Chapter 422: Blood Crystal and Enhancement

Chapter 422: Blood Crystal and Enhancement

Pierce's new grafted green dragon head suddenly opened wide, unleashing a signature breath attack towards Ailia, who was closely pursuing him.

"Be careful, sister!" Aida, Ailia's elder sister, immediately warned.

Even before her younger sister launched the attack, she had cast a defensive Shadow Shield sorcery to protect Ailia.

Ailia, sensing the nauseating yellow-green breath, abruptly halted and sidestepped, avoiding the attack. The minimal amount of acid that splashed onto her was blocked by the Shadow Shield on her body.

Engaging in close combat against the all-encompassing breath of the green dragon was not a wise decision. The green dragon's breath was a mixture of acid and poison, and while it might seem less powerful than the red dragon's flame breath, it was far more troublesome.

Even a slight exposure could be problematic.

Moreover, Pierce was already severely injured, and any further attacks would be desperate moves. There was no need to risk getting caught in a deadly exchange.

Ailia quickly decided to retreat to her sister's side. "Sister, it's your turn now."

Attacking from a distance with sorcery would be a safer option against such an opponent.

"Mhm!" Aida nodded and began chanting a spell, casting a black cloud that Ren recognized as the Crippling sorcery. The cloud enveloped Pierce, significantly slowing his charge.

Witnessing this, Ren smiled and abandoned the idea of close combat. Instead, he quickly recited a spell and raised his hand, launching three silver glowing metal nets towards Pierce.

It was the Liquidation Metal Net sorcery!

Aida, standing nearby, cast a level-two Shadow Impact sorcery.

"Ssss! Ssss! Ssss!"

"Boom!"

Three silver nets and a black pillar of light struck Pierce in succession. Although they weren't fatal, they left him drenched in blood and staggered back several steps.

"It's my turn!" Baldwin, the military squad leader who had just taken a potion, eagerly stepped forward, finally finding an opportunity to prove himself.

He had thought the potion he took would be a waste.

But now, at least, he could still make some use of its remaining effects.

However, just as he was about to launch a Giant Earth Spike sorcery, he suddenly sensed a strong Metal Particle Fluctuation nearby.

He turned and saw a giant iron ball, over two meters in diameter, appear in front of Ren. The ball was covered in countless spikes of varying lengths, creating sparks as it scraped the ground, indicating its formidable power.

As Ren pushed his hands forward, the giant ball shot forward with a 'whoosh', leaving a trail as it rapidly rushed towards Pierce. The sheer kinetic energy was terrifying.

Aida, witnessing Ren's sorcery, had a moment of inspiration. She immediately halted her level-three Shadow Storm sorcery and instead cast a level-two Shadow Grasp.

Hmm.

Although Pierce was already disoriented, his instincts kicked in when he saw the giant ball rushing towards him. He tried to dodge, but Aida's Shadow Grasp held his legs firmly in place.

At the same time, Ren completed his level-two Metal Cage sorcery, trapping Pierce.

Despite being only level-two sorceries, even with amplification, their effects were limited. They couldn't restrain Pierce for long, just a moment or two.

But that was enough. By the time Pierce broke free from the immobilizing spells, the spinning iron ball, with its sparks and lightning, had already reached him.

"Ahhhh!" Pierce roared, summoning his last strength to cross his arms, using the green dragon head and his dual-bladed sword to block the attack.

But in the next moment, he was overwhelmed by Ren's enhanced iron ball, which 'sizzled' as it crushed him.

The multi-ton iron ball crushed Pierce from his hips to his face, and the spikes pierced his body, creating a row of blood-oozing holes.

Pierce, now a sprinkler, couldn't hold on any longer. He twitched on the ground a few times before becoming still.

"Wow, that was powerful, Lord Ren. It seems the rumors I've heard about you were an understatement." Baldwin, standing nearby, couldn't help but exclaim.

Metal sorcery was inherently offensive, and with Ren's Super Metal Affinity, enhanced by the third layer of the Steel Plate Armor advanced meditation technique, the power of his level-three Thorned Iron Ball sorcery was extraordinary, surpassing the limits of typical level-three sorceries.

"You flatter me, Lord Baldwin," Ren said with a slight smile.

Ren knew the power of his Thorned Iron Ball sorcery, which had already reached 135 degrees. Now, it was easily over 140 degrees.

Even compared to some level-three sorcerers' crystallization sorcery, the difference was minimal.

"Is this the Rift Closer?" Ren asked, pointing to the box in Aida's arms.

"Yes, Lord Ren. I'm afraid I'll need your help to escort me to the destination."

