Chapter 54: Escape from Purgatory Island (Part Two)

On the fifth floor of the Alchemy Tower, Gong Hao began to pack his belongings.

His fingers brushed over crucibles, reagents, and materials one by one, and a sense of wistful emotion arose in his heart.

Unbeknownst to him, he had already lived on Purgatory Island for three and a half years.

Nearly four years—a span neither too long nor too short—and now, as he truly prepared to leave, a feeling of reluctant attachment quietly surfaced.

To be honest, with his current abilities and contributions, Heinz had long since abandoned the idea of killing him to extract his spirit seed. If he wished, he could have continued living here for a long time.

Both Heinz and Andrew, though their hands were stained with blood, had, for the most part, treated him well.

True, it was only out of self-interest, only because he was useful—but who, in this world, is not used by others?

So, setting aside their cruelty, Gong Hao did not feel the hatred toward Heinz and Andrew that he had once imagined.

On the contrary, he had come to respect Heinz’s dedication and deep pursuit of alchemy.

But a dragon is meant to soar. No matter how safe it was, he could not let himself be buried forever on this desolate island. Over three years of dormant endurance had tested his patience to its limits.

Even a mighty demon dragon has never endured such a long hibernation.

Thinking of this, Gong Hao was filled with emotion.

Freedom was finally no longer a distant dream.

After placing all his prepared items on the table, he gently waved his left hand, collecting everything into the ring on his finger.

Yes, the spatial ring had long been completed—even before he had promised Andrew, it was done. Unlike a teleportation array, a spatial ring didn’t require an external channel, so almost no energy would leak, making it much easier to craft. Its capacity depended entirely on energy input.

Thanks to ample energy, his ring contained a vast space.

There was nothing left to keep him. Turning, Gong Hao left the room.

He went to the library.

It was another place where he had once worked—another place difficult to leave behind.

Here, he had read countless tomes on alchemy. This place had been his wellspring of knowledge, giving him the foundation to survive.

In the most prominent place in the library, experiment logs on teleportation arrays and long-distance communication technology were still displayed. Both inventor and recorder were listed as “Hugh Iglair.”

As if it were a tangible testament to his existence in this world.

Gong Hao’s eyes betrayed his reluctance, and he sighed softly, scattering a handful of Fire Vine seeds.

These were extraordinary plants—given enough fire element, they could sprout and grow strong in a very short time, bringing with them a force of utter destruction.

Having done this, Gong Hao left the Alchemy Tower and headed to Area Fifty-Six.

Night had fallen. Aside from a few lit windows in the tower, all the servants were already asleep.

Red and Green, however, remained spirited. When they saw Gong Hao arrive, they were especially delighted.

They gave joyful, ringing calls.

Perhaps only when he saw Red and Green did Gong Hao’s heart feel true comfort.

“Hey, my old friends, I’ve come to see you again. But this time, I’m afraid it will be the last,” he said with a smile. “The teleportation array is complete. If not for a few remaining tasks, I’d have left already. But now, I’m here to fulfill the promise I made to you.”

As he spoke, he cut off the flow of magical energy, then gently opened the cage.

“Slip out quietly, alright? It’s not time to alert everyone just yet,” he told Red.

Red seemed to understand. As it and its mate stepped out, it nearly burst into song, but at Gong Hao’s look and his quiet “shh” gesture, it suppressed its excitement.

Red nudged Gong Hao repeatedly with its long beak, a gesture of heartfelt gratitude.

“Go now—fly free. Leave this damned human purgatory, and seek the wide open skies. This time, you can soar together, never to be caged again.”

Red and Green exchanged a glance, uttered a low cry, then spread their wings and soared into the sky.

Watching their forms dwindle to dots above, Gong Hao’s eyes grew moist.

“Sir…”

A low voice suddenly sounded behind him.

Gong Hao’s heart leapt.

Damn—so close to leaving and yet he’d been so caught up in emotion that he hadn’t noticed someone else in Area Fifty-Six!

He whirled around, a fierce killing intent radiating from his entire body.

