Chapter 14: The Turning Point

The Fire Rose Mercenary Group was more efficient than Bino had imagined. On the afternoon of May 20th, just the day after reaching an agreement with Catherine, Bino saw one of their caravans—carrying people, children, and household items—which reminded him of the migration group that had come from the east at the beginning of the year, stirring deep hatred in him.
“Victor, the dark forces—there’s no peace between us!” Bino clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and turned away from the city walls.
“Lord, here is the detailed settlement plan. As we rushed it together, if anything is imperfect, please bear with us.” Speaking was Hansen, a neatly groomed man in his forties wearing a monocle and dressed in an elegant manner.
As the administrative manager of Four-Leaf Village, Hansen and his four assistants all came from Refuge Valley Town. They were outstanding performers in managing large-scale construction projects. A salary twice that of their previous jobs, along with bonuses and housing benefits, was enough to lure these management talents—who had been unemployed just over ten days ago and worried about making a living—to join them. They also belonged to those 60 households, but their status as citizens was higher than that of ordinary people who had recently joined from the peripheries.
Bino took the settlement plan handed to him by Hansen, flipping through it as he continued walking. “Prepare a generous dinner for tonight. Ask them to gather here on my behalf. There’s no need to be overly hospitable, but you can offer them some work.”
“Understood.”
“The situation is unstable. We’re not short of money, but of time. Take bold actions—don’t hesitate to spend money. Go to Armed Farm No. 5; they don’t need as many workers to manage their fields, so they can come here and earn some money. Also, tell them that if any relatives or friends are willing to work here, we welcome them. We’ll provide food and lodging, and pay three silver coins per day. Even if there are enough workers in construction or once the work is done, don’t dismiss them. Have them work on leveling roads, transporting supplies, and clearing the ridge road at the south gate of Four-Leaf Village. In short, find them some work. Look for capable and honest people—I’ll need them soon.”
Hansen nodded frequently, taking out a small notebook to jot down the main points.
By then, Bino had roughly gone through the plan. “Hmm, not bad. I’ve already told you the principles. You can handle the rest. If I’m on a mission and there’s a difficult decision to make, use the Magic Falcon to contact me.”
“Understood, Lord.” Hansen adjusted his glasses. “If you have no other instructions, I’ll go meet with the mercenaries.”
Bino nodded, then suddenly remembered something and called Hansen back. “How’s the procurement in town going?”
“It’s progressing slowly,” Hansen sighed helplessly. “The problem lies with Asia. There are frequent accidents on the main transportation routes, so goods can’t be delivered. The medicines, food, equipment, etc., we need have been approved, but they’re piled up in the warehouse stations and just can’t be loaded onto vehicles.”
Bino frowned. He was pessimistic about the situation, believing it would worsen over time. These supplies were crucial for the development of his territory in the second half of the year and even for the coming year, yet they couldn’t be ignored. It was a pity that the Celestial Temple had issued orders to be ready for attack at any moment…

“Alright, go back to your work. By tonight, prepare a detailed written document for me listing the contacts in Asia, the shipment numbers, and so on.”
“It will be on your desk this afternoon,” said Hansen, nodding in salute before hurrying off.Neo granted him considerable authority—Hansen could make decisions directly on most civil affairs, including construction projects, and also had access to 300,000 gold as working capital. Before working forNeo, Hansen had served a wealthy merchant for 15 years, with control over no more than 20,000 gold, and even then only as an intermediary, eventually being dismissed. Now, grateful forNeo’s recognition, he had regained his confidence. People often saw him busy, appearing even more energetic than a young man in his teens.

Leaving Four-Leaf Castle,Neo rode a large camel along a gravel road toward Four-Leaf Valley, formerly known as Spider Valley.
Neo’s weight had now risen to 150 kilograms, and combined with his 190-centimeter height, he was a truly massive figure. Once transformed, his weight could increase by another 80 kilograms, raising his height to 240 centimeters. With armor on, he would become a living barrier—comparable even to the Obsidian Guards of the demons.
Yet such weight did not make him slow or clumsy. On the contrary, his eyes, which occasionally flashed with sharpness, revealed a quick and capable demeanor, making it clear he had excellent control over his body.

After nearly two months of relentless effort,Neo’s flesh armor was almost fully formed. Further training would not increase its size but instead focus on strengthening it. It functioned like clothing—able to be removed, reattached, and reused. This was why he had chosen this profession in the first place. With this fleshly armor, it would be difficult for people to associate him with the nameNeo·Daknis—exactly as he desired.