Baldwin apologized, "I should have received the instructions from the Command Center as well."

Ren nodded in agreement, "Indeed."

At that moment, Ren sensed something and took out a communication plate to check.

Baldwin, standing nearby, also reacted, almost simultaneously taking out his own plate.

This caught the attention of the Aida sisters, who looked on in surprise.

"Hmm?" Ren raised an eyebrow, clearly astonished.

On the plate, a message appeared, stating that the Goddess of the Abyss had entered the Mystic Realm.

'Could this be because of me?' Ren wondered silently.

'It's unlikely. Most likely, she's here to disrupt the Empire's foundation.' Ren shook his head slightly after some thought.

Baldwin's expression changed dramatically, and he exclaimed, "What! The Goddess of the Abyss is here too?"

This statement caused the Aida sisters to exchange a glance, their eyes filled with concern.

As former members of the Twin Serpent Cult, though not the Cult of the Sea God, they were well aware of the immense power of a true god, even in an incarnation, their strength was extraordinary.

"Don't worry. In the Mystic Realm, the Goddess of the Abyss will have limitations on her power. Overall, she's on the same level as us," Ren reassured the group.

"That may be true, but at the same level, a human can hardly be a match for a divine incarnation, even in a two-on-one or three-on-one situation," Baldwin said gravely.

"That's usually the case, but I've had the fortune of encountering her projection before and managed to repel her," Ren shared, recalling his previous encounter.

Ren felt it necessary to boost the morale of the group.

Otherwise, they might be intimidated before the battle even began.

"Hmm?" The Aida sisters looked at Ren with wide eyes, shocked.

"You fought her projection and won?"

"I managed to repel her, so don't worry," Ren smiled slightly.

Commander Baldwin, standing nearby, was also astounded, thinking, 'Is he boasting?'

But then he recalled Ren's demonstrated combat prowess and hesitated.

'Lord Ren might not be exaggerating.'

With Ren's reassurance, the trio's emotions stabilized.

Baldwin began tending to his injuries and dealing with the aftermath of consuming the burst potion.

The Aida sisters started cleaning up the battlefield.

Soon, Ailia approached with a smile, her slender legs carrying her gracefully, and handed Ren a brown package, "Lord Ren, this is Pierce's backpack."

"Oh?"

Ren took it with interest.

Opening it, he found bottles and jars, and a bag emitting a bloody mist, containing crystals.

As a Potion Master, Ren quickly recognized that most of the bottles contained various healing potions.

The bloody crystals were likely the blood crystals Ren had seized twice before.

"Huh? So many blood crystals," Aida exclaimed softly.

"Can you use them?"

"We used to, but not anymore," Aida shook her head gently.

Ren realized, "Ah, I see."

The Aida sisters, former followers of the Twin Serpent Cult, had signed a Follower Contract with him, causing the Devouring Serpent mark on their bodies to disappear. Consequently, they could no longer use certain secret cult techniques, like Snake Hair.

Pure Shadow Magic, like the 'Cripple' and 'Shadow Impact' Aida had just used, remained unaffected.

Blood crystals, containing the resentment of living beings, required cult techniques or prayers for purification, making them inaccessible to the sisters.

But this was a good thing!

In Ren's opinion, relying on external forces, especially divine power, always came with a cost.

Suddenly, Ren had an idea and picked up a blood crystal. As expected, a system prompt sounded:

[Ding! Detected high-quality energy that can enhance mental power crystallization. Absorb? (Note: System can filter out impurities.)]



"As I thought, the system can absorb blood crystals," Ren's eyes lit up.

However, Ren didn't absorb it immediately. Instead, he chatted with Ailia for a while before walking behind the Hellfire Enhanced Golem alone and whispered, "Yes!"

Absorbing the blood crystal was not something he wanted others to witness, even his followers.

Additionally, with the Goddess of the Abyss, Hela, entering the Mystic Realm, he needed to prepare as much as possible.

Despite his calm demeanor, Ren was inwardly anxious.

As the saying goes, 'Strategically, we must despise the enemy, but tactically, we must respect them.'

In other words, one must maintain confidence and willpower, not be intimidated by the enemy's strength, but also remain cautious and vigilant in battle.

As Ren pondered, he felt a scorching energy surge from his palm into his mind.

The entire bag of blood crystals was absorbed at once, turning into powder and releasing a wisp of foul-smelling black smoke.

After a few seconds, Ren sensed the silver liquid in his mind, like solidified honey, and glanced at the system panel:

Mental Power: 135 (Crystallization 43%)



"Not bad, from 30% to 43%!"

