Chapter 97: Winged Serpent II

Surprisingly, the serpent had also grown legs now. Four legs with five fingers. It still didn't grow horns though.

After a minute, Fey seemed to enter a deep state as its aura climbed up steadily before encountering a wall. But it crashed into the wall fiercely and although it didn't flinch the first try, it broke down after a few other tries. 

As the wall broke down, the aura of Fey increased sharply as the rune strings around it also started to become increasingly chaotic before a new type of rune emerged. W faint white glow also started to emanate from its body and along with the new rune strings entering its body, it looked holy.

Fey's mountain-sized body also became smaller and smaller before turning into the size of a hill with a length of only a few tens of meters. But now, each of its muscles and cells was far stronger and more useful than before. 

Unsurprisingly, it broke through to second-tier. The rune it comprehended was somehow unexpected, he would say. 

It was the spiritual energy rune. 

The spiritual energy rune was a peak high-tier rune that was very close to the top-tier rune. It might even be stronger than some top-tier runes. If not for a specific requirement it lacked, it would've been labeled as a top-tier. 

It had reached the second-tier fifteen minutes after being born. It sure had some talent but the main deciding factor was still its mother's body. 

Even now, its cultivation was rising, although it was slow, it was steady. 

Although it only took 15 minutes for it to ascend to the second-tier, it didn't mean the same for third-tier. 

Spiritual energy cultivation and runic cultivation was different. While it would only take some spiritual energy to advance in the cultivation of first-tier, it would take comprehension to advance in the second-tier. 

And reaching second-tier only meant it had comprehended a part of the spiritual energy rune. It may be the thousandth or even ten-thousandth of a complete rune. As long as one comprehended a slight part of it, one would be considered to have reached the second-tier. 

After rubbing its head on Cylius, the winged serpent shark sizes to become even the size of half a palm before landing on Cylius' shoulder. After arriving there, it stood with its four little legs and looked towards him once before lying on his shoulder completely. 

It looked quite comfortable there as it closed its eyes, falling into sleep in a matter of minutes. 

Looking at it sleeping on his shoulder, he no longer looked at it anymore. It should sleep for now and skip some things. 

After taking one last look at the place where he had discovered the body, he turned to step into the space tear. Starting from his feet, his whole body entered it smoothly as soon, there was nothing within there. 

At somewhere within the cave. 

In the air, a long slit opened up as Cylius emerged from the space tear. After emerging, he looked towards Fey, somehow shocked and also glad. 

When he was within the dimension, passing through the place, this little fellow had changed. Surprisingly, it had awakened its water elemental affinity. This affinity was a late bloomer and only after it was aroused by the harsh dimensions that it awakened. 

Its eyes now had a tinge of blue as it still shone with the spooky white glow. Small water runes could also be seen on its skin, seeming to fade and get back to this world. 

It was unstable for now but it had at least started. 

It had also comprehended a strange rune. Due to unconsciously absorbing the dimension when it was sleeping, its water affinity had somehow mixed up with the dimensional affinity and resulted in a strange rune. Well, it could be called the water-dimension rune since it was their mix. 

There were all kinds of runes in the world. From the countless rune it had from the start, they will go under mutations and also mix and combine with each other to create even more strange and bizarre runes. 

For example, his death rune was somehow connected to the spirits and not only death. So it could be said to be not a pure death rune but a mixed-up spirit-death rune. He didn't care about it though. 

Although it wasn't much of a help to him, it was one of his foundations. It helped form and shape his current soul and body. 

Well, now that he had gotten back, he had to take care of the business he has. 

Thinking this, he looked down at the body of the mermaid. His eyes not containing a tinge of emotion. 

The mermaid had suffered a huge blow in the soul due to breaking the contract. Cylius' soul was far too stronger than the mermaid's, hence, it had suffered a huge blow when it had indirectly harmed him. 

It would've died as its soul was much weaker than Cylius' but due to the clam somehow sacrificing itself, it survived. 

It was now panting heavily, as its consciousness was blurred. It had difficulty seeing and discerning things, its mind was probably very chaotic now not being able to thing anything. 

The large and sumptuous breasts of it were now squished against the ground, almost fully revealed as the clamshells that covered her secret parts were on the verge of falling off. 