The camel moved slowly toward the valley, whileNeo’s gaze wandered over the alfalfa bushes along the path. These perennial shrubs were undergoing subtle changes due to the Wisdom Tree’s influence. They grew much faster than ordinary alfalfa, with thicker and larger branches. There were still some crucial plants that hadn’t been planted yet; they were being cultivated deep in the caves, watered with life-energy-rich water, aiming to make them at least twice as tall and several times more numerous.

Four-Leaf Valley remained desolate, with only a pond of several acres near the entrance to the nest. Everything else was bare land. This pond was a manifestation of the Wisdom Tree’s control and transformation of the surrounding area. The region had originally lacked water, but the Wisdom Tree tapped into groundwater from deeper layers and brought it continuously upward. While forming this pond, it also used underground channels akin to tree roots to deliver water to various parts of the Spider Jungle. This pond would serve as a means to wield magic and potions in the future. Once completed,Neo wouldn’t need to keep running to the cave—many tasks could be handled through this pond.

The miniature rune golem nest is located on the cliff by the pond—it’s a spacious but not very deep cave. Apart from the glowing runes covering its walls and the sand-like vortex in the center, nothing else indicates its uniqueness.

A new nest, unlike those expanded through relocation, requires a process of cultivating a magical core. The time and resources needed for this process vary depending on specific circumstances. Of course, Neo cares most about time. Like all newcomers, what’s most difficult for him is the kind of foundation built over time, and nests can serve as such a foundation.

The three major factions of the Aemera continent—Ode, Frey, and Kels—have large populations, and accordingly, many nobles as well. Yet few nobles exceed the limits set for private army recruitment. They adhere to these rules mainly not because of strict laws but because of the existence of nests.

A nest is essentially a factory for war machines. Once expanded and supported by sufficient resources, it continuously produces puppets. Normally, it stores these puppets, and under suitable conditions, they are even refined. What is refined is generally called a seed core or nest core, which can take various forms—triangular, square, round, or simply a small statue.

As the saying goes, dragons give birth to dragons, phoenixes to phoenixes, and mice’s offspring dig holes. The seed core determines everything about the nest’s output, including abilities, specialties, intelligence, weaknesses, and costs. It’s no wonder then that nests are considered part of a nation’s war potential.

Now that darkness and chaos have returned to the world, the established factions of Ode and Kels naturally activated their war machines. Their nests began producing an endless stream of resources to be used as war supplies, aiming to bridge the huge gap in numbers and overall strength.

In this regard, the newer faction of Frey is at a disadvantage. After all, compared to Ode and Kels, Frey is still a newcomer.

Previously, Neo bought a nest core almost reluctantly. A stone golem might sound impressive, but in the current situation, the nest core he could obtain couldn’t possibly be anything good. What Frey lacks the most are wealthy people, and even the most stingy individuals will invest in reliable protective forces during war to safeguard themselves and their families.

Externally, Neo claims that the stone golem seed core is an improved version of the stone golem core. In reality, although stone golems are also living fossil materials, their level of activity varies greatly. Even with high-quality magical soil, Neo could only create stiff and clumsy puppets.

Fortunately, since obtaining the stone golem seed core and related technologies, Nancy has been researching it and made breakthrough progress recently. Although what she’s built so far is only a miniature nest that produces at most 2 golems per week—plus at least 3–4 batches of unstable experimental products—it’s still a promising start. Neo has great confidence in Nancy’s ability to innovate and create unique nest cores, as proven by the Black Nail set.

Since Nancy acquired a vast amount of magical materials from the Library of the Elemental Tower, she has been growing at an exponential rate. With such a brilliant researcher, Neo never had to worry about technical support.

The refinement of the Golem Core was even better than expected. Suspended and rotating in the dark light atop the altar at the center of the magic circle, the core resembled a carved work of art. Overall, it took the shape of an equilateral triangle, composed of countless intricate networks. These networks had a surface texture somewhere between metal and stone. The complex entanglements they formed within the triangle were beyond what any craftsman could carve—they were products of magic itself, with the laws determining their structure. Once fully formed, resin-like energy crystals would seal it into a solid entity. At that point, golems could be created, and further details could be added to the networks as needed.

“Phew!” Neo let out a long sigh. He had come here with Nancy to monitor the formation of this core. To him, the core, like most magical items, was filled with unsettling mysteries. He also knew that, regarding the magical world, his attitude would remain one of awe born from incomprehension for a long time. That was his choice—to understand power, purify power, and control power. As for applied aspects, or laws, he believed sufficient knowledge was enough; he didn’t need to become obsessed with all the derived variations.

