Category: This Necromancer Wants to Capture the Hearts of Deceased Beautiful Girls

Chapter 120: Abyss, the King of Torment

“Are you sure you can actually snatch his necklace from this yin-yang person?” Leona, still sitting on the ground eating snacks, blinked and asked Abyss beside her.

“I don’t expect to defeat him with these alchemical golems, but I can at least humiliate him and make him angry. Guys with immense power like him are quite tricky if they remain calm. Incidentally, I can also wear down his willpower. After all, people who grow stronger through adversity are rare, and he clearly isn’t one. You can tell just by looking at his expression,” Abyss replied with a smile.

“You really are bad. Ever since fighting the Lord of Nightmares and tasting the sweetness of enraging the enemy, you’ve become less and less human,” Leona couldn’t help but laugh. “However, this princess likes this bad side of you – but don’t be bad to me!”

Now, before them, was the battlefield between Hom and the alchemical golem.

Hom had learned his lesson from the previous alchemical golem attack. After the first assault, Abyss had sent out several more alchemical golems. Hom judged from their reactions that they weren’t Abyss’s real body, so he didn’t summon the arena and instead fought them directly there.

But Abyss wasn’t treating the enemy like a complete idiot either. The few alchemical golems he sent this time were different. Modified jointly by him and Rebecca, they now possessed rudimentary target-seeking capabilities and would use magic specifically aimed at Hom. These spells weren’t strong, but they were varied, covering both offense and defense, preventing Hom from instantly destroying them. After several rounds, Hom began to feel overwhelmed.

An alchemical golem used a short-range teleportation spell on itself, instantly moving dozens of meters to the side, quickly distancing itself from Hom. Because it didn’t need to worry about spatial magic harming itself, it was actually more agile than a typical mage.

Immediately after, a lightning spell shot from the golem’s fingertips, instantly striking Hom who was chasing it.

Hom’s clone wasn’t a pushover either. A layer of magical runes floated on the clone’s skin surface, possessing strong energy deflection capabilities. When struck by lightning, large arcs of electricity were discharged from his extremities into the ground. He remained unharmed, the magical runes dimming for an instant before brightening again.

Hom took two quick strides, rapidly closing the distance between them. He had already figured out the golem’s action sequence: after this lightning spell, it would use a Vine Bind spell, summoning vines from underground to entangle his legs, followed by the next teleportation spell. Therefore, Hom only needed to approach the enemy before the Vine Bind spell emerged—

His body twisted, a dagger flashing coldly in his hand. In an instant, he severed the vines that had just sprouted from the ground. Simultaneously, with extreme coordination, he pushed off the ground, rapidly dashing forward, closing in on the alchemical golem. Without hesitation, he sliced through the golem’s neck. The powerful Dou Qi enhancement extended the blade like a long sword, making the cut clean and decisive. The golem, destroyed, lost its ability to maintain its form and dissolved into a puddle of water.

Boom!

But just as Hom thought he had successfully eliminated another alchemical golem, this golem suddenly exploded from the center!

The explosion wasn’t powerful, but the duration was extremely short. Water splashed everywhere for a moment. Almost simultaneously, a bolt of lightning erupted from the spot of the explosion, traveling along the water-filled air, instantly engulfing Hom! In an instant, a giant ball of electricity illuminated the entire side of Coral City!

After a few seconds, the electric ball dissipated into stray arcs, leaving behind a strong smell of ozone and Hom, standing in place, breathing heavily, still shaken.

The magical runes on his body had disappeared in the preceding electric shock. His previously neatly combed curly hair was now styled into an afro by the electricity. The lightning had indeed breached his defenses, striking his muscles. Now, his body twitched uncontrollably, his legs lost strength, forcing him to kneel on one knee.

“How about that, my electro-bomb trick?” Abyss finally looked at Flora and Leona beside him.

Flora nodded with a wry smile. Leona clapped her hands happily, exclaiming, “Brilliant!”

“He should be thoroughly enraged now,” Abyss stared sharply at Hom, observing the expression on his face. “This alchemical golem only lasted three rounds with him. Compared to the first two times, the effectiveness is decreasing. It’s time for me to step in personally.”

Hom seemed paralyzed by the sudden lightning, or perhaps utterly infuriated by Abyss’s unsportsmanlike sneak attack, maybe both. The muscles on his face continued to twitch; he couldn’t speak for a long time, his breathing ragged and chaotic, looking extremely pathetic.

After a long while, he finally forced out through his numb tongue, growling fiercely: “Abyss Belator! Don’t push your luck!”

“The time is ripe. I’m going to fight him,” Abyss stood up from the ground at this moment. “You two find a place to hide first. I’m preparing to take his necklace and bring it back for Agnes to see.”

“Will it be okay? He’s very angry now; won’t he fight you desperately?” Flora was a little worried.

“He must be regretting coming here immensely right now. My reputation precedes me; he should know that dueling me is unrealistic. His leader probably promised him some benefits; he initially thought this was an opportunity, but he didn’t expect to be played like a fool,” Abyss smiled. “He won’t fight desperately, because as long as the Lord of Bullying’s power protects him, a bright future lies ahead. He will try to kill me first. Once that possibility disappears, he’ll run faster than anyone.”

“But his methods…”

“I’ve pretty much figured out what he can do with the arena. The person who initiates the duel can set the rules, and these rules apply to both sides. All he can do is play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses, using clones to grant himself various powers, making him unpredictable. However, his advantage in numbers is limited by the arena – he should only be able to duel one-on-one,” Abyss’s tone was confident. “Even if I’m wrong and he can gang up, the arena rules will still restrict him. I usually like to learn a bit of everything, which makes me quite troublesome in an arena.”

“I see…” Flora suddenly understood. She immediately pulled Agnes and Leona up. “I’ll take them to a hiding place right away. If any other problems arise, we will help immediately.”

“He definitely has an escape method. If his method is too sophisticated, don’t insist on intercepting him. Just help me snatch his necklace, preferably leaving him none!” Abyss said. “Losing the means to enter the arena will surely make him miserable for a while. The other followers won’t easily share their resources with him.”

Chapter 119: The Enemy is Also a Paper Tiger

Ever since Abyss launched the attack using the alchemical golem, Hom’s comfortable state of waiting for people to deliver themselves to his doorstep below the city gate had been completely shattered.

Although the elves on the city wall didn’t know what had happened, they could clearly see Hom becoming restless. His mood seemed poor, as if the person who had appeared and been quickly defeated had somehow destroyed a core belief of his. The strong man looked dejected, even somewhat pitiful.

The city residents began speculating about what had happened outside, wondering what kind of existence this human named Hom had defeated to end up like this.

Hom, too, had just figured out what he had experienced.

The enemy, using some unknown means, had placed his soul, or perhaps something else entirely, into a puppet to trouble him and bait out his skills. The “Abyss” he had just faced acted illogically and lacked normal human reactions precisely because he wasn’t human at all, but a puppet pre-programmed with actions!

