human in his West Guardian form, muttering softly, as if asking someone for confirmation, "Is it true?"

 Chapter 72 Rhizens Plan

    Swoosh!


    In the vast emptiness of the void, space cracked as an injured figure rushed out of it in a hurry, gasping as he looked behind, closing the crack shut before his pursuer could pass through.


    He sighed in relief, patting himself as he looked around, noticing a stretch ofs close by as he calmed down, muttering, "System, where is this ce?"


    <Ding!>


    [Replying to Host, this ce doesn''t exist in user database. Requesting permission to extract data.]


    "Granted. Find out if this ce is safe or not." The injured figure, a man wearing what seemed to be Taoist robes said, alert as he remained vignt.


    <Ding!>


    A mysterious energy wafted out of his body as his System seemed to be scanning through the entire ce. But suddenly, erratic messages popped up all of a sudden.


    [Error! Error! Failure to scan Loca#i@n!]


    "What the¡­?" The man was shocked, having never encountered a situation where his System failed to find out anything. And most of all, this was the first time he sensed it glitch.


    Boom!


    He flew forward a bit, intending to first heal himself in a safe location when suddenly, a mysterious force mmed into him, causing his skin to crack as he was sent flying.


    "The heck?" The man was stunned as he hurriedly took out his sword, forming an arc as he held it steady, alert against any attack that might arrive next, muttering, "System, scan for any signs of enemies."


    [H-Host, error!]


    The System seemed to be glitching even more now, failing to even use its typical abilities. rmed, the man prepared defensive spells, noticing that from one of thes that seemed to be habitable, two entities flew out at terrifying speeds.


    One emanated a greenish-ck light while the other emitted yellowish-white light, rushing parallel to one another, rushing straight at him.


    "What the¡­" The man was shocked as he was just about to retaliate when a voice resounded from the greenish-ck light.


    "Quick! Run away!" Yulna shouted in a hurry, "And, tell your System to contact others and request for reinforcements. Tell them that Rhizen is here!"


    "System? Contact others? Request for reinforcements?" The man was shocked, in disbelief as he muttered, as if talking to himself but in truth was addressing his System, "You mean to say¡­you''re not unique?"


    "But¡­you told me that there was just one of you. Did you lie?"


    [N-No, Host! The enemy is a Devil that uses charm and illusion tactics to weaken the foe mentally before going in for the kill.]


    The man originated from a cultivation world, a ce where he had been cultivating for more than three centuries. When he was young, he obtained his System and had relied upon it to redefine his talents to be a peerless expert.


    At present, he had already be strong enough to challenge immortals that had cultivated for ten times his lifetime. During one such asion, he fell to a trap and was injured severely, being chased by his enemies following that.


    Left with no other choice, he rushed into a spatial crack and ended up here. And all through his life, he was of the belief that he was special, for only he had a System. And, his System too indoctrined that belief in him.


    But, to hear Yulna say otherwise, he felt conflicting.


    As for his System, as it had been in he cultivation world all along, busy strengthening its Host, it wasn''t aware of the fact that all Systems were searching for Rhizen.


    Even though it too learnt of that information, it hadn''t paid much heed to that, for Rhizen was only active amongst apocalyptic worlds.


    And as part of cultivation worlds, they would never encounter one another. But now, it had to first ensure its Host didn''t lose the truth built between them. That would mean all its efforts would go down the drain.


    Therefore, it firstbelled Yulna as an enemy, despite the fact that she was alerting them with their best interests in mind.


    "It makes sense now. So, that''s why your scan failed." The immortal nodded in response, staring at Yulna with a solemn gaze, "You''re a tricky opponent."<novelnext></novelnext>


    With that, his spiritual energy seeped into his flying sword, expanding its size before he grunted, causing it to sh right at Yulna, intending to sever her into two.


    Luck Arts¡ªCoincidental Luck (Xuna)!


    Rhizen smiled subtly upon seeing the immortal target Yulna instead. He had used his power of luck by siphoning the amount stored by Xuna. Even though he was only able to use this once, for Xuna''s luck was way too little, it was still effective enough to cause a misunderstanding for a short duration.


    That was enough to gain the initiative for him. Though, what he didn''t foresee was the act of him using her Coincidental Luck impairing her, allowing her to be captured by the Pitcher nt King.


    "Humph!" Xuna snorted in response as she condensed Fornol Sunflower on her palm and unleashed a beam of sunlight at the flying sword, affecting it using the intense heat as it slowed down, beginning to melt.


    The immortal was shocked in response as he hurriedly erected a sword formation, using them to defend himself while bringing out a banner that emanated a baleful aura.


    "Idiot! Your enemy is this guy here!" Yulna shouted in a hurry, "Irrespective of what System you are, Rhizen is your enemy. You need to ask for reinforcements!"


    "Cheap tricks!" The immortal snorted as his banner unleashed a baleful aura, beginning to gradually freeze the entire space around him, the biting cold akin to the energy from corpses.


    ''Of course, these idiots from cultivation worlds are absolute retards.'' Yulna felt an urge to rip her hair from frustration, ''But, why is his System going along with it too?''


    Yulna eyed Rhizen, shuddering at the sight of him as she hurriedly began to fly away, not intending to be trapped between Rhizen and that retard of an immortal.


    Rhizen alone was enough to pummel her to bits, not to mention this immortal who only made things difficult for her. Thanks to that, she was sweating internally.


    But, she wasn''t alone, as the immortal''s System too was the same, flustered at what it could do as it had lied already. If it went back on its words now, it would only harm the rapport between it and its Host.


    As it alreadybelled Xuna an enemy, and since Xuna was calling Rhizen their enemy, the immortal began to consider Rhizen an ally, or at least someone he didn''t have to fight with.


    Therefore, if it forced him to fight Rhizen, despite his unwillingness, his distrust to it might build up, which only meant bad news for it going forward, even having a chance to regress everything it did for the past three centuries.


    And worst of all, it was unable to connect to the Astral Network, one of the major reasons for its fluster.


    But, Rhizen too wasn''t as confident as he disyed himself to be, only now sensing that the Luck values of Xuna and Yihan plummet rapidly, disying that they were on the verge of death.


    This meant that he truly was running out of time and had to wrap this up quickly. Otherwise, his investment and his only source of Coincidental Luck, Xuna would be killed.


    Left with no other choice, he could only take action first, transforming into a Whale that condensed a massive scorpion tail and aimed at Yulna, shooting forth hundreds of toxic spikes.


    "Shit!" Yulna was rmed as she unleashed a beam of sunlight at the spikes, melting through them before condensing a pair of wings that shimmered with corruption, taking her towards the.


    Her goal was to escape first. And given his nature, Rhizen might chase after her, which would imply that the immortal wouldn''t be killed. A retard he might be, but he was still a System Host.


    And since he managed to enter this universe, there was a possibility for him to leave too. For Yulna, it meant a pathway to leave this ce, thereby allowing her to alert the rest of the Systems regarding Rhizen''s current location.


    Thanks to her Tower of Corruption, Rhizen couldn''t leave this world either. She would rather sacrifice it just to hold him back.


    Yulna sped up, racing towards the world as she suddenly opened her palms, revealing hundreds of insects that flew out and grew in size, creating a cloud that covered her path of retreat.


    Using the chance, she quickly plunged into the world, sensing her insects be wiped out in an instant as she sted into a sea, quickly digging into an underground water channel to move somewhere else in hiding, masking her energy to the limit.


    Only then did she notice that Rhizen wasn''t chasing after her.


    In truth, all he did was send enough Homing Feathers her way. After killing all the insects she released, a bunch of thembined into a humanoid figure to chase after her. In her fluster, Yulna mistook it as him chasing after her and ran away faster.


    She fell for her feint, eyes widening in rm, "Shit! I''ve been had!"


    "Idiot, he''s the only way to leave this world with less risks!" Yulna rushed out of the sea in a hurry, intending to reinforce the immortal.


    In the meantime, Rhizen stared at the immortal, shing a smile before tens of thousands of Homing Feathers mmed into the immortal.

 Chapter 73 Nearing The Sun?

    "What the¡­?" The immortal was stunned to see thousands of feathers m into him, exploding upon contact as they shredded through his defensive barriers.


    He hurriedly condensed a flying sword, sending it flying at Rhizen. But, it had only moved a metre when intense force churned into its tip, coursing through the rest of its body to shatter it into pieces, causing the immortal to cough out blood in response.


    Apocalyptic Arts¡ªStatic Force (V)!


    Rhizenyered transparent barriers around the immortal, ensuring that Static Force mmed into him no matter where he tried to move out from.


    This was not to mention the Dust Wave gradually making its way into his body through his wounds, eating up his Spiritual Energy little by little.


    "Are you my enemy too?" The immortal stared in anger as the g he had taken out turned into dust in an instant, shocking him.


    "Of course." Rhizen smirked as the Homing Feathers bombarded the enemy. The immortal had very little Spiritual Energy to begin with. So, Rhizen didn''t take his chances to unleash strong attacks. He simply overwhelmed the opponent with a multitude of attacks.


    "That''s it!" The immortal screamed before taking out a seal that shone with a mysterious golden light, coursing with a suffocating might that mmed into Rhizen.


    The immortal stared in disbelief as the golden light rapidly thin out, as if something was consuming it while it travelled towards Rhizen.


    And, by the time it was a few metres from him, the golden light vanished entirely. Rhizen had erected multiple Static Force barriers before him, not to mention filling up the entire space with Dust Wave.


    If another Horned Human were to be at the ce, they would notice a swirling mass of concentrated mass around the immortal, as if he were a ck hole and they were objects attracted into the ck hole.


    The immortal was already trapped in his position from the start. Now, it was only a matter of time before he was done for.


    Rhizen didn''t wish to take any chances as he slowly used the Dust Wave and Homing Feathers to eat through the immortal. With the immortal''s trump card turned useless, he was exhausted, almost out of Spiritual Energy.


    And as he defended against the attacks, thest of his power ran out. He hurriedly took outrge chunks of Spiritual Stones out of his spatial ring in an effort to recover his Spiritual Energy through them, but before he could do so, the Dust Wavetched onto them, eating through them easily.


    Moreover, the Homing Feathers and the attacks from the Static Force gradually sent the immortal closer to the sun, using the intense heat emitted by it to pressure him further.


    But surprisingly, the immortal grinned all of a sudden as his seal lit up with energy. He revealed his palm, disying a tiny me, akin to a candle''s that rapidly began to siphon the mes of the sun, using it to revitalise himself, "Thanks for ying to my tune."


    "I see, that is impressive indeed." Rhizen nodded, staring at the tiny me as he realised this was the immortal''s true trump card. If he tried to kill the other party in a hurry, the me would have retaliated against him.


    But as he pressed gradually, the immortal had no other choice but to reveal it prematurely to save himself. And now that he did so, Rhizen smiled, pointing his hand at the me to unleash a terrifying power.


    Fusion Arts¡ªDevouring Heaven!


    "No!" The immortal was terrified, feeling his meridians contract all of a sudden as the power of the mysterious me was extracted out of him and devoured by the massive Whale.


    The extraction of the me turned himpletely weak as the Dust Wave vaporised him, annihting himpletely.


    "Guh!" Rhizen in his whale form grunted in pain, feeling a searing heat throughout his body as a result of the me he had just consumed.


    Devouring Heaven not just stole energy from the opponent but also converted it into a form suitable for him. But, the process was never easy, bringing him intense pain every time. This was why he only used it when necessary.


    And now, the mysterious mes were being converted by his Nacre into a form suitable for him. But, it wasn''t easy as Rhizen struggled. He then expended the remainder of Coincidental Luck siphoned from Xuna, using it to ease up the process as he noticed a few items remaining behind after the immortal had been reduced to ash.


    They were tougher than his body and hence needed a lot more time for his Dust Wave to get rid of.


    Rhizen stared at them, thinking for a moment before straining himself as he used Devouring Heaven on them too, causing his Nacre to act upon them as they were rapidly being converted.


    And unlike before, with the items, things became easier as the me melted through them,bining into a whole that was refined in the Whale''s belly.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Moreover, as he continued to convert them, Rhizen noticed a wisp of the sun''s mes flow into his mouth and fuel the me burning within, surprising him. Thoughts shed in his mind as he felt the possibility of a breakthrough thanks to this.


    The immortal wasn''t just a normal cultivator, but a System Host too. And now, his System had been devoured by Rhizen, destroyed and was now being converted into a form suitable for his use.


    He closed his eyes, sensing his strength growing by a fraction as his Origin Space became solidified further. The mes refined it, also raising the purity of the Nacre and Mutated Beasts living in the Origin Space.


    Furthermore, the energy from the sun constantly funnelled into it, being rapidly turned into a me that reinforced his Nacre.


    Yulna exited the world by this time, noticing that the immortal had already been killed, grunting in anger upon seeing Rhizen growing stronger right before her eyes.


    She didn''t even bother staying behind, turning around to return to the world, hiding herself even further, intending to hasten her growth to catch up to him eventually.


    Rhizen didn''t bother with her for the time being, focusing on his powers as the gigantic Whale approached closer and closer to the sun, directly drawing in tiny wisps of its mes, absorbing them to reinforce himself.


    Moreover, even though there formed statics, he was able to sense the home world of PADS, noticing something stir up there.


    A momentter, he was surprised once the me condensed in his body, noticing his home world synchronise with him, causing him to mutter in shock, "Did my second body just react?"


    He had three bodies in total. One of them was fused into the Beast Armoury while the other was fused into his home world. That was how his powers was being channelled to all the members of PADS, turning it into the power structure of their world.


    This was also the reason he was able to use the power of reset of his world, for one of his bodies had fused with it.


    And now, using the link to his second body, a mysterious item was being birthed in his Whale body that leaped out of his mouth after formation, hovering before him with a subtle radiance.


    It was a sphere, yellowish-white in colour, emitting a gentle heat and light. It was akin to a moon in that it was absorbing energy from the sun before radiating it outward.


    External Item¡ªNacre Sun!


    Even though it belonged to his second body, he was able to use it, something out of the norm as somehow, Rhizen had now obtained a second External Item.


    And the function of this item was rather overbearing in that it practically emitted Nacre like the sun. But first, it needed to be recharged.


    Of course, Rhizen wished to do that as he smiled, gently nudging the Nacre Sun forward as it flew into the sun, hovering near its surface to begin absorbing the intense energy it radiated.


    And by doing so, it began to grow in size, mass, and density.


    "Hahaha, this is great." Rhizenughed for a moment before it struck him that his actions had endangered Xuna, hurriedly turning around to fly into the world.


    The Nacre Sun continued to charge up as it continued to be strengthened over time, raising its Stage automatically. It would take a long time before it reached Stage 9 in development and became fully recharged.


    But when that happened, Rhizen was confident in erasing all corruption from this world. After all, this trump card of his meant that anywhere its light touched, the corruption there would be wiped out.


    Basically, Systems would fail to be out in the open anymore.


    It was a power that would change the entire game in the future. Therefore, Rhizen was looking forward to it. Moreover, he was hoping to create at least a few more Nacre Suns for others from the PADS to be equipped with.


    A mere addition of even one more would mean a qualitative growth, allowing them to safe endangered apocalyptic worlds with greater ease.


    Rhizen hurriedly flew to the Pitcher nt Forest, taking action the moment he arrived above the Pitcher nt King, somewhat flustered to see the state Xuna was in, ''Please don''t die.''

 Chapter 74 Spageon Information Network

    "This is indeed troublesome." The Fornol Empress stared in all seriousness, curling up the scroll as she handed it over to a minister, getting up as she ryed hermand, "Prepare my wagon. I''m personally heading there to see for myself."


    "But your Majesty," Lortwick said in fluster, "It''s dangerous. There are threatening entities along the way."


    "I''ll be fine." The Fornol Empress said casually, staring at Luncress who stood behind her, "Luncress will be apanying me. With him around, I won''t be in danger."


    "I''m ready to leave whenever, your majesty." Luncress bowed in response, "More than a hundred of my strongest Hoil Bees will apany us. That''s enough power to take down a town."


    "Lead the way, Lortwik." The Fornol Empress stared at Luncress'' son, "Unless you''re too injured to move."


    "No, I can manage." Lortwik stared at his father for a moment before nodding in response. He was pretty badly wounded, but he still had his duties to uphold, especially since the situation at hand was serious enough.


    The Fornol Empress, Luncress, and his son Lortwik arrived at the pce grounds where arge carriage stood. It had enough room for more than ten people to livefortably. It was the private vehicle of the Empress.


    Varnol!


    Created using thebined powers of multiple parasitic abilities in conjunction with her own, resulting in a flower whose petals pped like the wings of a bird and allowed them to soar through the skies.


    Even though its flight speed was slower than a Hoil Bee, it was stabler and provided a defensive construct. After all, the petals numbered in the triple digits, with enough forming the ce of dwelling while the rest made it fly.


    Embedded in its centre was a small field of Fornol Sunflowers through which the Fornol Empress controlled the vehicle. Only those with the power of the Fornol Sunflower were capable of piloting this craft, making this a royalty-exclusive vehicle.


    It was also due to the fact that it burned through a massive reserve of Blight Cores every minute, a wealth that would empty the coffers of even noble families. But, just burning through Blight Cores wasn''t enough to sustain flight.


    Only a Fornol Sunflower''s ability to absorb energy from sunlight and emit it could make this possible. Thanks to this, there was a steady influx of energy, enough to sustain it during flight. Secondly, the petals emitted mild heat, using it to create an effect simr to a hot air balloon to remain afloat better.


    Without this, it was impossible to create a flying vehicle.


    "A-Amazing!" Lortwik eximed uponing across Varnol, staring at the over twenty-metre-wide vehicle with its expansive flowers. Situated in its centre was a house, appearing as if made using tender nt stem, was the dwelling, which seemed fragile at first nce, but was strong enough to even withstand blows from the Fornol Empress.


    A Fornol Sunflower appeared on her palms as the Fornol Empress emanated corruption through it, controlling Varnol from afar, causing it to lower one of its petals, forming a bridge for them to board.


    As they took a seat, the minister brought in multiple trunks filled with a variety of necessities, loading them within the storage designated in the dwelling. Following that, he took his leave, bowing at the Empress from afar.


    "Let''s go." The Fornol Empress said as she stared at the group of Fornol Sunflowers before her, watching them staring at her as she controlled them, causing Varnol''s petals to p in response.


    A minuteter, the pping of the petals had be intense enough to lift it, causing Varnol to take off into the air and gradually make its way past the capital.


    "Look! It''s the Empress!"


    "Her Majesty!"


    "Long live the Empress!"


    The citizens in the capital praised aloud the moment they saw Varnol flying past them in the skies. They had borne witness to its grandeur a few times, turning excited immediately.


    As the days passed by, it felt like their Empress was bing a deity in their minds and hearts, for her exploits were getting grander and grander. And surprisingly, ever since she became a Blight Human, the living conditions of those in the capital improved.


    Therefore, the emotions of the citizens took on a positive spin, as evidenced by the excitement they disyed at the sight of Varnol.


    "Lead the way." The Fornol Empress, Feleokruna said as she waved her hand, purposefully lowering the Varnol a little to allow the citizens to get a better look at her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Yes, your majesty." Lortwik nodded in response as he snapped his finger, causing a Spageon to arrive before him andnd on his outstretched arm. It chirped a few times as Lortwik nodded in response.


    "What is it saying?" Luncress asked. Only Lortwik was able tomunicate with the Spageons. It was the same as how only he was able tomunicate with the Hoil Bees.


    Spageons consisted of two varieties based on size difference, differentiating the male and female. During their growth, both genders were of the same size. But, once they mate, the female Spageons would begin to consume more food and experience a second growth spurt.


    From a height of twenty centimetres to a height between two and three metres, they grew in the span of one month.


    Their lifespan was a tad shy of a decade but they were plenty useful, growing for the exact purpose that Lortwik had intended.


    The male Spageons worked in bringing information from one ce to another, serving as awork. They were capable of spying on others andmunicating information with one another.


    To the humans, theirmunication was no different from that exchanged between birds. So, this was the best form of transmitting information securely as the Spageons would eventually circte the message back to Lortwik.


    This was a sprawling informationwork that allowed him to grasp the happenings throughout the ce. That was how he came across the West Guardian Vige. And when he went there personally to investigate further, he was injured.


    The female Spageons, on the other hand, were optimal for transportation, capable of carrying two people on their backs. This allowed them to transport people and goods from one ce to another rather conveniently and at a quick pace.


    The female Spageons would retain their grown body size even afterying down their eggs, remaining as such for the rest of their lives.


    And, they retained the traits of insects, obtaining all the gic material necessary after a single mating session, enough toy eggs for the rest of their life.


    A female Spageonid eggs at least twice a year, allowing Lortwik to obtain as many as possible among his ranks. The only negative was his failure to keep up with the food production.


    Those with his ability would have to regrly feed the creatures they created. And the food only had to be the nectar their abilities secrete. Otherwise, the creatures would die soon after.


    The Varnol quickly moved across the sea, heading further south, travelling for a day before reaching a desert as the Fornol Empress frowned, staring at a river running across the desert.


    She pulled out the map of the region, expressing her confusion as she stared at it, "Is this the wrong map? On the map, this ce is indicated as a dense forest. So, why is it a desert?"


    "Something happened here recently, your majesty." Lortwik said, bowing his head in shame, disying his injuries, "Unfortunately, I was unable to investigate further. My Spageons were massacred here and when I tried to find out more, I ended up in this state."


    "So, it was here." The Fornol Empress nodded in response before saying, "We''ll take a look at this ce first before heading to that vige."


    "Your majesty, it''s dangerous, even for you," Lortwik said in rm before shutting up as he judged that it was better to show than protest in vain. Soon after, the Varnol arrived two kilometres from the Pitcher nt Forest as those on board were able to see the mysterious giant nts.


    "Dad, leave the Hoil Bees here." Lortwik said all of a sudden, "Any of my Spageons that passed beyond this point were mysteriously attracted into their pitchers. And I''m sure your Hoil Bees would be no different."


    "Let me verify it first," Luncress said, making a Hoil Bee test the waters first, causing it to move closer to the Pitcher nt Forest when suddenly, it failed to listen to hismands any longer, quickly making its way into a pitcher whose lid closed immediately after.


    A few minutester, Luncress muttered, "It''s dead."


    "Yeah, that''s how dangerous these nts are." Lortwik nodded in response before pointing at the leaves, "Those leaves are even worse. They are like des that would mp upon you the moment you near them. As long as they exist, you cannot even approach them."


    "Oh, they also regenerate just like the nts created from our abilities." He concluded, shuddering as his wounds hurt just from staring at the leaves, noticing his hands mildly trembling as a result of the trauma.


    "Wait, who are they...?" The Fornol Empress said all of a sudden, her eyes lighting up as she pointed at the entity flying in the air, staring at Lortwik, "Isn''t that the humanoid from that vige?"

 Chapter 75 Xuna Vs Fornol Empress (Part 1)

    Rhizen arrived at the centre of the Pitcher nt Forest, watching the leaves mp upon him, failing to even scratch his Celestial Armour. He stared at the Pitcher nt King, muttering coldly, "Will you spit them out, or do I take them out myself?"


    The Pitcher nt King emerged out of theke, trembling as hundreds of its vines jutted out of the water, expressing its anger. But, upon sensing the vast stream of power, almost infinite in nature billow out of Rhizen, it controlled itself.


    Though unwilling, it opened its lid, taking out the figures of Yihan and Xuna that were pretty wounded. Their skin had vanished, with a part of their flesh missing, having been digested by the Pitcher nt King.


    It was able to sense that devouring these two would prove beneficial and hence did that exactly, gradually digesting them and turning their powers into its own.


    But before it could finish the process, Rhizen arrived, interrupting it.


    He created two beds using Homing Feathers, making them as soft as possible, using them to carry the wounded Xuna and Yihan. They were bordering death now, on the verge of losing their lives.


    Rhizen infused his Nacre into their Origin Space, allowing their powers to do the rest as he actuated them. As the creator of Nacre, he exercisedmand over it. And hence, it was easy for him to actuate their powers.


    Xuna''s Healing Rod manifested itself above her as it began to heal her body. Yihan''s regenerative powers were actuated, gradually causing ayer of skin to form on his body while all the missing flesh regrew.


    Upon seeing that their recovery was going well, Rhizen stared at the humanoid entity within the Pitcher nt King''s pitcher, surprised for a moment before nodding in response, "I see, so you''re this world''s creation."


    The humanoid entity was trembling in fear while staring at him, akin to a prey encountering a vicious predator.


    Rhizen observed Nacre and corruption swirling around within it in equal amounts, held together by what seemed to be the essence of the world. He recognised it thanks to witnessing it before while helping Xuna.


    The essence of the world was the most concentrated within this humanoid entity, allowing him to understand that the world itself was trying its hand at gaining control over both Nacre and corruption.


    And, it seemed to be sourcing the information from the Tower of Corruption and Tower of Purification.


    Normally, he would have either stopped this process or tilted the bnce in the humanoid entity towards Nacre, allowing them to obtain dominance.


    But now, he refrained from taking such an action, interested to see how this world would develop next. After all, unlike the other worlds that were devoured by Apocalypse, this world was actively embracing the powers of both Apocalypse and him.


    Therefore, something interesting might be birthed as a result. And, this humanoid entity was the amalgamation of that, the focal point of this world''s ns regarding the two world-changing energies.


    The reason he didn''t interfere was simple: Nacre and Blight Cores.


    Nacre Cores were beneficial for the growth of both Horned Humans and Mystique Humans. Simrly, Blight Cores were beneficial for the growth of Blight Humans. And this in extension implied that they were beneficial for all entities created by Apocalypse.


    Normally, they would try everything in their power to annihte all traces of Apocalypse. But with the Blight Cores in their arsenal, they could capture weak Aberrants, Zombies, etc. among those birthed by Apocalypse and nurture them in a safe environment.


    This way, they could create a farm to train and strengthen the abilities of weak Horned and Mystique Humans.


    After all, in all apocalyptic worlds, only those at Stage 5 and above could do anything. The rest were too weak to make a difference and would have to constantly be rescued.


