Chapter 414: Command

Phantoms also value strength above all; force is the simplest, most brutal method, and this method is also the most effective for Jiang Xia.

We passed through the dim corridor, descended the dark staircase made of steel, and the surrounding was filled with the constant roar of machinery, while white smoke continuously spewed from the stainless steel pipes.

These two‑meter‑diameter pipes branched in all directions, filled with water, used to cool the ever‑running machines.

This is a steel factory, and also the Phantoms' communication and command center.

Meidusa, clad in a violet‑brown sheer veil, descended the stairs in human form, lightly grasping the rough railing; the rust‑stained rail gave her an uneven tactile sensation through her skin.

The feeling was like the moment not long ago when she was blasted onto a cliff face, as if her soul were soaked, rising higher, a blissful sensation of ascending to heaven.

Meidusa moved her arm away from the rust‑covered railing; the dim corridor echoed with crisp footsteps, and several black silhouettes appeared before the steel factory in different manners.

"Hello, little Meidusa, I'm here," Guleimlin said, hand resting on his hat, smiling as he looked down at Meidusa from above.

He had intended to enter the magical barrier to meet the battle‑worn Sage and report recent developments, but unexpectedly found nothing but a few traces of combat, which only piqued his interest further.

Who can breach the barrier and fight the Sage? The answer seems easy to obtain.

Now, gathering so many Phantoms here, what does the Sage intend, perhaps something to do with the Philosopher's Stone? At this thought, Guleimlin's smile widened.

When Meidusa saw Guleimlin, a hint of disgust flashed across her otherwise beautiful face; her name is not Meisa—Inose Meisa is already dead.

"Simply obey the Sage's orders absolutely; the rest is none of your concern," Meidusa raised her head, staring at Guleimlin and shouting sternly.

"Alas, how sad, you're still so lackluster," Guleimlin shrugged, nonchalantly leaping down from the height.

He does not wish to spend his life obeying the Sage; his sole goal is to obtain the Philosopher's Stone and become again the human named Kong.

Countless writhing shadows gradually straightened, clusters of black silhouettes emerged from the gloom, and innumerable pairs of crimson eyes continuously scanned everything around.

They are monsters born from humanity's darkest corners; the moments of greatest human pain and despair are their most exhilarating.

Though it is a human steel factory, when they appear it feels as if demons etched on ancient murals are on a pilgrimage or conducting a one‑time sacrifice ceremony for millions.

Phantoms of various shapes all manifested, their sole commonality being a demonic, snarling visage.

Not a single one, but a horde—demons that have lingered since mythic ages, stealing human souls, their metallic clanging now drowned by the Phantoms' cries.

They all opened their jagged mouths, whispered to each other, murmuring something.

They inherited everything once possessed by humans, including fragments of personality; each holds a past that drives humans to despair, yet these are the unwilling cries of the dead.

"It seems everyone has arrived."

When the Phantoms gathered, a voice seemed to echo from the void. The voice was low yet grand and solemn, like bronze bells resonating across the steel plaza.

Guleimlin snapped his head toward the source; the Sage's Phantom silhouette was slowly coalescing into a form, violet flames licking his body, and a powerful magical aura writhed like a solidified serpent.

The surge of potent magic instantly silenced all restless Phantoms, turning them into quiet statues.

These guys are easy to control; just crush them with absolute force.

"Sage." Meidusa submitted.

Just moments ago he wondered whether the Sage was the injured Guleimlin, but now no rebellious thought rises. Undoubtedly, that overwhelming magical power is beyond any Phantom's capability, and he sensed the Sage had never previously exerted full strength, merely playing.

"Well done, Meidusa, you deserve a reward," Jiang Xia said, "I will promise you great power."

"Thank you, Sage, I will forever serve you," Meidusa said, her face full of reverence.

"May I ask, Sage, why you have summoned us now?" Guleimlin set aside his flippant tone, speaking in the deepest voice he ever used: "Do you intend to truly eliminate the ring‑wearing magician?"

"Well asked, Guleimlin, you're good; later you'll also receive a reward," Jiang Xia said calmly, "but you guessed wrong."

"From today onward, without my command, no Phantom may harm any human."

"Alas!"

But when this command was issued, the Phantoms, who had expected some grand move, all began to question.

"Sage, if we cannot harm humans, how will we spread despair?" One Phantom stood, gazing at Jiang Xia as he opened his own snarling maw.

"No need to spread; the human world is already hell. We need do nothing; companions will naturally appear, and despair is the norm in this world."

But such reasoning clearly would not win their willing consent, and Jiang Xia had no intention of persuading them.

"No, humans must be driven to despair by our own hands; that is their destiny," said a Phantom, entirely crimson with outward‑protruding shoulders, slowly rising.

What a joke, devouring and harming humans is their instinct; this command is like telling a tiger to stop hunting and be kept by ridiculous humans.

"It seems you wish to defy my command, then meet me," Jiang Xia said.

This Phantom is called Balixi Bu, wields a longsword, and his ability is spatial distortion.

Balixi Bu single‑handedly formed a massive sword, leapt fiercely, and the great blade sliced a dazzling arc in the dim underground, charging straight at Jiang Xia.

"Do not strike the Sage!" Meidusa, watching Balixi Bu swing at Jiang Xia, thought not of how Phantoms spawn companions but feared the Sage would be disappointed in her, for Balixi Bu is her subordinate.

Just as Meidusa was about to act to stop him, she saw a sight that made the Phantoms' hair stand on end.

The Sage simply lifted his hand lightly, and Balixi Bu's body froze instantly in midair.

Near‑tangible magic surged from Balixi Bu's body; within seconds the Sage completely drained his magic, and he vanished with a wail.

At the same time all Phantoms noticed that after Balixi Bu, the upstart, disappeared, the Sage now held a dazzling magical gem.

"Meidusa, I will fulfill my promise," Jiang Xia said, "Come, receive this power."

Meidusa's body moved involuntarily; when she recovered, her master the Sage had already pressed the magical gem onto her chest, and it gradually merged.

She let out a shrill wail, and her human appearance instantly transformed into that of a Meidusa Phantom.

But it was not over; the scales on Meidusa's head seemed to come alive, like a long serpent awakening from slumber.

Simultaneously, a pattern resembling a giant serpent totem appeared on her body; she evolved. (End of chapter)