Chapter 42

Chapter 42

In a secluded corner of the villa, Jayde prepared himself for the final procedure. With the assistance of a potion, he had met the minimum requirements for a breakthrough. Jayden had already committed the Rank 1 defense spell to memory.

Jayden carefully removed the cork from the Grine Water container, his hands shaking with excitement. The stage he had longed for was at hand, and his lifelong dream was on the verge of realization.

"Thank you, Lord Ron, for bestowing upon me such a tremendous favor. I shall forever remain in your debt," Jayden expressed his heartfelt gratitude before consuming the contents of the container.

In an explosive burst, his Spiritual Force began to surge while his vitality suffered a severe blow. The reason it was preferred to undergo a breakthrough at a young age became evident, as an older body struggled to endure the taxing process.

After some time, Jayden successfully advanced, but his mind was immediately bombarded with a tumult of thoughts, ranging from confusion and bewilderment to anger. Jayden had somehow broken free from the curse, although he remained uncertain about Ron's motivations. However, it was clear that he had been ensnared in Ron's scheme.

Suddenly, a ferocious presence loomed behind him, and he turned to confront vertically slit pupils devoid of emotion.

"Leylin?" Jayden asked, taking a step back. Even though he had just advanced, he was at his most vulnerable.

"I don't know what you're planning, but your greatest mistake was giving me the chance to advance," Jayden gritted his teeth. He recalled that Ron had advanced only a few days ago, so he couldn't be much stronger, could he?

The vertical slits transitioned from indifference to mockery, and a faint sneer hung in the air. Jayden seethed with anger but was cut short as an enormous wave of flames engulfed him, making it his last sight.

***

In his underground laboratory, Ron set up various equipment on a table, with the Fallen Star Pendant at its center.

From a concealed corner of the room, Ron retrieved a new Confining Spirit Sphere containing a man with the visage of Jayden, his expression twisted with anger.

"I had low expectations for your transformation to a vengeful spirit to succeed. Fortunately, luck was on my side," Ron thought as he gazed at the vengeful spirit. It had taken him days of relentless experimentation and torment to achieve this outcome.

The energy emanating from the vengeful spirit far exceeded what an acolyte could hope to attain, thanks to Ron's recent advancements in spirit research. Using the Dissolving Spirit Potion, Ron began the process to extract Jayden's grievances, which had been tormenting the vengeful spirit.

"Ah… It hurts. You're going to pay. I will KILL you!" the vengeful spirit wailed from within the crystal ball. Ron remained unfazed, continuing his work.

As the Dissolving Spirit Potion did its work, the vengeful spirit's curses grew muffled. Ron then used a black needle to pierce the spirit's chest, further transforming its appearance.

The experiment lasted for over a dozen hours, stretching into the second day, and resulted in a naked body bound within a scarlet pentagonal formation, devoid of the earlier frenzy and hatred, replaced by an air of serenity.

"Thank you, Ron! Could you release me now?" Jayden asked from within the formation, his voice devoid of hatred or sorrow.

"You must be joking. I put in great effort to free you from your grievances, not for your gratification," Ron replied with an apathetic expression, showing no interest in Jayden's plea.

Ron went on to simulate the start of an experiment, using the A.I. Chip to calculate a success rate of 77.9%. This newfound capability saved him a considerable amount of resources.

The first step was to separate the ingredients for the magic artifact. Ron set Bosain's Magical Artifact and the Vengeful Spirit aside, along with other refining materials.

He ignited the artifact within a golden funnel, causing its temperature to rise significantly. The chilling atmosphere in the lab hinted at the torment of vengeful spirits within the four walls.

As the artifact heated, Ron shifted his focus to the vengeful spirit, which had lost most of its human appearance. The last step involved the spirit's eye, which Ron pierced with a silver fork, mixing it into a beaker.

The experiment continued, culminating in the appearance of a serene vengeful spirit trapped within a spell formation.

As Leylin looked at the situation in front of him, his face bore a satisfied expression. "After a long day, I have finally removed all of the grievances from it."

"Thank you, Leylin! However, could you release me now?" Jayden's voice conveyed no hatred or sorrow.

Ron's response was cold and unyielding, "Are you joking? I spent so much effort to release you from your grievance, not for some gratification!"

He then proceeded to upgrade the Fallen Star Pendant. After a series of precise steps and an incantation, Ron watched as the pendant transformed into a dark red cross, its most crucial stage of modification.