Chapter 116
Having received the benefits, even the monster's intelligence seemed to improve a little. It instantly forgot everything that had happened before. Its instinctive urge to slaughter every invading creature on this plane was abandoned. Clearly, maintaining a good relationship now would bring far greater rewards...
On the ground, a group of people waited quietly. Those already controlled by the monster remained under its sway, while the newly arrived mage legion from Leon's natural demi-plane were unaffected. By now, everyone understood—only those who failed to withstand that initial surge had been taken over.
They could feel the earth trembling, the plane itself shuddering, and even hear a faint, agonized howl that pierced straight into their souls.
"Merlin, I think the monster's noticed us. This is bad..."
Lord Shaun's face fell as he sensed the furious, tormented soul-wail. His eyes were filled with terror.
There were few things in this world that could frighten Lord Shaun, but this was one of them. The monster's soul was pitifully weak in essence, but its sheer power was overwhelming. No matter how strong a soul was, if it couldn't surpass a certain threshold, it would be easily drowned in that ocean of soul force.
Lord Shaun could tear apart the monster's soul with ease, but he'd be drowned in it all the same. If caught, it would be like a steel bar submerged in an endless ocean—no matter how resilient, without surpassing a certain limit, even the strongest soul would be effortlessly drowned in that sea of soul power.
This was brute force at its most unreasonable. Paired with a monster like this, it was a recipe for disaster.
Hubert went out to deliver a message and hasn't returned since. Clearly, he's afraid. Unless things here are completely resolved, Hubert won't come back. As a soul creature, he'd never provoke something like this monster...
The others didn't react much. Hubert bared his teeth, bracing for carnage and ready to fight at any moment. The monster's level was high, but it relied only on instinct. Its magic and soul were immense, but without the ability to control the plane's creatures, its combat prowess was limited. As long as they stayed on the surface, they were basically safe. If they wanted to leave now, the monster couldn't stop them.
"Shaun, what are you afraid of? With Lord Hubert here, that monster wouldn't dare do anything. If it comes to it, Lord Hubert will just smash its lair himself..."
Hubert slapped Lord Shaun on the back with a hearty laugh, nearly knocking him flat. But right now, Shaun wasn't in the mood to deal with Hubert at all.
Leon glanced at Maxwell, who stood motionless and expressionless, but didn't pay him much mind.
"Relax. Its soul is full of impurities. For a soul with so many flaws to develop intelligence at all is already a miracle. For most people, that kind of elixir wouldn't have much effect—some might even have their souls torn apart by it.
But for this monster, any soul power lost is negligible. Once its soul is torn and reassembled, it actually grows stronger. The most obvious change is a boost in intelligence. Of course, the process is painful, but for a creature that's never known pain, maybe that's not such a bad thing..."
Leon didn't care much, and the others cared even less. Sure enough, a few seconds later, a violent soul fluctuation erupted from Maxwell. The soul creature's language was transmitted, and Lord Shaun's expression grew strange.
"Archmage Merlin, it wants more of that elixir. It's extremely anxious—it's repeated this request more than a dozen times..."
Leon squinted and smiled.
"Don't rush. The elixir works too well; you can't reach your goal in one go. Souls don't become powerful overnight. The process needs to be gradual—otherwise, you'll damage your soul. Wait a while before using the next bottle; that's how you'll get the best results.
I'll have someone stay here and help you temper your soul every so often. That's the best way—the only way to truly make you smarter."
Lord Shaun translated this for the monster, which calmed down immediately. It didn't understand most of what was said, but it grasped Leon's promise of increased intelligence. That was enough—everything else was irrelevant.
"There's nothing else for you here. When it's time for your next dose, I'll bring the elixir to you myself."
With that, Leon turned away, and the monster fell silent. The dense beast hordes across the earth suddenly began to shed their crystalline forms. The Thorned Crown group also reverted to normal. In an instant, all creatures on the surface lost their connection to the monster's control.
The awakened beast hordes didn't turn on each other as expected. Instead, like terrified cubs, they bolted for their dens. Even natural enemies ignored one another, all sharing a single thought: get home, where it's safe...
