Chapter 158: From This Moment On, the Pawn Ascends to the Player! (33)

Night.

The underground magical experiment center of Crescent Castle.

Luosen emerged from the secret chamber's small door of Queen Kao, turned and entered another extremely inconspicuous hidden door that was almost fused with the wall.

After opening the door and stepping inside, there was a spiral staircase leading underground; after descending the stairs for over ten meters, he entered a deep underground secret chamber.

The four walls of the chamber were constantly covered by a thin layer of pale blue water film, an upgraded, reinforced version of the Seven‑Ring "Silent Crystal Wall".

A formation automatically maintained it; a single charge kept it effective for a month.

Luosen walked toward the center of the chamber, where a cylindrical opaque water tank was placed, about 2.5 meters long and roughly one meter in diameter.

The four walls surrounding the tank were covered with all kinds of runes—pure water runes, nature runes, life runes, and so on—dense and intricate.

Around the tank stood various strange and complex magical devices, all sharing a common precision‑crafted style.

Clearly, Luosen had crafted them all by hand.

The devices emitted myriad energy fluctuations, each resonating with the runes on the tank and engaging in precise power communication.

Luosen donned a full‑body protective lab suit, put on safety goggles, and slowly pushed open the tank's hatch.

Inside the hatch lay a pale green transparent liquid, within which a man's body floated.

The man looked exactly like Luosen, down to the tiniest detail.

Strangest of all, this was not the result of the Transformation Technique, but natural.

Though the man was immersed in water, he displayed obvious signs of life—continuously breathing, with limbs twitching aimlessly.

This was a substitute Luosen prepared for himself, functioning similarly to Queen Kao's substitute.

But unlike the queen's substitute, Luosen's was a truly perfect duplicate.

Why perfect? Because aside from lacking a brain and requiring Luosen's constant remote control, everything else matched Luosen exactly, down to the deepest genes in each cell.

For that reason, Luosen's magical energy could flow unimpeded through it, and even the closest person could not detect any abnormality between them.

So where did this body come from? Certainly not a clone; Luosen has not yet mastered that ability.

The original technique came from Sea Cliff Laboratory, called "Bloodline Fusion Replacement Technique".

The details: obtain a stranger's body, use it as a vessel, inject one's own bloodline into it, then employ secret herbs and various occult methods to gradually merge the bloodline into the stranger's body.

Then continuously feed power to one's own bloodline, letting it grow until it completely replaces the stranger's body.

During this process, the stranger's body serves as a "cultivation container" and a "growth template".

Once the replacement is complete, the stranger fully "disappears", leaving behind a body identical to one's own bloodline, even more alike than identical twins.

Such a refined technique was gradually uncovered by Master Levinde through various living‑corpse experiments.

Lacking any fundamental principle, it is merely a collection of trial‑and‑error experience, yet quite mature.

So mature that Luosen began to suspect the Frost Envoy Lafengge he met at Sea Cliff Laboratory that day might be problematic.

Of course, even if there is a problem, Luosen is not afraid.

After acquiring the technique, Luosen made every possible improvement, then found a "living corpse" body, spent several months cultivating it piece by piece, and shaped it into its current form.

Today is the day of verification.

Luosen once again meticulously inspected the body, confirmed everything was normal, and felt a slight stir in his heart.

"Laifu, activate the Mind‑Link Technique, connect to the perfect puppet, and shift it to background operation."

After issuing the command, he walked to a chair by the chamber's edge, sat down, and closed his eyes.

Yet the original body's eyes were closed while its vision remained active, merely shifting its perspective into the tank.

"Wha‑la~"

The man inside the tank sat up.

"Cough cough cough~~"

He coughed repeatedly, spitting out specially oxygenated pure water from his lungs.

"Wha‑la~~"

He climbed out of the tank, wiped his body clean, and carefully sensed his surroundings.

"Feels exactly the same as the original!"

Indeed it should be identical, because the cellular genes of both are completely the same.

However, since the base template was a living corpse, this duplicate's cerebral cortex was severely damaged, leaving it soulless and reliant on the original for remote control.

Yet, being a perfect duplicate with the same bloodline, it still possessed a strange advantage.

"My pure magical energy can, through bloodline resonance, transfer onto this duplicate."

The transfer loss is huge; the main body spends ten units of magical energy to transfer only one unit.

Yet because of the special nature of pure magical energy.

As distance increases, the loss only slows its reduction.

At 100 km, the loss is ten to one; at 1 000 km, about thirteen to one.

Currently, pure magical energy can only reside in a soul, and the duplicate lacks a soul, so transferred pure energy must be immediately converted into other spell power.

Afterwards it must either be stored or used outright.

But it is already sufficient.

"Haha~ This truly is my perfect duplicate."

The south is pacified, the north trembles in fear; it is time to take control of Weilan.

Yet future opponents will grow ever stronger, and the challenges ever harsher.

