The Evolution Of A Goblin To The Peak Chapter 1252: Entering the Blood Realm

It appeared that the Depth of Banquet was located in proximity to the God’s Continent. Although the God’s Continent stood as the nearest landmass, the distance remained significant; merchants and wanderers typically required at least a month of travel to reach their destination.

Following their meal, Souta and Fadu returned to the Rulman Household. As Fadu commenced his cultivation session, Souta maintained a vigilant stance nearby to ensure he remained unharmed.

Should Fadu persist in his disciplined routine, he would undoubtedly attain at least the First Shackle in due time. After all, the Rulman Household possessed vast reserves of resources, and Freida and Wresho would never allow their son to train without the benefits of pills and various elixirs.

"But that lies far in the future..." Souta remarked under his breath while observing Fadu’s movements.

In this manner, days slowly ticked by.

Fadu continued to apply himself with unwavering diligence, dedicating at least eight hours daily to honing his physique and techniques. Occasionally, Souta would interject to offer guidance.

Over these past few days, the Rulman Household had undergone significant reinvestment. Having expended a fortune, they had completely restored their defensive formations, rebuilt the residences, and ensured the functional integrity of all runes.

The estate was now capable of weathering a conflict of equal magnitude; without these defenses, such a clash would have leveled the entire vicinity, especially given that the Rulman Household counted several Hero-rank experts among its ranks.

This served as a testament to the long-standing accumulation of power held by such a noble house.

"While it might not equal Athen’s Champion, the Rulman Household is certainly wealthy," Souta commented.

"Atos!!"

Turning his gaze, Souta noticed Fadu waving for his attention.

"What is my next objective?" Fadu inquired.

Souta rose to his feet and replied, "That is for you to determine. I am your protector, not your master."

Before the words finished echoing, he flicked his hand with agility, unleashing a razor-sharp web from his fingertip.

Swoosh!!

"Wah!" Fadu reacted instantly, shielding himself with his blade, but the sheer momentum behind the web sent him reeling back several meters.

"Come now. See if you can land a blow on me," Souta said, flashing a grin.

Coughing as he regained his footing, Fadu tightened his grip on his sword and lunged ahead once more.

...

Meanwhile, within the Land of Fire Light,

Souta remained suspended high above the Everlasting Kingdom, acting as a silent sentinel.

He offered a soft smile and whispered, "The progress of my clone is quite satisfactory. Preparations in that sector are nearly finalized."

Descending into the heart of the kingdom, he promptly sought out the king. He asked Tasman regarding their readiness, and the monarch confirmed that all necessary measures were complete.

Tasman guided Souta to a vast, open expanse where the elite warriors of the kingdom had assembled.

Souta surveyed the faces of those standing before him.

There were over a hundred individuals, all showcasing formidable strength as SSS-rank experts. While their numbers had been greater prior to the calamity, these survivors represented the cream of the kingdom’s remaining forces.

Noticing Angus and Emiline, it was clear that they too were prepared to join the endeavor.

More than a hundred experts, all at the Fourth Shackle Realm or higher, stood in formation, completely silent. While they recognized King Tasman, they were barely familiar with the figure accompanying him.

This figure was a monster—a fifth-stage entity.

He was the most powerful existence in the Land of Fire Light, the very monster who had quelled the disaster that nearly led them to extinction.

They had heard accounts of Souta, yet this marked their first encounter at such close range.

Souta began to speak: "I shall inform you of your destination now. Tasman has readied all of you for this moment—a chance to fight for your own destiny. I will transport you to a land I have constructed within the dream realm."

The elites were stunned, many harborng confusion as they had never before encountered the concept of a dream realm.

Souta pressed on, "This is no mere plunge into a dream. You are not entering a dreamscape, but the dream realm itself. Because it is perilous to bring only your consciousness, I will drag your physical bodies into that mysterious expanse. Heh, you will grasp my meaning soon enough."

Souta offered no further clarification.

Tasman spoke up, "I wish us all good fortune."

The next instant, their expressions contorted as Souta raised a hand, unleashing a terrifying surge of force. He gripped the very atmosphere and wrenched it open.