With Hom’s knowledge, he couldn’t possibly imagine how such a puppet was created. This was natural; although Abyss had used alchemical golems in the Ossi Kingdom, he hadn’t told anyone except the tight-lipped Givia. This information hadn’t leaked through any channel. No matter how deep the Iron Lilies investigated, they couldn’t have guessed this move.

He paced restlessly below the city wall, contemplating his current situation.

Abyss had arrived here, which was good news – but he was now hiding in a very concealed location, undetectable even by Hom’s highly enhanced intuition. This turned Abyss’s arrival from good news into bad news.

He knew Abyss was probing his strength this time. Perhaps Abyss would only make his real move after thoroughly testing his abilities.

Such a cunning opponent!

Hom immediately began racking his brain for a solution.

It wasn’t over yet! Hom was still very confident in his abilities.

This power was a gift from the Lord of Bullying! Hom was originally just a mid-tier Dou Qi Master, a high-ranking member in the Iron Lilies, below the Vice-Commanders. But during this invasion of the Elven Kingdoms, he had seized an unexpected opportunity. After the leader struck a deal with the Lord of Bullying, he had actually gained the favor of this Outer God. The Lord of Bullying had given him the keys to the “Divine Arena” and the chance to increase his own power.

These teeth, serving as keys, granted entry to the arena. If he successfully challenged and defeated someone stronger than himself inside, he would gain additional teeth on top of the crystal. The stronger the enemy relative to him, the more he would gain. Since then, he had acted proactively, using the arena’s rules to defeat many Golden Rose Legion soldiers in just a few days. The Golden Rose was an elite force, its soldiers well-educated, trained, and strong. Thus, he had rapidly accumulated a large number of teeth.

He had also consumed the crystals formed from many people, gaining their powers. He discovered that although these powers couldn’t coexist, they could exist within his clones. Thus, he developed his current methods.

The leader had tasked him with probing Abyss’s strength. As long as he could bring back as much intelligence about Abyss as possible, he would earn the leader’s commendation, become a Vice-Commander, and rise through the ranks! The Iron Lilies had a strict hierarchy; the resources available to a Vice-Commander were more than ten times those of a high-ranking member like him! And if he could defeat Abyss and obtain the power of this legend… then the leader’s position would be his. At that point, the current leader’s words wouldn’t count anymore. Hom quite fancied making the handsome leader his private possession.

As for this city? Hom never intended to actually conquer it, nor would he – if he used his power on civilians, the teeth serving as arena keys would be consumed just like before. That was completely unprofitable; he wouldn’t make such a bad deal.

He considered the abilities he had acquired, hesitating for a long time about whether to consume the two crystals from the high-ranking mages.

But then, his eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had thought of a solution.

…

“He seems to have thought of something,” in the Shadow Realm, Leona sat on the ground near Hom, leisurely chewing on a piece of dried meat. “Look at him, he seems so confident.”

“Actually, I’ve thought of it too. Let’s see if our ideas collide,” Abyss, however, just smiled faintly.

Flora was holding Agnes in her arms, playing with her. Hearing Abyss, she asked curiously, “You thought of it? What means will he use to deal with you?”

“Firstly, he won’t actively attack the city. He can’t use that action to force me out either, because summoning the arena consumes the teeth on his neck. And if the enemies he defeats with it are too weak, he’ll end up with a pathetic little tooth like the one just now, almost as small as a rat’s molar,” Abyss sat comfortably beside Leona, showing none of the urgency expected when facing a major enemy. “Honestly, I was initially a bit worried he might lash out and harm the city’s citizens out of desperation, which is why I had you, Flora, prepare to use Divine Arts. But the result now tells us he actually doesn’t have many options. This siege was really just a probe; he’s not as powerful as he seems.”

“So, he’s actually weak?” Leona burst out laughing. “I thought he was someone strong, able to defeat so many experts. Turns out it’s just this?”

“To say he’s weak, he does have extremely fatal flaws. We could even just cut off his supplies, let him starve, and he’d run away himself,” Abyss casually patted the long-missed Leona’s head. “But to say he’s strong, he really does have methods. Not only can he change his abilities with clones, but he can also use the Lord of Bullying’s power to restrict us and enhance himself.”

“Then let’s just cut off his supplies? That shouldn’t be hard, right? He only brought one backpack of rations. We just need to throw his bag away… hehehe…” Leona chuckled mischievously.

“We could do that, but I still have to fight him now because I want those teeth around his neck,” Abyss pointed at the necklace around Hom’s neck. “Agnes seems to need those things. They seem to react with the Lord of Nightmares.”

Hearing Abyss mention her, Agnes happily waved her hands: “Tree! Drink water! Tree! Grow!”

Chapter 118: What Happened to Teacher Hom?

“Wait! What’s going on!” Hom’s eyes widened.

The horn and bell sounded together, signaling the end of the duel. The invisible audience roared in disappointment, their cries growing sparser as if they were leaving.

Above the pool of water that Abyss’s body had become, the minuscule crystal, emitting an almost imperceptible light, continued to spin. It was incredibly small, perhaps less than 0.1 millimeters in diameter. An ordinary person, without Dou Qi or special magic to enhance their body, wouldn’t even be able to see it.

This tiny crystal seemed to mock Hom, reducing all his previous elation and excitement from gaining power to nothing.

“What happened! What happened!” Hom screamed, rushing forward. He snatched the tiny crystal, looking at the speck, small enough to get stuck in his fingerprint, completely bewildered.

Why did the enemy turn into water after being killed! Why was the spoils of victory just this speck, smaller than a grain of sand!

Where was the enemy? Where did that substantial opponent I was just facing go?

As Hom picked up his “spoils,” the arena surrounding him dissipated into thin air, leaving a baffled Hom standing alone.

…

“Mm, not bad, not bad. We gathered quite a lot of intelligence this time,” Abyss smiled, speaking to the girls beside him.

“Hahaha, priceless! That Hom was so smug after gaining Supreme-tier Dou Qi power, only to punch an alchemical golem to bits, hahaha!” Leona laughed heartily. She loved this kind of farce, plus she had just gotten her pure, undefiled body back (Abyss hadn’t even touched it much during the three days). Today became her happiest day recently.

“Abyss, you really know how to crush someone’s self-esteem. I almost feel sorry for this Hom,” Flora said softly from the side, though her tone held no reproach. She certainly wouldn’t protect a villain who had indiscriminately killed many people.

Yes, Abyss hadn’t gone out to face Hom directly just now. Although he was bold, he wouldn’t rashly engage in a one-on-one fight without understanding the enemy’s power.

He had retrieved one of the alchemical golems Rebecca had previously made for him from his Magical Catfish. This golem was almost identical to him and could also use magic and Dou Qi. From yesterday until noon today, Abyss hadn’t just been staring blankly at Hom, the muscle-bound brother; he had spent time improving his artificial soul technology, creating a wisp of soul similar to his own but with minimal spiritual power, and placed it inside the alchemical golem.

The alchemical golem acted according to pre-set programming, which explained the previous “Abyss’s” abnormal behavior. It spoke according to the program, sometimes interrupting Hom or responding slowly. It also fought according to the program, running around randomly like a headless fly, completely disregarding whether it could actually hit Hom.

