Abyssal Sovereignty

"Lady Yverantheia! Are you alright?"

As Yverantheia returned to the fortress built by the combined efforts of the Smurfs, Goblins, and Ogres, their leaders—Smurf Elder, Goblin Chief, and Ogre King—rushed to her side, concern etched on their faces.

"Do I look like I'm in trouble? I'm standing here perfectly fine," Yverantheia replied with a calm smile.

Although her external appearance seemed normal, internally, every bone in her body was shattered, and her muscles were riddled with internal bleeding. By circulating her mana, she maintained her bodily functions, and the high temperature from her previous battle had cauterized her wounds, preventing further blood loss. Additionally, the regenerative ability she had gained from defeating the "Plant Cthulhu" ensured she would recover soon.

In summary, she was still battle-ready, so there was no cause for concern. However, her allies' expressions turned to horror upon hearing her condition.

"Hurry! Get the medical tools and healers, anyone who can help!" Smurf Elder commanded.

Various equipment and priests rushed in, placing Yverantheia on a stretcher and carrying her away.

In a room, a young girl lay on a bed, her entire body wrapped in bandages. Her eyes reflected confusion.

'These injuries should heal on their own shortly...'

"Lady Yverantheia, please don't move around; it will hinder your recovery," a Goblin priest advised, prompting Yverantheia to halt her attempt to rise and obediently lie back.

She recalled how the female Smurfs and Goblins had diligently bandaged her earlier. When she tried to resist, their intense stares made her feel they would pounce on her at any moment. Even as a formidable fifth-level warrior, Yverantheia felt a tinge of fear, recognizing the significant power difference between herself and her helpers.

To be honest, Yverantheia thought this level of care was unnecessary. She had learned healing magic from the knowledge she acquired, which was undoubtedly more effective than the Goblin priest’s magic. Moreover, with her regenerative ability from the Plant Cthulhu, she could swiftly heal any injury short of amputation.

"Plip plip..."

Tiny tentacles at her bedside wiggled worriedly. Yverantheia had allowed the small creature to absorb her blood since it hadn't fed in a while. Interestingly, it seemed to prefer her blood over that of other beings.

"By the way, Lady Yverantheia, we found something at your battleground," Smurf Elder said, placing a transparent crystal on the bedside table.

The crystal, as clear as a diamond, would undoubtedly be a priceless treasure if polished and presented in the world.

Yverantheia examined it briefly and immediately recognized its true nature.

"This is a fragment of the giant monster’s crystal. I’m surprised any of it survived."

During the explosion, the Plant Cthulhu’s crystal was engulfed entirely in the fireball and should have been completely vaporized. However, it was impossible for the Plant Cthulhu to resurrect from this small fragment; Yverantheia could no longer sense its presence within it. Moreover, the crystal's color was different; the Plant Cthulhu’s crystal had been light green, while this fragment was entirely transparent.

"Plip!"

The tiny tentacles quivered with excitement, reaching for the crystal. Yverantheia quickly grabbed it.

"I have an idea," she muttered.

She promptly concocted an excuse to send everyone out of the room.

"Lady Yverantheia, please don’t do anything reckless," the Goblin priest cautioned.

"Don’t worry, I won’t," Yverantheia reassured them.

Once alone, she gazed intently at the crystal in her hand.

"Plip..."

"I need to use this," she said to the small tentacles.

"Plip!"

"I’ll trade you my blood for it."

"Plip... plip."

"Good," she smiled, seeing the tiny tentacles agree.

Using her mana, she created a thin film in the air—appearing delicate but as hard as a finely crafted sword. Without hesitation, she controlled the mana to slice a small cut on her arm. The wound began to heal rapidly due to her regenerative ability, but before it could close, she crushed the crystal and used her mana to direct the fragments into the wound.

This wasn’t the first time Yverantheia had done something like this. Previously, she had integrated the blood of a giant serpent into herself. Now, she aimed to absorb more of the Plant Cthulhu’s power in the same manner.

A wave of intense pain surged through her, even more excruciating than before. Yet, her expression remained unchanged.

Recently, Yverantheia had become almost numb to pain, possibly due to her increasing strength or simply her growing accustomed to it. To her, this was beneficial—future battles would be even more brutal, and her tolerance for pain was crucial.

The fusion didn’t take long. Soon, Yverantheia felt the Plant Cthulhu’s power merge with her own. Her senses, regenerative abilities, and physical strength all saw significant improvement. She also gained new skills, notably one called "Primeval Regeneration." This skill allowed her to designate a specific point in her body as the source of regeneration. As long as this point remained intact, the rest of her body could continuously regenerate, and she could switch the location of this source at will.

The reason the Plant Cthulhu died from the crystal’s destruction was due to its limited intellect and inability to fully utilize this skill. In Yverantheia’s hands, however, even the loss of a limb would be but a minor inconvenience.

With this skill, her injuries healed completely, and she even jumped out of bed to do some warm-up exercises.

"That should do it," Yverantheia mused.

She then summoned Smurf Elder and the others.

"How are things progressing?" she asked.

"Reporting in, Lady Yverantheia: the Smurfs, Goblins, and Ogres are starting to recognize and cooperate with each other," Smurf Elder responded, still amazed at Yverantheia’s swift recovery and increased strength.

During the fortress construction, the Ogres, who valued strength above all, had helped significantly and realized that strength wasn’t solely about brute force. The physical labor surprisingly reduced their energy, leading them to gradually appreciate the Smurfs and Goblins. Similarly, the Smurfs and Goblins, benefiting from the Ogres' assistance, saw the construction timeline drastically shortened and began to cooperate willingly.

"We owe it all to you, Lady Yverantheia."

"Good. Keep up the good work. I’ll be leaving soon," Yverantheia announced.

"Leaving? Where will you go, Lady Yverantheia?"

"I have a direction in mind," Yverantheia replied, her gaze fixed on the horizon beyond the vast sea.