Lord: Sequence Master

"Now, the only skills left for the Hunter Sequence are the three pet skills," Rosen muttered, frowning as he sensed the transcendent essence of his Hunter Sequence.

The Beastmaster Hunter's strategy of commanding a horde of pets had proven extremely effective at Sequence 8, but as Rosen advanced to Sequence 7, it no longer seemed as impactful. This was mainly due to the growing power of his Painter Sequence, especially with the combination of his traps, Void Gallery, the Quetzalcoatl, and the Brilliant Beacon—a divine-constructed mechanical building. These combined forces far surpassed the abilities of his pet army.

The pet strategy wasn't weak on its own, but Rosen had yet to fully merge the Painter and Hunter systems into a unified force. Without a synergy to multiply their strengths, the pet-based approach would always have limited power.

Rosen had long been considering how to solve this issue. He had already devised a method, and now it was time to test whether it would work.

The core of the pet system was the Pet Aura, which allowed Rosen to share his strength with the Nightmare Slime. The Nightmare Slime would then pass on a slightly weaker version of that power to the secondary pets, enabling a group assault tactic. At Sequence 7, this method was formidable against most opponents.

However, when facing stronger adversaries at Sequence 6 or Sequence 5, the tactic fell short.

This time, Rosen had prepared special enhancement materials, hoping to push his pet-based strategy to a new level. All three of his pet-related skills would undergo fundamental transformations.

Rosen retrieved a crystal heart, a Sequence 3 item he had acquired through a trade at the Main God Hall. It had cost him one of the trump cards obtained in exchange for a Golden Apple, equivalent to the value of a Sequence 2 Golden Apple.

The heart belonged to a Beast King, a transcendent lifeform known as an Earth Dwarf.

Dwarves were typically a highly intelligent species, with many clans affiliated with humanity. However, Earth Dwarves were an exception. This transcendent lifeform was created when large numbers of dwarves sacrificed themselves, fusing their bloodlines with a mountain to awaken a supernatural being in the process.

An Earth Dwarf began at the demigod level, and there had been instances in history of them ascending to Sequence 0. The birth of an Earth Dwarf always indicated that a dwarf clan had been driven to desperation.

Although the owner of this heart had been a Sequence 3 Earth Dwarf, it was still a rare Beast King. The crystal heart contained the essence of the Earth Dwarf's bloodline, justifying its enormous value.

Rosen swallowed the crystal heart, allowing his Devourer Beast to digest and merge its power into his three pet skills. The heart's energy was divided among the three skills, potentially triggering a chain combination or even causing the skills to fuse into a super-skill far beyond Rosen's expectations.

Days later, Rosen reviewed his new abilities with satisfaction.

Beast King's Wrath: Passively increases all pet attributes by 100%.

Pseudo-Divine Trait: Beast King – Allows Rosen to tame any transcendent lifeform with a lower spiritual strength than his own, making them his secondary pets.

Pseudo-Divine Trait: Divine Descent – Secondary pets can undergo bloodline reversion, transforming into a more primal form.

Pseudo-Divine Trait: Beast King's Domain – Within the range of the pets' spiritual senses, all secondary pets share the talents, skills, and damage of the main pet.

A legendary combination skill had emerged for Rosen at Sequence 7.

All skills originated from divine powers, and each skill was merely a weakened and segmented part of a divine power. Therefore, skills with the same origin could fuse together. Ultimately, divine powers themselves were formed through the fusion of such combination skills.

Rosen summoned a Sequence 7 secondary pet, a slime, but the previously obedient creature ignored his commands. This was because the Taming Skill had vanished, along with the Beast Taming Rune.

Rosen then summoned the Nightmare Slime and ordered it to drop a bit of its blood onto the secondary slime. The blood activated the Beast King pseudo-divine trait, penetrating and eroding the secondary slime's bloodline. This new taming method was far more advanced than the old Beast Taming Rune.

To test the Beast King's Domain, Rosen shot at the Nightmare Slime with the Dragon King's Wrath. Although the Nightmare Slime was unharmed, the secondary slime exploded, severely injured by the shared damage. Under the Beast King's Domain, secondary pets inherited the main pet's talents and skills, but they also shared any damage the main pet received. However, the inverse was also true—main pets could absorb the damage taken by secondary pets. This balance could be adjusted based on the situation.

Originally, the Pet Aura required the main pet and secondary pets to be of the same species, but now there were no such limitations.

