Chapter 47: Chapter 47 – Return to Stromhall City
"You already have your first beast. I think you don’t need this one anymore," said Velrisa.
Crowne looked at the strange creature in Velrisa’s right hand. The creature had many heads and several bizarre limbs. Its legs and heads resembled humans, but its body looked like a mix between a lion’s torso and a worm’s neck.
Crowne was not sure what kind of creature it was, but that was the only way his mind could describe it.
"Beast?" Crowne asked.
He stared at the creature Velrisa was holding. His face was full of confusion. Of course, one of his questions was, "Is that really a beast?"
Crowne wasn’t convinced that such a disgusting creature could be called a beast. It looked more like a monster born from the most repulsive place imaginable.
"Are you joking with me?"
Velrisa shook her head. "I know this creature looks a bit strange and not quite like other beasts, but its soul is still that of a beast. You can tame it," she explained.
Crowne frowned. "A bit strange? I don’t think so."
"If you don’t want it, that’s not a problem. I’ll keep it myself."
Crowne tilted his head, rubbing his chin for quite some time. He was thinking. After a long pause, about four minutes, Crowne finally nodded. He had made his decision.
"Fine. I’ll try, but if this thing can’t be tamed, I don’t ever want to see it again. Get rid of it!" Crowne said firmly.
Velrisa was a little surprised by Crowne’s decision, but she didn’t argue. She placed the creature on the ground.
Crowne extended his hand and activated his skill, Beast Dominion.
[Beast Dominion activated!]
A bright light appeared. It was blinding for a few seconds, then quickly faded away.
[The Creeping Head has been tamed!]
At that moment, Crowne’s eyes widened. He was truly shocked. He thought the creature in front of him wasn’t even a beast. The beastman he fought earlier looked much more like a beast in form, yet he couldn’t make it his servant.
But this weird and disgusting creature—its shape unclear and revolting—could actually be tamed and was now his servant.
"Are you serious?" he muttered.
"I told you, this creature is a beast. I would never lie to you," said Velrisa.
Crowne stared at Velrisa blankly. He didn’t say anything for almost three minutes. He was still in shock over what just happened.
Then he turned his gaze toward The Creeping Head, observing the small, revolting creature. It looked back at him as if acknowledging Crowne as its master.
"This..."
Crowne couldn’t find the words. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before opening his eyes again. When he looked at The Creeping Head, it was still there.
"This isn’t a dream..."
**
Meanwhile, the lich had already fled. He looked furious that his experimental creature had been defeated. Worse, he had lost his connection to it.
"It took me two years to create that creature, and now it’s gone. This is truly infuriating," he grumbled.
He had wanted to continue researching it further. In fact, his next plan was to merge The Creeping Head with the beastman he had recently revived a few days ago.
A powerful body, a great soul, combined with a creature capable of infinite regeneration—it would have been the perfect combination.
Unfortunately, that plan had failed. Not only was The Creeping Head defeated, but the beastman he painstakingly revived was also destroyed. His entire experiment had fallen apart.
"I will make them pay for what they’ve done," the lich said coldly.
He covered his head with his hood and stepped into the main road. He was heading somewhere else, searching for a safe place to restart his research. He would not stop.
However, just as he stepped onto the main road, he sensed a powerful presence behind him. A figure so strong that even his bones trembled.
"Who are you?" the lich asked.
"You don’t need to know," the voice replied. "Become my subordinate! I’ll give you everything you need."
"What if I—"
The lich turned around, his hand already raised, ready to cast a spell. But when he saw the figure standing before him, he hesitated.
Instinctively, the lich leaped backward, his gaze sharpening. "What do you want from me?"
"I need your mind. In return, I’ll give you a safe place to continue your research. That’s quite an offer, isn’t it?"
The lich fell silent for a moment. He was still suspicious, unwilling to believe what he was hearing. The figure before him was someone he never expected to show interest in his twisted experiments.
"For what purpose?" asked the lich.
"Why bother asking? You just need to answer my question. Do you agree or not?"
"And what happens if I refuse?"
"I’ll kill you, for the sake of world peace," the figure replied.
The lich laughed at that answer. He burst out laughing, but when the figure raised his hand, the laughter vanished immediately. The lich became serious again.
"You are truly cunning. I never thought someone as grand as you would resort to something so underhanded."
"Answer my question. Yes or no?"
"Do I even have a choice?" the lich grumbled. He turned around and began walking forward. "Take me to my new place," he said.
The figure smiled faintly. "Very well."
**
At the same time, Dorian arrived near the cave where Crowne and the others had been. When he got there, everything was already calm.
Crowne and the others were no longer there. They were already on their way back to Stromhall City.
"This place..." Dorian crouched and touched the ground in front of him. "This was a battlefield. What happened here before?"
He stood and looked toward the cave, walking deeper inside. When he reached the main chamber, he saw plenty of items scattered around.
That meant someone had lived there. The question was, who had lived here?
Dorian kept exploring the chamber and found several objects that felt familiar—not something he owned, but something he had seen before. He just couldn’t remember when or where.
He stood still for a few seconds. "I need to return and bring some investigators to examine this place."
He turned around and started heading back to Stromhall City.
But just before leaving, when he glanced to his left, he noticed a corridor he hadn’t seen before.
Dorian frowned and stepped into it. It turned out to be a dead end. The only path forward was a hole right before him.
"Is this a hidden chamber?" he muttered.