Alistair approached the fallen war golem and reached his hand into its chest.
"It feels just like wet clay," he noted. With a slight exert of force, his hand sank easily into the mass of flesh.
"Is it over, Alistair?" Rie asked. Although it was a question, her tone was certain.
"It is. But this thing... I can't shake the familiarity. It's not just the mana; it's the flesh modification. I only know one old man capable of this kind of bio-engineering. When that flying blade hit me earlier, the mana infused in it began to rewrite my cellular structure. That's the only reason it could pierce my skin; otherwise, that puny blade wouldn't have even scratched my scales."
Alistair pulled out the remaining shard of the blade and crushed it in his fist. Without the transformative magic active, the metal fragments couldn't even nick the surface of his palm.
"Without that 'modification' factor, this junk can't even draw my blood." He opened his hand, letting the shards clatter to the ground. "Not in the stomach? It looked like it swallowed the artifact. Is it in the..."
Alistair glanced toward the golem's tailbone, wondering if the master was twisted enough to hide it there.
"It's here," Rie said, prying open the golem's skull. A heavy iron chain lay nestled inside the gray matter.
"So that's where it was." Alistair sighed in relief. He had no desire to go digging around the 'backdoor' of a meat-puppet, even if it was just a mindless golem. He grabbed the chain, and using his power, he 'consumed' it into his system.
Immediately, the artifact's properties flooded his mind.
First was 'Soldier Link.' It allowed him to designate a 'Master' and multiple 'Soldiers.' Personally, Alistair felt 'Slave' was a more accurate term. The life and death of the 'Soldiers' were held entirely in the Master's hand.
The Master could summon a Soldier instantly to act as a shield, command them to perform any task—including suicide—and forcibly absorb their stamina, mana, and physical stats to power himself up. The Soldiers had no power to refuse. Alistair didn't think he'd need to drain his women, though; if his Talismans and Azure Flames weren't enough to win a fight, a few extra stat points wouldn't change the outcome.
Second was the visual of the contract. Once bound, a spectral collar appeared on the Soldier's neck, with a chain leading to the Master's wrist. It was invisible to outsiders and could be hidden even from the participants, but the symbolism was clear: they were his property.
However, being a 'Soldier' came with massive perks.
The first was 'Unity of Honor.' A Soldier could not be humiliated, as it would stain the Master's glory. If a Soldier faced the risk of sexual assault or severe degradation, they would be automatically recalled to the Master's side.
The second was 'The Lord's Radiance.' The Master could share his power with the Soldiers. His total strength would be divided among them, but he could choose to stack the power of multiple shares onto a single person.
Finally, because a Soldier must serve their Master eternally, their physical age was frozen the moment the contract was signed. As long as the Master lived, the Soldiers could not truly die; even if killed in battle, they would eventually resurrect.
Not bad. This is perfect for protecting Kasumi and the others, Alistair thought.
Not all of his women had the backing of a 'Demigod' or natural powers like Mina and Natsuba. Women like Kasumi Haruno, Akane Nanao, and Rimu Momoki were ordinary humans. As the 'Mystic' world began to bleed into reality, their safety was Alistair's biggest concern. He couldn't be with them 24/7, so this artifact was a godsend.
It eliminated the risk of some 'ugly bastard' or 'NTR protagonist' trying to steal his women. Alistair had already taken precautions; his 'Life Essence' acted as a protective layer, shielding his girls from unwanted touch and purifying any hypnosis or mind control. But the Chain took it to a whole new level. It even allowed him to train them into a capable fighting force.
"Is it a protection artifact?" Dilba asked, walking over.
"In a way. It's a Master-Servant contract. I don't need the control aspects, but the mutual protection and the immortality link are exactly what my girls need. Most of them have no supernatural abilities."
"I see. A contract to ensure the safety of both parties," Dilba nodded. She didn't care about the number of women he had; dragons were naturally lustful creatures. It was only right for him to have a hoard of beauties.
"I'm heading back to the human sector. I need to get them under the contract as soon as possible," Alistair said.