After leaving the Golem lair, Neo headed straight to the Spider Nest and ventured into its innermost corner. The messiness along the way had worsened compared to before. Dark, corrupting forces had created a breeding ground for evil, giving rise to all sorts of bizarre creatures that would never be friendly to humans.

But Neo didn’t care about these things. Blood energy formed a nearly solid shell around his entire body, and no filth here could penetrate that barrier. As for the future, today would be the last time he manually operated the Wisdom Tree. After that, the Wisdom Tree would fully integrate with the remaining energy-absorbing network system here and gain the ability to operate independently. The dire conditions in the cave would then be on a countdown.

Roar…

From the darkness came a low growl that wasn’t human in origin. Soon after, two orange lights flickered into view—those were Polyhedra. Here, Polyhedra served not only as guardians but also as a necessity. Simply put, their existence was based on balance—on one side were distortion and death, on the other, order and vitality. If the former became excessive, it would get out of control and become a scourge; if the latter became too much, it would collapse, leading to unpredictable outcomes. Until he was confident he could completely deal with this entity deeply connected to the power of the World Tree, Neo’s approach was to keep it on a fixed path, thereby maintaining as much control as possible.

Polyhedra’s appearance had changed greatly from its form in the Ring of Boiling Blood. It was no longer a blood-energy puppet—blood energy was merely one stage in its growth process, and even the alienated vines were just replaceable carriers. Now, it appeared even more evil.

The once-soft Blood Vine had hardened into typical demonic bones, hooves, tail, wings, and horns—everything present, all in a dark red color resembling dried and solidified blood. Its body was covered with various disgusting and grotesque insects, unique to this cave, which added to its fleshly form, giving it a strangely plump appearance. The only thing that remained unchanged was its face; some unknown energy there took tangible form, constantly shaping faces with different expressions, while its orange-lit eyes continued to convey cruelty and madness as always.

Polyface’s growls carried multiple meanings, but this time it was merely a greeting, as Neo could sense. Clearly, though there were no Twisted Souls here to devour him, the aura of decay instilled in him an instinctive sense of comfort. Even his new physical form was likely an unconscious result—after all, he was a demon.

Neo smiled slightly at Polyface. “How could I survive without you?”

It wasn’t a pretentious line but a heartfelt expression.

An ever-present nightmare, a version of himself standing on the opposite side, a creation of a demonic mirror… Neo felt that Polyface was the most tangible spur for him, far more effective than motivating himself by thinking about becoming a supergenius who reached level 15 before age 20. Polyface’s twisted face and demonic gaze could always awaken the fear deep within Neo.

“Are you strong? Just watch this guy grow! Think about what happens when he loses control!”

After replenishing Polyface with some life energy, Neo kept it here to guard. With it present, Neo felt more at ease, as Polyface was closely tied to his life force, allowing him to detect any major disturbances.

As he continued deeper through the uneven passages, the air grew increasingly foul, and the light particles became rarer. This meant that unless Neo used dark energy in his eyes to switch to dark vision, his field of sight would gradually shrink until he could see nothing at all. Neo didn’t use dark power; his current training, in a way, was like fasting—dark power was his off-limits food.

A warrior with combat abilities could sense their surroundings even without eyes, thanks to a form of tactile perception. Neo could also simulate this state using blood energy, though his control over it was still lacking in precision, giving it a somewhat crude appearance. If observed closely, a faint crimson hue could be seen in the space around him within 3 meters—a significant flaw if faced with a strong enemy.

Neo had also put in a lot of effort into mastering blood energy. In contrast, the intense physical training he did every day actually required less effort. It had to be said that compared to his earlier attempt to portray Simon Windrunner as a “boar man,” his current version was far more perfect. When people from the Sky Temple mentioned Simon, they would say, “Oh, that kid with blood combat energy who’s good at making money.”

