Bizarre Realm

The Bizarre Realm hasn’t been this lively in nearly a thousand years.

Andre used a hood to cover his Half-Beastman features, walking through the bustling streets of Abyss City. Not far ahead was the ’Asura’ Arena, where the magic guards of Yugroth could be seen from a distance at the entrance. The arena operated by Evil Demons was even more bloody and brutal than Abyss City’s, as they often brought in members of the Ancient Race to attract spectators. Andre was here this time to recruit his former companions; he now served the Pioneer Warband of the Mechanical Heart, urgently needing some reliable hands to form his own special task force.

Only those truly integrated into the Mechanical Heart know how terrifying the war potential hidden within this Half-Plane is. All along, His Excellency has only wielded his knife in minor demonstration, seemingly unwilling to reveal his full hand.

Even recent actions were conducted in secrecy, completely unknown to the outside world.

But Andre witnessed firsthand as His Excellency waved away a peak several thousand meters high at the Screaming Isles, then reversed its gravity and transformed it into a massive floating island. Currently, the Mechanical Heart’s technological advisors are discussing how to send this Floating Island to near-Earth orbit; technically, there’s no issue whatsoever, only a lack of some key materials, so this plan hasn’t yet been executed.

Yesterday, the Martyr Battle Group already entered the Elemental Plane; Andre isn’t quite sure what the specific mission is.

The Pioneer Warband operates primarily within the Material Plane of the Bizarre Realm. Most of the actions in other planes are handled by the Martyr Battle Group.

Actually, Andre has had a lingering question.

"How could the Mechanical Heart Half-Plane, only recently risen, have so many High Tier technological advisors?"

"Demon Wizards are understandable, after all, His Excellency is Aemon’s heir and has many potential followers in Abyss City."

"But what about the Alchemists of other paths?"

"And the people from the Tower of Knowledge?"

"Even those from the Land of Shadow Souls, scholars from the Spirit Realm Plane? Where did they come from, and why did they suddenly join the Mechanical Heart Half-Plane?"

Andre felt a vague, bold conjecture in his mind that His Excellency might possess an alarming ability to control hearts.

He inherently possesses the power of the Mind Path.

All along, new members have been continuously joining the Mechanical Heart Half-Plane. Some were once out of control, like Yvonne Tanner, Divine Prostration of the Divine Terra Church; others were Demon Wizards from Abyss City who were once followers of Aemon. There were also some unknown or unheard-of people, like solitary Adventurers, High Tier Wizards of the Realm of Reality, Shadow Path Ronin, lone wolves unwilling to be constrained, even former enemies, among others.

As far as Andre knows, the Monster Doctor was once an enemy, and then became His Excellency’s most loyal follower.

Through some unknown channel, His Excellency has always been ’recruiting’ new members.

"It’s best not to think too deeply about these matters."

Andre shook his head to dispel his thoughts. Many Warband members of the Divine Terra Church’s origin are unclear, but without exception, they are mid-to-high-tier Transcendents utterly loyal to the Mechanical Heart and fearless in executing missions.

To be honest, he has a bit of fear, or rather, terror.

Sometimes when he thinks of His Excellency, he can’t help but feel ’loyal,’ after all, the other has changed a lot, and the Mechanical Heart’s rise is no less than a miracle.

"It’s normal for a Demigod to have followers."

"Regardless of who the followers are or where they come from, this is entirely normal."

"The Bizarre Realm is already in such a dire state."

"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures!"

"This is perfectly normal."

Andre shook his head, firming his belief that everything is for a better future.

He sensed the presence of the ’Thought Steel Seal.’

Or rather, he had touched the threshold of the Legendary Domain, since only by touching a presence of the Legendary Level can one vaguely feel a sliver of the power of the Thought Mark. But all along, he hasn’t encountered any adverse situations; instead, the Mechanical Heart has been wholeheartedly cultivating them, and by the time he realized, he was already deeply bound with the Mechanical Heart Half-Plane.

Moreover, Darkwalkers aren’t pushovers either; defecting from the Mechanical Heart for no reason would result in being hunted by those high-tier Assassins of the Shadow Path.

As time goes by.

The first batch of people in whom Shawn implanted Thought Steel Seals have already advanced to High Tier, with a few slowly realizing the implant of the initial Thought Mark due to rapid strength improvement over time. Regardless of the original reason for joining the Mechanical Heart Half-Plane, they have long been fully integrated, becoming part of this efficiently functioning colossal machine.

Andre is no different.

To ask him to abandon his current identity and status, and revert to being a solitary Gladiator or Adventurer, is something he would never resign himself to. Besides, this is all merely his speculation; the power of the Mind Path is mysterious and unpredictable, and who can truly escape it, especially when His Excellency has invested vast resources in them.

Asura Arena.

Most of the Transcendents transformed into Beastmen templates didn’t fare too well because, although this race template had bonuses to Power and Constitution, it also made their tempers and personalities volatile and irritable. Andre learned to manage his fury only after numerous battles in the arena.