"I've kept your original personality as a courtesy. But from now on, your soul is mine and so is your allegiance. The fulfillment of my will stands as your highest aspiration."

　　 Konrad declared following Berken's new greeting. And hearing this, though his stubborn mind wished to disagree, Berken couldn't. And in a flash, all his desires to restore the human's glory fell in the shadow of his complete and utter devotion to his master's will, to Konrad's will!

　　 "Your wish is my command."

　　 Berken replied without a ripple.

　　 "You may rise. And rejoice, you no longer need to rely on Ashara's Seal and can burn your blood indefinitely. Henceforth, you can consider yourself restored to greater heights than ever before."

　　 Those words of Konrad resounded in the still confused Berken's mind like a thunderclap, and without hesitation, he activated his Blood Burning. And indeed, he could feel the limitless essence his blood pool had turned into allowing him to go on forever!

　　 There was absolutely no limit or need to deactivate this state!

　　 Berken stood up, and his eyes remained locked on his stretched arms, or rather, the veins lying beneath them. Unlike Konrad's other immortal servants, Berken's mind hadn't undergone full transformation. Therefore, he didn't possess a preternatural understanding of his abilities and was full of confusion.

　　 Konrad ignored him and s.h.i.+fted his attention to the remaining Serkar elders.

　　 "As for you, congratulations, you too shall join the new immortal clan. On the blood and bones of my maternal house, I shall build my new legion, the Three Realms' number one force:

　　 The Chthonian Immortal Legion.

　　 And you have been chosen to serve within its leading, elite corps:

　　 The Blood Shadow Pavilion. What a glorious day."

　　 Konrad proclaimed, and stretched out his right hand for a finger snap!

　　 *Snap*

　　 With that one move, the ninth elder, Berken and Gulistan aside, all followed the second elder's footsteps, and burst into a feast of blood and gore. But as their bone debris and blood dropped onto the ground, from that puddle of gore, they seamlessly reformed, and the second elder included, all rose from destruction to ascend to a greater state than ever before.

　　 Unlike Berken, however, there was no confusion within their mind, and as disciplined servants, they knelt to greet their master!

　　 "Greetings, master!"

　　 They hailed, causing Gulistan to no longer comprehend the events going on. What was this? Could it be that Konrad became possessed by the incarnation of death? Or worse, did he, by some incomprehensible turn of event, become Death Incarnate?