Chapter 897: Bestowing the Surname Augustus

Ah…

Maliwusi, who had been half‑kneeling, could not help standing up, letting out a low growl.

He felt his power surge explosively, his body swelling even larger, his skin as tough as rock, a seemingly endless force raging within, about to burst forth. All this power came from the original body—the young human before him.

Before Lei En appeared, Maliwusi was the world's most knowledgeable about original‑body symbiosis, possessing a dozen‑plus symbionts.

Once a symbiont reaches Legendary, the enhancement it receives from the original body diminishes rapidly.

The later it gets, the weaker the boost.

Maliwusi himself is a Legendary Mid-stage; forming symbiosis with ordinary Saint Rank cultivators yields little boost, so reaching Legendary High-rank is already good.

However, Lei En is no ordinary Saint Rank cultivator.

Maliwusi felt his power skyrocketing, sensed himself breaking through Legendary toward Saint Rank, and was overwhelmed with astonishment.

He could not imagine how mighty Lei En's body was, that it could propel him straight to Saint Rank!

A few minutes later.

Maliwusi's blood‑qi churned incessantly, but the aura he emitted waned, as if all his force slammed into a wall and failed to break through.

"Did I fail?"

The surrounding barbarians showed disappointment in their eyes, lamenting for their chieftain.

Makulage had not produced a Saint Rank cultivator for over a thousand years; the chieftain was the most hopeful, and they had thought today might be the day, but it fell just short.

But that is normal.

If merely forming symbiosis with a Consul could break Saint Rank, Saint Rank cultivators wouldn't be so scarce worldwide.

"What a pity…" Tailien beside him shook his head.

Maliwusi himself felt helpless; he knew the situation well: the original body can only grant enhancements to power, defense, and bodily resistance, never any abilities, and none of his Elements had advanced to Legendary Elements, which would trigger a soul metamorphosis.

He felt it was close, the gap to Legendary Power just a hair's breadth.

Yet that insignificant sliver was like a heavenly chasm, preventing him from crossing.

Maliwusi thought he could only rely on his own effort and should soon be able to assault Saint Rank again; just as he was about to thank Lei En, Lei En lifted the corner of his mouth and said, "It's not over yet."

The next second, Maliwusi sensed his power surge again.

In Lei En's view, a phone interface opened, selecting Maliwusi's avatar icon, displaying all of Maliwusi's Element data.

He could use energy to boost a symbiont's Elements.

But his symbionts were too many; even abundant energy wouldn't suffice, unless an Extreme Warrior was on the verge of breaking a bottleneck—say, from High-rank to Legendary—then he would pour energy to promote their advancement. At other times, his own growth drives theirs.

Maliwusi will be the commander of the Extreme Warrior Corps; only a Saint Rank cultivator fits his status and can keep the subordinate Extreme Warriors in check.

So Lei En injected energy without hesitation.

He chose the "Power" Element, already at level eleven, just a few energy units shy of upgrading; also the eleven‑level "Toughness" Element, about half a bar away; and "Blood Frenzy", just reached level four, needing to break past level five to advance Blood Frenzy.

The soul metamorphosis triggered by the three Elements advancing to Legendary grants enhancements far beyond the effect of a single Legendary Element.

After pouring in a dozen‑plus energy units, Maliwusi's "Power" upgraded.

Twelve‑level Legendary Power!

In an instant, Maliwusi felt the shackles in his soul shattered, his mind trembling, countless energies from heaven and earth flooding his brain, driving his soul into metamorphosis.

"Ji Li Man above!"

Makulage folk were ecstatic; the chieftain was clearly about to break through.

Soon, they noticed the chieftain's aura had changed, imbued with terrifying might that suppressed their minds and made their souls tremble—an aura of a Saint Rank cultivator. At the same time, his physique kept swelling, growing taller.

Lei En kept injecting energy.

Shortly after Maliwusi's soul metamorphosis began, his "Toughness" Element also rose to level twelve, advancing to a Legendary Element.

The advancement of the second Legendary Element triggered a deeper soul metamorphosis; Maliwusi couldn't help letting out a low growl, his skin reflecting a dark‑gold sheen, his body seeming forged of metal, unyieldingly hard, making both melee weapons and spells hard to harm him.

A moment later, the soul metamorphosis was halfway done.

Lei En poured in over three hundred energy units, raising Maliwusi's "Blood Frenzy" from level four to five, then to the five‑level cap, forcibly breaking through and advancing to "Infinite Frenzy"!

The Legendary Element Infinite Frenzy is undoubtedly far stronger than Legendary Power or Toughness.

