Chapter 239: Heroic Soul Legion

Chapter 239: Heroic Soul Legion

The Heroic Soul Legion is a combination of Sorcerer Projections and Knowledge Creatures.

No one knows why the Sorcerer Projections from the Time Continent mingle with Knowledge Creatures.

Even the most adept Mind Sorcerers, who excel at enslavement, can only control one or two Knowledge Creatures for a brief period. To command a large group of Knowledge Creatures goes far beyond the capabilities of any Two Wings Sorcerer. It’s like asking a child to drive a heavy truck—it’s simply not feasible based on size alone. And if the truck does move, it’s not due to the child’s ability, but rather the truck’s compliance.

Many Sorcerers have indeed attempted to uncover the secret of how Sorcerer Projections control Knowledge Creatures. However, they are usually torn to shreds by the monster legion upon encounter. Forget research; they’re lucky if they even catch a glimpse of the commanding Sorcerer Projection. Many Sorcerers die believing they have merely disrupted a family outing of Knowledge Creatures, oblivious that it was the dead who were marshaling an assault on the living.

“The Heroic Soul Legion is invincible on the Time Continent, or at least, it seems invincible to us,” Sonya said. “Not to mention the Heroic Spirits that serve as commanders, the Knowledge Creatures within the legion are incredibly difficult to handle. With the command of a Heroic Spirit, even the most enduring Berserker among Physical Sorcerers would be drained of arcane energy.”

“A Sorcerer is doubtless a force to be reckoned with, capable of taking on a hundred foes. But that only applies if a powerful Sorcerer faces a hundred weaker beings. Each creature in the Heroic Soul Legion possesses the combat power of a Two Wings Sorcerer; sheer numbers alone could overwhelm any traveler of the Time Continent. And with the Heroic Spirits directing them like extensions of their own limbs... Compared to the command ability of a Heroic Spirit, the recent counterattack by the Giant Fierce Wolf Dragon seems like child’s play.”

“Perhaps only a Sanctuary Sorcerer has the power to overcome the Heroic Soul Legion. But Sanctuary Sorcerers simply cannot step foot onto the Time Continent.”

“A Heroic Spirit?” Ashe raised his eyebrows.

“In texts such as ‘Tales of the Time Continent,’ ‘Gold Secrets,’ and ‘Veil of Rain,’ the authors refer to Sorcerer Projections that can command Knowledge Creatures as Heroic Spirits, to distinguish them from the more common Sorcerer Projections. It appears to have become a widely accepted term.”

Sonya watched the heroic soul legion disappear into the distance, “The heroic soul legion is a relatively rare presence on the Time Continent. Although most Two Wings Sorcerers will witness the legion once or twice, encountering this doom that walks the earth the very next day, are we lucky or not?”

“Is this really just the second most dangerous existence?” Ashe blinked, “What’s ranked first then? Sanctuary Sorcerers coming back to the Time Continent for easy pickings?”

“The most dangerous, of course, is a battle between heroic soul legions,” Sonya explained. “It’s said that even the aftermath of their battles can splash across the veil of rain and kill a group of Sorcerers. There’s a saying on the Time Continent: Never chase the sounds of battle, for you are always the innocent third party that gets affected.”

“I remember the heroic soul legion being mentioned in fairy tales I’ve read,” Deya recalled. “A Sorcerer, betrayed by enemies and stripped of their lover, after death, their obsession remained. With the help of seven dragons, they formed a heroic soul legion to return to reality, vanquish their enemies, and after a final kiss with their lover, rested in peace...”

“The structure fits a fairy tale, but the origin is a bit too real...” Ashe commented. “I’d give it an 8 out of 10.”

“Let’s save the fairy tale convention for when we’re further away, the heroic soul legion might come back,” Sonya urged. “Let’s get moving, or if the heroic soul legion kills us, we’re done for. Even with a soul special drink, we’ll be down for a month.”

Just as dying in the den of Gregarious Creatures results in more soul loss, the Knowledge Creatures in the heroic soul legion naturally all want a taste of the rare delicacy that is a Sorcerer’s soul. And after a Sorcerer dies, their soul is defenseless, if consumed completely it leads to true death. But since each Knowledge Creature can only take one bite, the more there are around at the time of death, the greater the loss of soul.

