Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

The instant Apollo exploded, Lin Yi heard the notification sound from the Paradise of Reincarnation.

A cold notification sound rang in Lin Yi's mind, bringing an unexpected warmth.

He could clearly feel a gentle yet vast will brushing against his soul, carrying with it a sense of relief, gratitude, and recognition.

It seems that the world's consciousness fears the crystal-devouring fungus far more than he imagined. After he completely eliminated this lurking threat to the end of the world, the world's origin directly bestowed its protection.

Crystal-eating fungi, a terrifying plague originating from the void, would be a catastrophe capable of wiping out civilizations in any native world.

Like greedy parasites, they devour the world's primal power until the entire plane is transformed into a desolate graveyard.

By nipping this potential threat in the bud, he has essentially saved the future of billions of lives on Earth.

This "protection" is the world's self-salvation and a reward for his actions.

"My lord... is this a divine... miracle... or... the wrath of the devil?" The sheriff's voice trembled with extreme awe. He and the other guards were ashen-faced, their gazes toward Lin Yi filled with indescribable complex emotions.

The sight of the Apollo explosion completely shattered their lifelong understanding.

The pillar of light that tore the heavens and earth apart, and the fire waves that devoured everything, were all beyond their comprehension.

In their simple belief, such terrifying power is only revealed when the gods are punishing them.

Meanwhile, at the edge of the Whispering Forest, dozens of kilometers away, by the campfire of a temporary camp, the clergy of the Holy See and the elite force of the Mercenary Guild unexpectedly met, maintaining a delicate distance between them.

Although there are many paths to Bloodclaw Fortress, only one or two are currently safe, so it is normal for the two sides to meet along the way.

"I didn't expect that you also received that lord's thing?" Just as a nun was chatting with the person next to her, the flames of the sun shooting into the sky in the distance attracted everyone's attention.

A pure and domineering golden-white beam of light, like a divine sword of punishment, pierced the deep night from the direction of Bloodclaw Fortress!
The dense forests and wastelands within a radius of dozens of miles were clearly visible under the intense light, as if daylight had suddenly arrived.

"God..." a young nun exclaimed in surprise, the wooden cup in her hand falling to the ground with a "clatter," unaware that the scalding tea had splashed onto her skirt.

She instinctively covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes filled with incomprehensible shock.

The mercenaries sitting around the fire reacted more directly. The burly man in the lead stood up abruptly, dropping the pipe he was holding to his feet, sparks flying everywhere.

He stared intently at the direction from which the beam of light rose. If he remembered correctly, that area was the outskirts of Bloodclaw Fortress, the Black Rye Farm.

"Damn it! What the hell is that?!" A mercenary with a scar on his face had his hand on the hilt of his sword. The pungent smell that filled the air and the rumble of the ground beneath his feet that arrived a few seconds later all indicated that the light contained destructive power.

“It’s not a miracle…” In the Papacy’s procession, a middle-aged priest in a white robe with silver trim had a face so solemn it could drip water. He endured the blinding light, trying to discern something from the pure light and heat.

"Divine grace is like a gentle breeze, it wouldn't bring such... an aura of destruction. This power is violent and pure, carrying the will to burn everything! It's more like... some kind of forbidden alchemical creation."

The Holy See and the Mercenary Guild sent people to investigate the new lord of Bloodclaw Fortress, assess his threat level, and evaluate the potential dangers within his territory.

This was a routine procedure, and an inevitable step in the power transitions on the imperial frontier.

If the new lord, Lin Yi, possesses sufficient strength and a clear mind, then the Holy See and the Mercenary Guild will naturally be willing to extend an olive branch, offering assistance in exchange for influence, to jointly govern this suffering land and bring it under the framework of order.

However, if the other party is weak, incompetent, and utterly incompetent, then it is not without precedent to sideline a puppet lord and have Bloodclaw Fortress actually controlled by an agent of the Papacy or a local powerful figure closely related to the Association.

In the vast territory of the empire, more than one domain has already quietly changed hands and fallen into the carefully woven network of the Papacy.

Those lords who are out of touch with reality will eventually find that their orders cannot even cross the castle gates—without the cooperation and tacit approval of the Papacy, local rule is impossible.

A flicker of fear crossed the priest's eyes. He had no doubt that if his squad were in the epicenter of the explosion, they would be reduced to ashes in an instant, leaving not a trace, let alone resist.

This level of power has long exceeded the scope of conventional warfare weapons, touching upon strategic or even higher realms. This is by no means something an ordinary border lord should possess.

The flickering firelight illuminated the astonished and uncertain faces of the crowd. The camp fell into a deathly silence, with only the gradually dimming halo in the distance silently proclaiming that what they had just witnessed was no illusion.

"Captain Carlos, we must act immediately." The priest's voice carried an unprecedented urgency.

Mercenary captain Carlos snapped out of his daze and roared, "Everyone, pack up now! Extinguish the campfires, mount your horses! Target—Bloodclaw Fortress! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!"

