The Crimson Plain.
A slender, lizard-like, two-headed demon stood motionless within the stone circle. Dark red scales reflected the sunlight, shimmering with an eerie iridescence, and from between the scale gaps tender sprouts emerged as if born from flesh itself, growing vigorously, draping the demon in a "garment" of green.
On the Blood Sovereign's human-faced goat head, a cunning, triumphant smile had frozen alongside the twisted expression of freshly risen shock, while the hound head wore a look of utter bewilderment. Uncontrollable killing intent and hatred made it grotesque and terrifying. The two heads could not fathom why they — equivalent to a third-rank Legendary within their own "Legendary plane" — had been captured so easily. Normally, when facing an opponent of the same rank, if you couldn't win, couldn't you at least escape? Especially on home turf!
"Greater Time Stop" — the most powerful among current space-time magic. Without being a mage who had deeply mastered the fabric of space-time, or a "magic creature" like the "God of the Silver Moon" born with such spell-like abilities, one couldn't even begin to grasp it, let alone cast it — no matter how lengthy the incantation or how complex the gestures!
Yet Lucian had been able to cast it. His exclusive Legendary item could release "Greater Time Stop"! Wasn't his class "Atomic Control"? Since when did it have anything to do with space-time?
The Blood Sovereign's sluggish, paralyzed mind vaguely sensed it had overlooked something, but this creature of chaos had no understanding of Arcane matters whatsoever. How could it know what field the theory of General Relativity actually belonged to? In truth, the human-faced goat head — ever aspiring to improve itself — had once considered keeping up with Arcane developments and learning the basic concepts, but each time it picked up a book to read, the hound head would grow extremely irritable, and the two heads would fall back into their long, traditional mutual tearing.
As for "Grand Disjunction" — that, and Malfurion, were not surprised. If Lucian Evans couldn't learn it, he wouldn't deserve to be called an authority in the fields of elemental and force magic. He would inevitably become the second person after Hathaway, the "Elemental Dominator," to master this spell.
And "Vengeful Gaze" — the penetrating attack that ignored the body's scale defense. Malfurion hadn't noticed, attributing the effect to "Grand Disjunction" stripping away the defenses, but the Blood Sovereign's two heads were utterly baffled. This was its innate defense; Grand Disjunction could at most destroy part of it, not render it completely ineffective. So why was it standing here as though its scales had been peeled away, bare and exposed?
Given its "understanding" of Arcane magic, this was clearly something beyond its comprehension.
"This time we've truly failed. How could he command so many powerful spells…"
"Not only failed, but captured — does this count as exceeding the plan…"
The two demon heads, sluggish in thought, each produced different ideas. The wound in its chest, pierced by "Vengeful Gaze," writhed with flesh that refused to regenerate. Dark red blood tinged with faint green dripped to the ground, corroding through the stone slabs, eating away the earth.
"The Blood Sovereign still has items on it?" Malfurion flew over empty-handed toward the Blood Sovereign and discovered dense, dark miasma coiling around its waist. Under "Grand Disjunction," something had still survived? A Legendary item?
He believed that a "schizophrenic" like the "Blood Sovereign" couldn't and didn't have the ability to forge Legendary items for itself — at best it had crudely modified parts of its own body into weapons, such as its pattern-covered crimson tail that had been eerily broken off, replaced by two massive dark-red greatswords now gripped in its hands.
So these were trophies from slain adventurers or other enemies?
"Be careful," Lucian warned. "I sense something sinister and malevolent about it."
Natasha held the Sword of Truth, vigilantly scanning their surroundings. She had no objections to Lucian's decision to strike with full force, only a slight sense of regret that the Blood Sovereign had been trapped without putting up any resistance — she hadn't even gotten a chance to fight.
Malfurion raised a hand, and a tender green branch grew from the "Blood Sovereign's" flesh, lifting the object from within.
"This…" Malfurion's gaze hardened, and his expression turned very ugly.
The object was a lifelike dark statue, fashioned from an unknown material that radiated an encompassing black luster. Its face was clearly recognizable — none other than Ferragond, the "Nature's Avenger."
The sculpture of Ferragond seemed half-virtual, half-real, its face twisted and grotesque, saturated with hatred, disgust, and rage — hideously ugly. From the surrounding void, wisps of dark mist continuously emerged and merged into its body; these dark emanations appeared to be the boundless "infernal symbols" condensed from the loathing in every sentient being's heart.
"Collecting the power of emotions, attempting to transform into the state of an ancient fiend," Lucian calmly narrated the situation.
Malfurion said in a low voice thick with disappointment and fury: "It's Ferragond after all! The Nature's Hatred faction has gone too far!"
"Not necessarily. Why would the Blood Sovereign be carrying Ferragond's special item for collecting emotional power?" Lucian turned to look at the Blood Sovereign's vacant expression.
"Perhaps it was a condition of cooperation, or perhaps this special item had to be placed near the altar," Malfurion speculated.
Lucian smiled. "I doubt any Legendary with a sound mind would cooperate with the Blood Sovereign, this two-headed demon. Who knows when an 'internal fallout' might happen. In any case, we've already captured it. Let's use 'Mind Probe' and other spells to take a look."
He paused briefly. "However, before that, this statue cannot remain. It's a critical component of the transformation ritual. Regardless of whether it's Ferragond, this item is extremely important. The sooner we destroy it, the sooner we can rest easy."
This would also prevent Malfurion from being tempted by the statue's implied value and making a treacherous move at a critical moment. So Lucian, feeling no temptation whatsoever from the statue, decided to eliminate the threat as early as possible.
"Agreed." Malfurion, still seething with disgust over the traitor among the elves, had not yet developed any greed.
Natasha raised the Sword of Truth, her gaze fixed intently on the Ferragond statue that Malfurion had tossed into the air, while Lucian appeared relaxed but gripped the Lunar Chronometer tightly in his right hand, constantly guarding against a sudden move from Malfurion.
The paralysis effect faded. The Blood Sovereign's human-faced goat head glared at the statue with a mixture of fury and frustration. According to the original plan, when it pretended to fail and retreated, it would have thrown this statue into the center of the altar to create the illusion of destroying evidence. Then, the emotion-converging statue would have entangled with the aura of the Heart of Nature, making it impossible to destroy normally — requiring Malfurion's Nature Divine Arts to slowly separate. That way the ritual would activate, and its mission would be successfully completed.
But why had it truly failed?
It still couldn't understand!
Malfurion didn't watch Natasha destroy the statue with the Sword of Truth. Instead, he turned his gaze to the altar and discovered that it was surrounded by mysterious patterns radiating chaos, slaughter, loathing, and agony — negative sensations that extended from the center deep into the underground of the Crimson Plain and the surrounding void, forming an enormous three-dimensional "Magic Circle."
"Very similar to the transformation magic circle inside the Gate World…" Lucian thought to himself.
Unsurprisingly, at the center of the altar, at the core of the magic circle, sat a mass of vibrant pale-green energy, emanating rich vitality and freshness. It had caused lush trees to sprout across the altar, forming a small forest.