As Ethan's consciousness delved into the peculiar statue, he instantly felt as if he were being drawn into a mystical space by a dazzling radiance—a result of the Magic Circle.
Then he beheld the creature Baal had deemed 'ugly'.
"This is what Baal described as hideous?" Ethan gazed at the being before him and couldn't help but smile.
It appeared as a woman, naked, bound tightly by chains materialized from the Magic Circle, rendering her immobile.
Only the delicate insect-like wings on her back fluttered faintly, indicating she was still alive.
Ethan's presence had evidently startled her.
"Who are you?" She opened her eyes, which were filled with ferocity, and directed the question at Ethan.
Rather than answering, Ethan retorted, "And who might you be? Dilaram claimed a deity's consciousness was sealed within this statue, did he not?"
"Dilaram!" At the mention of that name, the woman began to struggle violently.
In her frantic movements, her skin tore apart, revealing her true form underneath—a gray-black insect exoskeleton accompanied by various insect limbs.
Ethan's face went pale, a nauseating feeling rising within him.
"She truly is hideous."
"It seems Baal wasn't lying."
Ethan had to concede to that fact.
"I am the King of Sandworm, an immortal entity! Mortal, break this Magic Circle, and I can grant you endless power and life!" The King of Sandworm roared, harboring an intense loathing for Dilaram.
Realizing he was bound and unable to leave, he began to try and entice Ethan.
However, Ethan was not to be swayed so easily.
He mumbled to himself, "Dilaram said the King of Sandworm could be tamed, but he didn't specify how. Could it be by killing him?"
"Foolish human! Do you truly believe you can kill me?" The King of Sandworm caught Ethan's muttering and responded with a deafening scoff.
He continued, tauntingly, "Even Dilaram, the one who created me, couldn't destroy me. Do you really think you can? And do you believe that just because I'm trapped, I cannot strike?"
With a roar, the King of Sandworm opened its maw, releasing a sonic blast.
Ethan suddenly felt a wave of chaos, struggling to maintain his footing and felt as though his consciousness was fading.
"Enough!" Ethan yelled, hurling a sphere of lightning.
Crackling and fizzing, the lightning exploded upon the King of Sandworm.
The creature trembled, its insect-like armor displaying charred, scorched patches.
Its once overwhelming aura had significantly weakened.
"Trying to bluff me, were you? Seems you're more vulnerable than you let on," Ethan deduced the King of Sandworm's true state.
"Hmph, human! Even in my weakened state, I am not something you can destroy! You do not grasp the essence of divinity, even though I am not a complete deity!"
The King of Sandworm remained defiant, his conviction unwavering.
Without further debate, Ethan activated the Thunder-Language of Nature. He summoned bolt after bolt of lightning, each one crashing into the King of Sandworm, scorching its form with traces of electrical burn.
A half-hour later, the King of Sandworm resembled nothing more than charred remains.
"Stop, please stop!" The King of Sandworm could no longer bear the onslaught and pleaded, "Spare me, and I will serve you loyally."
"I have no need for your service," Ethan dismissed him without hesitation.
He was deeply cautious of the King of Sandworm.
Merely a remnant of divine thought in a weakened state could withstand his lightning for a whole half-hour, seemingly unharmed.
It made Ethan wary. He was certain that even the Enslavement Contract wouldn't be enough to subdue the King of Sandworm.
It might be better to end its existence completely.
Seemingly discerning Ethan's intent, the King of Sandworm began to thrash violently.
It roared and writhed, but the chains manifested from the Magic Circle held it firmly in place.
With meticulous control over the Thunder and Holy Light Languages of Nature, Ethan continued to inflict relentless damage.
This was, perhaps, the most straightforward battle Ethan had ever fought.
There was hardly any maneuvering on his part; he merely unleashed his abilities continuously.
Hours slipped by.
Ethan was on the brink of exhaustion, the consciousness he had sent into this realm teetering on the edge of dissipating.
But there was a silver lining: the King of Sandworm's life force was nearing its end.
Bound and incapacitated, the King of Sandworm was reduced to a mere charred husk, devoid of even the strength to speak.
As the last beam of Holy Light descended, Ethan sensed something disintegrating.
Just as he strained to discern it, he felt his consciousness being repelled by the Magic Circle.
In the next instant, Ethan's awareness snapped back to reality.
Confusion, heaviness...
His mind felt on the verge of bursting, rendering him unsteady, almost causing him to stumble.
Mia rushed to his side, her face etched with worry. "Lord Ethan!"