Seeing this sight, any man would've become erect. 

But Cylius didn't have any reaction to it. Just with a cold and blank gaze, he stared at the mermaid before moving his eyes to the destroyed clam next to her. 

This creature had died. He guessed that it had died bearing the side effect of the contract and had sacrificed itself for its owner.

A unique treasure it was. The mermaid was lucky to have found it. 

Picking up the corpse of the clam, he gave it to Fey before flicking his finger. 

As he flicked his finger, countless dimensional tears formed around the body of the mermaid as it tore her to shreds before disappearing. 

This mermaid didn't have any use to him or the Fey at all. When he asked if it wanted her, it shook its head so it was useless. Not to mention that it had a breakdown and could be considered crazy now, it may also hold hostile intentions towards him; so it was only right of him to dispose of her. 

Upon killing her, he felt the shackle from the soul contract suddenly tightening and wanted to attack its soul. Not rushed at all, his soul formed into a hand before it broke down the shackles. 

This shackle wasn't strong at all; with his current strength, he could even break five of them at once. It wasn't of a problem to him at all as he killed the mermaid. 

Now, they were going to hunt Crystalized Elemental Essences.

.....

Right now, Cylius was currently staring at the Rock Skin Mole with a cold gaze while Fey had coiled around the mole, not letting it go at all. It instead looked at the mole as if it was its own prey. 

The mole, having been scared to death was now constantly begging to be released but it was of no use as the snake tightened its coil even more. 

"Please... please... I beg you. I have my precious children waiting for me at home..." the mole beggingly said. 

However, Cylius didn't feel any pity for it at all even when he knew that what the mole was saying was right. While still looking at the mole, he blankly nodded. Seeing the nod, the mole seemed even more desperate as it struggled further, trying to escape the grasp of Fey; yet, the attempt was a failure as the grasp of Fey didn't decrease at all. 

The tail that was holding the mole suddenly raised up. In no time at all, Fey had fully devoured the Rock Skin Mole as it looked towards Cylius before heading towards him. 

When it had swallowed the mole, there were no lumps in its body at all as the mole was already by the winged serpent, Fey. 

Looking towards where the mole was, five little brownish-green crystals the size of grains appeared before it headed towards Cylius' pouch. 

Everyone eventually dies; this was a known fact. Since they would die sooner or later, why not kill them now? It was beneficial to him anyway. 

If talking about morals and ethics, it was bullshit. There was no right or wrong, there was only strength and it decided them all. Whether it was right or wrong, just or unjust, it was strength that decided. 

Everyone wasn't innocent. They had committed atrocities at least once in their life and Cylius was quite sure that this mole had done the same. Since it had existed for a long time, it must've killed many that had families and lovers behind them. 

Well, even if it hadn't, he didn't care. 

Two months had already passed. They had gathered all the required Crystalized Elemental Essences; it didn't take long as with the little serpent's ability of being very sensitive to various kinds of energy, they were able to find the monsters rather quickly. 

Along the way, the winged serpent had even grown further as it comprehended a new rune - the absorb rune.

It was a rune that was rather strange. Suitable with the little serpent's ability, it was able to absorb various kinds of energy and then turn them into nutrition for the host. It says that it will grow to become the devour domain later. 

It was a powerful rune. He didn't really know its tier but suspected it was a top-tier rune, as it had a rather unique and special ability. 

In total, 150 Crystalized Fire Essence, 170 Water Essence, 145 Wind Essence, and 151 Earth Essence. 

The reason why the water essence was so much, even nearing 200 was because the world could be said to be rather rich in water elements. Compared to the other basic elements, it was slightly more. It was also due to the fact that in one of the oceans there were no third-tiers which allowed him to run rampant there. 

He had basically ransacked the entire ocean with only a few special ones being able to escape from his and Fey's grasp. 

Well, he had killed all of the creatures he had stolen from. It was because of only one reason. 

Benefits. 

By killing them, he was able to gain benefits and advance his cultivation. If he can get them, why not? 

He was also quite sure that the academy had groomed these monsters so that they would become resources for their students later on anyway.

Since it was only 3 months since the mission started, it meant that he still had 9 months left. 

So since this whole matter of missions finished, it was now time for traveling.