Chapter 84: Establishing Control

Chapter 84: Establishing Control



Temporary Puppet Factory.

On the large workbench lay a dissected beastman, his body still retaining the cold that had frozen his blood, preventing it from spilling everywhere.

Su Nan put away his tools, dispelled the Mage Hand spell, and wore a thoughtful expression.

"Indeed, as I suspected, the beast bloodline factor in these people has already awakened, causing irreversible atavism. It's definitely Beast Transformation Syndrome."

"Moreover, they all bear signs of physical enhancement, which confirms they are the work of a Wizard Apprentice."

Su Nan turned to look at the dozen or so beastmen standing quietly in the corner.

He had studied the Blood-striped Beast Tooth he had obtained from Baron Stormwind and was certain it was a magical item used to control beastmen.

It was similar to the necklace he had given the cavalry to control the Black Rock Leopards.

These magical items, designed to control specific puppets or slaves, were not difficult to manufacture, but their simplicity often meant the creator would add unique enchantment runes to act as a form of encryption.

To use these magical items, one needed to have a Magic Item Creation skill level at least two to three grades higher than the creator's.

From the craftsmanship of the Blood-striped Beast Tooth, Su Nan estimated the creator's Magic Item Creation level was not high, probably only Level 1.

However, his own skill level was only Level 2, which was still not enough to break the encryption.

He could only barely use the Blood-striped Beast Tooth to suppress the beastmen, preventing them from becoming hostile towards him.

"Pity, this magical item can only control specific targets and is of no use against other beastmen."

Su Nan shook his head.

This Blood-striped Beast Tooth was only effective against the dozen or so beastmen in front of him, making it almost useless to him.

With a sigh, Su Nan disposed of the beastmen and then destroyed the Blood-striped Beast Tooth.

These beastmen were beyond saving, and for them, death was a form of release.

"Regardless, it's now clear that the Golden Rock Marquis has a Wizard Apprentice backing him, and the Beast Transformation outbreak is likely connected to that Wizard Apprentice."

Unlike with Amy, Su Nan was certain this time that the Wizard Apprentice was real and still alive.

This was the first Wizard Apprentice he had encountered in this world.

He was certain it wasn't a full-fledged Wizard because if it were, dealing with him would have been much simpler.

"I wonder if it's a Level 2 or Level 3 Wizard Apprentice?"

Su Nan's expression grew serious.

Compared to the Golden Rock Marquis, who had a large army and vast influence, a Wizard Apprentice was more concerning.

After all, the Marquis would need to mobilize several Legendary Knights to have a chance of killing him.

In contrast, a Wizard Apprentice posed a much greater threat.

Especially a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice, who could skillfully manipulate energy particles, cast energy runes without the need for rune gems, and had mastered second-level spells and advanced magical techniques.

Even with his many trump cards, Su Nan was not confident he could handle a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice.

"Dealing with a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice isn't safe even with the Icebound Necklace and the Guardian Ring. I need to prepare more trump cards."

Although he might not face the Wizard Apprentice, Su Nan believed it was better to be prepared.

It was always wise to err on the side of caution.

After a moment of thought, Su Nan made his decision.

First, he would create new Glowing-grade magical items, focusing entirely on offensive capabilities, unlike the Icebound Necklace.

Second, he would prepare new trump cards.

"Fortunately, I had some ideas before. I can try them out now."

Su Nan spread his palm and looked at the rune gem in his hand, his eyes flickering with determination.

On the night of the raid, the Flashing Fief almost effortlessly defeated Baron Stormwind's army, with minimal casualties.

Kyei immediately decided to leave part of the army to guard the prisoners and then led the Black Rock Cavalry and the rest of the troops towards Qilin City.

Su Nan also brought his golem army with him.

The Winter Frost Baron never expected Baron Stormwind to be defeated so quickly. By the time he received news of the defeat, Kyei was already blocking his retreat with his army.

Thus, the Winter Frost army, facing the fierce onslaught of the Black Rock Cavalry and the stone golem army, predictably collapsed, caught between two enemies.

The Winter Frost Baron was captured and, the next day, was executed on the gallows alongside Baron Stormwind.

The news of the victory sent shockwaves through the entire Golden Rock Province and the Starlight Duchy.

No one had expected that the combined forces of two baronies would fail to take a small viscount's fief, let alone be defeated and have both barons captured and killed.

