Under Kerparos's shocked gaze, the dark-gold energy around Logan grew brighter and brighter.
In an instant, the underground chamber they were in became the center of a vortex, pulling the energy of the whole Blood Cultivation Realm toward it.
Seeing this, Lilith flashed behind Kerparos and stepped on its tail. Kerparos yelped in pain and cursed:"What are you doing! You crazy woman!"
Mid-sentence, Kerparos glanced back at Lilith out of the corner of his eye and saw a pair of eyes full of murderous intent.
Lilith had just evolved and was now stronger than Kerparos. If they really fought, Kerparos might not make it out alive.
Realizing that, Kerparos turned meek at once, looking at Lilith pitifully and begging: "Hey, we can talk this out. I love peace."
Lilith ignored the act, her voice even colder than her eyes: "Talk. What's the situation now? Isn't the familiar space Master opened supposed to be top-tier—purple?"
Hearing her question, Kerparos finally let out a breath.
Then it put on a know-it-all look and cleared its throat three times. "You really are ignorant. Look at you—so clueless. It's laughable."
"Who told you a purple familiar space is the highest tier? A purple familiar space isn't worthy of my greatest Master!"
As it said this, Kerparos snuck a glance at Logan from the corner of its eye.
Seeing the dark-gold space seed starting to form inside Logan, Kerparos quietly acknowledged the boy.
Then he explained Logan's situation to Lilith in detail.
By Kerparos's plan, Logan could only open a purple familiar space.
Even that kind of familiar space had enough potential to make Logan a top genius of the Human Alliance, standing at the peak of the human world and looking down on everyone.
But just now, Logan didn't follow the plan exactly. He made his own call and activated the Infernal Lord Form.
In that form, all his stats doubled, going beyond human limits. And because of the transformation, his genes also fused with a bit of the Demon Lord bloodline.
On top of that, the main material Logan used was a Void Crystal, far beyond ordinary spatial fragments. All these factors together let him break past the limit of a human purple familiar space and reach the dark-gold level.
"So you're saying a dark-gold familiar space is stronger than a purple one?" After hearing Kerparos's explanation, Lilith's eyes lit up, and her voice was full of delight.
Seeing Lilith lift her boot off his tail, Kerparos yanked it free, raised his head proudly, and said: "Of course! With this talent, luck, and potential, he's worthy of being my Master—me, Kerparos, the top genius of the Three-Headed Hell Wolf clan."
Kerparos then walked slowly toward Logan, took a purple crystal hidden in his collar, and tossed it into the space vortex inside Logan.
In a flash, the newly formed space seed in Logan began to spin fast. A dark-gold space barrier slowly spread open, forming thin layers like film.
The wild energy around them now had a vessel and started to seep into those layers.
As the dark-gold space expanded, Kerparos's voice sounded in Logan's mind: "Master, I, the Three-Headed Hell Wolf Kerparos, now offer you my most precious soul crystal. Please accept my loyalty. It will help you open a dark-gold familiar space."
In a blur, the familiar contract in Logan's mind began to shift.
The chain linking Logan and Kerparos grew thicker.
A force that was dark and eerie, carrying the powers of storm, lightning, and inferno, flowed along the chain into Logan's body, making his already high stats climb even higher.
With that, the power he had struggled to control began to stabilize.
The tension on his face eased, and calm confidence appeared.
Lilith watched the whole time and didn't stop it.
Offering a soul crystal is the same as offering a demon's life.
Once the Master dies, the owner of the soul crystal will die too.
Since Kerparos has chosen to put his life in Logan's hands, he naturally hopes Logan will grow stronger in the future.
Just as Logan's dark-gold familiar space was taking shape, Lilith and Kerparos both frowned and turned toward the entrance to the underground chamber.
A cold, powerful aura poured through the passage. The crushing pressure made Kerparos bare his fangs. "It's an envoy of The Black Church. Lilith, protect the Master!"
With the sound of footsteps, a black-robed woman with a lithe, alluring figure rushed out of the passage.
The moment she saw Kerparos, her once icy eyes lit up. "It's... Lord Three-Headed Hell Wolf! Wonderful—you've finally broken free of the seal!"
She took a quick step forward and dropped to one knee before Kerparos. "I am Paige, a deacon of The Black Church, working undercover in Twilight City!"
"Lord Sacred Beast, please come with me at once. We've prepared the strongest imperial princess of this generation from The Black Church for you. She has already opened a purple familiar space, which matches your noble status perfectly."
...
As soon as Paige finished speaking, she looked up at Kerparos. Her eyes were full of respect and longing, and there was also a slight hint that she wanted to take credit.
But to Kerparos, those words sounded a bit harsh, even a little grating.
My Master has already opened a dark-gold familiar space, and you think you can palm me off with some girl who only has a purple familiar space?
"Impudent!" Kerparos roared. Paige flinched, bowed her head at once, and put her hands on the floor.
Kerparos then stepped aside, revealing Logan behind him. He said proudly:"I already have a Master. Go back and tell the Pope: I paid back The Black Church's favor decades ago. Tell him to stop trying to get me."
"You even want to make some damn princess my Master? You think a purple space is impressive? Even a dog would turn that down!"
When Paige heard those words, she froze in place.
The higher-ups of the Black Church are never merciful to their own people.
The cost of failing the mission was more than she could bear.
So she scrambled to her feet, trying to win one more chance.
But when she looked up at Kerparos again, she finally noticed the dark-gold glow behind him.
"Dark gold... how is that possible? How could a human open a dark-gold familiar space? Does this man have divine or demonic blood?" Halfway through, Paige pushed off with both feet and lunged at Logan.
Before she got more than a few steps, Lilith, who was hiding in the dark, cut her off. One [Mind Lash] after another whipped Paige, making her shake all over in pain.
Only then did Lilith show herself. She kicked Paige unconscious, then looked up at Kerparos."She was badly hurt. Otherwise I wouldn't have taken her down so easily."
Kerparos nodded quietly."A deacon of The Black Church should at least be at master level. She doesn't have a single familiar with her, which means she just went through a hard fight."
As he said this, Kerparos narrowed his eyes and stayed on guard, watching the area around them.
Anyone who could badly hurt a Master-level deacon of the Black Church is very strong—the person outside is no joke.
Right now, Logan is at a crucial stage of opening his familiar space, and he can't be disturbed.
But of course, what you fear most is exactly what happens.
Lilith had just dragged Paige to the corner and tied her up tight when the underground chamber started to shake.
In that urgent moment, Lilith and Kerparos moved to guard Logan, their eyes fixed on the far end of the passage.
Soon, Natalia appeared in front of them.
"Weaken Will!"
"Howl of Terror!"
"Soul-Hooking Chains!"
"Chain Lightning!"
Lilith and Kerparos moved fast. Before Natalia could say a word, the four skills were already blasting down in front of her.
...