The mercenaries scrambled to put out the campfire, hastily packed their bags, and led the horses, which were startled by the loud noise, away.

The previous composure and scrutiny were gone from his movements, leaving only barely concealed tension and panic.

It is foreseeable that when this matter is relayed back to the central government of the Holy See and the headquarters of the Mercenary Guild through special channels, the name Bloodclaw Fortress, along with the destructive light that tore through the night sky, will stir up a massive wave in the intricate power network of the entire empire.

This once-silent border fortress has been inevitably thrust into the very heart of the imperial storm.

On the other side, after confirming that the troublesome crystal-eating fungus had indeed been completely vaporized by Apollo, leaving not even a trace of spores, Lin Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sheriff Hans, take your men back to rest. Prepare some hot food and wine for them to calm their nerves. Keep your mouths shut about tonight's events."

“Yes, sir!” Sheriff Hans immediately straightened his back and spoke in a loud voice.

This time, his voice was free of the hesitation or doubt he had shown before; it was filled only with an almost fanatical, unwavering determination of absolute obedience.

The security team members behind him reacted even more directly.

When Lin Yi's gaze swept over them, several young men with weaker mental fortitude buckled in their legs and collapsed to their knees with a thud.

It wasn't out of politeness, but stemmed from a deep sense of awe and reverence.

The others also lowered their heads, not daring to meet Lin Yi's gaze.

Hans took a deep breath, trying to calm his agitated emotions, and turned to his men: "Did you all hear that? Line up! Back to the barracks!"

After Lin Yi returned to the castle, the people in the underground ruins finally emerged from the ruins.

Leonard was the first to stagger out of the narrow crack in the stone door. His leather armor was covered in grotesque claw marks, the edges rolled up to reveal the bleeding flesh beneath.

His face was covered in dark brown grime, indistinguishable as dried blood or silt from the ground.

He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving, his eyes still showing the ferocity of the battle and lingering exhaustion, as if he had just crawled out of hell.

Next was William Malken, whose magnificent travel clothes were stained with mud, his gold-rimmed glasses were askew, and his face was pale, but his hands were tightly clutching a square stone slab wrapped in oilcloth.

"Slow down," came Ruth Jack's voice.

His tall figure appeared in the doorway, one hand resting on the heavy warhammer, the other supporting the nearly exhausted Annie.

Anne looked the worst; her already pale face was now completely bloodless, her lips were purple, her forehead was covered in cold sweat, and a few strands of her short chestnut hair clung wetly to her cheeks.

Her academic robes were torn in several places, revealing blood-stained bandages underneath. Most of the iconic string of vials at her waist was missing, and the remaining ones were mostly empty, their surfaces cracked.

But her eye, which wasn't completely covered by her hair, shone brightly as she stared intently at a metal box simply bound with strips of cloth on Ruth's back.

Sister Arya and the man in the golden mask walked at the back. Arya's plain nun's habit was stained with dark red bloodstains, and her face was equally exhausted.

She held a tattered black leather book in her hands. It had been found deep within the ruins beside a desecrated altar and contained precious records that even the Vatican had not included.

The group, supporting each other, emerged from the entrance of the ruins in a disheveled state, like survivors of a long and arduous ordeal.

When they came into contact with the cool air on the ground, everyone couldn't help but take a deep, greedy breath, as if trying to completely replace the long-accumulated filth in their lungs.

“Gods above… finally… out…” Leonard leaned against the cold, damp stone wall, panting, trying to calm his pounding heart.

"I didn't expect there would actually be a high-level necromancer down there this time."

Leonard felt that his survival was purely due to divine intervention. Of the fourteen people who entered the team, only a few survived; the rest of the team perished in the underground ruins.

There are so many monsters here, not only undead creatures summoned by high-level necromancers, but also numerous cultists. The gods worshipped by these cultists have altered their bodies, so they are not affected in the slightest even in dark and sunless places like underground ruins.

Just then, the old butler Barton suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs leading to the upper castle.

"Gentlemen, the lord is aware of everything you have encountered underground. Please come with me to the study immediately so that I can report to the lord in detail."

Upon seeing Old Patton, the survivors couldn't help but frown.

They had just emerged from the underground ruins; how did Lin Yi know so quickly?

"Lead the way." Just then, the man in the golden mask stepped forward, and upon hearing his words, none of the others objected.

The fact that everyone was able to return alive this time was entirely due to the golden-masked man's incredible power underground. It's safe to say that if it weren't for the golden-masked man, everyone would likely have died inside during this trip to the ruins.

After everyone arrived at the study, Lin Yi looked up at the wounded group and casually cast a group healing spell on them.

“Thank you, sir.” Leonard reacted the fastest, immediately bowing in thanks.

The others were stunned. They never expected that Lin Yi would be a priest, and judging from his casual manner, he was actually a high-ranking priest.

"My lord, are you perhaps a bishop?" Arya's voice trembled with disbelief as she stared intently at Lin Yi.

