Chapter 45: Sustaining War through War

Following the current once again, Neo returned to the Pillar Forest. Rockstill was still chatting nonstop with Water Sprite about parting. Water Sprite was about to head to the Water Element Realm to meet the King of Deep Waters—a journey that seemed indefinitely long. Yet this was the proper path. The Element Realms were like sacred grounds for elemental spirits, and Water Sprite would surely benefit greatly from such an opportunity. Rockstill was happy for her.

“Haha!” Upon seeing Neo, Rockstill let out a series of loud laughs, which were actually the sound of stones clashing against each other. Rockstill’s physical form consisted of a cluster of solid rocks, appearing more majestic and somewhat more human-like than ordinary Stone Elements, already taking on a resemblance to his spiritual form. “Young man, well done!”

Being alone in this Pillar Forest was truly boring. Now, thanks to the Water Element Elder’s great vision—or rather, ambition—he planned to turn this place into a prosperous aquatic paradise. This would not only beautify and improve the environment but also provide two essential things desired by many creatures in the Deep Layers: water and food. Thus, whether through labor or trade, it would open up broader and better prospects for development.

For Rockstill, it was a good thing if the Pillar Forest became lively with more “residents” coming and going daily. He no longer worried about his floral dress. Perhaps in a few years, he could get a water dress. With moss and water vines, one could imagine these plants entwining around the water columns, sprouting leaves and flowers, along with the shimmering water—creating a truly beautiful scene.

“Rockstill, I originally planned to gather some flowers and plants, but it seems unnecessary now. With such great neighbors, I won’t be too lonely, and I don’t have to worry about running out of water.” Neo smiled as he spoke. “Well, it’s time to say goodbye. But before that, I’d like to give you one last gift.”

Neo’s gift was also a Water Moon Stone. What made it different from the previous ones was that it wasn’t assembled but scattered, with each piece separated by over a hundred meters. When water flooded the area covered by these stones, it would become a garden as beautiful as the Thorny Pond in the Dome, a pool within a pool, with sparkling water.

Rockstill was extremely grateful for what Neo had done, believing he had exceeded his task. “I give this to you. It’s what you deserve.”

It was a fist-sized earth crystal stone, containing abundant core Earth Element energy—precisely what Neo and Nancy needed. Neo didn’t hesitate and accepted it readily. After all, it was earned through hard work under the watchful eyes of the Dark Claws, and he had his own standards for measuring the effort and risks involved.

After saying goodbye to Water Sprout Girl and Rock, Neo took off his tight-fitting suit and stood under the flowing water to wash himself. He scrubbed all his belongings repeatedly to remove any odors as much as possible, and also filled two pots with water. From now on, water was not only essential for survival but also a crucial material for casting spells—such as summoning Heavy Water Shield Guards, which required water as a catalyst. It was best to have large amounts of high-quality water; otherwise, the initially summoned shield guards would suffer varying degrees of reduced energy, up to 50% at most.

As he was busy, a Bone Snake suddenly pounced from the current. Though alert, Neo was at a disadvantage: first, the snake was small; second, the loud rushing water provided significant cover; third, his senses of hearing and smell, which he relied on mainly in water areas, were not very sharp yet, as he was still getting used to controlling water powers through training. Despite trying to evade, he was still bitten on his arm. Although the wound wasn’t large, its venom was extremely potent, causing rapid numbness to spread. Neo acted quickly, grabbed a flying knife, cut off a layer of skin with flesh attached, and then applied the Pearl of Life to the wound. Fortunately, the Pearl of Life’s purifying effect worked against the fierce venom, quickly clearing the remaining toxins and eliminating the numbness.

The Bone Snake was now trapped inside the shield guards beside Neo, writhing violently as it struggled inside.

Snap! Snap! Snap! Neo pinned the snake’s vital point and smashed its head with a rock, then struck it again until it turned to bone fragments before letting the current carry them away.

“Let’s go!” Being of a dark nature, Neo could easily trace the origins of the Bone Snake. Realizing time was pressing, he left the area swiftly with the Heavy Water Shield Guards.

All his wet clothes were packed up, and Neo prepared to test the innate abilities of the Heavy Water Shield Guards. First, he had them use their water mimicry ability to take on a human form, then he contained them inside himself using the containment technique. After that, he activated the aquatic mimicry ability. In this way, Neo would have a fully enclosed, self-aware Heavy Water armor. Thanks to the elemental wristbands, the Heavy Water Shield Guards could generate energy shields on their surfaces, greatly reducing water evaporation and consumption, allowing them to survive for long periods even in areas far from water. Following Neo’s instructions, the Heavy Water Shield Guards strode toward the direction of the Pillar Forest where Neo had first arrived, while Neo relaxed and entered a deep meditative state.