Maliwusi's eyes were blood‑shot, blazing like fire.

Ho!

Amid the deafening roar, a wave of ferocious aura swept across the plaza before the Astat Temple.

The surrounding barbarians showed startled faces and quickly stepped back, leaving only Lei En standing before Maliwusi, his expression utterly relaxed; the raging aura brushed his body like a gentle breeze, having no effect.

Lei En glanced at the spiritual power pool.

He had reached Wizard level twenty‑one, with less than four hundred energy units left, almost all of which had been poured into Maliwusi's Elements, now depleted. Maliwusi's other Elements were still far from Legendary; the closest was level‑eight "Blade Storm", lacking enough energy to upgrade.

"That'll do."

The three Legendary Elements have already driven soul metamorphosis to its limit; adding more yields little benefit.

Lei En stopped there, quietly observing Maliwusi's ascent.

An adult Makulage warrior stands about 2.2 m tall; the stronger they are, the larger their build. The previous strongest, Xikalius, was 2.5 m; now Maliwusi exceeds 2.5 m, approaching 2.7 m, taller than Xikalius by a head and bulkier by a notch.

Makulage people lack giant bloodlines; even when triggering Infinite Frenzy, they won't exceed three meters.

That matches his prediction.

In the biting high‑plateau wind, the barbarians stared intently at the chieftain's ascent; after half an hour, Maliwusi's raging aura finally calmed, the blood‑red in his eyes faded, the surging blood‑qi subsided, returning to normal.

Because he had just ascended, Maliwusi could not yet control his power well.

The aura of a Saint Rank cultivator could not be concealed.

Hoo…

Maliwusi let out a long sigh, looked down at his body, and found he had grown nearly half a meter, his weight almost doubled, each muscle packed with explosive force; the armor he once wore had long since burst, leaving only a leather short‑squat.

He felt no embarrassment, only delight at his newfound strength.

My body swelled and my weight doubled, yet it didn't slow my speed; instead I felt more agile than before the ascension. Strength, defense, stamina and resistance—all of them were countless times stronger than I was at the Legendary Mid-stage, a feeling impossible to describe in words.

"Saint Rank strongman!"

Maliuusi sighed inwardly, not forgetting who had granted him such great power.

He glanced at Lei En, finding the primal body still unfathomable in his eyes, no different from how it felt before his ascension, and was instantly horrified, finally realizing just how terrifying the primal body truly was!

"Thank you, Consul!"

Maliuusi half‑kneelt before Lei En, respectfully expressing his gratitude.

Lei En nodded approvingly and smiled, "Captain Maliuusi, just call me 'Boss' like the brothers in the brigade."

"Yes, Boss!"

Maliuusi replied loudly, calmly accepting Lei En's appointment of him as team leader, and none of the dozen Extreme Warriors present objected.

Lei En calmly observed Maliuusi with his Soul Eye; this soul metamorphosis almost reached the Extreme, raising Maliuusi's power two tiers to level fourteen, his resilience up one tier, and many combat Elements were also enhanced in the transformation.

Having just ascended, he already possessed three Legendary Elements; Maliuusi's strength already surpasses many Saint Rank strongmen.

He is certainly stronger than Vili En, who broke through last year.

Moreover, Maliuusi is an Extreme Warrior; as team leader, how could he not wear Power Armor? The stronger the wearer, the more the Power Armor's might is unleashed, and Maliuusi will become the first Saint Rank Extreme Warrior to don Power Armor.

Bang!

Lei En took a heavy iron box from the Nebula Ring, dropped it to the ground, and it rang loudly.

Everyone's gaze was drawn to it.

The iron box bore a golden emblem of a warhammer crossed with a crescent moon, the symbol of the Augustus family; the Makurag were familiar with it, though they didn't know what lay inside.

The dozen Extreme Warriors recognized it at a glance; aside from that particular member, the others' eyes lit with fervor.

Power Armor!

Lei En said, "Captain Maliuusi, this is the Power Armor I forged especially for you." He turned to the Extreme Warriors and ordered, "Tairien, Dente, you all come help the captain put on the armor."

"Alright, Boss!"

Tairien and the others rushed forward excitedly, opened the box, swiftly pulled out massive armor pieces, and fitted them onto the stunned yet eager Maliuusi.

Normally, Extreme Warriors don and doff Power Armor using mechanical arms.

However, Lei En had already trained all Extreme Warriors in manual donning and removal of Power Armor; the speed is certainly slower than mechanical arms, but not much—completed in under three minutes.

Clad in Power Armor, Maliuusi stood nearly three meters tall; the deep‑blue armor resembled a metal fortress, and when he donned the helmet and activated the engine, a terrifying might radiated outward.