Simultaneously, this artificial soul eliminated the need for Abyss to control it directly, preventing Hom from using the Lord of Bullying’s teeth to cause any harm to Abyss’s actual soul.

The alchemical golem possessed the same strength rank as Abyss, but it was merely a paper tiger, easily broken, lacking the power corresponding to its rank. Although Hom could use the arena rules to elevate his own rank to Supreme-tier, he didn’t know his opponent, despite having the rank, lacked the actual strength.

Because the golem was so weak, Hom received practically no reward after winning. The power contained within that crystal might strengthen an insect, but even slightly larger animals might find it useless.

Not only did Hom gain nothing, he suffered a net loss. His self-esteem was likely shattered. Even more tragically, Abyss was happily watching the show with his companions from the sidelines, utilizing the properties of the Shadow Realm – Leona was even eating a bag of french fries from the Magical Catfish.

“Okay, let me organize this. The intelligence gathered so far is: first, he was indeed waiting here for us. The leader of the Iron Lilies is very interested in me.”

“The way he looked at you was really off, you know,” Leona commented from the side. “It felt like he was really lusting after your body. Could his leader be into that too? Honestly, being so delicate-looking, you really are prone to attracting attention from people with that taste, like the nobles of the Western Empire…”

“That possibility can’t be ruled out, but there’s no concrete evidence yet, let’s leave it at that for now,” Abyss nodded seriously, completely unfazed by Leona’s words – he knew his face was quite delicate; with a wig, no one could even tell he was male.

“Next, his arena is stronger than the fish-man leader’s. I don’t know by how many levels, but I can confirm the Lord of Bullying doesn’t treat all his followers equally. He ranks them, providing different levels of power for their use,” Abyss continued. “This indeed fits the Lord of Bullying’s ‘survival of the fittest’ philosophy, even applying to his own followers.”

“So, does that mean the Iron Lily leader and Prodo might also possess higher-level powers?” Flora asked curiously. “Because it’s now basically confirmed they’ve all allied with the Lord of Bullying…”

“Possibly,” Abyss nodded, continuing, “Then there’s the arena he uses. He said the arena is a projection, meaning like the fish-man leader, he uses it to pull enemies into another space, except his arena can be seen by more people – I don’t think this is just for showing off. An arena visible to others seems to utilize some mechanism related to the ‘audience’.”

“You can even deduce that much?” Leona sucked on her fingers, which had just held french fries. “What purpose do the spectators serve?”

“That I don’t know, but I feel those spectators aren’t just there to hype the atmosphere,” Abyss shrugged. “The Lord of Bullying is also very mysterious; we still haven’t chatted with him. So this can only remain speculation. Hmm, one last piece of intelligence: the teeth around his neck. Those should be the passes for the arena. If he wins, the used teeth return. But look at the teeth on his neck now, isn’t one particularly small?”

Everyone looked towards Hom, who was standing there dazedly. Indeed, on his tooth necklace, a pathetically small tooth had appeared at some point.

“Does the size of this pass affect the arena’s strength? I’m quite curious,” Abyss said with interest.

Just then, Abyss felt a small hand tug at the corner of his clothes.

It was Agnes. She was happily pointing at Hom’s necklace and saying to Abyss, “Water! Water! Tree drink water! Tree likes drinking water!”

Chapter 117: Abyss, the Headless Fly

“Little handsome boy, although you’ve recently been trying to oppose our Lord and have fought some of his followers, even seeing his arena, do you really think you’ve grasped the full extent of the Supreme One’s power?” Hom stood in the arena, a smug smile on his face. “If that’s the case, then you’re truly too naive. Perhaps you don’t even know that the ‘Tooth of Elimination,’ the entry ticket granted by the Lord, manifests entirely different levels of power depending on the rank of the believer holding it!”

But Abyss, standing opposite him, didn’t answer at all. Instead, as if startled, he quickly retreated several steps.

“Oh ho ho ho… scared like that, little handsome boy? Honestly, I’d quite like to see you wet your pants from fear,” Hom didn’t see Abyss’s actions, but that didn’t stop him from mocking. Perhaps it was the loneliness from waiting below the city these past few days, or perhaps his attraction to men made him want to talk more to a handsome youth like Abyss. He didn’t pursue, but stood his ground, saying leisurely, “It’s best not to try escaping. Although the outside world can be seen from this arena, and the inside can be seen from the outside, its principle is actually projection. We are currently in another independent space; you cannot possibly escape.”

Abyss still didn’t answer Hom. Instead, he started chanting an incantation towards Hom, launching a fireball straight at his face.

However, after Abyss conjured the giant fireball, fully two meters in diameter, it suddenly extinguished. The bright light flashed before everyone’s eyes and vanished completely, as if it had never existed.

A fireball conjured by a mage isn’t natural fire, nor does it burn any substance. It relies on magic releasing energy to create the effect of fire in the air. Logically, as long as the magic power wasn’t depleted, the fireball shouldn’t have extinguished.

“Little handsome boy, oh little handsome boy, you really are adorable. Until I set the rules for this duel and declare its start, you cannot attack by any means. The magic here belongs to the Lord; His control will render you incapable of doing anything,” Hom laughed again. “Now let me think, you’re a mage, seemingly proficient in multiple schools of magic, and you seem to know a little Dou Qi. This will make our battle quite fun.”

Abyss still didn’t speak. Like someone possessed, he started running around the arena, constantly trying to attack Hom with magic – of course, none of these spells were successfully cast; they were all snuffed out in the preparation stage.

“This… what on earth are you doing, really,” Hom was also getting impatient with Abyss’s confusing behavior. “Alright, alright, let me think about how to deal with you… Got it! The rule for our duel this time will be a contest of Dou Qi. Both of us can only use Dou Qi; all other powers, including enhancing the body with potions, are completely forbidden. I… need a moment to prepare.”

As he spoke, his body suddenly flickered as if experiencing signal instability. After blurring for an instant, he reappeared before everyone.

Some elf guards on the city wall recognized what he was doing: “He’s creating a clone! But this time there’s only one opponent; he’s just transforming his body into a form that can counter the enemy!”

Abyss was still running around the arena like a headless fly, still attempting to attack with various spells. And now, even his attacks were random, aimed in different directions each time, seemingly never targeting anything. This made him look quite comical, but in Hom’s eyes, it was nothing short of an insult.

“What. Are. You. Doing!” Hom was genuinely angry now. He continued to announce the rules for this time, “In this duel, both our Dou Qi levels will be adjusted to the same level, based on the higher one! Although you possess Dou Qi strength, you haven’t focused on studying combat skills, right?”

Abyss still didn’t respond, still randomly casting spells. His steps seemed to follow a certain pattern, repeating every few moves, but it appeared useless.

“Duel start!” Hom didn’t want to watch Abyss flail around like a lunatic anymore. He practically screamed the start of the duel.

The bell signaling the start of the duel rang at this moment, and the noise from the audience in the translucent arena stands began to swell. This time, the surrounding audience sounded much larger than in the arena summoned by the fish-man leader previously.

Immediately after, Dou Qi flames erupted from his body. This flame was incredibly powerful, surprising him pleasantly.

