Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 754
"You cannot kill me. There's no way you can kill me!" Apas screeched. Her face became slightly transparent. The blue veins under it were now visible.
"Is that so? You've truly underestimated me, considering that I've been around for over a thousand years!" The Queen of the Netherworld proceeded with her final attack. Her tone had changed completely now. It was no longer alluring, but held great power.
Perhaps this was the real Queen of the Netherworld. Even though she was only a phantom, she would not allow anyone to challenge her authority!
Her overwhelming power surged into Apas' Spiritual World. Nine silver waterfalls poured down fiercely and drowned the area, the fierce waves striking Apas' soul. If the Spiritual World was a direct reflection of her soul, it was clearly collapsing, like a world facing its own destruction!
"No… no… you can't kill me… no… you will never kill me...I'm Medusa's descendant, a petty phantom like you can never...never..." Apas sounded like a ghastly demon!
"You asked for it yourself!" The Queen of the Netherworld's voice weakened slightly. She was severely drained after using that last attack. However, she had still won the fight with it. The soul claiming to be Medusa's descendant was the one losing!
Apas had managed to disguise herself as an innocent little girl, but she never expected to be defeated at the hands of Mo Fan and the Queen of the Netherworld!
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Apas' Spiritual World was severely damaged, her soul was in bad shape. The Queen of the Netherworld did not show any mercy. She knew Apas could easily turn the tables around if she lowered her guard. She would then devour both her and Mo Fan; it was either her or them!
Mo Fan noticed the golden dust around Apas fading away. She suddenly looked like a seriously ill young girl with a pitiful face.
It was the law of the wild. The most beautiful creatures in the world were usually the deadliest. Apas was a typical snake woman. She looked no different than a normal human, but anyone that dared to touch her would find themselves eternally damned!
Mo Fan felt his heart wrenching, staring at Apas.
It was obvious that the military had fed little girls to the Medusae for temporary peace in return. Perhaps there had indeed been a little girl called Apas on an island in the Aegean Sea. She was just as gorgeous, but he had failed to save her in time. She had died long before he arrived at the Sunset Shrine. The young Medusa had eaten her to claim her youthful looks...
The faces that Apas had displayed must have belonged to the young girl, too. However, it was the vicious and cunning Medusa living inside her image, something that Mo Fan would not show any pity to!
Mo Fan closed his eyes. He did not want to see Apas dispersing like scattering ashes. He really hoped it was just a dream. He hoped that the little girl he rescued at the Sunset Shrine was just an innocent little girl that would keep calling him big brother. He missed the pure innocent smile that the little girl had, despite the tough situations she had been through. He had been willing to teach her magic, even if she was not that good at it.
Mo Fan suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart!
He took a deep breath as he immediately broke out in a cold sweat. His face was extremely pale.
What had just happened? It felt like his soul had just been attacked. Was it a deathbed struggle from Apas? Did the Queen of the Netherworld fail to suppress her?
Mo Fan almost fell to the ground when he felt the pain again.
He grabbed his c.h.e.s.t and quickly inspected his Spiritual World. He was dumbfounded when he saw his soul being torn by a force!
"Wait! Queen of the Netherworld, stop it!" Mo Fan yelled.
"Mo Fan, are you out of your mind? If I don't kill her now, we are both going to die! She won't spare our lives!" the Queen of the Netherworld said.
"If you crush her soul, I'll die too!" Mo Fan said.
"What are you talking about?" the Queen of the Netherworld said impatiently.
Mo Fan was too weak to speak. He used all his remaining might and yelled, "Damn it, she...she accepted the Contract! It has bound our souls together!"
Chapter 1612 - New Contracted Beast
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
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The people of Cairo finally had a chance to catch their breath after the army of undead retreated. It was rare to enjoy a quiet night in the luxurious city. Many people were out enjoying their lives, since it might be their last chance to do so.
Zhao Manyan sat at the bar of his hotel. He decisively rejected a gorgeous lady that approached him and fondled his waist.