However, unless some Taboo is triggered, such as Eviction Secret Poison, creatures of the Virtual Realm generally don’t consume a Sorcerer’s entire soul. Much like not cutting the roots when harvesting leeks, they let Sorcerers recuperate in reality, to return another time.

However, Ashe fell into contemplation: “Since no one has ever defeated the heroic soul legion, why is it assumed that their commander is a Sorcerer Projection? Perhaps some other Sorcerer has violated a mechanism of the Virtual Realm and thus gained the ability to control Knowledge Creatures.”

“Shouldn’t there be some Prophecy conducted by a Sorcerer to gather intelligence?” Sonya was also not sure: “But if it’s not the heroic souls being controlled, then when a Sorcerer leaves the Time Continent for the Distant Skies, they should be able to continue enslaving Knowledge Creatures, right? However, I’ve never heard a Professor mention anything similar happening in the Distant Skies.”

“Even in the Distant Skies, there is no Sorcerer who can marshal Knowledge Creatures into legions to conquer in all directions, not even the heroic soul legion... The heroic soul legion is a unique product of the Time Continent, just like the Whirlpool is a boon of the Sea of Knowledge.”

Sonya asked, “Witch, you want to become a legend Sorcerer?”

“Actually, it’s Little Red and the White Queen who want that, I’m not that interested in power,” Deya said earnestly. “Little Red longs for higher levels of Battle, while the White Queen wants to gain more leverage through power... But since we’re sisters, their dreams are naturally mine too!”

“And what is your dream?” Ashe asked abruptly.

“Me? I...” Deya paused slightly, tilting her head and then said, “Of course, it’s to live happily ever after with my sisters.”

“That sounds even more difficult than becoming a legend.”

“Indeed.”

The two dirty adults mercilessly tore apart the naive girl’s pure dreams.

“Alright, I’ll gamble with you,” Sonya sighed helplessly. “But the second question comes—can we win? In open combat, I don’t think we stand a chance.”

“We can win,” Ashe said, looking at the Virtual Realm map. “Because they’ve entered a narrow area—they went into the cave we just scavenged.”

Sonya was startled. “Are they relatives with the Giant Fierce Wolf Dragon?”

“Maybe it’s an employment relationship, but the Giant Fierce Wolf Dragon being stationed here to guard the Resource Point might be an unlisted labor dispatch.”

On the Virtual Realm map, the heroic soul legion’s icons were moving into the cave that was once the lair of the Giant Fierce Wolf Dragon. Clearly, among the loot that Ashe and his group had taken was something belonging to the heroic soul legion.

“But even in the lair, there are too many of them,” Deya pondered. “Can we repeat the trick and block the cave entrance to deal with them?”

Ashe shook his head and waved his hand, doubly negating Deya’s idea. “The risk is too great. If something goes wrong, we won’t even be able to run, we’d be doomed to die in the jaws of the beast.”

“We are up against the heroic soul legion, the risk is as high as eating some unknown, brightly colored mushrooms. And you still think about running away?” Sonya couldn’t help but tease Ashe, who seemed to have a ‘breeze-through’ mentality: “The world doesn’t work that easily.”

“It does,” Ashe asserted confidently. “I have a plan that can defeat the heroic soul legion and allow us to escape at a moment’s notice.”

The thought barely formed in Sonya’s mind—Is he suggesting we two fight while one stays in the car ready to flee?—when she realized the essence of Ashe’s plan.

“The Giant Fierce Wolf Dragon’s lair is quite spacious; it should accommodate a sports car as a guest. Even the Giant Fierce Wolf Dragon, if aware, would appreciate us holding a grand Ritual of remembrance atop its grave.”

Ashe pulled up the upgrade schematics for the vehicle, his eyes scanning over the list of peripherals that could be activated. “Originally, these resources were intended to upgrade the Alchemical Throne, but when it’s time to use them, then...”

“It’s time to showcase my driving skills that took me three tries to get a license!”