Nancy had been waiting for a long time. This time, she had gained a lot, and she had many things to discuss with Neo.

Thorn and Prick were variants of thorny plants, closely related and living together. The peak was no longer just a solitary plant. Thorn’s main body resembled spiraling vines entwined with Prick’s thick, spruce-like thorns, creating a rather beautiful sight.

Under the energy of the earth crystal stones, the earth element monument on the Summit of Elements grew two layers taller and gained two additional runes, representing: generosity, solidity, and order.

The newly formed but rapidly developing water element monument exuded a moist aura, shining with a bright aqua light. It was also three layers high with three runes: wisdom, regeneration, and restoration.

As a result, the elemental branch among the three major schools of the shaman profession made rapid progress. Despite the imbalance, Neo still managed to level up to a Level 2 shaman, acquiring new spells. Along with those he already had and those inherited from the Water Spellbook, he now had a total of six spells: Petrify Weapons, Aquatic Mimicry, Water Arrow, Earthquake, Stone Skin, and Restoration. The last two spells, when combined with totems, could grant their effects to marked members within 30 meters. Thanks to the existence of the Ice Spirit, the Water Arrow was enhanced into an Ice Arrow, with its power increased by 30% and its range expanded by 20%, reaching 120 meters.

Another set of changes came from the knowledge obtained from the Moon Goddess Well. Although fully mastering this knowledge would require an extremely long and seemingly unattainable process, the benefits of deciphering it were quite significant considering Neo’s previously impoverished state. First was the Water-Moon Formation, modeled after the Moon Goddess Well’s formation, which provided immense water-based power to Thorn and Spine. Combined with the influence of the original Tree of Life energy, the environmental bonuses increased their growth rate by 120%, meaning their growth speed was 1.2 times faster than under normal conditions. Seeing this, Thorn immediately decided to stay permanently—the effects of the Moon Goddess Well were far stronger than those of the magic curse stone pillar he had previously relied on, plus there was the power of the Tree of Life, a treasure to all living beings. As for Neo’s dark attribute, it was already pure lunar energy. At this point, the bright moon in the sky, lacking the other two elements, still seemed largely ineffective. Once all four elements were gathered, the moon’s power would be fully unleashed, and just the effects of the Moon Goddess Well were enough to make one eager to stay—only a fool would leave such a blessed place.

Another beneficiary of the Water-Moon Formation was, of course, the adorable pig-like Ice Spirit. It now had its own bathhouse—actually, it turned an ice pillar into one. It now had a new daily activity: winter swimming. Previously, Neo had allocated some of the Tree of Life energy to satisfy its greed for treasures, and now that energy mass had become denser and greener. Simply put, ice is a branch of water, and the Ice Spirit’s love for the Tree of Life stemmed from an instinct of devotion. Under its careful nurturing, that mass of Tree of Life energy would only grow stronger, never fade away.

The greatest beneficiary of the Water-Moon Formation was undoubtedly the Seed of the Tree God, the Tree of Life. Previously, there had been no active effort to foster its growth. Now, with the Water-Moon Formation, a good start had been made. At least, the power of the Tree of Life would no longer be diluted and weaken. Even if its growth was slow, it was still increasing, and the accumulated power would eventually be considerable.

Nancy has already understood the internal structure of the Elemental Bracelet through scanning and is further analyzing it. She told Neo that all miraculous items are the highest-quality sources of knowledge for her, complementing each other—this Elemental Bracelet is no exception. Perhaps it won’t be long before she can guide Neo in repairing it and recharging it with energy. Of course, there are some things Nancy cannot do, such as obtaining the most crucial part of the bracelet—the energy crystal. The method to acquire this crystal is too mysterious, leaving her completely clueless. Thus, this item is the greatest treasure of this journey, far more valuable than any so-called Miao Crystal.

Another thing that delighted Neo and Nancy was the acquisition of the Water Condenser Snail, which finally provided Nancy with a stable source of energy. To restore the efficacy of sacred artifacts, the best raw material for energy conversion is elemental energy. Nancy told Neo that in the past, she had used highly pure energy crystals for her practices, with one Water Condenser Snail fully charged serving as a standard unit—about 10 million units of converted energy equivalent to one energy crystal. To fully restore herself, she would need at least 2.75 crystals. Neo counted on his fingers for a long time before scratching his head and saying, “Even if the Water Condenser Snail is fully charged in as fast as 2 days, I fear I couldn’t restore you completely, even if I lived for a thousand years.”