    But with the Blight Cores introduced in the mix, they could turn an entire world into a training ground where weak Mystique Humans would fight and kill the likes of Aberrants, zombies, etc. gaining both experience and confidence in dealing with such creatures.


    That would fuel their growth, allowing them to be veteran warriors by the time they reached Stage 5, bing ready to be deployed into an apocalyptic world.


    Therefore, both the Blight and Nacre Cores were important for the future of PADS and the annihtion of Apocalypse.


    This was why Rhizen didn''t wish to alter the status quo of this world, leaving everything to the natives. His only goal at present was to deal with Yulna. Once she was dead, he could try looking for a way to return home.


    With the Tower of Corruption removed, it would be easy for him to contact home, form a connection, and return using his power of Thieving Heaven immediately after.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I won''t interfere in your life," Rhizen stared at the humanoid entity, stating solemnly as he pointed at Yihan and Xuna, "Don''t kill these two now. But, if they try to attack you after this, feel free to do as you please."


    The humanoid entity subtly nodded in response to his words as Rhizen observed that the two were fully healed now, disappearing soon after. "I''m sorry to have used up your Luck, Xuna. But, I''ve already replenished it."


    "Take care." With that, he made a beeline towards the sun, intending to observe the development of his second External Item and also begin preparations to reach Stage 10.


    For some reason, he felt that reaching Stage 10 would make it easy for him to find and deal with Yulna.


    ...


    "Ugh!" Xuna woke up, feeling groggy as she blinked in confusion, staring at a leaf before her. It took a few seconds before her face paled, realising what was happening as she looked around in a hurry, noticing that she was surrounded by leaves from all sides.


    But strangely, none attacked her.


    Xuna then noticed Yihan getting up, hurriedly calming him down so that he wouldn''t make any big movements and trigger the leaves to attack. They definitely wouldn''t survive if that were to happen.


    "Let''s leave slowly." She said, using her rocket to carry him out, tensed all along that the leaves would attack them like before. But strangely, they didn''t.


    Even though they wished to understand the reason, both Xuna and Yihan were aware that they weren''t capable enough to escape if the leaves tried anything on them again. Therefore, they curbed their curiosity and made their way out, sighing in relief upon leaving theke first.


    Soon, they flew above the rest of the Pitcher nt Forest, leaving it shortly after.


    But, just when they thought they were safe, Xuna felt the ear on her left prick, turning around as her action shifted the thrust of her rocket, jerking the two to the side.


    ? rmed, she watched a beam of sunlight, akin to aser move past them, singeing Yihan''s armour as he protected her with it. If she hadn''t moved, they would have faced the brunt of theser impact.


    "Tch!" Feleokruna clicked her tongue in response, watching her targets evade her attack. She then focused on Xuna''s horns, her expression forming a scowl as she stated in distaste, "That''s our enemy''s chosen Horned Human. She''s already attained Stage 5."


    "S-Stage 5?" Luncress was startled. Even he had only reached Stage 3, and he was one of the first to be a Blight Human.


    Based on what Yulna told him, Blight Humans were the first to appear. There was at least a month of dy before Horned Humans began to appear.


    So, the fact that a Horned Human managed to reach Stage 5 at such a short interval before they could even reach Stage 4 was tantamount to her terrifying potential and the extent of support she gained from Rhizen.


    "I''ll be facing her." The Fornol Empress said, getting up whilemanding the other two, "The two of you target the other guy. He''s only Stage 2, so make snappy work of him and then reinforce me."


    A Fornol Sunflower appeared on the palms of her hands, glowing orange as they emitted minute sunlight that seemed to tremble underneath her palm. The trembling soon shifted over to the wind, gradually applying pressure on her palm before her body was lifted.


    For a moment, it seemed like she could fly, but in truth, that wasn''t possible. She was releasing a tremendous volume of energy to maintain this, something that only allowed her to hover barely.


    This wasn''t to take flight, but a form of warming up for her as immediately after, her ability began to rapidly drink up the sunlight, turning up the heat she could emit.


    Feleokruna took in a deep breath as she exerted strength in her leg muscles, pausing for a moment before bolting off to the front, leaping off from the Varnol,nding on a female Spageon that Lortwik brought at the position.


    The Spageon quickly flew closer to the ground as Feleokrunanded on the sand, dusting herself as she got up and red at Xuna, announcing with a loud voice, "I am Feleokruna, proud Empress of the Fornol Empire that controls half the world, representative of all Blight Humans."


    In response, Xunanded a hundred metres away from her, holding a gun in her hands as she spoke curtly, letting out a chuckle, "I''m Xuna, the enemy you can never hope to defeat."

 Chapter 76 Xuna Vs Fornol Empress (Part 2)

    "I''m Xuna, the enemy you can never hope to defeat."


    Hearing the opponent convey with a light chuckle irritated Feleokruna, so much so that she seethed in anger. But an instantter, she calmed herself, ring at the opponent to shout, "Your horn is pretty."


    "I would love to make a ne out of it."


    "I was looking for a wig myself, but¡­" Xuna shook her head, sighing in response, "But yours is too ugly. Never mind, I''ll just use a cheap hair dye. That''s better."


    "This bitch!" Feleokruna aimed at Xuna and unleashed aser beam, impacting her location to melt through the sand, creating a puddle ofva.


    Xuna was in the air now, relying on a rocket to evade theser beam. Her left hand held the rocket while in her right was her gun in its canon form. She aimed at Feleokruna and shot a cannonball.


    "Kyak!" Feleokruna was surprised at the attack as she leaped to the side, evading the attack as a wave of sand fell on her, burying her underneath.


    She hurriedly surfaced and looked at the deep, five-metre-wide crater before her, flinching as goosebumps formed on her skin, noticing another cannon ball fly at her.


    She aimed aser beam at the cannonball, melting through it rapidly before leaping to the side. It wasn''t fully melted through despite being in contact with herser for more than two seconds.


    It was enough proof that Xuna''s ability was stronger than hers. That was indeed the case as Xuna was at Stage 5 while Feleokruna had only recently attained Stage 4. There was a vast chasm of strength difference between the two.


    Bzzz!


    Dozens of Hoil Bees flew at Xuna, intending to apply pressure on her so that Feleokruna would have an easier time fighting.


    Brrrrr!


    Xuna changed her cannon into the assault form, spraying hundreds of bullets in a matter of seconds, riddling the Hoil Bees with fist-sized holes, causing them to copse in droves.


    "What the?" Feleokruna was shocked, hurriedly attacking Xuna with herser. Only then did the other party pause mowing down the Hoil Bees and focus on defending herself.


    A Spageon moved high up in the sky, reaching its max altitude before diving down at terrifying speeds, elerating to its top speed, even exceeding it to result in a suicidal attack as it aimed for Xuna.


    "Shit!" Xuna was rmed, looking up when her forehead pricked, noticing the Spageon racing straight at her. It was already toote to evade as her only option was to change her gun to its canon form and shoot at the bird, rupturing its body into a sea of blood that sttered everywhere, with some of it falling on her too.


    Normally in this situation, they would have fallen on her eyes too. But in her case, they coincidentally missed her eyes, preventing Xuna from falling into a defensive position as she raised her altitude.


    She then began to free fall, changing her rocket too into assault form, spraying bullets from both the guns as a Hoil Bee met its end every second.


    She proceeded to spray bullets without concerning herself with Nacre expenditure, attacking in all directions.


    Feleokruna burned a hole through the sand and jumped into it to avoid any stray bullets from impacting her. Fornol Sunflower would only unlock its defensive capability at Stage 5. So until then, she was only left with an offensive nature.


    Therefore, Feleokruna couldn''t risk herself, for even a single bullet could harm her severely, and if it hit her head, could end up killing her too.


    Xuna''s bullets packed a punch enough to prate through the Hoil Bee''s exoskeleton armour. They would obliterate her feeble human body.


    Boom!


    Feleokruna melted through the sand, creating underground tunnels, surfacing from time to time as she unleashed herser beams at Xuna, forcing the opponent to defend herself.


    Within a few minutes, dozens of holes had now appeared on the desert ground as Feleokruna popped out from them randomly. And every time she appeared, Xuna retaliated with a canon attack. If she didn''t predict where her opponent would pop out from, aser beam would impact her.


    She would be forced to rely upon the rope of her grappling hook to form a shield to tank theser beam. She wasted a lot of Nacre every time to heal the damage sustained by the burnt rope.


    If Xuna predicted her opponent''s actions, the moment Feleokruna tried to unleash aser beam, she woulde face to face with a cannonball. And in such cases, she had to focus the beams from both her palms onto the canon ball and slow it enough so that she could use the fraction of a second bought from this to evade.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Their battle turned into high-stakes whack-a-mole.


    While their fight was progressing, Luncress controlled a dozen Hoil Bees to surround Yihan, beginning to attack him immediately.


    Upon seeing his West Guardian form, Luncress felt his heart skip a beat, ''It''s damn simr to my Hoil Bee.''


    "But¡­" He muttered in shock upon seeing Yihan move about fluidly, "It''s superior in all aspects."


    His Hoil Bees had yet to attain the perfect form he wished for. It would take a few more years and multiple generations to evolve into that. In contrast, Yihan''s form was perfect from the start.


    After all, the West Guardian Beast was something like a spirit whose powers were harnessed by all those in the West Guardian Vige. And as a result, through their bond, it was capable of evolving over time, embracing a form more perfect for their use.


    Both the vigers and the West Guardian Beast lived depending on each other, and hence, they both grew and evolved ordingly.


    Hence, when Luncress stared at Yihan''s West Guardian form, he was startled, to say the least. It felt like all his work meant nothing, for here it was, the perfect form he was striving for, wielded by the enemy.


    Horned Humans only began to appear a month after he became a Blight Human. This meant that someone took his research efforts, surpassed him by miles, and perfected it, all while he was proceeding at a snail''s pace, despite being in the lead at the start.


    That fact mmed into him, taking a mental toll on him. Moreover, his Hoil Bees were unable to gain an advantage over Yihan who danced through the air, wielding his scythe des to hack into his less flexible opponents.


    Moreover, after a nce, Yihan took advantage of the weak points of the Hoil Bees, targeting them in such a way that they injured themselves.


    After all, the scythes of the Hoil Bees had chances of piercing their abdomen or clipping their wings if they weren''t careful, due to the way they were positioned. Just this was a big weakness that Yihan took advantage of.


    And every time he took advantage of a weakness of theirs, it was like he was poking at Luncress'' wounds, as if he was pping him vividly.


    His West Guardian form was sourced from the Hoil Bee. And as the creator of the Hoil Bees, Luncress was able to sense the same qualities between the two.


    "Dammit!" He was vexed, failing to kill a mere Stage 2 Horned Human.


    "Dad, I''ll take care of him. You help her majesty." Lortwik interrupted upon noticing that Luncress was giving in to his emotions and only resulting in the needless loss of the Hoil Bees.


    "Sorry." He muttered before retracting the Hoil Bees, forcing them on Xuna instead.


    Lortwik controlled the female Spageons to swarm Yihan, intending to tire him out. He didn''t care if too many Spageons died. There were enough unhatched eggs back home anyway. He could easily replenish their numbers in a month.


    "Huff¡­" Yihan exhaled loudly, feeling pangs of body aches as he continued to hack and sh the Spageons. It wasn''t as easy as his opponents made it seem. His Nacre reserves were running low already, for he had been relying upon his regeneration to keep up with the injuries sustained from the Hoil Bees.


    There was a drove of them against him. Therefore, no matter how careful he was or how cunningly he positioned himself, he was still injured.


    "Die!" He shouted as his scythe de severed a Spageon into two, pping his wings to evade a suicidal charge from another as he leaped onto a Spageon, plunging the scythe de into its head, leaving it there upon seeing it break.


    He was just about to pull out another scythe de from his armour when he noticed a glint from the holes on the ground farther away, his face paling in response as he jumped behind the corpse of the Spageon he had just killed, pulling out a shield from his armour.


    Boom!


    Aser beam mmed into the Spageon, piercing through its body before impacting his shields, the intense heat causing him to sweat buckets immediately as it melted through his shields. He felt his hands burning before the beam flickered, dispersing in an instant to result in an explosion that enveloped him.


    "Yihan!" Xuna shouted in rm, watching the sea of mes envelop Yihan. She rushed at the sea of mes, grunting in annoyance as Feleokruna used the chance to target her, showering her with aser beam.


    "Dammit!"

 Chapter 77 Xuna Vs Fornol Empress (Part 3)

    "Hah!" Xuna threw a Healing Rod into the sea of mes while creating a shield using the rope of her Grappling Hook, defending against theser attack with it.


    She then switched her gun to its vacuum cleaner state, spitting out the snow she had stored in it, instantly dousing the sea of mes before she rushed in, grabbed Yihan, and pulled him out, flying high into the sky to evade attacks from their enemies.


    With a full-powered thrust from her rocket, they reached an altitude of two kilometres within a few seconds. Her rope that had been surrounding them in a protective embrace, forming the shape of a rocket to protect them from the wind draft, retracted as Xuna looked at Yihan in a hurry, "Yihan!"


    "I''m not¡­dead." Yihan gasped for air, coughing out blood as fragments of his armour fell off, revealing an almost burnt body beneath. He was suffering from fourth-degree burns.


    Yihan was clutching the healing rod dear to him, trembling in pain as he was unable to endure it, despite the healing rod working in full swing. Xuna created another healing rod to help speed up the process, her eyes seething with rage upon seeing him tear up at the unbearable pain.


    "Those fuckers will pay!"


    "Don''t be rash, Xuna." Yihan said in a hurry, "You know who they are."


    "Focus on healing first." Xuna said upon seeing his stress, "I won''t make a move until you''re fully healed."


    "Thank goodness," Yihan was relieved as he focused on healing himself. His old skin peeled off, revealing new skin underneath, followed by a mild itching sensation. Soon after, he was good as new, having recovered some Nacre through the healing energy supplied by the healing rods.


    He took on his West Guardian form immediately, pping his wings to stay afloat as he carried Xuna, "You can stop the rocket now. They consume too much nacre."


    "Yeah¡­" Xuna nodded, losing bnce as it seemed that she truly was on the verge of expending all her Nacre reserves. That was why Yihan focused on his recovery as quickly as possible before assuming his West Guardian form.


    He held Xuna, waiting for her Nacre reserves to replenish as four of her Nails¡ªthose that generate Nacre¡ªwere still embedded in the hill beside the West Guardian Vige, supplying her with Nacre.


    And through the healing rod, she was replenishing his Nacre too. They spent an hour in the sky as Yihan continued to fly, avoiding the Hoil Bees and Spageons that continued to chase after them.


    "I''m full," Yihan said, sensing his Origin Space filled to the brim with Nacre.


    "Alright, let''s pay the fuckers!" Xuna roared as she condensed her rocket and made a beeline for the closest Spageon, condensing her petrifying gun, on the other hand, to shoot a petrifying beam at the target.


    The Spageon turned into a sculpture in a matter of seconds when a rope coiled around it and yanked it towards the ground with force.


    Xuna aimed at the Varnol, throwing the petrified Spageon at it. From the height of two kilometres above the ground, the petrified Spageon elerated, gaining a terrifying level of momentum as it sped towards the Varnol.


    Xuna didn''t stop at that as she targeted all the Spageons and Hoil Bees chasing after her, turning them all into sculptures before chucking them at the Varnol, causing a rain of sculptures.


    Yihan revolved around her, dealing with any enemies that came too close to her, intending to not allow anyone to disrupt her attacks. With that, Xuna was able to focus fully on her aim, hurling them straight at the Varnol.


    The Varnol hovered twenty metres above the ground as Feleokruna entered it, somewhat exhausted as she arrived before their storage, taking out a bag of Blight Cores that she consumed readily.


    She then took out a bottle of extract, something produced by one of the Blight Humans reared at the pce. It was nectar with mild healing properties, capable of rejuvenating her body, relieving muscle aches, and refreshing her mind.


    Feleokruna gave the same to Luncress and Lortwik, "Be ready. They will return."


    "And this time, they''ll be better prepared."


    "Yes, your majesty." Both the father and son saluted in response, their expressions solemn. They had lost most of their reared beasts. And even when they ambushed their opponents before, they failed to kill them.


    Now that the enemy had enough time to gather their bearings and prepare, the fight would only get progressively harder, especially since Xuna proved way too strong for the Empress to handle.


    Even though it was on their minds, they didn''t dare voice it, afraid that the Empress would behead them in anger. Until now, they hadn''t been as afraid of the Empress.


    Even though they were loyal, when one gained power, they were corrupted ordingly. So, the fact that they were able to create, develop, and rear arge scale of monsters caused a sense of pride in both Luncress and Lortwik.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Or rather, everyone in their house was the same, each as exceptional as the other. And, even though they were loyal to the crown, they would be lying if they said they weren''t harbouring thoughts regarding the notion of them bing the Fornol Empire''s royalty.


    But, this fight shattered all of that, giving them a reality check. There existed terrifying enemies among Horned Humans too.


    Even at Stage 2, Yihan was well-versed in fighting, a closebat unit capable of taking down dozens of his Hoil Bees easily. And as he grows, he would continue to develop as a tank and be even more dangerous.


    Luncress was aware that it would take an army of Hoil Bees to kill Yihan. And this statement would only be more proven in the future. And based on Lortwik''s report, there was an entire vige of them, proving arge threat.


    And to face that threat, there should be a sharp spear. Only the current royalty had that capability as they witnessed Feleokruna in action for the first time.


    Until now, she was only disying her powers for decorative purposes and never once with the intent to kill. And against Xuna, she disyed her true might for the first time, also revealing the fact that she was already at Stage 4.


    Feleokruna always wore a crown that covered her head, preventing anyone from starting at the partitions¡ªthat existed at the forehead. Only when she revealed her power did theye to know that she was hiding her strength all along.


    And against the terrifying nature of abilities Xuna disyed, only she would be able to fight. In the future, Xuna''s sessors could only be hindered by Feleokruna''s sessors.


    Upon understanding this fact, all notions of greed vanished from their mind as both Luncress and Lortwik truly submitted to Feleokruna. After all, for the first time after bing Blight Humans, they perceived a threat strong enough to topple their Empire.


    They needed a strong umbre to withstand that and only the current royal family was capable of that.


    "Shit!" Lortwik was rmed as he gazed at the sky, "My Spageons are dying rapidly."


    The moment he stared at the sky, his face paled, noticing faint dots litter the sky, gradually drawing closer. Soon after, he realised what was up, shouting in rm, "Your majesty! We need to run!"


    Feleokruna quickly caused Varnol to move, staring up to see a hail of sculptures heading straight at them, ''Varnol won''t be able to withstand this bombardment.''


    She caused it to swerve sharply, watching a sculpture m into the sandy ground nearby, resulting in a resounding boom as the Spageon sculpture shattered into pieces.


    Bam! Boom!


    The Varnol continued to move, intending to evade the sculptures, but wasn''t able to evade them all as a Hoil Bee sculpture mmed into it.


    Dozens of petals rose into a protective embrace, defending against the sculpture as most of them were torn off as a result. The Varnol jerked to the side grandly due to the impact as Feleokruna frowned, observing that the number of petals damaged was more than what she had expected.


    ''Why is the impact this high? We wouldn''t evenst five hits at this pace.'' She stared at the fragments of the Hoil Bee sculpture, surprised to see a shaft peaking out of the back of it, one that vanished immediately after.


    She recalled the instrument Xuna used to fly in the air, scowling in response, ''That bitch is elerating them using it.''


    Boom!


    She hadn''t even concluded her thoughts when another sculpture mmed into the Varnol, this time from its rear, the impact even greater than before, sending it crashing into the sand.


    Feleokruna stared at the rear, noticing that all the petals there had been destroyed by the impact, "Shit!"


    She instructed Luncress and Lortwik, "Use your beasts to hinder the sculptures. We won''tst at this rate."


    "Yes¡­" The two indeed worked on that, but the bodies of the Hoil Bees and Spageons were shredded by the sculptures that came down likeets, barely hindering their descent.


    And, there was a rocket boosting the sculptures from behind, generating enough force that they obliterated the fleshly bodies of the two beast races.


    "We need to retreat." Feleokruna stared at the sky, noticing two figures rushing at them, expressing anger before gritting her teeth, sighing at the result, "It''s our defeat this time."

 Chapter 78 Is This A Guardian Beast?

    ng!


    A middle-aged man raised arge hammer and mmed it into a te, causing a resounding sound as those nearby closed their ears, grunting in irritation. But immediately after that, they inched towards the sonorous te, staring at the barely visible dent on it.


    "My god, how did you raise its strength to this level?" One of them muttered.


    Another ced it on a stand and stood over it, seeing it only bend mildly, eximing in surprise, "How''s it this tough?"


    Considering its length, even steel of that thickness would bend more under his weight. So, it was a startling wonder as everyone expressed their admiration.


    "Hehe, I''ve been thinking of creating a ship using this." Chief Yubak grinned in response, "Even the Empire''s famed canons shouldn''t be able to make a dent on it. Even when it''s this thin, it shouldst a couple of hits from the cannon balls."


    "If I manage to make them thicker and still make them retain this level of strength and toughness while still within the desired density, we can begin production of a ship immediately," Yubak said in excitement.


    Irrespective of where he was, his instinct as an engineer would never die. The moment he embarked on the creation of a ship, his eyes sparkled.


    "As expected of the Chief." The vigersmented in praise as each of them disyed the items they were working on too. All of them were engineers that worked under Chief Yubak. And each of them had their respective expertise.


    And with the abilities of their West Guardian armours, they began to experiment with it, creating items of their desire happily.


    With the passing of every day, more and more of them were bing Horned Humans as the Chief and a couple of others had already reached Stage 2, now possessing enough power to make a difference.


    That was why they were able to make better quality experiments. Even Chief Yubak, this middle-aged man felt like he had be a tad younger, able to work for greater hours with better energy and enthusiasm.


    It wasn''t just ships that they were researching but also architecture, weapons, etc. One of them was even working on a way to thin the sheet created using their armour, taking on a trait simr to their wings to create a high-quality paper that wouldn''t be damaged over time and was more resistant to fire and water.


    The eye part of their armour was simr to an insect eye as thepound lenses were useful for a lot of applications. And as engineers, the curiosity of everyone was brimming.


    Adding on their healing powers and natural regenerative traits, the entire vige was overflowing with endless vitality.


    They had even created a discussion hall where a variety of information was processed and stored for future documentation.


    Right as the vigers were experimenting with the te that Chief Yubak had created with great enthusiasm, the eyes of everyone turned sharp suddenly as they frowned, sensing their Guardian Beast alerting them of danger.


    Those at Stage 2 had a stronger connection, able to sense that Yihan was in danger. The Guardian Beast only alerted them that one of them was in danger. Only if the connection was stronger could more details be transmitted.


    But as Yihan was the only one away from the vige at the moment, they understood that he was in danger.


    Immediately, all eyes fell on Chief Yubak as one of the vigers said, "Yihan has gone to help Xuna to create more Guardian Beasts. We have to help him since he''s now in danger."


    "Pack up enough Nacre Cores and let''s set flight immediately." Chief Yubak said as everyone took on their West Guardian forms, taking flight within a minute.


    ¡­


    Chirp!


    A group of male Spageons chirped incessantly as a girl frowned in response upon hearing them. She raised her hand, watching a Spageon perch on it and chirp at her, intending to convey something.


    "I''m sorry, only my brother can understand what you''re saying." She smiled wryly before her eyes hardened, staring at the Spageon, "But fret not, I can assume what''s happening. There''s only one reason for your current behaviour."


    She snapped her finger as immediately, the air was filled with an incessant buzz as hundreds of mutated Hoil Bees took to the air. She was Hakhena, Lucress'' daughter, one who used her Hoil Bees to result in a growth spurt for nts.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Immediately after, she turned around, staring at Felor, the eldest prince of the Fornol Empire, one that had visited to see her, saying, "It seems they''ve encountered a troubling situation. We need to hurry and rescue them."


    "Come with me," Felor said in a hurry, not hesitating for even a moment as he summoned the royal guard. Everyone boarded Hakhena''s Hoil Bees, taking flight immediately as they sped in the direction of the Pitcher nt Forest.


    ¡­


    Boom!


    Another sculpture mmed into Varnol, destroying a batch of its petals once again, turning its flight unstable as the number of petals had been rmingly reduced to a pitiful number. There were cracks everywhere as the Varnol trembled from time to time.


    It clearly had lost most of its strength, unable tost long under the incessant attacks.


    "Hah!" Xuna shouted, watching thest of the sculpture miss its target, mming near the Varnol, barely missing it. The impact into the ground spilled a lot of sand, some of it flying into the Varnol, causing the three people on board to cough in response.


    In active battles, Luncress and Lortwik were useless, for they had no fighting capabilities. They were only as strong as the monsters they reared. And by now, all of them had been killed, save for one female Spageon that Lortwik had saved for the Empress to use in times of emergency.


    They would rather give up on their lives than endanger the Empress, aware that she needed to get out of this situation alive for the Fornol Empire to withstand attacks from Xuna in the future.


    His family was one of the Dukes of the Empire. And as those possessing power second only to royalty, the Turman Duke Household would definitely face attacks from the Lerni Empire, and leading the charge would be Xuna, a terrifying opponent.


    After all, it could be said that Xuna was the strongest Horned Human in the world, for only she had attained Stage 5. And this gap would only grow in the future. Without the Empress, they were very well doomed.


    So, she had to make it out of here alive as Lortwik nudged her in a hurry, "Your majesty, leave! We''ll do something to hold her back."


    Lortwik unfurled his ability, staring at his dad, resolved for their deaths, "If webust our powers, we''ll use the nectar to draw in all the creatures in this region. They''ll devour us indeed, but the resulting chaos would allow you to escape."


    Feleokruna only frowned in response, clearly unwilling to lose two of the most valued Blight Humans of her Empire, nning to fight Xuna once again, even if she had to take on Yihan atop that, with no support from the father and son pair.


    Whether it was Luncress or Lortwik, they were a strategic resource. Even if they weren''t the top fighting force, they were able to mop the floor in the range below that, with each worth an army.