"Almost a decade's worth of crystallization for an average wizard."

Ren's heart leaped with joy.

The enhancement of mental power meant a comprehensive boost to the potency of all Witchcraft, significantly improving his combat capabilities.

After absorbing the blood crystal, Ren glanced at the box on the golem, the one belonging to Barnes and the others.

After some thought, Ren took the three boxes from the Hellfire Enhanced Golem.

He opened Reagan's box first and took out the test tube containing Reagan's blood essence.

Ren removed the stopper and inserted a finger into it.

As expected, a system prompt appeared:

[Ding! Host detected contact with special blood essence, containing traceable gene fragments. Absorb? Yes/No?]



(Note: Absorbing these dragon gene fragments will enhance the host's dragon bloodline concentration.)



Without hesitation, Ren chose "Yes!"

Ren had anticipated this situation.

He had previously considered bringing these blood essence samples back to the capital Tamriel for thorough research.

After all, as a Potion Master, he had some knowledge about bloodline studies.

He wondered if studying these blood essence samples could provide insights into the current research level of the Dragon Scale Brotherhood.

However, the circumstances had changed.

Now that it was confirmed that the Goddess of the Abyss, Hela, had entered the Dragon Valley Secret Realm, Ren felt it necessary to enhance himself as much as possible.

His previous encounter with Hela's projection left a deep impression; it was only through continuous point allocation and recovery of stamina that he could match her.

After all, Hela was a goddess!

After absorbing Reagan's blood essence, Ren felt a subtle change within his body.

However, due to the limited amount of dragon gene fragments, his bloodline concentration remained unchanged, still at the 'Dense' level.

Ren then opened the second box, which belonged to Bronson.

He repeated the process, inserting his finger into the test tube containing Bronson's blood essence, and the system prompt appeared again:

".

After the absorption, Ren felt like something was still missing.

He sensed an internal dormant volcano within him, about to erupt.

Previously, Ren's bloodline concentration had undergone several absorptions, yet it remained at the 'Dense' level.

But now, it seemed to have reached a critical point where a quantitative change was about to trigger a qualitative transformation.

Ren's gaze turned fiery as he looked at Barnes' box.

Oddly, the next moment, Ren's eyes shifted to the eastern side of the forest, and he halted his actions, slowly straightening his waist.

Ren's movements and aura caught the attention of Aida and her sister, as well as Baldwin.

They all followed Ren's gaze into the forest.

Three strange figures silently emerged from the trees.

"It's them!" Ailia exclaimed.

"But they're not..."

At the same time, in the command center on the second floor of the Astrologist's Platform in the capital Tamriel, everyone was busy.

The image on the elliptical stone platform was focused on a recently concluded battle scene, leaving a chaotic aftermath.

Marshal Alfred and General Augustus were primarily concerned with the newly entered Goddess of the Abyss, Hela.

Although her power within the secret realm was limited by its rules, capping her strength at the Legendary Peak, she was still a goddess.

While her raw power was restricted, her soft skills, such as combat reflexes, mastery of various Witchcraft, and the ability to instantly cast most spells, were extraordinary for a single person.

When combined, these advantages made her a match for two to three top-tier powerhouses at the same level.

Additionally, the uncertainty of her objectives added to the tension in the command center.

"The latest report indicates that Sammen, a member of the military force executing the mission, encountered the Goddess of the Abyss in the Black Water Swamp in the northeast corner of the secret realm and has perished."

"The Black Water Swamp?" General Augustus frowned.

He immediately checked the secret realm map to confirm the location.

"Marshal, should we send the Inner Guard Squad, who has already set up the Rift Closer, to surround and capture her?" Augustus suggested after some thought.

Upon hearing this, Marshal Alfred furrowed his brows but did not immediately respond to Augustus.

It was a difficult choice.

The personnel tasked with activating the Rift Closer also had the crucial mission of eliminating the adolescent giant dragon infected by the Void Beast.

The dilemma was whether to capture the Goddess of the Abyss or let her roam freely, as her actions were unpredictable.

She could kill isolated mission personnel, adolescent giant dragons, and more.

In principle, Marshal Alfred agreed with Augustus' suggestion.

After all, choosing the lesser of two evils was the logical choice.

However, the problem was the goddess's overwhelming strength.

Could the Inner Guard Squad's three members handle her?

As the saying goes, one must consider the possibility of failure before victory.

In the event of defeat, not only would the three members of the Inner Guard Squad perish, but with Captain Baldwin of the Military Squad already severely injured, the only fully capable team left would be the Swordbearer Task Squad.