“As expected of the genius even the leader praises! Although you’re a mage, your Dou Qi level is Supreme-tier! Excellent! Then I shall see what kind of power I can wield with Supreme-tier strength! Here I come, little handsome boy!”

Saying this, Hom’s body suddenly moved. He vanished from his original spot. After he disappeared, the ground he had been standing on exploded from the immense force of his kick, leaving a large crater.

Breaking the sound barrier, Hom, trailing a comet-like flame tail, charged towards Abyss with a series of sonic booms. Then, his body suddenly accelerated again, multiplying his speed several times in an instant, throwing a punch at Abyss.

And Abyss, at this moment, still didn’t counterattack, still repeating those meaningless spells. Even though Hom had stipulated in the rules that magic couldn’t be used, he still hadn’t given up.

Hom’s punch, already exceeding Mach 10, doubled in speed again. This punch carried a super-strong shockwave capable of tearing open the ground, roaring deafeningly as it flew straight towards Abyss’s head.

No matter how Abyss moved, his speed couldn’t possibly match Hom’s at this moment. Under Hom’s attack, his head… his entire upper body was pulverized into a fine mist by the punch!

“What!?” Hom was startled. He didn’t believe he had killed Abyss so easily.

He quickly stopped. The inertia from his high-speed movement caused him to plow a trench over ten meters wide into the ground with a rumble.

At this moment, the remaining lower half of Abyss’s body fell to the ground with a thud.

And then, something happened that left Hom dumbfounded – Abyss’s lower half rapidly turned transparent, eventually dissolving into a pool of water.

A crystal, only the size of a grain of fine salt, appeared above the watery remains of his body, pathetically small, so small it felt insulting.

Chapter 116: Abyss Probes Hom

Although Brindevor was no longer providing magical concealment after she left, Flora quickly achieved the same effect using Divine Arts.

Flora’s Divine Art directly hindered mortals’ perception of “existence.” Even if a high-ranking Divine Arts user from the Church were to scan their location with the “Eye of Truth,” they wouldn’t obtain any useful information. It was practically seamless. The four sat in the forest, taking turns watching Hom, observing his every move, trying to find clues about his abilities.

Hom simply sat below the city gate, doing nothing extraneous, nor giving any opportunity for engagement. The elves inside the city had already given up on breaking out; after all, this guy’s combat power was simply too overwhelming, and going out was tantamount to suicide.

This fellow seemed prepared for Abyss’s group observing him. Although he appeared lazy, he was actually very cautious: apart from eating and resting, he did nothing else. As a result, Abyss and his group couldn’t find any weaknesses. However, the unwilling Abyss eventually used Leona’s eyes to calculate the man’s exact height and weight, even estimating his approximate Dou Qi strength based on his breathing frequency and heartbeat – Leona’s eyesight was truly a world treasure. Even though they were over five kilometers away from Hom in a straight line, she could still see his actions clearly.

This Hom was a high-ranking Dou Qi Master. Based on the combined experience of Abyss and Leona, his strength was estimated to be around the peak of the eighth tier, possibly reaching the ninth tier.

This meant that even without his strange abilities, this Iron Lily member named Hom, just by standing at the city gate, was already more than enough for all the elves to handle. Elves generally disliked learning Dou Qi and didn’t deliberately hone their strength, being significantly weaker physically than humans. Even though mages could counter Dou Qi Masters to some extent, it didn’t mean Dou Qi Masters posed no threat – you had to aim first to hit the enemy; magic doesn’t target based on name.

After confirming this guy was prepared and that simple surveillance was completely ineffective, Abyss formally decided to take the initiative and probe his abilities.

And at noon the next day, when the Golden Rose squad leader came to find him and ask what to do specifically, Abyss revealed his little idea…

…

Hom had been waiting below this city for several days. Now, he was bored out of his mind, constantly hoping some clueless elf would come out to challenge him.

Looking at the elf guards peeking over the city wall, not even nocking arrows, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes and reveal a disdainful smile.

No matter how many times humans tricked them, elves never truly learned. They always carried that disgusting naivety. After their initial sporadic resistance proved ineffective, these pointy-eared fellows gave up attacking. They even sent a few “negotiation experts” to the city wall to talk him down, persuading him to abandon this place.

He had directly thrown rocks to drive away these old men who spoke softly even to their enemies, continuing his mission.

Perhaps this was the backwardness of an inferior race. It was precisely because of this character that they deserved to be eliminated. The race that truly carried the future should be sufficiently barbaric, using absolute power to crush everything that stood in their path – as for development, only victors were qualified to talk about such things.

Hom thought about the words his leader had spoken in that speech, a trace of obsession naturally appearing in his eyes.

What a great leader! What a correct, what an irrefutable theory!

“Ahem, um, I don’t know what you’re thinking about that makes you so happy, but I might have to disturb you now, Mr. Hom.”

Just as Hom continued to picture his leader’s imposing figure, handsome face, and captivating voice in his mind, a young boy’s voice suddenly sounded behind him.

Hom’s thoughts were interrupted by the sudden voice. He frowned and turned around, seeing a handsome youth with gray hair dressed in black standing behind him.

“Hm? Abyss Belator?” Hom immediately recognized the person behind him. He narrowed his eyes charmingly and said, “Ah… don’t be surprised, dear. Your appearance has long been known to all members of the Iron Lilies. You are now one of our most important targets. As expected of you, to be able to sneak up on me without me noticing…”

“You flatter me. Mr. Hom, may I ask you to abandon the siege of this city and find something more meaningful to do?” Abyss smiled and spoke before Hom could finish. “If you are willing, I can pretend I never saw you and let you leave safely.”

“Oh hohoho… my dear little handsome boy, your request is truly too rude. Please forgive me for not complying,” Hom covered his mouth and giggled. His muscular body and deep voice, combined with his sickeningly sweet tone, seemed extremely bizarre. “Do you know why I came here? At this point, I’m not afraid to tell you. My mission was actually to lure you here. The leader is very interested in your power now, so he needs me to test you. You will fight me in an arena… If you lose, all your power will be packaged up into a beautiful crystal for me to collect. If you win, I can also directly dispel the arena and escape; you won’t be able to catch me.”

After hearing Hom say these words, Abyss didn’t answer immediately but stood there with a smile for a while before finally speaking: “So that’s how it is, Mr. Hom. Your methods have truly opened my eyes; I am very impressed. If you have no other business, then I shall take my leave first. I still have some other things to do.”

“What are you talking about, little handsome boy? You don’t think you can run away now…”

“What, so I can’t? Then I can only fight you. Since that’s the case, let’s begin then,” Abyss interrupted Hom again, speaking his own thoughts.

Hom’s originally charming eyes turned cold. He twisted his waist, covering half his face with his large hand: “Hmph… not listening when people talk, such an impolite little handsome boy…”

After saying this, he gently pinched a tooth from the necklace around his neck with two fingers.

As his fingers closed, that tooth instantly disappeared.

Simultaneously, the giant phantom of an arena abruptly appeared around him and Abyss.

The elves on the city wall were startled.

That Hom had made his move again!