    "All three of us will survive¡­" Feleokruna began to speak when suddenly, she was rmed, hurriedly facing her palms downward to unleash the strongest of hersers.


    Luncress and Lortwik were startled by her actions when they stared to their shock; a leaf pierced through the floors of Varnol, opening to reveal a mouth as it tried to mp upon them. Though, her actions saved them as hersers melted through the leaf.


    Kieee!


    An ear-piercing screech resounded through the desert region as multiple leaves jutted out of the ground. Feleokruna hurriedly melted through all heading her way as the Varnol wobbled its way through, pping its petals slowly to fly past as multiple leaves tried to mp upon it.


    "Shit, again?" Xuna and Yihan stopped in rm as she changed one gun to assault form and sprayed bullets at the targets, shredding them apart as they approached her. Yihan carried her while she used the chance to use two guns in assault form, better able to deal with the leaves this way.


    Yihan gradually raised their altitude, making a mental note that the leaves were able to reach a height of hundred metres from the ground. Beyond that, they were safe.


    The Varnol too raised its altitude somehow as the people in it sighed in relief, terrified of the phenomenon they were experiencing.


    "What in the¡­damnable hell?" Xuna was bbergasted, staring at massive waves of luck churn at the centre of the Pitcher nt Forest, beginning to take the shape of a humanoid, one whose forehead was embedded with a gemposed of two conflicting energies.


    Within a few minutes, the luck transformed into the same humanoid they encountered within the pitcher of the Pitcher nt King. The fact that its luck took on this form meant only one thing, which was what Xuna was unable toprehend.


    "Is this a¡­Guardian Beast?"

 Chapter 79 Surmounting Danger

    Guoong!


    A rumbling sound resounded as theke at the centre of the Pitcher nt Forest churned in response while the lid of the Pitcher nt King opened.


    The humanoid entity within was now fully formed, reaching a startling height of twenty metres, a titan-sized creature that exited the pitcher and took a seat at the top, calmly resting its hand on its chin.


    The nectar within the pitcher of the Pitcher nt King began to vaporise soon after as it spread around throughout the Pitcher nt Forest, expanding outwards.


    "Move!" Xuna couldn''t hide her strength any longer, transforming into the Klock that coiled around Yihan as all her six avable heads unleashed a thrust, sending them flying backward.


    They hurriedly raised their altitude as much as possible as Xuna and Yihan felt a tad weak in response, feeling their muscles loosen up gradually.


    It was the scent unleashed by the Pitcher nt King, one capable of luring in all forms of creatures. Before, it was this very scent that trapped them in the pitcher of the Pitcher nt King.


    ? Therefore, they were alert, not intending to take any chances.


    The Varnol too followed suit as Feleokruna didn''t take any chances upon seeing the fluster someone as strong as Xuna expressed. The Spageon stationed there though wasn''t able to control itself, taking flight as it made a beeline towards the Pitcher nt Forest.


    Unfortunately for it, the moment it neared them, a pair of leaves diced it up before dumping its body pieces into a pitcher to be digested. It was taken care of so casually that it sent chills through the spines of everyone present.


    Feleokruna felt that something was amiss, feeling a sudden instinct of wanting to jump towards the Pitcher nt Forest and run towards it. She pped herself viciously, partly using her Fornol Sunflower, singeing her face, using the pain to remain lucid.


    That''s how she broke free from the effects of the scent temporarily, also pping Luncress and Lortwik simrly.


    "T-Thank you, your majesty." Luncress clutched his face at the pain that felt like acid had been poured over his cheek. But, fear had gripped his heart as he stared at the Pitcher nt Forest, ''If her majesty hadn''t saved us, we would have been done for just like the Spageon.''


    "What do we do now?" Lortwik asked next, unable to maintain his calm when his eyes made contact with the humanoid entity of the Pitcher nt King.


    He copsed to the floor of the Varnol, trembling in fear as some of his hair even fell off as a result. If he remained here for extended durations, then it was a fact that he would be bald. That was how much fear had gripped his heart at the sight of the dangerous entity that seemed to hold authority over the entire desert region itself.


    Only after the Varnol crossed a height of two kilometres did the effects of the scent subside, allowing the three Blight Humans to sigh in relief as they observed what was happening.


    It didn''t even take a minute when suddenly, the expressions of everyone copsed, rmed when they saw ck dots litter the entire horizon.


    "Your majesty, can we repair the Varnol?" Luncress asked in a hurry.


    "There should be a bag full of Blight Cores in the room there." Feleokruna pointed at a location, "Bring them to me."


    Luncress followed suit immediately, dragging a bag that seemed to weigh more than a hundred kilograms. The moment he brought it, Feleokruna lifted it casually before dumping all the contents onto the field of Fornol Sunflowers before her, muttering, "This will permanently damage Varnol."


    She didn''t bat an eye after that, "We can always build another Varnol."


    It took the Fornol Empire a fortune to build Varnol, the reason she was hesitant in doing something that would destroy itpletely. At least before this, even in its wrecked state, as long as she brought it back to the pce, the engineers would be able to repair it to a perfect state.


    That was one of Varnol''s functions. But, if Feleokruna went through with what she was attempting now, even though it would repair Varnol, it would result in its copse a mere two dayster, turning it into dust.


    "Hah!" Feleokruna shouted as she unleashed a blight beam of sunlight, melting through all the Blight Cores, turning them into liquid that rained down upon the field of Fornol Sunflowers, causing them to rapidly absorb the terrifying sunlight-induced corruption.


    It caused them to grow rapidly, so much so that they seemed on the verge of exploding. The massive energy influx rapidly regenerated all the petals. It was a nt-based creation in the first ce. And like all nts created and used by Blight Humans, it could regenerate too.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Though, Varnol was an intricate craft that was vastly superior in quality. So, it normally needed around a few weeks to fully regenerate without any problems.


    But now, in a matter of minutes, all the petals regenerated, causing the Varnol to look as good as new.


    At the sight, Feleokruna sighed for a moment before firming herself, beginning the countdown for when it would copse. She then stared at the sky, observing tens to hundreds of thousands of birds littering the sky, all flying towards the Pitcher nt Forest.


    But the bad news was the fact that the route of a good fraction of them passed through the spot where Varnol stood, meaning that they would have to brace for impact as the birds seemed to have lost their minds, embarking on a suicidal charge.


    Bam!


    A bird mmed into the enclosed petal of Varnol, sttering into blood as Feleokruna frowned in response, causing the petals to fully cover and protect the Varnol. Immediately, hundreds of birds mmed into it, so much so it felt like the three Blight Humans had taken a dip in a blood river.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Yihan constructed a protective dome around them, a cage form that protected them from all sides. It sported tiny thumb-sized holes for them to see around and also for the air to circte as a result of his wings pping nonstop to maintain their altitude.


    This way, his wings were safe. In the meantime, Xuna healed him from time to time, replenishing his Nacre while healing his fatigue. Four of her Klock heads turned small and peeked through the holes, opening their mouths to unleash canon balls from time to time.


    Each of them exploded, unleashing frightening shockwaves that not only stopped the approaching birds in their tracks but also sttered their bodies. Thanks to this, they weren''t overwhelmed by the birds that seemed to be on drugs.


    Yihan focused on mending the damaged parts of the spherical cage shield, grunting in pain every time a bird mmed into it, for he had to endure the resulting shockwave that rattled his body. If not for his natural regeneration, coupled with Xuna''s rapid healing using two Klock heads, he would have died many times already.


    Argh!


    He bellowed all of a sudden as Nacre exploded out of him, rapidly expanding in both quantity and quality as a third segment appeared on his horn.


    Stage 3 Blight Human!


    He had killed plenty of strong enemies and had been using his abilities nonstop all along. So, it was about time he broke through to a higher Stage as immediately after, Yihan erected a stronger spherical cage.


    Their situation improved a bit for the time being.


    In response, Luncress only became more solemn, sensing the rapid waves of Nacre emitted by Yihan upon his breakthrough, "He reached Stage 3."


    "Note down everything, Luncress." Feleokruna stared solemnly, unleashing beams that vaporised entire rows of birds approaching them, allowing them to take a breather, "They''ll be our strongest enemies."


    From the sky came the birds in endless numbers, rapidly jumping into the pitchers, filling them up to such an extent that the pitchers seemed pitiful, with some of the lids struggling to close fully.


    From the sea emerged the shelled creatures, nketing the ground entirely as they crawled into the pitchers like a wave, rapidly filling them up.


    There were traces of either the birds or the shelled creatures everywhere in the Pitcher nt Forest, save for theke that was the exclusive domain of the Pitcher nt King. Anyone that approached it was shredded by the leaves and turned into food for it.


    The lids closed inrge numbers as soon after, the cluttering sounds of bones breaking resounded from the Pitcher nts, muddled in nature. It was apparent that everything within their pitchers was now being digested.


    And unlike before, the birds and shelled creatures continued to loiter around the ce as the scent continued to grow stronger. That wasn''t all, it seemed all the energy stored in the Nacre and Blight Cores of these creatures condensed in the Pitcher nt Forest as it began to unleash torrential waves of energy.


    Multiple lines of Nacre, followed by corruption ran parallel to it, forming a sprawling flux that expanded to epass the entire desert region. It was a terrifying disy of power, immediately attracting the attention of the two deity-like creatures that had rapidly changed this world.

 Chapter 80 Affected Parties

    Rhizen appeared at one side of the desert region, staring at the scene happening in the Pitcher nt Forest. All he did was observe the luck values of the ce, smiling for a moment before chasing after Yulna that had appeared.


    "Dammit!" Yulna didn''t even manage to observe what was up with the ce when thousands of Homing Feathers chased after her, causing her to p her wings in a fluster and fly away, breaking the sound barrier to do so.


    Boom!


    Attacks from both entities met in the air, resulting in loud explosions whose sounds were like thunderps, frightening the three Blight Humans and two Horned Humans.


    ''So, this is God Mother''s true strength.'' Feleokruna stared in amazement, wondering, ''Just how high of a Stage do I have to reach before I wield such heaven-defying power?''


    She then frowned, noticing Yulna focused entirely on the defensive, showing no other intentions than to run away, ''Why¡­is she not trying to fight him?''


    She observed their exchange, feeling that the strength of both was simr to one another. Of course, that was only in terms of their powers. Yulna was as strong as a Cs, not to mention the new powers that she was gaining over time.


    All she had been doing recently was topletely progress as a Mystic Human but using corruption. She already had five abilities, and when she attained Stage 6, she obtained Fornol Sunflower as her ability.


    Currently, she had already reached Stage 8, which was why it seemed like she was able to fight on par with Rhizen. Though, truth be told, only when she reached Stage 9 would she truly be a threat to him.


    But even then, she still had to be wary of his luck and the other means under his disposal. Until then, she needed to develop peacefully, which was why escaping from the ce was her only goal.


    The two continued to exchange attacks as Rhizen gradually pushed Yulna away from the region. It was his goal to prevent her from observing what was happening in the Pitcher nt Forest.


    ''As long as I prevent her from interrupting this process, something beneficial to me would be formed here.'' This was his thought, a reason he didn''t try to kill Yulna, which wasn''t possible at the moment.


    Fighting with her would cause too much damage to the world, which would depreciate its value. And for Rhizen, that was bad, for he had made lots of ns using it.


    Currently, this world wouldn''t be able to endure an all-out battle between Yulna and Rhizen. This was why he purposefully avoided the conflict, intending to take advantage of Yulna to create more benefits for PADS.


    Otherwise, as long as he harnessed Xuna''s power of Coincidental Luck, he would stumble upon Yulna eventually.


    Bang! Bam! Kaboom!


    Birds continued to m into the Varnol as Feleokruna unleashed sunlight beams nonstop, swallowing Blight Cores like they were candy. Though, a few minutester, she began to feel cramps in her stomach.


    Consuming too many Blight Cores strained her Origin Space, causing her corruption to show signs of hardening. This was the first time Feleokruna ever encountered this phenomenon, unaware of what was up.


    Though, she could feel instinctively that it wasn''t good for her future, limiting her consumption of the Blight Cores, making her Varnol gradually move north of the desert so that they could leave the ce and return to the Fornol Empire.


    Xuna too was of the same opinion, gradually moving south to the desert to escape the range of the Pitcher nt King''s influence. Though, they were gradually being overwhelmed by the birds.


    It seemed the birds from the entire continent were being attracted to the ce, so the endless stream was exhausting them.


    "I''m running low on Nacre¡­" Xuna said in rm, watching the sun begin to set. It resulted in her Nacre generation dropping steadily, preventing her from using powerful abilities.


    This also meant that Yihan couldn''t be healed as easily as before, so his wounds were gradually umting.


    Minutes turned into hours as both sides were exhausted now, on the verge of dropping to their deaths. Xuna''s Nacre generation had stopped now, leaving the Nacre in her Origin Space all that they had.


    She was supplying them to Yihan who could only brute force his way through while constantly mending the spherical cage that continued to crack and shatter.


    Yihan had gone overboard, feeling his muscles stiffening, finding it hard to fly any longer. He feared his wings would stop pping any minute now.


    On the other side, the Varnol gradually began to lose altitude, showing cracks all over its body as its time was almost up. It would havested a day or two if all it did was fly through the sky. But, it had been repeatedly bombarded with attacks by the birds that elerated its destruction, causing patches of it to begin falling already.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Mom!" Felor shouted, riding the Hoil Bee as he unleashed a beam of sunlight, lighting up the night sky as he created a path for Varnol to move forward, hurriedly arriving to their rescue, "Climb aboard!"


    Feleokruna jumped on a Hoil Bee, sighing in relief as Luncress and Lortwik too did the same. They abandoned the Varnol, for it wouldn''tst long anyway.


    "Leave!" Felor shouted as the army began to retreat, killing the birds attacking them nonstop. Many Hoil Bees were sacrificed as a result to pave open a way for them. After all, they were an expendable resource while the royal guard wasn''t.


    The royal guard formed a close-knit circle around the queen and the prince, protecting them as the group gradually began to retreat.


    "Xuna! Yihan!" Chief Yubak shouted as he rushed over, clearing out the way as hended on the spherical cage, staring at the exhausted figures of the two within. He broke the already crumbling cage with bare hands and grabbed hold of the two.


    In her Klock form, Xuna shrunk herself andtched onto Yihan''s back who reverted to his human form, having expended all his Nacre now.


    "Hurry!" Chief Yubak said as all the West Guardians erected a massive shield using stuff they pulled out of their armour, gradually making their way towards the south.


    "So, that''s the current state of the royal guard." Chief Yubak turned around, staring at the copsing Varnol before gazing at the Empress and the royal guard. They were only a few hundred metres away, and through his exceptional eyesight in the West Guardian form, it was easy to make out their faces.


    "Who¡­is that?" Feleokruna muttered, staring at Chief Yubak, "For some reason, I feel like that person knows us pretty well."


    "I''m also feeling the same, your majesty," Luncress said before his gaze fell on Yihan who had retracted his West Guardian form. He frowned for a moment before bing startled, shouting in shock, "Isn''t that Yihan?"


    "Yihan? Who is that?" Feleokruna frowned in response, seeing Luncress'' shock.


    "He''s Chief Yubak''s son." Luncress said before staring at the West Guardian that was holding Yihan and Xuna, "Then that means¡­he''s¡­"


    Chief Yubak observed their actions, retracting his head armour as he made a formal bow in the air, "We''ll meet in the future, your majesty. The Galtori n will be awaiting your visit to catch up on old times."


    With that, the West Guardians began to retreat, increasing their distance from the Fornol Empire''s Royal Guard.


    "That''s¡­Chief Yubak indeed." Feleokruna''s expression was as if she had eaten a mouthful of flies. After all, Chief Yubak was their Empire''s best engineer. Him joining the enemy''s side meant trouble for the Fornol Empire.


    After all, it meant their navy waspromised. Chief Yubak was aware of everything regarding their navy, having personally built many tools they relied upon.


    "We need to have an overhaul of the entire navy," Feleokruna muttered once they exited the region under the influence of the Pitcher nt King, stopping at a location beyond the flight paths of the birds.


    "Our navy is currently useless due to the turbulence of the deep seas, your majesty." Luncress said, "So, it might be a good thing. We can upgrade our technology."


    "Upgrading the technology is fine, but our basic ideology cannot be changed. And Chief Yubak''s influence in that is strong." Feleokruna muttered, feeling a headache as she recalled the sheer number of West Guardians she had witnessed, "The Galtori n, huh."


    "Do we have any such specialised powers on our side?" She asked next.


    "There''s one among Blight Humans¡­" Luncress hesitated a little to say.


    "Who?" Feleokruna asked immediately, raising an eyebrow.


    "She''s an enemy." Luncress sighed, saying under the Empress'' re, "It''s Kekua Fornol. Her powers are unique among Blight Humans and can be a game changer if used well."


    "The quality of her ability is almost on par with the royal family, your majesty. It has personally been confirmed by multiple eyewitnesses." He spoke.


    "Kekua Fornol¡­" Feleokruna thought for a moment beforemanding the royal guard, "Use all your means to arrange a meeting with her."


    "I''ll talk to her privately¡­" She said, "On her terms."

 Chapter 81 New Powers

    It had been a few hours since the Pitcher nt King summoned all the birds and shelled creatures to the Pitcher nt Forest. The pitchers whose lids had closed¡ªafter being filled to the brim with either the birds or the shelled creatures¡ªnow opened, revealing empty insides, save for a single entity within each.


    In one of the pitchers was a humanoid entity, spanning a height of four metres, embedded into the inner walls of the pitcher, somewhat simr in appearance to the Pitcher nt King''s humanoid entity.


    There was a third eye on its forehead, the eyeball of which resembled a kite, half covered with Nacre and the other half with corruption. The entity''s eyes shot open as its body trembled, slowly taking a step forward as veins along the inner walls of the pitcher wriggled.


    They gradually extracted themselves from the humanoid entity that was now free, slowly moving its body as it climbed to the top of the pitcher, taking a seat on its lid, simr to the humanoid entity in the Pitcher nt King.


    Hovering in the sky afar, away from all themotion were the West Guardian group that had arrived to save Yihan and Xuna, staring at the scene in shock.


    "Wasn''t that pitcher the one filled with birds? They all brimmed with Nacre." Chief Yubak expressed his confusion, "How did a humanoid entity end up there?"


    The head of the humanoid entity swerved to the side, staring straight at Chief Yubak as a pair of leaves appeared on its back, the same as the ones on the Pitcher nts.


    These leaves pped like wings, causing it to take flight as the humanoid made a beeline straight towards the West Guardians, expressing a desire to devour the other party.


    "Let me," Chief Yubak frowned in response, covering his head with armour now as he pped his wings and rushed at the humanoid entity, condensing a pair of scythes that shed at the leaves that attacked him.


    The leaves were no different from the Pitcher nt''s, parting in the middle to reveal vicious mouths that mped upon the scythes, shocking Chief Yubak because the sharpness of both was evenly matched.


    The humanoid entity condensed a pitcher in its hands that it directed at Chief Yubak, causing its lid to open before spilling out corrosive juice at him, akin to a geyser.


    Tsssch!


    The shield Chief Yubak created emitted sizzling sounds as it was slowly melted through by the corrosive juice.


    "As expected, the West Guardians are strong." The humanoid entity spoke all of a sudden, shocking everyone.


    "Who¡­are you?" Chief Yubak frowned in response.


    "The Central Guardian¡­" The humanoid entity revealed a smile, "Lord Rhizen has disyed his support to our existence."


    The humanoid entity disengaged, forming some distance between the two as it spoke, "Anyway, I just wished to greet you. More of us are being created as we speak."


    "The Central Guardians wouldn''t ever cross this desert of ours and would never tolerate the presence of any third party in our soil or air space." The Central Guardian said before flying away, "Spread the word unless you wish to cause needless casualties."


    "The Central Guardian¡­" Chief Yubak muttered, sighing as he stared at Xuna, "Was this in your ns?"


    "No," Xuna shook her head, "Until now, I cannot understand how the Central Guardian Beast had been birthed. But, the fact that it addressed itself as the Central Guardian and mentioned receiving support from master means that it is indeed a Guardian Beast."


    "There was both Nacre and corruption in its body," Yihan said, now healed enough to fly on his own.


    "Its leaves were full of corruption while its pitcher was full of Nacre. It''s a strange entity indeed." Chief Yubak stared at a location on his armour where a bit of the corrosive juice had spilled, the section was still melting gradually as he thought, ''Such frightening power even though it was just birthed.''


    The lids of the pitchers opened one after another, revealing humanoid entities inside. Though, the majority of them seemed deformed,cking any signs of life.


    In the pitchers where the humanoid entities were deformed, an acidic solution poured into them, gradually melting the deformed humanoid entities. Soon after, the pitchers were filled with nectar which caused the birds and shelled creatures to rush into them.


    And once filled to the brim, the lids closed, repeating the initial process. In the pitchers where the humanoid entities had formed sessfully, they exited the pitchers to sit atop them for some time before returning to their pitchers.


    The humanoid entity¡ªCentral Guardian¡ªthat had fought against Chief Yubak returned to its pitcher as it leaned on the inner walls of the pitcher, watching the nerves of it connect to its back. Immediately after, both corruption and Nacre were pumped through its bloodstream, mysteriously filtered into their respective forms that umted on their foreheads.


    Surprisingly, unlike the Horned Humans or the Blight Humans, the Central Guardians had their Origin Space on their foreheads. It was the kite-shaped crystal that was present on their forehead, acting as a third eye.


    The entire time, the Central Guardian on the Pitcher nt King observed calmly, sensing its powers being distributed to all the Pitcher nts that reared their respective Central Guardians.<novelnext></novelnext>


    This was where the powers of each varied.


    The West Guardians and Southern Guardians both invoked the powers of their Guardians, transforming into that, even though it was simr to donning a set of armour at the moment.


    But from Stage 5 onwards, they could entirely take on their respective Guardian Beast forms. At that Stage, the West Guardian wouldn''t just be a human donning a set of armour but truly a humanoid monster capable of bulldozing through everything.


    They would also be able to assume a beastly form as the West Guardian¡ªthe Hoil Bee. The Southern Guardian was the same. In both cases, the Guardian Beasts were in spirit forms, housed within an inanimate object.


    The West Guardian Beast was housed within the statue that Xuna had created while the Southern Guardian Beast resided within the hill on the ind where the South Guardian tribe lived.


    But strangely, the Central Guardian Beast was in a physical form. It was the humanoid entity seated on the Pitcher nt King.


    And here, the humanoid entities weren''t separate from their respective Pitcher nts. Just as how the West Guardian Beast was Yihan''s power, the Central Guardian was the power of the Pitcher nts.


    So, it went against the norm, confusing Xuna.


    In the end, she could only smile wryly, "It seems there''s truly a lot to know about Guardian Beasts."


    "We pretty much butted our heads into the unbeaten path after all." Yihan shared the same sentiment, "It seems we have to know more. I don''t want a Guardian Beast to appear among the Blight Humans next."


    Bang!


    Felor stared in shock as his sunlight beam was casually tanked by a Central Guardian that didn''t bat an eye in his direction beyond that, only spitting out a warning before retreating into its pitcher, "Dare attack again, and you''ll be dering war against the Central Guardian Tribe."


    "Stop, Felor." Feleokruna held him back in a hurry, staring pale-faced as she said in defeat, "Let''s return. There''s nothing we can do here anymore."


    With that, their group sounded their retreat, flying in the direction of the Fornol Empire. Simrly, the West Guardians too made their way towards their vige.


    Both parties were now aware that a third power had made its appearance. In the future, whether it was the Horned Humans or the Blight Humans, none could be overbearing.


    After all, in terms of sheer power, the Central Guardians were stronger. After all, they wielded the powers of both Nacre and corruption.


    Even the newly birthed Central Guardian was able to face Chief Yubak, a Stage 2 Horned Human. And, inparison to regr Horned Humans, a West Guardian was stronger.


    On the other side, the Central Guardian was able to tank Felor''s attack, an attack from the strongest Stage 3 Blight Human.


    This was sheer proof of the strength a Central Guardian possessed, capable of surpassing Stages to battle.


    And if every Pitcher nt had a Central Guardian, considering the sheer size of the Pitcher nt Forest, their overall strength was terrifying.


    This was not to mention the Pitcher nt King was in a league of its own. Even before bing a Central Guardian, the Pitcher nt King was able to overwhelm thebined power of Yihan and Xuna.


    Leaving aside Yihan, Xuna had the power of Coincidental Luck on her side, not to mention her being at Stage 5.


    So, it could be said that the Pitcher nt King was pretty much the third strongest existence in this world now. And if Rhizen and Yulna were to disappear, it would be the strongest.


    Xuna couldn''t see any guarantee of her being able to defeat the Pitcher nt King. After all, it too would continue to grow.


    Sighing, Xuna and Yihan stopped at the closest town while the West Guardians made their way towards their vige.


    Xuna and Yihan still had work to do after all.

 Chapter 82 Carriers!

    Scrit! Scritt!


    A queen ant wandered out of the Pitcher nt Forest, kicked out of its nest when a new queen emerged into power. Unlike other queens of its species that gave in to their fate and were turned into nutrition for the brood, this queen fought for herself, making it out alive.


    Following that, it had ventured out of the Pitcher nt Forest, walking towards the shore when it came across a feather. The feather brimmed with Nacre, an energy type it didn''t consume usually.


    After all, it always consumed the corruption before digesting part of it before converting the rest into a pure energy source to be fed to the Pitcher nts operating with Nacre.


    It was hungry and somewhat injured too, therefore didn''t hesitate before beginning to eat the feather. The feather had pierced through the belly of a twitching insect.


    It was a Homing Feather while the insect was released by Yulna. The energies in both had cancelled out each other to result in such a scenario. They were gradually on the verge of disappearing but the queen ant chanced upon it before then.


    The feather had already lost most of its structural integrity and hence was easily bitten and consumed by the queen ant who then proceeded to eat the dying insect too.


    As it had been its usual work, she dug out a tiny tunnel in the ground to rest after eating her fill, consuming the feather and insect in batches before it was entirely cleared out.


    Once it went through the food resource, the queen ant ventured forth, chancing upon more feathers pierced through the insects. The shore was filled with them.


