Chapter 7: Subjugation

Boom!
A fireball struck Do-Mian’s body and exploded, sending clouds of smoke and burning vines flying in all directions. Do-Mian was flung several meters away, scrambled to his feet, and darted into the shadows with heavy breathing. In just a few jumps, he vanished without a trace.
“Damn it!” Mage Deph, whose body—especially his head—was on fire, cursed angrily. He had been sent by Steeltooth Dog to take control of the situation. Fire indeed worked against that monster, but it was highly resistant, could regenerate quickly, moved swiftly, and was extremely cunning—never fighting head-on but retreating after a single strike. With little time, Deph found it difficult to unleash his full power as a fire mage, which explained why they had failed to kill it three times in a row, while nearly 10 of their own men had been killed or injured.
Gurgle… gurgle…
That was the monster’s unique sound, seemingly produced by the friction of thorny vines, but it easily reminded people of the noise made when hungry—though not from a human stomach.
“It’s still here, right nearby! That damned monster!” The bandits were frustrated by Do-Mian’s persistent attacks. They carefully formed several small teams, with some holding torches for light and others armed with weapons and shields. They now hated the enormity and emptiness of the dwarf-built structures. “Why the hell did you, you stupid dwarf, build such huge, tall places? Do you really think you’re a descendant of Titans?”
“Go light up all the fire baskets on the pillars! Work in teams and be careful not to get ambushed.” Deph knew they couldn’t let the monster keep escaping back into the shadows and then attacking from there—they had to regain control as soon as possible.
“Boss Deph, the kindling in the fire baskets hasn’t been replaced in years, and many are already burned out and empty.”
“Then light torches. There must be some on the pillars.”
“The guys usually take them when passing by, and most of them aren’t put back…”
“Damn it! Light as many as you can!” Deph was furious but helpless. Most bandits were like this—only concerned with wasting things without bothering to clean or maintain them.
Five teams moved toward the large pillars near them. These pillars alone had bases 2 meters high and diameters of 7 meters—truly massive structures.
“Ah!”
A scream suddenly rang out. A bandit who had climbed a pillar to light a fire basket was pierced through the chest and back by several sudden thorny vines, then pulled violently upward.
Whoosh! Deph reacted quickly, firing a fireball. Boom! Do-Mian was clinging to a higher pillar. The fireball only severed the thorny vines before exploding against the pillar. In the brief burst of light, the bandits saw Do-Mian swiftly move around the pillar like a gecko and vanish into the darkness.
The unlucky bandit fell from great height, the thorny vines stuck in his chest swinging like a gecko’s severed tail. He choked on blood and seemed doomed.
Still shaken, the bandits heard another scream from a nearby pillar. Though it was “nearby,” there was a 30-meter gap. The bandit attacked this time was even luckier—Deph hadn’t prepared his next spell yet, so he could only watch helplessly as he was pulled completely into the darkness. After screaming for a while, his body fell, already torn to shreds.

