Awakening：The Infinite Evolution of My Talent as a Low-Level Awakener - Chapter 613

Chapter 613: Chapter 613: Silver Mantis Puppets, the Limit of the Hidden Hand?
Such a small injury, yet the energy required for healing was comparable to the regeneration of severed limbs!

This was only possible because of his incredibly strong vitality. If it were someone like Boris or other ordinary gods, even a slightly larger wound would take at least ten days or even half a month to heal. They might even lose all their vitality due to the constant erosion by that mysterious energy, possibly leading to their death on the spot.

“This energy’s essence is even more terrifying than Divine Power of higher ranks!”

Upon realizing this truth, Sterl could not calm his mind for a long time. In his mind’s eye, he could vaguely sense a massive shadow slowly descending upon him. In the face of that overwhelming darkness and gloom that covered the sky, he felt like nothing more than a trivial firefly.

“No matter what you are, anyone who stands in my way will be obliterated!”

After a brief silence, Sterl spoke in a calm tone.

However, these monsters, though powerful, were not invincible in every regard. At least when it came to souls, he could easily crush these invaders.

“I wonder if the Silver Mantis souls that have become my puppets can return to their bodies. If so…”

A thought struck Sterl, and his expression shifted. Without souls, these Silver Mantis were essentially in a state of death, which was why the mysterious gray energy had vanished. But if he could reinject souls into them, would it not cause that power to reactivate?

In that case, wouldn’t he effectively control that gray energy?

Once this thought crossed his mind, he couldn’t hold it back any longer.

With a thought, all the souls trapped in Purgatory Space were released.

Under Sterl’s mental command, the souls quickly entered the bodies of the Silver Mantis.

After waiting for a few seconds, a look of delight appeared on his face.

“It really works, they can be reinserted!”

His eyes widened as he watched in disbelief.

The once-still Silver Mantis, which had resembled statues, now had their dim compound eyes reignited.

All the Silver Mantis immediately sprang to life, moving with the precision of a well-trained army, aligning themselves neatly in front of Sterl. There were a total of seventy-two, all of them in place, except for the one Silver Mantis he had dissected for testing!

As the Silver Mantis moved, Boris and the others trembled in fear, almost reacting instinctively. They were terrified that these horrifying creatures might come back to life.

“Don’t worry, they have now become my subordinates.”

Sterl spoke淡ly, his voice calm.

Upon hearing this, Boris and the others finally relaxed. They looked at Sterl with even more shock and reverence.

“Master’s methods are truly incredible.”

“He can control these terrifying monsters, is there anything Master cannot accomplish?”

“Master’s brilliance even makes the moon pale in comparison!”

“So powerful… I knew it, Master’s power is invincible!”

Once they regained their composure, these divine followers couldn’t help but praise him incessantly. The Goddess of Seduction, in particular, looked at Sterl with even more seductive admiration, her gaze now filled with both deep affection and desire.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that, should Sterl give the slightest indication, The Goddess of Seduction would gladly serve him in front of everyone without hesitation, and would consider it an honor.

Next, Sterl controlled the Silver Mantis puppets, sensing the changes in them.

His earlier intention to harness that mysterious energy was immediately shattered. Even after reinserting the souls into these creatures, it had no effect.

Moreover, although his puppet souls could perfectly control their original bodies, they could not fuse with the Silver Mantis in any way. They also couldn’t absorb the silver-white liquid generated by the Silver Spider’s self-detonation for recovery.

In other words, after becoming his puppets, these Silver Mantis were no longer the same as they once were; they were an entirely different species.

Fortunately, the Silver Mantis’ original power had been perfectly inherited. Their godlike speed, the peak power and defense of a demigod, and their razor-sharp curved blades—all these remained intact. Though they no longer had the mysterious gray energy to pierce a god’s defenses with ease, they still possessed formidable combat abilities.

Not only that, but whether it was because their souls had been utterly stripped of their will or not, these Silver Mantis now had an even more stealthy presence than before. Their aura, which was already extremely concealed, had vanished completely. Even when preparing to strike, they exuded no signs of emotion or aura.

They were like emotionless ghostly assassins. Even when their curved blades struck an enemy’s neck, it was done with a chilling indifference.

This kind of absolute suppression of presence posed a great threat even to gods.

With seventy-two such puppets working in tandem, hunting down a few ordinary gods didn’t seem all that difficult.

“Consider it an unexpected gain.”

Nodding to himself, Sterl waved his hand, storing all the Silver Mantis into his small world.