With this device, when the two bodies separate, Laifu of the original will lose a line of ultimate maneuverability, but it grants him far more leeway for free rotation.

"From now on, this duplicate will handle state affairs and attend important political events."

As a mage‑lord, researching techniques is fundamental; he must not let tedious state duties drain his time and energy.

But as a lord, he must also control his territory, so a perfect substitute that no one can see any flaw in is necessary.

As for the enthusiastic girls, naturally they are all handled by the main body.

This is one of Luosen's great pleasures in life; he must not let others handle it, not even a doppelgänger.

After confirming the doppelgänger was perfect in every way, Luosen had the doppelgänger rest in the secret chamber, while he himself opened the door and left.

By the time he returned to the surface, it was already eight o'clock at night.

Luosen directly returned to the inner courtyard of the lord's manor.

He checked on his children, who were already fast asleep, then teased the children's mother.

The children's mother was feeling a bit down.

Luosen naturally knew why she was down, because during the day she had learned what had happened in the south.

He raised his hand and embraced her.

"Dear, no matter how things change in the future, we, our children, and the Adrian family will always enjoy Weilan's glory."

So-called glory means supporting them with money.

For the first generation, we'll also give them some authority to shut them up.

For example, Huolande and Te wude can be reused.

The Adrian family isn't large either; all together they number no more than forty, and giving each person an annual budget of 2000 Ogre already beats their current treatment.

All told, it doesn't cost much money.

By adding a mechanism of preferential quotas and generational downgrades, the benefits for the fifth generation drop to zero, so no matter how many generations pass, there will never be a situation where the tail is too big to hold.

Selena felt much better, knowing her husband never makes promises lightly, but once he does, he never changes them.

She countered: "Will you kill my brother?"

Luosen shook his head: "Dear, I will not kill any member of the Adrian family, including your brother."

"You are the duchess and also the female chieftain of the Adrian family; their fate should be judged by you."

Selena thought for a moment and said: "Let him live, after all he's my brother; go to the northern Weilan Sea and find a larger, remote island for him to stay peacefully."

Luosen burst out laughing: "Dear, if you do that, Laide will surely hate you."

Selena also laughed: "I still resent him; letting him live is already lenient. Oh dear, don't drink, or the kids will have nothing to drink later, mm~~"

In the midst of their intimacy, a light chuckle came from beside her ear: "It seems I've come at an inopportune time." It was the instructor's voice.

Selena instantly felt relieved: "No, no, no, Anna, you've come at just the right time; I can't handle him alone."

The night passed without a word.

The next morning.

While Luosen was preparing in the government study for a trip south to Dawn City, he suddenly received news from the port.

"Lord, a ship from Aaron has arrived at the dock; it is Aaron's King's hound, Knight Schmidt, personally coming, and he has brought the former duke."

Luosen startled, then sighed: "Denge this fellow, everyone calls him the Lion King, but I didn't expect he also has the talent to bend and stretch."

If he were merely obstinate to the end, he'd be just a brute; but now he's become an opponent worth taking seriously.

Weilan is merely a puppet of Aaron, naturally easy to defeat, but the three great kingdoms of the Natural Alliance are truly formidable beasts.

Moreover, since everyone is a member of the Natural Alliance, we cannot casually go to war, for that would only waste our strength internally and play into the hands of the watchful Radiant Empire.

Therefore, our future gaming strategy must be changed.

We will not lightly ignite the flames of war; but once we do, we must fight swiftly and decisively, settling the matter in one battle so that the external foe has no chance to exploit.

"Weilan, with a population of over thirty million, faces Aaron, with 1.1 billion people—a small fry taking on a big block; tsk tsk~~ this is truly a challenge."

In the midst of his thoughts, Luosen said: "Let them come."

He waited patiently.

About half an hour later, Knight Schmidt personally brought Laide over.

The former's expression remained somewhat arrogant, while the latter was like a frost-beaten eggplant, with darting eyes, a stooped back, seeming to wish to throw himself on the ground and lick Luosen's feet.

Luosen glanced at Knight Schmidt and smiled faintly: "Sir Knight, do you know why King Dengge had you bring the duke over?"

Knight Schmidt started: "What do you mean, Baron?"

Luosen gave a slight smile: "That day, Arcane Master Shahelamu of the Blue Whale Mansion is currently hanging from a lamppost in Glory Square, blowing in the sea breeze."

"And as for the Arcane Master who once boasted of treating me this way, shouldn't he imagine his own fate?"

Schmidt was startled and stepped back half a pace, but then stopped: "Baron, don't go too far. The study has only you, a mid-level mage, and I can easily defeat you!"

Luosen narrowed his eyes, smiled, and silently cast a fifth-ring fate spell, 'Fate Prophecy,' on Schmidt.

"King Dengge's apology is sincere, and I am certainly not a harsh person."

"I won't kill you, but I bet that when you leave the study, you will surely take three nasty falls."