He had been too crazy for the past few days. He felt extremely empty down below. He could not keep it up any longer, or it might really cost him his life!
"I wonder how Mo Fan is doing… tsk tsk tsk, little Apas is very attractive ! Her youthful beauty is clearly a bonus. I wonder if that jerk Mo Fan is going to go easy on her. Speaking of the guy!..."
The bar was close to a row of French windows facing the street. Zhao Manyan happened to see Mo Fan walking in as he was thinking about him.
Mo Fan was shuffling his feet. His eyes were hollow, and his face was pale, like he had emptied his strength.
"Holy crap, was it really that crazy? Why do you look weaker than I am!?" Zhao Manyan was shocked.
Zhao Manyan left the bar, and approached Mo Fan after he did not see Apas around.
Mo Fan glanced at the squinting Zhao Manyan, who had a perverted grin on. He did not even have the strength to greet him.
"How was it? Did you overwork yourself? I thought you were the one going to trample a little flower, but somehow you look like your essence has been s.u.c.k.e.d dry instead. Nicely done, little Apas is pretty impressive... how was the box I gave you? Did you use it? Did the spiraling beads on them feel great..." Zhao Manyan asked, raising his eyebrows.
Mo Fan kept shuffling his feet like a zombie.
Zhao Manyan touched Mo Fan's pocket and felt the small box in it. He took it out and noticed that the box still had its seal. His eyes widened. "Mo Fan, seriously? You should be responsible for your actions. How could you not use any safety precautions? What if she ends up pregnant? How are you going to explain yourself to your wives? You should stick to your principles, even if you're cheating!"
Mo Fan walked into an elevator. Zhao Manyan followed him.
He took a closer look at Mo Fan. Something did not feel right about him. He did not look like someone who had just gone through some wild romantic activity. He asked with a serious face, "What happened? Where's Apas? Why do you look like you are mentally injured? Did someone attack you?"
Mo Fan lifted his eyes. He glanced at the jabbering Zhao Manyan with low spirits and eventually replied, "If I tell you I just took a Medusa as my Contracted Beast, would you believe me?"
"Huh? How is that possible? Almost every Summoner in the world wants to catch a Medusa as their Contracted Beast, but even catching a Lesser Medusa and signing a contract with it is extremely difficult, let alone having a real Medusa as a Contracted Beast! The Medusae would rather die than accept the Contract. In their eyes, humans are actually an inferior species! Are you willing to become a dog's pet? You wouldn't agree to it even if your life was in danger, right?
"The same logic applies to a Medusa. There's no way I would believe it. As a matter of fact, if you didn't raise Little Flame Belle, I doubt an Elemental creature with a pure lineage like her would be willing to become anyone's Contracted Beast. You should be satisfied that you already have Little Flame Belle, who is surely going to reach the Ruler-level once she m.a.t.u.r.es, but you're still thinking of having a Medusa as your Contracted Beast too..." Zhao Manyan blabbered on.
"Mm, I don't believe it myself, either," Mo Fan replied weakly.
"Just go to bed." Zhao Manyan patted Mo Fan on the shoulder.
Mo Fan was desperate to get some rest. He was so tired that he could not even reflect on the series of events that had occurred not long ago.
In the end, the Queen of the Netherworld had not destroyed Apas' soul. It was not her being merciful, but because Mo Fan had signed a Contract with Apas. If a Contracted Beast's soul was destroyed from the inside, it would inflict serious damage on its owner's soul too, since both souls were bound by the Contract.
The Queen of the Netherworld was releasing a great power in the end, since it had to be strong enough to destroy a soul with the pure lineage of Medusa.
Normally, when a Contracted Beast died, the damage dealt to the Summoner's soul was not enough to kill them. However, the Queen of the Netherworld's power needed the strength of a Great Ruler-level creature to kill Apas. Since Mo Fan had successfully signed the Contract with Apas, if the force killed Apas, the damage Mo Fan received from the broken Contract would be too much for him to handle!
