Chapter 83: Chapter 84: Governing by Division
In the temporary puppet factory, a dissected beastized human lay on a large workbench.
The blood was frozen due to the lingering chill, preventing it from spilling everywhere.
Sunan set down his tools, released **Mage Hand**, and wore a contemplative expression.
"As I suspected, these individuals have awakened their beastly bloodline factors, exhibiting irreversible atavism. They are indeed afflicted with Beastization Syndrome."
"Moreover, they all show signs of physical enhancement, which is definitely the work of a wizard apprentice."
Sunan glanced at the corner where more than a dozen beastized humans stood quietly.
He had studied the blood-marked fang he obtained from Baron Storm and confirmed that it was a magical item used to control beastized humans.
It was similar to the necklace he used to control the Blackstone Leopards in his cavalry.
Such magical items designed for specific puppets or slaves are generally not difficult to create, but the manufacturers often add unique enchanted runes to serve as a form of encryption.
Anyone other than the creator would need a **Magic Item Manufacturing** skill at least two or three levels higher to crack and use these magical items.
From the craftsmanship of the blood-marked fang, Sunan estimated that the creator's **Magic Item Manufacturing** skill was likely low, probably only at level 1.
However, his own skill was only at level 2, making it impossible for him to unravel its secrets.
He could only use the fang to suppress the beastized humans, preventing them from turning hostile towards him.
"It's a pity that the control targets of this magical item are specific; it can't be used to suppress other beastized humans."
Sunan shook his head.
This fang could only suppress the dozen or so beastized humans before him, rendering it mostly useless to him.
Sighing, Sunan disposed of the beastized humans and then destroyed the blood-marked fang.
These creatures could no longer be saved; for them, death was a release.
"Regardless, it's now confirmed that the Marquis of Golden Rock is indeed backed by a wizard apprentice, and the Beastization disaster is likely related to that wizard apprentice."
Unlike the incident with Amy, Sunan was certain this time that he was dealing with a genuine, living wizard apprentice.
He was also the first wizard apprentice Sunan encountered in this world.
He was confident that this individual was not a full-fledged wizard; otherwise, they wouldn't have to resort to such convoluted methods to deal with him.
"I just wonder if it's a level 2 or level 3 wizard apprentice?"
Sunan's expression grew serious.
Compared to the influential Marquis of Golden Rock, a wizard apprentice was far more concerning to him.
After all, the former could not realistically kill him unless four or five legendary knights attacked him simultaneously.
In contrast, a wizard apprentice posed a much greater threat.
Especially a level 3 wizard apprentice, who could skillfully manipulate energy particles without needing to rely on rune gemstones to cast energy runes. They would also have mastered second-circle spells and advanced magical techniques.
Even with his many trump cards, Sunan couldn't guarantee he could handle a level 3 wizard apprentice.
"Dealing with a level 3 wizard apprentice, even with the Ice Burst Necklace and the Extreme Protection Ring, isn't safe. I need to prepare more trump cards."
Though it was uncertain whether he would face that wizard apprentice, Sunan felt it prudent to prepare early.
Being cautious was always wise.
After a moment of thought, he quickly devised a plan.
First, he would craft new faint-glow level magical items.
These would be entirely focused on offense, unlike the Ice Burst Necklace.
Next, he needed to prepare additional trump cards.
"Just in time, I had an idea previously; I can try it out now."
Sunan opened his palm, looking at the rune gemstones, his eyes gleaming with determination.
On the night of the ambush, the Shimmering Territory had easily overwhelmed Baron Storm's forces.
The army suffered minimal casualties.
Seizing the opportunity, Key decided to leave part of the army to guard the prisoners, while he led the Blackstone Cavalry and the remaining forces to Qilin City overnight.
Sunan accompanied them with the Golem Legion.
Baron Winter Frost had never anticipated that Baron Storm would be defeated so swiftly. By the time he received news of the defeat, Key had already positioned his army to block his retreat.
Thus, faced with the fierce assault of the Blackstone Cavalry and the Stone Golem Legion, Baron Winter Frost's forces, caught in a pincer movement, predictably fell into disarray.
Baron Winter Frost was captured, and the following day, he was executed alongside Baron Storm.
When the news broke, it sent shockwaves throughout the Golden Rock Province and even across the entire Principality of Starlight.
No one had expected that with the combined forces of two major baronies, they would fail to capture a mere baron territory and instead be utterly defeated, resulting in the capture and execution of both barons.
