Back at the comfort of the sofa in the palace, Bastian explained himself and provided some detailed explanations to Monsieur Luis regarding the necessity of a massive power source for the maintenance of the Hidden Kingdom, also explaining the motives for their expulsion from the Hidden Realm. The family accepted this without any problems, seeing Bastian as a benefactor in a way. Bastian pondered the matter deeply and then questioned Monsieur Luis:
"Monsieur Luis, how is the relationship between the King and the population?" Monsieur Luis scratched his chin and replied:
"Young Master, the King taxes the population in every possible way and also puts a lot of pressure on the people, also limiting cultivation." Bastian already had suspicions about how the current regent held power and asked one more question that left Monsieur Luis deep in thought:
"Do you know how many cultivators the King commands?" Monsieur Luis looked Bastian in the eye and asked:
"Young Master, what do you have in mind?" Bastian gazed back at Monsieur Luis and stated:
"I was considering the possibility of taking over this Kingdom." Monsieur Luis returned Bastian's suspicious look with a frown and remarked:
"Young Master, I believe there are around a hundred cultivators besides the King and his two sons." Bastian scratched his head and coldly analyzed the information.
Since the King in question had a cultivation level lower than his own, he thought that if he brought in the men he had trained earlier, he could easily take control of the Kingdom. However, before that, Bastian wanted to investigate the island of Britain from where he could launch an attack without problems. But he decided to prepare the ground first.
Bastian remembered his crossing of the Alps and decided to explore the area, leaving a teleportation base hidden in a valley where he had recently camped, a place that would probably never receive visitors. Resolute, Bastian did not procrastinate and called for his women to explain his plan. No one disagreed.
However, the new disciples were uncertain and incredulous about the matter. After all, the Kingdom where they lived was one of the few where the King had a high cultivation. Taking the opportunity, Bastian called for Yana, Sue, and Asha, who were the last disciples to have surpassed the Master level. He placed the three new disciples under their tutelage but emphasized that they should progress equally on the paths of Energy, Soul, and Body. To gauge their progress, Bastian called AI and asked it to monitor them and notify him of their progress.
Leaving the walls of Paris, Bastian was again accompanied by Julya and Renee. He distanced himself a little before reaching a dense forest, where he retrieved the Thunderbird from the forest where it lived peacefully inside the Divine Abode. His usual companion, the Dream Ferret, as soon as it saw Bastian went fast and a ghost, quickly perched onto his shoulder.
The Dream Ferret loved to fly and, with its ethereal body, could glide for long distances. It often sat on Bastian's shoulders and could be mistaken for a fur coat if not observed carefully.
The flight was peaceful and quiet, and by sunset, they could already see the place where Bastian intended to establish one of his teleportation bases. It was a long-distance teleportation base that, according to Bastian's studies, could take him to his home if he so chose. To prevent unauthorized use, Bastian used a formation of security arrays, and only those with a "Coat of Arms" provided by Bastian could teleport from, or to that point.
Bastian was continually learning and improving his artifacts. According to reports and analysis by AI and the Operator, an artifact produced by him could already be described as divine. At this time, Bastian received another report from the Operator, who said:
"Master, do you remember that egg we placed in the environment with poison?" Bastian recalled something like that and asked:
"Any news?" The Operator reported the truth:
"Master, the shell has started to crack!" AI added:
"Master, this is the ideal time to form a Pact with the Spirit Beast!" AI, seeing the doubt on Bastian's face, continued:
"Master, I can provide you with the technique for the Pact in seconds. You only need a drop of blood." Bastian questioned:
"Any drawbacks?" AI cracked a smile and conveyed all the knowledge about the technique to Bastian through a form of telepathy. Bastian sighed deeply:
"Blood Pact Technique," AI explained:
"This technique allows the Master to instantly form a bond with any Spirit Beast, and the Beast will follow his orders without hesitation. If formed with poisonous Spirit Beasts, the Master will never have to fear poison again." Bastian remembered his 'encounter' with the Wind Serpent and smiled widely.
Teleporting inside the Divine Abode, Bastian arrived in the environment prepared for the nourishment of the Spirit Beast's egg. Approaching, he noticed that the cracked shell was moving, and from within, a baby Wind Serpent emerged, hissing: hiss, hiss! Bastian pricked his fingertip and began to recite the incantation. When the drop of blood touched the small head of the Wind Serpent, a bright light filled the place, and on the ground, one could see the traces of the glowing enchantment circle. The little Wind Serpent stood motionless, and in Bastian's mind, a voice from an infant echoed:
"Hiss! Hiss! Master!" Bastian looked at the little Spirit Beast and asked:
"Can you communicate?" In the room, a hiss was heard, but in Bastian's mind, a child's voice echoed:
"Yes, Master!" Bastian snorted and stretched out his hand, and the little Wind Serpent climbed onto his arm and curled up. Bastian felt a part of his energy being transferred to the Spirit Beast where it had curled up. AI reassured him:
"Master, do not worry. The little Spirit Beast would never harm its master, as it is still too weak it is just nourishing itself." Bastian chuckled and commented:
"A strange feeling!" He was happy because he could now communicate directly with the little Wind Serpent, which was a novelty for him as he could converse with a Spirit Beast. Back where they were, after having established the teleportation base in the location he wanted for future use, Bastian decided to stay for the night. To pass the time, he called for his Shadow Panther to play. If one could say that a "beast" of that size could play, well, who are we to judge, right?
