I Don't Agree to the Terms-Chapter 1068 - 561: Short on Food? Borrow Some from the Former Boss (Part 2)

"I am Ruster, Ruster Rose Eagle."

The woman's voice came again, this time right beside his ear, bringing a warm breath but failing to revive the Pope; instead, it aroused a nameless fear.

"Impossible! Ruster is already dead, died in the Thorny Lion Territory."

In extreme fear, the Pope turned around without hesitation and drew the ornate dagger hidden in his bosom, the dagger unsheathed accompanied by his roar and stabbed into the chest of the woman claiming to be Ruster.

A burst of blood splattered out, covering the Pope.

The difference was it was not bright red, but green and crystal clear.

The smell of mineral-like blood filled the Pope's nostrils, he took three involuntary steps back; only then did he realize, Ruster showed no reaction at all, instead, she leisurely pulled the dagger out of her chest.

"You're afraid, my dear Pope." After pulling out the dagger, Ruster gently squeezed it into a lump of iron.

Green blood flowed from the chest onto the ground, forming a winding long serpent.

"What do you want to do?" The Pope knew the injury was definitely a façade; the dagger could easily be squeezed into a lump, how could he possibly hurt her.

At this moment, he faintly recognized the woman as Ruster, upon her reminder, he could vaguely see the lines of what was once a male from her overall profile.

Only from her behavior and demeanor, it was clear she had undergone a complete change in temperament, no different from a woman, he even thought the person before him might not be human, but some kind of monster.

"I just haven't seen you in a long time, Pope, so I came to see you once more; your attitude is truly saddening."

"So sad that it makes me want to squeeze you into me."

Ruster's voice was enchanting, yet every action made the Pope shiver with disgust, he had no idea what torments Ruster had endured to become like this.

One thing was certain, squeezing into the body was literal; no ambiguity.

But the fact that she hadn't made a move yet allowed the Pope to secretly breathe a sigh of relief; as long as there was room for conversation, there was hope.

If negotiated well, maybe he could wield such eerie power.

He didn't believe it was the power of wizards; if wizards truly had such power, the so-called Hogwarts Witchcraft Academy wouldn't be clandestinely recruiting students, they'd already be going full throttle against their Dawn Church.

"Speak then, why are you looking for me?" Forcing himself to calm down, the Pope could only open his mouth.

"You are quite distant, Pope." Ruster said with some resentment, making the Pope feel a bit sick; despite her current beauty, she was once a chubby man, such a posture was hard for the Pope to accept.

"I heard the Expeditionary Army has already been assembled, correct?"

Ruster instantly drew close, the Pope instinctively wanted to push away, but found he couldn't budge her.

"Yes, but I'm not the only one who decides regarding the expedition army." He didn't know what Ruster or those behind her wanted, he only knew he was powerless to resist.

Scream?

Probably not, rationality told him that if he dared to make a sound, Ruster could break his neck in an instant.

No amount of church power could compare to one's life.

"I think the first battle of the Expeditionary Army should be to eradicate the cursed land created by the devil's messengers, right?" Ruster got closer.

"You want me to dispatch the Expeditionary Army to attack the Thorny Lion Territory!?" The Pope was greatly shocked, he hadn't expected such a strange request from her, to have him send men to attack her own territory.

"Please note, it's now the Jade Tree Territory, but you're correct, that's exactly my intention."

"I wonder if Pope agrees or not?"

Ruster's hands crept up the Pope's neck and head, the threat was clear; agree and you'll live, but refuse and your neck could be twisted off and head ripped off, she could then go find the Judgement Archbishop and Discipline Archbishop.

"Alright, no problem." The Pope naturally agreed without hesitation; her intentions were so clear, how could he refuse.

If he truly refused, that would be seeking death.

As for what to do afterward, he could think about it once he survived.

"Haha, you're understanding, Pope." Ruster's actions softened immediately.

"But to be safe, the Pope must pay a tiny, insignificant price."

As Ruster spoke, an ominous feeling suddenly arose in the Pope's heart.

Before he could speak, he saw Ruster's body start to swell, turning into a figure of a hot-blooded burly man, gender was indiscernible for now.

"Wait, what are you doing?" The Pope was seized by his large hands, unable to struggle free.

"Of course, it's time for some fun." Ruster's voice changed from seductive to extremely rough.

"Ah!!!"

The Pope's scream was loud, yet mysteriously did not escape the room.

And at some point, a green bracelet appeared on the Pope's hand, which he hadn't even noticed.

...

"Unbelievable that in less than a year, the Jade Tree has evolved to the point of splitting offspring."

"And has directly targeted the Pope; one must say, the church is indeed an immense convenience; as long as we control the Pope, even if only a third of the church follows the Jade Tree's orders, it's a huge resource."

"But from the current situation, the Jade Tree doesn't intend to develop long-term, but instead plans for direct harvesting."

Gu Shanhai naturally noticed the Jade Tree's action. The reason for sending the Expeditionary Army to the Thorny Lion Territory is because the Jade Tree now requires nutrition; only with abundant nutrient supply can it reach the next stage.

Though called a tree, in fact, it's not a tree at all, being closer to energy lifeform or silicon-based lifeform.

Normally, offspring would venture out to hunt wild beasts.

But doing so is incredibly inefficient, hunting beasts isn't easy.

Instead, luring the church's fifty thousand Expeditionary Army as direct nourishment yields astonishingly good results, and it merely requires dealing with one Pope.

This matter would face no obstruction from the two archbishops, since that was precisely the purpose of forming the Expeditionary Army.

"I've truly created a monster; I hope the next stage brings some surprise, having the protagonist halo after all."

To Gu Shanhai, the current Jade Tree seems just peculiar, offering low value.

If it evolves to the next stage, perhaps the Jade Tree could become fully fledged Emperor Green Sorrow or Jade Emperor, akin to upgrading from normal to excellent quality, barely catching Gu Shanhai's eye.

Concerning the ensuing turmoil that might engulf the world, it's not Gu Shanhai's concern; he is more interested in knowing how far the Jade Tree can develop with the protagonist halo's aid.

The higher and faster the development, the greater the value, even if of mere collectible worth; for Gu Shanhai, it represents a value.

"Hope you can speed up a bit; my experiment just happens to need a test subject's help."

For positioning celestial bodies using magic power bloodlines as stepping stones, the best choice is not the little witches of Hogwarts Witchcraft Academy, but the protagonist halo-embraced Jade Tree; though not human now, its predecessor Isso already laid ample groundwork.