"Looks like the new life spell isn't bad."
Hel touched her smooth abdomen, quite satisfied with the result.
As mentioned before, among the undead there were quite a few who belonged to the Church, though only around three thousand of them. But the life magic they brought boosted Hel's Life Magic trait to gold instantly.
To put it bluntly, she now basically mastered almost all life spells. Even if she applied for a bishop position in the Church, she would be fully qualified—provided she could explain why she suddenly had life attributes.
"All right, let's go."
Hel pushed herself off the operating table and called to Niv beside her.
"Tonight's New Year's Eve. Tomorrow is the New Year. Let everyone rest these two days."
"Yes, Master. What about the mechanical spiders?"
"Keep them running. I plan to activate the Land Refining Array only after I become a titled mage, but I don't know what the Beastman are planning. If they attack suddenly, having the array prepared is still a trump card."
"Understood." Niv nodded, then asked, "What about the 280 miners in the ruins?"
"Miners?"
Hel slapped her forehead, frustrated. "Right, almost forgot about them. But these miners are a problem too."
After thinking for a moment, she said:
"Unless they have absolute loyalty to me, I won't let them go. But leaving them here isn't ideal either; we'll all be gone celebrating. Should I bring their families too? Nah, that would increase exposure risk. Why can't their loyalty just become absolute?"
Hel worried. These 280 people had the Blood Slave trait, which meant their loyalty wasn't absolute. Non-absolute loyalty essentially means not loyal at all.
To make them die-hard loyal, the simplest way would be to use the Die-Hard Loyalty trait. But Hel only had one copy. Acquiring more would require replicating it, which wasted precious system energy—hardly worth it for ordinary people.
"If only there were a group version of Soul Enslavement… Using the Philosopher's Stone to cast it consumes too much energy each time."
Soul Enslavement, a top-tier magic, could barely be wielded by a king-level mage. Hel had exploited a loophole in the Philosopher's Stone to cast it. But the stone's soul energy wasn't infinite, so it couldn't sustain over two hundred casts of top-tier magic.
"If only there were a group control magic."
Then her eyes lit up. She remembered the strange magic she had seen in the Star Moth before. Back then, without the Life Magic trait, she didn't know what it was. But now, with her gold-level Life Magic trait, she understood.
[Top-Tier Life Magic: Bloodline Enslavement]
This spell allows you to enslave species of the same bloodline within the spell's range. Its effect isn't as instant as Soul Enslavement, but it subtly influences their will, making them loyal and favorable toward the caster.
What makes it comparable to absolute Soul Enslavement is the "bloodline" aspect. It ensures that descendants of the affected also remain loyal, with no way to break it.
"This is it. Niv, gather them all."
"Yes, Master."
Soon, Hel summoned the group to the ruins' plaza.
Since Hel had taken them in, she had never skimped on their provisions. They got meat at every meal and new clothes. So when they saw her, they were visibly changed—healthier, their expressions more lively, and their skin paler from lack of sunlight.
"Everyone."
Hel stood on a temporary platform and, seeing all eyes on her, spoke plainly:
"You probably remember who I am. Correct—I am your lord. Today, I offer you an opportunity, a chance to ascend beyond the ordinary."
Seeing their astonished, incredulous expressions, Hel raised her hand, signaling for silence.
"However, nothing falls from the sky for free. To ascend through my method, you must pledge loyalty to me. Then…"
Before she could finish, some of the perceptive people knelt on one knee, pledging allegiance. As they set the example, more realized and followed, until all 280 were kneeling before her.
Hel was slightly surprised, but Niv understood. She smiled and approached.
"Master, it seems you underestimated their desire to ascend. For them, this is like crossing social classes—becoming the knights they could never reach."
"I see." Hel nodded and wasted no time. A vibrant green magic circle instantly spread.
[Top-Tier Life Magic: Bloodline Enslavement]
Green energy surged into each person present. This energy formed a contract, subtly increasing their loyalty to Hel over time.
At the same time, each person gained a black trait called Bloodline Enslavement. Initially, it added only 30 points of loyalty, but their loyalty would grow over time.
"Since you've chosen to pledge allegiance, it's time I keep my promise."
Hel approached each person, granting them blue earth affinity and swordsmanship traits. She also gave each ten earth-elemental crystals.
"You can consume these crystals directly. I hope you'll quickly increase your strength, becoming the first knights of Heim City. In the future, you will walk the world as the Heim Knights."
Hearing this, the miners' hearts burned with excitement. Clutching the elemental crystals, they felt they were holding their future. In that moment, they knelt on one knee in unison, shouting:
"Obeying your will, my lord!"