The River Styx had been successfully established in its initial form. The next steps were twofold: earn energy points to extend its length while expanding his underground influence along the river's course.
But a pressing issue loomed—the desert was about to erupt into chaos over Shelley stealing the Life Stone. The elves would eventually come for him, and he needed to prepare early.
Thorne planned to exploit the turmoil in the Boundless Desert to massively expand his magic beast army, spreading it across the entire region.
This way, no movement in the desert—elf or otherwise—would escape his notice.
The elves had withdrawn most of their desert patrols, concentrating them at the edges. It seemed like a tense defense against outsiders seeking the Life Stone, but with the desert's vastness, containment was impossible. Their outward vigilance masked internal laxity.
Sure enough, Huang Tribesmen reported sightings of external cultivators near their occupied valleys.
Those entering now were mostly mercenaries hunting nearby or at the desert's fringes. Major powers wouldn't act first—they were poised as the oriole behind the mantis and cicada.
Thorne aimed to capitalize on this window—before big players arrived and while elven internal patrols were lax—to mass-produce magic beasts.
After two or three months, he summoned all Huang Tribesmen again, Shelley included, trailing Tylen.
Having observed Thorne's ability to awaken beast bloodlines and breed magic beasts, Shelley was astounded.
Even in her world, no one did this—though her world lacked ordinary beasts, starting at the magic beast level.
Still, it defied logic, intensifying her awe and regret for stumbling into this terrifying entity's schemes through her recklessness.
"I've gathered you today for a new task. The Boundless Desert is about to plunge into unrest. To protect our home, we must grow stronger."
"Now, take your magic beasts and round up every wild beast you can find to the lake's perimeter. You have one week—aim for at least 100,000."
Tylen and the others replied in unison, "Yes, Lord Lake God. We'll complete the task."
They dispersed, but Shelley lingered at Thorne's command.
"What's your take on this?" he asked.
Startled by the question, Shelley panicked—how dare she critique Thorne's methods?
"Speak freely," he reassured, noting her unease.
"Lord Lake God, your plan has its wisdom, but I think mass-breeding magic beasts will consume too much spiritual water, outweighing the gains. Such a scale will surely alert the elves early. Plus, outsiders spotting this commotion might swarm here," she ventured.
Her concerns were valid—100,000 magic beasts appearing wouldn't escape even lax elven notice. But even if discovered, the elves couldn't act immediately; doing so would signal the Life Stone was with Thorne.
They'd also dismiss it—100,000 low-tier beasts posed no threat to Legendary Tier powerhouses. Once they crushed Thorne, his methods would be theirs.
As for outsiders swarming, Thorne intended it—he worried they wouldn't come.
Though clever, Shelley misjudged Thorne's depth, unable to fathom his intent.
"Stay here for now," he said.
She nodded faintly.
Keeping her here signaled to the elves that Thorne wasn't fleeing, deterring rash moves that could disrupt their own plans.
A week later, the Sinking Sand Army herded a vast swarm of wild beasts, encircling Thorne's lake tightly.
Intimidated by surrounding magic beasts, these ordinary creatures stood obediently, restless yet subdued.
Unawakened, they felt an instinctive dread.
"Lord Lake God, all beasts are gathered—150,000 total," Tylen reported.
"Good. Station the Sinking Sand Army on the perimeter—no creature comes within a kilometer."
"Yes, Lord Lake God."
With the Sinking Sand Army guarding, even if the elves noticed, they couldn't closely inspect Thorne's methods.
This time, he skipped batch-refining with spiritual water, opting for a faster approach.
"Use skill: Stormy Tempest."
The clear sky darkened with swirling clouds. A rift opened, unleashing torrential rain onto the beasts.
They basked comfortably in the downpour—spiritual water from Thorne's lake, perfect for refinement.
Under continuous spiritual rain, their physiques rapidly improved from day to night, brimming with vigor.
"Time to begin."
"Use skill: Awakening."
A red glow bathed the 150,000 beasts.
Power erupted from their blood, burning and pushing them to greater strength.
"Use skill: Blessing."
White light fell, easing the pain of blood ignition.
Beasts glowed variably, some exuding mighty auras, others burning to ash.
The spectacle lasted until midnight. Of 150,000, 100,000 awakened successfully; the rest perished.
Thorne sent another spiritual rain to soothe the survivors' fatigue and wounds.
By dawn, he summoned Tylen to tally the magic beasts.
Failed beasts were swept into the lake and devoured by Thorne.
This awakening netted over 10 million energy points—enough to extend the River Styx by 10,000 meters.