Ordinary people couldn't see the form of a soul, but through the dark figure's vision, the face of the soul was exactly the same as Timos'.
"As expected of someone you deemed a 'talent.' It's truly surprising that in such a weak elemental environment, he reached the stage of fusing Profound Mysteries! Luckily, he just grasped it and hasn't fully mastered it yet. If he had grown familiar with the power of fusion, our descent this time might have faced huge trouble!"
The purple magic eye squinted into a narrow line, staring intently at the soul in the dark figure's hand, clearly intrigued.
The dark figure clenched its fist around the soul, tightening its grasp.
It was as if a soul-wrenching scream echoed through the void, and then it fell completely silent.
"Not bad. This soul's essence is of extremely high quality. I doubt there's another like it in this entire world." For once, a rare smile played across the dark figure's voice.
"And what about the rest of these people? They've all reached the peak of this era. Don't you want to take them with you?" The purple magic eye asked curiously.
"Hmph, if I could, I would gladly take them all. But didn't you sense it? The suppression of this world is far too strong. I'll need all my power to open the soul passage, and after that, I'll have barely any strength left." The dark figure snorted coldly and cast a glance at the purple eye. "And you're no better off. I told you to conserve your energy. That beam you fired earlier must have cost you a good deal of power..."
The purple magic eye blinked in a rather human-like gesture of embarrassment. "Haha, well, it was my first time encountering 'humans,' so I couldn't resist testing their strength. Who knew they'd be so fragile!"
The dark figure glared at the purple eye, a look of disdain crossing its shadowed face. "Erase their memories."
"W-what?" The purple eye responded in disbelief, its voice trembling. "You want me to erase the memories of all these people at once? That would drain almost all my power—I'd dissipate right here! How could I continue to stay in this world?"
"So what?" The dark figure's face, shrouded in black mist, became visible, revealing a cold, inhuman visage. "Don't forget who brought you to this world. If you mess up my plan, I'll have no qualms about dealing with you myself."
"But... I wanted to stay here a little longer..." The purple magic eye met the dark figure's gaze and, despite itself, felt a twinge of fear.
"Hmph, don't think I don't know what you're plotting. This world is tied to an important plan of mine, and I won't allow any mishaps. If you wish to make a move on this world, wait until ten thousand years from now when the world's essence is sufficiently weakened. Then you may scheme all you like." The dark figure's voice was icy.
"I will obey the Undead Patriarch's orders!" Although the purple magic eye was filled with reluctance, it dared not defy the figure before it and had no choice but to comply.
At that moment, as time ticked away, the expressions of the humans below began to show faint signs of resistance.
The purple magic eye knew it couldn't delay any longer. Its form turned hazy, like a purple ghost, swiftly passing through the bodies of everyone on the battlefield.
As it phased through each person, whether human or beastman, their eyes would briefly glaze over with confusion and a hint of blankness.
Half a minute later, the purple shadow flashed back into the sky, its aura now feeble, and its state depleted to the extreme. With barely any strength left, it murmured, "Undead Patriarch, I've completed my task. Don't forget your promise to me..."
"Rest assured, once we return to the Netherworld, I will personally see to it." The Undead Patriarch reached out and gently tapped the purple eye.
For anyone else, such a gesture would be seen as a provocation, even an insult, but the purple eye didn't take offense. Instead, it chuckled sycophantically, surrendering to the world's suppression as it fully dissipated.
The Undead Patriarch watched the purple eye vanish, and then his own form slowly faded from the sky.
In the instant he disappeared, the battlefield below, which had been frozen in eerie silence, suddenly sprang back to life, as though someone had pressed "play" again.
The scene resumed, with the remnants of Timos' disintegrated form still drifting in the air across from the Blood Moon Wolf King. The beastmen roared with celebration, for in their memory, they had witnessed their Blood Moon Wolf King destroy the greatest human hero, Timos, reducing him to nothing but ash!
Such a victory would be etched forever into the monument of their tribe's triumph!
Meanwhile, the humans were filled with rage, their furious roars resounding like an avalanche, expressing their fury at the loss.