    This was because Yulna and Rhizen were still fighting somewhere far away, the resultant of whose attacks were washed by the sea waves onto the shore where the currents brought them.


    The queen ant spent days along the shore, surprisingly managing to stay alive every time the shelled creatures exited it and marched into the desert.


    Even it had no idea of what its life entailed beyond this point. But as it had a strong will to live, it pressed forth, continuing to survive with all its power. On one such day, it chanced upon the corpse of a human, one sporting green hair that only had a single parting at the forehead.


    It was a Stage 1 Blight Human.


    He was severely injured, on the verge of death, lying unconscious, brought to the location by the water currents. If he wasn''t treated, he was bound to die in an hour or two.


    There was arge gash on his stomach through which blood leaked. Despite the strong vitality he possessed thanks to his ability, his body wasn''t able to heal fast enough.


    The queen ant exited the ground right at this moment, faintly different from before, significantly more evolved than the other queens of its ant race. After all, it had been consuming the abilities created by Yulna and Rhizen, having adapted to consuming such energy-rich items to survive, something other ants had failed many times.


    The ant queen was about to find another feather to consume when its feelers smelled the scent of something delicious wafting towards it, proceeding in the respective direction to chance upon the Blight Human.


    It climbed on the Blight Human''s stomach, barely spanning a size of two centimetres, arriving at the gash on his stomach as that was where the delicious scent wafted out from.


    With that, it gradually dug a tunnel through the gash, making its way through theyer of flesh. The severe pain had already made the Blight Human''s brain cut off all pain receptors in the area. Therefore, he didn''t feel the ant queen''s actions.


    Though, he was already unconscious in the first ce, seemingly unable to regain consciousness any time before death. This meant free reign for the ant queen.


    Ants were able to detect vulnerable prey. Generally among humans with a strong case of diabetes, they might wake up one fine day, noticing the flesh on a part of their body had disappeared. As they couldn''t feel any pain, they failed to sense the working of the ants that ate through a part of their body overnight.


    Ants were the most vicious creatures with an invasive nature. The ant queen was an amalgamation of that, directly making her way to the source of the delicious scent.


    It was a tiny blob, seemingly no bigger than a minor tumour, spanning a few millimetres in diameter. It was the Blight Human''s Origin Space.


    The ant queen''s antennae lightly tapped on the Origin Space before she opened her mouth and swallowed the tiny entity before her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Argh!" The eyes of the Blight Human shot open before it felt like his entire vitality was stolen. His body aged rapidly and turned into a rubbery mess, deting in a matter of minutes. He died immediately after.


    The ant queen exited his body, cleaning itself of all blood before fainting soon after. The Origin Space should have originally vanished by now, crumbling automatically upon the death of its user.


    But whether it was due to Rhizen''s Homing Feathers or Yulna''s insects that she consumed, or whether it was its inherent nature to consume the Pitcher nts and filter out the corruption in them, the Origin Space didn''t vanish.


    Instead, it was gradually being digested by the ant queen, losing all its corruption before turning into a pure energy substance.


    The ant queeny there, unconscious for two days before getting up with a start, staring in surprise that its body now spanned a size of ten centimetres, a hulking form aspared to before.


    But strangely, it was stable, now sensing a mysterious Origin Space in its abdomen. It couldn''t understand what that was about as it made its way along the shore, as usual, eating up feathers and insects like usual.


    Unlike before, irrespective of how much it ate, the ant queen didn''t feel satiated, unable to understand this alien feeling as it continued to eat before soon, it cleared out the entire shore.


    It had only been a few hours since it had begun eating them, so the speed was startling, to say the least. Right as it was about to look for more food to consume, the shelled creatures exited the sea once again.


    But unlike before, the ant queen didn''t go into hiding as it dug a trap and waited at its bottom after covering its surface.


    The tunnel spanned a depth of a metre, not too big but served as a trap. As the stream of shelled creatures rushed through the desert, one of them set foot on the trap, stumbling into it when immediately, the mandibles of the ant queen pierced right through the gaps of its armour, targeting its head.


    The shelled creature struggled to escape, thrashing about as the ant queen suffered injuries as a result. But as its ambush was perfect, its mandibles continued to sink deeper and deeper into the shelled creature''s face before eventually killing it.


    Beaten and bloody, the ant queen was exhausted. But it had won the battle, reaping the rewards as it began to devour the shelled creature.


    The moment it did so, the ant queen felt satiated as something within it changed. The Origin Space in its abdomen contained neither Nacre nor corruption, but a pure form of energy, swirling around like mist within.


    The mist gradually took the shape of eggs, simr to what happens in its abdomen. But now, the organ to fertilise and create eggs was fused into the Origin Space where this was happening as hundreds of eggs began to slowly form.


    This was why the ant queen never felt satiated until now. But the moment the eggs began to form, it felt hungry once again, hunting the shelled creatures slowly, one after another.


    The more it hunted and ate, the faster it grew, shedding its skin soon after to emerge with a brand new, uninjured carapace. Moreover, its mandibles had grown sharper, evolved to hunt the shelled creatures better.


    Days turned into weeks before the eggs in the Origin Space finished growing. The ant queen had already dug arge enough chamber underground,ying down the eggs there, watching them hatch immediately.


    Usually, there would be a brood to tend to thervae. But, things were different in the ant queen''s case. As the eggs were nurtured within the Origin Space with a steady supply of energy, they had already been growing within their eggs.


    And now, the moment they hatched, they were adult ants, each spanning a size of ten centimetres. The ant queen was a metre in size now.


    All the birthed ants were soldier ants that exited the chamber to fight against the shelled creatures. It was a tough war on both sides, leading to losses on both ends.


    One of the soldier ants won the fight, beginning to eat the shelled creature. The food wasn''t stored in its stomach though but was directly sent into the ant queen''s Origin Space.


    A mystical connection had been established between the queen and its brood as whatever they ate ended up in the Origin Space, bing nutrition for more eggs while the corruption was converted into pure energy that funnelled back into the bodies of the soldier ants, healing their injuries.

 Chapter 83 Duo Natured

    "Thank you for saving us, my lord." A farmer bowed happily, expressing his relief. His vige had been attacked by a group of Hoil Bees, resulting in the loss of many innocents.


    The Hoil Bees arrived once every few days, attacking during the night when the vige was the least defensive, kidnapping both people and cattle. And those that tried to resist them were killed in the process.


    The vigers had been living in fear, requesting their lord to take action. Finally, their requests were answered as the lord sent a Horned Human to take care of the Hoil Bees.


    Though only a Stage 1 Horned Human, his crossbow was pretty potent during defensive fights, allowing him to take down the Hoil Bees one after another.


    It wasn''t as if he defeated them all overnight, but took a few days at the very least. But, from when he was posted, neither a viger nor any livestock was captured by the Hoil Bees.


    "It''s not over yet," The Stage 1 Horned Human, Balkan said, staring at the three Hoil Bee corpses before him, "I counted eight of them during my first night of stay here. And, adding onto the three I killed today, it already totals to eleven Hoil Bees."


    "There''s more of them." He said solemnly.


    "T-Then," One of the vigers said in fear, losing all hope as he bowed immediately in response, "Please don''t abandon us, my lord."


    "Please protect us!" Everyone prostrated in response.


    ''This is troublesome.'' Balkan felt a headache as he pointed at a viger,manding him, "Inform the Castle Lord about this. I need to wait for his orders."


    "What are you waiting for?" He snapped upon staring at the viger sport a dumb look on his face, "If you don''t hurry up, I''ll return to the castle."


    "Y-Yes!" The viger said in a hurry before rushing towards the Castle Lord.


    The Tulcan Region was home to seven scenic hills, each aligned with their respective star in the sky for ages. This led to the birth of seven powers, typically called the Castle Lords.


    They each controlled their respective province. Each province had a main town and multiple viges surrounding it. Each town was situated around its respective hill.


    At the top of each hill was a castle, and the lord of the castle was addressed the Castle Lord. There were seven Castle Lords that controlled the Tulcan Region, all Horned Humans at Stage 2.


    Depending on their influence, the number of Horned Humans under them varied. Currently, the Seventh Castle Lord, controlling the seventh province of the Tulcan Region was the weakest among the seven.


    He only had three Horned Humans under him, all of which were at Stage 1.


    Balkan was the Seventh Castle Lord''s nephew. Even among their family, there were still plenty that had yet to be Horned Humans. This disyed how weak their influence was, which was why the Castle Lord had refrained from sending Balkan to the vige until the voice of concern from the people became loud enough.


    "Keep watch and alert me if another Hoil Bee shows up." Balkan yawned in exhaustion, having not had a proper sleep since he arrived at the vige. He made his way to the house allocated to him, intending to sleep, leaving the rest to the vigers.


    The Hoil Bees only showed up in the dead of the night, so it was taking a toll on his body already.


    "When will I leave this dump?" He muttered, sitting on the bed as he drank a ss of alcohol before slumping tiredly. A few secondster, he was fast asleep.


    The rest of the vigers too returned home, save for the few posted guard for the night. The torches were snuffed out one after another as darkness overwhelmed the vige. The only source of light was from the watch tower they had built.


    Its me was too weak to highlight the entire vige, but as the Hoil Bees were pretty loud, the vigers weren''t worried about failing to detect their arrival.


    Though, this was why they failed to notice a hole that had appeared on the ground, next to the walls of the house where Balkan was asleep. The hole was fist-sized as streaming out of it were ants, each ten centimetres in length.


    The ants walked over the wall and entered through the window, instantly making a hole for their entry. They streamed into the bedroom inrge numbers, quickly surrounding the bed as they began to gnaw at its legs.


    The ants behaved like clockwork, with them eating through the legs of the bed at the same pace before soon, it became too weak to support the weight.


    "Hmm¡­" Balkan uttered in sleep, turning around when his action shifted the weight distribution over the bed, causing its four legs to snap in response, resulting in it falling to the ground, creating arge thud.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The fall startled him, shocking him to the extent it felt like his heart stopped beating. "Gah!"


    He was deep in sleep, not even having the time to gather his bearings from the sudden fall when the ants swarmed him, biting him everywhere.


    "Argh!" Balkan leaped out in a hurry, condensing his crossbow as he shot arrows everywhere, with each arrow killing an ant.


    But, there were hundreds in the bedroom, climbing over his body as their mandibles clutched hard on his flesh, not letting go even when he swatted them.


    "Dammit!" Balkan roared as he pped using his crossbow, sending the bodies of a few ants flying. But, like how ants behaved, even after their bodies were sent flying, their heads still remained on his body, their mandibles not letting go.


    ? "Graaah!" Balkan copsed to the ground as the tendons on his ankle were cut, preventing him from walking as the ants climbed over his body and began to bite him everywhere.


    His crossbow continued to shoot arrows before soon, his fingers failed to hold it anymore as the nerves around his wrist were already severed by an ant. With his hands rendered useless, Balkan could only roll around to save himself.


    But, the carapace of the ants was tough, causing them to survive his weight as they continued to eat into him. Balkan struggled for less than a minute before losing his life, rendered helpless like a doll as nerves throughout his body had been severed.


    Ant ants rapidly devoured him, swallowing chunks of his body whole, not even leaving any bones behind.


    Bang!


    The door mmed open as the vigers rushed in rm, alerted by the sound of his cries, carrying torches with them, "Kyak!"


    One after another, the vigers screamed in horror, staring at the bloody room where it seemed a battle had urred. But, there was no sign of Balkan there, except for the blood.


    The ants had already cleaned up the ce, including the corpses of their brethren. After all, whatever they swallowed directly ended up in the ant queen''s Origin Space. And hence, clean-up was easy for them, after which they retreated underground.


    "T-This¡­" One of the vigers barely reigned in his urge to retch as he looked around, shining the torch''s light on the shattered legs of the bed, muttering once he recognised the markings, "It seems like the legs have been eaten by termites."


    Another viger braved up at the remark, looking at the room to point at a location, "Doesn''t that hole seem to be from the lord''s arrow? Wait, there are multiple such holes all over the room."


    ''Does that mean he fought within the room and was defeated so fast?'' This was the thought that resounded in their minds before the vigers were horrified to even stay home anymore.


    After all, even Balkan, a Horned Human died so mysteriously. Normal humans like them would only end up as prey to whatever horrifying entity was behind this.


    "W-We have to alert the Castle Lord."


    They were unaware that the perpetrators of this bloody scene were right beneath their feet, moving underground through the tunnels they dug. The ants moved through the tunnels in a file when suddenly, one of them stopped moving.


    The nearby ants tapped its antennae before retreating in rm. The cause of the rm was this soldier ant that ended up eating the Horned Human''s Origin Space.


    And unlike before when everything they consumed ended up in the abdomen of the ant queen, this Origin Space remained in its abdomen, taking root there.


    This was when the Nacre within was slowly being converted to their pure, non-attributed energy. As for the Mutated Beast living in the Origin Space, it died as its essence was absorbed by the ant itself who then began to manifest the properties.


    It was still an ant, but now, growing in its back was an aperture simr to a mantis peacock shrimp. The muscles were like spring, shrinking as a drop of water gushed into the created vacuum.


    The muscles were released, unleashing a frightening amount of pressure on the drop of water that shot out like a bullet and impacted a nearby ant, shattering through its carapace before sshing out its brain matter.


    It was apparent that this soldier ant was no longer part of their colony, now a separate entity.

 Chapter 84 Strange, But Mysterious

    The soldier ant retreated a little, staring at its brethren that seemed no different to food source in its mind now. The pure energy healed its wounds, strengthening it a little as it suddenly leaped onto its brethren, mping its mandibles over their heads, ripping them apart violently.


    Carnage ensued as the soldier ant killed and rapidly consumed at least ten ants before more ants rushed into the tunnel, alerted by the pheromone signals left by the ants before death.


    Upon seeing the influx of ants, the soldier ant felt threatened, quickly taking its leave as it left the tunnel and headed to the surface. An ant head peaked out of the hole as its antennae flickered around for a few seconds before it retreated.


    The tunnel entrance was swiftly closed up as the ants worked to block a section of the tunnel, at least to a depth of three metres. This way, it wasn''t possible to detect their existence unless someone decided to dig beyond a depth of three metres, the likelihood of which happening was low neat to an existing building.


    Their primary means of travel was at least at a depth between five to eight metres depending upon the area.


    Now cut off from its colony, the soldier ant made its way through the vige, travelling alone the edges formed by the building and the ground.


    Grrr!


    It was alerted by the low growl of a dog, alerted as it turned around, watching a dog leap at it from afar. It was a hunting dog reared by the Vige Head who had lost his family and was now gaining in on age.


    So, it was his solepany. It was also this dog that had alerted the vige of the arrival of the Hoil Bee well in advance before the watch tower could detect them. So, it was taken care off pretty well.


    Currently, the solider had stumbled into the area near the dog''s kennel, jumped on by therge predator.


    The soldier ant scurried back in response, quivering in pain as one of the dog''s legs mmed on its antennae, snapping it off before its maw mped upon its abdomen.


    The soldier ant''s newly obtained power wasn''t of use here as it could only be aimed forward. And with the dog at its side, it was helpless, unable to attack its opponent as its body was lifted from the ground.


    Bam!


    The dog mmed the ant onto the ground, spraining the joints between its head and body from the impact. It then wriggled its head, crushing the ant''s carapace further until it began to crack before spitting it on the ground.


    Twitch!


    The ant''s legs failed to move, with a majority of them damaged beyond repair. The mysterious energy swerved into its legs, beginning to regenerate the clipped-out legs. But before they grew back, the dog''s teeth sunk into its body, breaking it apart little by little, first pulling apart the aperture on its back that it used to shoot the water bullet at the ants before.


    The dog that brought the ant to its kennel and sat at the entrance, beginning to gnaw at it little by little, peeling off its hard exterior piece by broken piece before eventually reaching the soft flesh underneath.


    The ant lost its life in the process when suddenly, the dog yelped in response as its figure vanished. There were no further sounds in the ce beyond that.


    The vige hadn''t slept that night, huddled as a group as they looked vignt until the sun was up. Only then did they have the guts to sleep. Part of the vigers were already ready to vacant the vige.


    Those that didn''t had to stay behind because they couldn''t afford to move out of the vige. They didn''t have enough money to survive in another ce.


    "Haah!" The Vige Head sighed in response, returning to his house, frowning as he failed to see his dog. It was usually asleep in its kennel and would have been barking by now upon sensing him.


    But now, there were no signs of it in the front yard of the Vige Head''s house, causing him to look at the kennel in concern, feeling his heartrate elerate in response to notice tiny shells on the ground.


    They seemed to be the carapace of some creature that had shattered under robust pressure. The Vige Chief stared at the ce before shouting, "Have anyone seen my dog?"


    "Did something happen?" A viger arrived, holding a shove in his hand, alert. His eyes were red, having not had a wink of sleep throughout the night. He looked at the front yard, spotting the carapace pieces, focusing on one spot where the mandibles of the anty, "What the heck''s that?"


    "I''m not¡­sure." The Vige Head said as he entered the front yard, walking steadily as he poked the mandibles with a stick, failing to see any response before picking them up, "They look like an ant''s."


    "Strange, I''ve never heard about an ant that could grow this big." He said in part confusion part rm, unable to reign in the sense of fear budding in his heart.


    He then stared at the empty kennel, surprised to notice the harness of his dog still attached to the kennel. And, the cor that should have been wound around his dog was now free, still maintaining the same shape that it would have when wrapped around it.


    But now, the only thing missing from the picture was the dog.


    "Just¡­what is happening?" The Vige Head muttered, approaching the kennel.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "The world went to shit with the appearance of those sted Blight Humans." The viger with the shove spit in irritation, "Too many dangerous things have cropped up one after another in the past few months."


    "The lives of usmonfolk have only be more treacherous."


    "It''s the same, no matter the era." The Vige Head said in resignation, lifting his head as his eyes twinkled, "But, there''s a better chance for us to change our fate in this world. All we need is one fruit."


    Beast Fruit!


    Even though the Vige Head didn''t mouth the words, the viger could hear them, understanding that if they consumed a Beast Fruit, their lives would turn around for the best.


    "Is there¡­a way?" The viger asked, feeling hopeful for a moment.


    "Getting a fruit?" The Vige Head shook his head, "That''s impossible. We''ll only be sending ourselves to the grave. But, there''s an easier option, even though this might take decades to show result."


    "You mean¡­" The viger''s eyes widened; his expression turned sour as if he had eaten a handful of mosquitoes, "Stealing the seeds of a Horned Human¡­"


    He sighed, "It would result in the deaths of us all if word of it everes to light."


    "But, with our current state, that seems the only possibility." The Vige Head nodded, "Some of the vigers have already expressed support to this. We only need to select the right target for this."


    The n was simple. Since the dispatched Horned Human was dead, they would plead the Cattle Lord until another Horned Human was dispatched. And this time, they nned to drug the Horned Human so that one of the youthful girls of their vige would force herself on him to conceive with his child.


    The child of a Horned Human had a higher chance of being born a Horned Human. It was guaranteed if both the parents were Horned Humans, but even if one was a Horned Human, the chance was still high.


    It was a high-risk operation. But with the survival of their vige at stake, this was their only option. Though, they would only drug the Horned Human if the natural advances of the women in their vige failed in the first ce.


    "But, what is they never send a Horned Human?" The viger frowned, "There''s only three under our Castle Lord. And with one of them dead, that coward would never send another."


    "Yeah, that''s a problem, which is why we have to hope Lord Balkan is still alive." Sighing, the Vige Head inched to pick up the cor of his dog. But, just when his hand approached it, his eyes widened in confusion, "Eh?"


    It felt like his hands had touched a bubble when immediately, his figure vanished, sucked into the mysterious bubble.


    The viger with the shovel stared at the scene, aghast, screaming in fright as he scurried away, "Ghost!"


    "There''s a ghost here! It got the Vige Head!"


    "Ghost?"


    "Is that what took Lord Balkan too?"


    The vigers moured at his shouts, surrounding the pale-faced viger that had dropped his shovel in fear, now on the ground as tears streamed out of his eyes, his voice quivering as he said, "H-H-He was about to t-touch his dog''s c-cor when the Vige H-Head vanished."


    "Dammit! What the heck is happening?" One of the vigers, a rather rash brute groaned in anger as he picked up the shovel on the ground and threw it at the dog kennel, watching it m into the kennel to result in a loud thud.


    Nothing happened though as the shovel was just there.


    He then hurried to a nearby house and arrived with a chicken that was alive, throwing it at the kennel.


    Kukook!


    The chicken pped its wings in a hurry as it fell towards the kennel, the sounds of its wings resounding in the silence as all the vigers watched with bated breath.


    And suddenly, as it neared the kennel, its figure vanished.

 Chapter 85 Meeting Kekua Fornol

    As the ant queen continued to increase the size of its colony, the number of ants targeting humans increased. Though, whenever the target was either a Horned Human or a Blight Human, problems arose.


    After all, the ant that devoured their Origin Space immediately branched out of the colony, going rogue as it surfaced and began to hunt solo. Upon seeing what was up, the ant queen stopped targeting Horned and Blight Humans, only targeting the regr humans that possessed either a Blight Core or a Nacre Core in their bodies.


    Though, the damage had already been done by now as the ants that had broken free from the colony began to consume all energy rich entities.


    And typically, whether human or an animal, the one with the most potent Nacre or Blight Core in their bodies became their targets.


    Moreover, unlike the ants of the colonies that stopped growing after attaining a size of ten centimetres, these ants¡ªthat had devoured an Origin Space¡ªcontinued to grow as they ate.


    The ants that devoured a Horned Human''s Origin Space disyed part of the Mutated Beast''s characteristics. In contrast, the ants that had devoured a Blight Human''s Origin Space disyed characteristics of the nt that the Blight Human used.


    These ants began to transform into a form closer to nts, able to hide themselves in forests and hunt any living being that approached close.


    More than a hundred of such ants had arrived at the surface, causing a lot of mysterious disappearances throughout the continent. After all, everything they devoured arrived at their Origin Space, leaving behind no traces in reality.


    But, they weren''t invincible. After all, at the end of the day, they weren''t specialised forbat beyond some tricks they gained after obtaining the Origin Space. So, quite a few ended up getting killed.


    This was where problems began to crop up throughout the continent as people and creatures began to disappear mysteriously, rattling both the Fornol and Lerni Empires.


    After all, if the casualties only amounted to themon popce, they could send the Horned Humans or Blight Humans respectively to solve the problem. But when the casualties also included those with power, the popce began to worry.


    Among the ants, there was one that had ventured into the Fornol Empire, roaming around its borders to chance upon the corpses of both the Horned Humans and Blight Humans. It ate them all, absorbing the Origin Space of everyone within it.


    There didn''t seem like a limit existed in this. Or maybe as long as the ant could handle the load, it could continue to devour more Origin Spaces.


    Boom!


    Various colours spawned across the skies as more than a dozen Blight and Horned Humans collided with one another. This was a war ongoing between two rivalling Kingdoms, each of which had allied themselves to the Fornol and Lerni Empires respectively. They were both colonies under the respective Empires, having been that way for more than a century.


    Both the Kingdoms were poor,cking in resources. And hence, they had to snatch resources from the other side to survive and develop. Moreover, there was another reason for their conflict.


    It was to swallow the other side and then raise an armyrge enough to attack the Autonomous City State of Yatar, an ind rich with resources.


    The people there were one of the richest inparison, leadingvish lives. The environment conditions also favoured them, making foreign invasions tremendously difficult.


    Whether it was the Fornol Empire or the Lerni Empire, both were contesting to take over the City State of Yatar. Unfortunately, in order to do so, they needed to gain influence over the two closest Kingdoms¡ªKarabban and Dabbar.


    Karabban was a vassal state under the Fornol Empire while Dabbar was under the Lerni Empire.


    This contest over Yatar raged on for decades already. And with the arrival of the Horned and Blight Humans, things only escted. Currently, this part of the world was where the most intense conflict was happening.


    Of course, it also created the best environment for a certain ant that had formed its cave underground, relying upon its senses to observe the ongoing battle between dozens of Horned and Blight Humans.


    "Keuk!" A Horned Human gasped in response, staring at a thorn pierce through his stomach, causing him to cough out blood. He red at the opponent in anger, watching his sword brim with Nacre before it shed at speeds approaching the speed of sound, severing the thorn.


    The sword hummed as the Horned Humannded on the ground, coughing out blood as he stared at his bleeding wound, closing it with a free hand as he shouted, "You''ll pay for this, fucker!"


    "Heh, how will you?" The Blight Human stared with a maniacal smile, "You''re on the verge of death."


    "Is that so?" The Horned Human copsed to the ground, his eyes red as he stared in hatred, "Can you even see anymore?"


    "I can''t¡­" The Blight Human said, leaning against a boulder, his limbs severed and the gash on his forehead causing blood to ooze into his eyes, hindering him from seeing.


    Both were pretty injured, unable to garner strength anymore, almost exhausted of energy.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The Horned Human used his sword as a crutch to get up, straining in the process as he almost copsed multiple times, feeling his head spin from the blood loss. The thorn had expanded while in his body, having pierced through his internal organs, including the lungs.


    So, he was aware that his time was up. But before he died, he wished to kill his opponent as he dragged himself to the boulder, staring at the Blight Human that wasn''t able to react anymore, pointing the sword at his neck, "Anyst words?"


    "Don''t bother, we''re both fucked!" The Blight Human''s face paled suddenly, "My thorn''s roots noticed something just now. There''s a monster under us¡­"


    Boom!


    The ground parted as suddenly, a monster resembling a worm jutted out of the ground, swallowing both the Horned and Blight Humans. It spanned a breadth of two metres, its length unknown, having devoured enough Horned and Blight Humans that its body had changed drastically.


    After all, by gaining at least a few traits from the Mutated Beasts and nts in the Origin Spaces it had devoured, it continued to evolve until reaching its current form, a true monster that no longer had any resemnce to its ant form.


    Though, its entire body was covered by flexible exoskeleton. The Horned hacked with his sword, causing it to hum violently, osciting at high frequencies, enough to cut through even steel.


    Snap!


