"Wait, wait... I can explain..."

Feeling that the mermaid beauty's heart was full of anger but not murderous intent, Leon couldn't help but feel slightly relieved. He reached out to steady her shoulders, ready to explain a thing or two, but was ruthlessly bitten.

After gnawing out three rings of tooth marks on Leon's shoulder in her fury, the mermaid beauty stopped, glaring with anger and shouted:

"I was ready to jump into the root and end my life, and still had the nerve to help you deal with the Four Pillar Gods, and this is how you treat me! You, you, you! How dare you?!"

"Uh..." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Leon knew that his act of digging up her entire clan's method for forging abnormal items might have been a bit too aggressive, his heart somewhat uneasy, he could only awkwardly smile:

"It was just a misunderstanding! I thought you were truly moved by the Four Pillar Gods, prepared to take the root of the present world to supplement your Sea Abyss Realm, so in a moment of urgency..."

"A moment of urgency? In a moment of urgency you dug up all my clan?"

Recalling those three abnormal items that made her scalp tingle, the mermaid beauty, no longer showing previous playful anger, couldn't help but grab Leon's collar and shake him desperately again.

"If you were a bit more urgent, were you planning to dismantle the entire Sea Abyss Realm?"

Um... actually, I did consider it, after all, if the Sea Abyss Realm was destroyed, maybe it would cut off your thoughts, but the scale of the project was too great, and time seemed to be running out.

"..."

Did you really have this plan?!?!?!

Seeing hints of something in Leon's expression, the mermaid beauty stopped, then stammered incoherently:

"You! I! You... you, you, you!"

"Isn't it because I can't defeat you..."

Understanding how excessive his actions were to her, fearing that the mermaid beauty might impulsively use the Root Essence to choke him, Leon quickly grasped her hands, continuing to smile placatingly:

"So I could only think of some crooked ideas, digging up your clan... um... inviting them to negotiate with you, hoping you wouldn't be deceived by the Four Pillar Gods. However, even if you were truly stubborn, I shouldn't have the heart to act, considering you did say it, I'm actually a good person."

"Fine! I believe you!"

Upon hearing Leon's words, the mermaid beauty calmed slightly, then gritted her teeth and asked:

"Then my clan..."

"They're all fine! Not a single one missing!"

Seeing her anger finally subside a bit, Leon couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, then raised an arm solemnly and promised:

"Although I forged them into abnormal items, I haven't harmed their will, nor damaged their bodies, and certainly haven't polluted their souls. Instead, I temporarily revived them in a certain sense.

Now those three... um... now your clan members have been sent back to the position from a day ago, which should be in the Sage's Cemetery in the Realm of the Dead, you can find them if you return.

Oh, right! You said you'd give them another chance, to choose whether to start anew or to finish their original lives. The three abnormal items forged by the third generation have this exact effect, you can just ask them how they want to choose; actually, this is a good thing!"

"..."

This is a good thing now, but if I really didn't think it through and was tricked by the Four Pillar Gods, the entire Sea Abyss Realm would have to hold another funeral with me!

After a brief calm, the mermaid beauty gradually understood why things turned out this way, mainly because she hadn't communicated with Leon beforehand, and her own power put too much pressure on him, forcing him to choose a fierce yet effective method.

So this time... can't really blame him, ultimately, it was her arrogance believing she could arrange everything directly... but you were too harsh, weren't you?

Recalling the sensation those three abnormal items gave her, the mermaid beauty who still felt chills on her back, couldn't help but ask:

"What exactly did you plan to do with me before? What are the effects of those three items?"

"Well..."

Hearing this, Leon chuckled awkwardly, looking somewhat troubled:

"This matter is over, and I'll dismantle those three abnormal items when we return, reviving your clan, so why don't we just..."

"You tell me the effects of those three abnormal items, then this matter is over, and we go back to our business!"

"Uh... that sounds okay..."

Leon hesitated:

"But you have to promise to control your emotions after hearing them, at least not act out, okay?"

"I'll try!"

"Alright then..."

Understanding that if he didn't clarify, the mermaid beauty wouldn't let it go, Leon reluctantly disclosed:

"Those three abnormal items are called 'Principles,' and the crown among them is named 'Gentle Memories,' based on the dream materials from Paradise Lost in the Dream Realm, mixed with the stone tablet I dug from your place..."

"No need for that, just tell me the effects!"

"Uh... the effect is helping you recall those wonderful past experiences."

"Be more detailed!"

The mermaid beauty said discontentedly:

"Don't hold back! Once you reveal the truth, the matter is settled! I keep my word!"

Since you insist on hearing...

Leon nodded helplessly, then began:

"I prepared over three hundred thousand blissful dreams, each depicting your clan's happy lives, but if you wish to emerge from them, you'd see how their lives shatter..."

"?!?!?!"

Are you... you really human?

Following Leon's words, imagining herself wandering through over three hundred thousand blissful dreams and breaking them one by one, witnessing all the cruel endings, the mermaid beauty only felt suffocated, as if sealed inside a pressure cooker, unable to breathe.

"The second item, the scepter called 'Turned Hostile,' raises all your clan members, retaining their original will, but controlled to collectively assault you."

Understanding that revealing the sword doesn't lessen its edge, Leon simply hurried through:

"The third item is the belt named 'Mutual Destruction,' if you attack me, your clan would bear the damage on my behalf, slowly fragmenting before your eyes.

But you can pay a price to save them, even taking them back from me, except the amount of Root consumed would increase with the number and duration, based on previous calculations by you, rescuing around two hundred thousand could totally deplete your Root."

"..."

Gentle Memories... Turned Hostile... Mutual Destruction...

Imagining Leon issuing a battle invitation to herself in ignorance, then equipping her entire clan to the scene, beginning a ruthless torture from soul to body, the mermaid beauty felt dizzy, the whole world spinning before her eyes.

"Evangelin? Evangelin! Are you okay?"

...

I seem to have... gone too far in a good direction?

Feeling her strength suddenly soar again, the thrush who secretly returned to the Slaughter King Association headquarters, looking at the empty 'Yesterday's Home' before her, was immediately struck with a chill.

Since almost a month ago, her power started to uncontrollably surge, and just now skyrocketed once more, stepping into the Four Pillar Gods' level in one go.

Typically, increased power would surely be considered good, but the source of her power's enhancement stems from the feedback of 'Disaster Avoidance' principles, indicating the concept of 'Disaster' is undergoing unprecedented reinforcement, at this rate... huh?

As the thrush worried about the expansion of Disaster, a blue and a red, four figures transcended time, adhering to some inevitable principles, rushed into 'Yesterday's Home,' colliding directly into the empty hall.