Chương 518: Chapter 487: New Prey

Killing every Chel'Kari in the city turned out to be far more entertaining than he had expected. Launching himself through the air with his tendrils or using his movement skill, Shadow Step, felt incredible. The wind howled around him as he shot across the city, cutting down everything in his path. Most were Chel'Kari, but a few humans tried to help them—which only earned them an early grave. Seraphina would have killed them all anyway.

More importantly, it simply felt good to plunge his claws through their writhing, screaming bodies. Thalion, of course, knew this was a side effect of the darkness elemental that had become his tyrannic core, but right now, there was no real reason to resist the urge. He didn't drag out the killings—though the elemental would have enjoyed that—because it would have been a waste of time. Still, it was a good opportunity to see what would happen if he gave in to the temptation.

So far, he couldn't say it had many benefits. Well… it felt very good—but when had Thalion ever cared about feelings? The only thing that mattered was whether it made him stronger. The answer was simple. Yes. The fear of others empowered him, and the pleasure he took in inflicting pain and horror made it easier—otherwise, doubts might have crept into his mind. Normally, Thalion despised torture, mostly because it was senseless.

It was usually nothing more than a way for the one in power to chase some twisted thrill. Yet for him it was a way to grow stronger. Not just a temporary boost in battle, but long-term gains as his tyrannic core continued to evolve. Torture was simply another tool to reach his goal of becoming the strongest. There were better paths to power, but there was no reason not to instill fear in his enemies. Thalion had noticed Seraphina glancing at him from time to time.

She looked surprisingly shocked—for a princess who had come here to slaughter every last inhabitant of the city. His strength clearly wasn't something she had expected. During the tutorial, they had been allies—or at least for a short time before she disappeared. The fact that her mother was a human Chosen hunting her made Seraphina a potentially reliable ally in the future. Well, if Thalion ever decided to build a faction on this planet. For now, the Chosen were still the biggest obstacle to that goal.

A few Chel'Kari were still alive, and one should be in the gathering hall. Maybe that one carried useful information. More importantly, Thalion wanted to know how they even knew about him—and why it mattered so much in integrated space. Perhaps the merchant and this incursion were close to each other in integrated space, but judging by how poorly prepared the merchant had been, he doubted it. Shadow Step brought him back to the gathering hall, where he had left the remaining humans.

This time, they looked far more frightened as Thalion landed before them, his aura concealed. Black mist still rose from his mouth and skin. There wasn't a trace of blood on him despite how many crabs and humans he had killed—the darkness simply consumed it all. That side effect was actually quite convenient. It kept him clean at all times. Ignoring the humans and their trembling legs, Thalion walked inside.

The hall looked much the same as before, except now the Chel'Kari with the fishglass were kneeling on the ground before Rina, their pincers bound behind their backs.

"Hey, what did she do with those crabs—and are you going to stay in that black form forever?" Seraphina asked as she landed behind him.

"Depends. Torturing is more effective in this form, and those from integrated space tend to be stingy when it comes to sharing information," Thalion replied coldly, stepping closer.

"Yes, I had a similar experience with the first incursion I cleared. This is my second. How many have you closed?" Seraphina said, moving forward with a slow sway of her hips toward the kneeling Chel'Kari.

"Not exactly sure. Could be four or five by now," Thalion answered, deep in thought. What should he ask first? Locations and knowledge about other factions were the most important—so those questions should come last. Before he could continue forming his plan, Rina spoke up. She held her head high, chest pushed forward, as if what she had to say carried the utmost importance. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

"Please, listen to me. I secured these two Chel'Kari and convinced them it would be best to answer all your questions truthfully."

"Cute. Maybe letting you live wasn't such a bad idea after all." Seraphina smiled as she slowly walked forward. One of the Chel'Kari had clearly been trying to speak for a while, and now the dam finally broke.

"Please, spare our lives! We will tell you everything—just call this beast back!" So far, this was looking very promising, Thalion thought as he shifted back into his human form. Fully restraining his aura so that no one was affected was a bit annoying—especially when trying to extract information—but the reaction of the two Chel'Kari caught him off guard. Their eyes darted between each other and the image still floating above the black stone on the table.

"You… you are Thalion. The one who won the first system event," the first one stammered. The second followed, tears streaming down his face.