    The sword mmed into what seemed to be a mandible within the throat of the monster, breaking in half. rmed, the Horned Human could only resign himself to fate as he stared at the over hundred mandibles that fully covered the throat of the monster, "My god¡­what has this world birthed now?"


    Crunch!


    Both him and the Blight Human were diced up by the mandibles and devoured casually, as following that, the monster burrowed into the ground, covering its traces.


    The fighting in the battlefield was intense, not except for a couple of soldiers nearby, none noticed the monster. And before they could shout, a hail of arrows killed them.


    It was a mess on the battlefield.


    Though, the fighting halted for a moment as the heads of everyone tilted up, staring at the gigantic flower trailing through the skies. It spanned a size of twenty metres, massive in nature, causing the Blight Humans to stare in amazement.


    "That''s the Varnol!"


    One of the Blight Humans muttered, "Is the Empress in there?"


    It was indeed Feleokruna seated within the Varnol, sporting a frown as she gazed at the state of the battlefield, "Is it still a stalemate here?"


    "The Lerni Empire is allocating more funds to the Dabbar Kingdom. They too have raised the importance of Yatar." Felor said. Currently, he was the one controlling it while his mother was seated on the throne calmly.


    There was just the two of them in Varnol, the reason for which was simple: They nned to meet Kekua Fornol.


    When she gave themand to Luncress, after sacrificing a lot of Hoil Bees in the process, Luncress managed to get the message to Kekua Fornol.


    The terms of the other party were pretty simple. Only two of them could arrive for the discussion. And secondly, they would meet at a neutral location, which was Yatar.


    Even though Yatar didn''t have any Horned or Blight Humans, they possessed one of the strongest militaries in terms of defensive warfare, having dispatched multiple armies to the afterlife.


    And unless the strength of the Horned and Blight Humans crossed Stage 5 inrge numbers, this stalemate would continue to remain. But at the moment, it was still the most neutral location.


    Hence, Kekua Fornol had proposed a meeting in such a ce.


    Therefore, Feleokruna and Felor took the trip on the newly constructed Varnol, heading towards the Autonomous City State of Yatar.


    As the Varnol moved past the battlefield, from beneath the boulder peeked the monster from before, its dozen eyes staring at the Varnol in the air. Highlights in its sight were two powerful auras seated on the Varnol, the corruption rich and potent in them, causing the monster to feel hungry.


    It stared at their destination, observing the city of Yatar situated afar, burrowing into the ground to head in the respective direction, making its next meal the Fornol Royal Family.

 Chapter 86 Discussion...

    Yatar Autonomous City State, situated two kilometres from its shore was a tiny ind, barely spanning 400 square metres. Standing on it was an ancient temple, now almost in ruins due to ack of maintenance.


    This temple was built by a Kingdom that existed in this ce more than a millennium ago, a reigning power that had once garnered trade influence for half the world. But over time, it copsed.


    And currently, this ruin of a temple was one of the few surviving architects of that era, one long gone past. There were four ships currently surrounding the ind, situated five hundred metres away each, forming ayer of protection.


    These ships were from Yatar City State, meant as protection to the distinguished guests that were visiting it on neutral terms. As Yatar City State was selected as the neutral grounds, they had to be responsible for protection.


    Among the four ships weren''t just soldiers from the Yatar City State, there were also dignitaries from all over the world. Even those from the Lerni Empire had paid a visit, of course to sour the rtions between the Fornol Empire and Kekua Fornol.


    Of course, they couldn''t do anything at the situation, for the Yatar City State was truly monitoring everything with bated breaths.


    "They''ve arrived." The Ruler of the Yatar City State said, staring at the Varnol that approached his location,nding a few metres away from him. One of its petals unfurled, creating a bridge for the two people to walk to the ground.


    Once they descended, all the petals closed up, making Varnol resemble a bud, fully sealed, preventing anyone from entering it. Unless either Feleokruna or Felor wills it, the petals would never open.


    "I suppose this is our first meeting. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Feleokruna said, offering a formal handshake to the Ruler of the ce.


    But in response, the Ruler simply cupped his fists, "I''m not a Blight Human, so please understand my side."


    "I don''t mind." Feleokruna retracted her outstretched arm, not minding the other party''s actions. After all, if she willed it, her Fornol Sunflower would manifest over her palms and melt through the Ruler''s hands.


    And since news of her ability had already spread throughout the world, none would dare shake hands with her, for doing so would mean that during the course of the handshake, their life and death would truly be in her hands.


    "Then, I''ll be taking my leave. Please ensure our safety." Feleokruna didn''t spare any words beyond that, climbing onto a nearby boat that Felor paddled towards the ind.


    Feleokruna only exchanged a sentence with Yatar for the sake of courtesy. In terms of status alone, the Ruler of Yatar City State didn''t evene close to Feleokruna. After all, in terms of size, poption, resources, and wealth, it could at mostpete with one of the wealthier duchies under the Fornol Empire.


    And with the arrival of the Blight Humans, the power within the Fornol Empire''s grasp continued to increase with the passing of every single day. Currently, Feleokruna didn''t even bat an eye at the thousands of archers posted at the scene in the name of protection.


    If she wished to kill them all, it would take her less than a minute. Therefore, if there existed an enemy strong enough to endanger her, these archers wouldn''t amount to anything. So, she didn''t spare much thought to them and calmly approached the ruined temple.


    Her intention was to recruit Kekua Fornol, no more, no less. The other party was that valuable. Soon after, Feleokruna and Felor climbed onto the ind, entering the temple to see four chairs ced there, with two on either side, separated by a distance of three metres.


    Feleokruna took the seat on the right while her son sat to her left. Within a minute, two individuals arrived at the temple. They were Kekua Fornol and Krodn. Krodn was the Blight Human with the parasitic ability to cause flowers to bud out of trees, ones that shot out seeds like pellets once they bloomed.


    As his ability was the most lethal in terms of defensive warfare and able to perfectlyplement Kekua Fornol''s ability, he was brought. And as he already reached Stage 3, he was pretty useful.


    Kekua Fornol was at the peak of Stage 3, only shy of reaching Stage 4, her growth being elerated as they had been able to fish for high quality Blight Cores from deeper into the sea.


    Upon arrival, Kekua Fornol and Feleokruna sized up each other, also noticing that the colour intensity of their hair was more or less the same. There was a minute shade difference between the two, with Feleokrunaing on top.


    But, this only meant that the potency of her ability was a tad better than Kekua Fornol, but not enough to make any difference.


    ''So, that''s the Empress.'' Kekua Fornol thought, not offering any greeting as all she did was stare at the other party.


    ''No wonder she''s been garnering enough support for legitimacy. Her power''s on par with Fornol Sunflower.'' Feleokruna thought, observing the actions of Kekua Fornol, making an estimate of her, ''She indeed exudes the aura of a ruler.''


    "Let''s sit and talk." Feleokruna said, motioning at the other chair for Kekua Fornol to be seated at. Kekua Fornol sat opposite to Feleokruna while Krodn sat opposite to Felor.


    And surprisingly, it was Krodn that took the initiative to speak, staring at Felor to ask, "How strong is the Central Guardian?"


    "Terrifyingly so," Felor said, disying his palm, "It tanked my beam like it was nothing minutes after it was birthed."


    "Which is why I called forth this meeting." Feleokruna said, staring at Kekua Fornol, "The power of the Blight Humans is increasing, especially with the inclusion of the Galtori Tribe."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "If this continues to increase, it''ll spell disastrous for the Fornol Empire."


    "So, what do you propose?" Kekua Fornol asked calmly, intending to see to what extent Feleokruna would go.


    "Dukedom," Feleokruna said, "You''ll get the status and resources necessary to maintain andrge enough to be called a Kingdom."


    "Not interested," Kekua Fornol refused in an instant, "I can create something of such a scale on my own."


    She made eye contact with Feleokruna, "After all, I can indeed draw forth enough influence on the people, especially the Blight Humans with parasitic abilities."


    ''She indeed can do that.'' Feleokruna thought, sensing a sharp increase in the number of Blight Humans with parasitic abilities.


    Before, if the parasitic abilities were weak, the Blight Human was killed on sight while if their parasitic ability was strong enough, they were joined to an assassination unit created to specifically target Blight Humans.


    But now, the moment a Blight Human with a parasitic ability appears, their respective family quickly hid their identities, making it seem as if they died an unfortunate death while in truth sending them to Kekua Fornol''s care.


    Moreover, along with their family members, they also sent forth enough money and other items as basically bribe to ensure their family members were treated amicably in the secluded domain for Blight Humans with parasitic abilities.


    Therefore, Kekua Fornol''s influence was indeed rising as she quoted.


    "You attaining Duke status is just a front." Feleokruna smiled, stating solemnly, "In truth, it''s to stabilise your legitimacy."


    She then pointed at Felor, "You can marry my son here and be the next Empress of the Fornol Empire. This way, the goals of both are fulfilled."


    "I''m after your ability while you''re after the throne." Feleokruna stared at Kekua Fornol, smiling upon noticing the other party''s surprise, "It''s a win-win situation."


    "I understand now," Kekua Fornol let out a wry smile, figuring out Feleokruna''s intentions, "You''re hoping our children would inherit an ability that''s a fusion of my Root House and Fornol Sunflower."


    "Exactly!" Feleokruna nodded, "A fusion of the two would eliminate the weaknesses of both powers and turn us into a terrifying power, enough to contest against the Guardian Tribes."


    "One of our spies noticed the existence of the Southern Guardian Tribe. The Galtori n belongs to the West Guardian Tribe." Feleokruna said, "This means that there still exists the Northern and Eastern Guardian Tribes somewhere."


    "But, with Root House and Fornol Sunflowerbined, we''ll gain enough power to contend against them." Feleokruna said, "To make that a reality, giving you the title of Empress is a small price to pay."


    "So," She looked at Kekua Fornol with expectant eyes, "What''s your decision?"


    "Before that," Kekua Fornol asked, "What''s the source of the Devil Fruits?"


    "You''ll know once you be the Empress." Feleokruna said, sporting a mysterious expression, "That''s your sole chance to understand the truth of this world."


    The terms proposed by Feleokruna were pretty simple but overbearing in terms of lucrativeness. After all, her proposal directly shortened Kekua Fornol''s struggles from decades to mere days. All she had to say was nod in response before attaining everything she desired.


    "That, suppose I do ept," Kekua Fornol stared at Felor, "What happens to the people under me?"


    "Your wish," Feleokruna shrugged, "You can recruit them or dispose of them. I won''t interfere since I already have ns of retiring."


    Her eyes turned seriousness, "I can''t waste time with management when my rival, Xuna is growing strong at a staggering pace. Only I can face her, so I''ll be focusing on solely growing strong."


    As for the person in question, she too was at the scene, hidden within the mouth of a bird that was hidden in a corner of the temple, within audible distance from the four Blight Humans.


    Xuna hadn''te alone, for hiding deep in the waters, at depths beyond what the people could scout were the Southern Guardians, Tui and Hu. Moreover, Yihan was next to them, having created a thin straw using his armour that peeked out of the water surface, through which he inhaled air.


    Eight of the most prominent elites of the world had gathered at the scene.

 Chapter 87 Trapped

    ''So, the Empress is already nning to face me.'' Xuna thought, observing their discussion further, ''But, this Kekua Fornol is pretty strong. She shouldn''t join the Fornol Empire.''


    Once they left the Pitcher nt Forest, Xuna and Yihan had gone eastward, following where her luck led her. During the journey, her luck led her to a Hoil Bee, one that was coincidentally trapped in the vines of a massive tree.


    There was an arrow peeking through its head, bleeding from the wound. Xuna approached the Hoil Bee, chancing upon the letter tied to its leg, unfurling it to see Feleokruna''s message.


    As Luncress was in charge of delivering the message, he had obviously mobilised the Hoil Bees. The Hoil Bee was somehow caught in the crossfire between the Blight Humans and those with parasitic abilities, being injured as a result.


    Following that, in its fluster to escape, it got trapped in the vines of this tree and could only wait here until it bled to death.


    Once Xuna came to understand Feleokruna''s intentions, she was curious about Kekua Fornol, scouting for information regarding that.


    It was easy to do so as all they she to do was get into the mouths of a bird after injecting it with her syringe. With that, she could control the bird and scour through the viges, gathering up some information.


    Only then did shee to understand the internal threat that had formed in the Fornol Empire, one lead by the individual named Kekua Fornol, a Blight Human talented enough to be on par with Feleokruna.


    Following that, she intercepted their messages, learning of the location where this meeting would be held.


    Of course, Xuna couldn''t head alone in such a dangerous territory. Therefore, she brought in reinforcements: Tui and Hu.


    These two Southern Guardians were akin to an entire fleet underwater and allowed her to flee through water when necessary.


    Unfortunately, neither Yihan nor the two Southern Guardians had reached Stage 5. So, they weren''t able to transform into their Guardian Beasts and control the size of their bodies, preventing them from settling within the mouth of a bird.


    That was why only Xuna could infiltrate the ruins while the rest had to remain underwater. With the Southern Guardians around, it was the safest ce for Yihan to remain in wait, which was another reason Xuna had brought them.


    ''If Kekua Fornol joins them, the Fornol Empire''s strength would be bolstered. Her power''s too unique.'' She though, hoping to see where the talks lead before taking action.


    If Kekua Fornol nned to join them, then Xuna would sneap attack with a barrage of canon balls that would tten the entire ce. Kekua Fornol was only at Stage 3 and against her full powered attack, she wouldn''t survive.


    There was a possibility for Feleokruna to survive, for she was at Stage 4 and possessed a naturally strong body. But, once Yihan and the rest takes action, killing her would be simple.


    The ambush would only be sessful if she takes action at the perfect time. And hence, Xuna was waiting for the moment when the discussions go through and both parties are content. That was when their guards would be at their lowest.


    Of course, things had no n on going her way as Xuna could see her Coincidental Luck flickering in response, being consumed at a gradually increasing pace, alerting her, ''Something ising here!''


    Her luck values were consumed sharply as suddenly, the entity approaching them changed directions, not emerging from the ce where Yihan and the two Southern Guardians were but from the opposite side.


    "I e¡­" Kekua Fornol was just about to give her reply when she was rmed, stomping the ground in hurry as roots surged out of it in an instant, covering both her and Krodn.


    Feleokruna turned her palm into the Fornol Sunflower, unleashing a powerful beam at the work-like creature that jumped on the ind while Felor grabbed her and leaped to the side.


    "What the heck is this monstrosity?" Feleokruna shouted in shock upon staring at the mass of flesh before her, one that ttened the ancient ruins, spreading around dust everywhere.


    In response to her shout, a gigantic eye opened up, one spanning a length of two metres, bigger than her, startling her at its sheer size.


    Boom!


    Both Feleokruna and Felor mmed their sunlight beams at the work-like creature, startled to observe the terrifying toughness of the creature that tanked their attacks. Feleokruna''s beam only made a small hole in its body while Felor''s failed to even pierce through the carapace, losing all strength half way.


    Of course, the worm-like creature had zero ns to give them enough time to drill a way through as its body wriggled,shing out at them.


    "We need to leave." Krodn said, having no desire to stay behind.


    Kekua Fornol too was of the same mind, making her Root House turn around to leave this ind when suddenly, the head of the worm-like creature swooped on her, mping upon the head of her turnip.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The worm-like creature began to eat through the turnip as the countless mandibles in its body grated through it casually.


    The bottom part of the turnip opened as Kekua Fornol and Krodn leaped out as thetter shouted, "I''ve loaded the inside with traps!"


    "Great job!" Kekua Fornol said as the moment shended on the ground, roots jutted out to create another Root House, this time resembling a beetroot.


    Within the safety of the beetroot, the duo watched the turnip explode as hundreds of pellets shot out of it, mming throughout the throat of the worm-like creature.


    "Impossible!" Krodn shouted in shock upon seeing the worm-like creature shrug the attack as in a matter of seconds, all the wounds on its throat healed up while the petals he had created were diced up by the mandibles on the throat.


    His attacks only served to be its fuel as the worm-like creature consumed the turnip easily before ring at them.


    Crta-crta-crta!


    Scuttering sounds resounded from the worm-like creature that red at the four Blight Humans before it, slowly hovering before them as the wounds on its carapace were already healed. But a momentter, it opened its mouth to spray out toxic venom everywhere, drowning the entire ind with it, ensuring the four Blight Humans wouldn''t be able to hide anywhere.


    The toxic venom sshed on the ruins, melting through the rubble in a matter of seconds, disying its ferocious toxicity.


    "Shit!" Feleokruna grunted, straining her palms as the Fornol Sunflower on it became strained, turning convex in shape as the beam it unleashed spread around radially, vaporising the approaching toxin.


    The beetroot pped its fists, creating arge umbre that guarded against the toxin, melting rapidly as some of the toxin also fell on its face.


    The roots forming its body grew in response until all the damaged parts were cast off, revealing an unharmed beetroot. Though, Kekua Fornol had expended a significant sum of corruption in response to achieve this.


    "Is it not your pet?" Kekua Fornol started at Feleokruna to shout in response.


    "Would I even need to ally with you if I had such a terrifying pet?" Feleokruna snapped back, "We''ll be done for if we don''t kill it¡­"


    "Kya!" Xuna''s shouts resounded as she used a rocket to take to the skies, using a healing rod to heal her injuries. The bird she was hiding within was melted throughpletely, a puddle on the ground now.


    Some of the toxin indeed fell on her body, damaging her when she hurriedly healed herself. But with that, she could no longer remain in hiding.


    "She was here all along?" Feleokruna stared in shock, tensing up at Xuna''s arrival.


    Upon seeing her actions, Kekua Fornol too gleaned the other party''s identity, staring at the horn that sported five segments, ''So, this is the Horned Human Xuna. She''s already at Stage 5, huh.''


    She then eyed the tensed expression on the faces of both Feleokruna and Felor, ''No wonder she wants to wholeheartedly focus on growing stronger. With such an overpowering enemy, I too would do the same.''


    "Well¡­you guys have fun." Saying so, Xuna turned around as her rocket unleashed a powerful thrust, taking her away.


    Unfortunately, it didn''t seem possible to escape as suddenly, her figure crashed into a barrier of sorts that had appeared at some point in time. This barrier had neither Nacre nor corruption in it, transparent in nature, almost resembling ss.


    Boom!


    She mmed a cannonball at it, watching it barely sport a crack that healed instantly, surprising her, ''Damn, it''s tough.''


    A geyser of toxin mmed into her as Xuna had no other choice but to evade, ring at the worm-like creature that didn''t give her the time to destroy the barrier.


    Having consumed countless Horned and Blight Humans, its power had evolved a lot until it became the current barrier, one that could trap arge area of prey. It was relying on it that the worm-like creature managed to hunt for so long.


    The barrier actually epassed the entire ind and even the stretch of water surrounding it, disying the terrifying umtion that the worm-like creature had attained within three weeks since the Ant Queen had gained power.


    And now, whether it was Feleokruna and her Blight Human group or Xuna and her Horned Human group, all were trapped within this barrier.

 Chapter 88 World Within Origin Space?

    ''If she''s here, then he¡­'' Feleokruna stared at the sea, watching a figure fly out of it immediately, sighing as she felt a headache, "Of course, he''s here."


    "Xuna, are you alright?" Yihan arrived before her, holding arge shield in his hand while asking in concern.


    "Nothing that cannot be healed." Xuna showed her injuries healing rapidly as she stared at the worm-like entity, rmed, "What the heck is this?"


    She then shouted at Feleokruna, "Did Luncress make this?"


    "He and his family are the only ones with the power to create monsters."


    "Of course not." Feleokruna snapped back, "His monsters need to eat the nectar he produces to survive. So, they cannot go rouge¡­"


    ''Shit!'' Feleokruna red at Xuna in anger, for she revealed Luncress'' weakness. As the weakness extended to his entire family, it meant that the enemy now were aware of the weak point for all the monsters the Turman Duke Household rears.


    "Anyway, we''re not responsible for this." Feleokruna said as the beetroot picked up both her and Felor, dodging the attacks from the worm-like creature.


    Feleokruna and Felor had attack-based abilities andcked any in terms of mobility. In terms of that, the Root House granted both mobility and defence, allowing them to focus fully on attacks alone.


    They were seated on its top at first when the roots squirmed, pulling their bodies inside. Following that, the beetroot rolled around on the ground, opening its mouth as four beams mmed out of it, impacting the work-like creature, mming it to the side.


    The beetroot leaped over the monster''s body as flowers budded on the floor in the locations it had stepped upon.


    Immediately, they stared at the monster, blooming to hurl petals at it, riddling its body with injuries as the seeds rotated and continued to drill, absorbing all blood that came into contact with them as they regrew to be flowers once again.


    Though, these flowers were barely half the original, shooting seeds that pelted the monster''s body. Though, the impact this time only packed a fourth of the original punch. Moreover, these seeds didn''t germinate uponing into contact with the monster''s blood.


    "See, this is what I''m hoping to achieve." Feleokruna said, unleashing a beam when a hole opened in the beetroot, urately mming into the worm-like entity''s head while the Root House dodged the opponent''s toxic geyser.


    "Combining the powers of both would result in the ultimate power capable of facing all." Feleokruna said.


    "I¡­can see that." Kekua Fornol said, revealing a shocking statement soon after, "Since my ability is a parasitic type, it can actuallytch onto Fornol Sunflower to be one. Though, not everyone among the descendants would be able to wield the type of power you foresee as the moment the parasitic power grows stronger than Fornol Sunflower, they''ll lose it. Or if their Fornol Sunflower is too strong, it''ll burn through the parasitic ability."


    "Yeah, yeah, that sounds great. But focus on the enemy." Xuna said,nding on the Root House as she spoke in anger, "This monster will kill us all at this rate."


    "I don''t see you trying to kill it, though?" Feleokruna snapped back in response, "We''re the only ones trying to kill it. I''m pretty sure it''s your people that set it loose."


    "What the heck are you smoking?" Xuna retorted, pointing to the side where Yihan was constantly evading the monster that seemed intent on mping upon him, "There''s two heads actually."


    "What?" It was only then did the group notice a second worm-like creature that was targeting Yihan and two other entities that moved around rapidly through the waters.


    The monster''s actual body seemed buried underground while its two heads were the ones targeting them.


    "I''ll take care of the second head while you take care of this." Saying so, Xuna flew away, taking out her canon that sted canon balls at the monster head, with each impact rattling its serpentine body.


    In the meantime, the two Southern Guardians swam through the waters, leaping out of it from time to time,


    "Argh!" Tui roared as his scaly mouth opened when suddenly, the projection of a Gharial appeared before him and mped upon the monster''s body, ripping away a piece of its flesh.


    The piece of severed flesh disappeared in his body as Tui began to digest it rapidly while continuing to move about within the waters.


    The power of the West Guardians was the creating of countless tools using their Armours and the myriad abilities inborn in them.


    For the Southern Guardians, other than their naturally scaly armour that allowed them to move through the waters, they could also unleash projections of their Guardian Beast separately that ripped apart pieces of their target.


    Using this, they could casually devour creatures way bigger than them, turning them into the most dangerous predator of the ocean.


    Yihan''s scythe des made deep cuts on the monster''s carapace, drawing in all its attention. Even though it could heal through the wound quickly, that was in the case it was facing Yihan alone.<novelnext></novelnext>


    But, with Xuna in the picture, things were over in a matter of seconds as each cannonball shredded through its hardened carapace, revealing the soft flesh underneath.


    Xuna attacked both heads, intending to deal with this opponent as quickly as possible, noticing her Coincidental Luck values flicker unnaturally. It meant that dragging this fight was dangerous for her.


    Boom!


    Sunlight beams mmed through the cracks in the hardened armour, rapidly melting through the soft flesh underneath as the monster began to get burned from the inside.


    Xuna switched to her petrifying gun, aiming at the shoot of the two heads, the part where it was attached to its body¡ªwhich was hiding underground. The petrifying beam rapidly turned the shoot of the two heads into stone before which canon balls mmed into it, shattering the ce into pieces.


    Boom!


    Switching over to her sniper rifle, Xuna aimed at the body hiding underneath the ground, shooting forth bullets nonstop, with each prating the ground to impact the body underneath.


    The Root House appeared over the hole on the ground, kicking the severed head of the monster while aiming its hand into the hole through which a beam of sunlight mmed, melting through the monster whose body continued to regenerate.


    As long as it regenerated, it meant that the monster wasn''t dead and the heads it disyed were only tendrils grown to resemble one. Its brain and other organs were probably deeper, situated within is main body that was hidden underground.


    Of course, assisted by Coincidental Luck, Xuna''s sniper bullets targeted the vital organs, taking them out one after another before she noticed the creature''s luck beginning to dissipate.


    "Thank goodness, it''s dead." Shemented upon seeing the monster''s luck beginning to dissipate.


    Immediately after, the Horned Humans and the Blight Humans separated. The Blight Humans stared from within the Root House while Xuna stared from behind the shield created by Yihan. Tui and Hu too exited the water to stand behind the shield, for too much of the monster''s toxin had mixed into the water, making it dangerous for them to be in it anymore.


    "Why did youe here?" Feleokruna red at Xuna.


    "I came here to take a piss, but I don''t need to tell you that." Xuna rolled her eyes, wondering why this Empress asked for the obvious.


    "Mom, we need to be careful." Felor said, urging Feleokruna to calm down, staring at the two new figures hiding behind Xuna, "They must be the Southern Guardians."


    "They are strong." Kekua Fornolmented, "If we were to fight them head on, we might lose. They have us beat on all fronts, especially in terms of versatility and healing."


    She recalled the frightening varieties of abilities Xuna disyed, wondering in shock, "Just how can one Horned Human possess so many abilities?"


    "She''s Rhizen''s disciple, so it makes sense." Feleokruna revealed all of a sudden.


    "M-Mom, why did you tell her that?" Felor was startled, staring at his mother with an incredulous gaze. Even he became privy to this information only after observing the fight between Rhizen and Yulna in the Pitcher nt Forest.


    "We might die, so if the situation everes to that, I''ll create an opportunity for you to flee." Feleokruna said solemnly, "Remember, only bybining Fornol Sunflower and Root House will we be able to match up against the Guardian Beasts."