Rosen summoned 35 Ash Bees and had the Nightmare Slime tame each one as a secondary pet. Though the Ash Bees had reached Sequence 8, their combat abilities weren't particularly strong.

At Sequence 9, the Ash Bees' armor-piercing power could instantly break through the defenses of Sequence 7 beings. By Sequence 8, they could penetrate the defenses of Sequence 6 opponents.

As miracle lifeforms, Ash Bees possessed the ability to transcend two levels. In theory, a Sequence 1 miracle lifeform could challenge true gods beyond Sequence 0 due to the sheer resources required for their creation.

Though these Ash Bees were Sequence 8, their power was not inferior to Sequence 6 transcendents.

However, once transformed into secondary pets and sharing the Nightmare Slime's powerful vitality and demonic bloodline, they underwent a fundamental transformation.

Rosen then activated Divine Descent, a rare Earth Dwarf bloodline ability. As the Ash Bees reverted to their primal bloodline forms, Rosen was astonished by the results.

He commanded the Ash Bees to further activate Bloodline Awakening, granted by his noble Sequence 7 authority. With both Bloodline Awakening and Divine Descent, the Ash Bee Queen transformed, producing an Ash Bee Nest around itself. Within the nest, nine newly born Sequence 8 Ash Bee Kings resided.

Rosen now commanded 35 Ash Bee Nests, 35 Ash Bee Queens, and a total of 315 Sequence 8 Ash Bee Kings.

Although the Ash Bee Kings couldn't inherit the Nightmare Slime's talents or skills, Rosen discovered they were far more powerful than he anticipated.

Each Ash Bee had a single sting, which couldn't regenerate. However, the Ash Bee Kings could regenerate their stings nine times. Their armor-piercing abilities and true damage capacity were even stronger.

More significantly, the Ash Bee Kings could launch their stings over long distances at incredible speeds.

A swarm of Ash Bee Kings could easily overwhelm a powerful adversary like Ford.

The Beast King's Wrath skill had created this terrifying combination due to the Earth Dwarf's heart, noble bloodline awakening, and the miracle lifeform Ash Bees—all intertwined perfectly.

After 35 seconds, the double bloodline awakening ended, and the Ash Bees collapsed, too exhausted to move.

Rosen quickly fed them high-quality nectar, and thanks to the Nightmare Slime's Voracious ability, they recovered within ten minutes, ready for another transformation.

Satisfied, Rosen recalled the Ash Bees. And this wasn't even the limit of Beast King's Wrath. Once the Sequence 8 Ash Bee Nest produced a true Ash Bee King, transforming it into a secondary pet would unleash even greater power under a double bloodline awakening.

Using the Wizard Tower of Mystic Isle, Rosen traveled to Natural Sky City once more.

In the natural rainforests, countless transcendent lifeforms roamed, making it the perfect place for Rosen to complete his final transformation into Sequence 7.

At the Hunter's Guild in Natural Sky City, Rosen encountered the Jungle Hunter Team, led by Terry. However, their abilities were no longer sufficient to serve as his guides.

Disguised as Lyn, Rosen passed by Terry, who didn't recognize him.

As Rosen explored the Hunter's Guild, he overheard an intriguing conversation.

The Muddy Marshlands had mysteriously vanished. After the Golden Apple Tree was cut down, the surrounding passageway collapsed, unleashing endless thunder that wiped out the marshlands and endangered the Hydra population.

What caused even more of a stir was the sudden appearance of Storm Thunderbirds, which had gathered in the area.

These transcendent lifeforms rarely descended to the ground. When they did, it meant only one thing—they were nesting to lay eggs.

Nesting sites of Storm Thunderbirds were strictly controlled by the factions of the Thunder Empire.

Now, with a new nesting site discovered in the remains of the Muddy Marshlands, competition among factions had already begun to claim it.

Until official ownership was established, the Muddy Marshlands remained unclaimed territory.

Many transcendent beings ventured into the marshlands, hoping to tame a Storm Thunderbird before the territory was formally assigned.

Though the Thunder Empire had laws forbidding the capture and taming of Storm Thunderbirds without permission, enforcement was notoriously lax in the vast rainforests.

Previously, no one dared to violate these laws, as only hatchlings could be tamed, and the nesting grounds were tightly controlled.

But this time, things were different. Whenever a new nesting site was discovered, transcendent beings swarmed the area to capture hatchlings. Even if it broke the rules, the Thunder Empire would often turn a blind eye after the fact.

