Chapter 305: The Mind Flayer's Demand

When the psychic shockwave hit the rebound barrier, the heads of the three Mind Flayer larvae burst like overripe berries. The brain‑pool fluid boiled and churned, and a surge of Mana breath continuously spilled out.

"Put away your stunt, or I'll help you swap your brain to speak."

"Master?!" Sgena's mouth gaped in surprise when they saw Naimi Xisi; they had thought they were doomed today, yet the long‑lost master appeared and even saved them!

At this moment, Sgena couldn't help feeling proud of their own wit; had they not recognized years ago that the Juan Ce Long was a master, they wouldn't have escaped this disaster now.

As expected of me, the great Corrosion Tide!

"Ten years apart, and you're still this 'smart', " Naimi Xisi said to Sgena, meaningfully.

Not catching the sarcasm, Sgena proudly lifted their head.

The dragonborn Warriors beside them stared with mouths agape at their lady master calling a human "master"; the Juan Ce Long now can control its scent well, making it almost impossible for these low‑level monsters to discern its true form with their noses.

Naimi Xisi maintains a humanoid shape out of necessity; most of the Underdark is narrow and cramped. Sgena's thirty‑plus‑meter length and five‑to‑six‑meter height can stretch out, but if Naimi Xisi's hundred‑meter body were to appear, it would likely burst the tunnel instantly.

Seeing this inexplicably appearing human kill the precious Mind Flayer larvae, the dozen Mana leeches' tendrils twitched violently, then they collectively raised their fingers toward the sky.

At the critical moment, the Mana leech elder Obraien stopped them.

Obraien stared at the man before him expressionlessly; his cold‑blooded brain was now filled with warnings.

Huge—far too huge.

In Obraien's view, the human opposite—no, the humanoid—contained Mana traces of a magnitude beyond estimation.

As a level‑19 elite Mind Flayer elder, Obraien is now the strongest being in the clan aside from the main brain that has already been destroyed.

The adult black dragon before him is merely a pastime he can toy with by a wave of his hand, but this present being is different.

The moment they saw him, the Mana leech's Mana intuition continuously warned Obraien.

He is dangerous.

"We come from Aolingduoer," the Mana leech elder's tendril rolled up a stone slab etched with spirals; Naimi Xisi's pupils contracted as they saw what appeared to be the holy seal of the long‑destroyed Death Three Gods carved upon it.

Sgena's dragon claw dug deep into the rock wall: "Lies! Aolingduoer was … forty years ago."

"It turned into a fissure between the Ethereal Realm and the material plane," the Mana leech continued, and three broken tendrils simultaneously oozed Mana blood, "We spent thirty years rebuilding the collective consciousness until the Drow's poison blade once again tore the brain‑pool."

Only then did Naimi Xisi recall the origin of Aolingduoer.

Decades ago, when they were still a young dragon, this Mana leech city that controlled the northern Underdark was suddenly annihilated overnight.

It was precisely because of this that the western Dark Elves launched their eastern expedition.

These Mana leeches are actually from that city?

"I heard that city was destroyed in a single night; how did you escape?" Naimi Xisi squinted and asked.

The other dozen adult Mana leeches seemed frightened by the question; the usually cold‑blooded ones trembled unusually.

Obraien did not answer directly, but said, "Before that, I have a request I hope you will grant." Naimi Xisi raised an eyebrow, "Speak then."

"Please allow us to remain in your domain, mighty Great Dragon," Obraien said respectfully.

"Oh," Naimi Xisi replied with interest, "Do you wish to submit to me?"

Obraien shook his head: "Mana leeches only obey the main brain's orders; we merely hope to secure a refuge within your domain."

The Juan Ce Long's eyes rolled a few times, cunningly saying, "Oh? What good does this do for me? You tried to enslave my dependents, and now you want to pull a free‑lunch by having me shelter you? You are Mana leeches that feast on human brains, not charm demons that tempt hearts."

Obraien paused, then raised the stone slab higher: "The slab's material comes from a divine corpse in the Star Realm; before Aolingduoer's main brain was destroyed, it stored the entire Aolingduoer clan's powers—from first‑ring abilities up to ninth‑ring abilities, and even three Legendary abilities—within this slab."

"If you can shelter us and let us rebirth a new main brain, it will unlock the slab's secret and hand over all our abilities to us."

Naimi Xisi unceremoniously unleashed massive telekinesis to snatch the slab, but oddly the Mana leeches remained unhurried, motionless.

They tried to infuse Mana into it, only to find the slab's interior indeed reacted strongly with Mana, yet it was sealed by an extremely complex ability.

"The holder must input a specific Mana frequency to lift the slab's restriction; apart from our main brain, no one can open it," Obraien said without any change in tone.

!

Naimi Xisi, somewhat irritated, tucked the slab away; no wonder those octopus‑faced ones weren't afraid of being double‑crossed—they were waiting here all along.

If they want that mouth‑watering Mana knowledge, they must honestly shelter them until a new main brain is born.

However,

Naimi Xisi lowered their gaze and thought for a moment; they were indeed tempted.

Compared with more easily obtained spells, abilities are far too scarce on the primary material plane. Up to now, they still rely on the stock in the notes that Duke Gavin originally gave them.

But those supplies only go up to the seventh ring.

More importantly, this slab not only contains all the abilities of a powerful Mind Flayer city, but also three priceless Legendary abilities!

Legendary abilities, huh.

Compared with Legendary spells, most Multiverse beings have never even heard the term.

Perhaps you think a Psychic Sorcerer of the Legendary realm can possess Legendary abilities?

That is true, but even across the entire Multiverse, Legendary Psychic Sorcerers are so few they are nearly extinct.

It is likely that throughout the Star Realm, the number of people capable of unleashing Legendary abilities does not exceed double digits.

"I agree," Naimi Xisi said after careful consideration, giving their answer.

No other reason; they gave too much.

Obraien exhaled, his tone slightly less tense: "To answer your earlier question, we escaped Aolingduoer because the main brain prophesied before the disaster and deliberately arranged us as its final seeds."

(End of Chapter)