“How many of those monsters are there?” Depp asked angrily.
“Just one, I think…” The bandit answering couldn’t be sure either, mainly because he didn’t know that the monster could cover 30 meters in an instant to attack someone else.
At the cost of two deaths, the bandits lit a fire basket and six torches, which greatly illuminated their area. Many bandits secretly breathed a sigh of relief—they were used to seeing dead bodies and weren’t afraid of them. What scared them was the monster lurking in the darkness, waiting for an opportunity. No one knew who the monster’s next target would be, especially in such complete darkness.
“Expand the illuminated area. Be careful not to be overconfident—move carefully step by step!”
Under Depp’s loud instructions, the bandits cautiously moved toward the large pillar.
Whoosh! Bang!
“Haha, I blocked it! I stopped the monster’s attack! Huh? Ah…”
Another bandit was unlucky. This time, the attack came not from the pillar but from the ground. The bandit managed to protect his front with his shield and avoid being hit by the thorny vines, but several vines wrapped around his ankles, pulling him down into the darkness.
“Damn it!” A bandit holding a torch lost control and cursed as he threw the torch away. In the light cast by the flying torch, the bandits indeed saw Do Man rushing forward like a giant hyena with countless venomous tentacles.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Arrows were fired nonstop.
Human armies were known for their use of firearms and crossbows, but these bandits were equipped not only with crossbows but also powerful military crossbows.
Within 40 meters, military crossbows were extremely deadly. Most fighters below level 10 had no chance to dodge and could only endure the attacks. Do Man fired a dozen arrows at once, forcing them to retreat repeatedly. Even then, thorny vines continued to shoot out from him. These vines, only half the thickness of a little finger, had sharp, barbed tips. Their target wasn’t the bandits but the last two torches in their group.
Caught off guard, the torches were snatched away, plunging the team into darkness. In the last glimmers of light from the falling torches, the bandits saw Do Man rushing at them like a giant hyena with countless venomous tentacles.
“Ah! Oh! Save me…” Terrifying screams echoed. Two bandits reacted quickly. As Do Man rushed forward, they turned around and ran full speed toward the light. But just as they seemed about to succeed, several sudden vines wrapped around them, pulling them back into darkness.
Although Depp’s team wasn’t very close to the scene, most of them saw what had happened. One after another, they broke into cold sweats. This monster was clearly more cunning than they had expected. It had been hiding up to now, and its fierce lion-like appearance, along with those countless venomous tentacles, was likely its true killing form.
“Get more torches! Gather together! Gather together!” Depp also realized that the monster they faced was extremely powerful and adept at hiding. If they stayed scattered, they would likely be defeated one by one.

The illuminated area shrank rapidly, but the brightness increased. Of the over 60 bandits, at least half now had torches, and torches or fire baskets were placed on pillars all around where they stood, allowing visibility up to 30–50 meters. Thus, the main direction to guard against was the dark areas in the dome above 10 meters off the ground.

“Help! Help!” Two bandits, covered in blood from being scratched by thorny vines, staggered into the illuminated area, rushing toward their comrades.

Some bandits tried to go help them, but Dep stopped them—what if it was a trap set by the monster?

The two injured bandits eventually crawled back to their group, mostly with cuts and scratches on their bodies, with the more serious injuries on their chests and abdomens. It seemed they also showed signs of poisoning.

“How did you get out?”

“We just ran toward the light, slashing with our knives, fighting off the thorny vines, slashing hard!…” One of the bandits, more seriously injured, lay there groaning as he received basic treatment, while the other, though slightly better, was too frightened to speak coherently.

“We were in the light; the monster would be seen as soon as it appeared. Brothers, don’t be too nervous. Take turns resting, keep your weapons handy, and be ready to fight at any moment.”

After Dep said this, many bandits realized they had already been fighting against the monster for over half an hour, staying in a state of high tension and concentration, and they indeed felt exhausted.

Whoosh! Duomian rushed out from behind a pillar, made two or three quick jumps, and landed behind another pillar. Several bandits immediately became alert, picked up their weapons, and stood up, while two others shot arrows at Duomian, but missed.

“This monster is deliberately luring us, trying to keep us uneasy. Ignore it. If it really dares to get close, it won’t make it back.”

Dep’s guess seemed accurate. Judging from Duomian’s subsequent actions, it was indeed trying to trick them, with a series of maneuvers, even occasionally launching half-hearted attacks. But in reality, all its actions were based on one thing: maintaining a safe distance.

At first, the bandits were a bit unprepared, but they quickly adapted, and their morale improved. One of them cursed, “Damn it, it’s still just a monster. How can it be smarter than us?”

With Duomian keeping watch over the over 60 bandits, elite fighters like the Steel-Toothed Dog were waiting near the prison for Neo to fall into their trap. Naturally, the combat strength of the bandits in other areas of the city had already declined significantly. Neo then proceeded to carry out thorough purges in those areas.

The bandits had done one good thing during their previous search—they had gathered all the slaves in the city’s largest square. Neo was now in that square, facing about 300 slaves who stared up at him with terrified eyes. Their expressions told Neo that they had been oppressed for too long, brutally tortured to the point of losing the will to resist. The shackles binding them weren’t on their bodies but in their hearts.

