Chapter 708: Chapter 352: Array, Rebirth
Ronan sat cross-legged under the tranquil beam of blue lighting crystal.
Around him, a spiritual field as powerful as a celestial body slowly rotated, forming transparent, wrinkle-like distortions in the air.
“Rustle, rustle—”
Footsteps approached, accompanied by slightly disordered and rapid breathing.
Before long, a voice sounded in Ronan’s ear.
“Master..”
Ronan opened his eyes to see Heather standing before him, respectfully handing over a space ring.
Ronan took the ring, glanced inside briefly, and then retrieved a monster’s corpse from it, tossing the ring back to Heather.
The latter looked at him with eyes full of expectation, but seeing no further reaction from Ronan, she appeared somewhat disappointed.
However, she quickly adjusted her emotions, wiped the light sweat from her smooth forehead, and turned to walk back into the darkness.
Once Heather’s figure disappeared completely into the dark, Ronan reopened his eyes, looked in the direction Heather had left, then silently followed her.
Over the past few days, Heather had repeatedly brought back waves of monster corpses to Ronan, never taking a break, and each set of monster bodies brought back was of higher quality than the previous.
Compared to Ronan’s impression of “Heather”, it was almost like a different person; Ronan even detected traces of “resilience” in her?
If that change could still be attributed to the powerful effect of the master-servant contract.
Then the issue regarding Heather’s combat power truly astonished Ronan.
——
She, a pampered “spoiled young lady” of a wizard, growing up in the Deep Sea under the protection of Level 5 Wizard Lady Mel, leading a dozen Third-tier Elemental Life forms all by herself, was somehow able to maintain her fight for so long in the perilous Ancient Waterway Ruins.
Additionally, she had slain more than ten Fourth-tier demons, including a late Fourth-tier lizard-like monster whose strength was close to Level 5, even Ronan found it somewhat troublesome.
Aside from some losses among the elemental life under her, Heather herself was uninjured, only suffering from significant physical and spiritual power exhaustion.
Such a “glorious” record would earn the title of “elite of the same rank” on any Level 4 Wizard!
“She possesses the audacity to sneak into the Forgotten Land alone, it seems she does have some reliance…
Lady Mel should have given her quite a few means of self-protection.”
Ronan thought, silently gliding like a bat through the dense darkness above the waterway.
Before long, he caught up with Heather’s figure.
At this time, Heather was engaged in a battle, and her opponent… shockingly, was a Fifth-rank Corpse Demon.
It was Ronan’s first time seeing a Fifth-rank Corpse Demon, whose massive and corpulent body was over four meters tall, standing like a grayish-white rotten meat mountain.
It exuded an incredibly intense aura of corruption, like some kind of curse aura, impacting even from a distance.
Heather seemed prepared, her delicate face taut, but there was no sign of panic.
She chanted continuously, her magic wand waving non-stop, summoning one water elemental life after another.
The strength of these was much greater than those Ronan had made for her using the Element Pool, reaching the Fourth-tier, and upon appearing were immediately directed by Heather to firmly shield the Third-tier water elements that Ronan had provided at the rear.
Ronan understood why the water elements, which weren’t strong, had such low attrition rates under Heather’s command, dare to say they were “privileged soldiers” during battle.
Ronan shook his head, continuing to watch.
Merely a few Fourth-tier water elements couldn’t handle a Fifth-rank Corpse Demon.
Heather seemingly did not realize this, continuing to “busy herself.”
Just then, the Fifth-rank Corpse Demon opened its black, rotten maw, spewing out a jet of ink-black, viscous liquid towards Heather. Instantly, the entire space seemed to be filled with a nauseating, putrid stench, under the intangible power, two weaker water elements exploded with a “boom.”
Ronan frowned, hesitating whether to act, but in the next second, he saw an incredible sight——
“Buzz—”
A deep blue water shield, glowing with vibrant magical fluctuations, quickly rose in front of Heather, firmly blocking the water jet from the Fifth-rank Corpse Demon.
How did she do it?!
Ronan narrowed his eyes, quickly noticing that a series of golden-blue light paths were connecting Heather and the water elemental beings on the field, forming a mysterious and complex arrangement.
Within this formation, Heather and all the water elements seemed to become a single entity, with massive energy conducting within, growing larger like a snowball, ultimately reaching a height capable of confronting Level 5, and able to burst at any formation node…..
“Inheritance Array?!”
Ronan was surprised; the principle of this formation was quite similar to an inheritance array, which only Level 5 Wizards had the qualification to build, albeit much simpler and more flexible.
“Heather actually has research on Rune Formation and her attainments don’t seem low…”
Rune formation isn’t limited to defense and sealing functionalities, it also augments a wizard’s combat power, though the latter is much more complex and seldom mastered by wizards.
Ronan didn’t expect Heather to have talent in this area.
He hovered above, quietly watching Heather relying on the boost effect of the mobile formation, and the tactical cooperation with the water elements, to wear down the Fifth-rank Corpse Demon bit by bit.
After the battle, Ronan’s impression of Heather greatly changed, he began to reconsider the positioning of this maid with a strong inclination towards masochism.