"But why would you attack us? Why? Why?" Seraphina now glanced between Thalion and the image with a strange expression, while Rina stood unmoving, like a soldier awaiting orders. This was indeed interesting. Just what was going on in integrated space? Thalion stepped closer to the table, picked up the black orb, and examined it. The runes were unfamiliar, and there was no symbol or marking that hinted at its origin.

"How did you get this, and why were you looking for me?" he asked, placing the orb back down.

"You… you are able to fight Chosen. For smaller factions, you could be the only lifeline if we don't want to be suppressed by them—and their gods," one of the Chel'Kari replied.

"Yeees. Good thing you didn't suppress anyone here," Thalion said dryly.

"What are they saying about me in integrated space?" He didn't expect much useful information, but if this was true, and he was becoming something like a figure of interest, forming his own faction might actually be possible. The problem was that those from integrated space were far from pleasant. Before anything like that could happen, he needed to make sure his allies were strong enough—otherwise incursions would simply replace them.

There were other concerns, but for now, he let the Chel'Kari continue while shaping his plans.

"Just what I said before. There are strong rumors that you died—but new ones keep appearing, claiming the opposite. Right now, no one knows what to believe." The Chel'Kari sounded far more confident now. They likely thought Thalion would let them live. Unfortunately for them, Thalion didn't take that risk lightly. It had backfired too often, and for now, he preferred to remain incognito.

"Hm… interesting. You mentioned Chosen earlier. Are there any nearby? Or other incursions?" Thalion asked. That was the most important question. After killing this many Chel'Kari, he was close to leveling up—and testing himself against a Chosen sounded appealing. If none were available, a strong incursion would suffice.

"Yes—and it's bad. A female elven Chosen using plant abilities. Those she baptizes gain similar powers, and they cultivate special water plants. If they keep expanding, we'll have to give up most of our earnings. Right now, we're only safe because they're busy fighting elsewhere." A plant-based Chosen? That made Thalion smile. Was there even one of his forms that was weak against plants? This could be a very good first test—especially if they were connected to the teleportation network.

The elves were probably still grinding levels to reach D-grade. Maybe this was his chance to… contribute to the war. And killing an elven Chosen would likely slow their expansion. One of the Chel'Kari pulled out a map from a pouch at his side. It showed their current location, the surrounding islands, several marked hunting grounds, resource areas, and the positions of the elves and other factions. Thalion must have traveled much farther than expected—none of it looked familiar. Not that it mattered.

So far, the elven Chosen had already conquered five incursions in the area, and according to the map, they were growing some kind of plants in the ocean. Either way, a very interesting destination. Thalion couldn't help but wonder what the Primordial Bloodseed would think of those plants. As far as Thalion was concerned, the Chel'Kari had done their job. There was no reason to keep them alive. Just as he finished that thought, one of them gathered enough confidence to speak.

"But don't worry, these are only minor losses. We still have a major arsenal waiting. This could be the start of a strong alliance—" He didn't get any further. A vine shot out from Thalion's hand, piercing the shell effortlessly and lifting both Chel'Kari into the air.

"I don't think that will happen," Thalion said coldly. The vines tightened, ripping them apart while absorbing their translucent blood. He was done being complacent—done leaving people alive who knew too much. It always came back to bite him. Rina watched with wide eyes. For her, the two Chel'Kari had been a lifeline—and now they were gone in an instant. Thalion wasn't entirely sure if she would survive this either. There were many humans who had seen what happened, and word would spread if he didn't act.

On the other hand, they were so weak that crossing the vast distance between the islands would be nearly impossible. He would have to destroy the ships before... but what was he thinking. The humans knew far less than the Chel'Kari and were far weaker.

"Please don't kill me!" Rina cried, collapsing to the ground. Seraphina also looked at Thalion as if he was a completely different person.

"I can be useful… rebuild the city… I—I…" Rina tried again, but Thalion cut her off.

"Relax. I'm done killing in this city. There's a Chosen waiting for me." Rina just stared at him, unable to process what he had said. Seraphina, on the other hand, looked genuinely surprised.

"A Chosen? You want to kill a Chosen?" she asked, as if he had just lost his mind.

"Yes." Thalion replied with a wide grin. He could feel the hearts beating around him. This would be the ultimate test before the next system event—and he needed something worth bragging about when he saw Ratgul and the others again.