Chapter 115: Observing in Secret

Currently, Brindevor was chanting an incantation. Centered on her, the air distorted, bending light rays and perfectly concealing their location. It was she who had hidden their presence just now.

Although they didn’t know how Hom had sensed someone spying on him from the woods, it was now certain that this guy was extremely vigilant.

“This guy’s perception is so strong! How did he know we were here?” Leona, still unaccustomed to Abyss’s body, found his eyesight lacking and requested Abyss share his current vision. Flora did the same.

“Our scouts came here before and weren’t detected,” the Golden Rose squad leader quickly explained, feeling responsible for the blunder. “I didn’t know this spot would be noticed by him…”

“It’s simple. He likely detected the previous scouts, memorized this vantage point offering an unobstructed view of him, and was mentally prepared for our arrival,” Abyss said through the mind link. “His body has probably been enhanced countless times by the Lord of Bullying’s power. We’re quite far away; he shouldn’t be able to hear us whispering or clearly see us here, but he might possess strong intuition.”

Leona was most familiar with intuition. She usually acted without much thought, often relying on instinct. Beings like her, whose bodies were greatly enhanced and reaction speeds exceeded imagination, possessed extremely strong perception.

For example, being targeted by hostile gazes might go unnoticed by ordinary people, while perceptive individuals might feel uneasy. For Leona, it felt like needles on her back.

“It’s highly likely he was waiting for us,” Abyss’s tone grew grave. “This means we must be extremely cautious. I knew it; besieging a city alone was just to attract our attention, forcing us to come and provide support with his overwhelming power.”

“His target is us?” Leona felt a little nervous. “Meaning, he’s quite confident he can defeat us? I thought we were pretty strong…”

“We are indeed strong, as demonstrated in our previous battles against the other two Outer Gods. This guy might have found our weakness,” Abyss mused aloud. “We certainly don’t have an all-rounder; everyone has their strengths and weaknesses…”

At that moment, Abyss’s clothes were tugged twice by a small hand.

He turned around. Agnes stood behind him. Pointing towards Hom in the distance, she whispered to him, “Mama, Uncle has water.”

“Hm? What do you mean?” Abyss was puzzled by Agnes’s sudden statement.

“Uncle has water. Water, good! Papa, drink water!” Agnes tried hard to express her thoughts with incomprehensible gestures, but her current way of expression and thinking were too chaotic. Neither Abyss nor Flora, who was good with children, could understand her words.

Brindevor and the Golden Rose squad leader looked strangely at Agnes. This girl didn’t look like a toddler; why did she speak like this? Was she disabled?

“Has Master Belator made any discoveries? Or have any further plans?” Brindevor asked.

Leona spoke for Abyss: “No discoveries yet. My further plan is to stay here and continue observing this person. Squad Leader, may I ask, does this person rest at night?”

The squad leader replied: “He rests, but not like ordinary people sleep. He sits there motionless, doesn’t seem asleep, so no one dares to provoke him…”

Brindevor asked: “Master Belator, do you intend to stay here and watch him continuously?”

“Yes, returning to the village to rest would only waste time, and I don’t need much rest. At the same time, I have sufficiently effective stealth capabilities here. Therefore, I believe waiting here and continuously observing this person is the best choice. You can go back first. I estimate I can formulate a plan by noon tomorrow, and then we will try to implement it.”

Brindevor nodded and said, “In that case, I will return first to report the situation to the others and will be back soon. Does Master Belator require any other assistance?”

Brindevor couldn’t offer much more help here; she couldn’t exactly charge into battle as an envoy. Abyss instructed Leona: “Alright, we don’t need any extra help. There might be some basic tasks; let the Golden Rose Legion soldiers assist us with those.”

“I understand. Please don’t worry. I will bring several high-ranking mages with me when I return; perhaps they can be of some use,” Brindevor nodded and stood up from the tree stump. “My invisibility spell will last for about another hour, please remember, Master Belator. Then, I shall take my leave.”

At Leona’s signal, the Golden Rose squad leader also temporarily left, leaving Abyss’s group sitting there, watching Hom in the distance while chatting.

“Aiyo, swapping bodies with you is really inconvenient. I have to speak for you; I’m not free at all. Why did you make this state last for three days? Can’t you improve it?” Leona started complaining once the squad leader left.

“Sorry, after all, the Grey Elves only recognize me, the mage, so you have to speak for me. But I feel quite convenient in your body,” Abyss chuckled.

“Of course, it’s convenient for you! I’m already dead, no metabolism, no need to eat, drink, sleep, let alone use the toilet,” Leona pouted unhappily. “But it’s different for me. This living body of yours… do you know how much effort it took me to pee in the middle of the night yesterday… and because of your mistake, this pure maiden actually touched…”

Flora blushed and covered Leona’s mouth.

Leona also realized her previous statement seemed a bit mischievous, quickly cleared her throat, and changed the subject: “Let’s not talk about this. Anyway, we’ll swap back soon. But on your side, saying you’ll have a plan by noon tomorrow, can you really think of one?”

“Of course, I can,” Abyss said with a smile. “Actually, I already have some ideas. I’ve decided to try something on that guy tomorrow. It’s a relatively safe method.”

Chapter 114: Heading to Coral City

Elven lifespans are longer than humans’. Forty years might fade many human memories, but not so easily for elves. Many elves, especially elders who had interacted with Agnes, would likely remember her appearance. To prevent her from being recognized, Abyss gave her a makeover before departing.

Agnes now looked entirely like a noble lady from the Western Empire, dressed in a light, airy gown, wearing a veil, and topped with a beautiful sun hat. Flora had given her a set of clothes she had previously bought. Since Agnes was slender, Flora had even done some tailoring.

Agnes herself quite liked the outfit, but she insisted on having a pair of animal ears sprout from her head. Flora had no choice but to cut two holes in the hat.

After confirming Agnes wouldn’t be easily recognized, Abyss, along with the three girls excluding Rebecca, found the Grey Elf envoy, Brindevor, waiting quietly in a scenic spot.

The situation was urgent, so Brindevor wasted no time. After confirming Abyss’s group had their own warhorses, she immediately led them towards Coral City.

Coral City was located on the eastern coast of the Elven Kingdoms, close to the Western Empire and the Tami Kingdom. It was a significant handicraft export city with relatively developed surrounding transportation. This development undoubtedly allowed the city to amass wealth faster, but it now posed a problem: if the Iron Lilies truly occupied the city, the extensive road network would become their advantage, causing significant trouble for the Elven Kingdoms.

The undead warhorse and East Wind were top-tier steeds, capable of covering vast distances daily. Following the Grey Elf’s white horse at a gallop, the group arrived at a village near Coral City just as the moon began to rise.

…

“Golden Rose Legion Squad Leader Wes Leggett reports to the esteemed Lady Brindevor and the Druid Master.”
As the group entered the village, they were greeted by the stationed Golden Rose soldiers. A female Dark Elf warrior armed with a warhammer knelt on one knee, speaking respectfully.

“Please rise quickly, Squad Leader Leggett. We came this time to deal with Hom, who is besieging Coral City. Has anything unusual happened these past few days?” Brindevor pulled the squad leader up. Since this wasn’t a formal occasion, she switched to speaking normal Elvish.

