Chapter 348: It is not your will that matters
"Do you know something?" He spoke to the giant mana core. "You are very similar to my bloodline."
The crimson glow around Damon shifted, a soft radiance blooming from his chest as [Radiant Wellspring] flared to life. Unlike the sickly violet light of the mana stone, Damon’s conjured energy shone brilliantly and pure, dispelling and cleansing all the vile and toxic aura.
The cavern reacted instantly in a very violent manner. The corrupted roots recoiled, shrieking as if the stone itself felt pain. The bark-armored guardians faltered mid-step, their tendrils thrashing wildly as the glow of the Wellspring washed over them.
Damon tilted his head, crimson eyes gleaming. "Just like my body, you can also adapt yourself to whatever you want. I mean, you are a bad copy of me, but you are still a copy. I have a feeling that in the future I might have some important use for you. It would be such a waste to burn you and bury you right here. Hmmmm. What do you think?"
The mana stone pulsed erratically, its cracks splitting wider as though it understood his words and hated them. The chamber shook with a furious roar, the corrupted voice thundering inside Damon’s skull.
"YOU... COMPARE YOURSELF TO ME? YOU ARE A STAIN, A PARASITE, A—"
Damon’s expression didn’t change. His voice was calm. "Don’t get me wrong. I’m not asking. I’m telling you. You can either keep thrashing around like an animal... or..." He silently summoned Azuna.
The world spirit immediately appeared in front of him, and from the looks of it, she was extremely happy to see Damon. She looked at him with a radiant, loving smile and sweetly spoke. "You called for me."
The mana stone roared louder, the ichor frothing and the guardians spasming as they couldn’t process Azuna’s presence. "How is this possible? How could it be? How could a filthy bloodsucker like you possess a goddess? You must burn for this heresy!"
Damon did not respond. Azuna instead reacted. She tilted her head at the writhing mass, her crimson hair flowing like a river of blood in the choking haze. Her eyes, deep pools of dark crimson, softened when they fell on Damon, but turned glacial when she regarded the core.
"Shut up!" Her voice was cold and murderous. "A weak little thing like you dares to raise its voice against my Master?"
The corrupted stone screeched, its veins flaring violet-black, shaking the cavern as though trying to collapse it around them. Bark-armored guardians convulsed, then charged forward, their bodies cracking apart from the strain of holding form under Azuna’s presence.
Azuna clasped her hands behind her back, leaning forward as if peering into the mana stone’s soul. "Do you want me to purify it, Master? It would only take a moment."
Damon shook his head. "I might need it in a while to do some experiments. Is it possible for you to just absorb the whole thing and allow it to grow in your world?"
Azuna’s lips curved into a small, delighted smile, crimson light shimmering faintly around her. "If that is what you wish, Master... then it shall be so. But I must tell you that you won’t be able to access the plant for a while. I am still unable to stabilize myself."
Damon nodded. "Don’t worry about that. I can wait a while to see this thing again. There is no rush."
Azuna’s smile deepened, her hands lifting gracefully. Behind her, reality itself seemed to ripple. A crimson horizon bled open, her inner world spilling through like a dream made flesh, endless skies bathed in scarlet, rivers of blood glimmering like liquid rubies.
The cavern shuddered as chains of living crimson light erupted from the rift, coiling around the corrupted mana stone. The guardians howled and disintegrated the moment the chains brushed past them, their bark shells crumbling into violet ash.
The core itself writhed, pulsing violently, black ichor spraying in defiance.
"I am the Lord of this place! I command infinite power! You cannot take me!" the voice shrieked, rattling the very marrow of the mine. "I WILL NOT BE DEVOURED!"
Azuna only tilted her head, her tone soft, as though humoring a child. "It is not your will that matters. It is his."
The chains tightened. The stone’s cracks tore open, spilling ichor like blood, and the next moment the entire damn thing was yanked out. A loud shriek sounded, but it was useless. The whole thing was dragged into the rift, kicking and screaming. With a soft sigh, the portal then folded in on itself, vanishing.
Azuna turned back to Damon, her expression reverent. "It is done, Master. I will nurture that thing and turn it into something more obedient and useful for you."
Damon smiled. "Thank you. That would be nice. The stronger it grows, the more interesting the experiment will be."
As the last traces of crimson light faded, the entire place became silent. The suffocating presence was gone, and now only Damon and Azuna were there.
Damon looked around the mine calmly. A lot of damage had been done to it, and it was not really the gold mine he was looking for right this moment, but there was still a huge potential for it.
"Azuna, do you think there is any unadulterated mana shard left at all? Is the whole thing gone?"
Azuna shook her head. "There is some left, Master. The mine itself is intact. This place will heal slowly and soon produce abundant mana cores."
Azuna disappeared into the earth, melding into it and becoming a part of it. She then returned after a few seconds with a small mountain of sparkling mana shards, each one the size of a human head."
Damon’s eyes widened in shock. He did not expect the place to produce such big mana shards.
Azuna explained, "There is a natural formation here which constantly draws in ambient mana. Without the corrupted core, the mine will recover. It is like a wounded beast. It will scar, yes, but the veins will thicken with time. When it stabilizes, this place will yield mana shards of remarkable purity."
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Mass release sponsored by Syphatrol