"I'm fine," he reassured her, catching his breath. "Just exerted myself too much. But that thing inside should be dead. I wonder if the sandworms outside will disperse?"
He couldn't forget the impending danger.
No sooner had he spoken than he sensed an anomaly.
An ugly specter burst forth from the statue, diving straight into Ethan's mind — the final vestige of the King of Sandworm's will.
"Damn you, human! It's all your fault. Die!"
Ethan was caught off guard, entirely unprepared for this assault.
But what transpired next took him by even greater surprise.
The instant the King of Sandworm breached the realm of Ethan's consciousness, it let out a terrified scream.
"No, no! You're but a human. Why are there such terrifying presences within your mind? This can't be! It's impossible!"
The anguished cry faded, signaling the true end of the King of Sandworm.
But not only that, Ethan reaped unforeseen benefits.
His fatigue evaporated, akin to a desert wanderer stumbling upon a verdant oasis.
Moreover, his mental acuity experienced a profound enhancement.
Ethan pulled up his attribute panel.
[Name: Ethan]
[Strength: Rank S]
[Bloodline: Golden Divine Dragon (Rare)]
[Language of Nature·Holy Light: Affinity with the power of Holy Light, mastering its essence. Can bestow blessings upon self and others using Holy Light, enhancing attributes and gaining domain of Holy Light.]
[Language of Nature·Thunder: Wields the power of Thunder.]
[Language of Nature·Dragon: Commands the might of dragons, a powerful being amongst the dragonkin.]
[Attributes: Health Points 45000, Mental Strength 20000, Power 710, Constitution 900, Agility 450]
"What the..."
Even though Ethan had anticipated some enhancement, he hadn't expected it to be this substantial.
His mental strength had tripled, skyrocketing from six thousand to a staggering twenty thousand.
His other attributes had seen significant boosts as well.
"And then there's the Bloodline entry..."
Ethan noted another alteration.
The descriptor following his Golden Divine Dragon Bloodline had evolved from 'Excellent' to 'Rare'.
This likely denoted the purity level of his bloodline, as mentioned in the descriptions of Little Fairy Baal and Scholar Victor.
"What does all this mean?"
Ethan was plunged into contemplation, momentarily at a loss.
Yet now was not the time for such pondering, given that the sandworms lurking in the palace remained unresolved.
"Lord Ethan?"
Mia's eyes shimmered with unshed tears, revealing the depth of her concern.
"Mia, I assure you, I'm alright. In fact, my abilities have substantially improved," Ethan consoled.
Sensing the amplified aura emanating from Ethan, Mia nodded but added, "Lord Ethan, please refrain from embarking on such perilous endeavors in the future. It's too treacherous."
"Don't worry, next time I'll steer clear of such risks."
Ethan was admittedly shaken.
In the face of divinity, a newfound reverence had taken root within him.
Just a mere fragment of a god's consciousness possessed such formidable strength.
Especially its tenacious vitality, to be able to deploy such tactics even in the face of impending doom, was utterly unexpected.
Just then, there was a stir from the sandworms outside the palace.
These creatures, which had previously been fluttering within a set boundary, were now attempting to breach that limit.
As the first sandworm ventured in, the rest followed suit in a flurry.
"Could it be that these sandworms dared not enter earlier due to their fear of the King of Sandworm?" Ethan surmised, quickly raising a shield of Holy Light.
The considerable boost in his mental strength meant that he could maintain the shield for a prolonged period, certainly long enough to retreat back to the entrance of the Red Jade Valley.
However, Ethan had no intention of retreating.
He noticed something else; detailed information about the sandworms now floated before him.
[Name: sandworm (Tamable)]
[Intelligence: Primitive]
[Strength: Three Stars]
[Rapid Reproduction: Exceptional breeding power. Requires only a trace of animal blood to reproduce swiftly.]
[Swarm Mentality: sandworms always operate collectively and cannot act individually.]
[Paralytic Toxin: sandworms contain a paralyzing toxin, capable of immobilizing affected creatures.]
[Potential Evolutions: Holy Light Beetle, Holy Light Worm, Thundersandworm, Thunder Dragonfly (Rare)]
"These sandworms... they can be tamed?" Ethan couldn't hide his astonishment, pondering, "Could it be because I absorbed the consciousness of the King of Sandworm?"
Regardless of the reason, having witnessed the potency of the sandworms, Ethan was now resolved to tame them.
They promised to be a formidable force on his side!
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