Stampedes. Trampling.
Countless magical beasts fell, crushed into pulp by the stampeding hordes behind them. One beast tripped, triggering a chain reaction that sent thousands tumbling into a writhing pile. Yet no matter how many fell, the herd surged on, trampling everything in its path.
Blood soaked the earth, littered with the corpses of magical beasts...
The giant insects that lived underground scattered like a tide, grabbing beast corpses as they swarmed back through the entrances to their burrows.
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The flying magical beasts that had blanketed the sky like storm clouds now scattered, dissolving into drifting black mist...
Within minutes, both sky and earth were empty—no magical beasts in sight. They'd all fled to their dens, trembling in fear...
With the beast hordes gone, only Leon's people and the Alchemical Golem army remained, along with Thorned Crown's elites. The group regained consciousness, collapsing to the ground with agonized screams. Some were so badly injured they couldn't even muster the strength to cry out.
Earlier, their bodies had been completely crystallized. They'd recklessly tapped into their bloodline powers without backlash—crystallization suppressed every side effect. But now, with the crystallization gone, the bloodline's recoil and side effects erupted. Even Maxwell was half-kneeling, growling in pain as his body cycled between crystal and flesh...
Some even began suffering backlash from transplanted bloodlines—the foreign blood devouring their own, warping their forms. In the end, they'd become something else entirely, their souls wiped out in the process. The body would live on, but as a mindless monster driven only by instinct.
If nothing changed, Thorned Crown's people would all die here. Once they'd turned into soulless monsters, alive or dead—it made no difference...
Leon watched coldly from the sidelines. They weren't dead yet—maybe because the monster couldn't tell if Thorned Crown's people were his allies, or maybe it simply didn't care about pawns it could control at any time.
Now that the monster had a way to grow stronger, it obediently hid underground, half-asleep, waiting. Complex thoughts were beyond it—its mind was shockingly simple.
The monster's reckless control had ruined Thorned Crown's people—the backlash from their transplanted bloodlines was now unstoppable...
"Lord Merlin, Lord Merlin, we can swear on our souls and magic that we'll never reveal anything about this plane, nor any of your secrets.
Please, save us—we're willing to pay any price. We'll serve you, no questions asked..."
Maxwell was half-kneeling, his limbs already turning translucent crystal. His Crystal Bloodline was devouring his human blood, and if it continued, he'd become a full-fledged Crystal Fiend...
Just having his limbs transformed wasn't too serious, but if his organs or brain changed, and his soul was damaged, there'd be no saving him.
Maxwell's face was bloodless, his crystal eye leaking blood, but he endured the pain, looking up at Leon with a trace of hope.
Only Lord Merlin can save us now. I'm almost at my limit—within ten minutes, someone will undergo irreversible transformation. By then, even Lord Merlin won't be able to help...
He's the only one who can save us. As long as we have that bloodline-stabilizing elixir, we can survive...
When we were controlled by the monster underground, I was vaguely aware—my memories of fighting Lord Merlin are still hazy.
He wasn't controlled by the monster, and neither were his followers. He must've known all along. His understanding of this plane is beyond belief.
He can definitely do it. But those two idiots from the Rose Circle offended Lord Merlin terribly, and we've had other unpleasant run-ins. The fact that he hasn't killed us is already merciful—why would he save us...
The greatest price we can pay is to submit to him completely. Everything Thorned Crown has will serve under his banner. Only then might he show mercy and save us...
Besides, Lord Merlin's research into bloodline transplantation is so advanced it's terrifying—I can't even comprehend it. Even if we submit to him, it's not a big deal. If he agrees, I'm sure most of Thorned Crown would go along with it.
Anyone here who's glimpsed Lord Merlin's bloodline research would never object...
Despite the agony in body and soul, Maxwell quickly came up with a way to save himself—even deciding outright to submit to Leon. He'd considered it before, but now the decision was final...
Maxwell pleaded in pain, but Leon said nothing.