This dramatic turn of events unfolded in less than a month.
The Marquis of Golden Rock, stationed in Mengguang City, had barely had time to react before the Shimmering Territory, with impressive momentum, eradicated the remaining forces in both the Storm and Winter Frost territories, claiming both lands. They then swiftly advanced to attack other territories.
In shock, the Marquis of Golden Rock had no choice but to return to lead the united forces against the Shimmering Territory's advance.
What followed was a fierce war.
Having witnessed the formidable combat power of the Stone Golems, Key wasted no time investing all the gold he acquired from looting the Storm and Winter Frost territories into building the Golem Legion.
One Stone Golem after another emerged from the puppet factory, immediately deployed into battle.
Initially, Sunan had hoped to infiltrate again, but after Baron Storm's experience, the Marquis had tightened security. Everyone entering or exiting the camp underwent strict scrutiny.
Sunan even discovered magical items designed to detect mana.
As a result, he had no choice but to abandon that plan.
Although his infiltration attempt had failed, the Stone Golems still performed admirably on the front lines.
With the Golem Legion and the Blackstone Cavalry combined, the Shimmering Territory now had the strength to confront the Golden Rock Coalition directly.
The war continued until the month of Frostfall.
It wasn't until the first snow fell that both sides tacitly agreed to cease hostilities.
With heavy snow blanketing the land, marching became difficult; even the Shimmering Territory's supply lines, supported by clay golem logistics, faced significant strain, necessitating a truce.
Thus, compared to five months prior, the Golden Rock Province had undergone a dramatic transformation.
Aside from the Shimmering Territory, the other two baronies and the viscount territory had long since been wiped out by the Golden Rock Coalition.
Now, the vast Golden Rock Province was left with only the Shimmering Territory and the Golden Rock Coalition as the two major powers.
The Shimmering Territory had expanded its territory from its initial holdings to now encompass the Storm and Winter Frost territories, nearly occupying half the area of the Golden Rock Province.
It was a situation that resembled a division of the land between the Marquis of Golden Rock and the Shimmering Territory.
This development had left many nobles stunned.
No one had anticipated that the Marquis of Golden Rock, who had aggressively raised the banner of rebellion, would be so thoroughly devastated, losing nearly half his territory without ever having stepped out of his own province!
And all of this was orchestrated by a mere baron territory!
The name of the Shimmering Territory now resounded throughout the Principality of Starlight!
Sunan's name also gradually spread in some hidden circles.
In the year 1252 of the Starry Calendar, during the month of Winter's Song (January).
The snow was falling particularly heavily today, and by the end of the month, there was no sign of thawing.
However, this was a good thing for the Shimmering Territory, providing ample time for recovery.
The expansion of territory meant increased taxes and population, laying a broader foundation for military expansion.
As soon as the war concluded, Key began consolidating the governance of the territory and launched a large-scale recruitment campaign, intending to bolster military strength during the winter months in preparation for battles in the spring.
Simultaneously, a new round of wizard qualification assessments was initiated.
With the expansion of territory and a surge in population, this round of assessments was significantly larger than before.
It was anticipated that many more children would qualify as wizard apprentices.
Throughout the month of Winter's Song, the Shimmering Territory was in full swing.
Sunan was no exception, diving into various tedious manufacturing tasks.
With the consolidation of new territories, the Shimmering Territory suddenly found itself with a large number of knights.
This surge in knights also led to a significant increase in demand for magical weapons.
Sunan had to allocate more time to focus on crafting magical weapons.
Additionally, the Blackstone Cavalry was rapidly expanding.
With an ample supply of knights, Key decided to transform the Blackstone Cavalry into a fully-fledged knight army, ordering that only knights could join the unit from now on.
As for the existing squire members, they were given priority for Dragon Blood Fruits, aiming to help them quickly advance to knights.
According to Key's plan, he intended to create a proper knight army before the snow melted, ready to trample over the Marquis of Golden Rock's territory.
Thanks to this, Sunan found himself tasked with crafting more Blackstone Leopards.
Currently, the output from the Blackstone mine was insufficient to meet the growing demand for Blackstone Leopards, so he needed to find other suitable materials to replace it.
"I feel like I'm becoming a tool for work."
Sunan sighed lightly, trying to console himself that the expansion of the territory was beneficial for him, as it would provide more gold for purchasing materials.
Especially since after advancing to a level 3 wizard apprentice, there would be even more financial demands.