One woman, draped in a blue mage's robe and radiating unparalleled beauty, had an icy expression. Sword in hand, she ascended from the ice plains like a Valkyrie, exuding a terrifying aura.
The blade in her hand unleashed a cold so fierce it froze the moisture in the air into glittering ice crystals. Even the Blood Moon Wolf King, still bleeding from his wounds, was caught off guard and frozen solid, his arrogant expression locked in place.
In the next moment, a dazzling arc of cold light sliced through the air in a half-moon shape.
The Blood Moon Wolf King, who had been so unstoppable mere moments ago, was split in two from his crotch to his crown, falling as twin ice sculptures to the ground.
His life force was completely extinguished!
A stunned silence overtook the battlefield.
And then, the humans erupted in wild cheers, chanting the name of the Ice Queen!
Indeed, the woman who had just slain the beastman king was none other than the Ice Queen, the monarch who had fled to the northernmost lands with her people from the Ice Kingdom. She was, in fact, the very instigator of the chaos in these northern reaches.
"Damn woman, die!"
A bellow erupted from a towering white-furred bear beastman, his voice booming across the battlefield. Many human Saints faltered for a moment, allowing the bear beastman to break through their ranks.
Like a cannonball, the bear shot up from an ice river, barreling toward the Ice Queen with unstoppable force.
Twin swords gleamed as the Ice Queen met the bear head-on. Though her frame appeared delicate, she unleashed a strength as unyielding as steel. Her sword clashed against the bear's powerful blow, and she used the rebound to spring backward.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
In an instant, countless human Saints surged forward, shielding the Ice Queen behind them, their eyes fixed warily on the advancing beastmen.
"Humans, hand over the woman, and we will abandon the northern lands!" The white-furred bear beastman, second only to the Blood Moon Wolf King in strength, bellowed, his bloodshot eyes locked on the figure of the Ice Queen.
"Angursa, give up! Not one inch of human land will be surrendered, and we will never abandon our own people!" A human Saint wreathed in flames stepped forward, his voice ringing out powerfully.
"Then you leave us no choice!" Angursa roared in fury and charged forward, leading the beastmen in another assault. Behind him, the remaining beastmen followed suit.
The battlefield once again descended into chaos.
War raged on, shaking the very earth.
...
Meanwhile, back at the Ice River Frontline, deep in the wilderness, Rhett sat cross-legged atop a massive tree stump. His face was serene, his body completely still.
He had been meditating alone for half a month, yet a breakthrough continued to elude him.
But now, the spiritual power in his mind surged forth in one final push, crashing against the barriers like a hammer. With a sound like shattering glass, the mental barriers disintegrated, dissolving into the void under the pressure of his vast spiritual energy.
Rhett's expression flickered slightly with joy as that familiar feeling washed over him once again.
This time, he adjusted quickly, bracing himself as his body tensed, welcoming the boundless might of his spiritual breakthrough.
Moments later.
"Huff!" He exhaled softly and opened his eyes, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Finally, I've reclaimed my place in the Saint Realm. The process was quicker than I expected."
His spiritual power surged outward, causing a cloud of sand to form instantly. Around him, the wild grass dissolved under the profound force of his power, vanishing without a trace.
Because it wasn't his first time reaching the Saint level, and it was within a simulation, the joy of the breakthrough came and went quickly.
Calming himself, Rhett reflected on the vast power of the Profound Mysteries now filling his mind. His eyes gleamed with thoughtfulness.
"Compared to the future, the power of the Earth Profound Mysteries seems unchanged. It looks like, at least for the next ten thousand years, the world won't encounter any 'special events.'"
This led Rhett to ponder the encounters with the Flame Elemental Source. It must have been a rare stroke of luck, as Manu had suggested.
The seeds of curiosity took root in his mind, but he knew he wouldn't be able to simulate the world's origin again for a while.
The reason was simple—he was running low on fate points!
From the moment he'd begun his breakthrough to the present, the constant simulations had drained his fate points rapidly.
Once this simulation ended, he'd focus on reality, checking in on Nicole and then concentrating on earning more fate points before planning the next move.
