Primordial Villain with a Slave Harem

Chapter 968: March & Awaken

A hundred elite lionkin soldiers, each between level 40 and 45, materialized in clean, orderly rows. Perfect formation. Perfect posture. Like puppets with no strings, awaiting the will of their master.

”March.”

As one, a hundred souls of the fallen stepped forward right toward the fortress.

Blossom watched the love of her life with brimming eyes. ”Blossom thinks that Master really missed this.”

Kitsara smirked. ”Oh, that he most certainly did.”

But Quinlan wasn’t done working his magic just yet.

He raised his saber once more, etching another symbol into the air. Black and blue sigils spun outward, interlocking with the soul residue that still hung heavy from the last summon. This one was smaller in scale, but heavier. Denser. A different class of power altogether.

”[Awaken].”

A pulse followed his incantation.

From one beam, a figure rose, a human woman materialized. Eve.

[Elite Soul Eve]

Soul Rank: 3

Type: Warrior

Fusion Progress: 0 / 3000

From the second beam stepped out a lithe figure, a foxkin archer. Veyrin.

[Elite Soul Veyrin]

Soul Rank: 3

Type: Warrior

Fusion Progress: 0 / 3000

Unlike the hollow, empty lionkin legion, these two were different. Elite Souls. Upgraded, refined, fused, and sharpened through [Soul Fusion] rituals. They were no longer mindless puppets, though at their current rank, they were still very stiff and robotic.

Quinlan pointed toward the distant fortress, but from a different direction from where the thundering chaos of Ayame’s forces was already starting to echo. ”Lead the soul army. Spread out, pull as much attention as possible. Stay close enough to Ayame’s group so that if they get ambushed or overwhelmed, you can rush over and protect them. You are not to engage in prolonged combat. Stall. Distract. And if you get the chance...” A cruel smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. ”... break something expensive.”

Both Veyrin and Eve nodded, faces showing no emotion.

Without another word, both shot forward. Eve led the ground assault with heavy, punishing strides while Veyrin vanished into the treetops, his bow already drawn and glowing with spectral arrows.

The hundred lionkin fell into perfect formation behind Eve. A tide of spectral, unstoppable death.

”Now...” Quinlan turned toward Blossom, Kitsara, and Feng while collecting the level 42 soul he’d slain and said, ”... let’s finish our job.”

Blossom’s ears fanned as her pupils narrowed into slits, her senses flooding her with a torrent of data. Her Void Stalker instincts filtered through the noise of war; the distant clashes of Ayame’s forces, the thunder of spectral feet as Eve’s soul legion tore through the forest. They all became minor notes. 𝘳𝒶𝐍ȯＢĚṥ

”... Left, ninety meters. Blossom senses something strange! Something like a mana pulse... Blossom thinks it’s a cleverly placed trap artifact!”

Her tail stiffened. ”Another defense item is ahead, Master! Based on the smell, it might be something akin to a pressure plate!”

Kitsara’s golden eyes gleamed. ”Not a problem. I’ll disable the traps, you just tell me where to look, Blossom.”

”Okay!”

Working in seamless tandem, the group slithered through the treeline. The sound of armored boots pounded past multiple times. Squads of Greenvale soldiers, fully mobilized, hurtling toward the chaos on both flanks. None so much as glanced toward the shadows where death itself crept.

Step by step, the prison’s silhouette grew clearer, and soon, they found themselves at the bottom of thick walls. This was no simple jail. This was a fortress designed for the darkest secrets of the dukedom.

Quinlan eyed the outer wall, stroking his chin. His gaze scanned the perimeter, where detection wards arced above. Flying over would be suicide; he could almost hear the sizzle of anti-air enchantments locking onto anything with a strong mana signature.

Instead, he looked toward the trio with him. ”This is your show now. Do what you do best.”

As the ladies got ready to do their magic, he connected to Aurora via [Master’s Link]. As a backline supporter, she might have the best overview of the situation, he reasoned.

They’d discussed it beforehand that, should a high-level enemy ambush them, Quinlan and the three ladies would teleport back and ambush the attacker. This is why they even dared to come to such a risky location like this. They had no business being here, truth be told, but they had far too many utility spells at their disposal for a group of their level.

And if worse came to worst and Ayame’s group faced too many enemies, Quinlan would’ve ordered the soul soldiers to move to the location while he got the Ascendants out to safety.

But...

he replied with a chuckle, but inwardly, his thoughts were elsewhere. ’Hmm...’ Quinlan was surprised by the response of the enemies. Did they plan to hole up with their highest-level personnel inside so the actual infiltration was harder? But then why send the lower-level people out?

Nevertheless, he had a mission to accomplish.

The women worked fast. As always, they were a marvel to behold when set loose.

Quinlan and Feng left to do something on their own while leaving the foxy-doggy duo to do their part.

Kitsara’s form shimmered once again. But this time, instead of becoming a beautiful little butterfly, her soft curves stretched, warped, and condensed until her silhouette thickened with armor plates. She molded her flesh and mana into the exact likeness of one of the strongest guards they’d ambushed earlier. Her fox-like ears were gone, replaced by short-cropped brown hair beneath an officer’s helm.

With a sharp inhale, she winced just as an illusionary wound seeping fake blood down her side materialized.

Blossom, ever the perfectionist in matters of stealth, crept behind her without making a sound. In this manner, a deadly presence trailed the injured officer, only detectable if one already knew to look for warped space.

Kitsara’s eyebrow twitched.