1330 Layout 2 (2/2)

**********************

”This year's Underworld River Wind is about to develop.” Garen settled in his own Fortress and mentioned with his eyes half-opened.

In the vast white cold space, there was nothing around, not even any furnishings. Only a huge knight in a dark blue armor half-knelt in front of Garen.

The knight was covered in thick ferocious armor, and on the shoulders, head, elbows and other joints were sharp and vicious barbed thorns everywhere. A twisted dragon pattern was vaguely seen illuminating gradually with a light blue shimmer on its chest.

”Yes, Master. It is time to collect the soul-cocoons, and perhaps there'll be some Demon Seeds with excellent qualifications.” The knight answered in a deep voice.

”Andrew.” Garen's gaze fell on the knight. ”In just five years, your strength has improved from your initial Level Seven to Level Nine. Regarding your talent, even I can't help but to marvel at it. But…”

His tone shifted.

”You've now been stuck at this level for two years. Not only there was no improvement in your strength, there's even some regression.”

”I'm sorry…” Andrew's head bowed even lower, feeling ashamed.

”Back then, I was satisfied with your hatred and completely destroyed the Gordra Household. This had cut off all your encumbrance, but it has also made you lose the opportunity to perceive more positive things,” Garen said lightly.

”I don't understand.” Andrew's eyebrows knitted together slightly under his helmet.

”You'll understand sooner or later,” Garen replied with a deeper implication to it. ”Now, I have a new task to hand over to you.”

He looked at this capable aide of his for these past few years, and his heart was gratified. With the presence of the few capable aides he had trained in the past few years, he was able to have more time for his own cultivation.

Andrew was one of them, and there were also the two Blasphemy Knights who were captured back then. Among them, Rena the female knight had also advanced to Level Seven. Being able to reach this point from the initial low level, she was also considered a very terrific talent. On the other hand, Irene was only Level Six. Even with the large supply of resources, she had not been able to advance quicker, and this showed that her aptitude was indeed worse.

Garen and the three had signed the highest level Underground River Oath, so he was not at all worried about them betraying him.

Only Andrew's strength was considered the finest among the three assets. The rest were just using their brains to deal with trivial things, while Andrew could be put in an important position.

So this time, as Garen himself had to leave for an important matter, he decided to hand over the task of recruiting to Andrew. In these past few years, through the three major sources of conscription, Garen had recruited more than a dozen generals, all of which were above Level Seven and below Level Nine. There was no stronger existence.

Meanwhile, there were quite a number of cannon fodders. Level Four and Five demons and mercenaries were a dime a dozen with more than ten thousand of them, so Garen was not lacking any of these at all.

”In addition, you can also recommend candidates from the underlings. Those with outstanding military merits can be taken in.” Garen gave a little command. ”My trip this time will probably take a while for me to return.”

”Understood.”

”If there's anything that you can't handle, you can go find Sean.”

Sean was the chieftain of the Demonic Behemoth squadron in the Fortress, commanding the mighty Demonic Behemoth elites, which was the most powerful deterrent force in the entire Fortress.

After being defeated by Garen, it tried to get payback for the next few years, but to no avail every time. In the end, it was finally convinced and became good friends with Garen instead. Although it did not have much authority, it was a force directly under Lady Vengeance and was not subjected to the two deputy commanders.

”Yes.”

Andrew honestly heeded the command.

Garen was then relieved and allowed him to leave.

Andrew, this fellow really followed him with sincerity and with no other intention. As for the other two female knights, they were still resisting at first. But later on, they went with the flow. Since Garen did not force them anyhow, they directly accepted their fate.

This time, Garen's true purpose of arranging all kinds of affairs was to further enhance his own strength.

As his body had almost reached the limit, advancing further would require him to upgrade the Soul Ring layers and increase the Soul Limit. This however required a tremendous amount of Soul Energy. Now that he was at the limit of a Middle Level Demon Lord, entering the Upper Level would only need the prolonging of time and a large amount of sentiments.

There were forty years left until the initiation of the Grand Plan, and a mere forty-years was not enough to enter the Upper Level at all. Hence, the only way was to find other routes. Only by hunting a large number of high-quality souls, absorbing them after treating them, and condensing them into Soul Seeds would work.

This kind of high-quality souls did not necessarily have to be of high level; those great scholars and artists with special sentiments also had the potential to be absorbed.

Besides, there might be an overlap in the sentiments of the many high-level powerhouses, and that would not help Garen to condense Soul Seeds.

Just when he was scratching his head, there came an invitation from the Dragons of Disaster.

To organize an extensive raid in a certain layer of the Abyss. Led by Gerdmos, one of the three Monarchs, to plunder the positive energy Plane – the Light World.

That was where the people of Light lived.

These fellows with no necks had always been abhorrent. As one of the main fighters summoned by the Wizards from various positive energy camp, they had a very malicious attitude towards the evil Colored Dragon Clan.

Initially, the Dragons of Disaster mainly spread fear to gain greater abilities and beliefs; this time, they went with the purpose of revenge.

The chief of a certain clan among the people of Light was planning a grand action against the evil Dragons of Disaster. It collaborated with many ethnic groups in the Light World, as well as some ethnic groups from the Heavens and the Light Elves of the kind under Mother Nature.

Prior to this, they had killed a Level Thirteen Dragon of Disaster named Storm Warlock and had actually gotten a Divine Stone unexpectedly.

Gerdmos, one of the three Monarchs, was heading there for this Divine Stone.

Garen still had the Pearl of the Temple he acquired back then in his hands as he had not been willing to eat it. He had been trying to perceive the divinity in it but still had no clue for a long time. If he had the Divine Stone, with the help of the Divine Power in it, he might just be able to understand the divinity.

He somewhat felt that the understanding of the divinity might be good for the Void Original Opus and Soul Limit.