CHAPTER 486: CHAPTER 373: MAJORITY SHAREHOLDING, DOUBLE CHIEF PRIEST

In the northeastern corner of the Bantaan Archipelago lies Shampoo Island, the holy land of the Bloodthirsty Cult.

Ever since Byron’s promotion to Prince of Night Demons a few days ago, he had used the excuse of hearing Lilith’s murmurs to impart his knowledge of Genetics and the teachings of the Bloodline Hounds to a group of Grand Wizards within the cult. From Grand Priest Leech Lady down to every Third Order Grand Wizard and their apprentices, everyone was forgoing sleep and meals in pursuit of this new knowledge and all sorts of whimsical genetic combinations. Even Byron’s nominal teacher, Swarm—who had just developed the "Ritual: Fungus Person Colony" and hoped to use his own spores to transform all the other Insect-men in the cult into a "Cordyceps" species—was no exception.

As they delved deeper into this precious knowledge, they had already successively created:

"Beef Mushrooms, Tripe Mushrooms, Coin Belly Mushrooms, Yogurt Mushrooms... perfect for the hotpot recipes Byron had given them. The only flaw was that these mushrooms would scream ’MOO-MOO!’ and try to run away, requiring them to be caught and freshly slaughtered."

"There were also super ’amphibious cockroaches’ that could run, fly, and swim in the sea. In cities with sophisticated drainage systems, they were guaranteed to crawl through the sewers into countless homes; even sailboats at sea could not escape their clutches."

"The most bizarre invention came from the Mosquito Mage, who created ’super cold-resistant mosquitoes,’ filling the void of the Old Continent’s mosquito-less winters..."

However, after being accidentally struck by lightning a few times when they ventured out, they gradually learned their lesson. They realized that these domestication experiments, which could accidentally transform the entire world’s ecosystem, should not be overdone. After all, the motto of these Beast Tamers of the Wilderness Sequence was: "I come, I see, I conquer!" Their purpose was to conquer themselves, conquer nature, and then, step by step, transform the vast wilderness into a humanized world. Domesticating wild species and turning them into biological resources usable by humankind was their inherent responsibility.

Since then, the activities within the Bloodthirsty Cult began to gradually normalize. Just yesterday, a Grand Wizard named Sea Louse, whose original form was a Shrinking Fish Louse capable of replacing a Sea Monster’s tongue and living symbiotically with it, invented a boneless fish. Thanks to this invention beneficial to humankind, his own Spirituality grew significantly. The others also began to grasp the core principle of biological domestication and modification: it must benefit humankind.

Until today, when celebratory laughter finally echoed from the laboratories of the Mosquito Mage and Grand Priest Leech Lady.

"HAHAHA, success!" they exclaimed. "A brand-new mosquito (or leech) has been born in my hands! It no longer sucks blood, but can... perform liposuction! Those noble madams with their portly figures will go crazy for it."

Immediately, the two of them, each holding an indescribable creature in their palm, rushed out of their laboratories, eager to show off their research successes. The two Grand Wizards, using similar research approaches, had independently invented mosquitoes and leeches that could only survive by consuming fat. Although it sounded like an invention born of sheer indulgence, the fact that no lightning bolts struck them on the head was already a tremendous improvement. At the very least, using these two creatures to open a painless weight-loss beauty salon could definitely rake in a lot of money. Moreover, if those leeches could suck the fat from Leviathan Whales, even the process of hunting the whales could be spared. After de-fatting them, the whales could be released back into the deep sea, only to return for more liposuction once they had fattened up again, allowing for the endless, sustainable use of whale oil. It might even mark the grand beginning of an oil-based mechanical... cough, I mean, whale oil industrial revolution.

Grand Priest Leech Lady, her Spirituality now even more elevated, couldn’t stop smiling. "Giggle... With this first success, countless more will follow," she said. "With Genetics in my grasp, perhaps one day I can take over the authority of the Mother of Creation, able to bring forth all life with a wave of my hand! My fellow wizards, a bright future awaits us."

The other Grand Wizards, having heard the news, hurried over to offer their congratulations:

"Congratulations, Grand Priest!"

"Under the leadership of the Grand Priest, our Bloodthirsty Cult is sure to become a top secret society renowned among all humanity."

"And taking the Church’s place in the New Continent is just a matter of time..."

Although the Bloodthirsty Cult lacked a Fourth Order, Grand Priest Leech Lady, a Third Order Beast Tamer and Third Order Grand Wizard, possessed the strongest power and naturally assumed the position of leader. Furthermore, with the insect pheromone "Hirudin" she exuded, she had a tight grip on a group of male Insect-men. At this moment, her captivatingly beautiful face bore a smile that could charm all creation. "The deal we made with the Kingdom of Hightins was well worth it. This time, being able to break new ground was all thanks to our Test Subject No. 17, Byr—"

As she spoke those words, her expression, along with that of every Grand Wizard and low-sequence apprentice on the island, suddenly faltered. It was a good while before she continued, "Where was I? Oh yes, it was all thanks to our most wise and valiant... Grand Priest, the Sea Hunter, Mister Byron. Without him, we would have neither our present nor our future!"