    "Yihan, when I give the signal, create enough shields to withstand their sts." Xuna said, her eyes turning sharp upon realising that Kekua Fornol had now joined the Empress'' side, "I''ll snipe their heads."


    "Aunty¡­" Suddenly, Tui tapped her shoulder.


    "WHAT THE HECK DID YOU JUST CALL ME?" Xuna snapped back loud enough for her voice to echo throughout the ruins, ring at Tui.


    Though, the other party wasn''t concerned with that as he pointed at the barrier, "The toxin water is still close to this ind. It should have mixed with the rest of the water but hasn''t done that yet. This means the barrier is still here."


    "What the¡­?" Xuna was rmed as she stared at the monster''s corpse, "Its luck has dissipated tho¡­"


    But suddenly, the dissipated luckbined together to be a sphere, one that bloomed in size rapidly. Upon staring at it, Xuna''s eyes widened in shock, "Shit!"


    Instantly, all eight people on the ind vanished.

 Chapter 89 Endless Crisis (Part 1)

    "Kya!" Xuna screamed in fright upon feeling a sense of weightlessness before turning around to see that she had fallen on the ground, one covered by soft grass. She quickly got up in a hurry, staring at the trunk of a tree before her, muttering in confusion, "What¡­is this ce?"


    She stepped forth for a moment, slipping all of a sudden when what seemed to be a strand of grass shed past the position where her head had been, coincidentally missing her.


    rmed, Xuna brought out her grappling hook, using the rope to create a shield while brining out her gun using the other hand, aiming at the entity behind her to spray a volley of bullets.


    Only then did she notice that the entity resembled a grasshopper, a three-metre-tall grasshopper with thin des for hands, possessing three pairs even. Its entire body seemed fragile at first nce, entirely made of grass.


    But upon seeing the shallow wounds her bullets made, Xuna was shocked, spraying the bullets all across its body to see that despite the injuries, it was alright.


    She hurriedly switched her gun to a canon form, unleashing a canon ball that exploded upon contact, sttering the grasshopper''s body. Only then did it stop being a threat.


    "Eww¡­gross!" Xuna stared at the grasshopper''s limbs that continued to twitch as if each part was alive. Moreover, they began to slither towards each other in an effort tobine into one once again. Of course, Xuna didn''t have the intention, obliterating thempletely until the bits couldn''t move anymore.


    But despite that, she still noticed some wriggling bits, akin to worms that continued to move, ''It seems fire is the only option. But I can''t use fire.''


    Xuna then switched to the petrify gun, intending to use it from now on, which worked best against such creatures with endless vitality.


    "Besides, where the heck am I now?" She wondered, looking around, startled to see that in the ce of the sky was¡­ground?


    There was a forest in the sky just like the one she was in now. Using her rocket, she took off to the skies, gaining some altitude to see that this was an¡­enclosed world.


    The world was spherical, with an environment created in the inner surface of a sphere. Based on an approximate, she judged that the sphere world had a radius of three kilometres, which was pretty massive.


    ''Is this what that monster had been creating?'' She wondered, thinking back to the changes in the creature''s luck at thest moment. She had been on the ind until then and before she realised, she was here.


    There was no sunlight in this world, making it pretty dark. There seemed to be bioluminescent nts littering the ce as it was their light that faintly illuminated the area.


    Unfortunately, due to theck of light, Xuna failed to locate the others. After all, it was brighter the closer to the ground and even at a heigh of ten metres from the ground, it was too dark to make out anything concrete.


    There was a faint light emitted by everything around her, including the grass, causing her to be rmed upon noticing a grasshopper standing right beside her, having crept up to her at some point in time.


    Coincidentally though, she noticed it before it could go in for the kill. Xuna willed as her rope coiled to create a shield before her, tanking the shes from the grasshopper when her petrifying beam mmed into it, rapidly turning it into a sculpture.


    It barely took two seconds before the grasshopper had entirely turned into a statue. "Good, it seems to be more effective than my gun."


    Unfortunately for her, Xuna had spoken out too fast as suddenly, dozens of leaves flew her way, sharp like des. Her rope expanded in response, tanking the leaves that dug half into the rope before losing all momentum.


    Though, this also meant that they were dangerous enough to pierce through her rope shield half way, causing her to expend more Nacre in repairs.


    Kieee! Kieee! Kieee!


    Shuttling sounds resounded from the branches as Xuna looked around in a hurry, hearing the ttering voices from all directions. And before she knew it, leaves mmed into her from all directions, coincidentally impacting her rope shield.


    Xuna made a cocoon around her with the rope, expending the grappling hook in the direction of the sound as it stabbed into a creature before dragging it towards her.


    "What the¡­a leaf monkey?" She was surprised once again, as the monkey seemed to be made entirely out of leaves. And it was these leaves that were being shot like ded bullets at her.


    Thankfully, once the grappling hook pierced through the monkey''s head, it stopped moving. At least, it was easier to deal with than the grasshoppers.


    But, things had no intentions to calm down as Xuna noticed a couple more grasshoppersing her way. Moreover, the ttering sounds of the leaf monkeys continued to echo around the ce.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Wait, what happened here?" She was rmed all of a sudden, staring at the ce where the two grasshopper statues ought to have existed. But there were no signs of them anymore, startling her.


    Moreover, even the faint traces of her footprints on the ground seemed to have been erased, making the ce as pristine as originally possible.


    Xuna was alone, unable to find any traces of others. She tried to sense the luck values of Yihan, ending up only seeing a massive sphere of luck covering everything, making the luck of anything else that might have been there.


    Due to that, she couldn''t track herpanions.


    ''I''ll get there soon. Just wait for me.'' Thinking as such, Xuna began to run through the ce, intending to find any traces of the others when suddenly, her breathing seemed to have slowed down as for a moment, her Coincidental Luck was shaved a tenth, causing her legs to slip and copse to the side.


    Her eyes widened in shock as Xuna noticed something akin to a tree trunk shoot out of the ground, its top like a ded disc that opened and closed like a camera shutter. Had she not slipped, her leg would have been caught within the tree trunk and severed instantly.


    Boom!


    Xuna sted a cannonball at the tiny tree trunk in reflex, shattering it apart to notice the twitching body of a rat beneath. Growing on its back was this tree trunk, one that seemed capable of turning hard and soft when needed.


    The rat twitched, hurt horribly. And just like with the grass hopper and the leaf monkey, this rat too seemed to be made out of nt life. It resembled a tree trunk in appearance, like a wooden sculpture that hade to life.


    It spanned a length of forty centimetres, a size too big for a rat, giving her the creepies. The trunk on its back was akin to a duct, allowing for the rat to strike from underground and sever the legs of any creatures roaming above ground.


    To conserver her Nacre, Xuna switched to the assault rifle form, killing the rat as she remained in the ce, frowning upon seeing the rat''s body break down into pure energy and retreat into the ground. Following that, the soil gradually shifted, covering up all traces of its existence.


    Fear!


    Goosebumps appeared on her skin as Xuna felt like she was within the stomach of a prehistoric beast that was intending to devour her full. If not for her Nacre Generation Nails still supplying her with a steady stream of Nacre, Xuna would have lost all hope.


    At least with this, she could brute force her way through.


    She stared at an approaching grasshopper, petrifying it as she observed, shocked to see the statue dissolve into pure energy after a couple minutes had passed, seeping into the ground to vanish.


    If only the grasshopper''s body did this, she wouldn''t have been as rmed. But even her petrifying power was dismantled into its purest energy form and assimted into the ground.


    This meant that over time, even she might be assimted into the region.


    Xuna stared up, observing the bioluminescentyer of forest acting as the sky, "Either there''s a way out here or I''ll have to bore through the ground."


    But before she did that, she had to find herrades. Xuna coiled the rope around her body, fully covering her to act as an armour. Following that, she held her petrifying gun in the other hand, rushing through the forest while observing the changes to her luck values.


    Boom!


    She retracted her leg in reflex, watching a trunk pop out in an instant, missing her leg. She aimed the petrifying beam at it, turning the tiny trunk into a sculpture before moving on, failing to hear any sound other than those of the leaf monkeys.


    "Yihan! Tui! Hu!" She shouted their names, changing her petrify gun into the assault form every time there were no opponents near her. Following that, she simply sted the bullets into a tree, intending for the sound to echo around and alert herpanions.


    That seemed to be the sole option to find them quickly, as even though this mysterious world was dangerous, it wasn''t that big. Unfortunately for her, someone did notice the sounds she made, but it wasn''t her ally.


    "What the¡­why is it you?" Xuna stared at the figure of Kekua Fornol in surprise.


    "Ahh¡­shit!" Saying so, Kekua Fornol turned around and began to run away.

 Chapter 90 Endless Crisis (Part 2)

    Carnage ensued as the soldier ant killed and rapidly consumed at least ten ants before more ants rushed into the tunnel, alerted by the pheromone signals left by the ants before death.


    Upon seeing the influx of ants, the soldier ant felt threatened, quickly taking its leave as it left the tunnel and headed to the surface. An ant head peaked out of the hole as its antennae flickered around for a few seconds before it retreated.


    The tunnel entrance was swiftly closed up as the ants worked to block a section of the tunnel, at least to a depth of three metres. This way, it wasn''t possible to detect their existence unless someone decided to dig beyond a depth of three metres, the likelihood of which happening was low neat to an existing building.


    Their primary means of travel was at least at a depth between five to eight metres depending upon the area.


    Now cut off from its colony, the soldier ant made its way through the vige, travelling alone the edges formed by the building and the ground.


    Grrr!


    It was alerted by the low growl of a dog, alerted as it turned around, watching a dog leap at it from afar. It was a hunting dog reared by the Vige Head who had lost his family and was now gaining in on age.


    So, it was his solepany. It was also this dog that had alerted the vige of the arrival of the Hoil Bee well in advance before the watch tower could detect them. So, it was taken care off pretty well.


    Currently, the solider had stumbled into the area near the dog''s kennel, jumped on by therge predator.


    The soldier ant scurried back in response, quivering in pain as one of the dog''s legs mmed on its antennae, snapping it off before its maw mped upon its abdomen.


    The soldier ant''s newly obtained power wasn''t of use here as it could only be aimed forward. And with the dog at its side, it was helpless, unable to attack its opponent as its body was lifted from the ground.


    Bam!


    The dog mmed the ant onto the ground, spraining the joints between its head and body from the impact. It then wriggled its head, crushing the ant''s carapace further until it began to crack before spitting it on the ground.


    Twitch!


    The ant''s legs failed to move, with a majority of them damaged beyond repair. The mysterious energy swerved into its legs, beginning to regenerate the clipped-out legs. But before they grew back, the dog''s teeth sunk into its body, breaking it apart little by little, first pulling apart the aperture on its back that it used to shoot the water bullet at the ants before.


    The dog that brought the ant to its kennel and sat at the entrance, beginning to gnaw at it little by little, peeling off its hard exterior piece by broken piece before eventually reaching the soft flesh underneath.


    The ant lost its life in the process when suddenly, the dog yelped in response as its figure vanished. There were no further sounds in the ce beyond that.


    The vige hadn''t slept that night, huddled as a group as they looked vignt until the sun was up. Only then did they have the guts to sleep. Part of the vigers were already ready to vacant the vige.


    Those that didn''t had to stay behind because they couldn''t afford to move out of the vige. They didn''t have enough money to survive in another ce.


    "Haah!" The Vige Head sighed in response, returning to his house, frowning as he failed to see his dog. It was usually asleep in its kennel and would have been barking by now upon sensing him.


    But now, there were no signs of it in the front yard of the Vige Head''s house, causing him to look at the kennel in concern, feeling his heartrate elerate in response to notice tiny shells on the ground.


    They seemed to be the carapace of some creature that had shattered under robust pressure. The Vige Chief stared at the ce before shouting, "Have anyone seen my dog?"


    "Did something happen?" A viger arrived, holding a shove in his hand, alert. His eyes were red, having not had a wink of sleep throughout the night. He looked at the front yard, spotting the carapace pieces, focusing on one spot where the mandibles of the anty, "What the heck''s that?"


    "I''m not¡­sure." The Vige Head said as he entered the front yard, walking steadily as he poked the mandibles with a stick, failing to see any response before picking them up, "They look like an ant''s."


    "Strange, I''ve never heard about an ant that could grow this big." He said in part confusion part rm, unable to reign in the sense of fear budding in his heart.


    He then stared at the empty kennel, surprised to notice the harness of his dog still attached to the kennel. And, the cor that should have been wound around his dog was now free, still maintaining the same shape that it would have when wrapped around it.


    But now, the only thing missing from the picture was the dog.


    "Just¡­what is happening?" The Vige Head muttered, approaching the kennel.


    "The world went to shit with the appearance of those sted Blight Humans." The viger with the shove spit in irritation, "Too many dangerous things have cropped up one after another in the past few months."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "The lives of usmonfolk have only be more treacherous."


    "It''s the same, no matter the era." The Vige Head said in resignation, lifting his head as his eyes twinkled, "But, there''s a better chance for us to change our fate in this world. All we need is one fruit."


    Beast Fruit!


    Even though the Vige Head didn''t mouth the words, the viger could hear them, understanding that if they consumed a Beast Fruit, their lives would turn around for the best.


    "Is there¡­a way?" The viger asked, feeling hopeful for a moment.


    "Getting a fruit?" The Vige Head shook his head, "That''s impossible. We''ll only be sending ourselves to the grave. But, there''s an easier option, even though this might take decades to show result."


    "You mean¡­" The viger''s eyes widened; his expression turned sour as if he had eaten a handful of mosquitoes, "Stealing the seeds of a Horned Human¡­"


    He sighed, "It would result in the deaths of us all if word of it everes to light."


    "But, with our current state, that seems the only possibility." The Vige Head nodded, "Some of the vigers have already expressed support to this. We only need to select the right target for this."


    The n was simple. Since the dispatched Horned Human was dead, they would plead the Cattle Lord until another Horned Human was dispatched. And this time, they nned to drug the Horned Human so that one of the youthful girls of their vige would force herself on him to conceive with his child.


    The child of a Horned Human had a higher chance of being born a Horned Human. It was guaranteed if both the parents were Horned Humans, but even if one was a Horned Human, the chance was still high.


    It was a high-risk operation. But with the survival of their vige at stake, this was their only option. Though, they would only drug the Horned Human if the natural advances of the women in their vige failed in the first ce.


    "But, what is they never send a Horned Human?" The viger frowned, "There''s only three under our Castle Lord. And with one of them dead, that coward would never send another."


    "Yeah, that''s a problem, which is why we have to hope Lord Balkan is still alive." Sighing, the Vige Head inched to pick up the cor of his dog. But, just when his hand approached it, his eyes widened in confusion, "Eh?"


    It felt like his hands had touched a bubble when immediately, his figure vanished, sucked into the mysterious bubble.


    The viger with the shovel stared at the scene, aghast, screaming in fright as he scurried away, "Ghost!"


    "There''s a ghost here! It got the Vige Head!"


    "Ghost?"


    "Is that what took Lord Balkan too?"


    The vigers moured at his shouts, surrounding the pale-faced viger that had dropped his shovel in fear, now on the ground as tears streamed out of his eyes, his voice quivering as he said, "H-H-He was about to t-touch his dog''s c-cor when the Vige H-Head vanished."


    "Dammit! What the heck is happening?" One of the vigers, a rather rash brute groaned in anger as he picked up the shovel on the ground and threw it at the dog kennel, watching it m into the kennel to result in a loud thud.


    Nothing happened though as the shovel was just there.


    He then hurried to a nearby house and arrived with a chicken that was alive, throwing it at the kennel.


    Kukook!


    The chicken pped its wings in a hurry as it fell towards the kennel, the sounds of its wings resounding in the silence as all the vigers watched with bated breath.


    The chicken pped its wings in a hurry as it fell towards the kennel, the sounds of its wings resounding in the silence as all the vigers watched with bated breath.


    And suddenly, as it neared the kennel, its figure vanished.

 Chapter 91 Endless Crisis (Part 3)

    After all, the ant that devoured their Origin Space immediately branched out of the colony, going rogue as it surfaced and began to hunt solo. Upon seeing what was up, the ant queen stopped targeting Horned and Blight Humans, only targeting the regr humans that possessed either a Blight Core or a Nacre Core in their bodies.


    Though, the damage had already been done by now as the ants that had broken free from the colony began to consume all energy rich entities.


    And typically, whether human or an animal, the one with the most potent Nacre or Blight Core in their bodies became their targets.


    Moreover, unlike the ants of the colonies that stopped growing after attaining a size of ten centimetres, these ants¡ªthat had devoured an Origin Space¡ªcontinued to grow as they ate.


    The ants that devoured a Horned Human''s Origin Space disyed part of the Mutated Beast''s characteristics. In contrast, the ants that had devoured a Blight Human''s Origin Space disyed characteristics of the nt that the Blight Human used.


    These ants began to transform into a form closer to nts, able to hide themselves in forests and hunt any living being that approached close.


    More than a hundred of such ants had arrived at the surface, causing a lot of mysterious disappearances throughout the continent. After all, everything they devoured arrived at their Origin Space, leaving behind no traces in reality.


    But, they weren''t invincible. After all, at the end of the day, they weren''t specialised forbat beyond some tricks they gained after obtaining the Origin Space. So, quite a few ended up getting killed.


    This was where problems began to crop up throughout the continent as people and creatures began to disappear mysteriously, rattling both the Fornol and Lerni Empires.


    After all, if the casualties only amounted to themon popce, they could send the Horned Humans or Blight Humans respectively to solve the problem. But when the casualties also included those with power, the popce began to worry.


    Among the ants, there was one that had ventured into the Fornol Empire, roaming around its borders to chance upon the corpses of both the Horned Humans and Blight Humans. It ate them all, absorbing the Origin Space of everyone within it.


    There didn''t seem like a limit existed in this. Or maybe as long as the ant could handle the load, it could continue to devour more Origin Spaces.


    Boom!


    Various colours spawned across the skies as more than a dozen Blight and Horned Humans collided with one another. This was a war ongoing between two rivalling Kingdoms, each of which had allied themselves to the Fornol and Lerni Empires respectively. They were both colonies under the respective Empires, having been that way for more than a century.


    Both the Kingdoms were poor,cking in resources. And hence, they had to snatch resources from the other side to survive and develop. Moreover, there was another reason for their conflict.


    It was to swallow the other side and then raise an armyrge enough to attack the Autonomous City State of Yatar, an ind rich with resources.


    The people there were one of the richest inparison, leadingvish lives. The environment conditions also favoured them, making foreign invasions tremendously difficult.


    Whether it was the Fornol Empire or the Lerni Empire, both were contesting to take over the City State of Yatar. Unfortunately, in order to do so, they needed to gain influence over the two closest Kingdoms¡ªKarabban and Dabbar.


    Karabban was a vassal state under the Fornol Empire while Dabbar was under the Lerni Empire.


    This contest over Yatar raged on for decades already. And with the arrival of the Horned and Blight Humans, things only escted. Currently, this part of the world was where the most intense conflict was happening.


    Of course, it also created the best environment for a certain ant that had formed its cave underground, relying upon its senses to observe the ongoing battle between dozens of Horned and Blight Humans.


    "Keuk!" A Horned Human gasped in response, staring at a thorn pierce through his stomach, causing him to cough out blood. He red at the opponent in anger, watching his sword brim with Nacre before it shed at speeds approaching the speed of sound, severing the thorn.


    The sword hummed as the Horned Humannded on the ground, coughing out blood as he stared at his bleeding wound, closing it with a free hand as he shouted, "You''ll pay for this, fucker!"


    "Heh, how will you?" The Blight Human stared with a maniacal smile, "You''re on the verge of death."


    "Is that so?" The Horned Human copsed to the ground, his eyes red as he stared in hatred, "Can you even see anymore?"


    "I can''t¡­" The Blight Human said, leaning against a boulder, his limbs severed and the gash on his forehead causing blood to ooze into his eyes, hindering him from seeing.


    Both were pretty injured, unable to garner strength anymore, almost exhausted of energy.


    The Horned Human used his sword as a crutch to get up, straining in the process as he almost copsed multiple times, feeling his head spin from the blood loss. The thorn had expanded while in his body, having pierced through his internal organs, including the lungs.<novelnext></novelnext>


    So, he was aware that his time was up. But before he died, he wished to kill his opponent as he dragged himself to the boulder, staring at the Blight Human that wasn''t able to react anymore, pointing the sword at his neck, "Anyst words?"


    "Don''t bother, we''re both fucked!" The Blight Human''s face paled suddenly, "My thorn''s roots noticed something just now. There''s a monster under us¡­"


    Boom!


    The ground parted as suddenly, a monster resembling a worm jutted out of the ground, swallowing both the Horned and Blight Humans. It spanned a breadth of two metres, its length unknown, having devoured enough Horned and Blight Humans that its body had changed drastically.


    After all, by gaining at least a few traits from the Mutated Beasts and nts in the Origin Spaces it had devoured, it continued to evolve until reaching its current form, a true monster that no longer had any resemnce to its ant form.


    Though, its entire body was covered by flexible exoskeleton. The Horned hacked with his sword, causing it to hum violently, osciting at high frequencies, enough to cut through even steel.


    Snap!


    The sword mmed into what seemed to be a mandible within the throat of the monster, breaking in half. rmed, the Horned Human could only resign himself to fate as he stared at the over hundred mandibles that fully covered the throat of the monster, "My god¡­what has this world birthed now?"


    Crunch!


    Both him and the Blight Human were diced up by the mandibles and devoured casually, as following that, the monster burrowed into the ground, covering its traces.


    The fighting in the battlefield was intense, not except for a couple of soldiers nearby, none noticed the monster. And before they could shout, a hail of arrows killed them.


    It was a mess on the battlefield.


    Though, the fighting halted for a moment as the heads of everyone tilted up, staring at the gigantic flower trailing through the skies. It spanned a size of twenty metres, massive in nature, causing the Blight Humans to stare in amazement.


    "That''s the Varnol!"


    One of the Blight Humans muttered, "Is the Empress in there?"


    It was indeed Feleokruna seated within the Varnol, sporting a frown as she gazed at the state of the battlefield, "Is it still a stalemate here?"


    "The Lerni Empire is allocating more funds to the Dabbar Kingdom. They too have raised the importance of Yatar." Felor said. Currently, he was the one controlling it while his mother was seated on the throne calmly.


    There was just the two of them in Varnol, the reason for which was simple: They nned to meet Kekua Fornol.


    When she gave themand to Luncress, after sacrificing a lot of Hoil Bees in the process, Luncress managed to get the message to Kekua Fornol.


    The terms of the other party were pretty simple. Only two of them could arrive for the discussion. And secondly, they would meet at a neutral location, which was Yatar.


    Even though Yatar didn''t have any Horned or Blight Humans, they possessed one of the strongest militaries in terms of defensive warfare, having dispatched multiple armies to the afterlife.


    And unless the strength of the Horned and Blight Humans crossed Stage 5 inrge numbers, this stalemate would continue to remain. But at the moment, it was still the most neutral location.


    Hence, Kekua Fornol had proposed a meeting in such a ce.


    Therefore, Feleokruna and Felor took the trip on the newly constructed Varnol, heading towards the Autonomous City State of Yatar.


    Therefore, Feleokruna and Felor took the trip on the newly constructed Varnol, heading towards the Autonomous City State of Yatar.


    As the Varnol moved past the battlefield, from beneath the boulder peeked the monster from before, its dozen eyes staring at the Varnol in the air. Highlights in its sight were two powerful auras seated on the Varnol, the corruption rich and potent in them, causing the monster to feel hungry.


    It stared at their destination, observing the city of Yatar situated afar, burrowing into the ground to head in the respective direction, making its next meal the Fornol Royal Family.

 Chapter 92 Endless Crisis (Part 4)

    And currently, this ruin of a temple was one of the few surviving architects of that era, one long gone past. There were four ships currently surrounding the ind, situated five hundred metres away each, forming ayer of protection.


    These ships were from Yatar City State, meant as protection to the distinguished guests that were visiting it on neutral terms. As Yatar City State was selected as the neutral grounds, they had to be responsible for protection.


    Among the four ships weren''t just soldiers from the Yatar City State, there were also dignitaries from all over the world. Even those from the Lerni Empire had paid a visit, of course to sour the rtions between the Fornol Empire and Kekua Fornol.


    Of course, they couldn''t do anything at the situation, for the Yatar City State was truly monitoring everything with bated breaths.


    "They''ve arrived." The Ruler of the Yatar City State said, staring at the Varnol that approached his location,nding a few metres away from him. One of its petals unfurled, creating a bridge for the two people to walk to the ground.


    Once they descended, all the petals closed up, making Varnol resemble a bud, fully sealed, preventing anyone from entering it. Unless either Feleokruna or Felor wills it, the petals would never open.


    "I suppose this is our first meeting. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Feleokruna said, offering a formal handshake to the Ruler of the ce.


    But in response, the Ruler simply cupped his fists, "I''m not a Blight Human, so please understand my side."


    "I don''t mind." Feleokruna retracted her outstretched arm, not minding the other party''s actions. After all, if she willed it, her Fornol Sunflower would manifest over her palms and melt through the Ruler''s hands.


    And since news of her ability had already spread throughout the world, none would dare shake hands with her, for doing so would mean that during the course of the handshake, their life and death would truly be in her hands.


    "Then, I''ll be taking my leave. Please ensure our safety." Feleokruna didn''t spare any words beyond that, climbing onto a nearby boat that Felor paddled towards the ind.


    Feleokruna only exchanged a sentence with Yatar for the sake of courtesy. In terms of status alone, the Ruler of Yatar City State didn''t evene close to Feleokruna. After all, in terms of size, poption, resources, and wealth, it could at mostpete with one of the wealthier duchies under the Fornol Empire.


    And with the arrival of the Blight Humans, the power within the Fornol Empire''s grasp continued to increase with the passing of every single day. Currently, Feleokruna didn''t even bat an eye at the thousands of archers posted at the scene in the name of protection.


    If she wished to kill them all, it would take her less than a minute. Therefore, if there existed an enemy strong enough to endanger her, these archers wouldn''t amount to anything. So, she didn''t spare much thought to them and calmly approached the ruined temple.