To put it plainly, the major powers claim the main prize, but if they don't leave any spoils for others, it will undoubtedly spark public outrage.

Rosen was also interested in the Storm Thunderbirds. Once he reached Sequence 6, he would have new pet slots available. Even if he didn't need them himself, many of his transcendent citizens could benefit from having Storm Thunderbirds as companions.

Since his final training for Sequence 7 required venturing deep into the Natural Rainforest, starting at the Muddy Marshlands seemed like the perfect opportunity.

So many people had already flocked to the area that some wizards had even relocated their Wizard Towers there. This made teleportation in and out quick and efficient. After paying the teleportation fee, Rosen arrived a thousand miles away from the Muddy Marshlands, where dozens of Wizard Towers had formed a defensive cluster against attacks from nearby transcendent lifeforms.

Rosen mounted his mechanical pet and, cloaked in the rain, traveled toward the marshlands. Within half an hour, he arrived.

The once expansive marshlands had transformed into a lake, shimmering with arcs of lightning. Massive bird nests, still under construction, floated on the surface of the water. At the lake's edge, tens of thousands of human transcendents had gathered, waiting for the Storm Thunderbirds to finish building their nests and begin laying eggs.

Though highly aggressive, the Storm Thunderbirds hadn't attacked the onlookers. They were fiercely protective of their eggs but largely indifferent to their young once hatched. In the past, the species' survival was based on luck—only a few hatchlings survived on their own. However, since humans began taming them, the population surged.

Humans helped incubate and raise the hatchlings, but not all Storm Thunderbirds could be tamed. If a Thunderbird did not willingly accept a tamer, it would commit suicide if forcibly restrained. Those who couldn't tame their Thunderbirds would release them back into the Natural Rainforest, a practice rewarded by the Thunder Empire. For this reason, the Thunderbirds didn't perceive the gathered humans as a direct threat.

After inquiring about the nesting timeline, Rosen decided to leave for the time being to hunt some nearby transcendent creatures. Soon, he encountered a Tree Hollow Lizard. The moment he saw it, Rosen projected his Soul Canvas onto the lizard's spiritual consciousness.

At present, Rosen had only two Sequence 7 skills left to max out: Soul Canvas and Glory Bloodseal. For his noble Sequence domain buildings, he just needed some Soul Gems to strengthen them.

When his Soul Canvas reached LV3, Rosen had spent years in a Time Loop Spirit Realm perfecting his painting skills. Now, at LV4, he no longer needed to spend vast amounts of time painstakingly drawing.

As a Sequence 7 Painter, his technical skill had already reached its peak. In terms of technique alone, even Sequence 1 painters wouldn't surpass him by much.

From Sequence 7 to Sequence 6, the focus shifted from technique to capturing the essence of what he painted. By infusing his LV4 Drawing Technique into his Soul Canvas, Rosen could continually incorporate the essence of everything he depicted. Up until LV7, the Soul Canvas' main function was to absorb more spiritual essence.

Rosen's Soul Canvas could project into the spiritual consciousness of living beings, but the projection often faced resistance. With the Tree Hollow Lizard, he easily suppressed the Sequence 7 transcendent creature's spirit. However, this was a simple case of overpowering the weak. Against a Sequence 6 Tree Hollow Lizard, the difficulty would increase dramatically.

By using his Drawing Technique to infuse the lizard's essence into the Soul Canvas, Rosen could significantly reduce the difficulty of manipulating its spirit.

Over the next few days, Rosen didn't kill any transcendent lifeforms. Instead, he painted their essence using his Drawing Technique and sealed them in his painting space.

When good news came from the Muddy Marshlands, Rosen returned at full speed.

By the time he arrived, even more human transcendents had gathered around the marshlands. Many Sequence 9 individuals were present as well. Even if they couldn't obtain Storm Thunderbird eggs, they hoped to profit by collecting transcendent plants from the surrounding forests—plants that had become easier to access due to the Thunderbirds' presence scaring away other transcendent creatures.

Thousands of Storm Thunderbirds swooped in from all directions, herding storm clouds toward the marshlands. Using their storm powers, they condensed the clouds until several thousand miles of storm clouds were compressed into just a few square miles.

Once the clouds were fully compressed, a torrential rain began to fall, with each drop weighing over a pound.

The rain soon turned blue-purple, charged with lightning as the Thunderbirds channeled their storm energy. One by one, they flew up into the storm to bathe in the lightning, using it to charge the eggs developing inside them. This storm lasted for three days, after which the Thunderbirds settled into their nests to lay eggs.