“The siege remains deadlocked. Residents tried to break out a few days ago, and several more died in his arena. Someone on the city wall fired magic missiles at him, and others shot crossbow bolts, but none were effective. He does get hit, but each time, he quickly recovers unharmed – it seems he uses clones to take the attacks for him,” the squad leader reported. “Additionally, other merchants attempting to trade here have all been turned back by us. No outsiders have been injured so far.”

“He has a way to negate attacks directed at himself?” Brindevor frowned. “Master Belator, do you have a way to deal with this ability?”

“Not yet,” Leona continued speaking for Abyss, speaking slowly to allow Abyss to finish his thoughts in the mind link. “I need some time to observe his weaknesses… While Outer Gods possess power surpassing mortals, and they grant this power to designated mortals, these powers cannot be without flaws. Mortals inevitably pay a price to wield the power of Outer Gods; that is the nature of Divine Arts.”

“Like the Divine Arts users of the Church?” Brindevor seemed intent on memorizing Leona’s words, perhaps tasked with recording the details of this operation.

“Well… the price they pay will be greater than that of Divine Arts users. After all, the Outer Gods are invading our world, fighting on foreign ground, so they face more restrictions,” Leona replied.

“May I interject?” the Golden Rose squad leader spoke up at this moment. “We have made a small discovery that I believe Master Belator should be informed of.”

“Go ahead,” Leona glanced at Abyss, then agreed.

“Alright. When Hom uses the arena, he seems to need to utilize his tooth necklace. Sharp-eyed scouts noticed that however many opponents there are, he uses that many teeth. After summoning the arena, the number of teeth on his necklace decreases accordingly, but after the duel ends, the teeth return,” the squad leader explained, gesturing the shape of the necklace around her neck.

“How many teeth does he have on his necklace then?” Leona asked curiously.

“Our people counted; the number should be over two hundred,” the squad leader said.

“So, if we send three hundred people to fight him at once, he won’t be able to handle it?” Leona immediately thought of a “good idea,” but had enough self-awareness not to voice it, instead sharing it in the mind link.

“That’s not a good idea. After he pulls others into the arena, people outside probably can’t harm him inside. That would be sending them to their deaths,” Abyss rejected Leona’s idea. “Think about it, when I dueled the fish-man leader in the underwater temple, you didn’t even know where I went, right?”

“Ah… that does seem to be the case,” Leona realized. “Good thing I didn’t say it out loud, or I would have lost major face. Oh, well, it’s ABC’s face anyway.”

“We still need to observe. I will slowly figure out a way to subdue him,” Abyss said. “First, tell them we want to observe the guy, ensuring concealment.”

Leona relayed Abyss’s words to Brindevor and the Golden Rose squad leader. They had invited Abyss to help and had no plan of their own, so they readily agreed.

The village was situated on a small hill with an excellent vantage point. In a small grove near the village, they found a perfect spot offering a clear view of Coral City.

It was a city with distinct elven characteristics, featuring ornate and elegant architecture built with abundant colorful bricks and tiles. Many people were active within the city, but the main gate was shut tight, and the city guard stood ready atop the gate tower.

Below the main city gate, Abyss, using Leona’s eyes, could see a person sitting lazily. In the open environment, this person was quite conspicuous.

As Abyss focused his gaze on the person, the person suddenly looked up in their direction, as if sensing something.

But after staring their way for a while, seemingly finding nothing, he shook his head and turned back.

Chapter 113: The Invincible Besieger

The word “invincible” immediately piqued Abyss’s interest.

Leona knew Abyss particularly liked challenging enemies. The previous “senior martial siblings” were too unremarkable, lacking any reliable signature skills – in short, they weren’t worthy opponents.

Seeing Abyss’s eyes light up, Leona asked, “Do you have more specific intelligence?”

Seeing “Abyss’s” interest, Brindevor nodded and said, “Since Master Belator is inclined, I will elaborate on the intelligence regarding that Iron Lily general, brought back from the battlefield by our non-combatant warriors.”

The Druid Sages also listened intently. Druids were just one school of mages; in terms of combat prowess, Elemental School mages were superior. If high-ranking elven mages could be countered to such an extent, forcing the noble Grey Elves to specifically seek aid from Abyss, who had experience fighting Outer Gods, it indicated the enemy’s strength had reached an unmanageable level.

“The information we currently possess is: this person calls himself Hom, a southern human male, 1.76 meters tall, very strong. A few days ago, he strolled leisurely to the foot of Coral City, a coastal city in the east. Initially, people didn’t know his identity until he used magic to raise a blockade line and announced to the guards on the city gate tower that the city was besieged by him alone. Only then did everyone realize he was from the Iron Lilies.”

Brindevor pulled out a rolled-up paper from a long bamboo tube at her waist and unfolded it for Abyss and the others to see: it depicted a strong man wearing medium armor made of thin metal plates, with a necklace of teeth resembling tribal ornaments around his neck. He carried no weapons, which looked somewhat strange. The elven artist’s skill was excellent, rendering the man’s face clearly and capturing his aura: despite being a very muscular man, both his posture and expression seemed somewhat feminine, yet with an added artificiality that wasn’t very likable.

“This is Hom’s appearance. When he first declared the siege of Coral City, people didn’t take him seriously, thinking he was a madman. But then, when a squad of guards went out to expel him and were suddenly trapped in a translucent arena that appeared out of thin air, and he killed them all with clones, people began to realize he wasn’t joking,” Brindevor’s expression turned grave. “After that, he killed many more people. The victims killed by him were all turned into crystals within his arena, which he then collected. Dozens of guards and Golden Rose soldiers have already fallen victim.”

“What was the strength of the sacrificed high-ranking mages?” Leona asked.

“A total of two high-ranking mages went out to fight him. They both lived in the city and, upon hearing the guards were killed by Iron Lily members, angrily intervened with their apprentices. One was a ninth-tier Elemental School mage, the other an eighth-tier Illusion School mage. They initially planned to coordinate with their apprentices, but after being enveloped in the summoned arena, they could only fight individually, unable to support each other – although they could see each other, they couldn’t interact or influence one another, like phantoms.”

“Then this is undoubtedly the work of an Outer God,” Leona nodded. “It seems we indeed need to use methods for dealing with Outer Gods.”

“We still don’t know the upper limit of Hom’s clones. The most he summoned at once was over forty, scaring off a merchant caravan that was about to enter the city. But he didn’t pursue them, so the caravan survived. According to our scouts’ observations, this person’s clones are generated specifically to counter the opponent’s weaknesses, and their strength increases based on the opponent’s strength. We haven’t found a way to counter him, which is why we say he’s invincible,” Brindevor said with an apologetic look. “We currently don’t have more information about his abilities, so this is all we can provide. If Master Belator feels further observation is needed, we can continue observing and strive to bring back more intelligence. However, we cannot be certain if he is waiting for reinforcements. The city’s food supplies can last for about another month.”