Bang!!

Dark, swirling vapor erupted. Before anyone could react, the smoke engulfed them with incredible speed. Their vision blurred, saturated by a kaleidoscope of flickering lights and streaks.

It felt as though reality itself were being pulverized.

Strange patterns materialized before their eyes, and colors shifted erratically. They felt as though they were being spun countless times.

They were being forcibly dragged into the dream realm.

Ohm!

...

High above the Blood Realm, Souta stood beneath the moon, looking down upon his creation.

He had brought Tasman and the Everlasting Kingdom's elites here to stake their claim within the Blood Realm.

The expansion of the Blood Realm seemed complete for now. It spanned an immense distance, dwarfing the combined area of the previous domains. The cores of both lands had merged into a singular, more potent entity, capable of sustaining this newly fashioned realm.

Utilizing his [Douion IV], Souta served as the backbone for his domain, a structure that would only grow stronger alongside his own cultivation.

Though he intended to integrate the dreamscapes of his followers into this realm, he lacked the necessary power at the present moment.

"They will inevitably grow stronger," Souta mused before turning his focus elsewhere.

His plans regarding the Depth of Banquet were advancing smoothly.

His clones continued to function according to his will, laying the groundwork for his future efforts.

His current priority was the further enhancement of his own strength.

Souta’s power had expanded dramatically since reaching the fifth evolution stage. As his [Douion IV] effectively managed the realm’s stability, he shifted his attention to other paths. His focus now lay on perfecting his Archetype. At the very least, mastering its auxiliary forms would grant him the edge needed to combat more formidable entities.

[Archetype: Great Blood of the End]

Having already mastered the first two forms, he turned his focus to the third, a defensive stance known as [Third Form: Blood Lightning Barrier]. Once fully realized, this lightning would serve as armor, repelling any threat he identified as harmful. Under normal conditions, it could withstand a full-strength assault from an Eight Shackle Realm expert; if concentrated, it could potentially deflect a strike from a Ninth Shackle Realm master.

Souta was nearing perfection with this technique.

Before shifting focus to other training, he intended to reach mastery up to the fifth form of his Archetype.

He desired the ability to defeat high-level foes without relying on the Cosmic Sign. Currently, the Cosmic Sign placed too great a strain on a mortal, threatening to jeopardize his foundational stability; he would reserve that card solely for encounters with divine entities.

Boom!!

Snapped out of his contemplation, Souta looked down at the Blood Realm, where the conflict had already commenced.

Below, he watched King Tasman engage one of the former Rulers of the Land of Reem.

"Tasman shall emerge victorious. Unless a fifth-stage monster intervenes, no one can hinder him."

Tasman was an expert of the Eight Shackle Realm; to him, a gaggle of fourth-stage monsters were no more significant than insects.

There was only one fifth-stage monster in the entirety of the Blood Realm—though, realistically, a second would emerge before long.

Souta’s perception pierced through the dreamscape where Yuko remained in training. He observed that she was preparing to ascend to a higher stage.

"Once she evolves, I will conquer the Depth of Banquet. It is time to deploy my forces there and solidify the strategy for the other territories," Souta muttered with a faint, satisfied smile.

With a subsequent clench of his fists, the parasite within him shuddered.

Ohm!

A wave of indomitable force radiated outwards at incredible velocity.

...

Somewhere within the Dream Realm,

A nine-headed hydra soared through the void. Its colossal form was encased in dark, shimmering scales that possessed a hardness exceeding that of any metal. Every limb surged with latent power, and eyes glinted with predatory intent across all nine heads.

The pressure radiating from the beast was enough to paralyze even fourth-stage monsters, and it could be felt by even early-stage fifth-stage beings.

It was Kessa, the Lernaean Hydra.

Perched atop one of her heads, an elder stood with his hands locked behind his back.

Though his demeanor remained serene, his eyes flickered with intense fighting spirit. He possessed gray hair, antennae crowning his head, and his garments stirred as if possessed by a life of their own.

He was Frankling Estuper.