Lord of Rot

His body was weary, his strength completely drained, and his Spiritual Power felt as if it had been sucked away in an instant.

Leech took two steps back and sat on the bed.

He had intended to sit and think for a while, but as soon as his consciousness relaxed, he fell back onto the bed and slipped into a deep slumber.

”Hm?”

Leech opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling.

”Porcupine Territory?”

’I’m Baron Porcupine. Waking up in a castle in Porcupine Territory makes perfect sense.’

Only when he got out of bed did he realize he was already dressed.

He pushed the door open and left the room.

He had just reached the main hall.

”Good day, My Lord!”

”Good day, My Lord!”

Young maids in long dresses bustled about, walking from left to right, then from right to left.

They flashed him sweet smiles upon seeing him.

’So busy.’

Leech watched them laboriously walking back and forth and felt that something wasn’t quite right, though he couldn’t put his finger on it.

”What’s for breakfast?” he asked, rubbing his stomach.

For some reason, his stomach kept rumbling, and his body’s primal need for food gradually took over.

As he looked at the young maid standing before him, saliva began to pool in his mouth.

A powerful impulse surged through him—an urge to pounce, to tear through her pale, delicate skin, to chew her flesh and blood, and swallow it all.

’The taste must be so sweet!’

GULP! Leech swallowed hard.

He immediately came to his senses, a cold sweat breaking out as he was horrified by his own impulsive thoughts.

’What was I just thinking? Eating people?!’

He forcibly suppressed the urge.

The maid smiled and replied, ”Breakfast is still being prepared.”

”Then I’ll go for a walk,” Leech said at once. He was afraid that if he kept watching people wander around in front of him, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from pouncing and actually eating someone.

’It might fill my stomach, but I’d feel absolutely awful about it.’

It was already early morning outside.

Sunlight spilled over Porcupine Territory.

’The Ferris wheel is finished. It should be operational in a couple of days.’ He gazed out at the prosperous Porcupine Territory, thoroughly pleased. ’But the maglev train tunnel from Porcupine Territory to Iron Valley will still take some time to open. Thank the Moon God for her blessings; I never could have done all this alone.’

’No one’s out and about in broad daylight. Is it a holiday today?’

Leech looked at the empty streets and breathed a sigh of relief. ’Good thing there’s no one here. I might have lost control and actually bitten someone.’

He walked into the Porcupine Amusement Park.

Most sections of the park were open, but there were no visitors in sight.

A lone balloon figure waved its arms, swaying in the air.

He stopped in front of a pool of water.

A figure in a life jacket was in the pool, waving at him just like the balloon figure at the entrance.

”What is it?” Leech asked.

The face of the person in the life jacket was blurry, as if hidden behind frosted glass. Leech couldn’t make out his features or hear his voice.

Leech subconsciously wanted to get closer to listen.

”GRRRR,” his stomach started growling again.

He stopped in his tracks, not getting any closer. ”I’m not coming any closer. Just say what you have to say from there! Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll eat you.”

”BLBLBLBL...” The person sounded like they were submerged in water, their speech just a gurgling of bubbles.

”What?” Leech asked.

”Wa... %# ...ke up!”

He could make out parts of it, but he still couldn’t understand.

He had no choice but to get a little closer.

The figure suddenly lunged out of the pool, and Leech was startled by the sudden movement.

It flopped onto the bank like a fish out of water, struggling painfully.

Leech watched the figure crawl arduously toward him on the ground and felt something stir within his heart.

’Who is this?’

Seeing the figure crawling so desperately toward him, Leech couldn’t remain still. He started walking toward it.

He suppressed the urge to eat it.

’I’ll just get close enough to hear what it’s saying, then I’ll back away immediately!’

’I can hear it clearly!’

”Wake up!”

”What?”

”Leech, wake up! Wake up!”

The misty, frosted glass suddenly cleared, and a delicate face made of gold and jewels appeared before Leech’s eyes.

Leech’s eyes flew open.

He sat up with a jolt.

”GRRRRUMBLE!!” His stomach let out a huge roar.

’A dream?’

He looked at the statue on the floor. The exquisite statue lay quietly on the ground, as if it had nothing to do with anything.

Leech turned to look at the bed. The sheets were completely drenched in sweat, as if at least two people had fought an epic battle on it the night before.

”You helped me?” Leech connected with the Water Nymph through his Spiritual Power.

She was still in Waterfall Land.

”You’re welcome,” the Water Nymph said, one step ahead of him.

Leech smiled. ”Thank you.”

The Water Nymph’s calm voice steadily soothed him. If she hadn’t noticed in time that something was wrong, he would have been in real danger.

Leech checked his body again. He found that the energy from the two stalks of Griffin Grass he had stored within him was completely gone. The hunger in his dream had rapidly depleted his physical reserves. If it weren’t for the two Extraordinary Magic Potions sustaining him, he would have been sucked dry like a husk.

Most importantly, the Water Nymph had intervened just in time. Otherwise, trapped in that dream, no amount of energy would have been enough to sustain him.

’Looks like I can’t mess with this thing so recklessly from now on.’ Leech thought, looking at the statue on the floor, a wave of residual fear washing over him.