Neo slowly walked among the slaves, his gaze sharp as lightning, scanning back and forth. Wherever he passed, the slaves stepped aside. Just a few minutes earlier, over 30 burly men had turned into piles of bone ash right before their eyes.

This werewolf, hard to distinguish as a hero or a demon, first gives the bandits enough false hope, making them think they can defeat it with effort. By the time they realize they are no match for this werewolf, it’s already too late. Injuries that impair their mobility prevent them from escaping the werewolf’s grasp, after which the terrifying “soul-draining technique” begins. Neither pleas nor curses help; the bandits can only watch helplessly as their comrades die one after another through this legendary horror. Even suicide is useless—the werewolf will prevent them from doing so, and if one succeeds, it will rush over immediately to drain their soul.

The slaves watched the massacre the entire time, none daring to escape. Many were too scared to even stand or sit straight, or they wet themselves. After being hungry for so long, they were unfit for lavish feasts or overeating. Applying this logic to the present situation, Neo felt that these severely oppressed slaves also needed a process of “liberation,” starting with a desire for a better life. As he moved among the slaves, who were crouching, sitting, crawling, or lying down, he said, “I am Conqueror Neo. From now on, I will be your new master. Those who obey me will live and eat to their fill, while those who defy me…” Neo turned sharply and stepped down.

Crack! A bandit hiding among the slaves had his right leg broken by Neo’s foot. Before he could even cry out, Neo grabbed his head and began draining his life force; all that remained was the convulsions of his body.

Neo coldly continued, “Those who defy me end up like this guy—even in death, their souls remain under my control and suffer torment!”

In fact, Neo no longer needed threats. His performance had already silenced these slaves; none dared meet his gaze or even breathe loudly. Even a few young children, unaware of what was happening, were terrified by the dark aura emanating from Neo and didn’t even dare cry.

“Congratulations on your cooperation. Your words were very intimidating. Moreover, a new skill has emerged unintentionally: Dark Intimidation, rooted in the dark tides from the witch’s curse…” As the percentage of the sacred artifact’s revival increased, Nancy’s communication with Neo became faster and more efficient. With this top-tier deputy, Neo could instantly access various data and details he might have missed.

“Ah!” Another cry of pain as another bandit hiding among the slaves was discovered by Neo, only to be turned into energy and stored by Nancy. The essence of power lies in plundering—whether from others, nature, or elsewhere. The only difference lies in the method: some are more gentle, while others are brutal. Neo’s approach was direct and utterly ruthless.

By the time the fourth bandit hiding among the slaves died, three of the remaining four were completely desperate. They frantically got up and tried to flee in different directions, but it was futile. Darts imbued with dark power were enough to break their thigh bones, and their fate was no different from those who had died before.

Neo approached the last hidden bandit, a woman in her forties. He had seen her before while wandering through the underground city—moving among the bandits like a brothel owner, arranging for women to entertain them. Her services seemed to be free, and he had also seen her giving the leftovers from the bandits’ meals to the slaves.

“Do you think you can trick me?” Neo asked the woman in a calm tone.

The woman was clearly terrified, her forehead and temples quickly damp with sweat, and goosebumps visible on her neck. Although the power of darkness wasn’t yet formidable, it was more than enough to intimidate ordinary people—the terrifying nature of death could evoke instinctive fear in any living being. The woman forced a pitiful smile and said, “My lord, I beg to become your slave. I’m willing to do anything to serve you!”

“Anything? Hmph…” Neo sneered. “Let me expose your lies right now. You’re just trying to save your life with clever words. If I asked you to die for me, would you agree?”

The woman swallowed hard and gasped, “Yes, master. I would.”

“Good! Then look into my eyes and use this knife to cut deeply on the side of your neck. Cut the artery, and you’ll die within five minutes.” Neo handed her a flying knife.