    Her intention was to recruit Kekua Fornol, no more, no less. The other party was that valuable. Soon after, Feleokruna and Felor climbed onto the ind, entering the temple to see four chairs ced there, with two on either side, separated by a distance of three metres.


    Feleokruna took the seat on the right while her son sat to her left. Within a minute, two individuals arrived at the temple. They were Kekua Fornol and Krodn. Krodn was the Blight Human with the parasitic ability to cause flowers to bud out of trees, ones that shot out seeds like pellets once they bloomed.


    As his ability was the most lethal in terms of defensive warfare and able to perfectlyplement Kekua Fornol''s ability, he was brought. And as he already reached Stage 3, he was pretty useful.


    Kekua Fornol was at the peak of Stage 3, only shy of reaching Stage 4, her growth being elerated as they had been able to fish for high quality Blight Cores from deeper into the sea.


    Upon arrival, Kekua Fornol and Feleokruna sized up each other, also noticing that the colour intensity of their hair was more or less the same. There was a minute shade difference between the two, with Feleokrunaing on top.


    But, this only meant that the potency of her ability was a tad better than Kekua Fornol, but not enough to make any difference.


    ''So, that''s the Empress.'' Kekua Fornol thought, not offering any greeting as all she did was stare at the other party.


    ''No wonder she''s been garnering enough support for legitimacy. Her power''s on par with Fornol Sunflower.'' Feleokruna thought, observing the actions of Kekua Fornol, making an estimate of her, ''She indeed exudes the aura of a ruler.''


    "Let''s sit and talk." Feleokruna said, motioning at the other chair for Kekua Fornol to be seated at. Kekua Fornol sat opposite to Feleokruna while Krodn sat opposite to Felor.


    And surprisingly, it was Krodn that took the initiative to speak, staring at Felor to ask, "How strong is the Central Guardian?"


    "Terrifyingly so," Felor said, disying his palm, "It tanked my beam like it was nothing minutes after it was birthed."


    "Which is why I called forth this meeting." Feleokruna said, staring at Kekua Fornol, "The power of the Blight Humans is increasing, especially with the inclusion of the Galtori Tribe."


    "If this continues to increase, it''ll spell disastrous for the Fornol Empire."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "So, what do you propose?" Kekua Fornol asked calmly, intending to see to what extent Feleokruna would go.


    "Dukedom," Feleokruna said, "You''ll get the status and resources necessary to maintain andrge enough to be called a Kingdom."


    "Not interested," Kekua Fornol refused in an instant, "I can create something of such a scale on my own."


    She made eye contact with Feleokruna, "After all, I can indeed draw forth enough influence on the people, especially the Blight Humans with parasitic abilities."


    ''She indeed can do that.'' Feleokruna thought, sensing a sharp increase in the number of Blight Humans with parasitic abilities.


    Before, if the parasitic abilities were weak, the Blight Human was killed on sight while if their parasitic ability was strong enough, they were joined to an assassination unit created to specifically target Blight Humans.


    But now, the moment a Blight Human with a parasitic ability appears, their respective family quickly hid their identities, making it seem as if they died an unfortunate death while in truth sending them to Kekua Fornol''s care.


    Moreover, along with their family members, they also sent forth enough money and other items as basically bribe to ensure their family members were treated amicably in the secluded domain for Blight Humans with parasitic abilities.


    Therefore, Kekua Fornol''s influence was indeed rising as she quoted.


    "You attaining Duke status is just a front." Feleokruna smiled, stating solemnly, "In truth, it''s to stabilise your legitimacy."


    She then pointed at Felor, "You can marry my son here and be the next Empress of the Fornol Empire. This way, the goals of both are fulfilled."


    "I''m after your ability while you''re after the throne." Feleokruna stared at Kekua Fornol, smiling upon noticing the other party''s surprise, "It''s a win-win situation."


    "I understand now," Kekua Fornol let out a wry smile, figuring out Feleokruna''s intentions, "You''re hoping our children would inherit an ability that''s a fusion of my Root House and Fornol Sunflower."


    "Exactly!" Feleokruna nodded, "A fusion of the two would eliminate the weaknesses of both powers and turn us into a terrifying power, enough to contest against the Guardian Tribes."


    "One of our spies noticed the existence of the Southern Guardian Tribe. The Galtori n belongs to the West Guardian Tribe." Feleokruna said, "This means that there still exists the Northern and Eastern Guardian Tribes somewhere."


    "But, with Root House and Fornol Sunflowerbined, we''ll gain enough power to contend against them." Feleokruna said, "To make that a reality, giving you the title of Empress is a small price to pay."


    "So," She looked at Kekua Fornol with expectant eyes, "What''s your decision?"


    "Before that," Kekua Fornol asked, "What''s the source of the Devil Fruits?"


    "You''ll know once you be the Empress." Feleokruna said, sporting a mysterious expression, "That''s your sole chance to understand the truth of this world."


    The terms proposed by Feleokruna were pretty simple but overbearing in terms of lucrativeness. After all, her proposal directly shortened Kekua Fornol''s struggles from decades to mere days. All she had to say was nod in response before attaining everything she desired.


    "That, suppose I do ept," Kekua Fornol stared at Felor, "What happens to the people under me?"


    "Your wish," Feleokruna shrugged, "You can recruit them or dispose of them. I won''t interfere since I already have ns of retiring."


    Her eyes turned seriousness, "I can''t waste time with management when my rival, Xuna is growing strong at a staggering pace. Only I can face her, so I''ll be focusing on solely growing strong."


    As for the person in question, she too was at the scene, hidden within the mouth of a bird that was hidden in a corner of the temple, within audible distance from the four Blight Humans.


    Xuna hadn''te alone, for hiding deep in the waters, at depths beyond what the people could scout were the Southern Guardians, Tui and Hu. Moreover, Yihan was next to them, having created a thin straw using his armour that peeked out of the water surface, through which he inhaled air.


    Eight of the most prominent elites of the world had gathered at the scene.

 Chapter 93 Danger Around The Corner

    This temple was built by a Kingdom that existed in this ce more than a millennium ago, a reigning power that had once garnered trade influence for half the world. But over time, it copsed.


    And currently, this ruin of a temple was one of the few surviving architects of that era, one long gone past. There were four ships currently surrounding the ind, situated five hundred metres away each, forming ayer of protection.


    These ships were from Yatar City State, meant as protection to the distinguished guests that were visiting it on neutral terms. As Yatar City State was selected as the neutral grounds, they had to be responsible for protection.


    Among the four ships weren''t just soldiers from the Yatar City State, there were also dignitaries from all over the world. Even those from the Lerni Empire had paid a visit, of course to sour the rtions between the Fornol Empire and Kekua Fornol.


    Of course, they couldn''t do anything at the situation, for the Yatar City State was truly monitoring everything with bated breaths.


    "They''ve arrived." The Ruler of the Yatar City State said, staring at the Varnol that approached his location,nding a few metres away from him. One of its petals unfurled, creating a bridge for the two people to walk to the ground.


    Once they descended, all the petals closed up, making Varnol resemble a bud, fully sealed, preventing anyone from entering it. Unless either Feleokruna or Felor wills it, the petals would never open.


    "I suppose this is our first meeting. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Feleokruna said, offering a formal handshake to the Ruler of the ce.


    But in response, the Ruler simply cupped his fists, "I''m not a Blight Human, so please understand my side."


    "I don''t mind." Feleokruna retracted her outstretched arm, not minding the other party''s actions. After all, if she willed it, her Fornol Sunflower would manifest over her palms and melt through the Ruler''s hands.


    And since news of her ability had already spread throughout the world, none would dare shake hands with her, for doing so would mean that during the course of the handshake, their life and death would truly be in her hands.


    "Then, I''ll be taking my leave. Please ensure our safety." Feleokruna didn''t spare any words beyond that, climbing onto a nearby boat that Felor paddled towards the ind.


    Feleokruna only exchanged a sentence with Yatar for the sake of courtesy. In terms of status alone, the Ruler of Yatar City State didn''t evene close to Feleokruna. After all, in terms of size, poption, resources, and wealth, it could at mostpete with one of the wealthier duchies under the Fornol Empire.


    And with the arrival of the Blight Humans, the power within the Fornol Empire''s grasp continued to increase with the passing of every single day. Currently, Feleokruna didn''t even bat an eye at the thousands of archers posted at the scene in the name of protection.


    If she wished to kill them all, it would take her less than a minute. Therefore, if there existed an enemy strong enough to endanger her, these archers wouldn''t amount to anything. So, she didn''t spare much thought to them and calmly approached the ruined temple.


    Her intention was to recruit Kekua Fornol, no more, no less. The other party was that valuable. Soon after, Feleokruna and Felor climbed onto the ind, entering the temple to see four chairs ced there, with two on either side, separated by a distance of three metres.


    Feleokruna took the seat on the right while her son sat to her left. Within a minute, two individuals arrived at the temple. They were Kekua Fornol and Krodn. Krodn was the Blight Human with the parasitic ability to cause flowers to bud out of trees, ones that shot out seeds like pellets once they bloomed.


    As his ability was the most lethal in terms of defensive warfare and able to perfectlyplement Kekua Fornol''s ability, he was brought. And as he already reached Stage 3, he was pretty useful.


    Kekua Fornol was at the peak of Stage 3, only shy of reaching Stage 4, her growth being elerated as they had been able to fish for high quality Blight Cores from deeper into the sea.


    Upon arrival, Kekua Fornol and Feleokruna sized up each other, also noticing that the colour intensity of their hair was more or less the same. There was a minute shade difference between the two, with Feleokrunaing on top.


    But, this only meant that the potency of her ability was a tad better than Kekua Fornol, but not enough to make any difference.


    ''So, that''s the Empress.'' Kekua Fornol thought, not offering any greeting as all she did was stare at the other party.


    ''No wonder she''s been garnering enough support for legitimacy. Her power''s on par with Fornol Sunflower.'' Feleokruna thought, observing the actions of Kekua Fornol, making an estimate of her, ''She indeed exudes the aura of a ruler.''


    "Let''s sit and talk." Feleokruna said, motioning at the other chair for Kekua Fornol to be seated at. Kekua Fornol sat opposite to Feleokruna while Krodn sat opposite to Felor.


    And surprisingly, it was Krodn that took the initiative to speak, staring at Felor to ask, "How strong is the Central Guardian?"


    "Terrifyingly so," Felor said, disying his palm, "It tanked my beam like it was nothing minutes after it was birthed."


    "Which is why I called forth this meeting." Feleokruna said, staring at Kekua Fornol, "The power of the Blight Humans is increasing, especially with the inclusion of the Galtori Tribe."


    "If this continues to increase, it''ll spell disastrous for the Fornol Empire."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "So, what do you propose?" Kekua Fornol asked calmly, intending to see to what extent Feleokruna would go.


    "Dukedom," Feleokruna said, "You''ll get the status and resources necessary to maintain andrge enough to be called a Kingdom."


    "Not interested," Kekua Fornol refused in an instant, "I can create something of such a scale on my own."


    She made eye contact with Feleokruna, "After all, I can indeed draw forth enough influence on the people, especially the Blight Humans with parasitic abilities."


    ''She indeed can do that.'' Feleokruna thought, sensing a sharp increase in the number of Blight Humans with parasitic abilities.


    Before, if the parasitic abilities were weak, the Blight Human was killed on sight while if their parasitic ability was strong enough, they were joined to an assassination unit created to specifically target Blight Humans.


    But now, the moment a Blight Human with a parasitic ability appears, their respective family quickly hid their identities, making it seem as if they died an unfortunate death while in truth sending them to Kekua Fornol''s care.


    Moreover, along with their family members, they also sent forth enough money and other items as basically bribe to ensure their family members were treated amicably in the secluded domain for Blight Humans with parasitic abilities.


    Therefore, Kekua Fornol''s influence was indeed rising as she quoted.


    "You attaining Duke status is just a front." Feleokruna smiled, stating solemnly, "In truth, it''s to stabilise your legitimacy."


    She then pointed at Felor, "You can marry my son here and be the next Empress of the Fornol Empire. This way, the goals of both are fulfilled."


    "I''m after your ability while you''re after the throne." Feleokruna stared at Kekua Fornol, smiling upon noticing the other party''s surprise, "It''s a win-win situation."


    "I understand now," Kekua Fornol let out a wry smile, figuring out Feleokruna''s intentions, "You''re hoping our children would inherit an ability that''s a fusion of my Root House and Fornol Sunflower."


    "Exactly!" Feleokruna nodded, "A fusion of the two would eliminate the weaknesses of both powers and turn us into a terrifying power, enough to contest against the Guardian Tribes."


    "One of our spies noticed the existence of the Southern Guardian Tribe. The Galtori n belongs to the West Guardian Tribe." Feleokruna said, "This means that there still exists the Northern and Eastern Guardian Tribes somewhere."


    "But, with Root House and Fornol Sunflowerbined, we''ll gain enough power to contend against them." Feleokruna said, "To make that a reality, giving you the title of Empress is a small price to pay."


    "So," She looked at Kekua Fornol with expectant eyes, "What''s your decision?"


    "Before that," Kekua Fornol asked, "What''s the source of the Devil Fruits?"


    "You''ll know once you be the Empress." Feleokruna said, sporting a mysterious expression, "That''s your sole chance to understand the truth of this world."


    The terms proposed by Feleokruna were pretty simple but overbearing in terms of lucrativeness. After all, her proposal directly shortened Kekua Fornol''s struggles from decades to mere days. All she had to say was nod in response before attaining everything she desired.


    "That, suppose I do ept," Kekua Fornol stared at Felor, "What happens to the people under me?"


    "Your wish," Feleokruna shrugged, "You can recruit them or dispose of them. I won''t interfere since I already have ns of retiring."


    Her eyes turned seriousness, "I can''t waste time with management when my rival, Xuna is growing strong at a staggering pace. Only I can face her, so I''ll be focusing on solely growing strong."


    As for the person in question, she too was at the scene, hidden within the mouth of a bird that was hidden in a corner of the temple, within audible distance from the four Blight Humans.


    Xuna hadn''te alone, for hiding deep in the waters, at depths beyond what the people could scout were the Southern Guardians, Tui and Hu. Moreover, Yihan was next to them, having created a thin straw using his armour that peeked out of the water surface, through which he inhaled air.


    Eight of the most prominent elites of the world had gathered at the scene.

 Chapter 94 Ant Disaster

    "Xuna, are you alright?" Yihan arrived before her, holding arge shield in his hand while asking in concern.


    "Nothing that cannot be healed." Xuna showed her injuries healing rapidly as she stared at the worm-like entity, rmed, "What the heck is this?"


    She then shouted at Feleokruna, "Did Luncress make this?"


    "He and his family are the only ones with the power to create monsters."


    "Of course not." Feleokruna snapped back, "His monsters need to eat the nectar he produces to survive. So, they cannot go rouge¡­"


    ''Shit!'' Feleokruna red at Xuna in anger, for she revealed Luncress'' weakness. As the weakness extended to his entire family, it meant that the enemy now were aware of the weak point for all the monsters the Turman Duke Household rears.


    "Anyway, we''re not responsible for this." Feleokruna said as the beetroot picked up both her and Felor, dodging the attacks from the worm-like creature.


    Feleokruna and Felor had attack-based abilities andcked any in terms of mobility. In terms of that, the Root House granted both mobility and defence, allowing them to focus fully on attacks alone.


    They were seated on its top at first when the roots squirmed, pulling their bodies inside. Following that, the beetroot rolled around on the ground, opening its mouth as four beams mmed out of it, impacting the work-like creature, mming it to the side.


    The beetroot leaped over the monster''s body as flowers budded on the floor in the locations it had stepped upon.


    Immediately, they stared at the monster, blooming to hurl petals at it, riddling its body with injuries as the seeds rotated and continued to drill, absorbing all blood that came into contact with them as they regrew to be flowers once again.


    Though, these flowers were barely half the original, shooting seeds that pelted the monster''s body. Though, the impact this time only packed a fourth of the original punch. Moreover, these seeds didn''t germinate uponing into contact with the monster''s blood.


    "See, this is what I''m hoping to achieve." Feleokruna said, unleashing a beam when a hole opened in the beetroot, urately mming into the worm-like entity''s head while the Root House dodged the opponent''s toxic geyser.


    "Combining the powers of both would result in the ultimate power capable of facing all." Feleokruna said.


    "I¡­can see that." Kekua Fornol said, revealing a shocking statement soon after, "Since my ability is a parasitic type, it can actuallytch onto Fornol Sunflower to be one. Though, not everyone among the descendants would be able to wield the type of power you foresee as the moment the parasitic power grows stronger than Fornol Sunflower, they''ll lose it. Or if their Fornol Sunflower is too strong, it''ll burn through the parasitic ability."


    "Yeah, yeah, that sounds great. But focus on the enemy." Xuna said,nding on the Root House as she spoke in anger, "This monster will kill us all at this rate."


    "I don''t see you trying to kill it, though?" Feleokruna snapped back in response, "We''re the only ones trying to kill it. I''m pretty sure it''s your people that set it loose."


    "What the heck are you smoking?" Xuna retorted, pointing to the side where Yihan was constantly evading the monster that seemed intent on mping upon him, "There''s two heads actually."


    "What?" It was only then did the group notice a second worm-like creature that was targeting Yihan and two other entities that moved around rapidly through the waters.


    The monster''s actual body seemed buried underground while its two heads were the ones targeting them.


    "I''ll take care of the second head while you take care of this." Saying so, Xuna flew away, taking out her canon that sted canon balls at the monster head, with each impact rattling its serpentine body.


    In the meantime, the two Southern Guardians swam through the waters, leaping out of it from time to time,


    "Argh!" Tui roared as his scaly mouth opened when suddenly, the projection of a Gharial appeared before him and mped upon the monster''s body, ripping away a piece of its flesh.


    The piece of severed flesh disappeared in his body as Tui began to digest it rapidly while continuing to move about within the waters.


    The power of the West Guardians was the creating of countless tools using their Armours and the myriad abilities inborn in them.


    For the Southern Guardians, other than their naturally scaly armour that allowed them to move through the waters, they could also unleash projections of their Guardian Beast separately that ripped apart pieces of their target.


    Using this, they could casually devour creatures way bigger than them, turning them into the most dangerous predator of the ocean.


    Yihan''s scythe des made deep cuts on the monster''s carapace, drawing in all its attention. Even though it could heal through the wound quickly, that was in the case it was facing Yihan alone.


    But, with Xuna in the picture, things were over in a matter of seconds as each cannonball shredded through its hardened carapace, revealing the soft flesh underneath.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Xuna attacked both heads, intending to deal with this opponent as quickly as possible, noticing her Coincidental Luck values flicker unnaturally. It meant that dragging this fight was dangerous for her.


    Boom!


    Sunlight beams mmed through the cracks in the hardened armour, rapidly melting through the soft flesh underneath as the monster began to get burned from the inside.


    Xuna switched to her petrifying gun, aiming at the shoot of the two heads, the part where it was attached to its body¡ªwhich was hiding underground. The petrifying beam rapidly turned the shoot of the two heads into stone before which canon balls mmed into it, shattering the ce into pieces.


    Boom!


    Switching over to her sniper rifle, Xuna aimed at the body hiding underneath the ground, shooting forth bullets nonstop, with each prating the ground to impact the body underneath.


    The Root House appeared over the hole on the ground, kicking the severed head of the monster while aiming its hand into the hole through which a beam of sunlight mmed, melting through the monster whose body continued to regenerate.


    As long as it regenerated, it meant that the monster wasn''t dead and the heads it disyed were only tendrils grown to resemble one. Its brain and other organs were probably deeper, situated within is main body that was hidden underground.


    Of course, assisted by Coincidental Luck, Xuna''s sniper bullets targeted the vital organs, taking them out one after another before she noticed the creature''s luck beginning to dissipate.


    "Thank goodness, it''s dead." Shemented upon seeing the monster''s luck beginning to dissipate.


    Immediately after, the Horned Humans and the Blight Humans separated. The Blight Humans stared from within the Root House while Xuna stared from behind the shield created by Yihan. Tui and Hu too exited the water to stand behind the shield, for too much of the monster''s toxin had mixed into the water, making it dangerous for them to be in it anymore.


    "Why did youe here?" Feleokruna red at Xuna.


    "I came here to take a piss, but I don''t need to tell you that." Xuna rolled her eyes, wondering why this Empress asked for the obvious.


    "Mom, we need to be careful." Felor said, urging Feleokruna to calm down, staring at the two new figures hiding behind Xuna, "They must be the Southern Guardians."


    "They are strong." Kekua Fornolmented, "If we were to fight them head on, we might lose. They have us beat on all fronts, especially in terms of versatility and healing."


    She recalled the frightening varieties of abilities Xuna disyed, wondering in shock, "Just how can one Horned Human possess so many abilities?"


    "She''s Rhizen''s disciple, so it makes sense." Feleokruna revealed all of a sudden.


    "M-Mom, why did you tell her that?" Felor was startled, staring at his mother with an incredulous gaze. Even he became privy to this information only after observing the fight between Rhizen and Yulna in the Pitcher nt Forest.


    "We might die, so if the situation everes to that, I''ll create an opportunity for you to flee." Feleokruna said solemnly, "Remember, only bybining Fornol Sunflower and Root House will we be able to match up against the Guardian Beasts."


    "Yihan, when I give the signal, create enough shields to withstand their sts." Xuna said, her eyes turning sharp upon realising that Kekua Fornol had now joined the Empress'' side, "I''ll snipe their heads."


    "Aunty¡­" Suddenly, Tui tapped her shoulder.


    "WHAT THE HECK DID YOU JUST CALL ME?" Xuna snapped back loud enough for her voice to echo throughout the ruins, ring at Tui.


    Though, the other party wasn''t concerned with that as he pointed at the barrier, "The toxin water is still close to this ind. It should have mixed with the rest of the water but hasn''t done that yet. This means the barrier is still here."


    "What the¡­?" Xuna was rmed as she stared at the monster''s corpse, "Its luck has dissipated tho¡­"


    But suddenly, the dissipated luckbined together to be a sphere, one that bloomed in size rapidly. Upon staring at it, Xuna''s eyes widened in shock, "Shit!"


    But suddenly, the dissipated luckbined together to be a sphere, one that bloomed in size rapidly. Upon staring at it, Xuna''s eyes widened in shock, "Shit!"


    Instantly, all eight people on the ind vanished.

 Chapter 95 World Ants

    She stepped forth for a moment, slipping all of a sudden when what seemed to be a strand of grass shed past the position where her head had been, coincidentally missing her.


    rmed, Xuna brought out her grappling hook, using the rope to create a shield while brining out her gun using the other hand, aiming at the entity behind her to spray a volley of bullets.


    Only then did she notice that the entity resembled a grasshopper, a three-metre-tall grasshopper with thin des for hands, possessing three pairs even. Its entire body seemed fragile at first nce, entirely made of grass.


    But upon seeing the shallow wounds her bullets made, Xuna was shocked, spraying the bullets all across its body to see that despite the injuries, it was alright.


    She hurriedly switched her gun to a canon form, unleashing a canon ball that exploded upon contact, sttering the grasshopper''s body. Only then did it stop being a threat.


    "Eww¡­gross!" Xuna stared at the grasshopper''s limbs that continued to twitch as if each part was alive. Moreover, they began to slither towards each other in an effort tobine into one once again. Of course, Xuna didn''t have the intention, obliterating thempletely until the bits couldn''t move anymore.


    But despite that, she still noticed some wriggling bits, akin to worms that continued to move, ''It seems fire is the only option. But I can''t use fire.''


    Xuna then switched to the petrify gun, intending to use it from now on, which worked best against such creatures with endless vitality.


    "Besides, where the heck am I now?" She wondered, looking around, startled to see that in the ce of the sky was¡­ground?


    There was a forest in the sky just like the one she was in now. Using her rocket, she took off to the skies, gaining some altitude to see that this was an¡­enclosed world.


    The world was spherical, with an environment created in the inner surface of a sphere. Based on an approximate, she judged that the sphere world had a radius of three kilometres, which was pretty massive.


    ''Is this what that monster had been creating?'' She wondered, thinking back to the changes in the creature''s luck at thest moment. She had been on the ind until then and before she realised, she was here.


    There was no sunlight in this world, making it pretty dark. There seemed to be bioluminescent nts littering the ce as it was their light that faintly illuminated the area.


    Unfortunately, due to theck of light, Xuna failed to locate the others. After all, it was brighter the closer to the ground and even at a heigh of ten metres from the ground, it was too dark to make out anything concrete.


    There was a faint light emitted by everything around her, including the grass, causing her to be rmed upon noticing a grasshopper standing right beside her, having crept up to her at some point in time.


    Coincidentally though, she noticed it before it could go in for the kill. Xuna willed as her rope coiled to create a shield before her, tanking the shes from the grasshopper when her petrifying beam mmed into it, rapidly turning it into a sculpture.


    It barely took two seconds before the grasshopper had entirely turned into a statue. "Good, it seems to be more effective than my gun."


    Unfortunately for her, Xuna had spoken out too fast as suddenly, dozens of leaves flew her way, sharp like des. Her rope expanded in response, tanking the leaves that dug half into the rope before losing all momentum.


    Though, this also meant that they were dangerous enough to pierce through her rope shield half way, causing her to expend more Nacre in repairs.


    Kieee! Kieee! Kieee!


    Shuttling sounds resounded from the branches as Xuna looked around in a hurry, hearing the ttering voices from all directions. And before she knew it, leaves mmed into her from all directions, coincidentally impacting her rope shield.


    Xuna made a cocoon around her with the rope, expending the grappling hook in the direction of the sound as it stabbed into a creature before dragging it towards her.


    "What the¡­a leaf monkey?" She was surprised once again, as the monkey seemed to be made entirely out of leaves. And it was these leaves that were being shot like ded bullets at her.


    Thankfully, once the grappling hook pierced through the monkey''s head, it stopped moving. At least, it was easier to deal with than the grasshoppers.


    But, things had no intentions to calm down as Xuna noticed a couple more grasshoppersing her way. Moreover, the ttering sounds of the leaf monkeys continued to echo around the ce.