“A good start—this is a good start!” Nancy remained optimistic.

Neo also smiled. “That’s true. Once we master more techniques, we’ll contact the Water Element Elder to exchange for larger sea snails, even super-large ones, hehe!”

The acquisition of new powers fell entirely within the scope of the originally designed upgrade system. The only changes needed were in some details and specific plans, such as setting new short-term goals, adjusting the direction of training, and choosing which skills to master first. Neo felt his current combat skills were still too limited, mostly relying on warrior techniques. The Earthquake Strike was quite good—it dealt natural damage to targets while also causing a shaking effect that reduced their attack speed by 10% for 8 seconds. Used properly, it could bring about turning points, reversals, or advantages—very practical. Neo began focusing on refining this skill, striving to master it quickly through practice.

After handling everything, Neo meditated for 2 hours, then took a short nap. When awakened by the Water Guardian, he had already reached the edge of the chasm.

Neo remembered what Nancy had told him: “Find the right materials for elements.”

He decided to take this opportunity to go deeper underground in search of materials to create water-themed totems.

Using the same method—rope and spikes—Neo now had many plans to prevent inhaling death energy. With the Water Guardian protecting him and keeping him warm, his courage grew significantly.

As Neo continued to delve deeper underground, Eirwen had already ended the fierce battle. The newly summoned Devouring Beasts and Dark Heathers were dead, and the Corpse Guardians were torn to pieces. Now, only William and two demon servants remained by Eirwen’s side. His Ghost Armor had turned into a pile of scrap metal, and he himself had lost his left arm. Yet Eirwen was smiling, for he had won.

It was a complete and decisive victory—he conquered both Medusa and Balmerga. Though those two were already dead, Eirithus was skilled at dealing with kings, and he had been prepared in advance. The souls of Medusa and Balmerga were trapped within their bodies, making them perfect as his loyal and powerful servants—undead minions.
“Go and pick an arm that looks good to me.”
After much deliberation, William finally presented an arm from a corpse guard; the others were non-human in appearance, and it would surely look ugly on Eirithus. With the help of secret potions, the new arm soon became agile, and even the deathly aura around it gradually dissipated. Aside from its grayish color and an irregular wound, Eirithus’s new arm was no different from an ordinary human arm.

This battle was even more brutal than the last. The Dark Orks, led by that skull-crushing ogre, had learned cruel tactics from their leader—taking pleasure in dismembering and tearing apart their targets. None of their dead dark minions remained intact. Of course, the Dark Orks also paid a heavy price—over a hundred of them were killed. The Stone-Blind Barbarian Rangers, those Blade Stingers, and even Medusa’s Poison Thorn Heather were all eliminated in this battle. Eirithus’s arm was completely torn apart by the Poison Thorn Heather.

Using the same method as before—secret potions plus half an energy pill—William and the two demon servants immediately became energetic again.
“Help me draw a magic circle. It must be completed before these guys’ blood completely cools!” Eirithus, who had seemed extremely exhausted before, suddenly became full of vigor after drinking some potion, his mental strength restored to its original state. However, the observant William noticed that Eirithus appeared 3–5 years older.

Eirithus grinned, revealing a few crooked yellow teeth, and said with a chuckle, “Once I’ve exhausted the vitality of this body, I’ll take another one—this time, I’ll choose a handsome young man…”

Under Eirithus’s guidance, the Dark Ritual of Blood Sacrifice for Resurrection was successfully set up. William and the two demon servants became butchers-doctors. Following Eirithus’s instructions, they used whatever materials were available, piecing together those incomplete Dark Orks in a crude manner before sending them into the magic circle.

A deep red light swirled above the magic circle, like boiling pig blood, while black smoke curled around it. The nauseating stench could be felt in every corner of the stone fortress. The magic circle turned into a stinky pit filled with mud, from which twisted orcs emerged, their bodies covered in black mud that quickly hardened into a crust. Their originally dark green skin had turned iron-gray, with a hard, metallic sheen.

Without exception, each of these twisted orcs had a distorted face, their eyes emitting a gloomy light typical of wolves. They were intelligent and capable of learning simple combat skills. In terms of combat strength, they were even more powerful than they had been in life.