Trembling, the woman took the knife, took a few deep breaths, bit down—*hiss!*—and actually severed her own carotid artery. Warm blood gushed out under the force of her heartbeat, creating a spray of blood mist due to the high pressure.

Neo raised his hand, activating the Power of Life. The wound on the woman’s neck not only healed but also improved her complexion thanks to the life force involved. As the power of the Tree of Creation became more active, Neo’s life-related spells saw even greater enhancements. Notably, this improvement was a pure quality boost—while the Power of Life was theoretically meant for minor injuries, its healing effects were now approaching those of moderate injuries.

With each cut and healing, Neo’s gaze remained fixed on hers, and he couldn’t find any flaws. Of course, he knew that finding no flaws was in itself a flaw. He didn’t believe in that nonsense about infinite charm and immediate submission. After all, someone with such courage and determination, willing to risk her life, working as a brothel owner seemed like an act fitting for a pedantic scholar teaching basic lessons.

Neo slowly placed his hand on the woman’s face. This was no longer part of the test but rather an inspection. Through direct physical contact, Nancy could quickly gather some basic data about the target.

By now, the woman was completely calm. She knew well that though Neo’s hand had drained the life force of many bandits, it wouldn’t harm her—otherwise, there would have been no need to treat her promptly earlier.

A slightly cool hand stroked the woman’s face—forehead, brows, eyes, nose, lips—leaving nothing untouched. The movements were gentle yet somewhat suggestive, but the reality was far from that, and the woman knew it well. She continued to gaze at Neo, whose eyes held not a trace of lust, not even a hint.

Neo suddenly smiled faintly, then leaned in and whispered something in her ear in a voice only she could hear. The woman’s previously controlled expression underwent a drastic change that could no longer be concealed.

Neo met her gaze again and gently patted her cheek. “But I admire your wisdom and courage. Since you want to follow me, very well. From now on, you belong to me. What’s your name?”

“Marian,” the woman replied, her eyes holding a complex expression as she looked at Neo.

Neo repeated her name and nodded. “Hmm, a friendly and easy-to-remember name. Not bad!”

The matter concerning these slaves came to an end here. Neo didn’t order them to move to some so-called safe area, nor did he let them start a revolution or fend for themselves to find food. Nor did he give Marian orders to organize these slaves in any way. Neo believed that for now, the best thing these slaves could do was do nothing. Once the situation here became clear, they would naturally know what to do. This was clearly a decision made out of consideration for their well-being.

By now, the bandits in the dungeon had clearly split into three groups: Steel Fang Dog’s group, Fire Mage Depp’s group, and another group of over 50 bandits stationed near the dungeon’s main entrance, taking advantage of the terrain.

Steel Fang Dog’s initial plan was fairly standard—after discovering the invasion of their lair, they gathered the slaves, sealed off the passages, sent one group to defend the main entrance, and another to search for and eliminate intruders. The true experts used spirit collars as bait to lure and kill powerful enemies.

However, as time passed, everything went awry. The search and elimination team was held back by multiple enemies, while the experts waited in vain for strong opponents to appear. The group guarding the entrance was idle and frustrated yet unable to leave their posts. Worse still, Neo lurked in the dungeon like a ghost, cutting off communication between the three bandit groups. Each group had sent messengers, but they were all killed without exception. Now, 70% of the dungeon’s passages and gates were under Neo’s control. Any small group trying to quickly join the other two bandit groups had very limited options, allowing Neo to control several key points. He wasn’t in any hurry—Mellian had already been rescued, and he held the initiative in battle. It was the bandits who were suffering now.

In a half-ruined corner of the dungeon, Neo leisurely drank water while Nancy helped regulate his body. He had seized the energy of many bandits that night. Although about 80% of them were of low rank, with Nancy’s help, their energy could still replenish Neo’s body. Neo had been delaying reaching level 5 to solidify his rapidly improving strength over the past year. A mere level didn’t fully reflect true strength. He now had enough confidence to kill an ordinary level 6 fighter or level 5 caster, provided he didn’t use dark magic.