Crossing a passage filled with intertwined roots, the vine-door transformed into a serpentine entity at Neo’s touch, revealing the cave behind it—a pristine space illuminated by countless cold lights. The cold light emanated from the numerous roots entangled there, with residual energy sustaining them; however, without further replenishment, they would wither away entirely in time. What Neo called the Wisdom Tree now appeared merely as a mass of roots connected by glowing threads radiating from a luminous crystal—the core of wisdom. Its brain-like core and the thought crystals provided by the Obsidian Guardians served as its extensions. What Neo had to do today was complete the final step: using a potion prepared not long ago, combined with an appropriate amount of life energy, to fully integrate the roots and threads. Just by looking at the sheer number of connections between the roots and threads, one could tell this was a daunting task. Yet it was a job that couldn’t be entrusted to others, so Neo saw it as a rigorous practice in controlling power and using potions. With each connection made, the roots quickly lost their luster, and gradually, the light in the space diminished, while the central wisdom core grew brighter. Such visible progress was the best motivator, and Neo worked tirelessly, time passing swiftly until the Aluminum Eagle delivered a letter. Neo thought it was an order to go to war, but it turned out to be a personal letter from Spencer, stating that the campaign to eradicate the dark forces would begin in the next few days. However, there was now a escort mission, and the executor had to choose from teams 743, 744, or 745. Once assigned, the campaign would surely be delayed. If Neo wanted to earn more merits, Spencer and the leaders of the Sanctuary Valley Temple were willing to intercede. Of course, if it were just that, it might not have warranted Spencer using the special fast communication channel Neo had given him originally. The real issue was a major event that shook the entire region of Hylfanis: the town of Aedala had fallen to the dark forces. With a population of over 30,000, Aedala was one of the four secondary towns in Hylfanis—its fall carried great significance. Even those not very intelligent could understand that it meant the other six secondary towns might also become new slaughterhouses, and all villages in the region would no longer be safe. According to Spencer’s estimation, Hylfanis’ main army wouldn’t react too slowly, but they couldn’t carry much food supply, making logistics essential. Although Aedala was closer to Asia, the roads from the Sanctuary Valley Town side were better, so the escort mission easily fell to a small but capable group like the Sky Tactics Team. Neo knew this was a form of personal reward for him earning substantial profits through his efforts. But… “Eradicate completely? Maybe.” Neo took out his magic pen from his pocket and replied immediately: …I will follow superior orders and strive to complete the task…

This sentence was repeated twice during the last military discussion meeting, and now it has been emphasized yet again. Surely, with Spencer and the leaders of the Sanctuary Valley Temple’s intelligence, they should be able to understand his implicit message: I won’t compete for credit; hard work without complaint is my true nature.
In fact, Neo really wasn’t optimistic about this pursuit operation. Since they were all dangerous tasks, why waste goodwill for nothing? So, while secretly manipulating the other two tactical teams, the escort mission was undoubtedly assigned to Star 745.
On May 23rd, Star 745 set off. Due to effective restrictions, the news of Idara’s fall had not yet reached most people. Neo also didn’t tell anyone about the situation; instead, he simply handed over defense duties to the Fire Rose Mercenaries led by Catherine. He also arranged for Hansen to keep an eye on the rain-making work carried out by the Tide Mage hired the previous day in the Four-Leaf Jungle, as well as to supervise the construction of the settlement.
“Lord, rest assured. All the necessary materials arrived yesterday. In another 5 days, the major work will be completed. I believe when you return, you’ll find a sturdy and brand-new city. It’s just that those alfalfa plants…”
Neo knew that hiring three Tide Mages to cast rain spells every other day, a total of five times, was costly—far beyond what the price of alfalfa or other fodder could cover. Hansen was worried about the expense.
“The priority isn’t the alfalfa; it’s the strange plants mixed in. In the near future, this jungle will become a reliable green barrier, regardless of season. Remember, the lord of Four-Leaf Village is not only a skilled magic pharmacist but also a shrewd merchant who never engages in unprofitable deals.” Neo said, patting Hansen’s shoulder as he laughed awkwardly. Then he mounted his thick camel, gave Catherine a slight nod in farewell, waved his hand, and declared, “Let’s go!”
In Neo’s view, a sword half-drawn is the most fearsome. Now that the dark forces had used this sword to overthrow Idara, other places were relatively safer for the time being. As for whether Idara’s fall marked a death knell for Hilfanis, it was still hard to say. But he remained of the opinion that the potential of the corrupting forces was still enormous. Though it manifested as a seemingly rootless flame, before it peaked and declined, the situation would only get worse—not just in Hilfanis but across the entire Aemera continent.
If earlier there had been more rumors than actual sightings, after about two months, residents of large places like Sanctuary Valley could finally experience firsthand the terror brought by the dark forces. Incidents of people and animals being attacked and killed by monsters kept occurring in the areas around Sanctuary Valley, and the town’s alert level had been raised to level 4, meaning even a 10-mile radius outside the city was no longer considered safe.
On the road to Sanctuary Valley, when a half-dark, half-light cloud covered the sun, over twenty monsters rushed out of a ravine and attacked Star 745’s convoy. Or rather, these severely mutated gray wolves saw the thick camels as a feast.