Only now, for the first time, did he unleash his full power without reservation, revealing the strength befitting a Black Iron Warrior. If the dead Pierre were to see him now, he would never believe this was the same boy he had once beaten to the brink of death.

Standing before him was a young servant—thirteen or fourteen years old.

It was Compton, the newly appointed head servant.

He appeared terrified by Gong Hao’s sudden aura.

“What are you doing here?” Gong Hao frowned, withdrawing his killing intent.

Compton stammered, “Earlier today… Master Andrew asked where all the seeds I’d collected had gone. I told him you’d taken them, just as you told me to say—you were researching a new variety. But Master Andrew wants me to show him where the new variety is. He said he’ll check tomorrow…”

“So you’ve been fretting, unable to sleep, not knowing what to do?”

“Yes, sir. I don’t know what to do.” Compton hung his head.

He didn’t mention he’d seen Lord Hugh Iglair release the Blazing Birds. He was a clever boy, and worried that Lord Hugh might kill him to silence him.

The release of the Blazing Birds was no small matter.

Seeing through his thoughts, Gong Hao smiled and drew out a vial. “Go now. Drip this potion onto every energy crystal in each area. Don’t worry—if anyone asks, including Master Andrew or Master Heinz, say I instructed you. If Andrew asks why the Blazing Birds are gone, tell him I set them free.”

“Is that so, sir? But I don’t understand why you’re doing this. You know it will make Master Andrew very unhappy.”

Gong Hao replied softly, “You’ll have your answer soon. For now, just do as I say.”

“Yes, sir.” Young Compton had no idea what consequences his actions would bring.

As Compton left, Gong Hao quickly cast Wind Stride on himself and sped toward the castle’s outskirts.

Had Heinz seen this moment, he would have cried out in shock—for being able to cast Wind Stride, rather than just a basic Wind Spell, meant that Gong Hao was already a junior wind mage.

No one imagined that during his frantic research into spatial arrays, Gong Hao had long since surpassed apprentice status and crossed into the realm of true magicians.

He was not only a wind mage—he had already become a true soul mage before that.

———————————————————

The Alchemy Castle, which had ruled Purgatory Island for twenty-three years, at last faced its first, and final, great upheaval.

When the first magical beast broke free from its depleted magical cage, it let out a roar of rage.

One by one, beasts stormed out of their cells, gathering inside the castle.

This time, it was nothing like the magical beast escape two years ago.

Last time, Gong Hao released only a select few beasts. This time, he set them all free.

When vast numbers of magical beasts converged, they unleashed a frenzy of destruction almost unimaginable.

Hundreds of magical birds and tens of thousands of magical insects swirled above, while the ground was blanketed with beasts of all sizes, roaring to the heavens in a deafening chorus.

It was a spectacle rarely seen in a thousand years.

Blazing Birds, Iron-Feathered Eagles, and Bloodsucking Wasps swirled above in a dark cloud, while Saber-Toothed Beasts, Azure Smoke Foxes, Amethyst Berserk Bears, Frenzied Earth Dragons, and Spotted Venomous Pythons filled every corner.

In an instant, the grand castle square was completely overtaken by magical beasts—not a single free spot remained.

The air was alight with flames—beasts unleashed their magical powers en masse: fire, icy rain, wild winds, sandstorms—all ravaged the castle.

After so many years of captivity, many intelligent higher beasts hated every soul in the castle. Now, given the chance to fight back, they would not hesitate to give their lives to defend freedom and dignity.

The great tremors and thunderous roars jolted Heinz from sleep.

He hadn’t even time to dress before rushing to the window.

The scene outside was so grand and terrifying that it turned Heinz’s face ashen.

“How could this be?!” Heinz shouted in fury.

Andrew rushed up to the top floor. “Master! Something’s wrong—the magical beasts have escaped—all of them!”

“I can see that!” Heinz raged. “This is no mere accident. Where is Hugh Iglair? Why hasn’t he come to see me?”

“I haven’t seen him,” Andrew replied hastily.

The two exchanged a glance, an ominous foreboding welling up in both hearts.

“To Hugh’s room—quickly!” Heinz shouted.