Maliuusi established a Mind Link with the armor system; the helmet screen displayed data, and a flood of information poured into his mind.

He adapted to the armor's controls in just half a minute.

Buzz!

A Bolt Gun and a lightning greatsword roared in his hands; as Maliuusi stepped onto the ground, the Temple Plaza trembled, a Titan engine behind him spewed scorching flames, the tens‑of‑thousands‑pound armor shot skyward, accelerating at full thrust, and vanished from sight in an instant.

Soon, a distant plateau echoed with violent explosions and thunder.

A few minutes later.

Maliuusi reappeared in everyone's view; the sky rumbled with thunder, and the towering figure descended faster than lightning, striking in an instant.

Boom!

The wildly ferocious Maliuusi landed before Lei En, the helmet visor opening to reveal a face brimming with excitement and exhilaration; he knelt before Lei En and shouted, "Maliuusi *Karga* vow to follow you for life, forever loyal, never betray!"

The words sounded like the oath of symbiosis with the primal body, but were different in substance; he uttered his full name.

Ordinary Makurag have no surnames, only the clan chief does.

He pledged loyalty to Lei En in his own name.

Even after the two dissolved their symbiotic bond, Maliuusi remained Lei En's vassal, like a feudal lord and vassal.

Lei En naturally understood Maliuusi's meaning; a Saint Rank strongman's lifelong loyalty is exceedingly rare, involving honor and dignity. He couldn't fathom why Maliuusi would pledge allegiance merely because of a set of Power Armor—there must be another reason.

He thought for a few seconds, then replied, "I accept your loyalty and grant you a surname. From today, your name becomes Maliuusi *Karga* Augustus."

"Yes, sir!"

Maliuusi touched his head to the ground, the armor helmet shattering the stone slab beneath; such a solemn bow had only been performed for Jiliman.

"Please rise," Lei En personally helped Maliuusi to his feet.

"Yes."

Maliuusi stood, then called, "Boss, the finest Astat warriors are all here, exactly three hundred; please select, Boss. If you find any unqualified warriors, you may replace them immediately, selecting anew from the tribe."

Hearing the clan chief's words, the Makurag straightened their chests.

They stared eagerly at Lei En; though supremely confident in their strength, they were inevitably uneasy, fearing Lei En might replace them.

Lei En had just observed them with his Soul Eye.

Indeed, the surroundings were filled with powerful barbarian warriors, each at least possessing Mid-stage Warrior strength; a dozen or so reached High-level, and the most outstanding even had a chance to breach the Legendary realm—they are the Makurag tribe's ultimate foundation.

"No replacement needed."

Lei En nodded, "Since you selected them, there's no issue; welcome, brothers, to the Extreme Warrior Brigade!"

"Thank you, Boss!"

"Long live the Boss! March for Augustus!"

"Great... Jiliman is above, I will also become an Extreme Warrior!"

The three hundred barbarians couldn't help but rejoice, immediately cheering, surrounding Lei En and Maliuusi, and on the spot shouted the Extreme Warrior Brigade's slogan.

"Thank you for your trust, sir," Maliuusi said softly.

Lei En casually waved his hand, "You are both captain and Makurag clan chief; who better knows who qualifies for the Extreme Warrior Brigade? Future expansions will still be your responsibility, but do not neglect training the next generation of tribal warriors, ensuring the brigade's manpower remains ample."

Maliuusi, newly appointed captain, will certainly help him establish authority.

Moreover, with his current strength, any Makurag becoming a symbiont could break the Legendary threshold; the symbolic significance of selection outweighs the practical.

Maliuusi solemnly nodded, "I have noted it, sir."

Immediately, he promptly arranged for the clansmen to form a primal contract with Lei En, each time ten people together swore a blood oath to Lei En.

After Lei En became a Holy Soul Ascension Wizard, the symbiotic heart-voice interference almost disappeared, the number of people who could endure it increased immeasurably, definitely exceeding the entire Makulage tribe's population.

Half an hour later, three hundred new Extreme Warriors were born!

Every Extreme Warrior is a legendary Mid-stage, their physique surged greatly, their strength leapt like a rocket across three stages, making them wildly excited, they howled loudly.

Lei En was also very happy.

In just one day, the number of Extreme Warriors doubled to six hundred, enough to form ten companies; the timing was also perfect, giving him more confidence in his upcoming plans.

"It's time to return to the imperial capital." Lei En looked eastward and thought, "Many people must already be unable to wait."

Daytime typing failed!

(End of chapter)