Leona immediately replied: “Then let’s not delay further. Rescuing the citizens in the city and punishing the wicked is our undeniable duty…”

“Wait, Leona. We are certainly going, but not to engage him immediately. We will go observe him ourselves first,” Abyss interrupted Leona’s statement in the mind link. “This guy might not be that simple. Rushing in might lead us into his trap. Plus, we need to wait for our bodies to swap back so I can use my full strength.”

“…Therefore, I’ve decided to go with you to Coral City, observe this person first, understand his abilities and true purpose, and then figure out a way to eliminate him,” Leona abruptly changed her tune.

“In that case, we must trouble Master Belator to personally go. The Elven Kingdoms will provide the best possible conditions to assist the Master in eliminating the villain. If Hom can be successfully eliminated, we are also willing to pay a reasonable reward,” Brindevor stood up from the tree stump and bowed deeply to Leona.

It seemed the Grey Elves had considered Abyss’s human nature. Elves preferred honor as a reward for helping others, while humans tended to prefer material compensation.

“I will wait here. When Master Belator is ready, we shall depart together for the vicinity of Coral City. The surrounding villages are currently safe; we can stay there temporarily,” Brindevor added to Leona.

…

“Then it’s settled. Flora and Leona will accompany me as combatants. Rebecca will temporarily stay at the Druid gathering as logistical support and can open the alchemy lab at any time for teleportation to handle any emergencies,” Abyss returned to the treehouse with the girls. They had already discussed their roles on the way back.

“Understood, leave the logistics to me. The villagers of Keshel are recovering from a serious illness and also need my medical assistance,” Rebecca nodded in agreement, then asked, “Then, what about Agnes? Will she stay here or go with you?”

Agnes, holding Flora’s hand and following behind her, heard Rebecca mention her name. She peeked out from behind Flora, flicking her fluffy cat ears atop her head, looking curiously at Rebecca.

Flora turned to look at Agnes, hesitating, “…Perhaps it’s better not to let a child witness violent scenes?”

“Flora, why are you really treating her like a child?” Leona didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “She’s actually the oldest among us, right?”

“Ah… that seems to be the case… I’m sorry…”

“I want Agnes to come with us,” Abyss said at this moment. “Experiencing various things might help her recover her memory faster.”

Chapter 112: The Grey Elves’ Plea for Aid

The Elven Kingdoms weren’t a single nation but an alliance of numerous small city-state countries. These countries interacted and traded, used the same currency, and acted like a unified entity. They all adopted an enlightened republican system, electing resident representatives based on seniority and experience to form citizen councils that handled various affairs.

Such a system, compared to human empires and kingdoms, did indeed better cater to the interests of all and was relatively more peaceful, effectively reducing power struggles and scheming. However, it also brought problems.

The biggest issue was the inefficiency caused by the system.

The concept of “officials” didn’t exist in elven society. For any matter involving everyone’s interests, the elves would convene a meeting, gather together, and discuss thoroughly. If the scope was larger, the meeting results would be submitted to city-state representatives, who would then travel to the Grey Elves’ territory to hold another city-state meeting with the Grey Elf council. Finally, a decision would be made by vote.

This administrative efficiency was appallingly low – but given the elves’ lifespan and pace of life, this speed didn’t seem particularly problematic.

This directly led to the fact that long after Abyss and his group arrived at the Druid gathering, the envoy sent by the Grey Elves finally reached them to convey the collective decision.

Before arriving, the Grey Elf council had magically notified the Druids of the specific arrival time: precisely twelve noon today. As the time approached, Abyss, along with his companions and the Druid Sages, stood waiting.

They didn’t have to wait long. The Grey Elf envoy appeared punctually. A tall female elf with cascading gray hair, dressed in pure white robes, rode a snow-white steed, approaching the Druid gathering with graceful steps.

Her expression was solemn, her demeanor dignified. When she reached the group, Abyss glanced at the sun’s position and estimated it was exactly twelve noon. The Grey Elf hadn’t made them wait even a minute extra.

The female Grey Elf dismounted but didn’t touch the ground. Instead, she used magic to levitate herself a few centimeters above it. Then, she performed a curtsy towards the Druids, every movement – legs, waist, back, neck, even fingers – meticulously executed.

Leona watched, clicking her tongue in amazement. Grey Elves truly were the most refined race in the world; their poise alone was something humans could spend centuries learning.

“The Grey Elf Council sends greetings to the Druid Gathering, thanking you for your contributions in resisting the external enemies and the animal mutation incident,” the female Grey Elf said with a standard yet sincere smile, speaking clear and gentle Ancient Tongue. “I am the envoy of the Grey Elf Council, Ellen Bildia Brindevor. It is a great honor to meet the Masters today.”

“Why isn’t she speaking Elvish? I can’t understand many words,” Leona asked Rebecca through the mind link.

“Ancient Tongue is actually the official language of the Grey Elves. Since this is a formal occasion, they naturally use the official language,” Rebecca explained. “You can ask Abyss to translate simultaneously for you. As a mage, he’s very familiar with Ancient Tongue.”

“Lady Brindevor, welcome to the Druid Gathering,” Arcaiste, representing the Druids, bowed to Brindevor. “Is there anything the Grey Elf Council requires of us?”

“In fact, when we urgently called upon the Druids to resist the Iron Lilies a few days ago, the Druid Gathering already contributed significantly and suffered casualties. We shouldn’t shamelessly continue asking for assistance. However, our Golden Rose Legion has encountered an enemy we cannot handle. We have come to request aid from the gathering,” Brindevor said, her eyes lowered, her voice steady. “We need Master Belator’s help.”

Saying this, Brindevor looked towards Leona, who was standing there in Abyss’s guise.

“Eh? Me?” Leona was taken aback, then remembered she was currently playing Abyss. Thinking she couldn’t embarrass Abyss in front of refined people like the Grey Elves, she put on a stern face and said in the most formal tone she could manage, “If it is within my power, I shall certainly do my utmost. Please explain the details, Miss Brindevor… to me.”

“Please, let us speak inside,” Arcaiste, realizing the gravity of the situation, quickly invited Brindevor into the Druid gathering.

The Druid gathering didn’t have formal indoor spaces. Arcaiste led everyone to a relatively secluded and elegant grove, preparing a tree stump as a seat for Brindevor.

Although a noble Grey Elf, Brindevor wasn’t picky about seating. She sat naturally on the stump, yet still radiated an aura untouched by the mundane world.

“As everyone now knows, the enemies of the Elven Kingdoms are not just the Iron Lily thugs, but also the Outer God hiding behind them, manipulating everything, the ‘Lord of Bullying’. The Grey Elves possess firsthand information about Outer Gods and have some understanding of them. Therefore, after encountering an unimaginably powerful enemy recently, we concluded this individual wields the power of an Outer God,” Brindevor stated. “An Iron Lily general has besieged one of our cities. He seems intent on occupying it.”

“An Iron Lily person… they… huh?” Leona was a bit surprised. “Did you say, an Iron Lily general besieged a city?”

“That is correct. You might think I misspoke, but in fact, it is just one person besieging our city.”

Leona’s Ancient Tongue was poor; she relied entirely on Abyss for comprehension and always spoke Common Tongue herself. But Brindevor didn’t mind, conversing normally with Leona.

