"Are you certain you want to make a contract with me?"
Su Wen ignored Gu Yue, who sulked in a corner, drawing circles and muttering. He focused instead on the little girl staring at him intently.
His face remained calm as he softly said, "Crimson Mother."
"…"
The place fell silent. The Crimson Mother's pupils shrank, her throat bobbed. Sure enough… her identity was already exposed. Now that she was here anyway, she must have decided not to leave herself a way out, since if the other had really tried to force a contract earlier, she wouldn't have been able to resist.
So, she decided to gamble—
To stake everything—all that she had built up, her future, everything of the Crimson Mother—on this!
This guy wasn't even a god yet, but his Poké Balls for his contracted beasts already rivaled small worlds. If he became a god, who could imagine how vast they'd become?
If she won the bet, her future would go far beyond ruling this starfield—she could even travel to the depths of the universe.
"In that case, I won't ask further." Su Wen said quietly. "Once you make your choice, there's no turning back."
"Yes, I know." The Crimson Mother took a deep breath, hesitated, then said, "Master."
"Heh…" Su Wen gave a soft chuckle, then tossed the Poké Ball.
A beam of light shrouded the red-robed girl.
It shot into the sky.
Many powerful beings were drawn to watch, but when they sensed that this red light originated from the heart of Shrek City's richest district, they instantly realized who was behind it.
Even the city's defense forces didn't move—it was almost eerie.
"Guixu ('Abyssal Return')… A good name." Su Wen laughed.
He gazed up at the vast, dark red energy cloud in the sky—Crimson Mother, adorned with swirling golden law symbols, hiding a miniature black hole vortex (representing the essence of Devouring). Su Wen was very pleased.
Truly the Crimson Mother—the evil mastermind.
Her potential could rival the Dragon God, on par.
Because she wielded the most broken (bug-like) ability—Devouring.
She wasn't really a soul beast, more like a lifeform birthed from a wisp of devouring origin deep in the universe; not human, not dragon, not even a soul beast, but rather a fragment of Devouring itself.
And Su Wen, by contracting her via a Poké Ball, had in a sense evolved the whole 'Devouring origin.'
She was both the mother and the core of the Crimson Realm.
After the contract, she could still control the Crimson Realm and remain its mother—but her own origin had undergone a great leap.
She'd even obtained a 'divine authority'—Devouring Authority.
Su Wen studied her abilities:
· Guixu Domain (Abyssal Return) – Heaven-level Blue: Within this domain, any living being that dies will trigger 'Abyssal Resurrection,' devouring their own remains to be reborn (long cooldown).
· Abyssal Devour – Heaven-level Blue: Releases a chaotic black vortex that devours a single target; if successful, absorbs 50% of the target's maximum HP as a temporary shield, and permanently increases a random attribute by 5% (up to 200%).
· Plane Glutton – Heaven-level Blue: Unfolds the Deep Crimson Domain (radius 50km); enemy units inside lose 1% energy per second, which is absorbed by Crimson Mother for her attribute growth.
· When the domain ends, if enough energy is absorbed, she evolves forms (from energy liquid → law entity, etc.).
· For every enemy devoured inside, domain duration +10s; devouring god-level targets upgrades the domain to 'Eternal Abyss,' ignoring rules of the Plane.
Devour + evolve: this was her strongest trump card.
"Thank you, Master!!!" The red cloud in the sky condensed into a beautiful, statuesque woman with dark red hair—her full Crimson Mother form, not the childlike shape from before.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement. Achieving Authority of Devouring was just one step away; all it needed was for Su Wen to become a full god.
Last but not least, her Poké Ball actually contained a miniature Crimson Realm.
"Ding—"
A pleasant chime sounded.
The Crimson Mother looked embarrassed. Raising her wrist—her Douluo Continent communicator—she checked the screen. The caller: the atmosphere in the video feed was gloomy, shrouded in darkness.
A figure appeared on screen.
"Mother?"
The Abyssal Saint Lord breathed a sigh of relief; seeing the Crimson Mother again, his worry eased.
She was the ruler and core of the Crimson Realm, the root of all abyssal beings. If anything happened to her on Douluo, the entire abyssal clan would be doomed.
"...What do you want?" The Crimson Mother frowned, glancing at the dozens of missed calls.
"I was worried about you, mother. This continent is too dangerous, filled with hidden enemies. If you reveal yourself, what if you meet the Dragon God? Things could turn bad," the Saint Lord pleaded.
"I already met him." The Crimson Mother said flatly.
"What?!!" The Abyssal Saint Lord's pupils shrank. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." She huffed.
"That's good…" The Saint Lord was visibly relieved.
"You'd best return to the Crimson Realm. It's too dangerous here," he urged. StAh Ying here meant being targeted eventually.
"No, I'm safe here." The Crimson Mother said calmly.
"That human is the true source of danger!" The Saint Lord said bitterly.
"Are you talking about me?" Su Wen leaned into the call, eyeing the Abyssal Saint Lord curiously.
"…"
The atmosphere froze.
The Saint Lord's face twitched. Instantly, it was as if his heart was seized by terror.
Trouble…?
"Let her go! We can talk about this," the Saint Lord said coldly.
"I've already contracted with him. Strictly speaking, I'm his servant, and he is my master. This is my own decision. Do not interfere," the Crimson Mother said indifferently.
The Saint Lord: "..."
A contract too?
Finished. He never expected his own house would be stolen from under him!
....