And all this happened in less than a month.

The Marquis of Golden Rock, stationed in Montlight City, didn't even have time to react as the Flashing Fief swiftly and decisively swept away the remaining forces of Stormwind Fief and Winter Frost Fief, claiming the territories for itself. Without a moment's delay, it launched attacks on other fiefs.

Shocked, the Marquis of Golden Rock had no choice but to lead his army back and personally command the coalition forces to resist the Flashing Fief's advance.

Intense warfare erupted between the two sides.

After witnessing the formidable combat power of the stone golems, Kyei wasted no time and poured all the gold coins plundered from Stormwind Fief and Winter Frost Fief into expanding the golem army.

One by one, stone golems emerged from the puppet factory and were immediately deployed to the battlefield.

Su Nan had initially planned another infiltration, but the Marquis of Golden Rock, wary after the incident with Baron Stormwind, had tightened security. Anyone entering or leaving the camp had to undergo strict scrutiny.

Su Nan even discovered magical items that could detect magic.

With no other choice, he abandoned his plan.

Although the infiltration failed, the stone golems still performed admirably on the battlefield.

With the golem army and the Black Rock Cavalry, the Flashing Fief now had the strength to challenge the Golden Rock coalition forces.

The war continued until the Frostfall Moon.

Only when the first snow fell did both sides tacitly agree to a ceasefire.

The heavy snow made it difficult to move troops, even for the Flashing Fief, which had a clay golem logistics force. Thus, a truce was called.

By then, the Golden Rock Province had undergone a dramatic transformation compared to five months ago.

Apart from the Flashing Fief, the other two baronies and viscounties had been completely annihilated by the Golden Rock coalition forces.

The vast Golden Rock Province was now divided into two major powers: the Flashing Fief and the Golden Rock coalition forces.

The Flashing Fief, which had started as a small viscount's fief, had expanded to include Stormwind Fief and Winter Frost Fief, occupying almost half of the Golden Rock Province.

It had become a force that rivaled the Marquis of Golden Rock, effectively dividing the province into two.

This development left many nobles stunned.

No one had expected that the Marquis of Golden Rock, who had raised the banner of rebellion with such a fierce momentum, would be defeated so thoroughly within his own province, losing nearly half of his territory!

And all of this was caused by just a single viscount's fief!

The name "Flashing Fief" now resounded throughout the entire Starlight Duchy!

And Su Nan's name began to spread in certain secret circles.

In the year 1252 of the Starlight Calendar, during the Winter Harp Moon (January),

The snow fell particularly heavy this day, and by the end of the month, there was no sign of the snow melting.

However, this was a boon for the Flashing Fief, providing more time for rest and recuperation.

The expansion of territory meant an increase in revenue and population, which in turn provided a broader base for military expansion.

As soon as the war ended, Kyei began to consolidate the governance of the new territories and launched a large-scale recruitment drive, aiming to expand the military forces during the winter and prepare for the spring offensive.

At the same time, a new round of wizard aptitude testing began.

With the expansion of territory and the surge in population, the scale of the testing had grown significantly.

As a result, the number of children with wizard aptitude was expected to increase substantially.

Throughout the Winter Harp Moon, the entire Flashing Fief was operating at full speed.

Su Nan was no exception, immersing himself in various intricate manufacturing tasks.

With the integration of new territories, the Flashing Fief suddenly found itself with a large number of knights.

This led to a surge in demand for enchanted weapons.

Su Nan had to spend more time manufacturing enchanted weapons.

Additionally, the Black Rock Cavalry was rapidly expanding.

With an ample supply of knights, Kyei decided to transform the Black Rock Cavalry into a fully knighted army, decreeing that only knights could join the cavalry from then on.

The existing squire members of the cavalry were prioritized for the supply of Dragon Blood Fruits, aiming to help them quickly advance to the rank of knight.

Kyei's plan was to create a true knight army by the time the snow melted, ready to crush the Marquis of Golden Rock's territory.

As a result, Su Nan had the added task of refining Black Rock Leopards.

The current output from the Black Rock Mines was no longer sufficient to meet the growing demand for Black Rock Leopards, so he had to find other suitable metals as alternatives.

"I feel like I'm turning into a workhorse."

Su Nan sighed softly, consoling himself that the growth of the fief was ultimately beneficial for him, as it would provide more gold for purchasing materials.

