The baron's instructions

"Ahhhh!"

"I. Should. Have. Killed. That. Bitch!"

The servants stood around the pool of ice. It wasn't just frozen water. The ice was crystalline and lotus-shaped.

Clannad lay naked inside the pool. All over his body scales could be seen growing, which were pulled out immediately by a Knight. 

To be thorough, she was in the pool. The servants around the pool didn't think she needed to be naked or lying beside Clannad to do her job but they were smart enough to keep their mouths shut.

"You will get your chance, young lord," she whispered close to his ear, giving it a quick lick with the tip of her tongue.

"But for now you need to make sure your body and soul remain in sync. We don't wish you to be devoured by that beast, do we? Although…I wouldn't mind having you go wild…" She licked her lips coquettishly as she said that.

Seeing her alluring figure, Clannad started to pant wildly. His nostrils flared. He grabbed the young woman and put her on the edge of the floor. The woman didn't protest. She laughed and even pulled him inside her.

The room was filled with growls and moans. The servants remained at their positions. They didn't even dare to look at the animalistic act in front of them.

Conrad watched from behind the door. He shook his head but didn't interrupt. Letting his grandson vent his animal instinct in a controlled way was the best method to keep the beast from gaining the advantage.

"Sounds fun," Elron laughed as he walked up to Conrad. His partner stood beside him, timid as always. 

"I hope you don't regret pushing him to bear all this," he continued. His smile didn't disappear but his eyes became cold.

Conrad didn't flinch under the ice stare. There was little in this world that scared him. He already put everything on the line for his life's biggest gamble.

"Don't worry about that. Having my grandson as the candidate for becoming His vessel is to both our benefit. There is no going back for either side."

Elron didn't like calm people like Conrad. They rubbed him the wrong way. He believed that only emotions that made your heartbeat rise, were emotions worth having. 

"Yes, there is no going back now. Lira and Lord Ronan have already finished their preparations too. We start as soon as your grandkid is crowned champion. Be ready. According to Lord Ronan, the baron is already aware of our collaboration. We either succeed or die trying."

Elron tried to sound as dramatic as he could but he was disappointed by the composed old man in front of him. 

Conrad seemed to have guessed what Elron was up to. He looked at the young man and smiled calmly.

"You think the baron scares me? He might be the toughest opponent we will face but I have known that since I joined you guys. I have made peace with the possibility of dying at his hands. And I hope you guys have done so too. Don't piss yourselves when you face him." 

His words lingered in the hallway as he left Elron with his partner behind. A cold gleam passed through his eyes as he muttered softly.

"Old man, we don't make peace with death. We go out wild. Hehehe."

…

"So I have to kill Clannad AND take the soul he has been trying to refine?" 

Hex had no qualms about killing Clannad but taking a soul from a human, even if the soul in question was a beast soul, gave him a weird feeling.

"Exactly." 

The baron clearly didn't see anything wrong with it. But seeing Hex's hesitation he explained his order.

"That boy is trying to build momentum so he can tilt the balance between the two souls in his favor. Each win will boost his willpower, which in turn will enhance the strength of his soul. If he manages to become the champion, he might be able to fuse the beast's soul with his."

"So, he has been so eager to win this tournament so he could become stronger?" Hex thought he finally understood the crazy obsession Clannad and his grandfather had for the tournament.

"If it was only about becoming stronger they wouldn't need the Dawnbringers. Fusing souls has great repercussions. Best case, the boy ends up a vegetable after some time, worst case he turns into dust." 

Hearing the baron explain more details made Hex fall in thought. The dots started to connect. But there were still some lingering questions in his mind.

"It makes sense to ally with a cult if they can help them to negate the drawbacks but why are the Dawnbringers helping them? Just so they could get more believers?" 

Hex wasn't convinced the Dawnbringers would assist any random person just so they had a better chance to convert them into their faith. There had to be something to be gained.

The baron nodded at Hex when he heard his question as if he approved of it. At least, Hex thought that it pleased him. It was hard to tell when none of the muscles on his master's face ever moved.

"They can reduce the negative effects but only the Divine Lord can remove it completely. And that is what they are trying to achieve. To improve that boy so he can act as a Vessel for their Lord."

"Wait. What?" Hex had an incredulous look on his face. The baron disclosed such mind-blowing information as if he were telling Hex about the weather.

"No reason to panic," the baron said, which Hex disagreed with. The Divine Lord was at war against the Heavens. A being at that level wasn't something Hex wished to face…yet.

"I am serious. If you take care of Clannad, there will be no Vessel, which means no Divine Lord. He will remain locked up in Heaven's Vault."

There were so many reasons why Hex didn't believe it would be as simple as the baron made it out to be. But he was so stunned, he asked the simplest thing his brain could manage to send out his mouth.

"How will I absorb the beast's soul? I am close to reaching the third Blessing but I doubt I will make it in time."

The baron tapped the desk with his finger. 

"Simple. Go to the temple and refine this," he said, pulling a crystal the size of his fist out of his drawer. "This is a Disaster class crystal. If you go all out, you will be able to absorb all its energy in these two days."

"O-okay," Hex took the crystal carefully. "But wait. Didn't you once tell me that I should only refine one grade above my stage?"

"For safety reasons, yes. But that will take time. With this, you might get hurt but you might also be able to advance in less time."

Hex gave a wry smile. It seemed he had to risk his life to take a life.

"So, I either choose to risk dying in these two days or risk dying after these two days?"

"Yes," the baron said and then waved him to leave for now. Hex didn't know whether to feel happy or depressed with how their talk had gone today.

"I guess I should be happy he replied to so many things today," Hex thought with a self-mocking smile.

Just as he thought to go look for Althea, he saw Lira about to enter Alice's room.