“Hahaha!” Eirithus laughed in satisfaction. This secret technique was originally proposed by Level 3 Necromancer Fatak and was refined under his guidance. Some related experiments had been conducted in Tures, and this was the first time it was used—resulting in perfect outcomes. “I love a chaotic world without faith; dark forces will surely rule the world!”
In a world without faith, souls do not depart immediately after death, allowing certain evil spells to come into play. Conversely, Eirithus can only revive corpses to serve him, creating a huge difference.
Medusa and the skull-crushing ogres named Balmerga were revived with additional enhancements. Though weakened after being darkened, they retained 90% of their original intelligence, could use combat energy, and grew stronger. They obeyed Eirithus utterly—undoubtedly a great gain for him.
“Not to mention having such a treasure!” Eirithus fiddled lovingly with a golden wooden flute. In his hands, this magical flute exerted even more terrifying effects. As a follower of the Dark Faith, he couldn’t see the spirits of nature, but he could summon souls through this flute. Souls that could exist independently of their bodies for long periods were usually powerful, with over 70% being twisted, paranoid evil spirits. In this vault, Eirithus summoned the soul of an ancient Death Giant.
Death Giants were both formidable close-combat fighters and powerful spellcasters. They had been fierce enemies of the Godly Glory Army. To save their empire, they offered the immortal souls of every member of their race in exchange for profane powers. Their souls were typically bound to some evil realm in the Negative Energy Plane, granting them destruction-based spell-like abilities and strength surpassing other souls. The Death Giants lost their most powerful Death Soul Legions in the famous Banner Valley Battle, leading to the collapse of their empire. Scattered survivors fled, and the Glory Army pursued them for over 700 years without completely eradicating the race. Their descendants continued to live under the tragic pact of their ancestors, with their souls going directly to the Negative Energy Plane. Somehow, this soul hadn’t been taken away. When Eirithus confirmed this, he was moved to tears and repeatedly exclaimed, “Thank you, Lord of Darkness!”
To restore this Death Giant’s soul as much as possible, Eirithus gathered the souls of all those who died in battle for it to devour. He even offered the soul of his carefully cultivated Datha. Thus, the Death Soul Armor disappeared, and a new evil spirit named Destruction Simon appeared. It said, “I have merged with Datha and learned his story. I will definitely catch Neo and torment him slowly!”
Eirithus ordered his subordinates to use the essence from the corpses of the dead to create Menders. Standing 3 meters tall and weighing 1.5 tons, these Menders were giant, burly figures. Using up all the remaining power from the Blood Sacrifice Revival Array, they were finally successfully revived through dark magic. Now, Eirithus had a Level 10 evil giant even more powerful than himself: Destruction Simon.

“Stdo, Bado, each of you lead 50 aberrant orcs. William, from now on you will be the supreme commander of the aberrant orcs. I allow you to choose 10 as your personal guards first!” Eirith said as he created three magic stones, which functioned like tokens, enabling him to control the aberrant orcs at will.

“Thank you, my lord!” The three of William were overjoyed.

“Hmm, you have already proven your bravery and intelligence in battle. That’s good. Battle requires wisdom. As long as you follow my orders diligently, you will have more and more subordinates under your command, all of whom will obey without question.”

“I am willing to serve my lord!”

Simon, Balmerga, and Medusa were destroyed, and Eirith took them as his personal guards. Among the remaining dozen or so aberrant orcs, the strongest one, whose strength exceeded level 5, was chosen as the squad leader to form an advance scout team. Under Eirith’s orders, they processed metals and ignited dark alchemy furnaces to craft crude snake-tooth swords and iron-reinforced square shields. After more than 10 hours of hard work, they were fully armed. By then, Eirith and his companions had also rested adequately. With a command, the group set off, returning to the Pillar Forest via the same route. Upon reaching the waterway, Eirith cast a spell, reuniting the bone snakes fromNeo’s remains. He didn’t need those bone fragments themselves, but rather the blood contained within them, obtained fromNeo.

“Roar!” Eirith fed this drop of blood to the dark heather created by the thorny bramble in the thicket using the poisonous thorn heather. Although this dark heather was only the size of an adult lion, it was far more powerful. Eirith recorded the magic formations on the imprint magic stone pillars in the thicket and made what he thought were improvements. From then on, he gained the ability to breed dark heather (nothing can be created without a source).

The dark heather acted like a superior hunting dog, leading the way ahead. Eirith sat confidently inside the iron-vine litter carried by two aberrant orcs, thinking, “Neo, you can’t escape my grasp!”