Especially after advancing to Level 3 Wizard Apprentice, he would need more funds for various expenses.

However, this situation was only temporary. Once Xie Man and the others grew and took over the potion-making and refining of Black Rock Leopards, he would have more free time.

Despite his busy schedule, Su Nan never neglected his cultivation.

By the time the Revival Moon (February) arrived, Su Nan’s mental energy had grown to 27.45.

At the same time, he had finally gathered the last ingredient needed for the Malevolent Illusion Potion.

Without wasting any time, Su Nan started the potion-making process that very day.

His Level 4 Alchemy skill was more than sufficient for creating a second-tier potion.

Despite this, he failed twice before finally succeeding on his third attempt.

"Success!"

Su Nan let out a long breath of relief as he looked at the completed potion in his hand.

The Blood Mandrake he had obtained from Stone Bell City was only enough to make three Malevolent Illusion Potions. If he had failed the third time, the loss would have been significant.

Fortunately, his luck held.

"Indeed, upgrading my Alchemy skill to Level 4 was the right decision. The difficulty of second-tier potions is far greater than that of first-tier potions."

Taking a moment to compose himself, Su Nan focused his attention back on the potion.

The slender, transparent vial contained a violet liquid, dotted with countless shimmering specks that glowed mesmerizingly under the light of the magic stone lamp.

Just by its appearance, it was hard to imagine that such a beautiful potion would have a name as ominous as “Malevolent Illusion.”

"A pity. If I could have made two potions and combined them, I might have directly boosted my mental energy to 30 points. Now, with only one, it might not be enough."

Su Nan felt a slight regret, but he quickly regained his composure.

Even if his mental energy didn’t reach 30 points this time, it would be close. A couple more months of meditation, and he would definitely advance to Level 3 Wizard Apprentice.

He took out a magic stone and some silver from his spatial ring and drew an energy-gathering array in the meditation room. Activating the array, he filled the room with a dense concentration of energy particles.

After setting everything up, he sat cross-legged on the ground, took a deep breath to clear his mind, and gently uncorked the vial, drinking the potion in one gulp.

The slightly cool liquid flowed into his stomach, quickly transforming into a cold sensation that spread through his entire body.

Su Nan lay back on the ground, relaxing his mind and limbs.

About ten seconds later, his body suddenly tensed, and he began to convulse violently.

Visible veins bulged on his exposed hands and feet, twisting and twitching like worms. His skin turned an abnormal shade of red, and sweat poured out, quickly soaking his clothes.

If a wizard were present, using their mental energy to scan the room, they would see a dense flood of energy particles surging from all sides, almost completely enveloping Su Nan, forming a colorful, human-shaped cocoon.

Countless energy particles entered his body through his pores every second.

Su Nan gritted his teeth, enduring the intense pain that surged through his body like a tidal wave.

He vaguely sensed a cold, eerie presence spreading through the room.

Tap!

A faint sound of footsteps seemed to echo in his ears.

Su Nan struggled to turn his head and was shocked to see a group of grotesque, terrifying monsters in the room.

They appeared to be humanoid creatures made of rotting flesh, with sticky, slimy liquid dripping from their skin, sizzling as it hit the floor and corroding small pits in the ground.

Most terrifying were the large, tooth-filled mouths in the center of their decayed bodies, with bits of flesh still visible between the teeth.

The monsters growled and writhed, moving with a malevolent intent towards Su Nan.

Lying on the ground, unable to move, Su Nan could only watch helplessly as the monsters approached, tearing into his flesh with their sharp teeth.

The intense pain washed over his nerves in waves, one after another, seemingly endless. Eventually, the pain became so overwhelming that he felt numb, losing all sensation.

Su Nan watched as his body was slowly torn apart, turning into chunks of flesh and bone, until only his head remained, witnessing the entire process of his dismemberment.

Sss!

With a faint sound, everything disappeared.

The monsters, blood, and slime vanished without a trace.

The room returned to its peaceful state.

Su Nan lay on the ground, drenched in sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of water.

"Damn, the side effects were way too intense."

Su Nan couldn’t help but curse.

He now understood the meaning behind the name "Malevolent Illusion."

Even though he knew it was just an illusion, watching himself being dismembered was a harrowing experience.

The pain was excruciatingly real, and someone with weaker willpower would likely have broken down.

"Malevolent Illusion, the name fits perfectly."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end