Once all the Thunderbirds had laid their eggs and flown away, over 100,000 human transcendents rushed toward the floating nests on the lake. The area around the nests had been sealed by various means, and it was now a matter of who could claim the eggs first.

Although Rosen was only Sequence 7, his mechanical pet allowed him to keep pace with the front runners. As he approached one of the nests, he took out a special incubation chamber for Storm Thunderbird eggs.

His plan was to collect three eggs and leave—taking more would likely provoke universal hostility, an unspoken rule that everyone followed.

Just as he was about to collect the eggs, Rosen sensed a strange familiarity coming from beneath the water. Upon closer inspection, he realized that his Golden Divinity was resonating with something below.

After collecting the three eggs, Rosen dived into the lake, following the resonance to its source.

He soon discovered a massive nest hidden at the lake's bottom, atop which lay a dead Storm Thunderbird.

Due to the spatial seals in the area, Rosen's Scavenger Space couldn't collect the large nest. Instead, he summoned his Devourer Beast, which expanded and swallowed both the nest and the dead Thunderbird, temporarily storing them in its stomach.

When Rosen returned to shore, carrying only the three incubation chambers, he attracted envious glances from the crowd. With tens of thousands of people present and only a few thousand eggs available, not everyone would be so lucky.

Of the eggs, only a few hundred would likely be successfully tamed, while the rest would be released back into the Natural Rainforest.

Eager to inspect his discovery, Rosen left the Muddy Marshlands and traveled several dozen miles away to leave the spatial seal. Once outside, he immediately entered his Divine Domain.

The Devourer Beast spit out the nest, and upon examining it, Rosen understood why it had felt so familiar. The nest was made entirely from Golden Apple Tree roots, and the dead Storm Thunderbird atop it had reached Sequence 3.

This ancient Thunderbird had built its final nest here after the destruction of the Muddy Marshlands. Before dying, it had laid one last egg, using the Golden Apple Tree's life force and thunder energy to nurture it.

Moving the dead bird aside, Rosen found a solid gold egg with wooden patterns. As he extended his spiritual senses, he felt the powerful life force growing within.

There was no need for an incubation chamber—the nest itself was the ideal hatching environment.

Rosen wasn't particularly interested in ordinary Storm Thunderbirds, as their strength lay in numbers. A single Thunderbird wasn't an exceptional mount or magical pet. However, in swarms, they became one of the most formidable forces below the demigod level.

But this particular egg, infused with the Golden Apple Tree's energy, might be worth the effort.

Rosen placed the nest at the base of the Time Tower and added wood from the Golden Apple Tree to it. He then activated the time acceleration feature and planned to return in a few months to check on its progress.

As for the three ordinary Thunderbird eggs, he decided to give one to Xiaodi, and the remaining two would be awarded to whichever of his citizens made the greatest contributions. Of course, whether they could tame the birds remained to be seen.

Two months flew by as Rosen ventured deeper into the Natural Rainforest. The terrain became lower, the trees taller, and the vegetation less dense. Higher-sequence transcendent lifeforms typically had larger bodies, making dense forests difficult to navigate. Over the past 20,000 years, these lifeforms had cleared away vines and other plants, leaving only the massive trees, which grew stronger without competition.

Rosen sat beneath a tree with a diameter of several dozen meters, observing a few Sequence 6 Lightning Lizards shivering in front of him. After days of hunting transcendent creatures, he had discovered that his Nightmare Slime's Beast King's Wrath could exert a powerful intimidating force on weaker lifeforms. Although it lacked the full dominance of a true Beast King, it was enough to subdue Sequence 6 creatures.

As long as Rosen didn't harm these Lightning Lizards, they would serve as models for his paintings.

This marked the 1,000th transcendent lifeform he had captured in his Soul Canvas. The essence stored within had reached its limit, and after completing this final painting, he would be able to upgrade the canvas.

For the enhancement material, Rosen chose the Mystic Flower, a Sequence 6 miracle plant. These flowers grew on the corpses of pig-type transcendent lifeforms and evolved from Sequence 9 plants called Secret Flowers.

Rosen didn't expect to find a Mystic Flower himself. Instead, he planned to track down a Secret Flower and use his Hunter's Eye to synthesize it. If he could create Ash Bees, synthesizing a Mystic Flower would be well within reach.

(End of Chapter)