They returned slowly, examining the entire soul-harvesting formation on the ground. Clearly, they didn’t understand its operation, and even if they knew a little, they couldn’t do anything. Unlike the previous main mission, where they were sent to a place where cultivators could barely cultivate beyond mortal realms; in this universe, the hero was someone at the limit of the universe, wanting to go beyond, reaching the true divine realms.
’Every inch of land in this place is within this gigantic formation. Any soul fluctuation is quickly sucked and absorbed by the formation. Therefore, it’s impossible for any birth to occur in this place because souls can’t attach to the bodies,’ Bruno commented calmly. ’If they can’t reproduce, then the hero has to constantly send fresh living flesh for slaughter.’
’The mission is to unite the races and then create a divine soul. Even if we try something when the hero brings more, it won’t work.’ Alm analyzed coldly.
Bruno pondered. ’We already have a divine soul, and obviously, the hero will slaughter both kings before they reach that point. How are we going to create one?’
’The hero plans to absorb both kings. So, let’s do the same in front of him, just unite everyone as the quest demands, then kill them all at once and use the formation, perfect.’ Alm commented in a sinister tone.
’No.’ Bruno replied immediately. ’For the system to send us here, it shouldn’t be long before the hero acts and achieves the goal. Neither of the kings can use their cultivation in this place like all the others, and still, we can feel them intensely from a long distance; that confirms everything. The soldiers don’t need to die, and we won’t kill them for nothing.’
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Alm huffed, expecting this already, but didn’t say anything because they were a few meters from the demoness’s cave. They stopped and observed movement in the sky, immediately crouching behind a mound covered in dirt. With only their souls, they felt a winged demon beast flying closer to the cave from the south. Then it landed, and its form metamorphosed into a humanoid shape, clearly a male being.
’The demoness was in a relationship with a demon beast?’ Bruno asked, surprised, but he already knew the answer.
’Mixed breeds exist everywhere in all universes. Why are you surprised?’ Alm said dryly. They saw the demoness coming out of the cave, looking extremely dejected, and the man waving his head negatively.
’She’s like this because we escaped. Well, no use just staring; we need to know how she freed herself.’ Bruno said, sighing and moving forward.
They didn’t bother hiding anymore, and it took no more than a few seconds for the two in front of the cave to turn toward them with astonished expressions. The demoness immediately ran towards them with a euphoric look, and Alm and Bruno, seeing this, felt strange. They were definitely important to her... Yet, the reason for that...
She reached them and hugged the two heads of the Cerberus tightly without saying a word. They stood there feeling her heart beating strongly; it wasn’t an act, and she was genuinely happy to see them. After a few minutes, the man was already behind her, and she slowly released the two heads.
"The collars were somehow destroyed, so they ran away. Malieka, we need to put them back on," The man said, taking a step forward.
The demoness, named Malieka, looked into the eyes of the Cerberus and felt a strange and deep coldness coming from them. She saw her little dog born and cared for him with her life, knowing him like no one else, and at that moment, she didn’t recognize him. It was as if he were possessed or had transformed into another being.
Malieka found the mother of this Cerberus injured and almost dead in a black forest before being captured by the hero. His mother only had time to give birth and died quickly; then, Malieka adopted him. Even when she was forcibly taken to this place, she instinctively took care of the cub.
When a new batch of soldiers arrives, they are accommodated in two cities until they reach a critical mass and kill each other. Malieka was lucky to break free before the battle and easily escaped with her pet. She realized that everyone else was being controlled, and it wasn’t hard to imagine, given the number of rotting bodies and accumulated bones in various places, that everyone would die.
Her pet was still very young and couldn’t even change its form yet. So, to avoid the risk of him being used in war, her companion used his bloodline power to create a collar that superficially controlled the Cerberus. After a while, they saw countless times the Cerberus being summoned to war. But despite him wanting to leave, the collar could cut off his body’s control at a high cost, and he stayed in place, saving its life.
"Rhug, wait... something is wrong..." Malieka said to the man nearby.
He sighed lightly and put his hand on her shoulders. "I don’t know how he freed himself and was summoned to fight and still came back alive. But we have to do this quickly; we don’t know when it will happen again. I’ve already improved the technique; this shouldn’t happen again."
Malieka nodded and took a step back, but she didn’t take her eyes off the Cerberus, who was standing silent. The two heads seemed to have completely opposite thoughts; one emanated a bloodthirst more intense than hers, who was a demon, while the other was calm. She felt as if, internally, the two were arguing about something.
Rhug then took a step forward and snorted, trying to summon his bloodline; in that second, in the eyes of the two heads, runes appeared as if they were the purest Yin and Yang in the world. Soon, a divine and infinite pressure made Malieka’s heart stop, and then her pet took a step forward.
BOOM!
Everything happened in the blink of an eye, and Malieka saw Rhug pass by her, spitting blood and flying violently. Only the sound of him crashing into the cave and rocks being shattered came in a deafening roar.
She couldn’t take her eyes off the Cerberus. The Yin and Yang runes faded as if they had never existed. One head snorted as if it wasn’t satisfied, while the other looked at her, and its eyes seemed pleading.
Malieka turned around and saw only a giant bird-shaped beast spreading its wings at full force. It was extremely wounded and missing many feathers. Rhug was ready for a total fight, full of a bloodthirsty will. She was stunned, unable to comprehend anything; then, a message echoed in her mind.
’Woman, if you don’t stop this featherless bird, I won’t be able to hold back any longer, and he will die.’
The demoness was even more stunned, then immediately realized: something happened to her precious pet. A feeling of distress overcame her at first, but soon, a warmth rose in her chest, and she stood up, turning to Rhug with a bloodthirsty look. His beastly bloodline power was completely suppressed, and a pure demonic Yin emerged, engulfing the surroundings.
The bird immediately froze, and its will to fight evaporated. Only a disdainful snort and ridicule were heard coming from one head of the Cerberus.