Bishops are a core force even within the Vatican, capable of holding regional or even higher positions.

Lin Yi simply nodded slightly, his calm demeanor seemingly acknowledging Arya's guess, yet carrying a detached sense of aloofness that left one uncertain.

"What's the situation underground now?"

"Reporting to you, sir, that high-ranking necromancer has indeed been killed by our combined efforts. His life chalice... or rather, the core that sustained his existence, was completely destroyed by him. The undead army has lost its command core, and most of them have returned to silence, scattered into skeletons or vanished." As Leonard spoke, he glanced at the man in the golden mask. The other party's combat power far exceeded Leonard's expectations.

Moreover, if Leonard wasn't mistaken, this guy was using a sword technique passed down within the Imperial Royal Guard, which meant that this golden-masked man was most likely related to the Imperial Royal Family, someone Leonard couldn't afford to offend.

“There are still some remaining cultists underground, wandering through the complex passageways of the ruins. They seem to have lost their backbone due to the death of their core figure, behaving chaotically, but still retaining their corrupted power and fanatical aggression. However, their numbers have been greatly reduced, their organization is disorganized, and they no longer pose a large-scale threat.”

The man in the golden mask spoke up at this moment: "The necromancer is the anchor point. When the anchor point disappears, the order attached to it collapses, and what remains are nothing more than stray rabid dogs, nothing to fear. Elimination is only a matter of time."

"Alright, everyone, you've all worked hard. Go and get some rest. Your rooms have been prepared. However, please wait here, sir." Knowing that the lord wanted to speak with this person alone, the others had no objections.

Having narrowly escaped death on this adventure, their only thought at this moment was to get back to their room as soon as possible, wash away the filth and exhaustion, and seek a moment of peace on their warm beds.

The oak door to the study slowly closed behind the others, shutting out the faint light and sound from the corridor.

"sit."

The man in the golden mask didn't stand on ceremony and sat down in the high-backed chair opposite Lin Yi with an upright posture.

His movements possessed a precision and elegance etched into his very bones, and even his travel-worn appearance could not conceal his restrained sharpness.

"I never expected that His Highness the Second Prince of the Empire, Alex Kane Augustus... would condescend to come to this remote and impoverished place on the border of my empire, and even personally venture into underground ruins to risk his life. I am truly flattered."

There were many books in front of Lin Yi, all of which were "useless items" left behind by the previous lord, but to Lin Yi they were valuable windows to understanding the world.

The reason Old Patton didn't pawn these junks was precisely because they were worthless in this land where even basic sustenance was a problem.

One of the books about royal secrets happened to record a court scandal.

More than a decade ago, the royal family was struck by a strange disease called the 'White Scale Plague,' which caused horrific facial lesions in those infected, as if they were possessed by a demon.

To cover up the scandal and preserve the dignity of a distinguished patient, someone crafted a unique gold mask for him.

Alex remained silent, but that silence itself was an answer.

“Your Highness, the underground ruins of Bloodclaw Fortress are probably not an adventure destination you chose on a whim or simply for the purpose of ‘incognito travel’. It is not a filthy corner that an imperial prince should set foot in.”

"A prince cursed by plague, far from the vortex of power, appears on the empire's most chaotic frontier, venturing deep into an evil underground ruin. Let me guess, is there some unknown connection between the things in that ruin and the 'white scales' on your face?"

“You’re very smart.” Alex chuckled softly, his tone ambiguous, whether it was praise, self-deprecation, or both.

In the flickering firelight of the fireplace, Alex raised his hand, his fingertips touching the edge of the cold, golden mask.

With a very slight "click" as the metal clasp popped open, he gently removed the golden mask that symbolized the curse.

The scales spread from his cheekbones to his jawline, then upwards to his temples and forehead, with fine white scales clinging tightly to his skin like some kind of living creature.

They are not arranged randomly, but rather form a strange and regular pattern.

In the areas covered by scales, the skin takes on a sickly grayish-white hue.

This scene is less a manifestation of the plague and more akin to a curse.

"As you can see, more than a decade ago, the royal physicians were helpless, and even the Holy Light could only temporarily suppress its spread, not eradicate it. Fortunately, your grandfather, Earl Edwin, crafted this golden mask and presented it to your father, miraculously suppressing the spread of the curse. It is magical, not just a simple cover... it is more like a seal."

“My father gave it to me. Thanks to it, I was able to barely maintain a normal life in the turmoil of the capital and live like a real prince.”

"However, the curse did not truly disappear. Like a lurking venomous snake, as the years passed, the scales began to break through the suppression of the mask's power. At first, it was just a faint pain under the skin at the edge of the mask, with tiny marks appearing, but later... it became the scene you see now."

"What's worse is that a few years ago, Earl Edwin left the capital and then completely disappeared. The last clue points to the North, to Bloodclaw Keep, his former fiefdom."

"The court physicians and the papacy bishops are also helpless. The mask's power is waning, and the curse is resurfacing. I have no other choice." (End of Chapter)