“Does this person have special abilities?”

“His abilities likely come from the brain crystals of mutated animals. He also wears a special bone-tooth necklace, which seems to grant him additional powers,” Brindevor said. “He can create multiple clones of himself, each with different specialties. If anyone tries to break out or relieve the besieged city, he immediately creates clones equal in number to the opposing force and generates an illusory arena. Each clone can duel an enemy one-on-one, and they happen to possess abilities that perfectly counter their opponents…”

“Arena…” Leona immediately recalled what Abyss had described about his duel with the fish-man leader in the arena.

Can the arena be seen this time?

“Neither the breakout teams from the city nor the Golden Rose soldiers we sent survived. Losers in the arena are directly turned into crystals, which he collects. We also dispatched powerful mages, but they too failed to defeat him. We have suffered immense losses,” Brindevor said. “To summarize in one word, this person is currently invincible.”

Chapter 111: The Mysterious Iron Lilies

“Ahem… setting that aside, you mentioned your emperor has strict control over the animal brain crystals? Is he really that efficient?” Leona tried to sound more masculine, but being used to interacting as a loli, she couldn’t quite capture the essence. “What does he plan to do with these brain crystals?”

“The Emperor’s iron-fisted rule is indeed quite efficient. You might not know, but his direct intelligence organization actually spans the entire Eastern Empire – I’m part of it. Currently, the Emperor is still studying these brain crystals. He has many reliable alchemists under him, and they are continuously investigating the properties of these crystals, though with no results so far,” Titus replied. “If I’m not mistaken, this thing is related to those Outer Gods, right? I’ve heard all about your exploits in Ossi.”

“That’s right, it is related to Outer Gods. If you can, you should tell your emperor not to let the alchemists use these brain crystals carelessly. While they can grant magical abilities, they can also control a person’s mind, which is very dangerous,” Leona repeated what Abyss had told Helen. “The Outer God is using this method to spread his influence throughout the world. It’s imperative that you join us in stopping him.”

“I understand. I’ll tell the Emperor,” Titus removed the spoon from his mouth and nodded solemnly. “The Emperor’s main goals in controlling these crystals are twofold: preventing nobles from getting funny ideas, and wanting to use them himself. If you hadn’t mentioned it, perhaps the Emperor would indeed have started using these crystals after some time. The alchemists have already discovered that their effects can stack and can be used to cultivate powerful magic warriors. It’s wonderful that we could avoid potential problems in time.”

“Right, Titus, we’re in the Elven Kingdoms now, and there’s another issue. Remember the Iron Lilies? They are now seeking power from the Outer God as well. We’re preparing to eliminate them. Can you tell us what you know about them?” Abyss interjected at this point.

Hearing Abyss’s characteristic lazy tone coming from “Leona’s” mouth, and recalling how “Abyss” had sounded like a little girl earlier, Titus seemed to immediately grasp the situation. He couldn’t help but show an expression that said, “You guys really know how to have fun.”

“The Iron Lilies… they’re a bunch of lunatics, but organized lunatics,” Titus recalled. “I have indeed investigated them. They are undoubtedly an illegal organization; no country recognizes the legitimacy of their activities. Therefore, besides killing elves, they are extremely cautious in their actions. My people couldn’t gather much information. I’ll tell you everything I know.”

Abyss listened intently to Titus, nodding slightly to encourage him to continue.

Titus cleared his throat, putting the spoon back in his mouth: “I don’t have exact figures on the Iron Lilies’ scale, but their total number definitely exceeds ten thousand. And they don’t just have warriors; they have other talents too. It’s a fairly professional organization, ten times, even a hundred times stronger than ordinary bandits.”

“How did they become so large?” Leona’s eyes widened. “Aren’t these guys non-productive? Where do they get the money to sustain themselves?”

“They have two sources of income. One is robbery. They ambush travelers near the Elven Kingdoms, but they don’t wipe out the merchants entirely. Instead, they charge protection fees, which both discourages merchants from trading with elves and provides a decent income. The other is through funding… As far as I know, nobles in various human kingdoms support the Iron Lilies. The more the elves are suppressed, the better certain goods produced on noble lands sell. Plus, some nobles covet the rich lands of the Elven Kingdoms.”

“Then your emperor…”

“Shh…” Titus frowned, glancing around. “He currently isn’t focused on this area. That’s all I can say. Sorry, my position is sensitive; I can’t speak carelessly.”

“Understood. Please continue then,” Leona immediately realized her question was difficult for an imperial agent like Titus to answer.

“Anyway, although the Iron Lilies currently can’t turn a profit, they don’t lack food or drink. The leader of the Iron Lilies is quite mysterious; I couldn’t even find out his name. But they have several vice-commanders, all highly skilled individuals, including some who are exceptionally intelligent. Be careful not to fall into their traps when dealing with them,” Titus relaxed again and continued. “What this group ultimately wants, the ordinary members don’t know; they’re just a bunch of brainwashed, pathetic clowns. Their true purpose is probably known only to the leader himself and a small number of vice-commanders.”

“It seems this organization is truly mysterious…” Abyss pinched his chin. “Your subordinates couldn’t even investigate them in detail. I’m quite interested in them now.”

“Regardless, these beasts who slaughter innocents are indeed massacring elves; that much is clear. The vast majority of them have committed unforgivable crimes,” Titus sighed. “To become official members, they need to kill an elf. They’ve killed far too many elves over the years, even mixed-blood half-elves fall victim to them. If you can, please strike hard. We definitely won’t stop you… Of course, there are some nobles we can’t control.”

“That’s enough. Thank you, Titus,” Abyss smiled and nodded.

“Wonderful! See you next time, then. I’m already preparing to write a letter to the Emperor,” Titus smiled at the group. “Farewell for now. If anything comes up, I’ll contact you.”

After finishing the conversation with Titus, Abyss immediately contacted Givia. Givia was now queen and extremely busy. When Abyss and his group reached her, she was reviewing documents. Seeing them, she was naturally very happy.

Leona relayed the same information she had told Helen and Titus. Givia immediately stated she would handle it right away. Givia’s approval rating in Ossi was incredibly high; her decrees were very effective. Presumably, even if there were mutated animals within Ossi, they could manage the situation effectively.

“I will have the people monitor those merchants. We absolutely won’t let the greed of those unscrupulous traders give the Outer God an opportunity,” Givia promised solemnly. “My people also understand the danger of the Outer Gods; they will certainly cooperate. Is there anything else you need to inform me of?”

“Nothing else, Givia. You’re busy; we won’t disturb you. Take care of yourself. In a few days, I’ll have Rebecca send you some good medicine to relieve fatigue,” Leona said, pretending to be Abyss.

Givia seemed to have noticed the situation between Abyss and Leona. She smiled and said, “Alright, don’t worry about me. Contact me anytime if I can help.”

Closing the communication with Givia, Abyss suddenly heard the sound of flapping wings outside.

“Mr. ABC! Master asked me to call you! Someone from the Grey Elves is here to see you!”

At the same time, Maggie’s voice came from outside the window.