“I sometimes even think it’s not bad to maintain this external appearance all the time—it’s quite deceptive.”
“Do you really want to do that? Not care about the many inconveniences that come with low strength? After all, in this world, strength and treatment go hand in hand. If your strength is too low, it not only causes various difficulties but may also cause you to miss out on opportunities. I think you understand what I mean.”
“I understand. Simply put, it makes one easy to be looked down upon, even by heroes and great figures. However, I think that compared to growing and developing quickly while staying low-key, making some sacrifices is worth it. Besides, in a small place like Tures, having combat abilities makes one seem remarkable, but in the Fray Lands, their benefits are greatly reduced. On the other hand, those with combat abilities face much greater pressure from their enemies. And most people are used to judging whether someone has combat abilities based on their rank. As for heroes and great figures, if strength matters in determining who deserves to be befriended or obeyed, then Frost Giants in the North should have numerous international friends and followers from birth.”
“Since you think so, then I can help you come up with some ideas.”
Nio was pleased. “I knew you had a solution. It seems like there’s nothing in this world you can’t solve.”
“Your flattery is too obvious—serious lack of practice.”
Nio laughed.
The plan proposed by Nancy was called the ‘Second Self.’ Its core concept was to create a second energy system within Nio’s body. Starting from level 5, fighters and spellcasters shifted their main focus to controlling and utilizing energy. The purity of energy, its quantity and recovery speed, as well as the degree of control over it, became the three key criteria for measuring a professional. Nancy’s ‘Second Self’ plan involved helping Nio establish an invisible system based on these three criteria. Thus, on the surface, Nio would appear to be a ‘Muscle Path Runner’—in simple terms, someone with increasing strength, agility, and physical fitness, but with no significant improvement in core attributes. This was similar to those professionals stuck at level 5, pitifully known as ‘Muscle Men’ or ‘Boar Men.’
Nio didn’t care about labels; he was concerned about the pros and cons of such a approach.
Nancy told him that the drawback was that before the Second Self matured, it would act like another form of Dark Magic—using it would bring many negative effects, with a longer recovery period afterward, and the adverse impacts would last far longer than the recovery time. Using it frequently despite these issues was like seeking quick fixes to a serious problem.

The advantage is that this kind of cultivation allows both the physical body and energy to develop simultaneously, unlike ordinary practitioners who use energy to transform their bodies. While this can enable the body to quickly adapt to energy circulation and recharging states, it actually hinders the body’s natural development. Compared to the current mainstream cultivation approach that emphasizes “energy bodies as the ultimate goal,” Nancy’s method is far more complex and difficult to practice. As for the ultimate outcome, the physical body will become a super carrier, a first-class artifact. Of course, such a level is far too distant for Neo, so Nancy wouldn’t even mention it to him, lest he develop unnecessary delusions and psychological burdens.

After listening to Nancy’s detailed explanation, Neo thought it over carefully and found the plan quite viable for him. First, the power of this hidden system could indeed be utilized, though at a higher cost, meaning his strength wouldn’t truly be weakened, and he wouldn’t falter when it mattered. Second, he was already a technical expert, so even relying on physical strength, he was confident he could overwhelm his opponents. Moreover, his level 4 meant he could use combat energy. Although he couldn’t use it as diversely as those at level 5 or above, he still had basic abilities for support and defense, meaning his attacks had the fundamental power of combat energy users, and his defenses had their basic strength.

“You have knives and shields; I have them too. At most, you have steel knives and shields, while I have iron ones. But I have thick skin, can recover on my own, and have various shamanic techniques to back me up. With these advantages and disadvantages offsetting each other, I might not be inferior to you!” Thinking this through, Neo asked his last question: “Then when will this ‘Second Self’ be completed?”

“Your question is like asking, ‘At what level does my strength reach before it’s truly at its limit?’” Nancy explained. “There’s no end to the Second Self—only stages. Applying this to the system currently used in the Aemera world, it’s divided into several stages, with each stage having a hidden upper limit of level 5. That is, once the first stage is completed, a fusion must take place, after which your overall index will jump from level 4 to the strongest level 9. Then it will be level 14, level 19…”

“Hmm, I like it! Building up strength gradually while giving the illusion of luck. Imagine going from level 4 to level 9 in just a few days—most people would think it’s just superficial, which is also very effective for deception. Very good!”

