Looking at Masha kneeling, who was now nothing but an empty husk for Autarch, Jacob still feels very pleased seeing this vicious woman meet this cruel end.
"Did you advance?" Jacob asked.
Autarch nodded, "I'm now at the epic rank, and it's all thanks to Sir."
"We both took a gamble that day, and it paid off handsomely. Without risk, there is no reward. I've learned it the hard way." Jacob sighed emotionally.
Although he took that risk to save his own life that day, he was still able to escape without even using this trump card. Still, Autarch's advance means another powerful trump card in his arsenal, and with Nyx in the mix, he probably didn't need to be afraid of anything below legendary rank.
"How's your gains?" He asked.
"My abilities had all been powered up by another level, and now I can handle Unique Rank beings. Furthermore, I've awakened another new ability after reaching the epic rank just now, Undead Control.
"I can now refine ten Dark Beings up to unique rank into Undead Puppets. But I still won't be able to get their memories, and I also need to absorb the strong brains of the living to advance." Autarch revealed without hesitation.
Jacob was surprised since this new ability was quite useful if used carefully. He can infiltrate the Dark Beings ranks and get their secrets. Even to this day, he still doesn't know much about the Dark Beings' inner structure and how they communicate with each other.
He never discovers any star watches on the dark beings but the SAAI acknowledged them. This could only mean there was a unique method like the star network they used to communicate with higher plains.
Although he wasn't overly interested in Dark Beings' secrets, learning them would only increase his chance of survival against them. After all, he needed to kill them to increase his hex core's rank.
"Is there anything worth reporting from Masha's memories?" Jacob asked.
Even though he already knew everything he wanted to know about the Unique Plains and many secret matters from Captain Free Sword, he still wanted to know if that bastard hid anything.
Autarch then begins to tell Jacob about Masha's entire life and how she joined Captain Free Sword, including the unique plains.
What surprised Jacob was Masha's Charm Siren Race didn't belong to the lands; instead, they lived within the star ocean, and they were the only race there. People called them Ocean Races, and they were as terrifying as the land dwellers.
Masha was exiled from her clan because of her twisted nature, and that's how she met with the pirates and ended up with Captain Free Sword's crew.
Autarch also told him about the ocean races that avoid the lands and don't interfere with their matters, but they also won't allow any land dwellers within their territories. The offenders would meet instant retaliation and death.
Furthermore, these ocean races were extremely vengeful as they were easily provoked, and if someone killed their members, they wouldn't stop until they got revenge, and they went as far as to declare war. So, no one wanted to provoke them, whether they were living or dead.
"I get it. We need to be careful of these ocean races now." Jacob sighed as his eyes were slowly opening to the new world now, "Alright, remove this slave mark on me."
Although his physical body had broken the limit of the epic rank, his magic rank was still not sufficient so he was waiting for this for a long time now. That's also why he didn't dare to let Masha out before Autarch fully devoured her.
If Autarch weren't fully loyal to him, he would've directly killed her without taking any chances.
Autarch didn't hesitate and combined her hands together before a crimson rune lit up on Masha's forehead. Simultaneously, Jacob also felt a burning sensation on his back as the slave rune appeared.
"Break!" Autarch coldly stated before the rune on Masha's forehead vanished, and Jacob also felt that burning sensation go away.
He felt instantly refreshed and light-headed, as if some huge burden had been lifted from his back. He was finally free from the damn slave rune.
"Good." Jacob nodded with a refreshed smile, "I have another mission for you: record all Masha's runic techniques like the slave rune for me. Other than that, once you're done, I have another fellow for you to devour. Afterward, I'll give you all the titan tears I've been refining for you to increase your rank. This shall be your reward for your server."
Jacob had been collecting all the epic rank titan iron he could get for Autarch because it could grow rapidly by absorbing it and didn't need to devour brains. After Jacob's body enters the unique rank, epic titan tears have minimum effect on him, so giving it to Autarch was the best option.
Furthermore, he now only had a formula for the unique rank titan tears. There was no legendary rank formula. So, he needed the unique rank titan iron to refine unique titian tears, which would also spell the end of this miraculous potion he got from the common plains.
He was also hoping that the unique titan tears could help Autarch enter the Legendary Rank since he knew just how ridiculous the requirements were for its advanced.
Autarch didn't tarry and bowed before she left to complete this mission. Many crew members were surprised to see Masha appearing again, and some even tried to talk with her, but she seemed completely different and cold and didn't reply to their greeting.
Once Autarch left, Jacob's eyes shone sharply, 'Now that my fire aura glyph is about to condense completely. I should create a water spirit glyph next. Fire for fighting and water for defense and healing, perfect combination…'
Just like that, days passed, and, on this day, Autarch returned with a thick book and handed it to Jacob. Upon skimming through it, Jacob was elated as all Masha's runic knowledge of talismans, arrays, and formations was in there.
Keeping the book, he then takes out a barrel filled with dark liquid. It was titan tears, and seeing it, Autarch's emotionless eyes shimmered with desire.
"Alright, you discard this body now and start absorbing this barrel. I still have 28 more of them. In the meanwhile, I'll summon your next target!" Jacob ordered coolly.
Autarch nodded before a dark streak flashed past Masha's ear and vanished into the barrel, and the next moment, Masha's lifeless body began to fall on the floor.
Jacob sneered coldly and threw a green flame ball on her body, incinerating it into ashes.
Thereafter, he called someone, and a jolly voice rang, "Is it time?"
Jacob's lips curled up wickedly, "Of course, I'm sending you my coordinates. Hurry over, we'll be leaving in three days!"