The initial contract signing was merely to have Heather keep a secret and end a trouble, but now…. she seemed to have additional value for him.
Having dealt with the Fifth-rank Corpse Demon, Heather used her magic wand for support, standing while catching her breath in heaving gulps.
Her face was pale, strands of golden hair soaked with sweat, sticking damply to her forehead.
In this battle, she had almost exhausted both her spiritual power and physical strength.
She suffered a few bruises, and even twisted her foot while dodging.
Heather pulled out a pile of potion bottles from the space ring, rummaging around, picked up a few empty crystal bottles, and desperately tilted them to her mouth, finally dispiritedly throwing them to the ground.
She barely rested for a while, then supported herself and limped towards the corpse of the fifth-rank Corpse Demon.
Ronan watched as Heather bent over, forcing herself to collect the scattered pieces of the Corpse Demon’s body, suppressing the urge to vomit multiple times due to the stench.
She screamed as white maggots suddenly burst out of the Corpse Demon’s belly…
He turned around expressionlessly, returned to his original position, closed his eyes, and continued his meditation.
A while later, Heather returned with the remaining few water elements, looking somewhat “dirty,” yet the first thing she did was eagerly hand over the space ring to Ronan.
Ronan had anticipated her actions regarding the fifth-rank Corpse Demon, glanced at the space ring, and nodded indifferently, “Well done.”
Then he tossed her a few bottles of healing and recovery potions.
Heather seemed to have fully assumed the “servant” role, gratefully accepted the potions Ronan gave her as if receiving a treasure, thanked him joyfully, but did not drink them. Instead, she carefully put them away and looked at him expectantly.
Ronan remained silent for a brief moment before slowly speaking, “As you wish.”
After speaking, he gently raised his hand, and from beneath his magic robe sleeve, several dozen thumb-thick golden whips split off from the titanium, and he began to lash them across Heather’s entire body.
Heather let out a muffled groan and immediately bit her lower lip tightly, a peculiar expression of pain and enjoyment appearing on her face.
Ronan suppressed the slight discomfort in his heart, maintaining the spell’s operation.
After a while, Ronan suddenly stopped his actions. He raised a hand and abruptly pulled Heather to him.
“Something’s wrong….”
Ronan looked at Heather’s flushed, “radiant” face and whispered in amazement and confusion, “How did your spiritual power replenish? And your soul power has also increased?”
Heather looked bewildered, still immersed in the residual sensation, but she murmured in reply, “I don’t know… it was only in the past few days that I discovered it, your gift has greatly helped me…
It’s like I’m experiencing an unprecedented rebirth…”
Ronan slowly released his hold on Heather’s hand, lost in thought.
The stimulation of pain can indeed promote soul power growth, with [Ascetic Body Refinement] being the best example.
But cases like Heather’s, where the effect is so pronounced, are indeed rare.
This truly is a remarkable “rebirth.”
Just the process…. is somewhat peculiar and indescribable.
……..
Deep underground in the Forgotten Land, there’s no sunlight, no daylight, only perpetual heavy darkness.
On a relatively flat piece of the ruins, dozens of fourth-tier elemental creatures patrolled, unwaveringly performing their guarding duties.
At their patrol’s center was a space tent, shaped like an inverted bowl, semi-transparent.
Separated by a thin space barrier, the inside and outside of the tent seemed like two different worlds.
Flowers, greenery, a wardrobe with a dressing table, a bathroom, and a soft, large bed, with gentle lighting pouring down from above, adding much tranquility and coziness.
A faint fragrance mixed with the scent of food lingering in the air.
Ronan sat in a pink high-backed chair, gently wiping his mouth with a napkin, having just enjoyed a rather nice dinner.
“Master…”
Heather walked up to him, slowly crouched down, and then looked at him with expectant and pleading eyes.
Ronan yielded under the onslaught of her gaze, reluctantly lifting his foot.
Heather, filled with joy, cradled Ronan’s lower leg in her arms, placed it on her knees, and then gently pounded it with her fists. With every punch of her small fists, the corners of her eyes would uncontrollably arc downward, as if immensely satisfied.
Ronan couldn’t help but twitch his lips slightly at the sight of Heather like this.
It’s hard to associate this obedient, well-behaved woman with the Heather of the Deep Sea Faction.
Sometimes Ronan felt that he was the one being “trained” —
He was being gradually trained by Heather into a qualified “master.”
He could only comfort himself repeatedly with the thought, “This is the most suitable practice method for her.”
It must be said, during this time, Heather’s soul power has indeed increased significantly.
“Did Lady Mel teach you magic array studies?”
Ronan asked casually while “enjoying” Heather’s service.
Heather’s massage technique was clumsy, but she seemed exceptionally focused, as if making Ronan’s legs comfortable and relaxed was the most important thing in the world.
Upon hearing Ronan’s inquiry, she shook her head.
“No, Grandma has no interest in magic array studies….
There was a time during my childhood when she forcibly locked me in the attic, apart from daily meditation, there were only books filling the room to pass the time.
Much of the knowledge, was accumulated during that period.
After I gained freedom, these things were gradually forgotten…”