Chapter 286

"Avatar transformation!"

When Su Hao controlled the three-tailed magma elder dragon and brought it before himself, he then activated the aberrant blood demon rune in his mind.

A drop of bright red essence blood flowed from his hand and dripped onto the three-tailed magma elder dragon's head.

The next moment.

This drop of essence blood from Su Hao ignored the sturdy, scorching scales on the three-tailed magma elder dragon's head and merged into its brain.

Immediately after.

He then felt a sharp pain in his soul, as if a blade sliced across his soul, cutting off a small piece.

But fortunately, that missing piece of soul quickly repaired itself automatically; aside from the soul's overall strength appearing somewhat weakened, there were no other changes.

At the same time.

After that drop of essence blood merged into the three-tailed magma elder dragon's brain, it combined with the aberrant power within his body, finally turning into a mass of blood mist that fused with the dragon's brain.

And the missing piece of Su Hao's soul, at that moment, entered the three-tailed magma elder dragon's brain through that blood mist, merging completely with it.

And through the aberrant power, he completely controlled the three-tailed magma elder dragon's body, turning it into Su Hao's first avatar.

Although after using the flesh aberration skill, Su Hao can still control this body.

But it requires diverting a large amount of mental focus and consuming corresponding spiritual power to control the body and make corresponding movements.

Now it's different; after transforming it into his avatar, Su Hao no longer needs to expend spiritual power to control this body, and the required mental focus is not large.

This gave Su Hao a remarkably novel feeling, as if this body were a newly grown organ, like a limb; merely by thinking, the three-tailed magma elder dragon's body could perform the corresponding actions.

Moreover, his field of vision became twofold.

One is the scene seen through his own eyes, the other is the scene seen through the eyes of the three-tailed magma elder dragon.

In subsequent testing, Su Hao also surprisingly discovered.

This body, like a normal person, can instinctively perform some actions when encountering danger or sudden situations.

For example, raising its three tails for defense, or using its three tails to attack.

If Su Hao's will does not forcibly control it, the three-tailed magma elder dragon's body can still make corresponding thoughts for different situations.

Moreover, the content and results of these thoughts will be fed back into Su Hao's mind; if he does not issue a counter-command, the body will act according to the thought's results.

This amounts to the three-tailed magma elder dragon's body being an avatar over which Su Hao has supreme authority and which possesses self-awareness.

Even in battle, even if Su Hao exerts no control over this body, it can still think for itself and act accordingly to cooperate with Su Hao in combat.

"This ability is pretty strong; it's equivalent to having a Supernatural Fourth Rank enforcer, and it can even be strengthened!"

After one round of testing, Su Hao nodded in satisfaction.

First, after aberrant fusion, the three-tailed magma elder dragon's strength is far greater than that of the original magma elder dragon.

The magma elder dragon's main attack method is via the lava hammer on its tail.

After aberrant fusion, the magma elder dragon's tail lava hammer becomes three; although aside from the largest middle one, the other two cause damage not significantly different from before.

But this also raises the three-tailed magma elder dragon's combat power by two to three times compared to before, enabling it to simultaneously unleash three lava waves for a more comprehensive attack on enemies.

The only drawback is that after using this aberrant avatar ability, Su Hao's soul falls into weakness.

Exactly how long it will last, he currently does not know.

However, it can be certain that this soul weakness can gradually recover and will not damage the soul's strength.

As for whether there will be a numerical limit, he cannot yet determine; he needs to transform another one or two avatars to get an accurate answer.

Moreover, after transforming this three-tailed magma elder dragon into his avatar, Su Hao's spiritual power and physique have seen a slight increase, and he has gained great immunity to damage from fire-attribute skills.

Assuming beforehand, a fire-attribute skill could inflict a thousand points of damage on it.

Then now, at most it can only cause seven hundred points of damage, which equates to a thirty percent reduction, a quite considerable value.

More importantly, this is merely the improvement brought by a single avatar.

