There was an additional presence in one of my buildings. I frowned at that. No one escaped from the arrivals, so it had to be someone new. Now another presence. It was Champion Michael and his lapdog, I had no doubt. I had only left this morning to head towards a level 4 zone to get some more level 4 crystals.

I stopped my army’s advance and spun everything around to head back to the East Bastion. If Michael was here, I was more than happy to kill him. Unless he brought a million crystals with him, he wouldn’t be able to use the City Shield, so no threat there.

I frowned when I felt my test subjects disappearing. A minor loss. Then I was mentally notified of the buildings being wrecked. I frowned much more heavily at that. My plans just got pushed up. If he wanted a war, he was going to get a war. Champion Michael was wrecking everything, which was just like him. To expect anything different of a deranged beast, was expecting far too much. Still, it was a dangerous beast.

I had not forgotten the pain from long ago. That pain had been what inspired my most recent breakthrough. The Astrologer had made a critical mistake in leading me to that skill, Imbue Reform. It was powerful, insanely powerful. The best skill in existence. “Imbue Reform.” I used it again and felt a rush of power through me.

I would crush Michael and the Astrologer would be force fed his own words before I killed him. Even if his real body was elsewhere, I would find it, and kill him then. No matter where he chose to run, he would die.

For I had come to an interesting conclusion. The Astrologer wanted something from Purgatory. There was only one real thing worth consideration that was there, Champion Michael. The Astrologer looked down on summoning, but he needed talent. Idiot couldn’t smell talent if it slapped him silly.

No, he wanted an unthinking brute. That was what he wanted. Someone to just rush forward without any thought or consideration. And look who just showed up and answered that very question. That was a lesson I learned well from Champion Michael, scheming was pointless before absolute power.

I had it, in my hands. Power that was unstoppable. Already I felt the three sources pulse within me. My limit and imperfectly bound to my flesh. It had been a simple matter of testing hybridization but without the last step and a primed crystal. I could impart power to people, power of the monsters.

Merging the crystal itself with one’s flesh. The conceptual idea of the monster leaked through. But even more than that, it was more than enough of a barrier to prevent complications that arose from the standard hybridization. There was too much power and not enough stats, or energy within a person to contain the unleashed level 4 crystal.

But by merging a crystal with flesh, and not activating it. That allowed insights. Powerful insights and abilities that were the domain of level 4 monsters. I had tested this extensively and had only recently taken the final step myself after proving it was safe.

I killed many level 4 monsters. The Uni-Bunny was one of the worst in my opinion. I carefully selected the level 4 monsters I would use. Each of them had been a terror to defeat. The names I had given them carved into my memory.

The first had been The Weeping Child. A disgusting thing, that only looked like a child, but could inflict sadness and depression. The closer it came, the more one wanted to kill oneself. I was forced to cut the tether on several monsters and bombard it. Its mental powers were immense and gave me the insight I needed into mental attacks. No longer would they be a weakness of mine. Its powers would shield me and affect others.

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The second had been The Refraction Orb, deflecting all skills. It had taken an incredible beating to bring down just one. The superior version of the level 3 monster that made my metal men. Its powers allowed me to counter raw energy attacks. To push my tethers to a higher frequency. That had been the trick of the Astrologer, sending out a pulse of energy at a different wavelength than I assumed was universal. A dangerous assumption and one I had quickly corrected. While my range had not increased, no one would be able to just snap their fingers and disable me anymore.

The last level 4 crystal I had implanted into my body was The Puppet Master. The most dangerous of all the level 4 monsters I had faced. Even The Cloaked Assassin was a lesser threat in my opinion. This living doll had been able to snatch away my summons and use them with great effectiveness, far more than even my prodigious skill.

From this last monster, I learned of connecting tethers after my monsters had been separated from my control. The knowledge coursed through my body and mind. A dangerous combination to have inside of me, but now, with the combined power of three level 4 monsters, I was unstoppable and had no weaknesses.

I had wanted to build up my army some more before going to crush Champion Michael, but he had so willingly come to me. I would be a poor host to refuse the invitation he so willingly offered up to kill him.

Oh, he was running through the city after wrecking it. Trying to get away. I frowned since he was moving quite fast. His lapdog had a large sword, but there had been a discarded one in the plaza. So clearly not enchanted. A weak, mundane weapon that was no threat.

I would be able to intercept them just outside East Bastion’s West gate, but my physical body would still be trailing behind. It was unfortunate that I could not fly my army, but flying monsters had a very hard time lifting anything besides themselves. Even using slimes on my were-sword dervishes made them much harder to control and move despite the small nature of the slimes. Also hybridization destroyed the flight characteristics of any monsters that possessed speed in that area.

Well, time to test Champion Michael and see how much he has improved compared to me. I doubt he made much progress. The only thing truly holding me back, was making other level 4 hybrids or summons. I was getting closer every day, but it truly was a barrier. Only a temporary one with my genius and insight, but a barrier nonetheless. With an army of level 4 monsters, I would truly be unstoppable. I suspected my next step on my path was figuring out how the Astrologer did that snapping trick and that trick with my name.

I knew the mechanics, a higher wavelength, and resonance of some kind. But the exact how escaped me. With that knowledge, I was hoping I could guide the hybridization process of a level 4 monster.

Oh, I had almost caught up. My clear hawks moved to stop him. Their type would negate his Acid Shot. His lapdog leapt up and did some impressive sword work. My metal men were already running towards Michael and he was in range for mental and ranged attacks and my mental attack. I frowned since it didn’t take hold right away, but not unexpected with someone of his caliber.

Ah, there was his signature attack. Acid balls of death. I was the only person alive who knew what it felt like to melt beneath their tender mercies. My metal men held up with barely any damage, but Champion Michael had flown away, with gusts of wind through the air.

Unfortunate, but no matter. My army continued its pursuit, but not as relentless as before. With the energy Champion Michael had, it was clear he had upgraded his Spirit and Regeneration. Grinding away, one monster at a time. That was slow and useless. Far more efficient to form an army and scour the land clean.

In time I would soon do that for level 4 zones and turn my gaze to a level 5 zone. My reach would not stop. Soon, I would expand over the Systemic Lands and force this place to give me answers or let me go. I had no use for the system. Just more shackles to bind me down, like Ken, like Michael, like the Astrologer, and then the system itself.

I was not going to be contained here and no one could stop me. I couldn’t wait to see the look of terror on Michael’s face as I ripped him apart just like I had Ken. That man’s death screams still warmed my heart. Michael’s screams would just add fuel to that fire. Oh, and the look of surprise on the Astrologer’s face when all his tricks were made useless would be hilarious.

They should have killed me when they had the chance. Now it was too late. No one had the strength to oppose me. And as for the supposed threat to the West, I would believe it when I saw it. No person could stand the might of hundreds of level 3 hybrids. Combine that with the removal of my weaknesses, quantity had a quality all of its own.