    "Wait, what happened here?" She was rmed all of a sudden, staring at the ce where the two grasshopper statues ought to have existed. But there were no signs of them anymore, startling her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Moreover, even the faint traces of her footprints on the ground seemed to have been erased, making the ce as pristine as originally possible.


    Xuna was alone, unable to find any traces of others. She tried to sense the luck values of Yihan, ending up only seeing a massive sphere of luck covering everything, making the luck of anything else that might have been there.


    Due to that, she couldn''t track herpanions.


    ''I''ll get there soon. Just wait for me.'' Thinking as such, Xuna began to run through the ce, intending to find any traces of the others when suddenly, her breathing seemed to have slowed down as for a moment, her Coincidental Luck was shaved a tenth, causing her legs to slip and copse to the side.


    Her eyes widened in shock as Xuna noticed something akin to a tree trunk shoot out of the ground, its top like a ded disc that opened and closed like a camera shutter. Had she not slipped, her leg would have been caught within the tree trunk and severed instantly.


    Boom!


    Xuna sted a cannonball at the tiny tree trunk in reflex, shattering it apart to notice the twitching body of a rat beneath. Growing on its back was this tree trunk, one that seemed capable of turning hard and soft when needed.


    The rat twitched, hurt horribly. And just like with the grass hopper and the leaf monkey, this rat too seemed to be made out of nt life. It resembled a tree trunk in appearance, like a wooden sculpture that hade to life.


    It spanned a length of forty centimetres, a size too big for a rat, giving her the creepies. The trunk on its back was akin to a duct, allowing for the rat to strike from underground and sever the legs of any creatures roaming above ground.


    To conserver her Nacre, Xuna switched to the assault rifle form, killing the rat as she remained in the ce, frowning upon seeing the rat''s body break down into pure energy and retreat into the ground. Following that, the soil gradually shifted, covering up all traces of its existence.


    Fear!


    Goosebumps appeared on her skin as Xuna felt like she was within the stomach of a prehistoric beast that was intending to devour her full. If not for her Nacre Generation Nails still supplying her with a steady stream of Nacre, Xuna would have lost all hope.


    At least with this, she could brute force her way through.


    She stared at an approaching grasshopper, petrifying it as she observed, shocked to see the statue dissolve into pure energy after a couple minutes had passed, seeping into the ground to vanish.


    If only the grasshopper''s body did this, she wouldn''t have been as rmed. But even her petrifying power was dismantled into its purest energy form and assimted into the ground.


    This meant that over time, even she might be assimted into the region.


    Xuna stared up, observing the bioluminescentyer of forest acting as the sky, "Either there''s a way out here or I''ll have to bore through the ground."


    But before she did that, she had to find herrades. Xuna coiled the rope around her body, fully covering her to act as an armour. Following that, she held her petrifying gun in the other hand, rushing through the forest while observing the changes to her luck values.


    Boom!


    She retracted her leg in reflex, watching a trunk pop out in an instant, missing her leg. She aimed the petrifying beam at it, turning the tiny trunk into a sculpture before moving on, failing to hear any sound other than those of the leaf monkeys.


    "Yihan! Tui! Hu!" She shouted their names, changing her petrify gun into the assault form every time there were no opponents near her. Following that, she simply sted the bullets into a tree, intending for the sound to echo around and alert herpanions.


    "Yihan! Tui! Hu!" She shouted their names, changing her petrify gun into the assault form every time there were no opponents near her. Following that, she simply sted the bullets into a tree, intending for the sound to echo around and alert herpanions.


    That seemed to be the sole option to find them quickly, as even though this mysterious world was dangerous, it wasn''t that big. Unfortunately for her, someone did notice the sounds she made, but it wasn''t her ally.


    "What the¡­why is it you?" Xuna stared at the figure of Kekua Fornol in surprise.


    "Ahh¡­shit!" Saying so, Kekua Fornol turned around and began to run away.

 Chapter 96 Eastern Guardian Beast

    On an ind in the southern seas was a ship, on the deck of which sat Compass Carburettor in a meditative pose, ignoring the incessant chirps in his surroundings.


    The eagles on the ind were all over the ship now, perched everywhere there was a vacant spot. Beyond that, a sizeable poption were devouring the pile of fishes that were there.


    Moreover, every hour, another pile would arrive as the eagles relished them. As they no longer needed to hunt for food, the eagles were pretty happy, especially since there was more than enough food for their entire needs.


    Compass Carburettor didn''t just pile them on the deck. He first created a container using Mental Fragments in which he poured in the caught fish. And as the quantity within increased, he raised the height of the container. Moreover, he also created enough spots to perch within the container where the eagles stood to eat their fill before taking off.


    The smell in the area was nauseating, mixed with the stench of the blood and flesh of the fishes, not to mention the smell of the eagles, all mixed in the saline smell of the sea.


    Compass Carburettor didn''t seem to mind that, casually fishing for more fishes, watching a stream of eagles fly towards the ship from afar.


    This intense stench of fish was the bait to lure them in first. After all, it was time for the eagles of the Lan n to arrive andy down eggs here.


    For that to go sessfully, he nned to increase their poption as much as possible first, hence luring the eagles native to the ind first. As all the eagles were on the ship, the neers too were lured here first.


    The four sailors were huddled in one of the rooms, staring in fear at the sheer number of eagles on the ship. Considering the ravenous feast they were having, any living being apart from an eagle would be considered prey there.


    "Are his balls made of steel or something?" One of the sailors stared at Compass Carburettor in shock, failing to believe what he was seeing.


    Compass Carburettor was seated on the deck, amidst the eagles, neither protected nor influencing the eagles. He was seated there unguarded as some of the eagles even perched on his head and shoulders.


    He seemed to have lost himself, forgetting the passage of time as he wholeheartedly focused on his Invoked Spirit that swam through the waters while catching fishes that it then threw into the cage on the deck.


    Every time this happened, the eagles took off to the skies in rm before returning to their spots in a matter of seconds.


    Even in this cacophony, he was calm, meditating as he was training his Mental Strength. After all, how was Mental Strength trained the most? It was by subjecting a vulnerable person in a ce where they wouldn''t survive mentally.


    Assassins were trained by locking them up in caves to make them ustom to the darkness and insects.


    Compass Carburettor had a pretty hardened mind, but that was mostly thanks to external influences ranging from Skills to other abilities. Therefore, even though he was strong, he had his fair share of weaknesses.


    And now, in this world where Mental Strength was supreme, it made for the perfect training ground to train his mind further. And as Pilkan, he was vulnerable, with Pilkan''s brain allowing him to face things with a vulnerable mindset.


    Yurtale was actually the head of the Starwing Auction House. But he never revealed himself, always letting the remaining two Ascenders of the Auction House make public appearances.


    The reason he did this was to keep his identity hidden and mingle among themon popce as an auction enthusiast that was in the field for more than a decade. And he truly maintained that track record religiously, a reason people believed him in the first ce.


    After all, if someone ran a background check against him, they truly woulde to find out that he had indeed visited every auction in the past decade, a man truly owning up to his stated experiences.


    And it was only thanks to his hands-on experience meeting everyone that he always managed to convince the tourists to sell their items through the Starwing Auction House. He had an entire team to stage whatever y he wanted, just as he fooled Duketace.


    This was how he maintained the Starwing Auction House''s status as being the best in Cajjan City. Moreover, all auction houses typically took a cut of ten percent ie from the item bid, giving the customer the remaining ny percent.


    But, Yurtale yed the entire setup, making Duketace sign a contract that only gave him seventy percent of the item bid. He casually tripled their earnings. The reason he had done so was simple: The Forbidden Tale would rake in the dough.


    It would probably break the records on multiple levels, especially since there were four of them. It was only after he appraised them did Yurtale signal his underlings to change the contract terms.


    And as Duketace only wished to dump this, he should have been d at the offer.


    Of course, what Yurtale was unaware of was the fact that Duketace too had fooled him a little. Money was secondary to them, an added bonus.


    After all, they had given away one Forbidden Tale in the ins for free. So, even making a single penny for it meant a profit, for Compass Carburettor hadn''t asked for any in the first ce.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Therefore, getting seventy percent of the item bid was an enormous sum, especially since the risks involved in dispersing the four Forbidden Tales was nil now, at least for him and his daughter. The Starwing Auction House would bear everything.


    Duketace only proposed one condition, which was to auction the Forbidden Tale on different days. This way, the news would travel far and bring in more powers from foreignnds.


    Though, in order to obtain the greatest profit, the Starwing Auction House would indeed disseminate the information to all reigning powers. That way, the auction truly would be a grand spectacle.


    In this way, it was a win-win situation for both parties as Duketace observed decorated carriages proceeding towards the Starwing Auction House one after another.


    Some were directly riding their Invoked Spirits to make the trip, surprised as he muttered, "They already informed the various ns about this?"


    "It seems we truly underestimated the Starwing Auction House, dad." Ko said, her eyes glinting as she asked, "Say, Lord Pilkan didn''t ask for any money. So, with the money we get from auctioning these, buy me a scroll, will you?"


    "We''ll set aside the profits from two Forbidden Tales for Lord Pilkan." Duketace said, "You can spend the profit of one on whatever you want. I''ll be doing the same myself. I don''t know when we''ll return here after this, so let''s buy whatever we need."


    He clenched his hand into a fist, "What once seemed to be impossible is now within my reach."


    His gaze turned sharp as Duketace muttered, "I''ll be an Ascender."


    "I''ll be the first to be one, though." Ko said, taking a bath as she changed into a pair of luxurious clothes, fit to visit the auction house.


    "Dad, we''ll be meeting a lot of people from the high society. Dress appropriately, will you?" Ko said in disdain as she stared at the clothes he picked, "Pick a good one."


    "You''ll understand the value of money if you ever earn it¡­" Duketace spoke in a chiding tone, only observing his daughter roll her eyes in response and ignore him after that.


    An hourter, a carriage arrived from the Starwing Auction House, bringing them to the location while they sneakily took charge of the four Forbidden Tales, casually bringing it within the carriage itself, treating as if there wasn''t any treasure being transported.


    With how calm they were acting, Duketace was shocked, understanding that they were used to this, especially since everyone in charge were just regr people.


    Without any Invokers to guards the carriage, it caused none to pay heed to their carriage. And that''s how the treasure was being transported through the created blind spot of the influential people who wouldter bid for the same.


    The Starwing Auction House spanned a height of forty metres, a massive hall with an internal balcony where the VIP seats existed, each an enclosed room.


    On the ground were the regr seats for the rich among themon popce to be seated at.


    The seat Duketace and Ko obtained was one of the lowest cadres among the VIP section, a small room with a cushioned sofa and a table before.


    "It''s prettyfortable." Duketace muttered, watching with bated breath as he heard the discussion around him. His skin felt pricked as he felt gazes from people in power, causing him to feel like a rat being stared by a group of cats.


    As for Ko, she remained oblivious of everything, staring at the stage far away with rapt attention while muttering a chant, "Scrolls¡­Scrolls¡­Scrolls¡­"


    The spectators continued to stream in one after another as soon after, the auction house was packed to the limit. Duketace became nervous upon staring at a known face from the Gatarakh n, "Even he''s here?"


    He gulped audibly as Ko asked him, "Who''s he, dad? Do you know him?"


    "An Ascender that I came across before you were born. It was by saving him that I gained favour from the Gatarakh n. He''s Zaja Gatarakh, a renowned Ascender even in the teau region."


    "How did you save someone like that?" Ko was shocked, staring at her father in a new light.


    "It just¡­happened." Duketace sighed, patting the back of her head as he watched ady walk on the stage, whispering, "Alright, be quiet. It''s starting."

 Chapter 97 Yatar City Wins

    Kieee!


    An eagle soared through the skies, speeding along the crops as it opened its beak and swallowed dozens of locusts before curving in the air to arrive at a location beside the farm to spit out the dead locust corpses.


    The eagle continued to attack the locusts swarming through the acres of farnd, killing them in droves nonstop as it mowed through them. every p of its wings mmed into at least a few locusts, swatting them dead.


    "My Lord! At this rate, the entire harvest would be destroyed." A viger said in despair, watching months of their hard work go up in mes.


    They were a group of eighteen viges, situated on an archipgo that was abundant with fertile soil, for these inds were actually situated in ake where more than three rivers intersected.


    So, the quantity of freshwater here was enormous, not to mention the sheer vitality of life growing in the region. Of course, it was wrought with its fair share of concerns.


    First were the frequent floods that gued the region, not to mention disasters and diseases resulting from an outbreak of swarm insects like mosquitoes and locusts.


    That was the reason that despite its abundance, no formidable power wished to set foot here. But of course, despite the challenges, there was Sturr who dared to set foot here.


    Currently, her eagle was killing the locusts in droves before piling them up in a corner. They were a precious resource of protein that she could use to feed her Eagle Basket. Moreover, she was long since prepared to take control of this region.


    She wasn''t just ambitious but also had the smarts necessary to fuel her ambition, just as the rest of her family.


    "Be calm and bring me the most able among the youth here." Sturr said, watching the vigers hurry in response.


    Within a minute, over fifty youths, thirty men and twenty women assembled before her. Sturr gazed at them, nodding in response before throwing a packet to each, "Run ap through the fields and return here as quickly as possible. The locusts would chase after you. Remember to cover yourself with a coupleyers of clothes to void being injured."


    She said with amanding tone, "Just bring them here. I''ll take care of the rest."


    "Yes!" The youths nodded as they covered themselves with multipleyers of nkets before holding the packet to rush through the fields, doing as they weremanded.


    Emanating from the packets was a fruity scent that worked wonders on the locusts. This was a medicine Sturr had created using a team of researchers under her.


    Currently, the group of researchers had already arrived at the location and set up shop there, providing her with the drugs necessary to do what she needed.


    Bzzzz!


    A gigantic cloud chased after the running youths that hurried towards her in rm. The cloud was akin to a disaster, made up of billions of locusts, a power enough to wipe out an entire country''s worth of farm produce.


    "Run!" Sturr said, watching the group of youths run past her, dropping the packets at her feet as they dived into their homes in a hurry. The cloud of locusts headed straight for her as she let out a calm smile, shouting right as the locusts were a few metres from her, "Now!


    Boom!


    Her Invoked Spirit pped its wings, taking flight as multiple ropes seemed to be tied around its body. And at the end of the ropes were lids torge containers. There was shimmering coal within the containers, ced atop which were arge number of leaves.


    There were dozens of such containers as the moment their lids were opened, intense smoke billowed out, seeping into the cloud of locusts, affecting them in a matter of seconds as they dropped down like flies.


    When burned, the leaves released a narcotic substance that knocked out all the locusts that inhaled it.


    Sturr was prepared, covering her nose with a cloth as she gradually began to retreat,manding her eagle to trigger the locusts to chase after it. And thereby, it led the group into the range of the smoke.


    This way, a majority of the locusts formed a pile on the ground, showing no signs of waking up for at least a few hours.


    Sturr continued to use her eagle to round up and kill the rest of the locusts, for there was still a significant sum in the other inds that weren''t lured here.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "We need to repeat the same in the other inds. Let''s go." She motioned at the vigers, bringing the group of youths with her who carried the necessary materials and the containers.


    In the meantime, the team of researchers hurriedly exited their shed, covered from head to toe as they began to look through the pile of locusts, capturing the eggying kind among them and any specially mutated ones that they chanced upon.


    This was under Sturr''s orders. After all, she nned to rear the locusts into a food resource for the eagles, for it was the easiest to rear them. The locusts pretty much consumed anything. And as grass took the shortest time to grow in thergest numbers, it could be used to feed the locusts.


    This would give multiple benefits for the archipgo, which was why Sturr had brought an entire team of personnel with her, having already taken upmand of the region, for she was the sole Invoker of the ce.


    Within a week, she rid the ce of the locus problem, capturing more than enough of them to create a farm, having clipped the wings of all to prevent them from fleeing the ce. Sturr had been sending a portion of her wealth to this region in preparation towards this for years now, so the nest to farm the locusts as a crop had already been built, including her domicile.


    Following that, she convened all the talents of the eighteen viges settled in the archipgo, using the Inferior Invoker Crystals in her possession to turn them into Invokers.


    She first created forty Invokers, nning to proceed with the rest after that. After all, they still required eagles for their cultivation, which had to be reared carefully from now. But thankfully, she had everything required to make that a reality, setting up a n in the archipgo.


    The best way to train one''s mind was to subject themselves to things they are apprehensive about. The eagles were dangerous, but didn''t exert the maximum amount of mental pressure on Pilkan. After all, he belonged to the Lan n, a n that worked with the eagles.


    So, they offered the least amount of mental pressure on him. But even that, when pushed to the extreme like the situation on the deck of the ship was strenuous enough to exhaust him mentally.


    But, that wasn''t enough for Compass Carburettor whose goal was to attain the peak of this world within three years. To make that a reality, he had to go about things in a different form.


    So for that, Compass Carburettor also captured exotic but dangerous fish varieties, storing them within the almost empty ship. One of them were the electric eels he had changed upon.


    Pilkan was averse to creepy crawlies, having a natural fear of them. Therefore, it took a greater mental toll on him just to see them, not to mention interact with them.


    Thump! Thump!


    His heart thumped loud enough for him to feel it reverberating through his chest, the sounds resounding clearly in his ears, drowning out the rest. His index finger neared the tank as the thumping of his heart spiked in response as if he was sprinting at his utmost limit.


    Slowly, his finger touched the water in the tank, feeling a minor shock as he retracted his hand in reflex. Though, that itself seemed to have taken a toll on him as Compass Carburettor fainted.


    In his original body, he wouldn''t have fainted, for he had an affinity to most serpentine creatures. But Pilkan was different. And in Pilkan''s body, this was too much to endure.


    "My Lord!" The sailors rushed to his rescue, hurriedly tending to hi injuries before setting him on the bed nearby.


    "They would leave nasty scars." One of the sailors said after bandaging Compass Carburettor''s arms.


    "At least, it doesn''t seem like he''ll suffer any disease of sort from that." Another said.


    Medical technology in their world was limited, simr to primitive Earth. Whether it was Invokers or Ascenders, none had the capability to regenerate from fleshly wounds.


    Though would have to recuperate for extended time to heal naturally. And even then, amputated parts would never grow back. Of course, Ascenders had the option of shifting into the bodies of someone young and healthy.


    That was how Ascenders dealt with any severe injuries. Though for Invokers, if they were injured, that was it for them.


    Special abilities like the mist Compass Carburettor used was rare, probably only in the possession of a few direct descendants of Conjurers. As Compass Carburettor had yet to encounter one, he wasn''t sure of the types of abilities there existed.


    His eyes shot open upon sensing the dense Mental Energy streams gushing into him, smiling as everything was absorbed by his true body within the Invoked Spirit.


    When the Invoked Spirit was out of the Dreand, moving about for its task, the Mental Energy streams actually gushed into it. Pilkan was just a house for the Invoked Spirit.

 Chapter 98 Failure On Both Sides

    The Lan n was famous for its power, wielding authority that extended the city it was based on. And hailing from its main family line, being a Superior Invoker atop that for years at a stretch, Sturr had obtained a lot of connections.


    And among that, she nurtured a team specialised for the needs she desired, having already dispatched a team of experts in the fields of geography, climate, architecture, etc. to the archipgo.


    Using their help, she had been umting information of the ce. The reason she had decided upon this ce was that despite its abundance of resources, no power dared to set foot there, for it always resulted in a loss-making venture, as evidenced by history.


    Multiple ns had tried to do so but failed miserably, unable to adapt to the harshness of the ce. and unlike the teau region where the life expectancy was in thete sixties, with it being thete fifties for the ins, it was a mere thirties in the archipgo.


    And even Superior Invokers died in a matter of years living there. It was because their digestive system failed to sustain itself, unable to adapt to the microorganisms living in the waters there which worsened their health grandly.


    It was a ce far off from the reigning powers and was too hard to rule over. And hence, it formed the perfect target for her. Therefore, Sturr began her preparations, personally adapting to the water of the region first, taking years to do so while feeding on a variety of medicines.


    Her team of professionals had already created enough medicines to be rid of the multitude of diseases rampant in the ce. Sturr practically spent the entire fortune in her name, nning to head there with or without her family.


    And when Duketace screwed up, she noticed that her children had ambitions of their own and hence decided to go on her own.


    "How''s the status of the patients?" Seated in a study, Sturr stared at a doctor, asking in concern.


    "The signs are positive, my Lady." The doctor said, "We''ve managed to treat the majority of the patients. At this rate, we''ll clear out most of the diseases by the end of this year."


    "Great job out there." Sturr nodded, "Thank you for apanying me to this ce."


    "Please, you needn''t say it." The doctor bowed in response, "When I was falsely used in my previous workce, and jailed, it was you who freed me. I''m a convict in their eyes, but here, people actually respect me for the work I do. So, I will continue to do my best for the people that believe in me."


    As the doctor left, Sturr stared at the book before her, taking in a deep breath before sighing. She stared at her hands, watching them tremble faintly. There was a rush in her, for being in power, her ever word deciding the authority of everyone under her.


    ''This is what I was searching for all along.'' She clenched her hand into a fist, ''There''s around fifty thousand people scattered across the eighteen viges. As long as I y my cards right, their poption would reach two hundred thousand within a century. That would mean I would have enough human resource as arge city under me.''


    Of course, for a normal human or even an Invoker, living for so long would be impossible. But, Sturr had the confidence in bing an Ascender. It was especially since she had sneakily looked through the Lan n''s forbidden records,ing across the means through which the Lan n Head had been changing bodies to live for many centuries now.


    And, she nned to do the same, ''But first, I should give birth topatible children.''


    Ko or Fenn wouldn''t cut it for her, as the method indicated that only the bloodline she created after bing an Ascender werepatible with the method that the Lan n Head used.


    Once she became an Ascender, Sturr nned to give birth to enough babies to create a sizeable n. The Eagle Invoker Crystals she brought would be sufficient until then.


    That was why she only used the Inferior Eagle Invoker Crystals, saving up the rest for her children. Maybe the most talented among the vigers would be given a Common Eagle Invoker Crystal.


    But all Superior Eagle Invoker Crystals would be meant for her children. She only had four of them at the moment and would have to create more in the future. Thankfully, she had the Eagle Invoker Crystal Scroll.


    Boom!


    Sturr focused on her Dreand, activating the Eagle Invoker Crystal Scroll as Mental Fragments flew out of her Dreand and Invoker Spirit. And surprisingly, once they emerged, both her Dreand and Invoked Spirit became stronger.


    Using the Eagle Invoker Crystal Scroll, Sturr was removing all the useless and inharmonious Mental Fragments, raising her foundation automatically. After all, a momentter, she deactivated the Scroll, watching the cluster of Mental Fragments simply copse atop it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    She then picked them up one after another, cing them in the Dreand. Instead of creating Eagle Invoker Crystals, Sturr was using the Scroll to extract and refine her Dreand, rapidly enacting a makeover, observing her strength grow at a rapid pace.


    "Yep, it works¡­" She smiled, staring at the book before her. It was a record of techniques coined by the Lan n Head sixty years ago. He had managed to create another one recently and hence stored this outdated notebook in the n''s library which couldn''t be essed.


    Of course, as part of the Main Family, Sturr had already bribed her way through and obtained her hands on it. And in the ce of the original, she ced a fake that only looked like the original externally.


    It was entirely nk on the inside. But as none were allowed to see it, no one would find out that it had been swapped out, especially since the Lan n Head already had a new book.


    And it was through these records that Sturr gained knowledge to do a variety of things, including using the Eagle Invoker Scroll to refine her Invoked Spirit and Dreand to reach the Ascender Stage in the shortest time.


    Using it was actually faster and had a better guarantee of making her reach the Ascender Stage aspared to using the Ascender Scroll, which was why she let Ko take the Ascender Scroll with her.


    After all, Ko was a backup n of her, if in the case everything she did here failed.


    "Please¡­spare us! If it''s money you want, I can give you more." A middle-aged man begged desperately when a packet was mmed into his face, knocking him unconscious.


    "Take him captive," Fenn''s cold voice resounded as the group of men behind him took action, binding up the middle-aged man and the rest of his unconsciousrades.


    They were part of a caravan that was passing through this forest region when they were jumped by a group of natives, caught into a series of traps that rendered them exhausted.


    It made the job for the natives easier who managed to capture them all without suffering a single wound. And the one that lead them was Fenn, one who became a Superior Invoker now.


    The over forty people among the caravan was captured and taken to their vige, same for all the goods too.


    The vige Fenn had decided to turn into his base was one located deep in the mountains, a semi-tribal popce that had minimal contact with the people of the outside.


    There were around ten thousand of them in total, self-sufficient as they lived on forest produce and grazed animals. The people there had minimal contact with Invokers. Only a few among them had even seen an Invoker, much less know about them beyond that.


    So, it made it easier for Fenn toe here and take charge of the ce. And for any resistance the natives offered, he culled them up through sheer power. His eagle had grown mighty by now, able to casually shrug off their arrows, forcing them to submit to his rule.


    Following that, he trained them for the past month before which he led them on hunts, capturing merchant caravans and travellers that moved either close or through the forest region. Today''s hunt was their fourth sess in the past week alone.


    The group brought in their haul, returning to their vige as Fenn observed the expression of fear in the eyes of most. They were even terrified of him, shying away upon making eye contact with him.


    In response to this, all Fenn did was smile subtle before his eyes shot to the mountain beside, staring at its peak, ''That''s how I''ll live my life out.''


    Even though the people here were too conservative in nature aspared to what he was used to in Wakttark City, they were also easy to manipte, which worked the best for him. After all, he wished to make a n of his own here.


    "Wee back, Lord!" A group of women announced aloud at his arrival, standing at the entrance to the biggest house in the vige. This house was made from the highest-grade wood sourced from the forest, ornate with a variety of animal fur that turned it into a luxurious dwelling.


    There were eight women in total, subservient in their addressal as they awaited for his return.


    ''This is indeed fun.'' Fenn smiled as he apanied them into the house. He had taken them all as his wives and already tamed them in the course of the past month. They were the most loyal to him in the vige.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!