He sat at the table, picked up a mirror, and observed himself in it.

His reflection had become gaunt, with sunken cheeks and prominent cheekbones.

But his eyes were bright, brimming with spirit and vitality.

He looked awful, but his body felt completely different. Aside from the constant growling of his stomach, he felt like he was bursting with strength!

’The statue helps with digesting Magic Potions. I don’t know how much of its power was wasted, but I must be getting closer to breaking through the Extraordinary level!’

’I really could become a legend one day!’

No matter how much the statue helped him digest Magic Potions, Leech had no intention of using it a second time. If the Water Nymph wasn’t there to wake him up in time, he would surely have ended up a dried-out husk.

He left the room and met Nut Bill in the courtyard of Shanzhang Castle.

She seemed to be on her way to find Leech.

”Lord Leech?” The petite Nut Bill looked in shock at Leech’s greatly changed appearance. ”What happened to you? In just one night, how did you...”

”It’s nothing, just a small physical change.”

’A fairly robust noble Baron turning into a bag of bones overnight... there’s no way that’s normal.’

’Could it be that statue?’ Nut Bill thought, her heart skipping a beat.

She had possessed the statue for a long time but had never been able to figure anything out about it. To think Baron Porcupine had gotten results so soon after acquiring it... though he looked to be in a terrible state.

Leech said, ”The ball is over. I should take my leave.”

Nut Bill, who had just been about to ask Leech about the statue, came to her senses. ”Ah? In such a hurry?”

’Last night, we were so caught up in the sisters’ squabble that grandmother’s plan was never even put into motion. And now Baron Porcupine is already leaving.’

’And we haven’t even begun to discuss the trade routes and profits we wanted to.’

”Lord Leech, my grandmother requests your presence.”

”GRRROWL.” His stomach growled at the perfect moment.

Leech gently rubbed his stomach and said, ”I’m terribly hungry. Please let me get something to eat first.”

...

The sky gradually darkened.

A ship that set out from Monkey Island, after a journey of several days along the coast, finally approached the waters near Pigtail Bay.

On board was a group of fully armed sailors.

”Lower the sails!”

The Captain came out of the cabin, directing the busy sailors. He quickly crossed the deck, stood next to a tower-like man, and looked up, saying, ”Lord Jonney, we’re about to reach our destination.”

”Mm.”

The man called Jonney had muscles that bulged against his simple cloth clothes. His forearms were as thick as a normal person’s thighs.

The Captain, himself a tall man from the East Gorge, looked like a child standing before him.

”Have the other four come out.”

”I’ve already notified the four lords.”

”Lord Jonney!”

”Lord Jonney!”

”We’re here.”

”My Lord! Don’t worry!”

Four more burly figures like Jonney walked out from the cabin. Their heavy footsteps on the deck made one worry they might accidentally stomp right through it.

Standing beside the five human towers, the Captain felt the ship list to one side, though perhaps it was just his imagination.

Jonney said, ”Lord Morton once clashed with Baron Porcupine. He is a formidable master.”

”Haha!” one of the human towers boomed with laughter. ”I hear he’s also a physical-enhancement type Transcendent. With the five of us together, Baron Porcupine is no match for us! That damn musket of his couldn’t even pierce our hides!”

”Still, Lord Morton saw him with his own eyes. We can’t underestimate him!”

Jonney stressed cautiously. He afforded Transcendents due respect, but his disdain for firearms was just as strong. ’This is the age of Magic. Conventional weapons are becoming less and less important. The future belongs to Transcendents!’

The Captain carefully interjected, ”I heard that Baron Porcupine isn’t in Porcupine Territory recently.”

”It doesn’t matter if he’s there or not.” Jonney asked, ”Is the location of that island confirmed?”

”Confirmed. The secret to Porcupine Territory’s wealth must be hidden on that island.” The Captain nodded. ”The Monkey Clan has been to that island before, but in the end, Baron Porcupine took sole possession of it.”

”Change the flag!”

After a loud shout, the tuna flag on the ship was quickly replaced with the Sea Pirate Banner.

The group also transformed, from legitimate merchants into murderous pirates. Such things were common on the high seas.

The only difference was that they were preparing to pose as pirates to plunder a lord’s island!

The ship slowly approached the island that Baron Porcupine was secretly managing.

Everyone held their breath, looking nervously at the island.

A man’s reputation is like the shadow of a tree.

They might claim not to fear Baron Porcupine, but no one truly believed the stories about him were false. He had to have real ability; a Knight tournament champion was no fluke.

”Remember our objective,” Jonney said. ”Once on the island, first eliminate any Transcendents. If there are no Transcendents, gather everyone up. Kill anyone who resists!”

”Yes!” the other four responded in low voices.

Jonney looked at the Captain again. ”Wait for our signal.”

The Captain said with a chuckle, ”We’ll be right here on the ship, waiting for your good news, Lord Jonney.”

’Five Transcendents raiding an island... there’s absolutely no chance of failure.’

’Jonney and his four men are taking all the risks. All I have to do is steer the ship, be the getaway, and haul the loot.’ The Captain thought this division of labor was excellent.

”Lower the boat!”

The five human towers squeezed awkwardly into a single small boat, paddling slowly toward the island.