"What does that mean?"

"It means nothing. Get out of my island, hound."

Knight Schmidt didn't linger a moment longer; he turned and left.

Just as he reached the door, his feet tripped, and with a 'plop' he fell flat on his face, his mouth slamming hard into the ground.

The impact wasn't strong enough to trigger the defensive magic item, so he fell hard, knocking out his front teeth.

He crawled up, mouth full of blood, not yet realizing what had happened, only feeling terribly unlucky.

He got up and continued walking.

After just two steps, he suddenly took another tumble, his forehead slamming hard into the ground, nearly knocking him out.

Dazed, he got up, took two steps, and fell again.

His arm instinctively braced on the ground, the joint twisted backward, and with a 'crack' it snapped.

By this point, if he still didn't understand what was going on, he would truly be a fool.

His face covered in blood, he turned his head and looked at the baron in the study with a horrified expression.

He saw the other person grinning at him, full of schadenfreude.

"The Sage's prophecy technique!" Shimide stuttered.

"Arrogance has blinded your eyes, but at least it didn't make you completely blind. Get lost~ Our grudge is settled."

Knight Shimide climbed to his feet, cradling his broken arm, and fled in despair.

Luosen then looked at Dawn Duke Laide.

"Duke."

"Plop~~"

Laide knelt directly on the ground: "I am not the duke; you are the duke, you are the benevolent lord of Weilan, I beg your mercy, spare my life."

He looked at Luosen pitifully, just short of kowtowing.

Yet he was shocked in his heart; such a young five-ring Sage must be a person of extraordinary talent, no wonder he failed.

Luosen sighed and shouted at the door: "Ailiya, go call the madam over."

After a while, Selena arrived.

Laide immediately crawled a few steps toward Selena on his knees: "Sister~~ sister~~ brother I was wrong, I apologize to you, I."

Selena waved her hand: "Laide, you are no longer my brother."

"Yes, yes, yes, you are the honorable duchess, I am just a commoner, I beg the duchess to spare my life!"

Selena looked at her brother kneeling on the ground, not knowing how to describe her feelings.

"Laide, write an announcement saying you are passing the title to my husband, and then you will spend the rest of your life on Gray Stone Island."

"Which Gray Stone Island?"

"In the North Weilan Sea, there is an isolated island 150 kilometers from land, about 5 kilometers in diameter, with land suitable for growing potatoes and bird droppings that can be used as fertilizer. Go there to grow potatoes to sustain yourself."

Laide's face changed dramatically: "Coco I can't."

"You can learn; for the first few years we will give you enough food, but we won't keep supplying it forever—if you fail to learn, you'll starve to death."

"By the way, there is also this potion, the Golden Blessing, which can guarantee your health and prevent you from easily dying of illness."

"Drink it."

Laide finally couldn't hold back and shouted: "Selena, you are a demon!"

Selena used Master-level magic, forcibly pried open Laide's mouth, and fed him 5 milliliters of the Golden Blessing: "To deal with demons, one must naturally use demonic means. As my brother once treated me, so I treat him."

Having said that, she turned and left the government study.

Luosen looked at Laide and smiled: "Duke, I will provide you with a detailed manual on planting potatoes and various vegetables, as well as fishing rods, fishing nets, and a small fishing boat for catching fish."

"In short, I will not let you lack the tools to obtain food."

Laide fell into utter despair, and after a long silence he asked: "What will become of my wife and children?"

"There are two choices: one, go with you to the isolated island to accompany you; two, stay in Dawn City, and I will ensure they live decently."

After a few seconds of silence, Laide said: "Let them stay in Dawn City."

Luosen chuckled: "This is probably your final responsibility. For this, I will assign you a few servants and build a decent little estate."

"Thanks thanks thanks~"

Laide thanked him unwillingly, but he had fully come to terms with the reality.

This young man before him could decide the rest of his life with a casual remark.

This is the power he had long dreamed of; unfortunately, he never truly obtained it.

You're welcome, Ailiya, arrange for him to leave White Sturgeon Island.

Yes, sir.

After Laide left, the Naval Department Director Yuepu and the Army Department Director Kaodelin arrived together.

My lord, everything is ready; we can head south to Dawn City at any time.

Luosen was very satisfied with this efficiency: 'Then let's set off tomorrow morning!'

Head south to Dawn City, take over Dawn Castle.

When he fully took control of Weilan Giant Island with its 30 million population and 520,000 square kilometers of land, he was no longer a pawn that could be casually kneaded and killed, trembling all day, but became a player on the victorious chessboard.

Although he was merely the smallest piece in the Natural Alliance, it was nonetheless a fundamental leap! Weilan Giant Island, southern prefecture 320,000 square kilometers, northern prefecture 200,000 square kilometers.

PS: The chapter name was messed up; a quick hand posted it, couldn't be changed, resulting in two chapter 157s.

(End of chapter)