And this situation was only temporary; once Sherman and the others matured and took over the responsibilities of potion making and Blackstone Leopard crafting, he would have a much easier time.
Despite his busy schedule, Sunan never let up on his training.
By the time the month of Revival (February) arrived, his mental power had increased to 27.45.
Simultaneously, he had finally gathered all the materials needed for the Nightmare Potion.
Without delay, Sunan began crafting the Nightmare Potion that very day.
With a **Potion Making** skill of level 4, he was more than capable of creating second-circle potions.
That said, he still failed twice, finally succeeding on the third attempt to create the Nightmare Potion.
"Success!"
Looking at the potion in his hand, Sunan let out a long sigh of relief.
The bloody mandrake he obtained from Stone Bell City had only enough for three Nightmare Potions; if he had failed a third time, it would have been a significant loss.
Fortunately, his luck hadn't run that low.
"It was indeed the right decision to raise my **Potion Making** skill to level 4 before attempting to craft the Nightmare Potion. The difficulty of second-circle potions is far higher than that of first-circle potions."
After steadying his mind, Sunan focused on the potion.
The transparent, slender bottle contained a violet liquid, sparkling with countless shimmering specks of light. Under the glow of the mana lamp, it radiated a mesmerizingly beautiful hue.
From its appearance alone, it was hard to guess that such a beautiful potion bore the ominous name of "Nightmare."
"It's a pity; if I could craft two Nightmare Potions and then combine them, I might be able to push my mental power over 30 points. With only one, it probably won't be enough."
Sunan felt a twinge of regret, but he quickly regained his composure.
Even if consuming the Nightmare Potion didn't push his mental power to 30 points, it wouldn't be far off.
At most, after meditating for another month or two, he would definitely advance to level 3 wizard apprentice.
Taking out mana stones and silver from his space ring, Sunan set up an energy-concentration magic circle in the meditation room. He then activated the circle, filling the room with a large number of energy particles.
After completing all of this, he sat cross-legged on the ground, taking a deep breath to clear his mind. He gently uncorked the potion and raised it to his lips, drinking it all in one go.
The slightly cool potion surged into his stomach, transforming into a wave of icy energy that quickly flowed through his limbs.
Sunan leaned back and relaxed his mind and body.
About ten seconds later, his body suddenly tensed up, and he began convulsing violently.
Visible to the naked eye, the veins on his exposed hands and feet bulged out, twisting and contorting like worms. His skin flushed abnormally, large beads of sweat appearing and soaking his clothes in no time.
If a wizard were present and scanned him with their mental power, they would see countless energy particles surging toward him, almost completely enveloping him, resembling a colorful cocoon.
Every second, an uncountable number of energy particles seeped through his skin's pores into his body.
Sunan gritted his teeth, enduring the overwhelming pain flooding his nerves.
Faintly, he sensed a chilling aura slowly spreading throughout the room.
Tap!
A faint sound of footsteps echoed beside him.
Sunan struggled to turn his head, shocked to discover a group of grotesque monsters had inexplicably appeared in the room.
They resembled humanoid creatures composed of rotting flesh, thick, muddy liquid dripping from their skin, sizzling as it hit the ground and corroding it into small pits.
Even more unsettling was the massive mouth filled with sharp teeth in the center of their decaying bodies, remnants of flesh still visible between their teeth.
The monsters growled and writhed, approaching Sunan with malevolent intent.
Sunan lay on the ground, his body rigid and unable to move, helplessly watching as these creatures closed in on him, their sharp teeth ready to tear into his flesh.
The intense pain washed over him like a tide, wave after wave, seemingly endless, until eventually, he became numb to the pain, feeling nothing at all.
In this way, Sunan watched helplessly as he was torn apart, his body reduced to fragments of flesh and bone, consumed by the monsters, leaving only his head behind to witness his own dismemberment.
Swish!
With a faint sound, everything vanished.
The monsters, blood, and slime all disappeared without a trace.
The room returned to calm.
Sunan lay on the ground, drenched in sweat, as if he had just been dragged out of water.
"Damn it, this side effect is over the top."
Sunan couldn't help but curse.
He finally understood why the potion was called "Nightmare."
Even though he consciously recognized that it was just an illusion, watching himself being dismembered was an unbearable experience.
The pain during the process felt all too real; anyone with a slightly weaker will might have collapsed under the strain.
"Nightmare indeed; the name is truly fitting."
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