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Mo Fan went to his room and slammed the door shut.
He laid down on his bed and recalled the series of events that now felt like a dream to him.
A faint silhouette emerged from his body. It was the Queen of the Netherworld. She looked worn out, just like Mo Fan. She did not look as attractive as she normally was.
"That little b**ch!" the Queen of the Netherworld grunted.
"What do we do now?" Mo Fan said with a wry smile.
"What else can we do? She's your Contracted Beast now," the Queen of the Netherworld answered.
Mo Fan looked into his second Contract Space and saw Apas lying there. She was also overwhelmed by fatigue, and currently in a half-conscious state.
Little Flame Belle was pretty curious. Since when did someone move into the room next door, and why was Apas her new neighbor?
"I'm just worried that something might go wrong. Isn't she around the same level as you?" Mo Fan asked.
"Don't worry, a Contract is stronger than you think. Once it's established, it will enforce a master-and-slave relationship between you. The slave will be restricted by the Contract, regardless of their strength. She will not be able to resist it, unless she reaches the Emperor level," the Queen of the Netherworld informed him.
"Doesn't that mean she's still a threat to us!?" Mo Fan had to ask.
"Do you think it's so easy to achieve the Emperor-level? Even Medusa isn't a real Emperor-level creature, do you think her descendant can mutate and surpass her!? There are a lot more creatures more qualified than her to achieve the Emperor-level. As for her, she will have to train for another few hundred years!" the Queen of the Netherworld sniffed.
"Oh, I wasn't familiar with the levels of demon creatures. I didn't know it was that difficult to achieve the Emperor-level..." Mo Fan said.
"She cannot rebel against you before reaching the Emperor-level. Now that she's your Contracted Beast, you can really teach her how to behave herself," the Queen of the Netherworld instructed him.
"Thank you. I'll repay your kindness during the Qingming Festival..." Mo Fan said.
"You dare mention the Qingming Festival now!?" the Queen of the Netherworld said angrily. She paused briefly as she realized how inappropriate her tone was. She added, "I wasted a few years worth of cultivation because of you. Both of us suffered a great loss from the fight, but you ended up securing all the benefits!" the Queen of the Netherworld sniffed.
"Calm down, my beloved aunt; you're not beautiful when you're angry. I'll make up for it. I promise," Mo Fan sighed.
"I'm not your aunt. Ask your Little Flame Belle to lend me her Contract Space. I don't want to sleep in the same room with that little b**ch!" the Queen of the Netherworld said.
"Not a problem," Mo Fan Summoned Little Flame Belle out. She did not like staying in the Contract Space, anyway, and preferred to lie on Mo Fan's shoulder and head.
Little Flame Belle sat on the table and blinked rapidly, munching on a Soul-grade Soul Seed piece like a squirrel. She was enjoying her snacks after watching everything that had occurred today.
Chapter 1613 - Who's Eating the Girls? (Part One)
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
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The Cairo Battlefield was one of the largest battlefields in Africa.
Huge gray clouds were looming over the Cairo Fortress, hanging close to the ground. The dim land looked gloomy and suffocating!
Half of the fortress had been destroyed. The line of defense constantly moved back as the tide of undead kept up the pressure.
The fourth phase of the war had finally arrived. The Mages in the fortress were extremely worn out. The walls and structures were run-down, yet they had no choice but to prepare themselves for the deadly fourth phase.
An uneasy atmosphere lingered under the dim sky above the deafening explosions. The occasional brilliant light of spells pouring down like rain was the only thing cleansing the presence of evil. It was the only thing keeping the people's hopes up!
The first wave of the fourth phase was weaker than anyone had expected. Many analysts and advisors thought the defense would crumble during the first attack. To their surprise, the undead's invasion was like loud thunder, with only tiny drops of rain. It immediately relieved the pressure the front line was feeling!
The army managed to fend off the first wave after fighting for two days and nights straight. Not only did the army hold their ground, they managed to take back some of the crucial forts required to reestablish more defensive magic formations.
