Chimera. A name that any clear-sighted onlooker would have found discomfiting for such a ravishing beauty. Granted, of course, they knew nothing of her origins. Konrad chose it for a simple reason.
Chimera represented a fantasy, the impending realization of a feat even the mightiest Gods couldn't accomplish without the help of the Realm Wills: the creation of a brand-new race! Although her current sterility made Chimera biologically unqualified as a complete species, and there still were some bloodline details Konrad needed to perfect, he stood infinitely close to the goal!
Of course, all members of the Chthonian Race couldn't cost millions of lives. Chimera's astonishing price already ensured that in the future, she would stand at the helm of the Chthonian Race. Konrad waved his hand, causing a classic black maxi dress to appear and cover Chimera's body in a twister of icy-blue light.
At that time, Astarte and Else appeared by his side and stared perplexed at the wondrous "teenager" before them. Else, in particular, whose Seer's Vision endowed her with a more profound vision than Astarte's Origin Sight, was astounded by what she saw.
"What kind of bloodline is that? It seems human, and yet it is not. Or rather, there is no such human blood."
She remarked while peering into Chimera's body. Indeed, within her now flowed an icy-blue blood outwardly similar to humanity's blue blood in characteristics. However, though it still was far from titan level, its might already transcended the average golden human blood.
"I synthesized the lineages of all those fallen soldiers and the blood imprinted within the bone mountain, removed the impurities and lesser attributes to enhance the rank, and overloaded the result with chthonian energies, thereby creating this new lineage.
In might, it is stronger than the golden human blood, but in potential, it is higher than the titan lineage because, just like all human lineages bellow titan level, it suffers from The Suppression. But as an undead, Chimera can burn her blood infinitely, and unleash its true might.
But that is merely the beginning. Once we step into house Serkar, I will use their Merit Stele and all remaining points to exchange a God-level Blood Matrix from Ashara. If they don't have enough, we can always sacrifice a few million.
With the Blood Matrix, I can not only perfect the Chthonian but synthesize a new one for myself."
The current System limited Konrad to Divine Rank Artifacts in terms of direct exchange. Therefore, he couldn't obtain a God-level Blood Matrix from it. His only hope was the Infernal Cult's Merit Stele and an exchange with Ashara himself.
"You may rise."
Konrad told Chimera, who instantaneously rose to stand before him.
"From now on, you will head the Chthonian Immortal Legion. Your immortal body possesses its own sentience. And therefore, you can exist without a soul. However, because of that, you cannot cultivate in the traditional sense.
Not that you need to. I have imparted your bloodline with all the information you require. Take your time to process it."
Konrad explained, causing the icy Chimera to nod in approval.
At that time, Zamira's voice echoed within his head.
"Master, we have a bit of a problem. Like we expected, we didn't manage to lure out Hejin. However, we did get our hands on the ninth Serkar elder. You now have your key."
Zamira began in a grave tone that filled Konrad with puzzlement. Those were excellent news. What issue did they encounter that made her sound so grim?
"Alas…to subdue him…we lost three Quasi-Paramount Knights."
Zamira pursued, causing Konrad to arch his eyebrows while his eyes widened in disbelief.
"The ninth Serkar elder caused the death of three Quasi-Paramount Knights from my Hidden Moon Pavilion? With what sorcery?"
Konrad asked in consternation. Once armed with the Black Crystal Armors, his Quasi-Paramount Knights could meet the average peak-Stage Divine Ascension expert as equals. Let's not even discuss whether the ninth Serkar elder's cultivation reached Divine Ascension. Even if it did, how could he possibly contend with one? To say nothing of three!
And faced with that inquiry, Zamira sighed in apparent dismay.
"If we weren't trying to capture him alive, we wouldn't have suffered such losses. But even then, this is due to my negligence. At first, when he appeared with a Divine Ascension cultivation base, I already assumed that House Serkar's growth had transcended our expectations.
However, with our lineup, such strength still wasn't worth dreading. Alas…"
Zamira then revealed a piece of critical information that turned Konrad's disbelief into pure astonishment.
"Bold and crafty, I approve. Why did I never think about this before? Never mind, in a sense, this actually makes our lives easier. Did you keep the bodies?"
"Yes, thanks to the Black Crystal Armors, the bodies are mostly intact. However, the souls are gone."
Zamira replied.
"That is no issue, just keep hold of them. So long as the tiniest part of them remains, bringing them back requires no effort. I have something to do within the Hidden Forest. When I return from that, I will settle things within my maternal house, once and for all."
Konrad declared, and his words made Zamira realize that this trip to the Blood Mountain Range was a resounding success.
"As you wish, Master."
The communication ended and leaving Astarte, Else, and Chimera behind, Konrad vanished, to reappear within the Hidden Forest in a twister of black fog. Naturally, it is before Yvonne that he landed, and seeing him appear in such an impromptu fashion, her eyes widened in a stupor.
But as she blinked and struggled to process the plethora of changes before her, he leaned in and silenced her thoughts with a kiss.
In the instant their lips met, all questions became irrelevant, and Yvonne wrapped her arms around his neck while leaning back against the tree standing behind her. Konrad pressed his right hand against the tree and slid the left across Yvonne's waist.
For two minutes, their tongues coiled and intertwined in raw, fiery passion as they kissed before the tree, silent witness of their thirst for one another.
Their kiss then broke, and as their tongues parted, Konrad's lips curved into a smile.
"Astonishing progress. I must say I didn't expect to see you reach this level so soon."
Konrad praised with an approving nod.
"I'm afraid I still can't compare to his Profane Highness. What an overbearing fleshly body. I'm afraid even Minor Gods can't compare. And here I was thinking the gap had substantially narrowed. How sorrowful."
Yvonne remarked with a radiant smile and unwittingly caused a mild chuckle to escape Konrad's lips.
His eyes swept the perimeter, and he was mildly surprised to see Verena, Calisto, and Vylsea sitting crossed legged in meditation above the Ancestral Blood Pond.
"Oh? Interesting."
"Since they became aware of your potential demise, they've been desperately cultivating to rise to new levels while suppressing the feeling of helplessness. With this Blood Pond and my help, their cultivation is improving by leaps and bounds.
They should soon awaken."
Yvonne explained.
"Oh, I forgot to warn you all of my return. These days have been hectic. My bad."
"A pity that heavens favor the malevolent. Evil men indeed are the hardest to kill."
Yvonne sighed while shaking her head from left to right.
"What can I say? I dare not make you a widow, and the Underworld doesn't have the gals to keep me from you."
Konrad coaxed with a helpless shrug.
"Flattery will get you everywhere."
Yvonne nodded in approval, clearly finding Konrad's words rational and quite pleasing to the ears. At least he still had a conscience!