Thus, Neo locked his level at 4, and the same applied to his shamanic level. In this way, the Second Self became a composite entity capable of both combat energy and magical abilities. Nancy said she had never dealt with such a complex hidden system before, but she was very interested and confident.

Neo wasn’t in a hurry, but Steeltooth Dog couldn’t wait. He came up with a good excuse for his impatience: “A cramped place like a prison isn’t enough to leverage our numerical advantage. I decide to find a different ambush location!”

“But where else can we find a place where, once the enemy arrives, they’ll be trapped and unable to escape?”

Steel-Tooth Dog slapped the bold bandit, “Damn it, it’s just one guy against all of us. How can he possibly get away?”
The bandit still seemed unconvinced and muttered, “He’s been here the whole time, waiting for us to lose patience so he could strike…”
Steel-Tooth Dog kicked him, “If you’re so smart, then go ahead and scout the way for us!”
Thus, the bandits emerged from their hiding place and headed down the passage. About halfway there, they found the path blocked by thick thorns rooted in the red soil and stone walls around them. Judging by the amount of thorns, it seemed they had been growing wildly there for quite some time. Steel-Tooth Dog cursed angrily. Just from the blocked path, it was clear that the enemy had long realized the prison was a trap and had used it to trap them instead.
“Trying to block Grandpa’s way with some vines? How naive! Cut a path for me!”
Blades flashed as those with Steel-Tooth Dog were mostly fighters at level 5 or above. Their weapons, imbued with combat energy, were extremely sharp, allowing them to cut through the vines as easily as slicing vegetables. However, the vines contained a lot of sap that splashed everywhere as they were cut. Under the light of the fire, the bandits saw that the sap was dark red and began to evaporate upon contact with air, emitting a strange, sweet-smelling fumes that made people feel dizzy and nauseous.
“It’s poisonous! The sap releases toxic gases—stop cutting!” Steel-Tooth Dog ordered urgently. “Use fire; fire can purify it.”
One spellcaster threw a fireball. With a boom, the explosion sent more sap flying.
“Don’t blow it up! Use fire to burn them all to ash!”
Whoosh! Conical flames shot forward, causing the thorns to explode like corn in fire. More sap dispersed, intensifying the strange, sweet smell in the narrow passage.
“Damn it, use ice—freeze these plants into ice bars!”
Another spellcaster stepped forward, his body radiating icy blue and snow-white magic light. A wave of cold energy surged from the tip of his staff, sweeping forward like rolling white waves. In just a short while, most of the thorns turned into frosty ice bars.
Steel-Tooth Dog sighed in relief. “Alright, now we can cut through them!”
Before he could finish speaking, the frost on the thorns vanished quickly, and at the same time, the thorns began to grow wildly. These thorns were actually mutated bitter thorns controlled by Thorn, created under the influence of Neo’s dark power. Cold energy served as excellent nourishment for them.
Steel-Tooth Dog was extremely frustrated. He only had spellcasters who could control water and fire, and there was nothing they could do against these plants.
“It seems we have to use some strength! Everyone, hold your breath, concentrate your firepower, clear the path, and get out quickly!”
Led by Steel-Tooth Dog, over a dozen beams of light sliced through the air, creating a brilliant path. The bandits rushed through the thorny area, but not far ahead, the bandit at the front stepped on a tripwire. With a series of noises, a series of traps activated, and the soil in the passage collapsed, blocking their way.

The collapsed area was about 4 meters long, filled with red soil that provided excellent airtightness. The volatile toxic gases could now wreak havoc in the narrow passage. With no other choice, Steel Fang had to lead everyone back near the prison and rely on the previous ambush points to get through the dangerous period. There was another complete ventilation system near the prison cells, but it would take a considerable amount of time to use that system to remove all the toxic gases.