After pondering for a while longer, Rhett merged with the elements and vanished from the spot.
Soon, he reappeared at the Ice River Frontline.
Heading directly for the Alchemy Workshop, Rhett navigated the familiar halls until he found himself in Heisenberg's laboratory.
At that moment, Heisenberg was so absorbed in inspecting a row of potted plants that he didn't even notice Rhett's entrance. It wasn't until a voice greeted him from behind that he snapped out of his concentration.
"Hey, Heisenberg! You seem quite leisurely today, admiring plants instead of conducting experiments."
Rhett smiled easily as he took in the room's contents, feeling relaxed.
With his newfound strength, his interactions with Heisenberg had a different undertone—one of calm confidence.
"Who is it?!"
Heisenberg instinctively shouted, spinning around. When he saw the familiar face, his eyes widened with disbelief.
His shoulders trembled slightly, and in his surprise, he accidentally knocked over one of the plants, a pang of regret crossing his face as he glanced at it.
But even that couldn't overshadow his astonishment at the change in Rhett.
"Y-you're Dagula?" Heisenberg's expression turned serious as he stepped closer, circling Rhett three times to inspect him as if studying a rare specimen.
"Of course. It's me. Why would I lie to you?"
Seeing Heisenberg's reaction, Rhett couldn't help but laugh. Knowing Heisenberg's past, he felt a deep sense of reflection—history, though to be believed, must not be fully trusted.
Heisenberg wasn't the strange eccentric others had portrayed him to be. Instead, he was a passionate scholar who had emerged from the shadows!
Heisenberg stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Alright, I've confirmed it. You're Dagula and not some Saint who has mastered the Profound Mystery of 'Illusion' trying to scam me…"
Rhett blinked, slightly amused. Who would dare scam Heisenberg? That person would need both courage and exceptional skill.
"Actually, I had a general understanding of your past progress, but I never expected your growth to be so fast. I thought it would take you several more years to break through to the Saint Realm, but you've shortened that timeline by tenfold!" Heisenberg looked up at Rhett, his eyes filled with admiration.
"Just luck," Rhett replied modestly, shifting the conversation away from his rapid progress as his gaze fell on the plants by the window.
From this angle, he could see them more clearly, and surprise flickered in his eyes. "Huh? Magic plants? Wait, no, this cultivation technique—this is magic plant modification!"
He turned to Heisenberg, intrigued. "You're working on magic plant modification?"
"Of course. In my mind, magic plant modification ranks second only to alchemical fusion in importance. In fact, in some respects, they're equally vital!" Heisenberg's face grew serious as he delved into his passion for the subject. "If we can truly advance along this path, altering the properties of magic plants to enhance their strengths and minimize their drawbacks, the impact will be profound. It would even make the ultimate goal of alchemical fusion much more attainable!"
"The ultimate goal?" Rhett asked, curiosity piqued.
"Yes, the ultimate goal—complete fusion of potions, arrays, and equipment! Honestly, Dagula, you're so forgetful. I already explained this to you through the messenger bird!" Heisenberg scoffed, clearly unimpressed by Rhett's lack of retention.
"I still can't believe you got your hands on so much alchemical knowledge. It's like some clueless kid stumbled onto an incredible stroke of luck!" Heisenberg sighed and shook his head, clearly exasperated.
Rhett simply smiled, choosing not to comment as he continued studying the magic plants.
As he observed, he couldn't help but admire Heisenberg's skill. In such a short time, Heisenberg had not only begun experimenting with the magic plant modification techniques Rhett had shared but also seemed to be making real progress.
It looked like Heisenberg was working on modifying Darkblade Grass, perhaps aiming for a successful example to build confidence for future research.
Once Heisenberg was deep in his research, he barely paid Rhett any attention.
With nothing else to do, Rhett decided to check in on Mingge's progress.
Just as he turned to leave and was about to strike up a conversation with Mingge, a suffocating pressure suddenly filled the air.
Though the light, temperature, and colors in the room remained unchanged, Rhett's expression shifted dramatically. He could feel the pressure deep within his soul!
"This feeling… who could it be?!"