Chapter 69: Enslavement

The black behemoth would one day become a calamity beast, towering over a hundred meters tall, called Paros, possessing the greatest strength in the world. Paros could cause an earthquake of magnitude eight with a single stomp, collapse mountains with a punch, and easily destroy cities, resulting in countless deaths—a standard, invincible disaster-class divine beast.

If such an enemy appeared, even with the system in hand, he would never feel completely at ease.

“You want to kill him?!” Allen scrambled up from the ground and hurried to his side, pleading anxiously, “Don’t kill him. He’s not the kind of person who kills without remorse. He was just affected by the Ultimate Form earlier—please spare him!”

“Why should I? He tried to kill us both just now. A killer must be prepared to be killed. Everyone must pay for their mistakes.” Charles narrowed his eyes, replying weakly.

“But we’re still alive, aren’t we? Why can’t we forgive him? Must people always hurt each other?” Allen’s words, so naïve, took Charles by surprise—the supposed future Child of Destiny was speaking like this. “Heh, no wonder you’re so easily used by others…”

“What are you talking about?” Allen asked, confused.

“I can let him go, but there’s a condition. You must serve me in the future—are you willing?” Charles said calmly.

“To serve you…” Allen hesitated. After all, Roddy was a stranger he’d just met, and the rampage earlier had erased what little bond they had. He pleaded not out of friendship, but because he couldn’t bear to see a living person killed before his eyes.

If he were to trade his own future freedom for the other’s life…

“Very well, I see your choice… Vajra, kill him!” Charles gave no time for consideration, ordering the two-headed ape to strike, lest unforeseen complications arise.

He had wasted enough words, only to ease relations between them, to avoid being hated by someone he still needed.

“No, please!”

Allen turned around just in time to see the iron club of the beast fall, and screamed.

Boom!

A blinding crimson light exploded. Suddenly, a giant appeared and blocked the iron club.

Charles sat up, looking coldly at the newcomer. “Leslie, are you going to stand against me for his sake?”

As expected, these so-called protagonists were always favored by the world—whenever faced with an overwhelming danger, someone would inevitably appear to save them.

The assassination earlier had nearly killed him. The anger in his heart had only grown, teetering on the edge of losing control and launching a massacre.

If this person truly opposed him without reservation, he would kill him as well!

Leslie pushed away the two-headed ape, spat a mouthful of blood, and shook his head with a bitter smile. “It’s so rare to meet a kindred spirit, I naturally don’t want to be your enemy, especially since I can’t fight you right now.”

“Then why did you save him? He almost killed me!” Charles’ voice grew colder, and the three-headed dog beside him bared its bloodthirsty fangs, ready to pounce at a word.

Leslie wiped the blood from his lips, his eyes full of mirth. “He already possesses the Ultimate Form. If we bring him to Morent Academy, many will go mad for him. An Ultimate Form—at Morent, it’s enough for you to access the highest technology. I think you’d be very interested.”

“Why should I trust you?” Charles neither agreed nor refused.

Whether for his own evolution or for top-tier totem cultivation knowledge to transform the Heart of the Swarm and raise an invincible army, Morent was a place he had to go.

But not yet. He had to heal his father and settle his family first.

“Because I am Leslie, the strongest warrior of Morent, destined to bury the old era as the mightiest human!” Leslie’s crimson hair danced, his tone impossibly bold, yet it compelled belief—belief that he could do it.

Charles was silent for a moment, then nodded gently. “Fine, you can take him, but on one condition.”

This man truly had the right to say such words. He was a quintessential iron-blooded warrior who, in the original future, had slain countless source-powered creatures and totems, single-handedly defending Morent for years.

Only after being ambushed by another Child of Destiny and besieged by Roddy’s army did he, gravely wounded, continue to fight, ultimately perishing under Paros’ attack.

“Cough… What is it?” Leslie spat another mouthful of blood.

“Allow me to make a small modification to him, to prevent any future threat. Otherwise, I’ll have to kill him!”

“Agreed!”

With the deal struck, Charles forced himself to walk over, while Leslie retreated several dozen meters. The three-headed dog and two-headed ape also stepped back.

Charles approached Roddy, took a multicolored pinecone from a sealed iron box, and placed it on Roddy’s chest.

Multicolored light gleamed, rippling over Roddy, yet as if encountering immense resistance, it instantly consumed over a dozen source crystals.

Roddy was already unconscious; his main totem had fallen and lost consciousness as well, and he had no protective spiritual light, making him susceptible to the multicolored glow.

The light condensed into a strange little tree symbol on his forehead, quietly melding into him.

How could Charles let him off so easily? To eliminate danger, aside from killing, what better than making him a slave?

The multicolored pinecone could turn any creature into a semi-totem, even ordinary plants, though they couldn’t upgrade or fight.

Humans claimed to be the spirits of all things, but in truth were just ordinary creatures, only able to dominate the world by harnessing totemic power.

A translucent interface appeared. In the lower row of totem 3D image slots, a human figure appeared.

“Human, special totem, not evolved, upgradeable, evolution success rate 0.1%, consumes 5 evolution points;
Ability: None.”

Excellent. This was precisely his aim. Having such a formidable subordinate was simply delightful.

Feeling the faint soul bond, Charles smiled with satisfaction. Roddy had become his servant, unable to resist ever again!

“That’s a relic of the True God Cult!” Leslie looked on in astonishment. He had crossed half the continent knowing there was a True God Cult division here, hoping to seize its core research.

Now, the multicolored pinecone radiated a rich aura of life, clearly tied to the True God Cult’s Tree of Life project!

Before he could say more, a black stone sphere smashed into him, knocking him flying and causing him to spit blood in midair.

A terrifying aura surged from afar, accompanied by a mocking laugh. “A bunch of foolish, arrogant idiots—daring to challenge the Empire’s laws! All of you, stay where you are!”