The super divine beast "Mia"

"Yes, meeting Mia on this trip really was something to be happy about."

Roger was delighted to have acquired a super divine beast with tremendous potential as his soul slave.

She was the first divine beast of her kind in the world, a Nether Fox, and her innate divine ability was immensely powerful.

It was safe to say.

Once Mia reached the Highgod level, her innate divine ability alone would be enough to threaten experts on the level of a Seven-Star Demon.

Not to mention that Mia seemed to have a decent aptitude for cultivation, too.

Through their soul communication, Roger learned that Mia had already cultivated the second branch of the death edict, "Soul defense," to its limit.

She only needed to comprehend it fully to become a Midgod and a capable subordinate of Roger's.

"Then let's keep going. Once we've finished inspecting our territory, we'll return to the tribe right away."

After resting in the treetops for half a day.

Roger took the three of them along and resumed the patrol.

They had been away for half a year.

He wondered how the tribe was doing. Now that he had acquired an ideal soul slave, that alone was reward enough.

Over the next six months.

Roger and the others continued patrolling along their planned route.

They encountered no more unusual experts during that time. Occasionally, they ran into a few unaffiliated Lowgods, whom Mia casually killed before taking their Godheads.

Watching Mia easily cleave those Lowgods' heads apart using nothing but her divine body, which was as tough as a Midgod Artifact.

Roger felt increasingly glad that he had not simply annihilated her soul back then.

Seeing this, Hagson and Beverly also felt a lingering chill at the thought that Mia's innate divine ability had been aimed at Roger.

Had either of them been its target.

The grass on their grave would probably have grown tall by now.

During those six months.

Hagson and Beverly handled most of the patrol duties.

Roger devoted a great deal of his energy to studying Mia.

She was the first divine beast he had ever come into contact with.

And she was his soul slave, too.

That made studying her extremely convenient.

Roger obtained a wealth of firsthand information.

This included where the strange innate energy came from when a divine beast used its innate divine ability.

Exactly how long she needed after using it before she could unleash her innate divine ability again.

And why Mia's divine body was so remarkably tough.

Of course.

After finishing his research late at night, Roger would occasionally take Mia along for some exercise that benefited both body and mind.

As Roger's soul slave, Mia naturally complied with his every wish.

"Mmm... Master, let me sleep a little longer."

The sun was already high in the sky.

Feeling Roger's large hands roaming over her body, Mia lazily wriggled in protest.

Last night had been another exhausting night.

First, she had cooperated with Roger to complete experiments on the generation and use of innate energy, recording a large amount of data.

Then Roger had taken Mia through some high-intensity exercise.

The intensity had been so great.

That even Roger's saint domain true body had felt a trace of fatigue...

Mia, who had received a great deal of his essence and shared a deep communion of souls with Roger.

Was utterly exhausted as well.

"Then sleep a little longer. I'll take a look around."

Roger covered Mia with a blanket and walked out of the treehouse.

By then, it was broad daylight.

Hagson and Beverly had camped several thousand meters away.

Seeing Roger fly over.

The two immediately stepped out of their tents.

"My lord, we'll be able to return to the tribe today. I wonder how much it's changed after a year."

Hagson sounded rather reflective.

They had spent a year out on patrol.

Their strength had not improved much, but their horizons had broadened considerably.

They had met the mysterious and powerful Midgod Bell, as well as the formidable divine beast, the Nether Fox.

And they had even witnessed Roger enslave a divine beast's soul!

That display of ability.

Had sent Hagson and Beverly's loyalty to Roger soaring several levels higher!

There was no other reason.

In the Netherworld, where the strong preyed on the weak.

Following a powerful leader was a sound survival strategy.

"Yes, we'll head back to the tribe today. From now on, unless something major happens, we can leave these patrols to others."

Roger spoke calmly.

In fact, the Nether Luo Tribe had conducted routine patrols before, but their range had been very small, merely ensuring that no enemies appeared around the settlement.

A patrol covering as much ground as Roger's group had this time was a first.

After Roger chatted with Hagson and Beverly for a while.

Mia emerged from the treehouse, fully recovered.

The group then set off for the Nether Luo Tribe's main settlement.

By the time night fell.

The four of them had returned to the tribe.

Fortunately.

After a year.

The tribe was running very well.

Allen and the others had encountered no danger.

They had also collected dozens of crystal balls filled with Sanctuary souls.

This made Roger very happy.

Seeing Roger's trio return also put the other members of the tribe at ease.

Such was the Netherworld.

Only the strong.

Could make people feel safe.

Inside the council hall.

Roger casually recounted what he had seen and heard over the past year.

He also introduced Mia.

However, he did not tell anyone that she was a soul slave or a divine beast. He merely said that she was a fairly capable Lowgod they had met during the patrol, whom he had brought back to nurture within the tribe.

The tribe's members readily accepted this explanation.

Hagson and Beverly had also promised on the way back not to reveal anything about Mia.

As for his good friend returning from a trip with a beautiful Lowgod.

Allen thought little of it.

The tribe needed to reproduce and grow, after all.

He had favored quite a few Sanctuary women over the years.

Unfortunately, none had borne him any children.

Allen had also been urging Roger to take in a few girls to warm his bed.

But Roger had always been busy refining Soul Gold Beads and cultivating.

Besides, none of the women in the tribe had caught Roger's eye.

Naturally, the matter had remained on hold.

Now that Roger had brought back a beauty.

Allen was actually the happiest of them all.

Anyone with eyes could see.

That this beautiful Lowgod named Mia was intimate with Roger, and that Roger took care of her in every way.

The two even lived together!

On top of that, Mia was now sitting in the seat that had originally belonged to Hagson, the "second-in-command."

Yet Hagson had no complaints whatsoever.

That, too, spoke volumes.

After leaving the council hall.

Roger spent some time alone with Allen.

He listened to a detailed account of the tribe's affairs over the past year.

As for the reports he had heard in the council hall, those had all been formalities, with little of value to glean from them.

"Roger, quite a few things happened over the past year."

Sure enough, Allen's opening words immediately caught Roger's interest. Managing a tribe isn't simple either. I really do need a trusted confidant here to hold things together.

"A few months ago, a group of people secretly approached our tribe. They were very fast, though. Our patrol only spotted them from a distance and couldn't catch up at all."

Allen continued, "All I could see from afar was that their leader was shrouded in divine power of the Laws of Light. His three companions were enveloped in that power, and their speed increased enormously in an instant."

"It was him... Bell."

Hearing this description, Roger was almost certain of the group's identity.