In other words, it would be almost impossible to gather enough forces within the Dragon Valley Secret Realm to confidently surround and suppress the Goddess of the Abyss. Therefore, if they were to engage, they must succeed in one decisive move!

"Not enough! Have Agrippa speed up the placement of the Rift Closer at the second position."

"Additionally, have the Inner Guard Squad proceed immediately to the second position, rendezvous with Agrippa, and then go after the enemy," Marshal Alfred said in a low voice.

Agrippa was the leader of the Swordbearer Squad and a Legendary Peak powerhouse.

"Combining the strength of both squads? Indeed, that would make things much safer," General Augustus instantly understood his superior's intention and nodded.

"Yes, sir," Captain Tatiya replied.

However, a fleeting expression of hesitation appeared on her pretty face.

Being astute individuals, Marshal Alfred immediately noticed this. He smiled slightly and asked, "Captain Tatiya, do you have any suggestions? Feel free to speak up."

"Er, sirs, I was thinking about sending Lord Rayen as well."

"Oh? Why? You know, after two intense battles, Lord Rayen's physical strength must be greatly depleted. It's already impressive that he and Baldwin managed to retrieve the Rift Closer."

General Augustus looked puzzled and asked, "Do you remember that Lord Rayen had an encounter with the Shadow of the Goddess of the Abyss in the Frostwind Tundra?"

"Yes, I do," General Augustus nodded.

At that time, he was the investigator who inquired about the situation from Lord Rayen.

"Do you think his experience will increase our chances of success?" Marshal Alfred instantly understood Captain Tatiya's intention.

"Yes, sirs," Captain Tatiya smiled slightly.

"Let's check on Lord Rayen's situation first," Marshal Alfred said after a moment's thought.

"Lord Dalien, we need your help again."

The marshal turned to the Grand Astrologist Dalien, standing by his side, and spoke with a hint of apology.

"Marshal Alfred, don't mention it. It's all for the Empire."

As the Grand Astrologist Dalien chanted the incantation, the image on the elliptical stone platform in the center of the command center changed once more, revealing Lord Rayen's current situation.

"Huh? This..."

"Aren't these three Barnes and the others? I thought they were already defeated by Lord Rayen, but what's going on here?" Captain Tatiya's expression changed in surprise as she recognized the scene.

"They must have been infected by the Void Beast," Grand Astrologist Dalien said suddenly.

"Hmm? I thought Void Beasts only infect juvenile dragons. Why would humans be infected?" General Augustus was also surprised by this news and asked immediately.

"The secret realm was previously sealed, and no humans had entered it. Most of the creatures infected were powerful beasts, which led to this misunderstanding."

"Although there isn't much recorded about Void Beasts in ancient texts, there are a few documented cases of human infections." Dalien explained.

"To be precise, individuals with bloodline powers are more likely to attract the attention of Void Beasts. A significant portion of their strength comes from their bloodline and their physical bodies, which, in a sense, resembles the beasts."

"I see."

"What should we do now? Do we need to send immediate reinforcements?"

"Huh? These Twin Serpents from the Twin Serpent Cult have already become Lord Rayen's followers." Captain Tatiya looked at the message from Lord Rayen in surprise.

"Hmm?" Marshal Alfred was also taken aback upon hearing this.

He glanced at the stone platform, where the two women following Lord Rayen were clearly not surrounding him but were instead walking alongside him.

"Won't the power of the gods prevent the contract from being formed?"

"It would in other places, but not within the Dragon Valley Secret Realm," Grand Astrologist Dalien quickly understood the cause and effect after a moment's thought.

"Although Lord Rayen's side has four people, they all seem injured. I wonder if they can handle the three individuals infected by the Void Beast?" Captain Tatiya asked, not out of unprofessionalism, but because infections by Void Beasts in humans hadn't occurred in thousands of years.

Without any data, it was impossible to make a judgment or decision.

"After infection, the Void Beast's attacks mutate, and their strength usually increases to some extent," Dalien said, stroking his beard.

"Should we send reinforcements immediately?" General Augustus turned to Marshal Alfred and asked.

Lord Rayen's performance had always been exceptional, and he was still young. He had become General Augustus's favorite.

"Captain Tatiya, please contact Lord Rayen immediately and ask for his opinion on whether he needs reinforcement," Marshal Alfred said after some thought.

"Yes, sir, Marshal."

Captain Tatiya immediately picked up the communication device and called out, "Lord Rayen, do you require reinforcement?"

After a few seconds, Lord Rayen's calm voice replied, "No need."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end