"It seems China's undead managed to apply some pressure to the Underworld!" General Haken exclaimed, smiling broadly.
"Humph, do you think I'm going to believe such a ridiculous thing?" General Ethan smirked.
"It doesn't matter if you believe it or not, I'm the Supreme Commander now!" General Haken replied.
General Ethan clenched his teeth when he saw the cunning grin on General Haken's face!
The authorities were growing doubtful of General Ethan's capabilities toward the end of the third phase. The situation had turned grim for the army while he was in charge.
As a result, the authorities were unwilling to trust Ethan with so much power. They had asked Haken to remain in charge instead.
General Ethan did not disagree with the proposal, as he knew how serious the situation was. If General Haken took over, he would most likely be blamed if they lost the war. The army had no chance of holding its ground. They would have to retreat to Cairo City.
To Ethan's surprise, the undead had not pushed as hard in the fourth wave. Even though General Haken did come up with a plan to bombard the army of undead with a few waves of spells, it would clearly not make any difference. However, they had somehow fended off the invasion!
General Ethan almost vomited blood after seeing it happen. In other words, he could have won the war if he had kept his position for another week. He would then be entirely worthy to be called Cairo's military prodigy!
Instead, the people of Cairo were now cheering for General Haken. They had completely cast Ethan aside!
General Ethan left, no longer wanting to stay in the meeting room.
"General, where are we going?" Lieutenant Kevin asked him.
"To the city." Ethan had no mood to participate in the war after losing his position as the Supreme Commander. He left after handing his responsibilities over to his second-in-command.
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A black military jeep entered the city. A bunch of people were gathering at the army's base with banners while yelling loudly.
"What are they saying?" Ethan asked.
"Well..." Kevin was not sure how to answer the question.
Ethan rolled down the window so he could hear the shouts.
"You should have let General Haken take over earlier. We almost lost Cairo when General Ethan was leading the army!"
"All hail General Haken, all hail General Haken!"
"We would have won the war by now if it wasn't for General Ethan..."
The noisy crowd kept yelling outside the window. Ethan was enraged after seeing how the people had gathered to support Haken!
What did they mean by they would have won the war long ago without him?
Cairo would already be in ruins by now if it wasn't for him! They would all be dead, yet they had gathered such a huge crowd here while yelling such nonsense. What a bunch of idiots!
"General, please don't be bothered by it, there are always ignorant people like them," Kevin reassured him.
"What exactly is going on? Did they really open the entrance of the Underworld so China's undead could invade it? Why does Haken even deserve the praise?… damn it, I've been commanding the army throughout the war for half a year. How could they treat me like that!?" Ethan protested angrily.
The people had immediately forgotten all his achievements in the past, just because he had failed once. They regarded him as a prodigy just half a year ago, but now they were scolding the crap out of him!
"Cairo was in a pretty bad spot not long time ago. Many people were thinking of running away from the city, but the person in charge of maintaining the city's order failed to protect your image. He used violence on the people who were resisting, damaging your reputation… General Ethan, you shouldn't let it bother you too much. It's normal to have ups and downs in the military. Besides, Haken is getting old. His conservative approach will never bring peace to Cairo. You will soon show the world who the true prodigy of Cairo is!" Kevin declared firmly.
"Who's in charge of the city?" Ethan demanded.
"It's Saks, sir. Didn't you reassign him to the city after demoting him?" Kevin replied.
"Humph, he still can't do his job right! Ask him to come see me on the Cairo Hotel's rooftop!" Ethan ordered.
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The Cairo Hotel's rooftop had an indoor swimming pool built with reinforced glass. Ethan had asked his men to seal off the perimeter before going inside the building.
A gorgeous young woman in a white bikini was swimming in the clear water. She had a slim waist and long, slender legs. She looked like an alluring snake woman as she wriggled her h.i.p.s after diving into the water.
Ethan stood at the side of the pool. He immediately grabbed a towel and waited respectfully when he saw her coming out of the water.