Bang! Bang! Bang! The soldiers on top of the vehicles fired their magic long guns. These guns could penetrate iron armor as thick as a finger from 100 meters away, making them quite lethal. Neo believed that skilled marksmen were forged through countless rounds of practice, and everyone on Star 745 spent considerable time daily shooting live ammunition, which improved their marksmanship. Nearly half of those monsters were knocked down by the long guns during their charge.

“Zankin, Valug, Mary—these monsters are up to you.”

“Sure!” Valug and Zankin were already eager for action. Mary wasn’t as excited, but she no longer hesitated to draw her sword and fight. During the last cleanup of the valley near Outlaw No. 1’s stronghold, Neo assigned Zankin and the others to the defense team. They finally got their first chance to fight, and under the team’s influence, Valug and Zankin even came to love this kind of work. As Star 745’s slogan went: good food, good pay, and occasional chances to fight—what’s not to like?

As chosen ones, Zankin and the others were growing well, but if Neo wanted more from them, he had to help them overcome various psychological barriers. Though, like most members of Star 745, they hadn’t yet seen the brutal side of killing. Although the slogan seemed to downplay the truth, at least now Neo could see them fighting with full intensity and their still-immature coordination.

Neo raised his hand abruptly, and a blood-red glow appeared in midair. A monster that was lunging from the side, ready to bite Valug’s shoulder, had its head pierced by this red light, revealing a triangular, white, sharp edge on the other side of its skull. As Neo’s muscular strength grew, so did the power of his throws. The steel cone infused with blood energy was at least twice as powerful as the long guns held by the soldiers.

Valug quickly turned back, glanced at the twitching corpse on the ground, gave Neo two silly grins, then let out a roar and continued fighting.

With Neo by their side, this battle was nothing more than a practical drill to train Zankin and the others. Ten minutes later, the monsters were either dead or fled, and the battle was over. A simple autopsy revealed secondary putrefaction infection—the meat was poisonous, and neither the fur, organs, nor bones were usable. In short, it was just trouble-making rotten flesh; even those with strong decay powers weren’t worth Neo using “life absorption” on.

“Pile them up and burn them!”

Flame throwers sprayed flames, turning the monsters into ashes. Medical soldiers carried water tanks and used spray rods to mist Valug and the others. This water was called holy water, but it was very different from the kind used by the Holy Church. It was made by combining holy light with certain medicines, specifically for disinfection and purification.

Zankin, Valug, and many other warriors didn’t understand why Neo made such a fuss. Some whispered behind their backs, suspecting their commander had some kind of cleanliness obsession. Neo didn’t explain the horrors of subtle corruption and evil, but instead enforced strict rules through an almost stubborn iron-fisted management style, requiring everyone to comply.

Nio felt that soldiers didn’t need overly complex thoughts—they only needed to know what to do and that it was the right thing to do; there was no need to understand why. After all, only those with supreme wisdom and simple minds could remain untroubled, while most people in the world were moderate, full of thoughts, concerns, and problems, which made them hesitant in times of crisis—a mindset unfit for a soldier.

After this minor incident, Star 745 encountered several groups of monsters on the way to Refuge Valley Town. They came in fives and threes, not rushing to attack at first but staying at a distance, looking for an opportunity to take advantage. Some left after failing to find anything, while others persisted, gathering again after more than twenty kilometers to form a group of dozens. Seeing this, Nio ordered all soldiers to prepare for battle and slowed down the pace.

Although the monsters were cunning, their thinking was relatively straightforward. Seeing the group slow down, they saw it as an opportunity and rushed at them in a chaotic, disorderly swarm, each fighting bravely as if afraid of missing out on any prey. The soldiers first fired their guns from a distance, and when the monsters got closer, the warriors were already ready, swinging their swords in unison under Nio’s leadership. Twenty-plus blades sliced through the air like plows, breaking bones and killing countless monsters. Then the soldiers launched a counterattack, nearly wiping out the rest. Those that scattered or tried to fight to the death were strangled one by one, followed by another pile of corpses to be burned.

“The brothers all did well. We killed all these monsters without even breaking a sweat. What does this show?”
“We’ve become stronger!”
“Mm, good answers. You’ve all become stronger. Hard work pays off—sweat more in peacetime, less blood in war. Did you shed any blood in this battle?”
“No!”
Nio nodded. “I like to hear that!”
The soldiers laughed.
“We at Star 745 are united and work hard for one goal: to cut down enemies, not be cut down by them. That’s true valor. But I noticed that some brothers still lacked coordination. I don’t know if it’s because they were scared by those snarling monsters or what. I hope this won’t happen again. Do you have the confidence?”
“Yes!” the warriors shouted.
“Very good! Spend 15 minutes cleaning up and dealing with personal matters, then set off on time.”