If in the future we continue to aberrantly fuse this avatar, or increase the number of avatars, this effect will further improve.

If there are also some avatars with extremely high fire resistance, perhaps someday Su Hao could achieve fire immunity.

Likewise, possessing other types of avatars can also grant Su Hao corresponding improvements.

However, before determining what limits exist on the number of avatars, Su Hao cannot casually transform avatars.

Afterwards, Su Hao rode on the three-headed magma elder dragon's head, walked toward the opposite side, and finally returned to the cave.

"Sister, take a look—are these the three flame crystals you wanted?"

Su Hao smiled slightly, took those three crimson crystals out of his Storage Bag.

"That fast?!"

Looking at the three fire-element-energy-filled crystals before her, Chi Yun instantly widened her eyes, showing an expression of disbelief.

Just moments ago, after seeing Su Hao leave, she felt a bit regretful, thinking she shouldn't have let Su Hao enter the underground cavern, fearing he might die at the hands of the magma elder dragon, causing her to lose this free long-term meal ticket.

As a result, less than half an hour later, Su Hao returned safe and sound, and moreover brought back three flame crystals.

This also means that even if Su Hao did not defeat those three magma elder dragons, he forcibly seized the three flame crystals from them.

A Third Tier Supernatural, even if he possesses the physique and spiritual power of a Supernatural Fourth Rank.

To forcibly seize flame crystals from the hands of a top-tier Fourth Rank magma elder dragon is already unimaginable, and yet it took less than half an hour.

If she weren't certain that the two crystals before her were the flame crystals she wanted, she would even suspect that Su Hao had grabbed the wrong thing.

It is precisely because she is certain these three crystals are the flame crystals she wants that she feels so astonished; she realizes she has continually underestimated Su Hao.

This is absolutely not just a Supernatural who only farms and summons undead creatures, but a powerful one who possesses a vast territory and astonishing combat strength.

However…

What does it matter? Regardless of whether he is strong or weak, once I free myself, I can shield him.

Surely I, a Fifth Rank Supernatural just a step away from Sixth Rank, cannot be shielded by him, can I?

Chi Yun stopped thinking further; with a light flick of her jade hand, a cluster of flame enveloped the three flame crystals before Su Hao.

This thing looks hard, and eating it would surely taste awful; it's better to just refine it like this.

She then closed her eyes and devoted herself to refining the three flame crystals, hoping to leave this place soon and regain her freedom.

Seeing this, Su Hao knew that Chi Yun wouldn't be able to finish refining the three flame crystals any time soon.

He neither urged her on nor left; instead, he found a stone stool to sit on, and while waiting, he checked the messages on his communication bracelet.

Over the past few days he had given Ling Xue'er many instructions; now his reputation among the survivors is growing, and more survivors are willing to work for him.

Many of the tasks he assigned have already taken shape, awaiting his final decision.

【Ling Xue'er: We have news about the flame goats; they're in the Shattered Stone Mountain Range, far from us, and the accuracy of the news is currently uncertain—should we send troops to check?】

【Ling Xue'er: There are five reports about the burrowing mice; three promise to capture them alive, while the other two give accurate information, but all of them propose the same condition—they want to exchange the reward for a chance to join our territory.】

……

【Ling Xue'er: The preliminary screening of the territory join applications is done; big boss, when do you have time to take a look?】

……

Ling Xue'er sent over a dozen messages, of which the three Su Hao cared about most were the ones above.

The flame goat is the main ingredient for refining a First Rank Miner's Magic Potion; to speed up mining, producing this potion for the dwarves has become a necessity.

As for the distant matters whose information accuracy cannot yet be confirmed, Su Hao didn't take them to heart.

Among the messages Ling Xue'er sent, there was also one about the development of a new type of airship.

When Su Hao last left the territory, he had ordered Ling Er to develop a high-speed mechanical airship, which has now been completed.

The interior space of the high-speed mechanical airship is small—only ten meters by ten meters by ten meters—and cannot compare to a mechanical troop transport airship.