The Shadow Tower and Rose Circle are both Thorned Crown's affiliates—or rather, were founded by its members. The feud with Shadow Tower ended when they went quiet, never showing up again. Leon didn't bother hunting them down; the ones who needed killing were already dead, or else tossed into a natural demi-plane as laborers, brainwashed by Lord Shaun...
The two maniacs from Rose Circle are dead, so Rose Circle is back under Thorned Crown's control.
But old grudges aren't so easily set aside. The only reason they're not dead now is because they're doomed anyway...
"Lord Merlin, we can swear on our souls...
Amy and Sunny are dead. I don't really know what they did—Thorned Crown isn't run by just one person. Rose Circle was independent; I only learned a bit after Sunny arrived. We've been drifting in the endless void for a long time now.
Most Thorned Crown members are just searching for a new path to magical truth. Many have poor talent; without bloodline transplants, their lives would've ended long ago...
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Lord Merlin, we have no hostility toward you. One person can't represent all of Thorned Crown, and I don't want us all to perish here. There are those in Thorned Crown who, like Shelton, would betray everything for power. If they exploit Thorned Crown's strength, it would be a disaster...
A polluted soul isn't even human anymore. Seeing what happened to Sunny made that clear—it's a disaster..."
Maxwell pleaded in agony, struggling to persuade Leon. Around him, the other Thorned Crown members wanted to speak but couldn't—their conditions were worse than Maxwell's, some already transforming...
Leon looked at Maxwell, feeling conflicted.
Leon knew Thorned Crown's history well. At first, its founders were truly self-sacrificing, determined to blaze a new magical path for future generations.
Everyone knew that path would be thorny and full of hardship. Failure was almost certain—it was inevitable.
That spirit faded over time. When Thorned Crown grew rapidly, it was because it became filled with madmen willing to sacrifice everything for power—even betray themselves, their souls.
Those madmen sparked a disaster known as the Aberration Cataclysm, which haunted the Northend world for millennia.
If not for those troublemakers, Northend's golden age would've been even greater.
Leon had no fondness for those madmen, but Maxwell's words suddenly gave him insight.
Thorned Crown was still centuries away from being ruled by a single person; for now, most members still held to the original ideals.
Madmen like Sunny and Shelton, willing to sacrifice everything—even their souls—for power, were the minority...
If Maxwell, Thorned Crown's Grand Elder and most powerful leader, died here with his followers, history would accelerate. The power-hungry madmen would seize the chance to erode Thorned Crown's authority.
But Maxwell had finally noticed those madmen and resolved to suppress them. If he survived, it would be good for the future...
At least the madmen wouldn't get another chance to wreak havoc. When they controlled Thorned Crown, even Abyssal demon lords and Hell's devil lords dared to summon their true forms directly.
It was all about hunting and acquiring higher bloodlines—summoning creatures from other worlds brought lasting chaos to Northend, and it would continue for ages.
Leon frowned, thinking it over. Originally, he'd planned to let them die—not just out of dislike, but to protect the plane's secrets.
Now, if he could preserve the secret and encourage better development, maybe it was worth saving them...
After considering, Leon decided to save Thorned Crown's people. The survivors were all Maxwell's, so their ideals should match his—after all, in Thorned Crown, those with different philosophies never stick together.
It had been clear before—Sunny and Shelton weren't happy with Maxwell's orders; they only obeyed because of pressure.
Once Leon made his decision, he gathered a pile of ingredients and quickly concocted some rough alchemical potions. Using magic, he forced the crude potions down the throats of Thorned Crown's members.
Soon, their bloodline backlash was suppressed. The effects weren't perfect—they'd suffer for a while yet—but the transformation stopped. As their bloodlines stabilized, they slowly returned to normal...
Maxwell's crystal limbs slowly reverted to flesh. He stood up and bowed deeply to Leon, eyes filled with gratitude.
One by one, Thorned Crown's members struggled to their feet and lined up behind Maxwell, bowing deeply to Leon. For them, it was not just gratitude—it was respect.