The Silver Mantis puppet souls were immortal, able to recover within his Purgatory Space, but their bodies could not be restored.

Therefore, Sterl decided not to use them for the time being. If they were regained and controlled again later, it would be a significant loss.

Additionally, he wanted to experiment. He wondered whether using his evolutionary abilities to enhance these followers, or perhaps using soul power to upgrade them, would cause some unforeseen changes in the Silver Mantis.

Of course, all of this required further experimentation. What he lacked most at the moment was time. Whether it was Illusory Dream, Dream Orb, or the Endless Energy Pool, all of these things required evolution and upgrades.

Now, with the addition of Soul Prison’s Eerie Eyes and the Silver Mantis, it could only be said that he didn’t have enough. There was simply not enough.

Once he had secured the Silver Mantis, the obstruction in his path was considered completely resolved.

Sterl looked into the distance, his gaze seemingly piercing through countless layers, locking onto the mastermind behind it all.

“Let’s go. Time to see the true face of these things.”

He said calmly, and then, controlling his speed, he began to fly leisurely toward the distant horizon.

Boris and the others quickly caught on and immediately followed Sterl, but this time, they were not worried or on guard. Instead, their feelings were filled with curiosity and confidence.

This was the confidence that Sterl instilled in them!

Along the way, Sterl did not fly fast. He did this on purpose.

They were in the fourth level of Hell, and no matter how much the mastermind behind the scenes schemed, there would be no major surprises here. He deliberately left them so much time to see if there were any other tricks up their sleeves, which would also help him better understand the strength of these mysterious invaders.

He believed this was also the reason Will of Hell had sent him to this level at the final moment.

Sure enough, after dealing with the Silver Mantis, only a few minutes passed before another wave of Silver Spiders quickly appeared.

Unlike before, these Silver Spiders radiated an aura of madness, emitting sharp, piercing shrieks, as if sending out a final signal.

“Is this the limit?”

Sterl raised an eyebrow, watching the million or so Silver Spiders in front of him. He muttered softly.

Was this all the mastermind behind the scenes had?

He thought to himself, but soon realized that this was only the fourth level of Hell. The strongest being here was the Swamp Giant Crocodile, a demigod-level creature at its peak.

But the power these invaders had unleashed far exceeded the limits of this level of Hell. If it weren’t for his presence, those dozens of Silver Mantis alone would have been enough to overwhelm Boris and the others.

So, it wasn’t that the mastermind behind the scenes was too weak, but rather that Sterl was too much of a wild card.

Seeing that Sterl showed no signs of retreating, the Silver Spiders quickly began to merge together.

Soon, over a hundred thousand Silver Spiders fused into the massive hundred-meter giant spiders that had previously annihilated the Swamp Giant Crocodile in an instant!

This time, though, all one million Silver Spiders merged together, and a full ten hundred-meter giant spiders locked their glaring eyes on Sterl.

“Master, be careful!”

“Protect the Master!”

“Hmph, a bunch of lowly insects daring to offend the Master. They deserve to die a thousand deaths!”

Seeing this, Boris and the others reacted like angry, loyal dogs, their murderous intent surging.

In their minds, Sterl was the supreme and noble being, beyond any insult or provocation. They would rather die than allow anyone to challenge their Master’s dignity!

“Step back.”

At that moment, Sterl slowly spoke, halting Boris and the others who were about to strike.

Having previously tested the Silver Mantis puppet souls, he confirmed that, though these monsters were strange, their souls could still be controlled. He certainly wouldn’t let such a valuable resource go to waste.

Moreover, over a hundred thousand Silver Spiders merging together, though their form could only be maintained for a second, released a terrifying burst of power in that instant.

If Boris and the others weren’t careful, they might even risk falling.

So…

Looking at the ten giant beasts, Sterl’s thoughts shifted, and his gaze deepened once more.

At that moment, Boris and the others felt a shiver down their spines and involuntarily took several steps back. They understood—Master was about to use that ability again!

Even the giant Silver Spiders seemed to sense this, immediately screeching and charging at Sterl.

But it was too late.

The activation of Phantom Purgatory took no more than an instant, and then Sterl glanced over. The enormous souls formed from the fusion of the ten hundred-meter spiders were instantly pulled in.

Though the soul of a hundred thousand Silver Spiders fused together was large, to Sterl, they were nothing more than ten fragile, collapsing bubbles—utterly useless.

The damage of Soulforge Fire reached a staggering 100%!