However, the high-speed mechanical airship flies extremely fast—more than three times the speed of a mechanical troop transport—and using it to carry elite units on such long-range missions can effectively save round-trip time.

With the high-speed mechanical airship, a trip to the Shattered Stone Mountain Range wouldn't take long.

【Su Hao: Send a small military squad to pilot the high-speed mechanical airship over to the Shattered Stone area to check things out; if they dare to seek death, just grant their wish!】

The flame goat is the main ingredient for refining a First Rank Miner's Magic Potion, while the burrowing mouse is the main ingredient for a First Rank Blacksmith's Magic Potion, which is also a potion for the dwarves.

With the forging techniques left behind by the Iron Goat, the dwarves' forged Supernatural Grade weapons are no longer just the crude goods of before.

Before Su Hao's rebirth, the Supernatural Grade weapons forged by the dwarves were merely sharper and sturdier, with no other special qualities.

If it weren't for the fact that human technological weapons cannot be used, even these Supernatural Grade weapons they forged would be looked down upon by humans.

But now, even if they create only a First Rank Supernatural Grade weapon, it possesses a unique function.

For example, a longsword that can more easily cut through enemy armor, a dagger that speeds up blood loss, arrows imbued with deadly poison, and so on.

Each possesses considerable power, stronger than some First Rank weapons discovered in ruins.

Moreover, the forging techniques left by the Iron Goat are not limited to First Rank Supernatural Grade weapons; they also include methods for many Second and Third Tier Supernatural Grade weapons, armor, and other consumable items.

There are even a few items whose forging methods reach Fourth Rank Supernatural Grade.

Furthermore, with the solar furnace as an aid, even dwarves whose physiques have reached First Rank Supernatural Grade can barely manage to forge some simple Second Rank Supernatural Grade weapons.

If we can also refine a First Rank Blacksmith's Magic Potion to give them the blacksmith's sequence, then not only Second Rank Supernatural Grade weapons but also most Second Rank Supernatural Grade items could be forged by them.

Su Hao doesn't care for First Rank Supernatural Grade items, but Second Rank ones are just barely worthy of his notice.

If they could be equipped with a full set of Second Rank Supernatural Grade gear, the strength of the undead army within the territory would see a considerable boost, especially ordinary undead like skeleton monsters and headless knights.

Moreover, using the formula developed by Andre Da Ye, we can also use the Hellish Creature Manufacturing Device to refine Hell Weapons, a special kind of hellish creature.

Hell Weapons themselves have no combat power, but they can possess any Supernatural Grade weapon or Supernatural Grade armor, enhancing the equipment's might.

If we could equip all the undead beings in the territory with a set of Second Rank Supernatural Grade gear infused with Hell Weapons, their combat power would at least increase three- to fivefold at equal numbers.

Thus, refining a First Rank Blacksmith's Magic Potion has also become a necessary task.

However, the bounty he posted offered Supernatural Grade weapons and Supernatural Grade fruits as rewards.

But those who discovered the burrowing mice don't want those rewards; instead, they propose the condition of joining the territory.

A few days ago, Su Hao had planned to recruit more manpower for the territory, so their conditions actually don't conflict much with his plan.

Moreover, in another message from Ling Xue'er, there is also one concerning the territory join applications.

Ling Xue'er, among the many join applications, completed a preliminary screening, identified several suitable candidates, and messaged Su Hao to ask if he wanted to review them.

After glancing at Chi Yun, who was still meditating to refine the flame crystals, Su Hao lightly tapped his communication bracelet and sent a message to Ling Xue'er.

【Su Hao: Send me the abilities of those few people, as well as the abilities of other suitable candidates.】

Anyway, there's nothing else going on right now, so it's a good time to settle the matter of selecting who joins the territory.

After a short while, Su Hao's communication bracelet chimed 'ding' and received a message from Ling Xue'er.

(End of chapter)