Gong Hao’s room was spotless, nothing left behind.

Andrew felt a chill as if falling into an icy abyss. “It’s him—it must be him, Master.”

Heinz seemed to age ten years in an instant. Shaking his head with a bitter smile, he said, “It’s not surprising, really. Not at all. Andrew, it’s as if I’ve been expecting this day all along. I’m not even surprised.”

Andrew bowed his head. “Yes, Master. Even I’m not surprised, as if I’d known this outcome was inevitable.”

Heinz sighed heavily. “Desire blinded reason. We thought we could control everything. But we were wrong. From the beginning, he was the one in control. We could have seen it—indeed, we did see it—but we ignored it, thinking as long as he carried the spirit seed, even if he discovered our secrets, he wouldn’t dare act… I was wrong. He’s been preparing for this all along. No wonder he focused on spatial magic research.”

Andrew gave a wry smile. “Yes, Master, you’re right. Hugh is a genius—perhaps from the very first day on the island, he saw the truth. That’s why he worked so hard, learned so much, performed so well… Our greed clouded our judgment. Our alchemical ambitions conquered our reason, so we indulged him, even nurtured him. But Master, we still have a chance, don’t we? No matter the castle’s losses, Hugh Iglair accomplished what we dreamed of for years. We may recover, but we’ll never control or use him again.”

Heinz said quietly, “That depends on what else he has planned. The teleportation array is complete—he could have left long ago. If he has stayed to release the magical beasts, it can’t be as simple as escape. He knows how much strength we have, what leverage we hold. If he’s acted, he must be certain of success.”

“Master, do you mean the spirit seed…”

“Yes, I fear his body no longer contains the spirit seed. I don’t know how he managed it, but it’s almost certain—otherwise, Hugh Iglair would never act so openly.”

A chill ran through Andrew.

A student ran in, shouting, “Master, all the magical beasts are—”

“I know,” Heinz cut him off with a wave.

The student pressed on anxiously, “The library is on fire too—someone planted Fire Vines there and fed them an overdose of fire crystals. They’re growing wildly. The entire first floor of the Alchemy Tower is a sea of flames!”

“What?!” Heinz and Andrew both shuddered.

The books in the library were being consumed by fire. Over twenty years of research on Purgatory Island would be destroyed in an instant.

All their toil turned to nothing—the blow was devastating.

This was a fiercer, more merciless vengeance than simply releasing the magical beasts.

Andrew gritted his teeth. “Hugh Iglair, you are ruthless!”

“Lord Iglair?” the student stammered. “Master Andrew, you mean all this was done by Lord Iglair?”

“Yes, only he could have done this!” Andrew roared. “Did you see where he went?”

“I didn’t, but the head servant did. He said—”

“He said what?” Heinz demanded.

“He said he saw Lord Iglair heading toward the valley.”

Heinz and Andrew exchanged a stunned look, a terrifying thought rising in both minds.

Heinz yelled, “No—!”

————————————————————

The thick night, mixed with Purgatory Island’s unique mists, made the darkness profound.

Without magical lights, an ordinary person would struggle to find their way.

But for Gong Hao, now a second-level warrior and a true dual-element junior mage, this was no obstacle.

A stream of wind elemental energy swirled around him as he softly chanted; a Wind Nightingale materialized in his hand—light as air, nearly invisible.

As an early form of wind summoning magic, the Wind Nightingale possessed excellent sight and scouting ability. Though harmless, it was semi-invisible and undetectable to anyone but a more powerful mage.

Watching the tiny wind bird flutter in the air, Gong Hao whispered, “Go.”

The nightingale spread its wings and flew ahead.

With his guide in place, Gong Hao could easily find his path.

He had only been there once, but had never forgotten the way.

He arrived once more before the slumbering Titan Golem.

Gazing at the colossal being, Gong Hao’s eyes shone with burning light. “Prepare to awaken—the greatest creation of Electra. Use your remaining strength to destroy all that can be destroyed, to kill all that can be killed.”

Murmuring these words, he reached into the golem’s chest core.

The soul gem glowed faintly, and the golem’s long-closed eyes snapped open.