Chapter 425 - Freeing the Origin of Mutation

“All invading forces, heed my warning. Retreat now, and I won’t pursue you. Those who stay will die.”

Han Wu repeated his warning three times, but the invaders only laughed.

“He must be stupid. Does he think he can threaten us when he’s about to die?”

“Us? Die? I’d like to see him try!”

“Go, my units! Destroy his divine realm and crush his Core!”

The invaders issued orders to their units, which attacked with greater ferocity.

Han Wu was losing countless units every second. Jing Jing’s skeleton army was heavily restricted, and Sun Qingnian’s Foxmen were exhausted after supporting Han Wu’s army. Meanwhile, their reinforcements hadn’t arrived yet. Even Sun Qingnian looked close to tears at Han Wu’s predicament.

With a low growl, Han Wu disappeared. An instant later, he reappeared on the Sky Palace’s eighth floor, where he had imprisoned the Origin of Mutation. The latter was currently playing with a tiny worm in a daze. It took it a moment to notice Han Wu.

After being imprisoned for so long, it felt hollow inside and yearned to get out no matter the cost. It longed to see the vivid, ever-changing world beyond its confinement.

“Vessel, please let me out. Please... I will do anything...” the Origin of Mutation pleaded.

Its plea was sincere, though it doubted that Han Wu would agree. After all, it had once committed an act that was no different from killing Han Wu after.

“Fine.”

Han Wu's simple response took the Origin of Mutation by surprise. It thought it had misheard or imagined it and hesitated before asking again. “You... You will let me go?”

Han Wu nodded. “Yes, but you must help me first. Do that, and I will grant you the freedom you crave. You will hold authority second only to mine, and I will allow you to travel to other civilizations.”

The Origin of Mutation trembled with excitement, half-believing it must be dreaming. Even if this was a dream, it was the best one it had ever had. “I agree!”

It followed Han Wu out of the Sky Palace and witnessed the chaotic invasion ravaging Han Wu’s divine realm. More than 60% of Han Wu’s units had already fallen, and more perished with each passing second.

A sharp pain gripped Han Wu’s heart. He had painstakingly nurtured those units, and each one felt like a child to him.

“Punish those invaders,” Han Wu said darkly. “Let them feel the agony of invading my divine realm!”

With that, he granted the Origin of Mutation full authority to use all of the Divine Essence in his possession.

When the Origin of Mutation saw that Han Wu had thousands of Divine Essence, it felt a surge of excitement that made its throat itch. It had never seen such wealth ever since it was born, nor had it ever participated in a war with so much power at its disposal.

“Vessel, fear not,” it declared. “I will make them taste a pain that spans throughout generations.”

Then it launched itself into the fray.

The battlefield teemed with trillions of units, so its arrival didn’t attract much attention. Yet the Origin of Mutation was very special and could alter the entire course of war. The moment it appeared, it used Han Wu’s Divine Essence to activate every ability it had unlocked so far: Controlled Mutation, Gene Lock, Gene Recombination, and Life Creation.

Using Controlled Mutation and fueled by the vast reserve of Divine Essence, it spread its influence across every living being nearby. Han Wu’s units underwent positive mutations. For example, the Tigermen’s arms thickened with strength, the locusts grew larger, and the Scorching Dwarves developed muscular bodies.

In contrast, the invaders suffered catastrophic mutations. Their blood cells twisted and contorted until they could no longer absorb enough oxygen; their hearts warped and couldn’t adapt to the strain of such high intensity battles; and their brains shrank, stripping them of coordination and control.

Wherever the Origin of Mutation passed, the invaders died in droves. However, that was only the beginning. Soon, it activated Gene Recombination and transferred every powerful organ to itself or to Han Wu’s units.

Within seconds, the invading scorpions lost their stingers, the eagles lost their wings, and the wolves lost their fangs. Meanwhile, the Origin of Mutation transformed into a monster with a hundred stingers, five pairs of wings, and a mouth lined with razor fangs. With those organs fused into its body, it could unleash the abilities contained within them.

The Origin of Mutation could now wield multiple domains such as the Bloodsucking Domain, Poison Domain, Sandstorm Domain, Blazing Domain, and others. Before long, it was shrouded in a multicolor domain that annihilated any enemy that entered its range. Even High Lord life forms couldn’t survive more than ten seconds under the crushing force of so many overlapping domains.

Only King life forms could endure the onslaught and fight back. Unfortunately for them, the Origin of Mutation’s body housed deadly organs. Hundreds of stingers pierced through the King life forms, and their potent venom killed them in an instant.

Sage life forms could withstand all of the overlapping domains and battle the Origin of Mutation on equal ground, but Han Wu wouldn’t let the latter be defeated. He ordered all his Sage life forms to protect it at any cost.

Steely, Alpheus, Smog, and his other powerful units gathered around the Origin of Mutation to protect it. With them holding back the invading Sage life forms, the Origin of Mutation found a chance to advance even further.

While fighting against the Sage life forms, it secretly shaved off bits of their flesh and consumed them.

Through Gene Lock, the Sage life forms’ various powers came under its control, and its body transformed once more. The five wings at its back turned into dragon wings. Gold and black scales spread across its body, and each of its eight arms wielded a powerful greatsword. The hundred stingers on its back fused into a single, spiked snake’s head.

It was now temporarily stronger than Sage life forms. Even Han Wu had no idea what existed beyond that rank.

The Origin of Mutation reveled in its newfound strength. It knew that it could easily seize control of Han Wu’s body, but it chose not to. Instead, it turned its focus on the invaders and used Steelcutter. Steely had spent years mastering the Skill, yet the Origin of Mutation wielded it effortlessly. With a single swing of its greatsword, it cut through every High Lord and King life form in its path and left even Sage life forms heavily wounded. Worse for its enemies, it could execute this attack eight times in succession.

Seeing the unnervingly powerful Origin of Mutation, the invaders concentrated all their forces on it, determined to eradicate it through sheer numbers.

The Origin of Mutation flapped its wings and soared thousands of meters into the air. Their attacks fell short, and those few that landed were easily deflected by its dragon scales.

Only then did the invaders realize that they faced a very powerful foe.