The others continued to echo in agreement:

"Indeed, indeed! Under the guidance of Grand Priest Byron, our Bloodthirsty Cult will surely become the preeminent secret society among all humankind."

"Replacing the Church’s position in the New Continent is but a matter of days..."

They had simply transferred the complimentary words originally addressed to Leech Lady directly onto Byron.

Clearly, the effect of "The First Stock Certificate" had been triggered: "When the final share of power exceeds 50%, all authority of the force will immediately fall into Byron’s hands, regardless of individual will."

Originally, in the consciousness of these Black Wizards, Byron had become a living familiar of the Mother of Creation, Lilith, during the last promotion ceremony. He was considered worse than the fanatics of the Deep Dive Church and the Rift Monastery, who would readily sacrifice their lives for their Old Gods. He was constantly listening to whispers and, in not too many years, was expected to become a complete madman. Yet now, even their cognition had been corrected. In their memory, Byron had transformed from a pitiful experimental subject into a contemporary Grand Priest of the Cult. He was now seen as willingly dedicating himself to the "Eternal Life Project," driven by great moral principles. He was also their spiritual leader, their life mentor!

In the Mosquito Mage’s experimental records, the words "Eternal Life Project Experimental Subject No. 17, Baron Byron Tudor of Torrentfort..." also dissipated into nothingness. In the blink of an eye, the command of the vast Bloodthirsty Cult and its eight Grand Wizards had fallen to Lancaster.

Leech Lady, stepping down willingly, said solemnly, "The Grand Priest has gone to the New Continent to conquer the wilds. It’s simply inappropriate for us to sit back at home and reap the benefits. I’ve decided to lead a team to the New Continent to serve the Grand Priest to the best of our ability, making his bed and warming his feet. Who wants to join me?"

"I do!"

"I do!"

A chorus of agreement immediately echoed among the Grand Wizards.

「A few hours later, at the headquarters of The Skinners’ Church.」

"HAHAHA! My appendectomy has finally saved a life! It saved a life! There’s hope for the future of surgeons! SOB SOB SOB..." Grand Priest of The Skinners’ Church, Robert Liston, also known as the Homicidal Doctor, looked at the patient on the operating table whose vital signs were gradually returning, and tears of joy streamed down his face. "The shame of ’one cut, three kills’ and a 300% surgical mortality rate can finally be washed away! I will soon successfully create a new profession within the Hospital Sequence: Surgeon!"

Robert Liston’s title was Homicidal Doctor, and he was especially famous for a surgery with a staggering 300% mortality rate. Twenty years ago, young and not yet a Transcendent, he was merely an unlicensed rural doctor of the bloodletting school. Yet, after witnessing many patients die helplessly, he began to study how to perform surgery. Because he could complete an amputation without anesthesia in 28 seconds, he earned the nickname "Quick Knife." Unfortunately, during one operation, his movements were too swift, and he accidentally severed his assistant’s wrist, causing the assistant to bleed to death. Since ticket sales for observing operations were part of the surgical income, many curious spectators were present in addition to the patient and assistant. When the mishap occurred, one spectator died on the spot from a shock-induced heart attack, and the patient later succumbed to infection post-surgery. One surgery ultimately caused three deaths. This made Robert the doctor behind an unprecedented "triple kill" in a single operation, achieving a 300% surgical mortality rate that remains unmatched to this day!

After awakening his Spirituality, he resolved to pioneer the new profession of Surgeon. However, the development and perfection of modern medicine are built upon the suffering and sacrifice of countless patients. Only after the gradual development of foundational disciplines like systematic anatomy, anesthesiology, aseptic techniques, and nursing was a strong, complex, and efficient medical system established. How could he succeed in such a short time, working in isolation? He was almost caught stealing corpses and was forced to flee overseas.

This changed when Byron, through the Fairy Rigel, brought him the four foundational disciplines of surgical medicine: anatomy, anesthesiology, aseptic techniques, and surgical nursing. This allowed him to finally succeed in performing the first appendectomy under anesthesia. Moreover, it was done without using any transcendent abilities, meaning he could recruit medical students on a large scale, benefiting all ordinary patients who could not afford a Transcendent doctor. He was so excited he could hardly contain himself.

"The Father of Healing is indeed worthy of the name!" he exclaimed. "His previous life must have been that of an ancient god overseeing surgery, who descended to the mortal world to benefit humanity. I must... I must learn diligently from Grand Priest, the Father of Healing! To follow by his side, to receive his direct tutelage, so my medical skills can improve by leaps and bounds!"

Clearly, the shares of another organization had been triggered on the spot.

「Thus, when Byron, piloting the Golden Deer, arrived at the distant battlefield the next day,」

He had already become the Grand Priest of both the Bloodthirsty Cult and The Skinners’ Church!

The fishing gear was all in place; now, all that was needed was for the wind to rise, the clouds to gather, and the fish to bite.