At the camp set up by Bastian, Julya, and Renee, the trio busied themselves with preparing the food and happily watched the cheerful and gallant elf playing with his Spirit Beasts. Renee and Julya engaged in conversation while Bastian had fun with his 'pets'. Suddenly, Bastian felt a strange presence and heard a voice echoing in his mind.
"Master, Master!" Bastian halted what he was doing, and immediately, all of his companions quickly approached. Everyone could feel a sinister presence hanging in the air. As Bastian searched for this presence, a shiver ran down his spine like an electrical discharge, leaving him on high alert. A laugh echoed through the mountains.
Focusing all his energy, Bastian managed to locate the presence, sitting with her legs crossed on a nearby tree branch. After her amazement, she asked:
"Oh! You found me!" The figure gracefully descended from the tree branch and approached the group. A beautiful woman with a perfect body almost naked practically floated over the snowy mountains towards him. Bastian inquired:
"Who are you?" In response, the figure made a quick, almost imperceptible movement towards Bastian, attempting to grab his neck. In a reflexive move, Bastian nimbly demonstrated his swift skills, using his fan to push away the woman's claws and holding a sword against her neck, putting her in check as soon as she made her first attempt.
The figure realized she made a huge mistake overestimating herself as she could not overpower her opponent and raised her arms, surrendering. Bastian was not one to let her go easily and asked again:
"Who are you?" The figure, realizing her inferiority, knew she could be in danger if she was not honest and replied:
"My name is Gallinna!" Bastian put away the fan and, with one hand, grasped Gallinna's fist, bringing it to her back, instantly immobilizing her, so He questioned:
"Are you a Vampire?" Amazed, the woman with sculptural proportions opened her eyes widely, feeling Bastian's sword against her neck, she stuttering replied:
"Y-Yes! Do you know about Vampires?" Bastian snorted and teleported everyone into the divine abode, to the cell where his vampire "servant" cared for certain 'guests'. Seeing her master appear out of nowhere, she immediately fell to her knees and respectfully said:
"Master? What brings the Master to such an impure place?" Bastian ordered:
"Hold her!" His servant did not question and held Gallinna with her claws on her neck while Bastian cast a powerful spell, forming a circle over her head and dripping his blood on her forehead, the Soul Contract was done forcefully, making her go in pain immediately. After some time, she recovered a little, and Bastian proceeded to interrogate her about everything, as he was curious about certain aspects and asked:
"Gallinna, how many vampires are there around here?" Gallinna, bound by the Soul Contract, noticed that she could not lie and truthfully, replied:
"I am the only one!" Bastian continued his questioning:
"Where did you come from?" Gallinna replied:
"I came from the Fallen Continent a long time ago!" Bastian frowned and asked:
"Do you have a lair nearby?" Gallinna replied:
"Yes!"
Back out of the Godly Abode, Gallinna received a message through telepathy, dismantled and guarded the entire camp, and guided everyone to the ancient castle atop the mountains. Bastian was surprised by the grandeur of the stone-built castle. AI recognized the castle and explained:
"Master, this Castle is a powerful artifact built by a Divine level cultivator, one of the heroes who tried to save the Earth but did not survive. His body must have been brought to the Castle by the Vessel Spirit." Bastian was curious and asked Gallinna:
"Do you know where there's a huge skeleton in this Castle?" Gallinna led them to a chamber next to a throne room, where a huge skeleton lay on a black stone. Bastian approached the walls, observing the signs and trying to understand the whole story to comprehend the cultivator's history. Gallinna was perplexed and reassured him:
"Master, that was the only skeleton in the entire castle!"
Bastian removed a stone from the skeleton's right wrist, dropped a drop of blood on it, and a white smoke took the form of a woman. She knelt before Bastian and said:
"Master! Now this artifact belongs to you, and this Vessel Spirit will serve you as an operator!" Everyone was stunned.
Bastian entered his Soul space, where AI and the Operator were waiting. The smoke transformed into a beautiful girl, and still, on her knees, she asked for a name. Bastian decided to rename them both:
"You, my first vessel Operator will be called 'Feo,' and you girl, my newest Operator will be called 'Belle'." Feo also knelt and thanked Bastian.
Bastian looked at both Operators and noticed that ‘Belle’ had taken the form of his youngest daughter in his previous life. Bastian said:
"Time to integrate the array formations into our Hidden Realm. The rest you already know how to proceed." Feo replied:
"Master, it will be done as the master wishes."
Bastian noticed another stone embedded in his bones. Belle said:
"Master, I will be at your disposal and assist Feo in the integration," AI added:
"Master, the knowledge within the libraries inside this artifact is of great value, and there are unimaginable resources for cultivation. I will investigate and report back."
Bastian returned to the room where everyone was waiting. He said:
"I have taken over the Castle's inheritance. Now, let us rest!" Bastian, Julya, Renee, and Gallinna went to a room. Bastian, Julya, and Renee relaxed in the environment, while Bastian set up his Portable Bathroom artifact, enjoying a bath with his women, while Gallinna watched with some interest from a corner of the room.
